Archive for the 'in the media' Category

Bears on Film

Published on July 2, 2008 in National Forests and Recreation Areas, The Great Outdoors, Video and in the media. 1 Comment

nullFor whatever reason, bears appear to be all over the news lately. In the past month, they’ve been caught plowing into bikers, heading into town for Big Macs, and taking dips in the Gulf of Mexico. Now they’re showing up everywhere on camera, too.

The USGS has been setting up bear-proof cameras all over the National Parks and Forests along the Continental Divide for almost a decade, and now they’re releasing the footage to the public.

The extensive and growing collection of videos show bears and other wildlife in various states of adorable, and include many instances of behavior never before seen in the wild.

Of course, because the video was released to the public — which includes The Internets — it didn’t take long for someone to make a version of the videos with bears performing seductive bark-dancing for their human audiences.

Oh, Internet. You irrepressible scamp, you.

Image by dbarronoss

In The Times

Published on June 30, 2008 in City Life, Gadgets and Gear, hiking and in the media. 1 Comment

nullOver the weekend, I was quoted as part of an L.A. Times story on cellphone reception in the wilderness areas around the Los Angeles Metro area.

Friend of the site and local hiker Alana Semuels lays out the differences between carriers in the area. Short story: T-Mobile? Sucks. AT&T? Not bad, in spots. Maybe that 3G GPS-enabled iPhone is worth it after all.

I tried to do my duty as a Responsible Hiker to offer some sound safety advice, as well as take digs at Runyon Canyon Blackberry Hikers. Guess which made it into the Pulitzer prize-winning paper’s story.

Anyone out there have some love ‘em or leave ‘em stories about cell phones in the wild? I used to keep mine on during a hike to use as a watch, even when I lost reception. But after getting a few “urgent” messages from friends and family without being able to call back for 5 or 6 hours, I started stowing it in the OFF position and have never turned back.

Image by Jasoneppink

Backpacker’s iHike

Published on May 19, 2008 in Gadgets and Gear, Web Sites and Apps and in the media. 2 Comments

The latest issue of Backpacker arrived in my mailbox this morning. Instead of the usual scene of outdoorsy bliss, this month’s cover had a big ol’ Google Earth hiking route plastered across the front.

Immediately, I turned to the cover story — “iHike” — which offers “a complete guide to the digital revolution — and how to join it.”

Even though it doesn’t mention Modern Hiker anywhere, it’s still got a ton of surprising and useful information for us crunchy technophiles — like knowing that lithium batteries last twice as long as alkalines in GPS units, or that metal carabiners can interfere with satellite reception. It’s also got side-by-side comparisons of different mapping programs, online photo storage sites, and even tips on getting better photos and videos while on the trail.

It’s a really nice 8-page intro for anyone who’s looking to make more work for themselves after they get home from hiking — whether your audience is a bunch of blog readers or just the folks back home.

Just remember us web old-timers, ok?

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Image by matildaben.

e-Survivalist in Joshua Tree

Published on May 6, 2008 in Gadgets and Gear, Geek Stuff, Joshua Tree National Park, in the media and product reviews. 1 Comment

nullThis weekend, the LA Times ran a story by Dan Neil, following his adventures as he tries to make a six-day, north-south backpack through Joshua Tree National Park — weighed down with 7 pounds of high-tech gear. And that’s 7 pounds in a pack that already tips the scales at 50 pounds. Ultralight, this is not.

I realize this Neil probably did this just for the story. No experienced hiker would feel the need for a GPS receiver, two personal locator beacons and a satellite phone. Nor would they ditch their tent in the middle of the park because their pack was getting too heavy. *I* wouldn’t bring an iPod, but that’s a personal thing.

There are mini-reviews of several of the devices he uses, including the much lusted-after Garmin Colorado, as well as a few traditional travel tales to keep you entertained. Neil’s a good writer, and his description of the mindset of long-distance hiking is one of the most accurate I’ve ever read:

Like other sustained-heart-rate aerobic exercises, backpacking releases neuro-hormones that, first, bring a rush of mental energy — the brainstorms, flashes of insight and relived conversations that you mutter to yourself like a crazy person.

Then, the lull of repetition, the hypnosis of boots, the trance of the trail. Crunch crunch crunch. No talking now. This is the time of listening to your body.

