Archive for March, 2008

Garmin Colorado Review

Published on March 26, 2008 in GPS, Video and product reviews. 6 Comments

On Easter, I took a short hike into Bear Canyon. The purpose was two-fold: 1). to get into some of that icy water on a hot day 2). to take a fancy new Garmin Colorado 400t GPS unit onto the trail for a short test.

I clipped my trusty eTrex Legend Cx onto its normal position on my left shoulder, and used a carabiner included with the Colorado packaging to attach the newer unit to my right shoulder. I wanted to compare the two units’ receptions and interfaces … and I wanted to go onto the trail knowing I looked like a total dork.

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Backpacking Havasu Canyon

Published on March 24, 2008 in Excursions, Grand Canyon National Park, Trail Write-Ups, backpacking, camping and hiking. 9 Comments

A 20-mile backpack in the Havasupai Reservation. This breathtaking journey takes you from the rim of one of the offshoots of the Grand Canyon down to the village of its only permanent inhabitants, alongside a tropical-turquoise river and two stunning waterfalls — Navajo and Havasu Falls. Havasu Falls has the distinction of being one of the most-photographed waterfalls in the world. A farther day-hike from the campsite deeper into Havasu Canyon gets you to two more postcard-perfect cascades — the 210 foot tall Mooney Falls and the staggered staircase of Beaver Falls. A truly memorable backpacking and hiking experience.

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Colorado!

Published on March 18, 2008 in GPS and Technology. 0 Comments

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I got my hands on a Garmin Colorado 400t — for a few days, at least.

I’m going to be flipping through the manual and fooling around with the unit over the weekend, and taking it out on the trail to give it a run-through, probably comparing it to my current Garmin eTrex Legend Cx model.

I’ve noticed a lot of activity in the comments about the Colorado, so I know you all have questions. If you’ve got a specific feature you want me to test out or a burning question you want answered, leave a comment here and I’ll do my best to check it out.

Back from Havasu

Published on March 18, 2008 in backpacking and site news. 0 Comments

I got off the bus back from Havasu late on Sunday night, and had to take a personal day on Monday to sleep and wash the twelve layers of canyon dust off of all my gear.

The trip was great, and I’ll be doing an in-depth write-up soon. It’s probably going to be a few days, though, as I’ve got some upcoming medical issues to take care of in the immediate future.

Until then, just know that Havasu Falls is one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen. None of the pictures I’ll post will do it justice.

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Few Days Off

Published on March 13, 2008 in site news. 1 Comment

I’ll be taking a few days off from the site for a backpacking trip to Havasu Falls. Overnights look cool, windy, and maybe wet.

Everyone take good care of the San Gabriels while I’m gone!

Biking to Work

Published on March 10, 2008 in City Life and Environmentalism. 3 Comments

nullLast week, I finally bit the bullet and started biking to work.

It’s something I’ve been wanting to do for a long time, but kept away from because of those same tired-and-tested excuses we’ve all heard — roads in L.A. are too dangerous. All the bikers I know have gotten in accidents. Bikes are expensive to buy. Bikes get stolen all the time, etc. etc.

But when a friend donated his old bike to me, I really couldn’t argue any more.

So far, the experience has been great. Starting my day every morning with constant breezes of cool, fresh air (at least for L.A.), buzzing past cars stuck in long lines and enjoying the sun on my face is better than any venti caffucino-whatever could ever provide.

Not that I needed it, but the world seems to be aligning itself to affirm my decision.

I stumbled upon New Belgium’s Team Wonderbike, which is asking folks to bike to work 2 days a month for the next year to reduce CO2 output. (Come on, you can do that!)

Last week, gas prices hit an all-time national average high, and are expected to rise another 20 to 30 cents this summer.

But the kicker? This week, the Vatican added polluting to its Official List of Sins.

I knew there was a reason I was feeling guilty about driving!


Image by ibcbulk.

Hiking Mount Lukens via Haines Canyon

Published on March 9, 2008 in Angeles National Forest, Trail Write-Ups and hiking. 3 Comments

A strenuous ascent up the south face of Mount Lukens - the highest point of elevation within Los Angeles City Limits. This particular route travels a secluded and steep, but rarely traveled and slightly overgrown canyon to the summit. A good leg-burner, but the bushwhacking and ticks may not be worth the trouble. There is, however, a shortcut trail that leads to a fire road, which is one of the nicest stretches of single-track trail I’ve seen in the San Gabriels.

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News Flash: Unplugging Helps You Relax

Published on March 6, 2008 in City Life, Gadgets and Gear, Technology and in the media. 1 Comment

The New York Times’ Mark Bittman found himself helplessly attached to his technology - it got so bad he was sleeping with a laptop next to his bed so checking his email could be the first thing he did in the morning and the last thing he did before he went to bed.

He decided enough was enough, and tried to take a 24 hour “Secular Sabbath,” unplugging all of his electronic and communication devices to take some time off from being Connected To The World. At first, he was apprehensive:

I worried about the colleagues, friends, daughters, parents and so on who relied on me, the people who knew that whether I was home or away I would get back to them, if not instantly then certainly before the end of the day. What if something important was happening, something that couldn’t wait 24 hours?

… but as the day went on, he got calmer, and actually found he was able to be more productive.

Huh. I bet any one of us could have told him that.

I guess, even though I’m using a GPS and digital camera, hiking has always been my ‘Secular Sabbath.’ One of the reasons I never take an iPod with me on the trail is that I like just hearing the wind, birds, and water instead of the city noise we’re subjected to every other day. The calm I feel from hiking is even more pronounced when I’m backpacking for a few days.

Read the full article at the NYT, to learn how Bittman got more relaxed, learned how to get more done, and saw how the trend is starting to sneak into the corporate world.

… or, if you don’t want to unplug, just wait a few years for electricity-generating microfiber hiking pants.



Via Lifehacker.

Photo by *nathan.

Welzenbach Explained

Published on March 5, 2008 in Joshua Tree National Park, Video, climbing and hiking. 0 Comments

If you’ve ever been reading a trail write up and come across a phrase like “class-three bouldering,” you may have stopped and asked yourself, “What the hell does that mean?”

Well, it’s called the Welzenbach System.

“OK,” you say. “Now what the hell does that mean?”

Tom dug up a clear, short, and wonderful video from BackpackingVideos that sets the whole thing straight with footage from Joshua Tree to illustrate exactly what these terms mean.

Now feel free to throw ‘em around when you want to intimidate other newbie hikers.

Via the venerable Two-Heel Drive.

Roadlessland.org

Published on March 4, 2008 in Environmentalism, National Forests and Recreation Areas and Politics. 3 Comments

Reader Nelson commented on some of the recent entries about the Forest Service’s attempt to overturn the 2001 Roadless Rule. He provided a link to his web site, devoted to educating the public about the Roadless Rule — roadlessland.org.

It’s an easy and visceral way to get an idea of just how much land could be affected if the Roadless Rule is overturned. Here in Southern California, large swaths of the Angeles and San Bernardino Forests will be up for grabs, while almost all of the Los Padres National Forest could be facing new construction crews.

The dark green diagonals are already-established Wilderness Areas. The light green areas are currently-held Roadless areas, which may potentially lose their protection if the Bush Forest Service gets its way.

You can click on the sections of forest to get more information about each one, as well as search by state and name. If you want to get a bit more informed, there’s an excellent summary of the issue … and if you want to be scared about what might happen, they’ve got aerial photos of some particularly invasive Forest Service roads.