News

Honor 100 years of National Park Service with WV hiking challenge

Posted by on Dec 27, 2015 @ 6:49 am in Hiking News | 0 comments

Honor 100 years of National Park Service with WV hiking challenge

Celebrate the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service by hiking 100 miles or more on trails in the New River Gorge National River and Bluestone National Scenic River in 2016. The 100 Mile Challenge is the first of many local events during 2016 to celebrate this landmark anniversary, according to the National Park Service. All challenge participants that hike 100 miles or more in the West Virginia national park units between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31, 2016, will receive a prize, and the first 100 participants to complete the challenge will...

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Teddi Boston: ‘Pacific Crest Trails Firsts’

Posted by on Dec 26, 2015 @ 11:27 am in Hiking News | 0 comments

On Tuesday, Jan. 5, 2016 the San Gorgonio Chapter of the Sierra Club will have its monthly meeting at the San Bernardino County Museum, in Redlands, CA at 7:30 p.m. Guests are invited to visit the club as Teddi Boston, the first female thru-hiker to complete the Pacific Crest Trail, presents a program of stories and photographs titled: “Pacific Crest Trail Firsts.” In 1976 at the age of 49, Teddi was the first female thru-hiker to complete the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) traveling north to south. She started at the Canadian border and ended at...

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Blue Ridge Parkway visits surpass last year

Posted by on Dec 26, 2015 @ 7:17 am in Hiking News | 0 comments

Blue Ridge Parkway visits surpass last year

The Blue Ridge Parkway attracted more visitors through November, 2015 than it did in all of 2014. The parkway has logged more than 14.1 million visits in 2015, according to National Park Service estimates. That figure eclipses 2014’s full-year total of 13.9 million visits. This year’s total is the highest since 2012, when the parkway recorded 15.2 million visitors. The parkway drew nearly 1.2 million visitors in November. The park service revised upward its numbers in October from 1.7 million visitors to 1.8 million. Several...

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Outdoors Writer Talks Hiking Ice Age Trail

Posted by on Dec 25, 2015 @ 9:53 am in Hiking News | 0 comments

Outdoors Writer Talks Hiking Ice Age Trail

The warm weather might be throwing a wrench in some people’s holiday plans to go skiing, but while the snow stays at bay, exploring Wisconsin’s Ice Age Trail might not a bad second choice. The trail stands at a total of 1,200 miles across southern and central Wisconsin and is still growing. It runs through towns across the region, connecting communities with the outdoors. The conditions range from paved pathways to rugged and narrow trails. “I personally like the Point Beach State Park area over in Manitowoc County. Just the...

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Trekking the Untamed, Secluded Beauty of Hawaii’s Waipio Valley

Posted by on Dec 25, 2015 @ 6:06 am in Hiking News | 0 comments

The hiking is a workout, but Hawaii’s Muliwai Trail—a 19 mile, three-day trek along the Big Island’s northern coast—rewards the effort with black-sand beaches, waterfalls and wilderness to call your own. The payoff comes quickly. Within four minutes of starting an ascent of the steep path at the north end of the Big Island’s Waipio Valley, its mile-long black-sand beach comes into view. on that strand are 60 or so feral horses that live in the valley. From a well-earned perch, you can watch waves break along the shore, framed by 1,000- and...

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Record numbers hike the AT

Posted by on Dec 24, 2015 @ 10:04 am in Hiking News | 0 comments

Record numbers hike the AT

The Appalachian Trail Conservancy visitor center in 2015 recorded a record-breaking number of hikers passing through its visitor center in Harpers Ferry, West Virginia. Since the release of the movie “A Walk in the Woods” on Sept. 2, the number of visitors at the center has increased more than 50 percent. While the center is considered the psychological midpoint of the trail, the physical halfway point of the 2,190-mile national scenic trail is in Michaux State Forest, near Pine Grove Forest State Park in Cumberland County, PA. Hikers...

