5/07/2008 at 9:30 AM
Tags: Switzerland Travel, Hiking, Mountain Biking, Biking, Active Travel, Outdoor Travel (all tags)
We already credit the Swiss with being quite good at a range of things: Army knives, watches, chocolate and banks. Turns out we can add something else to the list: an impressive network of hiking, cycling, skating and canoeing paths perfectly signposted for us to use, as part of the SwitzerlandMobility project.
Apparently all of these trails and paths have been around for ages, but now that they've got them properly interconnected and have standardized the signage, there's no stopping us, whichever method of getting around we choose.
Hikers can choose from almost 4,000 miles of paths, cyclists from nearly 5,300 miles and even mountain-bikers get over 2,000 miles of signposted Swiss beauty. Those clever Swiss have even tied in public transport routes to help us get to and from these trails. No excuse for staying still in Switzerland now.
Related Stories:
· Switzerland Mobility [Official Site]
· Switzerland Travel coverage [Jaunted]
[Photo: Donnie Ray]
by amandak
4/14/2008 at 3:05 PM
Tags: National Parks, Outdoor Travel, Spring Travel, Hiking, Nature (all tags)
Hibernation time is over! Maine's Acadia National Park reopens its central Park Loop Road tomorrow for the official season. The road, built by philanthropist John D. Rockefeller, Jr. as a set of carriage trails criss-crossing the preserve, takes visitors throughout the park, which is located primarily on Mount Desert Island.
The only national park in New England is heavily traveled during the summer months but it's a great place to hike in spring, before the hordes arrive. Use of a camp site is just ten dollars a night.
Need some gear and driving up? Swing by the 24-hour L.L. Bean store in Freeport.
Related Stories:
· Acadia National Park [Official Site]
· National Parks coverage [Jaunted]
· Spring Travel coverage [Jaunted]
[Photo: dbking]
by egw
4/03/2008 at 11:00 AM
Tags: Hiking, National Parks, Active Travel, Outdoor Travel (all tags)
There are hikes, and then there are hikes. Anyone looking to take on the Continental Divide Trail is interested in the latter variety--and is also probably a little nuts. The entire route stretches nearly 3,100 miles, following the Rocky Mountains from Montana down to New Mexico. And there are two catches: over 1,000 miles of the trail are incomplete, and the whole thing has no official map.
But with winter thawing out, the folks over at Backpacker magazine might be looking to finally change that. Last year editor-in-chief Jonathan Dorn called on readers to help map the CDT and got an outpouring of almost 3,000 applications to volunteer. Three hundred were chosen and grouped into teams, and they tracked their progress on the CDT Project blog.
By the end of September the teams had defined over 2,000 miles of the trail, and Backpacker's map editor Kris Wagner left off saying he planned to pick the project back up after the snow melted. We haven't heard anything since, but we'll be keeping an eye out--and maybe doing some training. The CDT Alliance says a thru-hike takes about six months--if you average 17 miles a day!
Related Stories:
· Continental Divide Trail Alliance [Official Site]
· Best Damn Weekend Ever: Montana's Anaconda-Pintler Wilderness [Backpacker]
· Hiking coverage [Jaunted]
[Photo: bgautrea]
by benh
4/02/2008 at 3:25 PM
Tags: National Parks, Guidebooks, Lonely Planet, Hiking, Outdoor Travel, Active Travel (all tags)
Lonely Planet has just relaunched its series of national parks guides and the publisher sent over a couple for us to check out. We're not the biggest fans of LP books in general, but the sheer number of titles can certainly be helpful. (Who else sells chapters on Eritrea?)
There are four new guides to the national parks, and you'll get info on multiple parks in all but one of them. The books are designed specifically for the parks, with itineraries and activities based around what's inside the gates rather than in surrounding towns--though some of that info is there too.
What stood out to us is the cool "Hiking" section. Each book has a couple dozen different trails listed. After a header with the basics (distance, elevation change, etc.), a long description of the walk and what you might see follows. Totally handy, and given the fact that the new books are compact and light, you'll actually want to tote 'em along on the trail.
