Outdoor News & Headlines

Children Ski Protection - Goggles and Helmets - Enjoy the Safe Fun in Winter

2005-10-17T07:25:00.000-07:00

Children Ski Protection - Goggles and Helmets - Enjoy the Safe Fun in Winter

Plzen, CZ (OPENPRESS) September 27, 2005 -- Long term development and carefull search for the right shape, material of the product, help AMERICAN WAY to develop the right accompanions for winter leasure time with and for KINDS.

New line of children ski goggles - in 8 different designes and with highest performance will allow to everybody the right product for him or her. All modells are equiped with double lenses, ani fog and anti scratch coating, special and highly effective air ventilation system, back clip. Carefully selected polycarbonate lenses provide the best proportion between highest visibility, sun protection and general protection.

Together with new line of children protection ski helmets it gives you the quarantee of safety for your and your kid.

The helmets are made from durable material and sharp CE testing in FRANCE assure that the helmet will grant what it promised. Air ventilation system, special "listening" area, antibacterical inlay, so as goggless holder on the back and adjustable chin strap make the helmet comfortable sport accessory and an must for everybody who cares.

Starting 2005/2006 winter season, the introduction of new products faced warm greetings from every visitor of SPORT PRAGUE exhibition hold from September 8th till 10th in Prague. The stand of AMERICAN WAY has been occupied permanently. By surprice not the new 300 models of sun and reading glasses has been the eye catcher, as the new SNOWBOARD stands and children products, or better to say products for children. Especially some of the models like QUEEN Junior has been requested permanently.

If this article catch your interest, go to www.keensporty.com website where all additional information and details are provided.

About the company: AMERICAN WAY counts to the biggest East European suppliers of sunglasses, reading glasses and hair and cosmetics accessories. Having own offices and established sales network in 7 European countries - Czech and Slovak Republic, Poland, Croatia, Germany, Bulgaria and Romania, and established in 1992, the company shows permanent growth of sales for more than 75% in last 3 years. Furtheher offices will be open in next coutries in next year. Sales in oversea reach interesting numbers having sattisfied customers in US, Canada, or Australia.

Wish you all safe winter time and "SKOL"

Loveland Ski Resort Opens - Colorado Ski Country!

2005-10-14T07:00:00.000-07:00

It's official snow bunnies! Loveland Ski Resort in Colorado is open and the 2005-2006 ski season is underway!!!!!!

In grand ole fashion, Loveland opened Friday morning and thousands were on hand to enjoy the first turns of the season.

Celebrate the season with AllMountainSports.com and save big on anything ski related from Tuesday the 18th of October until the following Monday!

Katrina slams outdoor industry in Louisiana, coastal Mississippi

2005-10-10T07:24:00.000-07:00

Katrina slams outdoor industry in Louisiana, coastal Mississippi

SLIDELL, La. Hurricane Katrina has meant more than the loss of homes and neighborhoods for Gulf Coast residents.
The region's fishing, boating and hunting industries were wiped out by the storm, and no one is sure when they'll recover.

Experts are assessing the environmental damage from Katrina. The Coast Guard estimates the storm may have spilled more than seven (m) million gallons of petroleum in the area.

Wildlife experts say it was impossible for all the fish, deer and other wildlife to survive. Even if they did, people can't get to the water or woods to enjoy the region's hunting and fishing.

Government estimates indicate post-storm jobless rates in coastal Louisiana and Mississippi could exceed 20 percent. Officials say part of the high unemployment rate could be tied to the loss of outdoor sports.

Copyright 2005 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Camping trip offers several key lessons - Fosters

2005-09-14T12:05:00.000-07:00

Camping trip offers several key lessons - Fosters

Well I'm back from my first camping trip and I'm sure readers are curious to know whether or not I survived four days in the wilderness with no shopping malls or electricity. I must say that I did have a nice time, though there were a few instances when I wasn't sure if I would last in the tent for the entire vacation — especially when it started to rain the moment we arrived at the campsite. I forgot my hair dryer so I was forced to wear my Boston Red Sox hat for essentially the entire trip and I must say I wasn't impressed having to fork over nearly $2 every morning for a shower (it was six minutes for each quarter, but six minutes — who can shower in six minutes?!)

But despite my reservations, we were able to relax, do some sightseeing around the White Mountain National Forest, and just enjoy being away from a majority of civilization for most of the week. During the trip, I kept a journal and made note of some key things I must remember for the next time we go camping. Here is a list of the top 10 things I learned on my first camping trip in a tent with my husband and dog:

10. Bug spray is the only kind of perfume that should be worn while camping in a heavily wooded area.

9. No matter how many rolls of paper towels you pack, always bring one more — because you never know.

8. Rain drops only add to my husband's anxiety level when he's trying to put up the tent.

7. When it does start raining, that is NOT the best time to sit down and grab a snack from the cooler — especially when the tent has yet to be assembled.

6. Never put a box of Devil Dogs on the bottom of the cooler — the box gets soggy very fast, your hand gets cold from all the ice when your trying to dig down for it and, well, you can't grab them as fast when they're on the bottom.

5. A brookside campsite is very relaxing and picturesque during the day. At night, however, the sound of the water splashing over the rocks only serves to remind me of how much I have to pee and that the washrooms are on the complete other side of the campground.

4. A tent that says it sleeps 4-5 people on the package can really only handle two adults and one dog.

3. Our dog, Sammy, is so cute when he's been swimming in the river and rolling around in the dirt as he dries off. But this is also the same dog that will be sharing your air mattress and smelling like a wet dog inside the tent later in the evening when it's time to sleep.

2. Wet wood and the slightest breeze are NOT the two best ingredients for trying to light a camp fire.

But the main thing I learned on my camping trip is that spending your anniversary in the middle of nowhere with no cellphones, television, or shopping malls is a great way to enjoy your spouse and to serve as a reminder of all the reasons you fell in love in the first place.

But trust me, any future camping trips will certainly include electricity!

Backpack Electricity - Hiking & Backpacking

2005-09-14T12:04:00.000-07:00

Backpack Electricity - Hiking & Backpacking

A brand new advance in alternative energy technology will allow the motion of a moving backpack to create power for cell phones, PDAs, MP3, night vision goggles and whatever else you wish to carry along on those extended backpacking trips.

The up-and-down jiggling of the backpack turns a gear connected to a small generator. This is similar to the technology used to power radios by hand cranking, and for flashlights powered by hand shaking.

This new pack, paired with such hand powered radios and flashlights, would be very useful additions to any disaster preparedness kit. In advent of any weather, terrorist or other extreme emergency, you would have unlimited access to a small source of power, light and communications. Add in a well-stocked first aid kit, a portable water filter, waterproof matches, emergency blanket, pocket knife and plenty of dried foods to set up your entire emergency/disaster backpack ensemble.

This would be something you could keep handy to grab, in your home or vehicle. I like the peace of mind something like this could provide. You could, of course, just use the pack for regular backpacking! :)

FlyFish.com | Newsroom | Becoming An Outdoors-Family

2005-09-14T12:03:00.000-07:00

FlyFish.com | Newsroom | Becoming An Outdoors-Family

THE TEXAS PARKS AND WILDLIFE DEPARTMENT is launching a new program called Becoming An Outdoors-Family, over the weekend of Sept. 16-18, at their Parrie Haynes Ranch near Killeen. This event is ideal for first-timers who want to learn camping, fishing, backpacking, shooting, mountain biking and more.

The weekend starts at 6 p.m., Friday, and continues through lunch on Sunday. Course topics include Camping 101 (for adults), Texas Explorers (for kids), Fishing Basics, Hit the Trail (day hikes), Mountain Biking, Air Rifle, Family Nature Walks, Water Wonders, Wildlife Detectives, Insect Investigation, Fly Fishing, Backpacking, Geocaching, Outdoor First Aid, Kayaking Basics, Dutch Oven Cooking, and Archery.

Workshop enrollment is limited to 18 families on a first-come, first-served basis. To request a brochure with workshop details and an application form, send e-mail to ashley.mathews@tpwd.state.tx.us or regular mail to TPWD/BOW, ATTN: Ashley Mathews, 4200 Smith School Road, Austin, Texas 78744.

Minorities not taking part in wilderness activities

2005-09-14T12:02:00.000-07:00

Minorities not taking part in wilderness activities

Bunyan Bryant has camped by the shores of Lake Huron for decades and usually sees the same thing: green trees, blue skies and white people.

''I seldom see other African Americans or even other minorities camping,'' said Bryant, director of the Environmental Justice Initiative at the University of Michigan. ''Sometimes they might be with another church group or something like that, but truly speaking it doesn't happen.''

It's the same story from New York's Adirondacks to Arizona's canyons: There's a lack of ethnic and racial diversity in the outdoor areas where people hike, camp, mountain bike, paddle and picnic. At a time when minority populations are growing, wilderness advocates and administrators are reaching out to blacks, Hispanics and Asians.

''We're only serving part of the public now, and we aspire to represent many, many people who are not using all the public lands,'' said Neil Woodworth of the Adirondack Mountain Club.

The Outdoor Industry Foundation this summer reported that only 6 percent of people taking part in outdoor activities such as hiking and kayaking last year were black and 4 percent were Hispanic -- while blacks and Hispanics combine to make up 27 percent of the U.S. population.

The U.S. Forest Service found similar trends in Arizona, where whites accounted for 88 percent or more of the visitors to the six national forests in that state.

Economic and geographic conditions have something to do with it -- think of a city dweller who lacks a car, or even the money to buy a tent. But money has become less a factor as more blacks and Hispanics enter the middle class, said Alan Spears, associate director of cultural diversity programs at the National Parks Conservation Association.

Advocates and academics say cultural factors can play a large part. Marta Maldonado of Iowa State University's sociology department said the concept of ''wilderness'' is a western European idea, not one necessarily shared by minority groups. As U.S. Forest Chief Dale Bosworth noted in a speech early this year, ''The face of conservation has traditionally been rural and white. ''

For blacks descended from sharecroppers, camping might have associations of living on a farm and of poverty, Bryant said. Hispanics whose families are new to this country might have the same sort of negative associations with roughing it, Spears said.

Reasons for avoiding the woods vary among different groups. Spears notes, for instance, that national parks sites with a direct cultural relevance to blacks, such as the Frederick Douglass home in Washington, tend to be in urban areas.

And some minorities view the woods as unwelcome territory.

''It's all couched under a larger fear that maybe, with some of these public lands, you're going to run into white supremacists in camouflage clothing running seven-man assault drills or something like that,'' Spears said.

Whatever the reasons, advocates for public land use are concerned. Aside from wanting to make sure the widest range of people take advantage of natural areas, the Adirondack Mountain Club's Woodworth noted that minorities represent a growing constituency that will be weighing in on land-use policies.

Woodworth's group has a number of programs aimed at introducing minority kids to the outdoors. The Breakfree program run by its mid-Hudson Valley chapter takes high school students in Poughkeepsie out to climb mountains, camp overnight or paddle up the Hudson.

''We have to make the effort to say 'You're welcome here,''' said Breakfree's Tom Lint.

New Straits Times - Malaysia News Online

2005-09-14T11:59:00.000-07:00

New Straits Times - Malaysia News Online

Whether you are into mountain climbing, water sports or headed for the extreme outdoors, you can now get outfitted at a speciality store in Petaling Jaya. SAM CHEONG finds out how it got started.

LEONG Dee Lu is living out her passion for the outdoors by setting up Climbing and Outdoor Recreation Sdn Bhd, a specialty store that sells high-end outdoor equipment.

She made the decision in February to open the store, and has not looked back. Leong, 32, said one of her friend had asked about her long-term plans after leaving the service industry and her immediate response was to "set up shop".

But before she embarked on this, she did extensive research by travelling to the US and Europe where she studied the layout at specialty stores which cater to climbers, hikers and campers.

Her quest for knowledge also took her to Seattle, US, which is known as the "Outdoor Industry Capital" of the world. There, she visited the State’s retail store and eventually landed herself a factory tour of Mountain Safety Research Incorporated (MSR) which is one of the most respected manufacturers of mountaineering and outdoor equipment in the world.

"A friend of mine, who designed tents for the company, had hosted my stay. He even showed me around some cool outlets in Seattle. I found the experience to be an advantage for me to set up a retail outlet here."

What started out as a journey to satisfy her own curiosity finally paid off with the new store which is located at 42, Jalan SS2/24, in Petaling Jaya. Some of her women colleagues joined her to manage the store which opened in June.

"We are still in the midst of stocking up more than 70 brands which are reputable outdoor gear. Among the merchandise that we sell here are water-sports equipment like kayaks, adventure luggage, camping equipment, climbing harnesses and clothing."

The store also imports outdoor clothing for women, under the "Wild Roses" brand from Italy. Leong said the clothes have inner and outer layering for extreme cold temperatures and are priced from RM100-RM3,000.

"I encountered mixed reaction from my customers when they found out about our pricing. What is important here is comfort and protection provided by the clothes in temperate countries.

"If you are heading to a country like Nepal unprepared, with temperatures dipping down to 5°C during nightfall, no one is going to sell you a jacket.

"Well, a lot of Malaysians spend their holidays abroad. But many are still unaware of outdoor apparel made with lightweight space-age materials," said Leong. Most of the products at Climbing and Outdoor Recreation Euipment Sdn Bhd are for adventure travellers who seek the best.

Many of the popular brands are imported into the country directly and through a network of local distributors.

"Customers don’t have to pay for shipping charges as if they ordered them from internet retailers abroad, which would have been more expensive. We aim to cater to as many people as possible. We’ll make it work by listening to them and give them advice for their specific needs."

Leong said she saw the potential of setting up a retail outlet because there is a good demand for high-performance equipment among local consumers.

She also hand-picked her crew who are themselves nature and water-sport guides. Two of the women in her team are respected climbers while the rest of her staff have their own expertise in the field of wilderness first-aid and white-water paddling.

"It is very important for us to product-train our staff so that they can provide the right advice for our customers. Apart from selling the equipment, we also gather feedback from the users and improve our knowledge base.

"Customer feedback is very important to us." She has also roped in some adventure travel operators to help her customers make full use of their gear. "We will also be holding talks and presentations by some of our friends who are experts in the outdoor scene as a service to our clients."

Leong hopes to develop her business with a larger retail space. She said more renowned brands will be added to the store's line-up.

"We are making room for more of the good stuff. One of the brands that we have secured from a local distributor is ‘North Face’ from the US which is highly reputed for their clothing and adventure luggage. And someday I hope to establish our outlet as the equivalent of Recreational Equipment Incorporated (REI) in the US which is a household name in retailing outdoor goods," she said.

You can call the store at 03-78735560, visit their website at www.mycorezone.com or email info@mycorezone.com.

Kayaks, knapsacks and bomb-proof shoes

WE scoured the aisles of Climbing and Outdoor Recreation Sdn Bhd in Petaling Jaya and found some really cool gear ranging from RM30 travel accessories to RM1,600 hiking boots.
Every item is unique as it is not available anywhere else in the Klang Valley.
On the shelf in the front row we came upon an array of Swiss-made SIG aluminium beverage containers in various colours, shapes and sizes. And for the discerning traveller, there are some really cool gadgets for you to convert your laptop’s powersource plug at any destination in the world.
The store is laid out in such a way that only the basic "goodies" are displayed at the ground-level and these include flashlights, pocket knives, knapsacks, backpacks, water-tight packs, kayaks both rigid and inflatable, cooler boxes and lightweight travel garments.
On the top floor, you’ll find some serious stuff. There’s a special area where climbers can test the strength of their harness and carabiners. A small section here is dedicated to Mountain Safety Research's award-winning multifuel stoves priced from RM500 and above.
You’ll also find water purification tools like the MSR miniworks and the space-age MIOX sterilisation unit which saw plenty of action at tsunami-affected areas in Southeast Asia. A complete range of MSR cooksets is also available here.
One of the main draw here, is the Austrian-manufactured Komperdell walking poles which have been proven an effective tool in preventing knee injuries for hikers. There’s an extensive range of these awesome poles at the store.
If you are looking for a pair of "bomb-proof" shoes, there are the Bestard hiking boots from Spain.
These shoes range from RM590-RM1,600 and one of the models are kevlar-reinforced for wear-resistance. Kevlar is a lightweight synthetic material used in fabricating combat helmets and bullet-proof vests.

Buffalo News - Camping is a great way to see nature at its best

2005-08-26T09:19:00.000-07:00

Buffalo News - Camping is a great way to see nature at its best

The camping life soothes me. Do you wake up to the birds singing? Or fall asleep at night listening to the crickets chirping? Perhaps you live in the country and sleep with open windows like I do. Then you know what I'm talking about.
It brings me one step closer to nature. But if you've ever gone camping, then you also know that it is the ideal way to experience the outdoor life.

My husband, daughter and I enjoy tent camping. There's nothing quite like falling asleep with the faint smell of a fire still lingering in the air. It's almost as great as waking up to the sunshine hitting my tent as the fresh air seeps through the windows.

We hear the wind brushing through the branches of a nearby tree and a squirrel racing across our campsite. It's sounds such as these that I'm too busy to notice when I'm home.

But nature isn't the only thing that makes camping wonderful. I enjoy the fact that when I'm camping, the days seem to last forever. Time doesn't matter when I'm out in the wilderness. It's the one time I don't follow a strict schedule but instead allow myself the freedom to do whatever I want.

With no laundry to be done, no grass to be cut, I can sit back and read a book if I want. If, after I finish my breakfast of eggs and bacon, I want to take a mid-morning nap, I can do that too.

There are no rules to follow while camping, no normal everyday concerns and pressures that we have all grown accustomed to.