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Can we save America’s largest parcel of wild, unprotected public land in the lower 48?

Posted by on Dec 24, 2015 @ 6:10 am in Conservation | 0 comments

The Owyhee Canyonlands of southeast Oregon spans about 9 million acres along the Owyhee River, which carved the landscape’s dramatic contours over the course of millions of years. It is considered one of America’s most intact stretches of high desert, a type of dry landscape far above sea level that is characterized by stunning geology and diverse wildlife, and contains many culturally significant Shoshone and Paiute tribal sites. Owyhee’s steep canyons and waves of sagebrush underscore the area’s stark separation from areas of human...

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National parks in Arkansas to kick off Ranger Challenge

Posted by on Dec 23, 2015 @ 8:52 am in Hiking News | 0 comments

National parks in Arkansas to kick off Ranger Challenge

January 1, 2016 marks the beginning of the National Park Service (NPS) Centennial celebration, and the seven National Park Service sites in Arkansas will kick off the celebration by launching the Centennial Iron Ranger Challenge. This is a year-long program that encourages visitors to “Find Your Park” and improve their health and fitness by completing 100 miles of physical activity over the course of the year. Participants may choose to hike, bike, paddle, walk, run, or roll 100 miles in any of the national parks in Arkansas....

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Landslide closes popular Scotts Bluff monument hiking trail

Posted by on Dec 23, 2015 @ 8:38 am in Hiking News | 0 comments

In the early morning hours of Tuesday, December 15, 2015, a rock slide occurred on the southwest facing side of Scotts Bluff National Monument in western Nebraska. It is estimated that 25,000 – 30,000 tons of rock fell on Saddle Rock Trail, covering it up to six feet deep. Additionally, the slide occurred directly under a portion of an upper section of trail, leaving it undercut and supported only by a layer of volcanic ash which could also fail. At this time the Saddle Rock Trail is closed indefinitely while the park assesses the situation...

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Rebuilding The Trails Of Grand Teton National Park

Posted by on Dec 22, 2015 @ 9:43 am in Hiking News | 0 comments

Rebuilding The Trails Of Grand Teton National Park

Heavy lifting and craftsmanship from a previous era combined to generate significant headway in the restoration of weary trails above Jenny Lake in Grand Teton National Park this year, work that should make the trails more resilient to hundreds of thousands of feet and weather vagaries of the Rockies. The ongoing project, funded in large part through the Grand Teton National Park Foundation’s $17 million Inspiring Journeys campaign, had crews build roughly 1,500 square feet of stony masonry dry-stacked walls, an age-old technique that...

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The ‘Unfolding Global Disaster’ Happening Right Under Our Feet

Posted by on Dec 22, 2015 @ 5:36 am in Conservation | 0 comments

With all that’s going on in the world — from record-breaking warm spells to rapidly melting ice sheets — it’s easy to ignore something so seemingly mundane as dirt. But scientists at the University of Sheffield’s Grantham Center for Sustainable Futures suggest that we ignore dirt at our own peril. Nearly a third of the world’s arable land has been lost over the past four decades, according to a new report. Experts at the the University of Sheffield called this soil loss “an unfolding global disaster” that directly threatens the agricultural...

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Prominent Asheville Conservationist Dies in Climbing Accident

Posted by on Dec 21, 2015 @ 6:12 pm in Conservation | 0 comments

Kayah Gaydish, a champion of the outdoors and expert rock climber from Asheville, North Carolina, died Sunday, December 20, 2015, after a 50-foot fall from a cliff in the Hidden Valley Lake area of Washington County, Virginia. According to a statement released by the Washington County sheriff’s office, the accident occurred around 4 p.m. In addition to her love for rock climbing, Gaydish, who was 36-years-old, was a tireless advocate for conservation efforts in Western North Carolina. As a Linville Gorge Wilderness Ranger for a conservation...

