Tomorrow, I’ll be boarding a flight to spend two weeks on the South Island of New Zealand.
Obviously, I won’t be updating Modern Hiker or responding to emails during this time, but should have plenty to talk about when I get back. I may be able to send updates toTwitter if I’m near any WiFi, but that’s not what I’m going there for in the first place, so don’t expect much!
You guys have been great in the comments lately, helping out other hikers and having some good discussions, so I think I’m going to leave the comments open. Please excuse any spam that gets through. I don’t know why term paper plagiarists think hikers are in their market, but oh well.
See you all when I get back! Happy hiking and take care on the mountains for me!
A 22-episode webshow called “The Season” hit the internets on the Arc’teryx website. It’s just a teaser trailer, but it seems pretty interesting – following 5 different outdoor athletes through a single season in the Pacific Northwest as they attempt to conquer their various realms of expertise.
In case you missed the last Whitney clinic at REI, our local outfitters at Adventure 16 will be holding their version in the West LA store on Friday, February 5th. Whitney expert Kurt Wedberg will be leading the informational session in store, and they’ll have permit applications on hand just in case you get extra inspired.
If the desert’s more your thing, be sure to head back on February 24th, when they’ll be serving up wine, cheese, and popcorn and screening three short films showing off the beauty of Anza-Borrego Desert State Park.
Anza-Borrego is one of my favorite areas in all of California, and it’s definitely worth a visit – especially during the spring blooms. See below for a few recommended hikes in the area.
The Backbone Trail runs 67 miles through the Santa Monica Mountains, from the Pacific Palisades to the Pacific Ocean north of Malibu. When it’s completed, it will be a fantastic backpacking route, but as it stands right now there’s only one campground on the trail, and a few sections of unfinished trail that require walking along streets.
From May 1-8, the group will take a very leisurely approach to the trail, but provide some trail-creature comforts, like shuttles from the trail to nearby camp sites, some food and water, and a car shuttle back to the beginning of the trail when you’re done.
That pace would probably be a bit slow for me, but if you’re just interested in getting acquainted with the area or have some time to kill in early May, I’ve heard good things from people who’ve been on previous Treks. The fee for the event is $350. More information and a contact for questions can be found on their official registration site, along with some photos from past Treks.
Just a quick reminder – if you’re considering hiking Mount Whitney this year, Feburary 1st marks the official beginning of “Permit Season.”
All completed permit applications need to have a February postmark, so get your group together, get that envelope in the mail this week, and cross your fingers for the first drawings on February 16th.
More information on the permit process is available here. Good luck everyone. Hope to see you up there!
When I was at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, I met some representatives from Trimble Outdoors, who were kind enough to let me in on a review copy of their iPhone App, AllSport GPS. While I think it has a few shortcomings for hikers, its features really shine as a fitness app, which could be more appreciated by trail runners or mountain bikers.
In 2010 and 2011, if you want to hike up Half Dome on a weekend or holiday when the cables are up, you’re going to need to do some serious planning-ahead, because now you need a permit to do so.
Beginning in 2010, all people using the Half Dome Trail above the subdome must have a permit in possession on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, and federal holidays when the cables are up. A maximum of 400 permits will be issued each of these days.
The Park says that, on average, fewer than 400 people hike to Half Dome a day during the weekdays, while on weekends and holidays that number can double – leading to congestion, trail over-use, and dangerous crowding conditions on those perilous chains.
For now, you will have to use Recreation.gov to get a day-use permit, from four months to a week in advance of your trip. No permits will be issued day-of, or on a first-come-first-served basis, although climbers who make their way up to the summit can hike down without a permit, and backpackers with the proper wilderness permit can pick up a Half Dome permit without any additional reservations.
This permit system is currently only scheduled to last through 2012, when a new management plan for Half Dome is expected to take shape.
This sort of move always ends up being controversial in the outdoor community. One school of thought says permits (and things like Adventure Passes) cause unnecessary difficulty for those trying to enjoy the outdoors, and can prevent people from getting outside. Nature should be free for everyone at their own risk, and all that. Another school says these popular trails need this sort of regulation, both for human safety and to reduce the impact on the environment.
Even though some permit applications can be logistical headaches, I tend to side with the second camp for the most part. I have never done the Half Dome Trail myself, and one of the big reasons is that I don’t want to get to the end of a hair-raising trek and have it look like a tour bus just made a stop there. Maybe with this new system in place, I’ll be able to climb up those cables without worrying about the crowds.
Or I’ll just enjoy the view from North Dome or Cloud’s Rest, where I’ve got a pretty good chance of having the place to myself!
Via Calipidder, a great source for NorCal hiking news and all sorts of other great outdoorsy info!
If you’ve heard me rattling on and on about how you should give snowshoeing a shot, and were wondering what all the fuss was about, you need look no further than this incredible set of photos taken by Keegan Uhl in Icehouse Canyon last week.
keeganuhlphotography.com
Looking through that gallery, you will instantly want to run to the nearest store to buy snowshoes and tire chains. Lucky it’s Friday!
I have a confession to make – I suck at making campfires.
Not to say that I can’t light them, just that it usually involves an above-average amount of muttering and cursing in the wilderness, and no one really likes that.
Whether you’re still working on your survival skills like me, or you’re headed to an area with wet or sparse kindling, it’s worthwhile to take a packet or two of Insta-Fire along with you on your next backpacking trip. It’s a lightweight combination of volcanic rocks, wood pellets, and paraffin wax that will burn for 15 minutes – even in wet conditions!
I currently offer a 24-pack for under 20 bucks in my OpenSky storefront, but thanks to the guys behind the scenes over there, I’m able to offer a special promotion right now:
Just head to my promo site and enter your email and favorite shopkeeper (hopefully, it’s Modern Hiker). You’ll be entered into a random drawing, where 10 winners will get the 24-pack of Insta-Fire for $1.99 with free shipping. If you don’t get the big deal, you’ll get a coupon for 15% off ANY purchase at OpenSky, which is nothing to sneeze at either! Feel free to poke around my Storefront, or one of the other 82 shops – you’ll find something great in there!
I just got word that the Sierra Club will be hosting Angeles National Forest Supervisor Jody Noiron at the Eaton Canyon Nature Center. She’ll be giving a free 90-minute presentation on Station Fire recovery efforts. Supervisor Noiron will describe the fire’s effects on the Forest and offer ways for volunteers to help in the recovery effort.
The presentation begins at 7:30PM tonight, but is preceded by a social reception at 7. While the event is being organized by the Sierra Club, non-members are welcome and encouraged to attend.
If you can’t make the meeting, be sure to check out the Sierra Club’s Angeles Forest Restoration Project page. It’s got an email list for volunteers, some news and updates about the fires’ aftermath, and (FINALLY) a zoomable map of the Station Fire Burn Area, so you can see exactly what trails are off limits.
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