Our camping trips would never be the same without the group of friends who join us. It's become a tradition to get together at least once a year for this relaxing getaway. We began camping before any of us had children. But now that most of us are parents, we bring the kids along for several days of hiking, canoeing and bike riding. It's something that they are beginning to love as well.

Our children also get to experience a different type of life while camping. There are no TV shows to watch, but there are salamanders to find. You won't find motorized toy vehicles to ride, but nature trails wait to be explored. With lots of open space to run and have fun, it's a great change of routine for the entire family.

Fine dining takes on a new meaning when cooking over a campfire. Out come the paper plates and plastic silverware (and no dishes to clean). Hot dog on a stick, anyone? Or how about a famous s'more with its gooey marshmallow center?

And let's not forget the entire experience of building a fire, using its flames to cook, and then sitting around it for its warmth and light. Sometimes we engage in important conversation, other times we laugh about past memories. And more times than not, we turn on the lantern and play a game of Pictionary or cards - things we wouldn't take the time to do at home.

When people say things like, "I'll never go camping," or suggest that I'm crazy to sleep "on the ground," I wonder if they know what they're missing. If you've never tried it, I urge you to do so. Load the cooler, set up your tent and blow up an air mattress. As you relax under the shade of trees, witnessing nature at its best, you'll soon realize there's nothing quite like camping or the life that awaits you there. And that's what makes it so incredible.

• • •
MY VIEW is a personal column. For submission guidelines on columns appearing in this space, visit the Buffalo.com Web site and click on Top Stories. Then click on Opinion, My View and Guidelines; or send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to Opinion Pages Guidelines, The Buffalo News, P.O. Box 100, Buffalo, NY 14240.

Investing in recreation would benefit forests

2005-08-26T09:18:00.000-07:00

DenverPost.com - OPINION

By Frank Hugelmeyer
Boulder

Last week, the Bush administration and Forest Service officials were assailed when they dramatically reduced the government's assessment of how much recreation on national forest land contributes to the American economy. Their new conclusion is that these activities generate just a tenth of what earlier administrations estimated.

But that is not the real story behind the numbers. Instead, headlines across America should have read, "Bush administration reaffirms recreation as largest economic driver associated with national forests," for even these new, unrealistically low numbers confirm what the outdoor industry has argued for more than 10 years: that recreation deserves significantly more attention and resources in an agency that was originally built around extractive uses.

Over the past 50 years, and as both Democratic and Republican administration numbers prove, recreation has clearly emerged as the undisputed greatest use of Forest Service lands and the primary driver of the national forest economy. Previously, the Forest Service projected that by 2000, recreation in U.S. forests would contribute nearly $111 billion to the nation's annual gross domestic product (GDP).

Bush administration officials have now cut that number back to $11 billion. Under the old estimates, recreation accounted for 85 percent of the Forest Service's contribution to the GDP; under the new estimate, recreation represents 59 percent. The reality is very likely somewhere in between the dueling estimates.

If you do some quick math on the new projections, facts show how grossly inaccurate the administration's numbers are:

According to Colorado Ski Country, Colorado ski resorts bring $2.5 billion to the economy. Add all national ski areas and that brings the economic impact of ski resorts - the vast majority of which are located on national forests but are only a portion of recreational economic impact associated with those forests - closer to $10 billion. Already we've arrived at a number nearly equal to the new estimates by focusing on just one outdoor activity.

A significant portion of outdoor gear sales are used on national forest land. Annual retail sales for apparel and equipment associated with active outdoor recreation (hiking, climbing, paddling, skiing) total $21 billion. Add products and associated costs specific to hunting, fishing and wildlife viewing (estimated at $108 billion) and numbers grow higher. Add

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Advertisement

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

tourism and its associated costs for all outdoor activities and the numbers are more closely aligned with previous estimates.
Whether you like old math or new math, recreation is still the most significant economic driver in national forests, contributing, at minimum, 60 percent of the national forest system's contribution to the GDP; this is almost four times more than energy extraction and mining, and 2.5 times as much as timber harvests.

Unfortunately, staffing and funding for recreation in the agency don't match up to this reality. Historically, direct recreation management and trails spending is only about 10 percent of the Forest Service budget - woefully inadequate when compared to the economic value of recreation in the forest economy. This type of budgeting has never made sense to professional outdoor business leaders who took the time to look at it. For example, assume you ran a company and your largest and most profitable product grew despite being horribly underfunded. Wouldn't you redirect resources so that the star product would grow even faster to the benefit of employees, shareholders and customers? Think of what would happen to local economies surrounded by national forest lands if the federal government actually nurtured the potential of the recreation economy by investing in it?

If the Bush administration truly believes in the validity of its new estimate, then the next steps are clear. We call on the administration and Congress to step forward and fund recreation management at a level representative of its impact on communities everywhere.

No matter how you slice it, these numbers should serve as a wakeup call to the president and Congress to finally act and provide an increased investment in outdoor recreation, the largest and fastest-growing economic driver around national forest lands, bar none.

Frank Hugelmeyer is president of Boulder-based Outdoor Industry Association.

Renovated Kauai park will allow for camping

2005-08-25T13:22:00.000-07:00

Honolulu Star-Bulletin News /2005/08/25/

By Tom Finnegan
tfinnegan@starbulletin.com
WAILUA, Kauai » The jewel of Kauai County parks will be adding camping to its list of activities soon, Mayor Bryan Baptiste has announced.

Lydgate Park, the site of a huge community-driven overhaul during the past 10 years, is now the site of Kauai's "higher-end campgrounds," Baptiste said, complete with individual and group tent-pitching pits, tables and barbecues, as well as private showers and brand-new bathrooms.

It also will be the only county facility that charges a fee to use the campsites: $5 per site for Kauai residents and $25 per site per night for off-island visitors, the mayor said last week. There are camping fees for state parks on Kauai but not for the other county parks.

The fee helps defray the cost of maintenance and ensures that those who secure the sites will actually use them.

"This is not like other campgrounds," Baptiste said. "It's a different campground experience with more amenities."

Unlike some of the other county parks, which have become housing options for the homeless and drug users, the park also will observe a 9:30 p.m. "quiet time," with county park rangers and police enforcing the rule.

Camping will only be allowed five days a week to allow for maintenance.

"One of the concerns expressed by those who participated in the planning process was security," said Bernard Carvalho, director of the county offices of community assistance. To that end, the county budgeted for a new park ranger to enforce the rules and check permits. Kauai Police Department representatives also agreed to step up patrols in the region, Carvalho said.

While final approval rests with the Kauai County Council, the 31 campsites, including three disabled access sites and a site for groups of up to 200 people, have been built. So has a nearby comfort station.

"I think the campgrounds are something we can really be proud of," said Tim Bynum, county community response specialist, who has been instrumental in the refurbishment of the park. "It offers families another great activity at Lydgate."

The campsites are part of the overall master plan for the east-side park. Volunteers, along with helping the maintenance staff with the upkeep of Lydgate, have helped build a playground, a small pedestrian bridge and a pavilion, as well as most of the campsites. The ocean-side park also boasts a concrete bike/walk path, picnic areas and numerous surfing and fishing areas.

Newsday.com: Minorities avoid wilderness activities, advocates look for fix

2005-08-25T13:20:00.000-07:00

Newsday.com: Minorities avoid wilderness activities, advocates look for fix

Bunyan Bryant has camped by the shores of Lake Huron for decades and usually sees the same thing: green trees, blue skies and white people.

"I seldom see other African-Americans or even other minorities camping," said Bryant, director of the Environmental Justice Initiative at the University of Michigan. "Sometimes they might be with another church group or something like that, but truly speaking it doesn't happen."

It's the same story from New York's Adirondacks to Arizona's canyons: there's a lack of ethnic and racial diversity in the outdoor areas where people hike, camp, mountain bike, paddle and picnic. In a time when minority populations are growing, wilderness advocates and administrators are reaching out to blacks, Hispanics and Asians to change that.

"We're only serving part of the public now and we aspire to represent many, many people who are not using all the public lands," said Neil Woodworth of the Adirondack Mountain Club.

The Outdoor Industry Foundation this summer reported that 79 percent of people taking part in outdoor activities like hiking and kayaking last year were Caucasian, 6 percent were black and 4 percent were Hispanic.

Blacks and Hispanics combined make up 27 percent of the U.S. population.

The U.S. Forest Service found similar trends in Arizona, where whites accounted for 88 percent or more of the visitors to the six national forests in that state, even though Hispanics make up about a quarter of the state's population.

Economic and geographic conditions have something to do with it _ think of a city dweller who lacks a car, or even the money to buy a tent. But money has become less a factor as more blacks and Hispanics enter the middle class, said Alan Spears, associate director of cultural diversity programs at the National Parks Conservation Association.

Advocates and academics say cultural factors can play a large part. Marta Maldonado of Iowa State University's sociology department said the concept of "wilderness" is a western European idea, not one necessarily shared by minority groups. As U.S. Forest Chief Dale Bosworth noted in a speech early this year, "the face of conservation has traditionally been rural and white. "

For blacks descended from sharecroppers, camping might have associations of living on a farm and of poverty, Bryant said. Hispanics whose families are new to this country might have the same sort of negative associations with roughing it, Spears said.

While reasons for avoiding the woods can be different for different groups, there might be a common feeling among minorities that it is unwelcome territory.

"It's all couched under a larger fear that maybe with some of these public lands, you're going to run into white supremacists in camouflage clothing running seven-man assault drills or something like that," Spears said.

Whatever the reasons, advocates for public land use are concerned. Aside from wanting to make sure the widest range of people take advantage of natural areas, the Adirondack Mountain Club's Woodworth noted that minorities represent a growing constituency who will be weighing in on land use policies.

Woodworth's group has a number of programs aimed at introducing minority children to the outdoors. The Breakfree program run by its mid-Hudson Valley chapter takes high school students in Poughkeepsie out to climb mountains, camp overnight or paddle up the Hudson.

"We have to make the effort to say `You're welcome here,"' said Breakfree's Tom Lint.

Similarly, the National Wildlife Federation's Earth Tomorrow program targets inner-city kids in Houston, Atlanta, Detroit, Seattle and elsewhere. The kids fish, hike or listen to talks on endangered species.

Federal officials also have been trying to make parks more hospitable to a wider array of people.

Improvements to the Applewhite Picnic Area in California's San Bernardino National Forest include bilingual signs, hosts that speak Spanish and larger picnic tables to accommodate bigger groups. Now, about 80 percent of people using Applewhite are Hispanics, an increase from years past, said Deborah Chavez of the service's Pacific Southwest Research Station.

Chavez notes that it can be difficult to promote park areas to Hispanics since they tend to respond more to word of mouth than advertisements and brochures.

That's why so many advocates focus on outreach: once people start showing up in wilderness areas, the problem often takes care of itself.

"Once you get people to the Grand Canyon," Spears said, "you don't have to do a lot of talking."

___

On the Net:

Environmental Justice Initiative: http://eji.snre.umich.edu/index.html

The Outdoor Industry Association: http://www.outdoorindustry.org/

U.S. Forest Service: http://www.fs.fed.us/

Adirondack Mountain Club: http://www.adk.org/

National Wildlife Federation: http://www.nwf.org/

Whitewater park begins to take shape

2005-08-24T07:36:00.000-07:00

News 14 Carolina | 24 Hour Local News | LOCAL NEWS | Whitewater park begins to take shape

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- The U.S. National Whitewater Center is one step closer to completion.

Workers began pouring cement Tuesday for the world-class facility that will be located near the Catawba River in west Charlotte.

The main attraction of the facility will be a man-made river with class 3 and 4 rapids. Most of the water will be pumped in by the city of Charlotte.

Although the whitewater center is expected to be a training ground for Olympic-caliber athletes, planners say the facility will be enjoyed by everyone.

The facility is costing more than $25 million to build.
“Elite athletes from all over the world will be training and competing here, but right alongside them will be people like you and me,” said Jeff Wise of the U.S. National Whitewater Group, a nonprofit organization. “It’s a little bit of everybody.”

Upon its completion -- which is set for June -- the whitewater facility will contain restaurants, meeting rooms and an education center.

“You'll also have an indoor and outdoor climbing center,” Wise said. “You’ll have about 11 miles of trails for mountain biking and trail running and hiking. You'll also have a day camp facility so that we can run day camps out here.”

Jeff Wise, a spokesman for the U.S. National Whitewater Group, said the world-class facility will be ready by June.
The facility is costing more than $25 million to build. Local, state and federal governments all contributed to the project, but a majority of the funding came from private donations.

It will be the largest whitewater park in the world, and Wise believes Charlotte is the perfect location.

“We've got 7.2 million people within 100 miles of here, so we are able to take this outdoor lifestyle and deliver it to the people instead of asking all those people to go to that lifestyle,” he said.

DuPont to compete with Gore-Tex

2005-08-24T07:33:00.000-07:00

www.delawareonline.com � The News Journal � DuPont to compete with Gore-Tex

Waterproof material offers high quality at lower price, company says
BY RICHARD SINE / The News Journal
08/24/2005Gore-Tex, the waterproof, breathable membrane that transformed backpacking, may be the biggest product that DuPont almost invented.

Engineer Bill Gore left DuPont in 1958 to develop new applications for an overlooked DuPont polymer. The result was Newark-based W.L. Gore & Associates, which counts Gore-Tex fabrics as the biggest part of its $1.6 billion annual business.

Now, DuPont is releasing a Gore-Tex competitor. The company unveiled its Active Layer film at the 2005 Outdoor Retailer Summer Market in Salt Lake City, Utah, earlier this month. The announcement took some industry observers by surprise.

"There are plenty of waterproof, breathable membranes out there," said Marc Guido, editor of First Tracks ski magazine. "It struck me as odd DuPont is entering the game a little bit late."

While Gore-Tex is still the market leader, lower-cost membranes marketed under the private labels of retailers such as Eastern Mountain Sports and REI are increasing in quality, Guido said.

DuPont business manager Linda Marquess said the company's new membrane aims to capture a growing outdoors market. Participation in outdoors activities such as skiing, running and kayaking has increased 6 percent since 1998, the Outdoor Industry Association trade group reported in June. The market for waterproof, breathable membranes is estimated at $1 billion, Marquess said.

Both the Gore-Tex and Active Layer membranes are laminated onto fabrics. They let perspiration out without letting water in. But the two products are built differently and will be marketed differently as well.

Gore sells clothing made with Gore-Tex on its Web site and enforces a lifetime guarantee that the clothing will keep the user dry. It's unusual for a component supplier to guarantee a retail product, said Gore-Tex brand manager Stephen Shuster, and the guarantee allows Gore to charge a premium.

DuPont will certify the quality of its membrane to its customers -- the laminators -- but not to end users, Marquess said. The film will fill a gap for retailers who are seeking a lower-priced but high-quality membrane, she said. Retailers will have the option of putting on the clothing a DuPont Active Layer hang tag.

The Active Layer film is related to DuPont's flexible food packaging, said DuPont spokeswoman Catherine Andriadis. That packaging keeps food fresh while protecting against water or other contamination.

The film's molecular structure attracts water vapor from perspiration to its inside face, said DuPont product specialist Coreen Lee. Electrons found on the film's and the water's surface are attracted to each other. Absorbed water evaporates through the fabric while the solid film keeps water droplets out.

By contrast, Gore-Tex membranes depends on tiny pores -- 9 billion per square inch, spokesman Ed Schneider said. The pores are 20,000 times smaller than a drop of water, but 700 times larger than a molecule of water vapor.

DuPont's Active Layer technology already has found some uses in other markets, Marquess said. They include as an underlayer in roofing -- to keep attics cool and dry -- and in carpets, to keep the flooring underneath dry.

Introduced in 1976, Gore-Tex was a boon for outdoor adventurers. "Before that, you had a choice," said Guido, an avid skier. "You could get soaked from the outside or from the inside. It was the first thing that actually worked in both directions."

Bill Gore's polymer, polytetrafluoroethylene, became the basis of Gore-Tex as well as hundreds of other products. Schneider said he wasn't aware of other fields in which DuPont and its progeny competed directly.

Contact Richard Sine at 324-2878 or rsine@delawareonline.com.

Outback Chainless Mountain Bike | Uncrate

2005-08-23T13:35:00.000-07:00

Outback Chainless Mountain Bike | Uncrate

Outback Chainless Mountain Bike
Gear | Outdoor | 07.11.05
At one time or another, we’ve all ended up with dirty duds caused by a greasy bicycle chain. The Outback Chainless Mountain Bike from Dynamic Bicycles ($750) solves that problem by using an internal gear system in the rear axle instead of a chain system. Plus, it sports all kinds of rugged features such as 13” of ground clearance and multiple climbing gears — a bit much for a simple ride to work, but then again so is a Hummer.

ABC7Chicago.com: The ABCs of Backpacking

2005-08-23T13:30:00.000-07:00

ABC7Chicago.com: The ABCs of Backpacking

It's "back to school" time once again!! This fall, more than 40 million students will head off to class with backpacks slung over their shoulders; about 20 million of them will be carrying twice the recommended weight on their backs. Improperly used and overloaded backpacks can lead to painful neck and back problems that may last a lifetime.

According to a recent survey conducted by the North American Spine Society (NASS), www.spine.org in the past year 42.6% of NASS member physicians have treated children or teens suffering from back pain or spine trauma caused by overloaded or improperly used backpacks. The diagnoses range from cervical, thoracic and lumbar strain to spondylolysis, a stress fracture in one of the vertebrae that make up the spinal column.

The North American Spine Society offers the ABCs of Backpacking tips for parents and students in backpack injury prevention.

Allow wheels - 31.7%of those surveyed recommend using a backpack on wheels. This type of back pack is helpful if a child is already symptomatic or if parents anticipate that he/she will be carrying loads more than 25 lbs.