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Nicholas Named Forest Supervisor in North Carolina

Posted by on Dec 21, 2015 @ 11:46 am in Conservation | 0 comments

Regional Forester Tony Tooke is pleased to announce the hiring of Allen Nicholas as Forest Supervisor for the National Forests in North Carolina, headquartered in Asheville. Nicholas will oversee more than 1.25 million acres of public land stretched across four national forests. From the rugged and remote peaks of the Appalachians, to the tidal rivers and wetlands of the North Carolina coast, the National Forests in North Carolina embody a diverse and complex landscape representing one of the most heavily visited national forests in the...

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An adventurous slog through a portion of the rainiest place on earth

Posted by on Dec 21, 2015 @ 8:31 am in Hiking News | 0 comments

A primitive plank boardwalk, across water redder than rust, is not something to inspire confidence in a hiker, especially an exhausted one. After 3 miles of climbing clay embankments on muddy handholds, descending scores of hand-hewn steps covered with chicken wire for traction and brushing aside the gnarled branches of ohi’a trees on level ground, you scramble to find your footing through Kauai’s Alakai Swamp in Hawaii. Now, with the goal less than a mile away, you are truly in the bog that you came to see. The boards laid across the Alaka’i...

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Winter hiking at Tsali

Posted by on Dec 20, 2015 @ 8:44 am in Hiking News | 0 comments

Tsali Recreation Area in the Nantahala National Forest is well-known for its mountain biking and equestrian trails, but it can also be a great off-season hiking destination. Four loop trails totaling nearly 40 miles occupy an area along the shores of Fontana Lake, which forms part of the southern boundary of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The area (pronounced SAH-lee) is named after a Cherokee man who escaped the removal of 1838 and was executed, along with a son and brother-in-law, when he surrendered so that the rest of his family...

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Slow-motion methane disaster

Posted by on Dec 20, 2015 @ 4:10 am in Conservation | 0 comments

In the hills above suburban Los Angeles, a man-made natural disaster of sorts has been unfolding for nearly two months. One can’t see it or hear it, and it’s not leaving a trail of dead animals and plants in its wake. It’s potentially catastrophic, nonetheless. On October 23, 2015 workers at the massive Aliso Canyon subterranean natural gas storage facility north of the L.A. suburb of Porter Ranch, CA noticed that one of their old wells was leaking. When the usual fixes didn’t take, the workers surmised that the leak...

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New travel guide details top national park sights

Posted by on Dec 19, 2015 @ 7:44 am in Hiking News | 0 comments

New travel guide details top national park sights

There is a new travel guidebook describing more than 200 day hiking trails to the must-see wonders of America’s national parks. “Best Sights to See at America’s National Parks,” by Rob Bignell, covers sights at the 54 most accessible national parks. It was released in early December, 2015. “Whenever anyone goes to a national park, the first question invariably is ‘What should I see?’ which is quickly followed by ‘How do I see those things?’” Bignell said. “This volume answers those questions by listing each park’s top sights and short trails...

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NC’s Elk Knob State Park creates ‘art trail’ on its summit

Posted by on Dec 19, 2015 @ 12:07 am in Hiking News | 0 comments

Along with the beech trees, mountain wildflowers and ferns on the TRACK Trail at North Carolina’s Elk Knob State Park, visitors will soon discover carefully placed artwork by Appalachian State University students and local artists. The mile-long art-and-nature experience will be inaugurated during First Day Hikes on Jan. 1, 2016. The artwork was created on sections of stumps of hazardous trees that had to be removed for the new trail. After treatment by the artists using various mediums, the sections are being put back into place,...

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Take a hike during whale-spotting week on Oregon Coast

Posted by on Dec 18, 2015 @ 8:57 am in Hiking News | 0 comments

Whale-watch week, Dec. 27-31, is prime time to spot migrating leviathans while stretching your legs on a beautiful shore. One of the greatest privileges of being in the Pacific Northwest is the knowledge that whales, those largest and most magnificent of mammals, are often seen off the coast. And while winter and spring can bring their share of headaches, those seasons also are some of the best times to spot gray whales as they migrate past the shores. “I’ve seen hundreds and hundreds of them,” said longtime state-park ranger David Newton,...

