The Sierra Club’s ‘Daily Ray of Hope’ is an inspiring little email list. So much of what comes out of the ‘environmental news’ section of the internet can seem a bit dour, which is why it’s nice to get the occasional blast of good news, inspirational quotes and - now - nature photography from Flickr users.
The Sierra Club set up a new Flickr pool where you can submit your photos for inclusion in the daily newsletter. It’s also a great place to just browse some great amateur nature photography, and see what other folks are up to out on the trail.
The pool is invitation-only to join, but you can browse openly without signing up for anything. If you’ve got some shots you’d like to share, all you have to do is send a message to the group moderator.
Lifehacker has a post about a helpful little Flickr add-on for Firefox called Better Flickr.
It’s a compilation of several Greasemonkey scripts that add a bit of functionality to everyone’s favorite photo-sharing site, like getting images of the cameras people use, allowing buddy icons in replies, and automatic area zoom of pictures.
But the most useful option is the one that allows you to organize your contact list with tags. If you’re like me, you think nothing of adding shutterbugs you dig as contacts, and your list ends up getting several pages long. It’s great to be able to divide those up into nature photographers, family members, portraits, etc.
‘Cause when you’re in the mood for a nice landscape, you want to be able to get it at it ASAP.
What with all the internet chatter about hiking with poles, I was happy to learn the Santa Monica REI will be holding a clinic on how to properly use your twin telescoping buddies on June 13th.
The class is free, and attendants will get the chance to win some free gear - like some trekking poles, Nalgene bottles, or a new pair of Merrell boots.
… might be worth checking out. Even if it’s just for the chance to win some free stuff.
Flickr was down last night, so I couldn’t write-up my latest hiking trip. So after updating my neglected ‘About‘ page, I’m glad I stumbled across the web version of National Geographic Adventure magazine’s Best of the National Parks for 2007.
They do a great job of running down the parks with the best hiking, paddling, wildlife viewing, etc. and also point you to their specific favorites in the park, and sometimes even the web sites of guides or maps that’ll get you there.
Helpful folks over there at National Geographic.
And, in case you’re one of those people who like to go to National Parks just to stay inside, they’ve even got a section of the Parks’ best lodges.
I finally got a replacement iPod last week, and have been catching up on my much-neglected library of podcasts.
Steve Sergeant’s WildeBeat had a fantastic two-part podcast about the science behind trekking poles, and whether or not they provided anyone with any sort of benefit.
There’s some great information in there - and, speaking as one of the “young, (relatively) fit 20-somethings” I can say that trekking poles do have a great impact on my hiking. When I’m using them, I generally find that I’m more stable, move faster on level ground, and ascend with less strain on my legs.
Then again, I also took the time to figure out the best way to use them in different situations. I’ve seen some people on the trail with these things who are literally dragging them alongside them while they walk.
Steve will get you on the right path. And while you’re there, go ahead and poke around some of his older podcasts. They’re good stuff.
The very first boots I spent any decent amount of cash on were a brand new pair of Vasque Breezes. It was probably the first time I realized that I’d be sticking with this whole hiking thing … and that I probably had a lot more money to spend.
They’re great, super lightweight boots, and the mesh vents kept my feet nice and cool while hiking through brush and desert alike. Unfortunately, the mesh also tended to let small pebbles and sand sneak their way inside my boots, too - and if I ever slipped into a stream, I might as well have been wearing two giant sponges wrapped around my feet.
And so this weekend, I officially retired by Breezes to my closet - to be cleaned and resoled and saved for some light hiking days.
I’ve replaced them with a new pair of Vasque Switchbacks - a solid waterproof construct.
On my weekend hike to Mount Gleason, I was digging the boots’ solid construction, grippy treads, and cushioned insoles. My feet didn’t heat up too bad, and best of all - no rocks came tumbling out when I finally took them off at the end of the hike.
I can’t wait to try these things out on longer trails … or seeing how they fare when I inevitably fall into a river again.
Earlier this week, Apple announced they were in a bit of a recyclin’ mood.
Through the end of July, the House of Jobs will pick up and recycle any old computer equipment from schools, colleges, and universities across the country. All you have to do is 1). Pack up the units yourself. 2). Have at least 25 units to recycle. 3). Let them know you want their help by June 30th.
Get yourself all the details from Apple’s site.
Via Treehugger.
I love my GPS receiver, but one of my big gripes about my little electronic pathfinder is the lack of on-device map detail.
When I first started shopping around for a GPS, I assumed I’d be able to run some of the superdetailed National Geographic TOPO maps on screen.
Turned out, no.
It seems like no matter what brand of GPS you go with, on-unit maps are pretty much limited to first-party software - most of which are extremely lacking. Garmin’s got a nation-wide 1:100k offering
, which is fine for driving to the trailhead, but not all that great once you actually get on the trail.
They also have a much more detailed 1:24k version, but that one’s limited to specific national parks and forests and can leave some big chunks of map off your screen. Their “Western” edition has the Santa Monica Mountains and San Bernardino National Forest, for instance, but leaves out the Cleveland and Angeles National Forests.
Frustrating.
But GPS Tracklog thinks this era might be coming to an end.
The site reports the Italian cartography company Navionics wants to have comprehensive U.S. GPS maps available by the end of the year, and they’re pretty sure they’re going to at least have a 1:24k version offered. Maybe even one that’s so fancy it will require me to purchase a new GPS receiver.
Not that I really need any more encouragement to spend money on electronics…
I love it when Governors get all antsy and start suing the federal government. It’s a great way for the states to call b-s on Washington, and usually good things come out of it - like the Clean Air Act and seatbelts and other warm fuzzies. I love it even more when the executives doing it are my former and current heads of state.
In a letter to the Washington Post, Gov. Jodi Rell (R-CT) and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R-CA), accused the feds of “inaction and denial” on global warming. My current and former home states - along with ten others - want to go above and beyond the EPA’s vehicle emissions standards, but they need an OK from the EPA to do so. Since California’s request 16 months ago, they’ve heard nothing.
In vaguely-threatening, finger-wagging language, the pair wrote, “it’s high time the federal government becomes our partner or gets out of the way.”
Nice.
The most challenging peak in the front range of the San Gabriels. This trail loops through a shaded canyon, brush, and exposed rock-face Class Three bouldering before descending to idyllic meadows in the shadow of Strawberry Peak’s dramatic north face. Hands down, one of the best hikes in Los Angeles.
Continue reading ‘Hiking Strawberry Peak’
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