Back to basics - 20.8%of the spine specialists polled recommend the traditional style backpack. If you opt for this style, make sure the pack has two thick, padded straps along with a waist strap for added lumbar support.

Comfort counts - 30.7%of NASS members recommend that parents don 't buy the . rst back pack they see.It 's important to make sure the backpack feels comfortable to the child and the straps can be adjusted for a tight fit.

Don't overload - Whatever backpack style parents choose for their children, it 's important to remember that what 's inside that really counts! In fact,64%of those surveyed claim that overloading the pack is the number one way children and teens improperly use their backpacks. All of the doctors surveyed agreed that the size of the pack should be proportionate to the child, NOT to the size of the items he will be carrying.

Everything is too much - Pack only what you need! NASS members recommend that the pack should weigh no more than 10-15%of the child 's body weight.

Fit your frame --Always use both straps and adjust them snugly on your shoulders.

Get organized --Organize the pack so the heavy items are closest to your back. Use smaller compartments to help store loose items and distribute the weight evenly.

Heavy hurts!- Don 't carry more than you can handle. Make frequent stops to unload the pack. Encourage your child not to carry all the books they will need for the day.

NASS Vice President Dr.Joel Press, a leading physiatrist at the Chicago Rehabilitation Institute, says: "When used properly, backpacks are a great way for kids to carry their schoolbooks and supplies they need throughout the day. Parents should be sure and ask their children if they feel any pain in the back or the neck. And, if a child is experiencing discomfort, be sure and take it seriously and see a specialist." If parents are concerned about the heavy school loads children and teens are carrying on a daily basis, they can also:

Contact the school and work with teachers to identify ways to lighten the load.
Purchase two sets of books - one set for home and the other to be left at school ((another cost effective option is to make photocopies of the week 's book chapters at the library.
Encourage children to be active and to strengthen the muscles in and around the back and neck to protect and aid in injury prevention.
The North American Spine Society (NASS)is a multidisciplinary organization that advances quality spine care through education, research and advocacy. NASS members are MDs,DOs and PhDs in 22 spine-related specialties including orthopedics, neurosurgery, physiatry, pain management and other disciplines. Nurse practitioners, physician's assistants, chiropractors, physical therapists, practice administrators and other allied health care professionals involved in spine care are also represented in NASS as af .liate members.

Recreation is Driving National Forests

2005-08-22T12:21:00.000-07:00

Salt Lake Tribune - Opinion

Frank Hugelmeyer

This past week Bush administration and Forest Service officials were assailed when they dramatically reduced the government's assessment of how much money recreation on national forest land contributes to the American economy.
Their new conclusion is that these activities generate just a 10th of what earlier administrations estimated. But that is not the real story behind the numbers.
Instead, headlines across America should have read "Bush administration reaffirms recreation as largest economic driver associated with national forests," for even these new, unrealistically low numbers confirm what the outdoor industry has argued for over 10 years: Recreation deserves significantly more attention and resources in an agency that was originally built around extractive uses.
Over the past 50 years and as both Democrat and Republican administration numbers prove, recreation has clearly emerged as the undisputed greatest use of Forest Service lands and the primary driver of the national forest economy.
Previously, the Forest Service projected that by 2000, recreation in U.S. forests would contribute nearly $111 billion to the nation's annual Gross Domestic Product. Bush administration officials have now cut that number back to $11 billion. Under the old estimates, recreation accounted for 85 percent of the Forest Service's contribution to the GDP; under the new estimate, recreation represents 59 percent. Real world reality is very likely somewhere in between the dueling estimates.
If you do some quick math on the new projections, facts show how grossly inaccurate the administration's numbers are:
According to Ski Utah, Utah ski resorts bring $800 million to the economy. Add all national ski areas and that brings the economic impact of ski resorts - a vast majority of which are located on national forests, and only a portion of recreation GDP associated with national forests - closer to $10 billion.
Already we've arrived at a number nearly equal to the new estimates by focusing on just one outdoor activity.
A significant portion of outdoor gear sales are used on national forest land. Annual retail sales for apparel and equipment associated with active outdoor recreation (activities like hiking, climbing, paddling, skiing) total $21 billion.
Add products and associated costs specific to hunting, fishing and wildlife viewing (estimated at $108 billion) and numbers grow higher. Add tourism and its associated costs for all outdoor activities and the numbers now become astronomical and more closely aligned with previous estimates.
Whether you like old math or new math, recreation is still the most significant economic driver around national forests, contributing, at minimum, 60 percent of the National Forest System's contribution to the GDP; this is almost four times more than energy extraction and mining, and 2.5 times as much as timber harvests.
Unfortunately, staffing and funding for recreation in the agency doesn't match up to this reality. Historically, direct recreation management and trails spending is only about 10 percent of the Forest Service budget - woefully inadequate when compared to the economic value of recreation in the forest economy.
This type of budgeting has never made sense to professional outdoor business leaders who took the time to look at it. For example, assume you ran a company and your largest and most profitable product grew despite being horribly underfunded. Wouldn't you redirect resources so that the star product would grow even faster, to the benefit of employees, shareholders and customers?
Think of what would happen to local economies surrounded by national forest lands if the federal government actually nurtured the potential of the recreation economy by investing in it?
If the Bush administration truly believes in the validity of its new estimate, then the next steps are clear. We call on the administration and Congress to step forward and fund recreation management at a level representative of its impact on communities everywhere.
For no matter how you slice it, these numbers should serve as a wake-up call to the president and Congress to finally act and provide an increased investment in outdoor recreation, the largest and fastest growing economic driver around national forest lands, bar none.
---
Frank Hugelmeyer is president of the Outdoor Industry Association, the exclusive endorser of Outdoor Retailer, the world's premier outdoor tradeshow.

Cash in on craze for camping | This is Money

2005-08-22T09:28:00.000-07:00

Cash in on craze for camping | This is Money

Cash in on craze for camping
Nic Paton, Mail on Sunday
22 August 2005
TAKE to your tent - camping has become hip. After years of struggling against cheap foreign travel, domestic tourism is enjoying a revival. And franchisors could benefit.

WORKING HOLIDAY: Sara Merckel is enjoying life at her busy campsite

OTHER STORIESHelp hidden gems to shine
Get the pay you deserve
Nine to five, then eBay time
Friends founders in line for fortune
CBI warns on red tape
SMALL BIZ TIPS & TOOLSBrowse for a business
Sell your business
GUIDES: Starting a business
TOOLS: Raise money
BOARDS: Money-making ideas
HAVE YOUR SAY'What happened to UK cars?'
'The Queen is a rip-off'
'My first pension plan – help!'
Celebrity camping fans such as Kate Moss and Sienna Miller have attracted more young people to caravan and tent holidays in Britain. And the National Caravan Council says that 32,000 touring caravans were built last year, the highest number since 1990.

Membership of The Camping and Caravanning Club has gone up by ten per cent a year since 2001. And the club, which has 400,000 members, began a franchise operation last year. It has two franchises and four in the pipeline with plans to expand to 50 over ten years.

Sara Merckel and husband Martyn, 43, set up the club's first franchise, buying a site in Ravenglass, Cumbria, last November. Sara, 40, says: 'I was a management consultant and Martyn was running a restaurant so he worked a lot of late nights.

'Now, we start our day at 7am and often don't finish until after 8pm, but it does feel as if we're on holiday all the time.'

This type of franchise does not come cheap, however. The club expects franchisees to put up a minimum of £100,000 of their own money.

The Merckels' campsite, which has pitches for 66 caravans and ten tents, cost £460,000 to buy freehold, £150,000 to refurbish and £30,000 for the franchise itself.

But the club offers help on finding, buying and designing a site and access to its booking system. Sara says: 'It was very tight when we started and I'm convincedwe would not have done it without-the club behind us. We're now getting a lot of repeat bookings.'

One downside is that campsite owners can never take time off during the peak holiday season. And being seasonal, there are cashflow considerations to take into account.

Sara says: 'Our season runs from March to November. After that we close for the winter, so we have to manage our money quite carefully.'

Editorials - Battle Creek Enquirer - www.battlecreekenquirer.com

2005-08-18T06:35:00.000-07:00

Editorials - Battle Creek Enquirer - www.battlecreekenquirer.com

Camping-fee increases annoying but necessary

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Michigan has some of the most beautiful state parks in the nation, featuring everything from Great Lakes shoreline to magnificent forests to picturesque inland lakes and streams.

But operating and maintaining the state's 97 parks is an expensive venture, this year requiring a $38 million budget. None of that money comes from the state's hard-pressed general fund, and much of it is generated by the people who use the parks in the form of fees and other expenses.

The Department of Natural Resources, which oversees operation of the parks, is finding it increasingly difficult to meet the parks' needs. The DNR cut approximately $3 million from this year's parks budget, which translates into fewer seasonal employees and less maintenance.

Such cutbacks are understandable in tough economic times, but continuing to defer maintenance and provide fewer services ultimately will harm the state park system.

The solution? DNR Director Rebecca Humphries is contemplating a proposal to raise nightly camping charges and other fees. She is expected to make a decision next month.

Under the proposal, which if implemented would take effect in 2006, there would be a $4-per-night increase in camping fees at those campgrounds that had an occupancy rate of 85 percent or more in July 2003. This would affect about half of the state's parks, where nightly camping fees now range from $10 to $29.

By targeting the state's most popular - and crowded - parks for fee increases, the DNR hopes to encourage more people to go to less-used parks.

In addition to the increased camping charges at some parks, campers across the state would face higher transaction fees for reservations, registration, etc.

The proposed fee increases have been endorsed by the Citizens Committee for State Parks, an advisory group created earlier this year. The increases would generate an estimated $4.5 million in additional annual revenue, $3.5 million of which would go toward covering a structural deficit and $1 million of which would be put toward maintenance projects and emergency needs.

We know that any type of fee increase is annoying and might even dissuade some people from camping at state parks. But allowing our parks to fall into a state of disrepair is unacceptable and will have long-term negative consequences for the park system.

The proposed fee increases will help ensure that Michigan's state parks continue to provide recreation and enjoyment for thousands of people, even if they do have to pay a little more.

Magazine doles out awards for outstanding backpacking gear

2005-08-18T06:34:00.000-07:00

Magazine doles out awards for outstanding backpacking gear

THE NEWS TRIBUNE
Published: August 18th, 2005 12:01 AM

ZIP code where you park at night.

Do you currently have auto insurance? Yes No

Have you had a U.S driver's license for more than 3 years? Yes No

Has any driver in your household had 2 or more accidents or moving violations in the last 3 years? Yes No

Backpacking Light magazine recently announced the winners of its first Lightitude Awards, given for the top lightweight outdoor products.
The two-person, 35-ounce TarpTent Squall 2 ($190) won for best single-wall shelter. The 23-ounce Six Moon Designs Lunar Solo E ($235) won for best solo tent.

The 13-ounce GoLite Momentum Jacket ($250) won for best soft-shell apparel. The 5.5-ounce Western Mountaineering Flight Vest ($150) won for best insulating apparel.

The collapsible Platypus Bottles by Cascade Designs ($4.95) won for best hydration accessory. The McNett Aqua Mira ($12) won for best water treatment technology. And the 3.4-ounce Garmin Geko 301 ($230) won for best navigation device.

The News Tribune

Camping on a paddle trip

2005-08-17T16:27:00.000-07:00

Sports - SilvertonAppeal.com

The final installment of the Appeal Tribune’s summer camping series involves possibly the most dangerous way to get out into the great outdoors – a paddle trip.

BY TIMM COLLINS
Appeal Tribune
August 17

One of the best ways to get into the scenic beauty of the Pacific Northwest is to get a trout’s eye view from one of the many rivers that cut through the mountains and dense forests.

Although camping is legal on all areas governed by the Bureau of Land Management, which includes riverbanks up to the high-water mark, there are many designated camping areas on the river that offer flat areas for tents and tables as well as a protected fire pit.

A nice starter run that can be performed in a kayak, raft or canoe is the stretch between Wickiup Dam and Big River Campground just south of Sunriver. This can be done in two legs, so an overnight camp somewhere in the middle is ideal. Notable campgrounds include Wyeth, Pringle Falls and Big River.

Using a campground instead of a riverbank allows overnighters to leave more gear at base camp and thereby lightening the load of the boat, making it easier to control.

Be sure to bring all the appropriate safety gear such as life jackets, and always scout the river before putting in. If this is the first time on a stretch of river, it is best to talk to a local or someone with more experience to learn of any nuances that might be a danger.

From Wickiup Dam

to Pringle Falls: 9 miles

High mountain air, ponderosa pines, abundant camping sites and great fishing are but a few of the temptations waiting for outdoor adventurers headed to Central Oregon’s Deschutes River.

Perhaps the strongest aspect to this neck of the woods is the wildlife – especially birds of prey like the osprey.

The sound of an osprey calling and the vertical dive to pull a 12-inch trout out of the water just feet from the end of a canoe is not something that is soon forgotten.

The majority of floaters take out at Wyeth campground just above Pringle Falls. Only Class IV rapid experts should consider it after careful scouting.

The falls starts with 200 yards of Class II whitewater above Forest Road 204 bridge. Experienced Class II boaters could eddy out and save about half the portage distance around the falls. The next 100 yards are Class III-plus that leads into the Class IV drop. The next 100 yards are a bouncy Class II, fun, but hold on.

Most people reach this section of the river from US 97 between La Pine and Bend. About 2 miles north of the town of La Pine, or about 4.5 miles south of the La Pine Recreation Area, turn west on the 43 at a sign to Wickiup Reservoir. In 9 miles, NF 43 crosses the river just above Pringle Falls. The first left after the bridge leads to Wyeth Campground, the take-out point.

To reach the put-in at Wickiup Dam, continue west on NF 43 another 2.5 miles. Take a left onto NF 4380, and then turn left again to fallow the reservoir levee to the put in on the north side of dam.

An alternate take out is the La Pine recreation area. Check a Deschutes National Forest Map for details.

Pringle Falls to Big River Camp Ground: 16 miles

The first 7 miles of this trip are similar to the pine forested run above. Near the La Pine Recreation Area the river levels begins to slow and wander through wide-open fields of marsh grass. The pace slows, and fishing opportunities abound.

The Tethrow logjam blocks the river 4 miles below Pringle Falls. The portage is an easy 200-yard hike along the right bank. The banks are steep however, and it is difficult to take out without taking a swim. The water is slow, Class I on this trip, except for the 100 yards of Class II just below the logjam. These rapids offer just enough excitement to get a white water fix, but putting in between the logjam and the rapids takes some quick thinking and loading.

Kayakers will find this area right below the logjam a treat. There is plenty of flat space to turn around, and four big waves lend themselves to surfing holes.

ChannelOklahoma.com - News - Oklahoma Rallies Planned For Protesting Mom

2005-08-17T16:26:00.000-07:00

ChannelOklahoma.com - News - Oklahoma Rallies Planned For Protesting Mom

Oklahoma Rallies Planned For Protesting Mom

POSTED: 3:29 pm CDT August 17, 2005
UPDATED: 4:01 pm CDT August 17, 2005

OKLAHOMA CITY -- Several rallies are being planned Wednesday night in central Oklahoma for a California woman who's protesting the Iraqi war outside President Bush's ranch in Texas.

Cindy Sheehan has been camping outside the ranch in Crawford since Aug. 6, and said she wants to meet with Bush. Sheehan's 24-year-old son Casey was killed in Iraq last year.

The groups MoveOn, True Majority and Democracy for America are hosting Vigils for Cindy Sheehan starting at 7:30 p.m. at the state Capitol in Oklahoma City and at private homes in Oklahoma City and Norman.
Copyright 2005 by The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Snowshoe firm gives pirate the boot

2005-08-17T12:58:00.000-07:00

Snowshoe firm gives pirate the boot

Campfire stories - The Porterville Recorder

2005-08-15T13:45:00.004-07:00

Campfire stories
The Porterville Recorder, CA - 5 hours ago
Campers at Quaking Aspen Campground learned what backpacking through the untamed regions of the Sierras is all about, during a presentation by Carol Zeigler ...
Campfire program continues today The Porterville Recorder
all 3 related

Related...

[Google Search: backpacking]

Sunsets, Chardonnays, Kayaking and Backpacking: Virginia's Fall ... - TravelVideo.tv (press release)

2005-08-15T13:45:00.003-07:00

Sunsets, Chardonnays, Kayaking and Backpacking: Virginia's Fall ...
TravelVideo.tv (press release), World - 5 hours ago
In Virginia the autumn season is for more than just the eye. It is also a time to taste, touch, listen, experience and savor. In ...

Related...

[Google Search: backpacking]

Lakeland 20-Year Old Conquers Appalachian Trail - The Ledger

2005-08-15T13:45:00.002-07:00

Lakeland 20-Year Old Conquers Appalachian Trail
The Ledger, FL - 9 hours ago
... "I knew he had that mental focus and mental discipline, and knew he had the physical ability to do it and the experience in hiking and backpacking. ...

Related...

[Google Search: backpacking]

Bring virtual tour guide on your next hike - Salt Lake Tribune

2005-08-15T13:45:00.001-07:00

Bring virtual tour guide on your next hike
Salt Lake Tribune, United States - 13 hours ago
... of the Grand Canyon. Other packages include "Just Trails" and "Successful Hiking, Backpacking and Camping.". And the Gallaghers continue ...

Related...

[Google Search: backpacking]

Fatpacking Now Offers One-Week Weight Loss Backpacking Vacations - Emediawire (press release)

2005-08-15T13:45:00.000-07:00

Fatpacking Now Offers One-Week Weight Loss Backpacking Vacations
Emediawire (press release), WA - Aug 7, 2005
(PRWEB) August 7, 2005 -- Fatpacking, which specializes in body composition change via backpacking, announces two one-week weight-loss adventure vacations this ...

