Meanderthals

Fueling up for the long haul

Jeff — Sun, 19 May 2013 13:46:19 +0000

By the fifth day on the trail, the author thought he’d grown accustomed to the exotic eating habits of Matt Misterek. Earlier on their 93-mile hike around Mount Rainier, he’d seen him pull from his pack hardboiled eggs, pizza and even a small bag of ice.

But as the author peeled the wrapper off of a protein bar, the same lunch he’d had the previous four days, he couldn’t help but laugh. Misterek was sitting shirtless on the front porch of the Indian Henry patrol cabin delicately placing clams on crackers.

Recently, the author talked backpacking nutrition with Sally Hara of Kirkland’s ProActive Nutrition. The registered dietitian who helps train endurance athletes confirmed that he was spot-on with three assumptions he had about Misterek’s diet.

First, carrying a variety of foods is a good way to stay motivated to refuel when less creative packers might suffer flavor fatigue. Second, his menu of carbohydrates and protein were ideal for maintaining energy for 12-15 challenging miles per day.

Third, Hara said, “I’d make fun of him for packing clams, too.”

Read full story…

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Hiking Sedona’s Chicken Point

Jeff — Sun, 19 May 2013 13:36:06 +0000

The view from Chicken Point after hiking the Broken Arrow Trail makes all those Pink Jeeps worth it. The Broken Arrow Trail is one of the most popular in the Sedona, AZ region.

The round-trip hike is three miles with an elevation change of just 350 feet. The trail is unshaded and traverses slick red rock and thickets of ancient foliage.

The Broken Arrow Trail runs parallel to a motorized trail that’s packed with Pink Jeep tours and off-roaders. It also runs alongside a popular mountain bike trail called High on the Hog.

The Pink Jeeps’ presence, while constant, is muted by the fact that they never stop for passengers to get out and move around. Their biggest offense is the black tire stains covering the slick rock in well-defined paths throughout the area.

Broken Arrow hugs the eastern side of the Chapel escarpment as it meanders past stunning spires and dramatic cliffs. Equally as stunning as the geology is the flora. Giant junipers, sycamores and prickly pear cacti are common.

Panoramic views of Sedona and the surrounding country are visible for the first half of the hike, and Chicken Point itself looks out to Bell Rock in the direction of the Village of Oak Creek.

Read full story…

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Hikers flock to Damascus, VA for Appalachian Trail Days

Jeff — Sat, 18 May 2013 01:21:26 +0000

You’ve heard the phrase “take a hike,” and that’s exactly what thousands of people are doing this weekend in Damascus, Virginia.

They’re hiking the Appalachian Trail to attend the 27th annual Appalachian Trail Days.

If you’re wondering just how many hikers will be visiting this weekend, organizers say they’re expect to see 15,000 people trekking through the region.

A patch of white paint on utility poles is more or less a compass for hikers making their way along the Appalachian Trail, but this weekend it’s a welcome sign for Trail Days.

Damascus is a small town showing true Southern hospitality with free laundry services and medical care. “It’s important when [hikers] get scraped or scratched. We need to make sure that everyone has had a tetanus shot,” said Kristina Morris with Southwest Virginia Medical Reserve Corps.

Events include the hilarious Hiker Parade, a talent show, the annual gear auction, and music, music, music.

Update 05/18/2013

Car barrels through Virginia parade crowd, injuring at least 50, official says

About 50 to 60 people were injured Saturday when a driver described by witnesses as an elderly man drove his car into a group of hikers marching in a parade in a small Virginia mountain town. Washington County director of emergency management Pokey Harris said no fatalities had been reported.

The injuries ranged from critical to superficial, he said. Three of the victims were flown by helicopters to regional hospitals. Another 12 to 15 were taken by ambulance. The rest were treated at the scene.

The status of the driver wasn’t released. Multiple witnesses described him as an elderly man. Authorities are still investigating, but Harris said they believe the man might have suffered a medical emergency before the accident.

It happened around 2:30 p.m. during the Hikers Parade at the Trail Days festival, an annual celebration of the Appalachian Trail in Damascus, VA, near the Tennessee state line about a half-hour drive east of Bristol.