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SPARtool Outdoor and Survival Multitool

Posted by on Dec 17, 2015 @ 4:44 pm in Hiking News | 0 comments

SPARtool Outdoor and Survival Multitool

SPARtool is a lightweight multi-tool for camping and general outdoor use. The SPARtool combines the functions of a shovel, axe, saw, hammer, pick, pry bar, and bottle opener. It is 100% manufactured in the USA, and its solid construction from spring tempered 1075 carbon steel and shatterproof Zytel polymer gives it the advantage in simplicity and durability compared to current camp shovels on the market. The SPARtool’s total length is 22″ and it weighs 2.8 lbs. A common gripe with multi-tools is that many of their mechanisms are...

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Tips when trekking UAE mountains

Posted by on Dec 17, 2015 @ 9:38 am in Hiking News | 0 comments

Experienced trekkers are warning United Arab Emirates residents to take appropriate safety precautions when trekking or hiking in the mountains of the UAE and neighbouring Oman. The issue of mountain safety was starkly highlighted on December 12, 2015 by the death of a 22-year old British national who perished on Jebel Jais, the UAE’s tallest mountain, in Ras Al Khaimah. In another incident, on August 30 a UAE resident died from heat and dehydration after getting lost while hiking on Wadi Al Sameenah Mountain just across the UAE’s...

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Omnibus Budget Boosts Funding for National Parks

Posted by on Dec 17, 2015 @ 3:19 am in Conservation | 1 comment

Below is a statement by John Garder, Budget Director for the National Parks Conservation Association, on the fiscal year 2016 Omnibus Appropriations bill announced December 16, 2015 that includes significant increases in funding for national parks. “The deal released today clearly shows that congressional appropriators and leadership recognize that our national parks need and deserve an increase in federal resources, and we commend them for reaching such a promising agreement. These are unquestionably the best funding levels for parks we have...

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Recruitment Hikes for the Lehigh Gap Section of the Appalachian Trail

Posted by on Dec 16, 2015 @ 8:42 am in Hiking News | 0 comments

Recruitment Hikes for the Lehigh Gap Section of the Appalachian Trail

The Keystone Trails Association (KTA), the statewide voice of Pennsylvania’s hikers is offering two winter hikes along the Appalachian Trail in the Palmerton area in January. Both hikes will start at the Lehigh Gap Nature Center. The Appalachian Trail is Pennsylvania’s most well-known trail. It stretches over 2100 miles from Georgia to Maine and is enjoyed by millions of hikers each year. In the past, this 10 mile section in the vicinity of Lehigh Gap, was maintained by a trail club from Philadelphia. This club has decided to discontinue this...

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Five new studies that change our understanding of permafrost

Posted by on Dec 16, 2015 @ 3:07 am in Conservation | 0 comments

On July 16, 2007, a rare bolt of lighting touched down on a remote, lake-studded expanse of tundra about 350 miles south of the Arctic Ocean. It had been a hot, dry summer, and the tundra ignited into what would eventually become its largest blaze in 5,000 years. Over the next three months, the Anaktuvuk River Fire scorched an area the size of Cape Cod. Its scar was visible from space. In its wake, scientists flocked to the burned tundra to find out how plants, wildlife and soils respond to an ecological regime that’s likely to become the new...

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Chimney Rock State Park gets bigger

Posted by on Dec 15, 2015 @ 8:19 am in Conservation, Hiking News | 1 comment

Chimney Rock State Park just got bigger. The Nature Conservancy recently transferred 536 acres to the North Carolina Division of Parks and Recreation, expanding the state park to 6,200 acres. By connecting existing parcels of state park land, the acquisitions will provide a land base for future trail development and protect high-quality natural areas, conservationists say. “When we started putting this park together, what we had were a handful of large tracts that were scattered thoughout the Hickory Nut Gap Gorge,” said Charlie Peek, public...