Related...

[Google Search: backpacking]

The Lightest Kitchen? A Cook Kit for Ultralight Backpacking - Backpacking Light (Subscription)

2005-08-15T13:44:00.003-07:00

The Lightest Kitchen? A Cook Kit for Ultralight Backpacking
Backpacking Light (Subscription), MT - Jul 28, 2005
BY Ryan Jordan. We've been exploring ultralight cooking methods for a long time, but we're hard pressed to find something as light ...

Related...

[Google Search: backpacking]

Hiking lighter, hiking smarter: Taking the trail to backpacking ... - Billings Gazette

2005-08-15T13:44:00.002-07:00

Hiking lighter, hiking smarter: Taking the trail to backpacking ...
Billings Gazette, USA - Jul 21, 2005
By BRETT FRENCH. I felt exposed. With my motley collection of backpacking gear laid out for criticism, I was sure Ryan Jordan would laugh out loud. ...

Related...

[Google Search: backpacking]

State camping fees rise - Ironwood Daily Globe

2005-08-15T13:44:00.001-07:00

State camping fees rise
Ironwood Daily Globe, MI - 44 minutes ago
MADISON, Wis. -- Campers at Wisconsin state parks and forests will pay higher camping fees beginning Tuesday. The increases are ...

Related...

[Google Search: camping]

Fire restrictions go into effect in Umpqua forest - Salem Statesman Journal

2005-08-15T13:44:00.000-07:00

Fire restrictions go into effect in Umpqua forest
Salem Statesman Journal, OR - 10 hours ago
... free of flammable debris. Camping in a recreational vehicle is permitted within 300 feet of developed roads. Operating an internal ...

Related...

[Google Search: camping]

Mount Rainier tracks may be those of missing hiker - Seattle Post Intelligencer

2005-08-15T13:43:00.001-07:00

KING5.com (subscription) Mount Rainier tracks may be those of missing hiker
Seattle Post Intelligencer - 12 hours ago
PARADISE -- Rangers on Sunday followed tracks they believe belong to a 22-year-old hiker who disappeared during a camping trip in Mount Rainier National Park. ...
MIT student is missing near Mount Rainier Boston Globe
Hiker still missing on Mount Rainier KING5.com (subscription)
Park rangers search for missing MIT student Eyewitness News
Seattle Post Intelligencer - KING5.com (subscription) - all 35 related

Related...

[Google Search: camping]

Heather Lende: Winter's pleasures slip back into mind - Anchorage Daily News

2005-08-15T13:43:00.000-07:00

Heather Lende: Winter's pleasures slip back into mind
Anchorage Daily News, AK - Aug 11, 2005
... I like the freedom of walking on snowshoes right over swamps, logs and boulders. ... I'm pretending I am on snowshoes far from this crowd. ...

Related...

[Google Search: snowshoes]

Redfeather Selects PGM Integrated for PR - OUTDOORNEWSWIRE

2005-08-15T13:42:00.000-07:00

Redfeather Selects PGM Integrated for PR
OUTDOORNEWSWIRE, WA - Aug 3, 2005
... winning agency with expertise in advertising, marketing, PR and interactive, was recently selected by leading sports manufacturer Redfeather Snowshoes for an ...

Related...

[Google Search: snowshoes]

Smith Optics Selects CenterStone"s iVendix Solution for Sales Order Management (PR Web via Yahoo! News)

2005-08-15T13:16:00.000-07:00

Denver, CO (PRWEB) August 12, 2005 -- CenterStone Technologies, Inc., an internationally recognized developer of Web-based sales order management software for manufacturers of sporting goods, recreation products, apparel and footwear selling through specialty retailers, today announced that Smith Optics of Sun Valley, Idaho has selected the company"s iVendix globally-enabled online sales order
Related...

[Yahoo! News - Search Results for "snowshoes"]

Snowshoe Institute Offers Unique Educational Opportunities

2005-08-15T12:54:00.001-07:00

Home > Business Increase Font Size - Decrease Font Size Snowshoe Institute Offers Unique Educational OpportunitiesPosted 7/28/2005 06:00 AM The four-day educational summer camp of sorts for adults and children kicks off Thursday. ... For the past six years, Snowshoe Institute has given West Virginians the ...

This item provided by Moreover

Related...

[NewsGator: Keyword search for snowshoe]

08.07.05 - gearing up for snowshoe and my feelings regarding testosterone

2005-08-15T12:54:00.000-07:00

next race coming up on the list is the snowshoe NORBA which consists of 2 24 mile loops. race is on a thursday and then the suicide 6 on saturday, so it's going to be a busy week. cool thing is that i'll probably start heading down there on tuesday because i hope to get a chance to ride the full loop early wendesday. sweet.

the newest adventure sports has the speedgoat ad with me in it right before a little 1/2 page article on big bear. has a pic of cameron right next to it.... hmmm...

oh, and thanks to sologoat fan jason for pointing out that the latest edition of Endurance Times has a little blurb about me and big bear. actually, it is pretty much a thank you letter that i forwarded to them. i'll have the links for this up tomorrow, along with a scan of the adventure sports article/picture.

was this the weekend of "lance is so cool, i'll by a trek bike and race every body i see on the bike trail" type guys, or what? i've must of been raced at least 5 times this weekend on the hike/bike trails. jeez. i had this guy riding a cross/road lower end trek racing me today - i had sort of cut him and his wife off (they had matching bikes) when i dove off a little off road trail onto the bike trail.

i shifted up, went hard for a few seconds, then reached down to grab my water bottle when i caught a glimpse of this guy looking like he was ready for action. i calmly put my bottle back in place, and without standing, i unleashed a fury of power. he somewhat stayed with me for a minute (leaving his wife well behind). when i turned around the next time, he was way back - probably was his rest day or something.... ya...

oh, any my favorite of the weekend:
i see this guy way up the bike/hike path and i know he is going somewhat hard because i have seen this guy before. i didn't do enough high heart rate riding that day, so i used this guy as my fitness carrot (so-to-speak). so, for the next 15 minutes, i am about a 170'ish heart rate chasing this guy down (lactic acid kicks in around 187 for me), so i am going pretty good on my asylum. i finally catch this guy when the trail turns to ash.

he's on this prestine super high end calnago road frame with all kinds of fancy schmancy parts on it, including some high end vittoria road tires. i think this guy is going to turn off the path - what kind of nut case would ride his road bike on a ash trail covered with some sections of rocks about the size of quarters? well, the nut case saw me, noticed in horror that i was on a mountain bike and decided to race me when i was really wanting to comment on his nice bike. so, he must of felt like a complete dork when i passed him 10 seconds later.

Testosterone - makes us guys total nut cases sometimes.

anyhoo - links and pics up tomorrow, along with a short recovery ride with teammate EJ down near the 'burgh area.

thanks again solo goat fan jason - and if any of you guys/gals notice any write ups that i don't mention, please pass them on to me. mucho thanks in adance!

gotta run - sologoat out.

Related...

[NewsGator: Keyword search for snowshoe]

Four routes to snowshoe heaven

2005-08-15T12:53:00.001-07:00

... THE POST-INTELLIGENCER When asked recently what some of my favorite snowshoe trips were, I was struck dumb ... Mazama Ridge has been the site of many Mountaineers snowshoe field trips ...

This item provided by Moreover

Related...

[NewsGator: Keyword search for snowshoe]

Arctic Winter Games selections beginning

2005-08-15T12:53:00.000-07:00

... Inuit games, short-track speedskating, snowboarding, snowshoe biathlon, snowshoeing, table tennis, volleyball and ...

This item provided by Moreover

Related...

[NewsGator: Keyword search for snowshoe]

Photo Album: Backpacking in Mt. Rainier, July 2005

2005-08-15T12:52:00.000-07:00

Backpacking in Mt. Rainier, July 2005

Bridge Over Falling Water
Waterfall Near Road
Among the Clouds
Half of a Large Waterfall

Our Wet Camp Site
Hoary Marmot
Water Along Trail

Related...

[NewsGator: Keyword search for backpacking]

Pacific Outdoor Equipment Insul Mat A ber-Lite

2005-08-15T12:51:00.000-07:00

Backpacking Light (Subscription), MT -... end of it, so it is necessary to add a small piece of clothing under your ... is just a fraction more than 2cm/0.8" thick at the edges (the manufacturer states 2.5 ...

Related...

[NewsGator: Keyword search for backpacking]

Backpackers: from braids to bling

2005-08-15T12:49:00.001-07:00

braids to bling Backpackers are trading up - and yesteryear's beaten track has turned into a paved highway. ... Photograph: Aleta Moriarty How has global backpacking culture altered in the past decade ... back the frontiers of independent backpacking faster than Birkenstock can issue sandals ...

This item provided by Moreover

Related...

[NewsGator: Keyword search for backpacking]

Going hiking in Yosemite? Keep on your toes.

2005-08-15T12:49:00.000-07:00

The Modesto Bee: "Hikers on Yosemite National Park's Mist Trail are typically a joyful group, awed by the postcard image of the plunging, 320-foot Vernal Fall.
Two weekends ago, however, people on the winding trail turned somber after a man slipped into the water directly above the fall and disappeared over the precipice.

"It was weird, everyone was kind of solemn," said Steven Green, 23, a Modesto construction worker who was visiting the park with his fiancé. "There was no way that guy could have lived."

As of Sunday, park workers had not found Chintan Chokshi's body. They presume the 24-year-old San Francisco man is dead and that his body is lodged in the rocks under the water. When the Merced River's flow diminishes this summer or in the fall, divers will search for the body, park ranger Adrienne Freeman said.

Meanwhile, with the park expecting large crowds for several more weeks, rangers are renewing advice to the public to be safe. "Because of the winter we had, we're hitting the height of the backpacking season now," Freeman said.

An average of 10 people die in park accidents every year, most from drowning or while hiking, park spokesman Scott Gediman said. This year, accidents have claimed two lives, and Chokshi and another man remain missing."

Technorati Tags: backpacking, hiking, missing, news, Sierra Nevada, travel, vacation, wilderness, yosemite

Related...

[NewsGator: Keyword search for backpacking]

Body Of A Backpacker

2005-08-15T12:48:00.000-07:00

By Christie Aschwanden, August 2003 Backpackers get no respect as athletes. ... But that doesn't change the facts: Backpacking is great exercise ... are, and fund an ambitious physiological study of the backpacking body. To that end, we rounded up eight hardcore ...

This item provided by Moreover

Related...

[NewsGator: Keyword search for backpacking]

Deborah: Arizona Trails

2005-08-15T12:47:00.000-07:00

Abineau Canyon, Grand Canyon, Sedona, etc.

posted by studiofluid to arizona backpacking trails destinations packstock dogs podcast tips map colorado utah... bookmark this

Related...

[NewsGator: Keyword search for backpacking]

The Herald Democrat Outdoors digest

2005-08-12T14:18:00.000-07:00

The Herald Democrat

Calendar

Aug. 13 - Collin County Bowhunters Association 3-D archery tournament. For information, call (972) 734-0316.

Aug. 16 - Red River Fly Fishers casting practice session at Dillingham Middle School in Sherman beginning at 7 p.m. For information, call Steve Hollensed at (903) 546-6237.

Aug. 19-21 - Texas Trophy Hunter's Association annual "Hunters Extravaganza" at Fort Worth's Will Rogers Complex. For information, go to www.ttha.com, or call (800) 800-3207.

Aug. 27-28 - Oklahoma Wildlife Expo at the Lazy E Arena just north of Oklahoma City. For details, log onto www.wildlifedepartment.com.

Aug. 28 - Collin County Bowhunters Association "LSBA" 3-D archery tournament. For information, call (972) 734-0316.

Sept. 1-Oct. 30 - Texas North Zone dove season.

Sept. 1-Oct. 30 - Oklahoma dove season.

Sept. 6 - Red River Fly Fisher's monthly meeting beginning at 7 p.m. at Grandy's on Texoma Parkway in Sherman. This month's presentation will be by TPWD inland fisheries biologist Bruce Hysmith and will be entitled "All You Ever Wanted to Know About Stripers, But Were Afraid to Ask." For information, call Steve Hollensed at (903) 546-6237.

Sept. 10-18 - Oklahoma early teal season.

Sept. 13 - Red River Fly Fishers fly tying night beginning at 7 p.m. in the Starbucks area of the Sherman Target store location. For information, call Steve Hollensed at (903) 546-6237.

Sept. 17-25 - Texas early teal season.

Sept. 24 - Second annual "Wild Beast Feast & Outdoor Extravaganza" at Denison's First Baptist Church featuring deer hunting expert, outdoor writer, and photographer Brad Herndon. For information, contact Clayton Pyles at (903) 271-2989.

Oct. 1-2 - 14th annual Texas Parks and Wildlife Expo in Austin. For information, call 1-800-792-1112.

Oct. 1-9 - Texas pronghorn antelope season, hunting by permit only.

Oct. 1-30 - Texas early archery season for whitetails, mule deer, and Rio Grande turkeys.

Oct. 1-Jan. 15 - Oklahoma archery season for deer (antlerless only from Jan. 1-15, 2006).

Oct. 14-16 - Oklahoma youth antlerless deer gun season.

Oct. 22-30 - Oklahoma muzzleloader deer season.

Oct. 29-30 - Texas special youth deer hunting season.

Oct. 29-Feb. 26 - Texas quail season.

Nov. 5-Jan. 1 - North Texas general deer hunting season (Note: In Grayson County, means and method of general season harvest is restricted to lawful archery and crossbow gear only).

Nov. 5-Jan. 15 - South Texas general deer hunting season.

Nov. 12-Feb. 15 - Oklahoma quail season.

Nov. 19-Dec. 4 - Oklahoma gun deer season.

Dec. 3-Jan. 1 - Texas Panhandle pheasant season.

Outdoor Notes

Texas hunters and anglers - don't forget that your current hunting and fishing licenses will expire on Aug. 31. New 2005/2006 hunting and fishing licenses go on sale Monday, Aug. 15 at Texas Parks and Wildlife Department license vendor sites around the state.

Hunters are reminded by a TPWD news release that the old white-winged dove and waterfowl hunting stamps have been combined into a $7 Migratory Game Bird Stamp. Also, the old turkey hunting stamp has been replaced with the $7 Upland Game Bird Stamp that is required to hunt all non-migratory game birds in Texas including turkeys, quail, and pheasants.

TPWD's news release also reports that anyone purchasing the "Super Combo" license package this fall will automatically get these two stamps.

"Wild Beast Feast & Outdoor Extravaganza" co-organizer Clayton Pyles continues to seek vendors for this year's second annual event at Denison's First Baptist Church. Deer hunting expert and author Brad Herndon will be the featured speaker for the Sept. 24th event. For information, contact Pyles at (903) 271-2989.

TPWD marine biologists are monitoring several small fish kills along the Texas Gulf Coast according to the agency's Web site. The kills - attributed to the combination of summer heat, low water flow, and the resulting low dissolved oxygen levels in the water - have been reported near Chocolate Bayou, the old mouth of the Colorado River, and around Corpus Christi. Anyone observing a fish kill along the Texas Coast is urged to report it to TPWD officials.

TPWD's Web site indicates that the agency is prepping to test a new pilot program called "Becoming An Outdoors-Family" The weekend workshop, set for Sept. 16-18 at TPWD's Parrie Haynes Ranch near Killeen, is for, "...first-timers who want to learn camping, fishing, backpacking, shooting, mountain biking and more." The cost is $175 for a family of four, plus $15 for each additional person. For information, either send an e-mail to ashley.mathews@tpwd.state.tx.us or request info through regular mail at: TPWD/BOW, ATTN: Ashley Mathews, 4200 Smith School Road, Austin, Texas 78744.

TPWD reports that the 47th district Court in Amarillo recently sentenced Seledonio Sanchez Cabrera to two life terms for a December shooting that left one person dead and Game Warden Billy Hefley seriously injured. The agency news release indicates that Cabrera pled guilty to all charges, which were murder and assault on a public servant.

Tip of the Week:

Archers, after a spring and summer spent drilling field points into bag targets, Block targets, and 3-D deer targets, it's time to start shooting your broadheads in preparation for upcoming fall bowhunting seasons. With few exceptions, broadheads and field points don't hit in the same spot, meaning that additional bow tuning and practice sessions are in order before any hunter dares to climb into a deer hunting treestand come October.

TEXOMA: Water clear; 82-85 degrees; 4.30' low. Largemouth bass are fair on soft plastics around docks with heavy brush. Smallmouth bass are fair in 15-20 feet on crawfish pattern crank baits around steep, rocky points. Crappie are slow. Striped bass are fair on live shad in 40-50 feet along the river ledges and adjacent flats. Blue catfish are fair on prepared baits in 20 feet.

RAY HUBBARD: Water stained; 82-86 degrees; 1.38' low. Black bass are fair during early morning around rock riprap and shoreline vegetation. Crappie are slow. White bass are good on slabs and Rat-L-Traps out from the Heath Boat Ramp, Robertson Park and The Peanut out from the jetties at the power plant. Hybrid striper are good on live shad and top waters out from the dam. Catfish are good on Danny King's Punch bait in holes baited with soured grain.

RAY ROBERTS: Water clear; 82-86 degrees; 1.34' low. Black bass are fair in 12-20 feet on Carolina-rigged Centipedes around humps and points. Crappie are good on tube jigs in 24-28 feet around manmade brush piles, expect a very subtle bite. White bass are good on spoons and slabs in 18-20 feet with some top water schooling action Catfish are good on punch bait and fresh shad in 12-20 feet.

