News

Smokies park plans solar eclipse viewing at Clingmans Dome

Posted by on Feb 27, 2017 @ 9:25 am in Hiking News | 0 comments

Smokies park plans solar eclipse viewing at Clingmans Dome

Where will you be on August 21, 2017 when the solar eclipse casts its shadow across the United States? At Great Smoky Mountains National Park, officials are planning a party to help you both view and understand the science of the eclipse. The park is offering an opportunity to experience the total eclipse through a special, ticketed event at Clingmans Dome as well as informal eclipse viewing sites at Cades Cove and Oconaluftee. The park is partnering with NASA, Southwestern Community College, and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians to...

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Thru-Hikers in the Blast Zone: Pipelines Will Intersect the Appalachian Trail

Posted by on Feb 26, 2017 @ 12:24 pm in Hiking News | 2 comments

Thru-Hikers in the Blast Zone: Pipelines Will Intersect the Appalachian Trail

Two pipelines are planned to intersect the Appalachian Trail. The 300-mile Mountain Valley Pipeline will cut across the A.T. near Virginia’s Peters Mountain Wilderness Area. The 550-mile Atlantic Coast Pipeline pipeline also is planned to cross the Appalachian Trail and the Blue Ridge Parkway in Virginia’s Augusta and Nelson Counties. Both pipelines will require clearing a 200-foot-wide right-of-way and building new roads through sensitive habitats to service the pipeline. Beginning in West Virginia, the Mountain Valley Pipeline will span 300...

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Picture the Past: Forest History Society Repeat Photography Project

Posted by on Feb 26, 2017 @ 9:22 am in Conservation | 0 comments

Picture the Past: Forest History Society Repeat Photography Project

The Forest History Society has recently launched a web resource showcasing sets of repeat photographs for scientific study and education in the domain of forest and land management in support of the Society’s mission. Repeat photography is the practice of taking photographs of a specific location at two or more different times. It is a powerful visual resource for scientific study and education in forest and landscape management. From working forests to wilderness areas, such photographic pairs or sequences can help us understand ecosystem...

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Hiking initiative in Bavarian Alps aims to integrate refugees

Posted by on Feb 25, 2017 @ 11:10 am in Hiking News | 0 comments

Hiking initiative in Bavarian Alps aims to integrate refugees

A new initiative in Bavaria hopes to improve integration among newly-arrived refugees by introducing them to the “alpine” way of life. Locals volunteer as guides on the mountaineering tour. Many refugees who arrive in Germany have never seen snow in their life. A trip to the Bavarian Alps is therefore an unprecedented experience. But it’s not only the snow that is new. Bavaria’s alpine tradition and way of life are also very specific to the region. The German Alpine Association (DAV) and the charity aid organization...

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Could Grizzlies Make Good Neighbors?

Posted by on Feb 25, 2017 @ 7:25 am in Conservation | 0 comments

Could Grizzlies Make Good Neighbors?

For 20,000 years, grizzly bears padded over Washington’s North Cascades, foraging for berries and plants, hunting small prey, and fishing for salmon in frigid streams. Then a few centuries ago, white settlers showed up and starting shooting, and driving the bears out. Today only a handful of grizzlies remain in these mountains. Documentaries and fictional films, from Grizzly Man to The Revenant, and plain old common sense have taught that Ursus arctos horribilis is an Animal to Be Avoided. But what if we learned to share some space with the...

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Is It Okay to Enjoy the Warm Winters of Climate Change?

Posted by on Feb 24, 2017 @ 12:21 pm in Conservation | 0 comments

Is It Okay to Enjoy the Warm Winters of Climate Change?

This is not how February is supposed to feel. From D.C. to Denver, from Charlotte to Chicago, towns and cities across the United States have posted strings of record-breaking summery days in what is normally the final month of winter. Wednesday was only the third time since 1880 that Green Bay, Wisconsin, cracked 60 degrees Fahrenheit in February. Ice on the Great Lakes covers only a quarter of its normal surface area. And parts of Oklahoma and Texas have both already been scorched by 90-degree afternoons. All in all, the United States has...

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How bad will allergy season be this spring?