What caused the car to drive into the crowd wasn’t immediately known. It appeared to come from a side street, and a thud could be heard. People yelled stop, and at some point, the car finally stopped. Witnesses said the car had a handicapped parking sticker and it went more than 100 feet before coming to a stop.

Read full story…

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Organizations Want Veto Power Over National Park Service At Colorado National Monument

Jeff — Fri, 17 May 2013 18:58:45 +0000

There’s a story in western Colorado involving Colorado National Monument that bears watching. The gist of the story is that some local community organizations are in support of redesignating the monument as a national park, but only if they can veto Park Service decisions on what uses the monument is appropriate for.

Onlookers believe that this ties in to past efforts to have a professional bike race – the 2013 USA Pro Challenge – course through the national monument along the 23-mile-long Rim Rock Drive. In the past, officials all the way up to the director of the National Park Service have said that would be an inappropriate use of the national monument.

Now, earlier this spring the West Slope Colorado Oil and Gas Association passed a resolution in support of renaming the monument a national park. That resolution was similar to one adopted earlier by the Grand Junction Area Chamber of Commerce, as well as one passed by the Grand Junction Economic Partnership. The kicker is that the groups want the legislation to give community stakeholders veto power over any Park Service decisions on uses the agency finds are inappropriate for the monument…such as a professional bike race.

Whether legislation will be introduced into Congress this summer by either U.S. Rep. Scott Tipton or U.S. Sen. Mark Udall to redesignate the monument as a national park remains to be seen.

Park advocacy groups, though, are keeping an eye on this issue and are stressing that the Park Service’s hands should not be tied when it comes to what is appropriate for Colorado National Monument.

Read full story…

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Wyoming woman on crusade to build hiking trails

Jeff — Thu, 16 May 2013 01:04:59 +0000

At first, weeds and grass grew through the trail. Not enough people walked over it to beat them down.

Now, most of the two- and four-mile loops of the Serenity Trail are hard, packed dirt from thousands of walkers and runners. The direction is clear even without the countless cairns and signs marking the way.

On a late April day, the trail’s founder and creator, Linda Hunt, kicked rocks and bits of wood off a section. Maintenance never stops.

Hunt met two inmate crews from the Wyoming Honor Conservation Camp on the trail. The crews would spend the day thinning trees and rebuilding sections of the trail, located several miles north of Newcastle.

Hunt, 62, is on a one-woman crusade to build a trail system outside Newcastle. She calls it “quality of life infrastructure.”

Hunt spent two summers volunteering on sections of the Continental Divide Trail in the late 2000s. That trail runs from Canada to Mexico, and crews of volunteers gathered to build or rebuild sections for walkers, backpackers, bikers and horseback riders. She learned to use trail-building tools, where to place markings and how to best angle a trail.

Then she realized she could be doing the same thing for her community, a town of 3,400 nestled between the Black Hills and the plains.

Read full story…

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Book turns Smokies hikes into scavenger hunts

Jeff — Wed, 15 May 2013 15:40:08 +0000

A book that aims to make hiking in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park fun and educational for kids, Scavenger Hike Adventures by Kat and John Lafevre, is on Smokies visitor center bookshelves now. The book features 13 hikes, seven are relatively easy, three are moderate and three are extreme. All are set up like scavenger hunts and lead to discoveries within the park, most of which are missed by casual hikers and other visitors.

In addition to the hikes, points for finding important park features and scavenger hunts, the book goes into detail about conservation, black bear tips and the park’s cultural history. The park’s plant and animal life also receive attention, with extra points awarded for finding and identifying things like hemlock trees, black-bellied salamanders and quartz boulders.

Scavenger Hike Adventures is a series of books by the LaFevres that also include Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado and Shenandoah National Park in Virginia.

Source…

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National Kids to Parks Day is May 18

Jeff — Wed, 15 May 2013 13:16:19 +0000

National Kids to Parks Day is a nationwide grassroots movement which was established as part of National Park Trust’s ongoing efforts to connect youth across the country with nature and encourage them to explore outdoors – especially at parks in their communities. National Kids to Parks Day is held on the third Saturday every May and is responsible for bringing more than 100,000 kids and families to parks.