ATHENS: Water stained; 82-85 degrees; 1.50' low. Black bass are fair on Texas-rigged worms in 6-12 feet around docks with brush. Crappie are fair at night on minnows in 10-15 feet around docks with brush. Catfish are good on punch bait and fresh cut bait in 15 feet. Bream are excellent on red wigglers around docks in shallow water.

BOB SANDLIN: Water clear; 82-85 degrees; 2.75' low. Black bass are good on top waters over shallow grass early, later switching to Carolina-rigged centipedes around the outside edge of vegetation. Crappie are fair at night around the old submerged Highway 21 Bridge. White bass are fair on slabs in 15-20 feet. Catfish are good on a variety of catfish baits over baited holes in 15-20 feet.

BRIDGEPORT: Water clear; 82-86 degrees. Black bass are fair on Pop R's early in shallow water around cover close to the mouth of coves. Crappie are fair at night on live minnows in 15 feet around heavy brush. White bass are good on slabs and live shad in 12-15 feet. Hybrid striper are good on live shad in 15-20 feet around submerged humps in the mid to lower lake. Channel catfish are good in 15-20 feet on prepared baits.

CADDO: Water clear; 81-85 degrees; 0.75' low. Black bass are fair to good on plastic worms and top waters during early morning around the edge of lily pads. Bass up to 8 pounds landed on soft plastics around isolated cypress trees in 6 feet. Crappie are good on live minnows around brush in 6-8 feet on the submerged river ledges. White bass are fair in Big Lake around shallow submerged humps. Channel catfish are good on small live bream and on punch bait around baited holes. Warmouth (goggle eye) and bream are good on worms under a floater fished along the edge of lily pads in 6 feet. Bream are good on bits of nightcrawlers along the edge of lily pads.

CEDAR CREEK: Water stained; 82-86 degrees; 1.36' low. Black bass are fair on topwaters early, later switching to Carolina rigs in 20 feet around mid to lower lake points. White bass are good on TNT Lures (slabs) early, switching to trolling with Hellbenders with Pet Spoon. Hybrid striper are fair on live shad and Trolling with Hellbenders-Pet Spoon rigs later in the day. Crappie are fair under shaded boat docks in water 8 feet. Catfish are good on Danny King's Punch bait in 15-18 feet.

COOPER: Water stained; 81-85 degrees. Black bass are fair during early morning on plastic worms on the outside edge of shoreline vegetation beds. Crappie are slow. Catfish are good on jug lines baited with live bait and in baited holes on punch bait in shallow water around heavy cover. White bass are slow.

FAIRFIELD: Water clear; 81-100 degrees. Black bass are fair on Carolina rigs around steep ledges in 12-20 feet. Redfish are fair on live perch and shad around main lake points in 15 feet. Hybrid striper to 20 pounds are fair on live shad and perch fished under balloons in 20 feet around midlake points. Bream are good on bits of nightcrawler in water 4-6 feet.

FORK: Water clear 82-86 degrees; 1.75' low. Black bass are fair to good during early morning around shallow grass beds close to creek channels, the mouth of creeks are top spots to target. Night fishing is good on black spinnerbaits and 10-inch black worms around shallow grass beds. Channel catfish are excellent on Danny King's Punchbait in 12-20 feet around holes baited with soured milo.

GRAPEVINE: Water stained; 82-86 degrees; 2.83' low. Black bass are fair during the first couple hours of daylight on Texas-rigged worms around reed beds and docks in 6-12 feet. Crappie are fair at night under lights on live minnows in 15-20 feet. White bass are good on TNT Lures around humps and points in 15-25 feet, with occasional surface schooling action early. Catfish are fair on prepared baits and fresh shad in 15-20 feet in baited holes.

JOE POOL: Water stained; 82-86 degrees; 2' low. Black bass are fair during the first couple hours of daylight on shad pattern crank baits and plastic worms. Later in the day, Carolina rigs working best in 20 feet around deep brush. Crappie are fair around brush piles 20-22 feet deep during early morning and late afternoon. White bass are fair on TNT Lures in 20 feet around main lake humps and ridges. Channel catfish are good on Bill's Catfish Bait around baited holes in 15 feet close to submerged creek bends.

LAKE O' THE PINES: Water stained; 82-86 degrees; 1.97' low. Black bass are fair during early morning on top waters and buzz baits around lily pads. Crappie are slow. White bass are fair on slabs in 18-20 feet around main lake channels. Flathead catfish are good in 15 feet on trotlines and jug lines baited with live perch. Channel catfish are good on prepared baits in baited holes.

LAVON: Water stained; 82-86 degrees; 3.60' low. Black bass are fair early on soft plastics pitched tight to shoreline cover. Crappie are fair on live minnows in 20-24 feet around brush on submerged main lake points and out from the dam. White bass are good on TNT Lures and jigging spoons in 20 feet around submerged humps and points. Catfish are good on Danny King's Punchbait in 15-20 feet around baited holes and drift fishing on main lake points in 2-24 feet.

LEWISVILLE: Water stained; 82-86 degrees; 2.48' low. Black bass are fair to good on soft plastics during early morning and at night, target heavy cover close to deep water. Crappie are fair on minnows and jigs in 15 feet around brush and bridge columns. White bass are good on slabs in 15-18 feet around submerged humps and ridges. Catfish are excellent on fresh shad under schooling white bass and on Danny King's Punchbait around timber in 18 feet.

MARTIN CREEK: Water clear; 84 degrees midlake, 100 at hot water discharge; normal pool. Black bass are slow. Crappie are fair on minnows at the fishing pier. Catfish are fair on trotlines baited with live perch.

MONTICELLO: Water clear; 83 degrees upper end, 100 degrees at hot water discharge; normal pool. Black bass are fair at night on large dark color worms fished close to creek channels around the railroad bridge. Crappie are slow. Channel catfish are good on punch bait in 10-20 feet.

MURVAUL: No report available.

PALESTINE: Water clear; 82-86 degrees; 1' low. Black bass are fair on 4-inch worms during early morning around boathouses with brush. Crappie are fair on minnows in 15-20 feet under bridges at night. Catfish are good on prepared catfish baits in 20 feet around baited holes. White bass are good on slabs and Rat-L-Traps. Hybrid stripers are fair on slabs and live perch on submerged ledges and humps.

PAT MAYSE: Water clear; 82-85 degrees; 1.70' low. Black bass are fair during early morning on soft plastics around shoreline cover close to creek channels. Crappie are slow. Catfish are good on Danny King's Punch bait around baited holes in 15-22 feet. White bass are fair on slabs in 15-20 feet around humps. Hybrid stripers to 12 pounds are excellent on live perch and slabs in 18-22 feet around lower lake humps.

RICHLAND CHAMBERS: Water stained; 81-86 degrees; 1.59' low. Black bass are fair on Carolina-rigged Centipedes in 15-20 feet around submerged pond dams with steep ledges. White bass are good to excellent during early morning on slabs and topwaters, lots of schooling activity in the 309 Flats area. Hybrid stripers are fair on large slabs and Rat-L-Traps. Crappie are slow. Catfish are good on prepared baits and fresh shad in 12-18 feet.

TAWAKONI: Water stained; 82-86 degrees; 3.55' low. Black bass are slow. Crappie are fair on live minnows in 15 feet. Catfish are excellent off the fishing barge at Duck Cove Marina on a variety of catfish baits and on baited holes in 15-18 feet. White bass are excellent on 1 oz. white or chartreuse Holiday Slabs. Striped bass and hybrid stripers are excellent under the birds on 2-ounce chartreuse or white Holiday Slabs, Sassy Shads and large pearl color Chug Bugs.

WEATHERFORD: Water stained; 84 degrees; 2.3' low. Black bass to 6 pounds are good post rain conditions have improved fishing. Crappie are fair early on minnows in the marina fishing barge or over deep brush piles. Catfish are excellent on live bait, frozen shad and prepared baits. White bass are fair under lights at night, along the east wall in the early morning, and on deep humps later in the day. Bream are excellent on worms in the marina cove and along the wall.

WRIGHT PATMAN: Water clear; 82-86 degrees. Black bass are slow. Crappie are fair on tube jigs and live minnows in 15 feet around heavy cover. Catfish are good on trotlines baited with small perch and on rod and reel in 10-15 feet on live minnows and punchbait.

Couple Marks Anniversary by Biking to Tahoe and Back

2005-08-12T14:17:00.001-07:00

EastBay Publishing: Local News Service

Some couples celebrate their 30th anniversary with a fancy dinner or perhaps a party. But for active people like Roger and Danita Rayhbuck, a 450-mile bike trip is more to their liking.

Danita and Roger Rayhbuck celebrated 30 years of marriage with a bike ride to Lake Tahoe and back. They are shown here on Highway 160, just north of the Antioch Bridge.
Last month the couple rode their bicycles to Lake Tahoe and back as part of their anniversary festivities.

“Our marriage, family and relationship has always been a great adventure. We celebrate our time together, because we are really blessed to have such good health,” says Roger.

Roger, 50, is part of the pastoral staff at Fairhaven Bible Chapel in San Leandro. Danita, 49, is a fitness instructor at Bally’s and 24-hour Fitness in San Leandro. Together they took the 10-day trip during some of the warmest weather this summer.

“Coming back home we hit one of the hottest days of the year. It was 107 to 108 between Nevada City and the Bay Area,” says Roger.

The trip included four days going to Tahoe, three days there, and three days returning. They left July 7 and returned July 16.

“We underestimated how much uphill there would be on the way to Tahoe,” says Roger. “We had to pedal up all those hills on the fourth day.”

This was actually the second time the couple planned a bike ride to Tahoe. Several years back they almost made the trip, but last-minute injuries prevented them from doing so. They decided to wait until 2005 and use the trip to commemorate their 30th anniversary.

The actual anniversary date is October 4, and the celebrations between now and then just keep coming.

To further observe the occasion, the Rayhbucks also have planned a 2,000-mile motorcycle trip through the high desert. That ride will take place in mid-August, and will cover Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado and Utah.

The Rayhbucks have five children and one granddaughter, and are longtime San Leandro residents.

TownOnline.com - The Cape Codder - Arts & Lifestyle

2005-08-12T14:17:00.000-07:00

TownOnline.com - The Cape Codder - Arts & Lifestyle

Beyond hiking
By Tim Jones
Friday, August 12, 2005

Hiking is hardly the only activity Vermont services up in summer. Those who want to get active in the Green Mountain State should consider the following.

Adventure Ropes Course Up for a challenge? The Bolton Valley Resort (877-9-BOLTON; www.boltonvalley.com) has an Adventure Center that opens its ropes challenge courses to the general public on Saturday afternoons in August; $15 per hour/per person.

Leisure Biking Try Burlington's Island Line Rail Trail, 12.5 miles (some on a causeway across Lake Champlain). For bike rentals: Local Motion, www.localmotion.org, 802-652-2453.

Canoe/Kayak Willoughby Lake, Crystal Lake and Island Pond all offer beautiful quiet-water paddling. Rentals: VT Adventure Center, Orleans, 802-525-3154; The Village Sport Shop, Lyndonville, 802-626-8448.

Disc Golf Golf without the clubs, using special flying discs. Hope A. Davey Park, Waterbury Center, 18 holes, free, bring your own discs. Johnson State College, Johnson 12 Holes, free, bring your own discs. Mountain High, Bolton, 18 holes, $5/day, $5 disc rental.

Dog Carting Unique in New England is the summer dog-carting program at Eden Mountain Lodge in Eden, Vermont (www.edenmountainlodge.com ; 802-635-9070).

Downhill Mountain Biking (lift serviced) In Bolton, first weekend of each month; $25/day. In Burke, anytime, free. In Killington, Thursday-Sunday, $22-$32. At Mount Snow, daily until Sept. 2, $30.

Horseback Riding Stratton: Sun Bowl Ranch (www.stratton.com; 802-297-9210) offers lessons and trail rides. In Stowe, Edson Hill Manor (802-253-7371; www.edsonhillmanor.com) is a luxury inn with lessons, trail rides and picnic rides, all right at the base of Mount Mansfield.

Outdoors just for kids: Walking stick part of hiking

2005-07-28T14:00:00.000-07:00

Outdoors just for kids: Walking stick part of hiking - billingsgazette.com

Outdoors just for kids: Walking stick part of hiking

A walking stick that costs $100 or more? Yup, I found 'em - quite a few of them - while surfing on the Internet the other day.

Somehow, that just doesn't seem right. When you go for a hike, one of the best parts of the start of the trip is finding a good walking stick.

A walking stick has to be the right length. It has to be just the right diameter so it fits your hand. It has to be pretty light. But it also has to be pretty strong.

Walking sticks serve a lot of different purposes.

They help you keep your balance when you're walking a trail or crossing a rock-strewn creek. They're good for poking ahead in the water to check the depth. You can brush aside branches or leaves with them. And they're particularly good for whacking on hollow logs to hear the sounds they make.

There have been times when I've brought a particularly good walking stick home with me. I've also heard of people who always bring their walking sticks home, starting something of a collection to help them remember where they've been and what they've seen on their hiking trips.

But actually pay $100 for one when the mountains and forests are full of free walking sticks for the taking? No thanks. I think I'll pick out my own, and then I don't mind so much when I leave it leaning by a tree at the end of the trail.

- Mark Henckel, Gazette outdoor editor

Honoring foresight, hiking in the high country

2005-07-28T13:59:00.000-07:00

Honoring foresight, hiking in the high country, �appeasers� & more...

The honoring of the Fernley incorporation committee members was an interesting turn of events because if memory serves me their lives were not exactly a bed of roses during the process. Be that as it may, this ceremony marks the acceptance of a group of people for work towards an action whose time had come. Oddly enough, it is usually the fate of people working on a cause that has far ranging beneficial effects to be vilified and forgotten for their efforts. The group that signed the Declaration of Independence was condemned by many and consigned to the dump heap of history. People not willing to be so forthright jumped in and declared their support for the independence movement after the British gave up. If it hadn’t been for group of hard headed people who wrote and ratified the Constitution and Bill of Rights, making the revolution result in something more than a disastrous quarrel among individual states, you and I would be living a very different way of life today. It takes a very knowledgeable group of people to recognize the need to proceed to a different level of life, and these people from Fernley had just that. Hopefully, the current leaders of Fernley can make it the all-around community people want to live and work in.

I like the description of Winnemucca Lake Laura so ably wrote, and I can empathize with her desire to hike there. The lake elevation is about 10,000 feet, and it is a mite colder than this area this time of year. In fact, the last time I was there, little icebergs were floating about, and the fish that were caught wouldn’t have taken much more refrigeration to become frozen, or so it seemed. My son’s teeth sounded like castanets after about a half-hour. This was in the latter part of June, so I can imagine the kind of heat wave Laura, Nancy and Lynnette must have had to endure. Hiking in the high country is not for wimps; and if one were to want to reach the highest location in these parts, I would recommend a hike to the top of the Three Sisters above Carson Valley. One thing to be aware of while hiking at these elevations is altitude sickness, which can be a severe problem. I’ve worked at such elevations, and more people than you think are affected by this condition. Always take precautions while in the high country; it can be an awe inspiring experience.

The Boss and I have a bumper crop of Indian nut grass on the back half of the property and the birds are loving it. Each clump of grass is producing thousands of little black seeds the quail and other seed eaters like to eat. The persistent weeding I have done over the years has apparently given the grass a chance to proliferate and to be truthful I have encouraged clumps of it to grow also. The grass forms a graceful rounded shape about two feet across which adds to the high desert appearance of the back yard while not requiring water to keep it growing. I like this as the water bill is high enough as it is.,

I must be reading things while being a bit under the weather as I could swear the County planner completely left out the Stagecoach community when he mentioned listening to local concerns in an article in the Nevada Appeal. He stated the communities of Daytona and Smith valley had completed their local master plans but with no mention of any other community having done so. As the chairman of a master plan committee appointed by the town board chairman. I could have sworn the committee had completed, and submitted, a master plan to the town board, which then forwarded the plan to the County Commissioners for approval. I know somewhere in the bowels of the Lyon County bureaucracy resides a CD of that plan, as does Marylyn Velarde, who delivered the CD to the County Manager’s office. In fact, several copies of that Master Plan exist among the members of the committee to this day.

An article in the Los Angeles Times opinion section surprised me a bit, as it was directed towards the attitude of the left-wingers who support terrorists actions and blame the U.S. government for the horrendous actions of these creatures. The thrust of the article was a comparison of the actions of certain appeasers, both in England and the U.S., who actively supported Hitler while comparing the similarities of Hitler’s socialism and democracy, and the benefits to society under Hitler’s socialism, which was, in their opinion, better than the benefits of democracy.
Imagine, if you will, living in a society which condoned laboratory experimentation with human beings as subjects. Imagine living ina society in which an individual is cared for from cradle to grave, with the only condition being the individual belongs to the state. Imagine living in a society where you are assigned a life instead of choosing one for yourself. Hmm, sounds like a program the appeasers would approve of, doesn’t it? Orwell had it right when he opined people who back away from confronting an evil deserve what they get. It’s a good thing the Brits had enough backbone to hang on back then, as the appeasers lost. What will happen today?

Should the County have provided funds for a seasonal firefighter in Central Lyon County? I think so, as this district stands ready to send help to all areas of the County, and another trained person, centrally located, may be the difference in providing essential help in crucial situations in a timely manner.

Hot? Take a hike

2005-07-28T10:08:00.001-07:00

CITIZEN-TIMES.com: Hot? Take a hike

High mountains, splashing waterfalls offer ways to cool off this summer

photo: Photos by John Coutlakis/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
The storied Hickory Nut Falls in Chimney Rock Park continues to draw visitors because of its starring role in "Last of the Mohicans."