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Oregon Is The Latest Target Of Right-Wing Effort To Get Rid Of National Forests

Posted by on Dec 15, 2015 @ 4:54 am in Conservation | 0 comments

A draft bill recently released by U.S. Representative Greg Walden (R-OR) proposes to dispose of hundreds of thousands of acres of national forest land in Oregon’s Klamath River Basin so that it can be clear-cut or auctioned off to the highest bidder. The proposal, which is the latest in a series of attempts by right-wing politicians to seize or sell-off national public lands, is so controversial that observers say it could spark a renewed water war in Rep. Walden’s home state of Oregon. The Klamath Basin, a 15,000-plus square mile river basin...

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How to Take Your Family on a Hike That Won’t Kill Them

Posted by on Dec 14, 2015 @ 2:48 am in Hiking News | 0 comments

Hiking with your family is a great way to spend time together outside. If you can walk, you can hike, which makes it an ideal activity for family members of all ages and ability levels. But when your idea of a fun hike is different from that of the rest of your family, you can run into some problems. Maybe you enjoy summit hikes that make you work hard for an outstanding view. Your family? Maybe not so much. Don’t end the day with your mom sitting face down at a restaurant table, too nauseated by altitude sickness to eat. When choosing...

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What the funding fight means for national parks

Posted by on Dec 13, 2015 @ 9:40 am in Conservation | 0 comments

What the funding fight means for national parks

Conservatives and conservationists are clashing over the Land and Water Conservation Fund, a 50-year-old program that Congress let expire on September 30, 2015. The fund uses royalties from offshore oil drilling to help purchase and develop outdoor recreation areas. It’s led to the creation of tens of thousands of small projects like parks, beaches, trails, hunting and fishing areas, and baseball fields, in addition to funding bigger conservation projects in national parks and wildlife refuges. Rep. Rob Bishop of Utah, who chairs the...

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Beaver dams can last centuries, 1868 map shows

Posted by on Dec 13, 2015 @ 4:14 am in Conservation | 0 comments

Beaver dams can last centuries, 1868 map shows

Beavers aren’t just busy — they’re swamped. But while building and maintaining a marsh can take time, it’s apparently worth the investment. The rodents’ ecosystem-shaping homes have long been known for their durability, and a recent study offers unique evidence that individual beaver dams can persist for centuries. That evidence comes via an 1868 map commissioned by Lewis H. Morgan, a prominent American anthropologist who also worked as a railroad director. While overseeing a rail project through Michigan’s Upper...

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Groups propose recreation areas on WNC national forests

Posted by on Dec 12, 2015 @ 9:31 am in Conservation, Hiking News | 0 comments

The federal government should create two national recreation areas in Western North Carolina and designate nearly 110,000 acres of national forest land as wilderness, a coalition of more than 30 environmental and outdoor recreation groups says. The groups released a joint position statement this week calling for the designations to be part of the long-range plan for Nantahala and Pisgah national forests, which take in parts of virtually every county in WNC. The U.S. Forest Service is revising plans for the forests. All of the recreation and...

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Hiking Hueco Tanks

Posted by on Dec 12, 2015 @ 9:08 am in Hiking News | 0 comments

Near the northwestern tip of the Texas Trans-Pecos, some 30 miles east of El Paso, four massive hills of jumbled boulders rise above the desert floor. No doubt this prominent and oddly compelling landmark has had many different names through time. Today it is known as Hueco Tanks. Characterized as an island in the desert, a natural oasis, a spiritual sanctuary, the site has meant many things to many people. For thousands of years, Native peoples camped here among the hills, drawing on the site’s diverse plant and animal resources. Some...

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