Posted by on Feb 24, 2017 @ 6:53 am in Hiking News | 0 comments

How bad will allergy season be this spring?

Suffer from seasonal allergies? Depending on where you live, you may already be sneezing, sniffling and rubbing your itchy eyes. And you may be in for a whopper of a spring. The first pollen culprit each year is typically trees. If rainfall was good the year before, resulting in solid tree growth, that typically means healthy trees. Combine that with relatively warm forecasts with no more freezing temperatures on the horizon and it’s a perfect storm of pollen-filled trees. Right now in late February, that means the spring pollen allergy...

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Canadian National Parks News: Update on Infrastructure Work

Posted by on Feb 23, 2017 @ 11:46 am in Conservation | 0 comments

Canadian National Parks News: Update on Infrastructure Work

With an influx of visitors expected to visit Canadian National Parks in 2017 Parks Canada has spent the past several months getting some of its most popular visitor attractions ready for Canadians who want to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Confederation by visiting national parks and national historic sites. Parks Canada will continue to upgrade its infrastructure across the country so Canadians can experience the outdoors and connect with nature. This year, Jasper National Park starts the third year of its infrastructure renewal program....

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37% of Norway’s new cars are electric. They expect it to be 100% in just 8 years.

Posted by on Feb 23, 2017 @ 6:17 am in Conservation | 0 comments

37% of Norway’s new cars are electric. They expect it to be 100% in just 8 years.

The global electric vehicle (EV) revolution reached another milestone last month as EVs made up 37 percent share of Norway’s car market. Norway understands the future of ground transport is electric and has been pushing EVs harder than almost any other country in the world with incentives such as an exemption from the 25 percent value added tax for new cars. In December, the country hit 100,000 zero-emission EVs on the road, and they are projected to quadruple to 400,000 by 2020. These numbers are especially remarkable for a country of only...

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Massive camera trapping project goes statewide in NC

Posted by on Feb 22, 2017 @ 11:07 am in Conservation | 0 comments

Massive camera trapping project goes statewide in NC

Do you ever wonder what animals lurk in the wildest parts of the state? Or in your own backyard? With spring just around the corner, now is a great time for North Carolina residents, particularly those in the central and western parts of the state, to help uncover the secrets of local wildlife. By participating in “NC’s Candid Critters,” a new research project of the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences, N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission and N.C. State University, you too can become an important part of the largest camera trap survey ever. Camera...

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Allegheny endurance hiking challenge is set for June

Posted by on Feb 22, 2017 @ 8:38 am in Hiking News | 0 comments

Allegheny endurance hiking challenge is set for June

The eighth annual Allegheny 100 Hiking Challenge (A-100) is set for June 9-11, 2017. according to a news release from the Allegheny National Forest Chapter of the North Country Trail Association. The A-100 challenges hikers to traverse 100 miles, 75 miles, 50 miles or 25 miles in a 50-hour time period. This challenge is for anyone, regardless of skill level, who wants to test themselves against the trail. Those who pre-register starting March 6 will receive a membership in the North Country Trail Association, shuttle service to the start of...

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Hiking Romania: where you might meet bears

Posted by on Feb 21, 2017 @ 12:05 pm in Hiking News | 0 comments

Romania is developing its range of offers for tourists. Organizers are increasingly relying on tourism that’s close to nature, such as guided hikes in the Carpathian Mountains – with encounters with brown bears. The snow is deep at an altitude of 1,700 meters (5,577 feet) in the Carpathian Mountains. There is no sign of a hiking path, but Radu Zaharie knows his way around here. The sun is shining and the moment is perfect. “We now have a clear view to the north. To the north-west we can see the Depression of Sibiu, and way...

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NOAA-supported National Phenology Network data shows plants leafing out 10-20 days earlier than normal

Posted by on Feb 21, 2017 @ 7:04 am in Conservation | 0 comments

NOAA-supported National Phenology Network data shows plants leafing out 10-20 days earlier than normal

The USA-National Phenology Network is tracking the start of the spring season across the country using models called the Spring Leaf and Bloom Indices. HOW DOES THIS YEAR STACK UP AGAINST THE RECENT PAST? We can evaluate whether spring is arriving early, late, or right on time this year at a location by comparing the day of year the Spring Leaf Index requirements were reached in 2017 to the day of year the Index is typically reached. We determine what is typical for a location by averaging the day the Index was reached over the 1981-2010...