Related Stories:
· Lonely Planet A La Carte [Jaunted]
· National Parks coverage [Jaunted]
by pbb
3/19/2008 at 12:15 PM
Tags: Hong Kong, Hiking, China Travel, Active Travel (all tags)
Hong Kong is probably best known for quick food and kung fu--not getting dusty and swigging from Nalgene bottles. But with 40 percent of the area protected as parks, hikes in the lush hills outside the city are popular for locals and tourists alike and offer stunning views of the island that shouldn't be missed.
The Dragon's Back trail is one of the better-known among Hong Kongers. This trek along a spine of hills high above the city affords a surreal break from the bustling metropolis below with vistas of outlying islands and the quiet village of Shek O.
The trailhead is accessible via local transport, and you can make this walk as short as you like. If you want to make a proper journey of it, though, it'll take you a good part of a day.
Walking, obviously, is free. You can pick up a trail map from any tourism office, or buy a guidebook from a local book shop. But if you're inclined to go with a professional guide, Walk Hong Kong is a licensed tour operator that can take you along various trails in the region with rates running from $60 to $100 depending on the route.
Related Stories:
· Experience Hong Kong: Hiking [Fodors]
· Walk Hong Kong [Official Site]
· Hiking coverage [Jaunted]
· Hong Kong coverage [Jaunted]
[Photo: Mat Booth]
by benh
1/30/2008 at 4:20 PM
Tags: Hudson Valley Escapes, Hudson-Valley-Map, Hiking, Restaurants, Hotels (all tags)
Though it's known best for Vassar College, Poughkeepsie is more than just a college town--it's a city-dweller's getaway that's packed with trails, scenic views of the Hudson and Victorian homes.
Once there, visitors can hit the trails: Waryas Park follows the shore of the Hudson; the Springside Landscape Restoration winds through carefully-designed trails; and Spratt Park's paths are ideal for joggers or bicyclists. It's also close to the Appalachian Trail and the Hudson River Valley Greenway. If you wouldn't be caught dead hiking, the 1869 Bardayon Opera House and the city's art-packed Main Street should suit nicely.
Our Guide to Poughkeepsie
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by laurenuta
1/25/2008 at 10:00 AM
Tags: Active Travel, State Parks, Outdoor Travel, Camping, Hiking (all tags)
Looks like you'll soon be able to scratch Northern California's redwoods off your "Tourism of Doom" list. But that doesn't mean you should miss camping among the old growth trees or cruising along the Avenue of the Giants--a winding 32-mile stretch of pavement that snakes through a stunning forest landscape.
Last week a coalition of private investors and environmentalists proposed a plan that would take over 200,000 acres of redwood forest in Humboldt County from a bankrupt logging firm, turning most of it over to state parks. (Parts would be left for sustainable logging practices.) The deal has yet to go through, but things look hopeful.
Humboldt Redwoods State Park is a perfect place for travelers journeying down scenic Highway 101 to stop and spend a night. Light up a campfire and marvel at how the trunks stretch into the inky black of night--few things in the world can give you perspective like standing next to a tree that's been alive for 2,000 years.
Related Stories:
· Groups Aim to Save Redwood Forest [San Jose MN]
· Humboldt Redwoods State Park [Official Site]
· World's Best National Parks coverage [Jaunted]
by benh
1/17/2008 at 10:05 AM
Tags: Geocaching, Mount Hood, Climbing, Adventure Travel, Active Travel, Hiking (all tags)
Justin Votos and Matthew Pitts didn't have a GPS device when they went climbing on Mt. Hood earlier this week, but that didn't keep them from stumbling upon a geocache that would lead rescuers to the stranded duo. Luckily, the climbers, who were stuck on the mountain after bad weather set in, had a cell phone and could call up authorities to describe the cache, which led to their backcountry rescue.
Most people explicitly go hunting for the hidden treasure stashes using handheld GPS receivers, but since all the boxes are listed on the geocaching website, rescuers could pinpoint Votos and Pitts' location from afar. It only took a couple hours to find the pair once rescuers knew their coordinates.
Lesson learned? There are two really. First, don't forget your cell phone and your own GPS receiver when hiking off-trail or in challenging conditions. Second, Geocaching is even cooler than we thought.
Related Stories:
· Geocaching [Official Site]
· Climbers Rescued on Mt. Hood Aided by Treasure Hunt Box [King5 News]
· Mt. Hood Climbers and the "Climbable" Paradox [Jaunted]
· Adventure Travel coverage [Jaunted]
[Photo of a geocache: Francois Schnell]
by pbb
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