On New Year’s Day in 2018, Paul Kehmeier and his father drove up Grand Mesa until they got to the county line, 10,000 feet above sea level. Instead of the three to five feet of snow that should have been on the ground, there wasn’t enough of a dusting to even cover the grass. The men marveled at the sight, and Kehmeier snapped a photo of his dad, “standing on the bare...
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Homes have been evacuated in Courmayeur in Italy’s Aosta valley, after a renewed warning that a huge portion of a Mont Blanc glacier is at risk of collapse. The measures were introduced after experts from the Fondazione Montagne Sicura (Safe Mountains Foundation) said 500,000 cubic metres of ice was in danger of sliding off the Planpincieux glacier on the Grandes...
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The sheriff’s office in Oconee County, South Carolina, says a Garland man who went missing while hiking has been found safe. Richard Gonzalez was found before 11 a.m. August 6, 2020, and was being reunited with his family. He was on a hike earlier this week in South Carolina. The 27-year-old hadn’t been seen for almost four days after becoming separated from...
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The coronavirus pandemic has drawn increasing crowds to the great outdoors, including many popular hiking trails, swimming holes and recreation areas in the White Mountains. But the burst in popularity has created new problems for the folks who manage New Hampshire’s national forest. The problem is the same throughout national forests in the United States. Tiffany...
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After spending his presidency denying climate change, placing coal and oil industry officials in top environmental jobs, and weakening dozens of public health and wildlife rules, President Donald Trump reversed course and signed a historic law to pump billions of dollars into long-neglected repairs and upgrades at America’s national parks. The measure, known as the...
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Hamilton Mountain is one of the most scenic spots in the Columbia River Gorge, itself one of the most scenic destinations in the Pacific Northwest. The climb to the top is always nice, but it’s especially beautiful on summer’s late afternoons and evenings, when crowds are sparse and the light in the gorge can be downright glorious. A 3-mile trail takes hikers from the...
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James Gordon Hindes had his summer all mapped out. Toting a 60-pound pack and wearing hobnailed boots, Hindes would spend most of July and much of August hiking north from the Massachusetts-Vermont line into Canada. The year was 1931 and Hindes planned to follow the entire 275-mile route of the just-completed Long Trail. Reading Hindes’ journal, which has been published...
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When you head outside to enjoy nature, there are often biting insects waiting to delight in your company. Even if you are a mosquito magnet, you may not like the idea of spraying synthetic chemicals on yourself or your kids to repel pests. Natural bug sprays are safe and can be an effective way to repel bugs instead. DEET is the active chemical ingredient used in many...
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Many Americans are rediscovering favorite pastimes during the COVID-19 pandemic, including exploring outdoor areas. Because you can breathe fresh air (so long as you aren’t in a crowd) and get away from enclosed spaces, this can be a great time to plan a hiking trip. Being outdoors is one of the most effective ways to avoid close contact but enjoy exercise and...
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Nothing should hold a person back from getting on the trail when they feel ready for their next adventure…. not even your hair. Leave the conditioner in your hair. This is a game-changer. The morning before a long hike wet your hair and put conditioner in but do not rinse it out. This will help keep your natural curl pattern and keep your hair looking moisturized and...
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Adventure really takes on a new definition after you become a parent, doesn’t it? Tasks that used to be a breeze now feel monumental (especially when you have a toddler who missed her nap). Remember when you used to run to the grocery store and didn’t have to deal with car seats, negotiate with a miniature troublemaker, and stealthily navigate past the toy aisle?...
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Even before the COVID-19 pandemic shook up the oil industry, America was full of defunct oil wells. Tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, or perhaps millions of holes in the ground — no one knows how many there really are — abandoned by their former overseers when oil stopped gushing to the surface or when those overseers went broke. The holes leak methane, a...
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Does 2020 seem like a lost year so far? If you’re like me it has. I’ve been self-isolating since mid-March because of coronavirus. I only venture out to get groceries for my dad and myself. I have been hiking a grand total of once since March, and that time was only after entering Phase II of the grand reopening. Obviously soon after, positive cases began...
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People are getting outside this summer to take socially distant walks on the beach or go on hikes – anything to get outdoors. But many people who visit scenic areas are noticing trash is piling up. More than 100 people worked together to try to change that in the White Mountain National Forest. “I was seeing a lot of posts about trash,” said an...
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A California man who got stranded in Joshua Tree National Park for 40 hours is already looking forward to his next hike. Robert Ringo was hiking near Quail Mountain when he fell and broke his leg. Crying out for help, Ringo started recording his near-death experience. “I started trying to at least turnover so I could get onto my back,” he told the...