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NASA is defiantly communicating climate change science despite Trump’s doubts

Posted by on Feb 20, 2017 @ 12:53 pm in Conservation | 0 comments

NASA is defiantly communicating climate change science despite Trump’s doubts

If you peruse NASA’s social media feeds dedicated to climate change, you would have no clue a new administration has taken power that has expressed doubts about the reality or seriousness of the issue. Every day, NASA has dutifully posted updates on Twitter (@nasaclimate) pertaining to climate change science, including some that are in direct contradiction to statements made by President Trump and some of his Cabinet picks. Steve Cole, a NASA spokesperson, said the change in the administration has not altered how the agency communicates...

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‘Grounds Keepers’ To Clean Litter From Major Trails Nationwide

Posted by on Feb 20, 2017 @ 9:07 am in Hiking News | 0 comments

‘Grounds Keepers’ To Clean Litter From Major Trails Nationwide

Minnesota-based Granite Gear announced this month it will sponsor a crew of 15 dedicated “Leave No Trace” thru-hikers to clean up America’s hiking trails. The brand selected its Grounds Keepers team to build on the success of the 2015 and 2016 Packing It Out (PIO) initiatives, which removed more than 1,700 pounds of trash from the Appalachian and Pacific Crest trails. The Superior Hiking Trail, Pacific Northwest Trail, and Arizona Trail are among those set for cleanup this year. Grounds Keepers will also pack out trash along the AT and PCT....

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Missing mailbox replaced on Washington’s Mailbox Peak

Posted by on Feb 19, 2017 @ 11:54 am in Hiking News | 0 comments

Missing mailbox replaced on Washington’s Mailbox Peak

Eric Piggott of Washington hiked to the top of Mailbox Peak for his birthday this week – to replace a missing, legendary mailbox with a new, donated one. “The last time I saw the previous box was three weeks ago on my last hike there,” Piggott said. “In my talks with various people, I’ve learned that there have been as many as eight other mailboxes over the years.” The box at Mailbox Peak has drawn hikers for years. Hikers inscribed their names on the old mailbox, leaving treats and touching mementos. A 2008 Seattle Times report...

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Friends of South Cumberland State Park kicks off 2017 hiking challenge

Posted by on Feb 19, 2017 @ 8:40 am in Hiking News | 0 comments

Friends of South Cumberland State Park kicks off 2017 hiking challenge

For the past several years, Friends of South Cumberland has presented a hiking challenge each year, designed to encourage visitors to explore South Cumberland State Park’s over 25,500 acres scattered across four counties. Last year’s challenge was called Hike Into History and focused on historical aspects of the park. This year’s challenge, Hiking in Mack’s Tracks, is dedicated to Tennessee’s well-known and admired State Naturalist Emeritus Mack Prichard. It recognizes the extensive work he has done across Tennessee, but especially in the...

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Things to consider before hiking in deep snow

Posted by on Feb 18, 2017 @ 1:02 pm in Hiking News | 0 comments

Things to consider before hiking in deep snow

Hiking through deep snow, especially in remote locations where trails haven’t been packed down, is a great workout, but it can be frustrating. Let’s start with the obvious. You’re going to sink down into the snow. There’s no avoiding that. But if you wear snowshoes, you won’t sink down quite as far as you would if you were just wearing boots. Snowshoes come in all shapes and sizes. There are snowshoes with traction spikes — also known as crampons — which help gain purchase when climbing hills. When selecting snowshoes, keep in mind that...

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Smokies park rangers need citizen science volunteers

Posted by on Feb 18, 2017 @ 9:07 am in Conservation | 1 comment

Great Smoky Mountains National Park rangers are recruiting volunteers to adopt and monitor tree plots. The volunteers will collect information at tree plots throughout the park as part of an important research project tracking phenology, or cyclic and seasonal biological changes. For each plot of trees, volunteers will record when trees leaf out and when leaves start to change colors. They may also track the presence of target migratory birds. The phenology data will help scientists to better understand how plants and animals might be...