Children, families, teachers, cities, towns, and parks are gearing up for this year’s National Kids to Parks Day (KTP), a nation-wide day of outdoor play organized by National Park Trust (NPT) in cooperation with a host of national collaborators. This year’s KTP Day will be held on Saturday May 18, 2013.

NPT is encouraging children across the country to explore their neighborhood parks and discover the history, nature and adventure right around the corner or just across town.

Learn more here…

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Hiking experts share their food favorites for the trail

Jeff — Wed, 15 May 2013 13:01:06 +0000

Warmer weather is finally here, and droves of hikers are hitting the trails in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains.

For some, that means a leisurely stroll along the level paths of the Davidson River in the Pisgah National Forest. For others, it means striving to climb the many steep ridges along the Blue Ridge Parkway.

No matter which path you choose, the right foods and drinks are necessary to keep energy levels high and dehydration at bay.

To compile a food and drink “best of” list, the Hendersonville, NC Times-News checked in with several local environmental groups — populated by lots of avid hikers, campers and general outdoorsy types — to ask what the experts pack on a typical day hike. Here’s what they had to say:

Communications Director Angela Shepherd surveyed her co-workers at Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy in Asheville to compile this list of their top 10 hiking foods: nuts/trail mix, fish (particularly canned tuna or sardines), jerky, baby carrots, Snickers bars, sandwiches, hummus, salami, granola bars and fruit.

Get lots more great ideas here…

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Friday, May 17 is Put on Purple Day for Lupus

Jeff — Wed, 15 May 2013 06:35:12 +0000

Research shows lupus is more pervasive and more severe than people think. May is Lupus Awareness Month. Put on purple for lupus awareness and tell people why. Help the Lupus Foundation of America raise awareness of lupus and show support for those who suffer its brutal impact.

THE BASICS

Ask your friends, family, coworkers and employer to Put on Purple on Friday, May 17, 2013 to help raise awareness of lupus
and show support for those living with the disease. Wear purple proudly and tell people why!

– Consider organizing office-wide or company-wide participation. May 17 is on a Friday.
– Take pictures of your participation and share them with others:
– Send your pictures to the Lupus Foundation of America at PutOnPURPLE@lupus.org.
– Post photos on Twitter using the hashtag #PutOnPurple.
– Send pictures to your social networks, along with details about how you Put On Purple for lupus awareness to help solve the cruel mystery of the disease.

GET THE WORD OUT

– Tell all of your friends, family, co-workers and neighbors about your participation in Put on Purple Day.
– Send letters/emails/Facebook/Twitter messages to everyone you know announcing your commitment. Invite them to join you by wearing purple on May 17. Share lupus facts from the Put on Purple Day fact sheet to educate your co-workers, friends and family members about the day and the brutal impact of lupus.
– Ask for support in person. A personal appeal is still one of the most effective ways to engage someone to join your effort. If possible, letters and emails should always be followed-up with a phone call.

GET COMPANY SUPPORT

– Ask the highest-ranking person in your company or group to send out an endorsement memo announcing that he/she will Put On Purple on May 17 to raise awareness of lupus and ask others to do the same.

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Saguaro Cacti Tagged By Vandals At Saguaro National Park

Jeff — Tue, 14 May 2013 20:43:23 +0000

It appears little is free from graffiti vandalism, not even age-old saguaro cacti at Saguaro National Park in southern Arizona.

Park Superintendent Darla Sidles reports that at least eight saguaros and some boulders along the Douglas Springs Trail in the park’s Rincon District were tagged by the spray-paint-wielding vandals sometime last weekend.

Some of the saguaros that were defaced were as much as 150 years old, according to the superintendent.

“They were seedlings during our nation’s civil war and have stood this long inside what is now a national park-designated wilderness area, designed to protect them,” Superintendent Sidles said in a news release.

Add this to vandalism at Joshua Tree National Park last month, and previous damage done at the Sinks in Great Smoky Mountains National Park on January 31st. This trend is very disturbing.

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