But for all his modern gadget-based assistance, in the end — even though he drove through the park before he set out to bury water all over the place — after 3 days and 40 miles his toenails threaten to fall off and he hitches a ride back to his car.

Goes to show you — the gadgets don’t make the hiker. The hiker makes the gadgets.

But the hiker still probably wants all those gadgets, anyway.

Photo Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times

Monkey Wrench Movie

Published on April 21, 2008 in City Life and in the media. 2 Comments

nullWhen I first read Edward Abbey’s The Monkey Wrench Gang, I not only fell in love with one of my favorite books, but I was also struck at how naturally cinematic the novel was. The characters are colorful, the settings made for wide-focus lenses, and the plot — about four social misfits trying to destroy the new Glen Canyon damn — seemed destined for a subversive action movie.

Over the past few years, there’s been some on-again, off-again interest from Hollywood in adopting Abbey’s missive for the big screen. Now it appears the interest is on-again … at least, according to us outdoorsy bloggers. As one of the few of those outdoorsy bloggers actually living in Hollywood and writing for television, I figured it’s one of my duties to fan the internet interest flames.

National Parks Traveler pulled up some confirmed information, like the director, as well as some unconfirmed stuff — like a potential cast of Richard Dreyfuss, Jack Nicholson, and John Goodman — all of whom strike me as a bit too old for those roles … unless Goodman’s cast for the sheriff.

IMDB has more sparse information, but does list Hollywood megawriter William Goldman (”Misery,” “The Princess Bride,” “All the Presidents’ Men,” “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid,” etc.) as one of the screenwriters, which is very good news.

It’s probably going to be a very, very long time before this thing hits any theaters, but I’m already looking forward to it.

Image by Kris247

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.

Modern Hiker - Nature Pundit

Published on January 28, 2008 in Politics, State and Local Parks and in the media. 1 Comment

I’m proud to say the fine folks at SNEWS - the leading outdoor and fitness industry news source - interviewed me last week about Gov. Schwarzenegger’s proposed closing of 48 California State Parks to help the looming budget crisis.

The podcast has been posted, and it’s a great listen. If you’ve been looking for the issue encapsulated in a neat little package, or wanted to hear what other organizations are doing about it … or just wanted to hear what I sound like, go check it out.

Talking Tree

Published on August 21, 2007 in Web Sites and Apps and in the media. 2 Comments

While scouring the web for some new Flickr / Wordpress plugins, I stumbled across the stunning photoblog of Nathan Cowlishaw, a young photographer who clearly has the same love of the Desert Southwest I do — but with a much better photographer’s eye.

His photoblog features absolutely breathtaking images, like this shot of Monument Valley:


Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park from Talking Tree.

… and if words are more your thing, his West Desert Journal has some great musings on his travels through the Great Southwest. Definitely worth checking out.

Especially if you’re looking for ways to justify taking a trip to Utah sometime in the near future.

Video Evidence

Published on August 14, 2007 in in the media. 3 Comments

That Bear, from “Man vs. Wild” is fake.

Much has been said about the show’s apparent staging, and the Internets - as they are wont to do - are in a temporary uproar.

Personally, I don’t mind. All TV is at least partially faked, or at the very least edited or shot in a particular way to get a point across. While I’d love it if “Man vs. Wild” were more ‘real’ - or as real as a survival show can get with a multicamera film crew following you around - it’s all right by me.

A co-worker and fellow weekend-outdoorsman brought up the point that MvW is much more of a “how to” show than its Science Channel counterpart “Survivorman.” I like that Bear will jump into a glacial lake to show us how to warm up in the Alps, and I don’t care that he probably retreated to a chalet for some hot cocoa when the cameras turned off. The information is still useful.

Plus, if you want to watch a guy spear a salmon and eat it raw, there’s really nowhere else on TV.

Plague Rats!

Published on July 20, 2007 in Angeles National Forest and in the media. 1 Comment

So you may have been asking yourself over the past few days, “hey where’s Casey? Why hasn’t he written about trails or hiking lately?”

If you thought it was due to the life-altering stress of searching for a new apartment, or the back-to-back one-two punches of E3 and ComicCon coverage, you’d be close — but wrong.

It’s rats. Plague rats. In the Angeles National Forest.

Like most things that decimated populations hundreds of years ago, the plague is pretty easily cured nowawdays, so this won’t actually keep me out of the mountains. Those other things might, though.