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Outdoor Retailer convention leaving Utah

Posted by on Feb 17, 2017 @ 3:51 pm in Conservation, Hiking News | 0 comments

Outdoor Retailer convention leaving Utah

After an unproductive meeting between Gov. Gary Herbert and outdoor recreation business representatives, industry leaders say they hope to find a new location for the Outdoor Retailer shows “as soon as possible.” “Unfortunately, what we heard from Governor Herbert was more of the same,” according to a written statement by the Outdoor Industry Association (OIA), which has close ties to the massive, twice-yearly shows in Salt Lake City. “It is clear that the Governor indeed has a different perspective on the...

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Roan Mountain State Park named Tennessee ‘Park of the Year’

Posted by on Feb 17, 2017 @ 6:55 am in Hiking News | 0 comments

Roan Mountain State Park named Tennessee ‘Park of the Year’

The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) recognized Roan Mountain State Park, located off TN Hwy. 143, as the 2016 Park of the Year for its demonstrated excellence in innovation, sustainability, interpretation, resource management and fiscal responsibility. “All 56 Tennessee State Parks strive and succeed in achieving our mission to preserve and protect unique examples of natural, cultural and scenic areas,” said TDEC Deputy Commissioner of Parks and Conservation Brock Hill. “But Roan Mountain went above and beyond in...

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Revel in Teddy Roosevelt’s Legacy

Posted by on Feb 16, 2017 @ 12:23 pm in Conservation | 0 comments

Revel in Teddy Roosevelt’s Legacy

The next fee-free day of 2017 is just around the corner. In honor of Presidents Day, all national parks will waive their admission fees on February 20. Take advantage of the opportunity at any of the sites that President Theodore Roosevelt helped designate himself or enjoy his lasting legacy which lives on at any of the over 400 parks across the National Park System. The thought of our 26th president calls to mind a few descriptors: rancher, Rough Rider, Bull Moose, and America’s youngest president, to name a few. Perhaps none are as...

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Antarctic sea ice shrinks to smallest ever extent

Posted by on Feb 16, 2017 @ 6:42 am in Conservation | 0 comments

Antarctic sea ice shrinks to smallest ever extent

Sea ice around Antarctica has shrunk to the smallest annual extent on record after years of resisting a trend of manmade global warming, preliminary US satellite data has shown. Ice floating around the frozen continent usually melts to its smallest for the year towards the end of February, the southern hemisphere summer, before expanding again as the autumn chill sets in. This year, sea ice extent contracted to 883,015 sq miles (2.28m sq km) on 13 February, according to daily data from the US National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC). World...

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In this ‘weird, lost corner of America,’ the beach of your dreams awaits in the remotest national park

Posted by on Feb 15, 2017 @ 11:49 am in Hiking News | 0 comments

In this ‘weird, lost corner of America,’ the beach of your dreams awaits in the remotest national park

National Park of American Samoa, 2,600 miles southwest of Hawaii, is spread over parts of Tutuila, Ta’u and Ofu. It attracted 13,892 visitors last year, about what Yosemite gets in a summer day. Probably fewer than 300 of them found their way to the park’s greatest asset, a beach on Ofu with creamy sands, volcanic boulders, serrated mountain ridges and turquoise shallows. Although the park does have rangers, trails and a few miles of road, there are no campgrounds or lodgings, no snack bar, no shuttle buses, no entrance gate, no admission fee...

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This is what climate change looks like

Posted by on Feb 15, 2017 @ 7:01 am in Conservation | 0 comments

This is what climate change looks like

Two years ago this month, in a well-publicized and much lampooned political stunt, Sen. James Inhofe (R-OK) brought a snowball to the Senate floor to highlight the “unseasonable” cold and cast doubt on climate change. The Republican lawmaker would have been hard-pressed to find a snowball anywhere in his home state this past weekend. Oklahoma just endured a spell of exceptionally hot weather. Mangum, Oklahoma saw temperatures close to 100º F, setting a state record. The average February high in Mangum is 56º F. It is extremely unusual to see...