Learn MoreMany national and state parks, supposed to be untouched swaths of time-proof wilderness, have been overrun by first-time visitors seeking refuge from quarantine, joblessness, or the inability to take far-flung vacations. And as people have flooded into the parks, new crises have arisen for rangers and nearby communities, including indigenous populations who were already...
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There is now more land in DuPont State Recreational Forest (DSRF), including clear trout streams, rare wildflowers and important wildlife habitat. On July 1, 2020 Conserving Carolina conveyed 315 acres to the N.C. Forest Service, south of the main body of DuPont. This is the second phase of the Continental Divide Tract—a long-sought conservation priority that provides...
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Dragonflies are used to measure mercury pollution in a citizen science program that began over a decade ago. The national research effort, which grew from a regional project to collect dragonfly larvae, found that the young form of the insect predator can be used as a “biosentinel” to indicate the amount of mercury that is present in fish, amphibians and...
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Great Smoky Mountains National Park Superintendent Cassius Cash and the Great Smoky Mountains Association are drawing on the nature around them to provoke open conversation about race and a change in racial biases. Smokies Hikes for Healing will be held August through December, 2020 in different locations across the park in Tennessee and North Carolina. During the eight...
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At nearly 86 years old, Howard Lee isn’t slowing down. Recently, he knocked a goal off his list by reaching about 120 miles hiked along North Carolina’s Mountains to Sea Trail. He’s been working on the milestone for five years. “It’s such a delight to be a part of this,” Lee said. “To be here today, to be with friends and to continue...
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Despite recent upticks in hirings, double-digit unemployment and a slumping U.S. economy have many drawing parallels to the Great Depression, complete with calls for a new Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), part of President Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal that provided millions of young men with conservation jobs. While there are some similarities between now and...
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Trails are bustin’ out all over Lexington, Kentucky’s downtown, as construction this summer on Town Branch Commons, the Legacy Trail, and Town Branch Trail completes 22 miles of uninterrupted walking. “The trail plans we’ve been working on for decades are really coming together this summer,” said Mayor Linda Gorton. “There will be new, exciting opportunities to get...
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New Zealand is typically considered the real-world Middle Earth, but in the off-kilter year that is 2020, when traveling to New Zealand is difficult, other countries are throwing their hat into the ring. Spain is unveiling a new mountain hiking trail inspired by Tolkien’s famous trilogy and Peter Jackson’s films. Called El Camino del Anillo, which translates to “The Ring...
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Wayfinding signs are simply any kind of sign that gives direction to those reading it. These signs exist not only for trails but in many everyday spaces such as city streets, retail establishments, and hospitals. The purpose of wayfinding signs is to help people be easily oriented to new spaces, find their destination with minimum stress and without getting lost, locate...
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Andrew Wunderley crouches in the sand to pick up a milky white sphere. He pinches the lentil-size orb between his thumb and forefinger. It nearly pops out of his grip. The little pellet is made of brand-new plastic and has all the wondrous qualities of the material—light, smooth, and virtually forever-lasting. Many more are scattered in the high-tide line of the wide,...
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With snow-capped summits, awe-inspiring faces and inherent danger, Colorado’s Fourteeners — peaks that reach 14,000 feet or more above sea level — have enraptured hikers and climbers for years. Every year, Colorado’s Fourteeners are hiked by more than 500,000 people, with locals and international visitors taking on the challenge. Ranging from well-marked hiking trails to...
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The Cheoah Ranger District on the Nantahala National Forest now has two new Kids in Parks TRACK Trails, designed to turn an ordinary hike into a fun-filled, discovery-packed adventure. At the Massey Branch Fitness Trail and the Cheoah Trail, both located across from the Cheoah Ranger District Office in Robbinsville, visitors will now find new trailhead signs with...
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The Piedmont Environmental Center in High Point, North Carolina, could be the perfect place for families to start to explore nature while staying close to several cities, including Greensboro. The Piedmont Environmental Center connects the High Point Greenway with Greensboro’s Bicentennial Greenway where walkers and cyclists can wind their way on wooden paths along a...
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I am Jeff Clark, founder of Internet Brothers, producer of this blog, and passionate about hiking. I live in Western NC near the Blue Ridge and Great Smoky Mountains. Pisgah and Nantahala National Forests are just out my door, so the content will focus on these areas, but let me know what you would like to see on the site. 
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