Want to know more?

For more information on Transylvania County waterfalls, including Whitewater Falls, visit www.visitwaterfalls.com.

Photo Galleries
Summer Hikes

Bearwallow Falls in Gorges State Park is the payoff at the end of a well-shaded, well-maintained woodland trail.

Whitewater Falls is the highest cascade east of the Mississippi. A short hike takes you to a scenic overlook of the falls in Transylvania County.

Newsroom
• Submit a News Tip
• Ethics Policy
• Write a Letter to the Editor

Related news from the Web
Latest headlines by topic:
• Hiking
• Outdoor Recreation

Powered by Topix.net
By Karen Chávez
ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR
published: July 28, 2005 6:00 am
SAPPHIRE - There's just something about waterfalls.

Even when being outdoors makes you drip and sweat faster than a lump of cookie dough in an Easy Bake Oven, just the thought of foamy white water splashing down slick rocks can take the temperature down a notch.

Two of the best places to get that tingly feeling are at two of the highest waterfalls east of the Rocky Mountains - and they're in Western North Carolina. Whitewater Falls in the Nantahala National Forest of Transylvania County is considered the highest in the East, at 411 splashing feet. An easy access by car off N.C. 81 south in Sapphire, on the edge of Gorges State Park, offers a paved, half-mile walkway to an observation deck. The trail is suitable for strollers and wheelchairs and offers benches and picnic tables along the way.

Just looking at the rushing cascade tends to cool the pulses, but if you want to get a little closer, the Foothills Trail, to the right of the overlook offers a steep, strenuous trail to the bottom.

Hickory Nut Falls, at 404 feet, is the second-highest. But it probably has the highest profile. The slim, straight and chic falls were sleek enough to attract the attention of Hollywood, making an appearance in the 1992 film "Last of the Mohicans."

To this day, the falls and the half-mile trail leading to them, are the most popular destination in Chimney Rock Park, said park spokeswoman Valerie Hoffman.

Chris McManus, 23, and Amanda Trent, 18, were some of the throngs gazing longingly into the Hickory Nut spray last weekend. On a vacation from the flat, lowlands of Lancaster, S.C., McManus said he has been to the park many times to escape the heat and humidity.

Even though wading in the pool below the falls is strongly discouraged because of the dangerously wet rocks, the cool spray splashes far enough to the observation deck.

"I like looking at waterfalls," McManus said. "And anything to do with the mountains. Everything seems so pure here."

Following are a few hikes to try this weekend:

Bearwallow Falls Trail
Where: Gorges State Park in Transylvania County

Length: 3.2 miles roundtrip

Rated: Moderate to strenuous. The trailhead is 3,200 feet elevation and observation deck is 3,200 feet, but the last 1/4-mile is steep.

Highlights: This is one of the newest trails in the state's newest park. The wide, well-maintained and well-marked trail through a heavily shaded hardwood forest is itself a great summer outing. But the falls, visible at a distance from a viewing platform, make for great pictures at the end.

While you won't get close enough to feel the spray, two other nearby waterfalls - Turtleback and Rainbow - in the Nantahala National Forest, offer up-close wading pools and are accessible by trail from the Gorges State Park parking area.

Directions: From Asheville, take Interstate 26 East to Exit 9. Turn right onto N.C. 280 toward Brevard and go about 16 miles. At the intersection with U.S. 64 and 276, continue straight on 64 West to Sapphire, about 21 miles from Brevard. Turn left onto N.C. 281 and go 1 mile. To get to the trailhead, go past the park office and turn left on N.C. 281. Go one mile and turn left into the parking area at the Gorges State Park sign. The drive takes close to an hour.

For more information: Call 966-9099

ON THE NET: www.ncsparks.net/gorg.html

Hickory Nut Falls Trail
Where: Chimney Rock Park in Rutherford County

Length: 1.5 miles round trip

Rated: Easy to moderate

Highlights: Out of the five main trails in the 1,000-acre private park, the most popular is Hickory Nut Falls. Not only is it the second-highest waterfall in the eastern United States - at 404 feet - but it made a splash in the movie "The Last of the Mohicans" and continues to lure visitors from across the country.

While the Skyline-Cliff Trail goes to the top of the falls, the sheer cascade is not really visible from this height. Hickory Nut Falls Trail offers an easily accessible, wide, even and well-shaded forest path to a wooden viewing platform at the base of the falls. If the water is running high enough, just standing on the deck will allow you to cool off in the grand waterfall's spray.

Dogs are welcome on the trail and in the park but must be on a leash at all times.

Cost: $14 for adults, $6 for ages 4-12 and free for ages 3 and younger. For $25, an annual pass allows unlimited visits to the park for 12 months.

Directions: From Asheville, take Interstate 240 east to Exit 9 (Bat Cave and U.S. 74A East). Stay on 74A for 20 miles to Chimney Rock. The park entrance is on the right.

For more information: Call 625-9611 or (800) 277-9611

ON THE NET: www.chimneyrockpark.com

Whiteside Mountain Trail hike
Where: Nantahala National Forest in Highlands, Macon County

Rated: Moderate

Length: 2 miles round trip

Highlights: This hike offers great views in any season, but the advantage in summer is its high elevation. At the trailhead take the steep stairs to ascend the loop trail. It is heavy breathing 0.2 miles to the top but gets you to the spectacular views faster, and it's easier hiking up the steep section than down.

Along the ridge to the summit are many viewpoints and flat rock areas for stopping to soak in the sweeping views of the surrounding Nantahala National Forest and enjoy a backpack picnic. You'll reach the summit, Devils Point, 3/4-miles into the trail. At an elevation of 4,930 feet, the air is cooler than the valleys. Continuing down the mountain from here there are several overlooks amid a mixed hardwood and evergreen forest. The steep, sheer cliffs, many without railings, make this trail unsuitable for dogs.

Cost: $2 parking fee per car

Directions: From Asheville, take Interstate 26 east to Exit 40/Asheville Airport. Turn right onto N.C. 280 and go about 16 miles to the intersection with U.S. 64 in Pisgah Forest. Continue straight on U.S. 64 west through Brevard, Lake Toxaway and Cashiers. In Highlands, look for the signs to Whiteside Mountain, turning left onto Wildcat Ridge Road. The trailhead is one mile down on the left.

For more information: Read "North Carolina Hiking Trails," by Allen de Hart (Appalachian Mountain Club Books) or call the Highlands District office of the U.S. Forest Service at 526-3765.

Clingmans Dome Trail
Where: Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Length: 1 mile round trip

Difficulty: Moderate

Highlights: If you want to rise above it all, it's hard to get much higher than Clingmans Dome. It's the highest point in the park and one of the highest peaks in Western North Carolina, rising a cool 6,643 feet into the sky.

The short hike to the Clingmans Dome Overlook observation tower is paved and suitable for children and strollers but has a steady incline. From the summit, you can also access trails to Andrews Bald and the Clingmans Dome Bypass Trail.

Directions: From Asheville, take Interstate 40 west to Exit 27. Continue west on U.S. 19 through Maggie Valley to Cherokee. Turn north on U.S. 441 into the park. Drive north on U.S. 441/Newfound Gap Road, and turn west onto Clingmans Dome Road. Drive seven miles to the Forney Ridge parking area. The paved trail begins on the far western end of the parking area.

For more information: Stop by the Oconaluftee Visitor Center on U.S. 441 near Cherokee or call 497-1900.

ON THE NET: www.nps.gov/grsm

Contact Chávez at 236-8980 or kchavez@CITIZEN-TIMES.com.

(THIS BOX CAN GO ONLINE IF SPACE IS TIGHT)

Hiking clubs
Following are some local hiking clubs. For more hiking resources, see today's Outdoors Calendar.

Carolina Mountain Club: The Asheville-based club offers more than 175 group hikes a year, on Wednesdays and on the weekends. The club also offers recognition for challenge hikers and performs trail maintenance. For more information, call Lenny Bernstein at 236-0192 or visit www.carolinamtnclub.org for a schedule of upcoming hikes.

Let's Take a Hike: A club for hikers who are mostly age 50 and older. Meets at 10:15 a.m. each Friday to hike areas around Buncombe County. Hikes last about an hour. Call Bill at 658-2293 or Carol at 277-0551.

Nantahala Hiking Club: A hiking and trail maintenance club based in the Franklin-Highlands area. For a schedule of guided hikes, visit www.maconweb.com/nhc or call Kay Coriell at 369-6820.

Out There: Members, age 21 and older, get together for outdoor activities such as hiking, paddling, camping, biking, volleyball and tennis. The club meets at 6:30 p.m. each Tuesday at Don Pablo's restaurant at 4 Tunnel Road (across from the old Wal-Mart). For more information, call 687-6648.

Hike safely in the heat, around waterfalls
When hiking in the summer, even in the mountains, be prepared for wide ranging temperatures, which can rise and fall rapidly from day to night and across the varying elevations. Rainstorms can also start and stop unexpectedly. Know the weather forecast before you start and let someone know where you're going and when you plan to return.

Jane Conolly, a ranger at Gorges State Park, said exhaustion - due to the heat as well as inexperienced hikers - is the most common medical emergency in the park.

"Many times people are older, have gone out and got too hot or too tired," she said.

To avoid these problems, Conolly said, know your abilities, know the trail you will be hiking, make an early start to avoid the heat of midday and bring plenty of water.

Hiking near waterfalls, while fun, can also be dangerous. Conolly said hikers should stay away from the river above falls, and know what is downstream (such as another waterfall). Other safety tips are notto climb on waterfalls, be cautious on rocks, which can be deceptively slick, watch children carefully around waterfalls and refrain from drinking alcohol when swimming near falls.

"A lot of these are common sense things," she said. "Take the time to look around, orient yourself to hazardsand think about what you're doing.

"Following are some other essentials to bring on a hike in the mountains:

Bring plenty of water in plastic bottles

Lunch and snacks

Map and compass (and know how to use them)

Rain jacket (no matter what the forecast)

Sunglasses

Insect repellent

Sunscreen

Personal first aid kit

Small flashlight

Plastic bag for trash. Nothing should be left in the woods.

Source: Carolina Mountain Club, www.carolinamtnclub.org

Students OK after incident

2005-07-28T10:08:00.000-07:00

DailyProgress.com | Students OK after incident

By Liesel Nowak / Daily Progress staff writer
July 28, 2005

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Youngsters treated for heat-related complaints at the University of Virginia’s Observatory Hill late Tuesday have recovered and resumed activities.

The heat-induced incident capped off the students’ first night at the university for a three-day academic program offered through the Washington-based Higher Achievement Program. The 60 visiting middle school-age students returned to their regularly scheduled events Wednesday, with a reminder from UVa officials to limit outdoor activity and drink plenty of water.

Contrary to initial reports from rescue workers, the students were not hiking and were not lost when a group leader called for help, according to officials with Higher Achievement and UVa. Nine children reporting heat-related discomfort were taken by ambulance to UVa’s hospital, and 21 were taken there by bus for observation.

The students, accompanied by 14 adults, were on their way from the Gooch-Dillard dormitory to McCormick Observatory for a program scheduled to begin at 9 p.m., according to UVa spokeswoman Carol Wood.

The students had already eaten both lunch and dinner, Wood said, had taken a tour of Grounds and had attended a lecture at Gilmer Hall.

The first group of about 30 students made the 15-minute uphill walk and arrived at the observatory without problem, Wood said, but two to four asthmatic students in the second group began complaining of discomfort. Shortly after, several other students reported discomfort, so the group leaders called UVa police on one of the university’s emergency phones.

Temperatures Tuesday reached into the upper 90s, and remained at 80 at 11 p.m. Wednesday’s high was in the mid-90s.

“The university has … asked program leaders to curtail outdoor activities for the remainder of the program because the heat is so unbearable,” Wood said. “And make sure that every student has a water bottle with them. I believe some of the students had them but not all.”

The scene Tuesday night was hectic, according to Deputy Chief Jake Benner of the Charlottesville-Albemarle Rescue Squad. Benner and other emergency personnel on Observatory Hill believed that the students had gotten lost on a hike shortly after 9 p.m. when the call came in.

“It was an assumption that we, at the command post, put together,” Benner said. “They looked like they had been walking for a very long time. They were overheated. They were near some hiking trails. They said they were up there for some time.”

The Higher Achievement Program is a nonprofit that provides educational opportunities for under-served middle-schoolers from Washington. The middle-schoolers have traveled to UVa to acquaint themselves with a college environment, attending lectures and other programs.

The agency contracted with the university’s conference services for the trip, which is not sponsored by the university. Through the course of the summer, conference services will contract with 120 organizations, accommodating about 17,000 guests, according to Wood.

Contact Liesel Nowak at (434) 978-7274 or lnowak@dailyprogress.com.

Senate Unanimously Passes Four Wilderness Bills

2005-07-28T10:05:00.000-07:00

Senate Unanimously Passes Four Wilderness Bills

July 26, 2005 (Washington, DC) - The U.S. Senate today unanimously passed wilderness legislation that will permanently protect thousands of acres of roadless wildlands in California, Washington, Puerto Rico, and New Mexico. The Senate vote sets the stage for the bills to be considered when the House of Representatives returns after the August recess.

“Today’s unanimous vote in the Senate is yet another sign of the growing national support for protecting our country’s remaining wild places,” said William H. Meadows, president of The Wilderness Society. “Our Senators have done a great job moving these important measures through the process. We hope that the House of Representatives will follow the Senate’s lead and act quickly to protect these special places.”

“In addition to these four efforts there are active wilderness campaigns across the country that continue to gain momentum,” said Meadows. “We hope to see lawmakers setting aside other special places before the end of this Congress.”

The four bills that were passed by the Senate today include:

The Northern California Coastal Wild Heritage Wilderness Act (S.128 and H.R. 233), introduced by California Senators Barbara Boxer (D) and Dianne Feinstein (D). Representative Mike Thompson (D-CA) sponsored the companion legislation in the House. The bill would designate as wilderness more than 300,000 acres of spectacular scenery and important fish and wildlife habitat, including the King Range, the longest stretch of undeveloped coastline in the lower 48 states. In addition, 21 miles of the Black Butte River in Mendocino County will be designated as a Wild and Scenic River. This popular legislation, which is also backed by California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger (R), has broad, local bipartisan support and would guarantee outstanding opportunities for recreation, such as riding horses, hunting, fishing, hiking, and whitewater rafting for future generations. The House Resources Subcommittee on Forests and Forest Health held a hearing on the measure on July 14th.

The Ojito Wilderness Act (S.156 and H.R.362), introduced by Senators Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) and Pete Domenici (R-NM), with the companion bill in the House sponsored by Representatives Tom Udall (D-NM) and Heather Wilson (R-NM). The Ojito Wilderness Act would permanently protect more than 11,000 acres of picturesque public land northwest of Albuquerque. The area is home to mule deer, antelope, and elk, as well as Navajo and Pueblo cultural sites.

The Wild Sky Wilderness Act (S.152 and H.R.851), introduced by Senators Patty Murray (D-WA) and Maria Cantwell (D-WA). The bill would designate as wilderness 106,000 acres in the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest. The bill is sponsored in the House by Representative Rick Larsen (D-WA) and cosponsored by Rep. Jay Inslee (D-WA). A little more than an hour from downtown Seattle and Everett, Wild Sky is a rugged landscape with thousand-foot cliffs, high alpine peaks, cascading waterfalls, lush old-growth forests, and crystal clear rivers. The bill is backed by dozens of local businesses, citizens groups and elected officials from the Sky Valley.

The Caribbean National Forest Act (S.272 and H.R.539), introduced by New York Senators Hillary Clinton (D) and Charles Schumer (D), would designate 10,000 acres of forest in Puerto Rico as the “El Toro Wilderness,” the first tropical forest wilderness in the United States. The companion bill was introduced in the House by Puerto Rico’s Resident Commissioner Luis Fortuno (R). The new wilderness area is home to the endangered Puerto Rican parrot, one of the most threatened species in the world.

Pass prices announced

2005-07-28T09:51:00.000-07:00

Snowmass Village Sun

By Steve Alldrege
Staff reporter

It’s almost the dog days of August. So what are we thinking about? You got it: ski season.

It’s that time of the year as Aspen/Snowmass announces its pass prices for the 2005-2006 season. Season passes go on sale Monday, Aug. 15, for early bird skiers and riders.

As in the past several years, the earlier you buy, the lower the price. New this year is the Parent Pass which allows parents with children 12 and under to share one pass for the same price as the Premier Pass.

“We have a lot of your families here that love to spend time on the hill,” said David Perry, senior vice-president with the Aspen Skiing Co. “This pass gives parents the ultimate flexibility. (They) can take turns skiing or riding, splitting up the day and spending time with their children both on and off the slopes.”

Only one parent may use the pass at a time, but a discounted daily lift ticket ($59) may be purchase by the other parent (up to a maximum of 10 total for the season) if both parents are skiing or riding together. Parents must visit a ticket office at the same time so their picture can be taken together for the pass. Chamber rates are not available for the Parent Pass.

The Premier Pass is a full-season, four-mountain pass. In addition to the regular winter ski season, the Premier Pass is valid for any operating dates prior to or after the scheduled season, as well as summer lifts at both Aspen and Snowmass. Premier passholders also receive additional discounts on clothing, ski and snowboard tunes and at Mountain Photo.

If purchased by September 9, the Premier Pass is $1,579 or $1,129 if you are a Chamber member. Rates rise to $1,729 and $1,399 if purchased by November 11 and $1,879 and $1,549 if the pass is purchased after November 11.

The Silver Pass, for seniors 70 and older, offers all Premier Pass benefits for $219.