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The most scenic stretch of the Oregon coast: Boardman State Park

Posted by on Feb 14, 2017 @ 2:58 pm in Conservation, Hiking News | 0 comments

The most scenic stretch of the Oregon coast: Boardman State Park

It’s hard to pin down a specific stretch of coastline as the most scenic – isn’t the whole thing beautiful? – but then again, it’s hard to argue against Boardman State Park for the honor. Officially the Samuel H. Boardman State Scenic Corridor, the 12-mile stretch of coastline runs along the southernmost part of the Oregon coast, encompassing high cliffs, stunning seastacks, beautiful beaches and secret coves. The area – once slated to become a national park – was established in the 1950s, named in...

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5 possible futures for the EPA under Trump

Posted by on Feb 14, 2017 @ 6:29 am in Conservation | 0 comments

5 possible futures for the EPA under Trump

Donald Trump has long talked about reining in the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which is in charge of enforcing federal laws on air and water pollution. It’s a top priority for his supporters in the fossil-fuel industry. But there’s still a lot of uncertainty over what, exactly, this will look like. Trump himself has been all over the map on the agency’s future. In Congress, there are bills floating around that would do everything from abolish the EPA to merely curb its powers at the margins. And, while Trump’s pick to lead the EPA,...

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7 Ways To Get Fit For Your Weekend Hike

Posted by on Feb 13, 2017 @ 7:19 am in Hiking News | 0 comments

7 Ways To Get Fit For Your Weekend Hike

Alright, so you’ve decided you want to go hike a mountain. Even the most fit person needs to be sure they’re prepared to start hiking — as climbing that big hill takes a lot more endurance than your average gym session. Your first hike requires you to not only be physically fit, but also mentally fit and prepared. What if one of your friends comes up and says “I did it — I bought myself some hiking gear — let’s go!” Well friend, that really is fantastic, but get prepared because having the right gear is just one of the most important steps to...

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Free Community Seed Swap

Posted by on Feb 12, 2017 @ 12:09 pm in Conservation | 0 comments

Free Community Seed Swap

Sponsored by Carolina Mountain Land Conservancy Every year around this time, anticipation of spring begins with the laying out of garden beds, checking the planting calendar, eyeing the Farmer’s Almanac… and the appearance of seed catalogs to browse and daydream of warmer times. With that excitement comes; CMLC’s 2017 SEED SWAP – a free sharing of seeds that staff, members, and volunteers have collected over the season. Yup, free – no cost to you, no dollars, and no cents. CMLC has set up a sharing station in the reception area in...

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From mountains to sea: North Carolina woman relives six months spent hiking the state

Posted by on Feb 12, 2017 @ 7:10 am in Hiking News | 0 comments

From mountains to sea: North Carolina woman relives six months spent hiking the state

  If you’d polled Kimberley Brookshire’s friends a couple years ago, they’d likely have said the chances were slim to none that the Charlotte resident would ever think seriously about leaving it all behind to hike more than 2,000 miles through North Carolina. “I wasn’t much of an outdoors person,” said Brookshire, 32. But she is now. Last fall, Brookshire became the first woman to complete a “yoyo hike” of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail. In plain English, she hiked the 1,200-mile route from Clingmans Dome in the Great Smoky Mountains...

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The Ozark Trail Could Make Missouri a Hiking Destination. Why Isn’t It Finished?

Posted by on Feb 11, 2017 @ 12:39 pm in Hiking News | 0 comments

The Ozark Trail Could Make Missouri a Hiking Destination. Why Isn’t It Finished?

Forty years ago this week, state and federal officials in Missouri issued a dry document to announce a grand ambition. In a 43-page proposal dated February 7, 1977, they stated their aim to blaze a footpath through the Ozarks, the rugged highlands that roll across southern Missouri. It wouldn’t be easy. The native flora, fauna, terrain and certain human occupants made that area, for hiking purposes, hostile territory. The planners envisioned an “Ozark Trail” that could start near St. Louis and snake its way south over the...

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