Archive for December, 2007

2007 in Numbers

Published on December 20, 2007 in hiking, motivations and site news. 5 Comments

Well, I’m about to fly off to New England for the holidays, which means it’s probably the end of meaningful Southern California hiking for the year.

Although I didn’t get to all of the places I wanted to, I still had some pretty impressive milestones — I went on several long-distance day hikes, qualified for the Sierra Club’s Hundred Peaks Chapter, and had my fair share of backpacking adventures — both ill and well fated.

My mileage for this year was actually a bit lower than last (I’ll blame hot summers, fire closures, and my new discovery of ‘The Beach’ for that one), but I almost doubled my elevation gain numbers for ‘06. Peakbagging will do that, I guess.

Total Mileage: 209 miles.
Total Elevation Gain: 89,090 feet (15.2% average uphill grade)
Total Time Spent Hiking: 3 days, 22 hours, 18 minutes.

The site itself has taken off a bit, too. From a lil’ ol blogspot site to some adventures on my former host to the current, sponsored-hosting, I’ve been lucky to find myself a little web-niche and gain an audience of tech-savvy outdoorsfolk — as well as (hopefully) some Angelenos who are just learning our sprawling megalopolis has some great nature nearby. Traffic has been steadily increasing since I launched last November, and I’m grateful for everyone who reads and explores.

2008, hopefully, will hold more improvements and adventures. I want to get my Map working again, and continue tweaking the site design to make information easier to find and access. I also have a nice chunk of Paid Time Off stored up, and want to hit up those elusive Utah National Parks — as well as bag San Gorgonio, San Bernardino, San Jacinto, and (maybe even) Whitney.

I’ll be doing some sporadic site work from New England — and hopefully going snowshoeing, now that they have seasonal weather again.

So congrats to everyone who laced up a hiking boot this year — let’s get ready to do it again in 2008.

Caught on the Web

Published on December 18, 2007 in Geek Stuff, National Forests and Recreation Areas and Technology. 1 Comment

When will the Kids Today learn? When you post something on the Internets, everyone can read it. And when you’re posting about something you shouldn’t be doing, someone’s eventually going to read it who can punish you for it.

National Parks Traveler has a story from the Assateague Island National Seashore of just such an event. An angler caught a pair of rockfish that were below the minimum length required by the State of Maryland. Instead of just enjoying the fish, the angler used an in-park Wi-fi connection to brag about her catch on a message board, complete with a picture of her holding up the fish.

A ranger found the message online, recognized the angler from her photo, found her on the beach, and issued a violation notice.

Do we need any more reasons not to have Wi-Fi in our natural areas?

Via National Parks Traveler.

Amazon Garmin Sale

Published on December 14, 2007 in Gadgets and Gear. 0 Comments

The GPS Tracklog got the scoop on Amazon’s annual Clear-out-the-GPS Sale.

Garmin units of all stripes are on sale, with deep Amazon discounts and - more often than not - additional mail-in rebates.

I picked up my eTrex Vista around this time last year, with a king’s ransom of mail-in rebates. So far, their deal on this model isn’t all that great, but for an extra 60 bucks you can pick up the GPSMap 60CSx, which is probably the best Garmin unit you can snag … at least until the Colorado hits shelves.

Bad Press for the Forest

Published on December 14, 2007 in Angeles National Forest, Santa Monica Mountains and fires. 0 Comments

If you’re reading local Los Angeles news, the forests around L.A. are portrayed as a dumping ground for bodies and playground for drunken vandals.

I swear, it’s not that bad.

The LA Times story is really interesting, if you’ve ever wondered just how they track down people who start forest fires. Long story short, some good ol-fashioned electronic detective work.

A Little Federal Greenwashing

Published on December 13, 2007 in Environmentalism, National Parks and Monuments and Politics. 2 Comments

When the President isn’t busy gutting the National Parks, cutting budgets, selling off public lands, or letting private companies commercialize parks, it’s good to know he spends his time making YouTube videos about how much he loves the National Park system.

If you just want to laugh, fast-forward to 7:02. Then cry. Then dream of January, 2009.

Hiking The Devil’s Chair

Published on December 12, 2007 in Angeles National Forest, Devil's Punchbowl County Park, Trail Write-Ups and hiking. 5 Comments

A moderate trek around one of the most breathtaking natural landmarks in the region. A hike to Devil’s Chair gives you panoramic views of what happens to the ground near one of the most active rift zones in the world. A great winter trek, I got to do this trail after a fresh coat of snow, with clear air giving great views in all directions.

Continue reading ‘Hiking The Devil’s Chair’

Garmin Colorado?

Published on December 11, 2007 in Gadgets and Gear and maps. 0 Comments

The Groundspeak forums were all a-twitter about the possibilities of a new model called the Colorado.

It’s rumored to have all the goodies of the current Garmin line - altimeter, electronic compass, SiRFSTARIII chipset, etc. But this bad boy’s also supposed to showcase a giant, high-color display, a temperature sensor, wireless communication between devices, and - most awesomely - the ability to display aerial photos and shaded topographical maps.

It’s expected to hit stores in Spring ‘08, and retail for around $500. If that’s not true, then hopefully they’ll at least start offering some good rebates on the excellent GPSMap 60CSx.




Via GPS Tracklog.

Snowshoe Season

Published on December 11, 2007 in San Bernardino National Forest and snowshoeing. 0 Comments

Looks like the dusting over at Devil’s Punchbowl was dwarfed by our neighbors to the east.

Adventure 16’s blog is reporting up to 18 inches of the white stuff near San Jacinto, with the area opening this Friday for snowshoe rentals.

That appears to be the only snowshoeing area slated to open in the near future. Still, it bodes well. I’ve only been snowshoeing once before, a few years ago in Vermont. I’d love to tramp around California mountains, too — maybe I’ll head up there soon …

Great Falls of the Fox

Published on December 10, 2007 in Angeles National Forest and climbing. 0 Comments

Canyoneering is not something I do. I am, however, constantly in awe of those who do.

This morning, on the front page of the excellent SummitPost, I noticed the L.A. area user MountainImpulse posted a comprehensive write-up of his trip canyoneering into Fox Canyon.

I’ve done some hikes in the area, and can attest to its seclusion and beauty. But as MountainImpulse knows, to find the really nice stuff, you’ve got to work for it. Fox Canyon has seven waterfalls — including a 100 foot tall “Great Falls.” But it’s out of reach for us everyday hiking-folk.

But reading this description might inspire you to pick up some rappelling gear … and a good helmet.

Be sure to check out his other write-ups in the San Gabriels — he’s got plenty of great weekend adventures.

Snow!

Published on December 10, 2007 in Angeles National Forest and hiking. 0 Comments

You Sierra hikers aren’t the only ones who get to take “Winter Wonderland Hikes.” Down here near Los Angeles, there’s plenty of good chances for winter hiking if there’s wet weather. I was up near the Devil’s Punchbowl this weekend, and the trails had a good inch - inch and a half of snow on the lower elevations. I’m hoping the peaks got a bit more, and start hanging on to it … Partially because it will help justify my crampon and snowshoes purchases, but mainly just because we could really use it after the last season.

Come on, wet winter!