The popular 2-Day/Week Pass is priced at $989, or $819 if you are a Chamber member, if you buy before September 9; $1,039 or $879, if you purchase before November 11 and $1,089 or $929 if you buy that pass after November 11.

The 7-Day Classic Pass gives holders seven days of skiing or snowboarding for $219 and passholders can add days at a discount. The same pass is offered to youths (ages 7-17) and college students for $169.

The 4-Day Classic Pass offers the same discounts as well as four days of skiing or riding for $139 for adults and $109 for youths and college students.

Last week the Skico announced its daily lift ticket for the season would be $78, up $4 over last year.

The 2005/06 season runs Nov. 24 to April 16 on Aspen and Snowmass and Dec. 10 to April 2 for Highlands and Buttermilk.

For more information about pricing or ticket sales, log onto aspensnowmass.com.

County vows to consult about trails

2005-07-28T09:50:00.001-07:00

County vows to consult about trails - billingsgazette.com

By TOM HOWARD
Of The Gazette Staff

After hearing dozens of people complain that proposed biking and hiking trails in the Blue Creek area are a threat to private property rights, Yellowstone County commissioners on Tuesday pledged to do a better job of keeping the public informed and involved in planning for community projects.

Nearly 100 people crowded into the board room on the fourth floor of the courthouse for a 90-minute public hearing in which commissioners unanimously approved a resolution which reiterates their support of community trails while also emphasizing their support for private property rights.

Last month people living in the Blue Creek area became alarmed after learning that the master plan for the BikeNet trail system shows bike trails crossing private property in the Blue Creek area. Word spread through the community, and in late June more than 100 people voiced their concerns during a meeting at Blue Creek School last month, and many of them again voiced their concerns at the courthouse on Tuesday.

Since then, Commissioner Bill Kennedy drafted the resolution which instructs the planning staff to continue developing a community trail system, but to refrain from placing proposed trails across private property without the property owners' permission.

"I don't think the whole process was worked through," Kennedy said. "When you work in a vacuum and don't talk to anybody, that's when you get into trouble. The planning staff needs to be working with people. We need to create a planning process."

Kennedy also denied rumors that altering the trail plan would disqualify Billings and Yellowstone County from receiving federal money for trail construction.

"There's a misconception that we're stopping bike trails," Kennedy said.

Commissioners assured the gathering that the county has no plans to condemn private property in order to build bicycle and hiking trails.

"We're not objecting to bikes and trails, but it's not right if they want to run it through someone's pastures, yards and coulees," said Monica Weldon, one of 19 Blue Creek residents who testified in favor of the resolution that the commissioners approved.

Carla Bell, another property owner, said she often gives people permission to hunt on her property. The key, she said, is to ask first. In the trail planning process, "I feel like they've gone behind our backs. Their greenways are our hay fields."

Sarah Keller spoke about the need for biking and hiking trails in the Blue Creek area. She said a map showing proposed trails were drawn for planning purposes only and that there are no plans for condemning property or seizing people's property.

Commissioners plan to hold a public hearing on proposed revisions to the Heritage Trail Map at Blue Creek School, 3652 Blue Creek Road, Aug. 2 at 7 p.m.

Copyright © The Billings Gazette, a division of Lee Enterprises.

Explosive Growth In Rockies Concerning To Many Mountain Officials

2005-07-28T09:50:00.000-07:00

TheDenverChannel.com - News - Explosive Growth In Rockies Concerning To Many Mountain Officials

State Demographer Says All Private Land Will Be Developed Soon

POSTED: 7:48 am MDT July 27, 2005

KEYSTONE, Colo. -- In a grim prediction underscoring the state's rapid population growth, a senior state demographer said Tuesday he expected all private land in the Colorado Rockies to be developed in the next few decades.

Jim Westkott's office forecast that the population of six resort counties -- Eagle, Summit, Pitkin, Garfield, Grand and Routt -- will grow from the present 192,000 to 389,000 by 2030.

"There is enough of a market out there to fill up all the land," Westkott told a meeting of the Northwest Colorado Council of Governments, which is comprised of leaders from communities from around Colorado's high country. He said his population estimate doesn't include thousands of second-home owners, skiers or other tourists.

In the resort town of Crested Butte Saturday, 89 new homes -- costing a total of $80 million -- were snapped up in just six hours, setting a single-day sales record for Gunnison County. About 300 people took part in a lottery drawing for an opportunity to buy studio to four-bedroom condominiums for between $319,000 to $1.9 million.

The area is so popular that industries of old -- mining, logging -- have been replaced by tourism and the building of second homes.

"The (industrial) smokestack that we used to see because it was 100 feet tall is now the home," he said.

Economic forces aren't the only drive driving the counties' growth, which features breathtaking views, miles of hiking trails, several ski resorts and golf courses.

"If any other state had suffered the job crash Colorado suffered, there would have been massive outmigration. People tend to stay in places they like," said Federal Reserve Bank economist Stephan Weiler of Kansas City, Mo.

Westkott said the state is very popular with baby boomers, and as they approach retirement, many will come to Colorado.

Water, often considered a possible brake on growth, will not slow down the development of western Colorado, said David Merritt, chief engineer for the Colorado River Water District.

"The water's there," he said.

Merritt said there will be problems with developing additional water resources along with competition with the populous Front Range, raising prices dramatically.

"The demands over there (on the Front Range) are scary," said Merritt.

Mick Ireland, a Pitkin County commissioner, said the political will of people who already live in western Colorado will stop the "baby boom tsunami" from overrunning the area.

"I think people are going to say 'close the door.' They will take political action to stop the growth," said Ireland.

Westkott said the only thing that could stop the growth would be the political will created by a mess resulting from uncontrolled growth that could include long commutes, traffic delays, and other big city ailments, along with crowded hiking trails and destroyed views.

Copyright 2005 by The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Woman spends cold, lonely night lost in Park

2005-07-28T09:48:00.000-07:00

The Hungry Horse News

Posted: Wednesday, Jul 27, 2005 - 09:32:17 am PDT
By CHRIS PETERSON

Hungry Horse News

A Georgia woman's pleasant hike turned into a miserable night in Glacier last week, but she came through the ordeal without a scratch.

Mary Curry, of Augusta, Ga., was hiking down the Gunsight Pass Trail from Sperry Chalet and was expecting to meet a friend at the Jackson Glacier Overlook Trailhead last Friday (July 22).

When she got to Gunsight Lake, she apparently asked for directions from some fellow hikers.

Perhaps they misunderstood her, because instead of pointing her down the trail, they pointed her in the direction of the spur trail running to Jackson Glacier itself, according to Park spokeswoman Melissa Wilson.

The spur trail to the Glacier then petered out and Curry found herself bushwhacking through alders on the side of Citadel Mountain.

In short, she was good and lost.

She ended up spending the night on the mountainside.

Park rangers then began a search first thing Saturday morning after her friend reported her missing.

Park rangers did a ground search and then searched via Minuteman helicopter.

Curry, who was now in a drainage below the Blackfoot Glacier, heard the chopper and got into a spot where she thought they could see her.

As luck would have it, they did.

She was picked up and taken out of the backcountry.

Curry sustained no injuries in the incident, other than being wet, cold and tired, Wilson said.

While the area is pretty thick bear country, Wilson said that Curry didn't report having any bear encounters.

Curry was fairly well equipped - she had rain gear and other survival gear in her pack - at least enough to make it through the night.

ARC Outdoors Launches Anti-Odor Fabrics

2005-07-28T09:47:00.001-07:00

ARC Outdoors Launches E47(TM) Anti-Odor Fabrics and Yarns

Wednesday July 27, 10:31 am ET
Antimicrobial Capabilities Permanently Embedded in Fibers

BROKEN ARROW, Okla., July 27 /PRNewswire/ -- ARC Outdoors, a leader in performance apparel and known for their ArcticShield® cold-weather clothing brand, today announced a new line of anti-odor fabrics and yarns to be sold under the E47(TM) Nano Technology brand. The brand will offer advanced anti- odor fiber technologies for licensing by other manufacturers.
Anti-Odor Fibers Finally Perfected

To date, most anti-odor technologies have relied on chemical treatments as their antimicrobial component, while other technologies have come in the form of silver strand or silver-coated fibers. But, such fibers lack effectiveness and durability while causing manufacturing challenges and limitations. They often affect the comfort, flexibility, elasticity, wicking and insulation properties of fabrics. At the same time, many such fibers can add complexity to manufacturing processes, increasing production time, which ultimately leads to high costs.

E47 Nano Technology was co-developed to be safe, permanent and to utilize the oligodynamic effects silver has on microbes. The advancements come from silver nanoparticles integrated throughout the entire fiber, not just on the surface. This integrated technology is designed to create accelerated ion flux delivered through nanoscale particles to eliminate microbes and the odors they create.

E47 cotton represents a break-through in technology based fabrics. E47 cotton fabrics will impact today's standards and benchmarks for performance based apparel.

Fibers integrated with E47 technology retain all of the natural qualities of polyester and cotton fabrics, making them ideal for performance wear without complicating manufacturing processes or changing the look and feel that consumers appreciate.

Nanotechnology Makes It Possible

"E47's anti-odor properties are generated by nanoscale-engineered silver- bearing nanoparticles which permanently bond to specific target fibers at the molecular level," said NanoHorizons Director of Operations Daniel Hayes, PhD. "The antimicrobial functionality of E47 fibers is uniformly distributed throughout the fiber and specifically engineered not to flake off, rub off, or wash out -- leaving all the other properties of the fiber unchanged."

New Fibers and Fabrics to be Featured at Outdoor Retailer

The creators of E47 are keying on polyester and cotton fabrics for clothing as the first offering, but understand that demand will redefine their course on specific developments throughout the textile industry. A better grasp for market demand will be obtained shortly after E47's introduction at the Outdoor Retailer Summer Market in Salt Lake City, Aug. 11-14, 2005, booth 6622.

"The outdoor recreation market has seen great advances in activity-related apparel over the last few years, but nothing compares to new nanotechnology- based capabilities, such as E47's anti-odor properties that are permanently integrated into fibers," said ARC President J.T. Griffin. "In addition, E47 fibers will give apparel manufacturers a powerful new ingredient to leverage in their performance wear."

Real-World Testing

To reflect every-day situations and real-world scenarios for active-wear, E47 fibers were put through a six-hour effectiveness tests. To ensure accuracy, the independent biomedical testing company NAMSA was engaged. In NAMSA's tests, E47 antimicrobial additives were exceptionally effective in controlling common microbes, such as diphtheria (corynebacterium diphtheriae) and staph (staphylococcus aureus).

Domestic and International Manufacturing and Availability

E47 will only be available to licensees through the ARC Materials Licensing Program.

ARC currently has agreements with Western and Eastern Hemisphere mills with four additional mills to be licensed soon, pending approval of exclusive agreements.

Western Hemisphere:
Mill: Cari Fabrics
Contact: Jere Ayers or Joe Carritan
Phone: 336-294-6622
Web: http://www.carifabrics.com

Eastern Hemisphere:
Mill: ColoTex Industrial Limited, located in Tiapai and Tiawan
Contact: Lisa Chen
Phone: 866 2 87511838
E-mail: cocolisa@saturn.seed.net.tw

Due to silver integration into fibers and the elimination of manufacturing issues, pricing is at or below other silver technologies and methods.

For more information on E47 fibers and fabrics technology, please click on: http://www.e47nano.com/pdf/understanding_E47.pdf

For more information on nanotechnology, please click on: http://www.hartboillot.com/nh/fibers/nanotech.pdf

About ARC Outdoors

Since the company was founded in 1998, ARC Outdoors has been dedicated to the research and development of apparel technologies for the future. Priority is given to the ultimate goal of being considered a market leader and innovator, making available to their partners and customers technological solutions that not only work, but also are practical and cost efficient.

ARC Outdoors keys on technologies for warmth, water proofing, wind proofing, odor control, moisture permeability and comfort. Across all ARC Outdoors technologies, multiple advanced textile benefits can be found working together to yield maximum comfort and performance.

Sales Contacts (Both international and domestic)
Bob Parker
bparker@e47nano.com

Bill Douglas
918-258-8788
bdouglas@e47nano.com

Media Contact
Jeff G. Phillips
918-258-8788
jeff@arcoutdoors.com

For more information, please visit http://www.e47nano.com.

Skico ups pass price

2005-07-28T09:47:00.000-07:00

Aspen Times News for Aspen Colorado - News

Company cites health costs, lift improvements for third straight year

By Naomi Havlen
July 27, 2005

Print Email

The cost of a "super early bird" Premier Pass for Aspen Chamber Resort Association members will be $1,129 for the 2005-2006 ski season, up $50 from last season.

The Aspen Skiing Co. announced their season pass plans and prices Tuesday, including a new pass that allows two parents with kids under 12 to share a pass between them. The Parent Pass costs the same as a premier pass without an ACRA discount - that's $1,579 for a pass that couples with children can share.

"It's something we decided to do for parents in the community," said Jeff Hanle Skico spokesman. "If parents aren't getting to spend a lot of time skiing together, it's a way to help flexibility-wise and save some money."

When parents want to ski together, they can buy up to 10 additional tickets throughout the season at a discount.

Season passes will go on sale Monday, Aug. 15. There are three deadlines for pass purchases, with the prices ratcheting up as each deadline passes. The cheapest "super early" passes can be purchased through Sept. 9; "early" passes can be purchased through Nov. 11; and full-price passes go on sale beginning Nov. 12.

This is the third year in a row that the price for the ACRA premier pass - good for unlimited skiing or riding - has jumped. For the 2003-04 season, the company upped the price of the pass by $30 to push it over the $1,000 mark for the first time. Last season the price rose $50 to $1,079.

"Our costs go up every year, specifically medical costs for 3,000 employees," Hanle said.

Hanle added that Skico has more than $20 million in capital improvements going on, from the trails of the new Deep Temerity area at Aspen Highlands to the Snowmass Ski Area Village Express six pack ski lift.

"It costs money to run the resort, and our fixed costs are not going down, they're going up," he said. "For us to remain viable as a business, we have to be in line with that. The lifts are the big improvements that the skiing public will see this year."

The two-day pass, with the ACRA discount, is $819 if purchased by Sept. 9; the one-day pass is $619 with the discount for early purchasers.

The seven-day Classic Pass for adults is available again this season for $219; it offers seven days of skiing for $31.29 per day at any of the four mountains with no restrictions. The cost of the seven-day Classic Pass is up $20 from last year.

The price of an adult four-day Classic Pass rose $10 to $139 this year.

Naomi Havlen's e-mail address is nhavlen@aspentimes.com

Skiing on the Down Low

2005-07-28T09:46:00.000-07:00

SKI Magazine ~ Skiing on the Down Low

by Alex Wells
One morning last winter, I decided I'd had enough of chairlifts. No more high-flying, space-age, zillion-dollar contraptions for me. I wanted to feel earthbound and in control, more like a primate and less like a bird. I made a resolution. For a few weeks at least, I vowed to ski at areas that offered only surface lifts.

Surface lifts, of course, tow skiers along the ground, preferably standing up. They include ropetows, T-bars, J-bars and poma lifts. Despite being low tech for mostly low hills, they do offer advantages. They keep you out of the wind. When they break down, you can let go and ski away, as opposed to waiting hours for a high-wire rescue. And they keep your muscles warm.

Surface lifts are also cheap. You can buy a used one for next to nothing and, with help from your friends and perhaps an engineer, set it up on the hillside of your choice-which is precisely what small groups of enterprising skiers have been doing for years. The West is studded with tiny, homespun ski areas, where you'll find natural snow, genuine characters, undiluted Americana-and nary a chairlift. These places are not always easy to locate. Advertising may not consist of anything more elaborate than a stack of crudely photocopied fliers next to a local cash register. Sometimes the only evidence of their existence, besides the areas themselves, is a small road sign, somewhere outside of nowhere. Most are open only on weekends. But if you're lucky enough to find one running, you can get pulled uphill, all day long, for peanuts. The powder is seldom tracked, the terrain surprisingly varied. And you can lunch with the locals in a tiny lodge for about three bucks.

Williams Ski Area Williams, Ariz.

My surface-lift safari starts on a chilly February Saturday in Williams, Ariz. (population 2,700). Signs with giant arrows point at empty motor courts along fabled Route 66, the main drag through town. A much smaller arrow, on one of those little brown road signs, marks the turnoff for the ski area. At 9:30 a.m., when I pull into the parking lot a mile-and-a-half west of town, mine is the 11th car.

In the cabin-like lodge, I meet 76-year-old Laird Moody, who's run the area since 1962. Moody says he's been waiting since 1968 for the U.S. Forest Service to rule on a proposed expansion that, if approved, would more than triple the area's 600-foot vertical drop. Yet he doesn't seem angry about the36-year delay. "It's like being in a football game where you get to the one-yard line, and then the teams change," he says, shrugging. "The supervisor retires and all the people go somewhere else." Moody's silvery beard, wrinkles and gentle demeanor suggest a modern-day fairy-tale character: the man who waited forever for a Forest Service ruling.

While waiting, Moody has made do with a 38-acre parcel on a foothill of 9,260-foot Bill Williams Peak, some 60 miles south of the Grand Canyon. He runs an economical operation: His wife, Tora, cooks fresh vegetarian food in the snack bar. Cisterns catch rainwater for the toilets and hoses. And Moody maintains the 1962 poma lift, the ropetow and a '70s-vintage Thiokol groomer. He has to be frugal because the area's annual skier visits number between 2,000 and 4,000, possibly the fewest of any commercial area in the United States.

