Hiking Trails by TracksAndTrails.ca

Long tough Treks in India to some of the highest mountain passes in the World – an interview with Be-Outdoors Marketing Guru Harsimran Kaur

ClayKessler — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 05:57:05 +0000

An avid traveler, reader and culture enthusiast, Harsimran Kaur has a special love for the high Himalayas of northern India especially Ladakh and Kashmir. Harsimran has also worked as a guide and program leader with an experiential education organization with summer outdoor programs for youths and teens in India. Harsimran is Vice President, Sales and Marketing [...]

Makapu’u Lighthouse Trail

ClayKessler — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 04:23:22 +0000

We stayed an extra day on O'ahu after the Kaimana Klassik XXIII ultimate frisbee tournament to get in a few good hikes before flying back to California. We took the advice of one of our teammates who lives in Hawaii and found the Makapu'u lighthouse trail along the Ka'iwi seashore. At first it doesn't look like much of a hike (there is a large parking lot and a paved path), but the view are definitely worth it. You start off with Koko crater in the distance to the West, and after curving around to the South West you end with a breathtaking view of Waimanalo all the way to Kailua. The lighthouse is impressive as well, and you can see some interesting cacti along the hike up, and maybe even a whale or two depending on the season (the one we saw was very camera shy, we never managed to get a good picture while breaching). The best part was the short scramble up the hill to a few left over bunkers, which offered great 360-degree views of both the crater and the shore off in the distance. We didn't spend too much time dilly dallying on the way down because we were getting pretty hungry and we didn't have too much longer before we needed to return our rental car. After going to O'ahu for 5 years in a row I can't believe I never did this hike before. You can do the whole thing in about an hour but you will likely want to spend longer at the top just taking in the views.

HIking the Olomana Trail

ClayKessler — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 04:22:18 +0000

We got a tip from our teammate that this was his favorite hike, and and although it was difficult to find (park before the bridge that leads to the golf course), we eventually found the trail head. The man at the gate was extremely helpful despite challenging us by telling us marines finish the entire thing in about 90 minutes (and Recons in 45). We were also warned that some boars had recently given birth and if we were charged we should look for a nearby tree and try to get to it before the boar did. Luckily we didn’t need to jump up into any trees, but we did see a boar at one point (and we all looked around for low branches immediately). When I heard the trail was steep I brushed it off. I’ve hiked Half Dome several times, and there are some nasty (lots of stairs) sections on that, and even though we were just coming off of 3 days of playing ultimate and usually I wouldn’t be able to move after that much exercise. Well this trail is STEEP! I’m talking 1600ft elevation gain in under a mile steep, with several rock walls with ropes hanging down so that you can climb up them. It was also completely worth it. The views along the trail were spectacular, but nothing could compare to the top. At the top of the first peak, it was only a few meters wide, maybe 10 long, and just barely enough space for 5 people, but the views! Oh the views! We didn’t have time to go to the other peaks (which were apparently even steeper!) because we had to return the rental car before 6pm. With a a little over a mile left to go and about 40 minutes before closing we decided we had to start running for it. 7 minutes later we were out of the jungle, back in the car, and cruising towards Enterprise, getting there with a solid 10 minutes to spare.

Slipping and Sliding at Santa Teresa

ClayKessler — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 04:20:25 +0000

Another quick hike...mostly to plan a trail maintenance event on the Norred Trail, but also to look for new flowers. Trail conditions after rain the previous day weren't great. Muddy and slick. I fell once, turning off my GPS and causing the gap in the track. Still, we were rewarded with some nice turkeys, pretty flowers and an incredible rainbow!

Baldy Ryan Creek Stroll

ClayKessler — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 04:16:22 +0000

A nice hike with my daughter in Rancho Canada this afternoon. We managed to get in a mini hike but turned back short of our goal with foreboding black clouds coming in. We were searching for salamanders and newts but ended up with just a milliepede find which was fine as Alex was entirely thrilled with that. Love this park... usually not very busy and puts on some great flower and wildlife shows most every time I visit.

Treks and Adventure Expeditions in Bolivia with outdoor Guide Freddy Céspedes

ClayKessler — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 19:19:14 +0000

Freddy Céspedes has many histories and anecdotes as a trekking guide for over 20 years. Given the extent of his incredible outdoor life in Boliva as an adventure guide and outdoor expert it was a real pleasure to interview Freddy. He has a plethora of unique stories to tell so grab a coffee and enjoy [...]

Portland Hiker and Author of Hiking Books – Paul Gerald

ClayKessler — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 19:03:38 +0000

Paul Gerald is the author and publisher of many books Two of his outdoor books that give up many of Portland`s hiking secrets caught my attention and are listed below. Day and Overnight Hikes on the Oregon Pacific Crest Trail 60 Hikes within 60 Miles: Portland area including Mount Hood, Mount St. Helens and the Columbia River [...]

Winter Camping Equipment List

Clayton — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 17:16:13 +0000

Winter Camping Equpment List Clothing snow boots plus a backup if needed wool socks X 3 polypropyline socks X 2 or extra wool ones long underwear (polyproopylene preferred) fleece or wool pants (no blue jeans) wind / water /snow proof pants underwear as needed light shirt wool or fleece seqtshirt toque (wool or fleece) wool or fleece sweater winter jacket gaiters (recommended) gloves or mitts 2 pair good quality Equipment tent with [...]

Okanagan Survival Training and Snowshoeing weekend – book now for free

ClayKessler — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 08:08:15 +0000

On March 14 I will lead a group of hearty souls willing to camp overnight for two nights into one of two destinations (Destination To be announced very soon); The Okanagan Highlands – Nuttal Lake or Osprey Lake area in the Thomposn / Okanagan Plateau. If you would like to take advantage of this training opportunity, [...]

Google Earth in your Browser – the best topographic maps

ClayKessler — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 01:42:43 +0000

This new website will be of interest to hikers, trekkers and backpackers!!! It is a trip planning and educational tool DELUXE!!!! Geokov.com is a free web application with topo maps (1:50000 and BC 1:20000) along with google maps, trails, conditions and info exchange. Website address: http://geokov.com Provides a convenient way to practice topo map reading and terrain assessment by comparing the [...]