After several rides on the poma lift, I surmise that much of the ski area's clientele hails from someplace without snow, like Phoenix. Riders teeter when the poma tugs them forward. The skiers who fall cling to the platter as if it were a life preserver. One woman spins sideways and crashes, losing a ski and, to my surprise, a boot. Moody, who's oiling part of the lift, descends a ladder to help. The skiers and snowboarders who keep their balance may disembark at any of four landings, near terrain that matches their ability level. That convenience is one reason Moody says he's kept a surface lift all these years.

Higher up, the setting feels unusually serene. The puffy white clouds, the snow-flecked pines and the stiff-legged skiers in blue jeans all seem to belong in a postcard of 1970s skiing. Inconspicuous wooden signs, nailed to trees, identify runs with names like Far East, Wild West and Way West. And the terrain is fun: steep slopes near the summit, glades along the flanks of the hill, a groomed face above the lodge and several meandering trails. I ride the poma until my muscles give out.

In late afternoon, I return to town and claim a stool inside the historic Sultana Bar. A woman wearing a mechanic's suit tells me the bar is popular with the ski crowd, but it's four o'clock on a Saturday and there's no sign of another skier. As I start my long journey to the next locale, I can't help wondering how much longer Laird Moody's nifty little ski area will manage to hang on.

Snowhaven Grangeville, Idaho

The Camas Prairie in central Idaho doesn't look like a place that would have one ski area, let alone two. Stubbly hay and wheat fields cover most of the earth. Grain elevators dominate the skyline, and my motel is packed not with skiers but with fishermen, here to catch steelhead on nearby rivers. Yet on Saturday morning, when I request directions to the ski area, the woman at the motel desk asks, "Which one?"

"To reach Snowhaven, turn right at the C&C Express," she says. "Go straight where the road forks, even though there's no sign." I drive seven miles south from Grangeville to the ski area, passing an old drive-in theater and an idling tractor-but no cars-along the way. Inside the '70s-style lodge, I ask to speak with someone who can answer questions for a magazine article. Moments later, an LMC snowcat stops outside. The driver,a stocky bald man, waves me over and invites me to hop in. This must be the surface-lift version of public relations, I thinkas I scramble across the treads.

The driver, Scott Wasem, explains that the town of Grangeville has operated Snowhaven on a shoulder of 6,200-foot Mt. Idaho, in the Clearwater Mountains, most winter weekends since 1964. It averages 50 customers per day, who pay $13 for a lift ticket. "We try to hit the college kids because they don't have the money to go to the bigger courses, and the senior citizens because the bigger courses are too hard on their legs," says Wasem, who farms in the valley and seems at home in the groomer. On Saturdays, a volunteer ski patroller drives a school bus carrying a few dozen kids from town (round-trip cost: $1). The bus has just arrived, and a cluster of teenage snowboarders stands at the base, toeing the snow and waiting for the T-bar to open.

"We know most of the people whoski here," Wasem continues. "If we have a kid who's acting up, we just call hisparents. If we don't know somebody,I introduce myself to them, and thatway I start to recognize them. That means a lot to people."

After studying the area's only trail map-a crude painting on the side of the lodge-I make a few runs on the gentle, southeast-facing terrain, which opens onto views of the Bitterroot and Gospel ranges. Two feet of powder has fallen since last weekend, and Wasem has left much of the 40 acres ungroomed. As I carve the untracked fluff and absorb the silence and scenery, I feel as calm as I've ever been at a ski area. I would stay awhile, but other powdery, and barely populated, surfaces await nearby.

Cottonwood Butte Cottonwood, Idaho

Leaving Snowhaven, I cross over to the other side of the Camas Prairie and look for Cottonwood Butte. The sign for the ski area points left, so I turn. But the next sign I see says, "North Idaho Correctional Institution," and then the prison appears, replete with razor-wire fences and a watchtower. This can't be right. I make a U-turn. Only on a second pass do I locate the ski area-by exiting the backside of the prison parking lot and continuing until I come upon a handpainted sign that says, "Welcome-You've Escaped to Cottonwood Butte."

Inside the lodge, Gabe Riener, a volunteer on the board of directors, tells me the slogan harks back to the '80s, when the prison had dodgy security and escaped inmates occasionally did turn up at the ski area. We also discuss the friendly rivalry between his hill and Snowhaven, 29 miles away. Snowhaven skiers claim to have better snow because Cottonwood Butte is too low and because the groomer there pulls a "culvert" instead of a roller. Riener counters that Cottonwood has steeper runs and an 845-foot vertical drop-nearly double that of Snowhaven.

After purchasing an all-day lift ticket for $12 at the snack bar, I spend an hour chasing Riener as he pinballs through the snow-covered boulder fields known as The Bluffs. It's a blast; the steep fall-line runs make it easy to forget that this is not a mountain, but the high point of a prairie.

Later I share a T with Cliff Arnzen,an angular 75-year-old rancher who for decades has volunteered as a Cottonwood ski patroller. Arnzen says the area has overcome many challenges. In the '90s, for instance, it had to acquire two used lifts in order to replace its aging T-bar. One of the lifts cost money, but the volunteers from Cottonwood still broke even on the deal: "They got a four-wheel-drive truck thrown in, and they sold the truck for about the same price they paid for the lift," he explains. After procuring the two lifts, the group worked to assemble them into a single, 3,000-foot-long T-bar. Everything went smoothly until a T hooked a tower and yanked it out of true on one of the season's busiest days. Yet Cottonwood Butte endures, mostly because the locals want it to.

At the bottom we meet Arnzen's wife, Mary Jane, who heads the ski school. "We get kids from all over-from Moscow and Colfax and Kamiah," she chirps. A lesson-and-rental package costs $15. The way Mary Jane explains it, there are advantages to learning slowly. A lesson lasts until a skier feels comfortable going from the top to the bottom. Then the lesson ends and the skier must buy a ticket.

All day, people have been telling me I'm not the only "tourist" on the hill. Near closing time, I finally meet the others-members of the Eagle Cap Ski Club of Joseph, Ore. The club runs the Ferguson Ridge Ski Area, another weekends-and surface-lifts-only place, and Charlie Kissinger, the club president, invites me to stop by. When I tell him that I'll have to return home by the next weekend, he says to come on a weekday. "We'll open."

Ferguson Ridge Ski Area Joseph, Ore.

The clerk at the Motel 6 in Clarkston, Wash., gladly provides directions to Joseph. "Follow the river for seven miles," he says. "Go through Asotin and up Asotin Grade-about five or six miles of winding road. Cruise on top for 20 miles. Right after Anatone you start down Rattlesnake Grade, a real big canyon. Go down into it, up out of it, and 50 miles later you hit Enterprise, which is near Joseph." Fortunately, it's all on the same road, so my odds of getting lost are slim.

The first thing I spot at Ferguson Ridge is a hand-painted sign that says, "NO DOGS PLEASE." Just above it, on the same pole, another sign urges people to "Clean Up After Your Dog." A woman carrying a snowboard informs me that dogs like to pee on the pole. And when I ask about the official dog policy, Kissinger laughs and says, "We don't know."

The ski area dates to the mid-'80s, when nine friends purchased 280 acres and began clearing trails on 170 of them. When the snow fell, they noticed that the trails formed a giant peace sign. They gave the trails quirky names, such as "Harold's Revenge," after a particularly dangerous batch of homemade wine. They erected a ropetow, a used T-bar, a patrol shack, a lodge and an outhouse that looks like a chapel. To help pay the bills, they sell a few lift tickets. "It's a passion, something we all love," says Kissinger. "We're just a bunch of ski bums who have this little way to justify our existence. We say we're doing it for the kids, but the adults like it a lot, too."

On weekends, an adult all-day ticket to Ferguson Ridge costs $12, while a half-day goes for $15. Or so the joke goes. I'm here on a Tuesday, when everything is free. Kissinger has spread word that the area will open today, and a dozen or so people and four dogs have shown up. After Kissinger fires up the diesel generator, the humans commence riding the T-bar, with the canines trotting alongside.

Located at the tip of a ridgeline descending from 9,200-foot Redmont Peak, Ferguson Ridge has a 600-foot vertical drop and expansive glade skiing amid towering fir and pine trees-it's the most varied, and prettiest, scenery so far. Unfortunately, today a drizzle slowly matures into a downpour. As the rain intensifies, we retreat to the lodge, where we tap a mini-keg of locally brewed porter and warm up around the woodstove.

Hours later I drive away, and gazing up at the 9,000-foot peaks of the Wallowa Range, I contemplate the things that never happened during my surface-lift safari: I never saw another car on an entrance road, never parked where I couldn't ski to my bumper, never waited in line, never wished to be anywhere else and never met a person who wasn't kind. High-flying chairlifts and high-falutin' people seemed far away. Heck, everything but the ground seemed far away. And that was just fine with me.

Camping it up on our first anniversary

2005-07-27T13:33:00.000-07:00

Greenwich Time - Camping it up on our first anniversary

By Cameron Martin
Staff Writer

Published July 27 2005

I'm a sucker for camping, a pastime George Carlin once described as a lot of work to pretend you're homeless. I love Carlin, but I think he must have hit the woods with the wrong people, because I find few things more relaxing (and less work) than sleeping on the ground, close to a campfire, cherishing life's basic necessities.

My wife and I went camping last weekend, in honor of our one-year wedding anniversary. If that seems like a strange way to honor your first lap around the track, well, consider that we honeymooned in a two-person tent, camping for two weeks in Nevada, Utah, and Arizona. No, we are not tree-hugging granolas, but we do share a delusion common to many campers: We like to think we're resourceful, that we could hack it (if we had to) in the big, dark, scary woods, like the pioneers when they settled the West or the Bradys when they visited the Grand Canyon.

Now I could definitely hang with Mike, Carol, Alice, and the kids. That said, I wouldn't want to party with the Donners. Unlike some of my friends, who think it's quaint to camp at the edge of a 10,000-foot crevasse, curled up in zero-degree sleeping bags, eating meals pre-packaged in tin foil, I have no interest in becoming source material for Jon Krakauer. I like to get away as much as the next guy, but I also like to keep my car in sight. It's enough for me to be outside, stoking a campfire and drinking a few frosty beverages, glancing up to catch the occasional shooting star. I don't need to hire a sherpa to lead me away from the soul-crushing atmosphere of capitalist society. I can find a KOA campground on my own.

As my wife pointed out this past weekend, while we pretended to be homeless in Cooperstown, N.Y., people are unpretentious when they camp. They say hello to each other when they meet by the ice machine, or when they pass each other in the communal bathrooms. When was the last time a hotel guest said hello to you in passing? Heck, I take the train to work with the same people every day, but if we see each other outside of that routine - say, at the grocery store, the movies, or a dive bar - we act like we don't know each other. Does that mean we're cruel and inconsiderate? No, we've simply arrived at the same conclusion: We don't want to be bothered. Ironically, that same attitude informs my love of camping, because sometimes when I go on vacation I don't want to be bothered with pressed clothes, clean socks, or dress shoes.

What do you really need to hit the great outdoors? You need a tent, a sleeping bag, a flashlight, a few changes of clothing, and some bug spray. Depending on your level of anal retention, you might also want some hygiene products and a pillow, even though folded clothes (or even arms) can suffice as head support. Other than that, it's a cooler, matches, dry wood, and some hot dogs and hamburgers. (Or, if you're a granola, perhaps some veggie burgers.) Sure, camping might be more work than checking into a hotel room, opening the mini bar, and ordering room service, but if I want to drink in an air-conditioned room, I can simply adjourn to my basement - and it won't cost me $140 a night.

This past weekend we stayed at a KOA in Cooperstown, where we spent the weekend touring the National Baseball Hall of Fame, souvenir hunting in the shops along the village streets, and, in general, relaxing on our one-year anniversary. While we'd planned to sleep outside, under a lean-to, the camp rangers mixed up our reservation, so we actually got upgraded to a travel trailer. If you're wondering what that is, just imagine Mel Gibson's beachside home in the "Lethal Weapon" movies. Ya know, before the Afrikaans riddled it with bullets.

The inside of our travel trailer was perfectly clean, and the shower, toilet, and refrigerator all worked beautifully. But frankly, it was a little too classy for our tastes. When we go camping, we fully expect to be sleeping on the ground, in a tent, well within earshot of the farts, burps and arguments of nearby campsites. Granted, we weren't going to look a gift horse in the mouth, and demand to be downgraded to a lean-to or a run-of-the-mill campsite, but we felt cheated out of our desired camping experience. After all, we slept inside, in a bed. We didn't need to walk across the campground to get ice or go to the bathroom. Everything we needed was nearby. And what self-respecting camper wants that? When you're camping, you want to feel somewhat resourceful, and certainly not pampered. Sitting inside this aluminum can on wheels, I felt like a two-bit movie star, confined to his trailer between takes.

The next time we go on vacation, they'd better not screw up our reservation. We pay good money to act homeless, and we don't anyone interfering with our delusions.

A jaunt up Missouri's top mountain

2005-07-27T13:32:00.000-07:00

AP Wire | 07/25/2005 | A jaunt up Missouri's top mountain

PETE GRATHOFF

Associated Press

ARCADIA, Mo. - At long last, the peak is in sight.

It has been more than seven hours since we set out, and my hiking companion is panting like a dog. Earlier, I had to carry her as we worked toward the summit.

But now, we walk together and reach the top of Taum Sauk Mountain, the highest point in Missouri. My hiking companion is Molly, a 3-month-old shepherd-Lab mix. Her tongue hangs out of her mouth, and she gazes up at me as I declare, "We're standing on top of Missouri!"

The Kansas City Star's Outdoors editor, Brent Frazee, said the time had come for a hiking story, one that would require a great deal of physical exertion.

He suggested I go.

This actually is the kind of assignment I love, because the rougher the trail, the farther away it is from civilization. The stuff I had read on the Taum Sauk section of the Ozark Trail sold me, particularly the 13-mile stretch from Johnson's Shut-Ins to the high point of Missouri: Taum Sauk Mountain.

It is preferred by those who routinely hike the Ozark Trail.

"It's probably my favorite section of the trail, because of the scenery and the water features and the rock formations," said Steve Coates, president of the Ozark Trail Association. "The views from the top of those hills are what's most impressive to me."

For some, the trouble with the views is you can't enjoy them without first undertaking a healthy climb. It's easy to scoff at the notion of scaling a mountain in Missouri, whose highest peak at 1,772 feet ranks 41st in the nation. By comparison, California's Mount Whitney is the highest point in the continental United States at 14,494 feet.

OK, so you won't need oxygen tanks. But the hike from Johnson's Shut-Ins crosses Proffit and Taum Sauk mountains and has climbs of roughly 2,000 feet and a descent of nearly 1,000 feet before all is said and done.

"It can be a pretty grueling hike with the footing the way it is. It can be tough," Coates said. "Then as you hike across those glades, they're very open and exposed, and the rocks tend to heat up. Those rocks can be 10 degrees warmer than it is around and really get pretty hot."

But not as hot as they once were.

"That's all remnant igneous rock right there," Coates said. "Those are the St. Francis Mountains, and those are old, old remnant volcanoes, so there is a form of granite down there that's called dolomite. It's kind of an iron-based rock that gives it its reddish color, and you see a lot of that down there, and some of the habitat is rather unique. I just love it."

On this particular summer day, there wasn't anything too out of the ordinary to see in terms of the wildlife: deer, turkeys and skinks. But there were a fair amount of black-eyed Susans, and the landscape is the best part of this hike.

The Black River runs close to the trail in parts, and you must cross it at one point just before it feeds into the Johnson's Shut-Ins. The water flows among the huge, smooth rocks, creating natural water slides..

How the Shut-Ins were formed is quite a story.

According to the Department of Natural Resources, it all began more than a billion years ago when hot volcanic ash and gases spewed into the air, cooled, and formed igneous rock. Later, shallow seas covered the rock, depositing sedimentary rock. The land rose. The sea fell. The weather began tearing down the land, exposing the volcanic rock beneath it.

Waters of the Black River became confined, or 'shut in,' to a narrow channel. Waterborne sand and gravel cut deeply into the erosion-resistant rock, carving potholes, chutes and spectacular canyonlike gorges.

Yet that means little when a sweaty hiker reaches the Shut-Ins.

"It's a lot of fun to climb around on those rocks and kind of lay in those pools and let the water splash over you," Coates said. "It's really refreshing."

It should be noted that dogs are not allowed at the Shut-Ins, so our hiking party did not partake in that pleasure.

The Shut-Ins aren't the only natural wonder on the hike. Perhaps just as well known is the Mina Sauk Falls, the highest waterfall in Missouri.

Mina Sauk was named for the daughter of Piankashaw Indian chief Taum Sauk. According to the Missouri Department of Conservation, legend has it the falls were formed when Mina threw herself off the mountain after her people had killed her Osage lover in a similar manner. The Great Spirit sent a bolt of lightning, which split the mountaintop, and water flowed over the ledges, washing away the blood of the lovers.

In the spring, blood-red flowers called Indian pinks grow along the banks of the stream.

Mina Sauk Falls drops 132 feet over three rocky outcrops. On our hike, however, it was bone dry because of a recent drought.

Less than two miles from Mina Sauk Falls is yet another interesting geological formation: the Devil's Tollgate, an 8-foot-wide passage through volcanic rock standing 30 feet high.

"That was an old road basically," Coates said. "Actually, I've been told it's an old Civil War road, too. That was a spot where the trail is kind of wide right through there, and it's the old roadbed. It's a good marker to say, 'Meet us at the Devil's Tollgate,' and historically, I'm sure a lot of events have taken place there through the course of time. It's a really, really neat place."

Supposedly, Jesse James hid out at Taum Sauk, so who knows, maybe there's some little-known history to the area as well.

But it's doubtful that he knew Taum Sauk would one day be considered a gem for hikers, a place that draws people for the quiet, the challenging climbs and the view.

Molly and I were impressed, even if she pooped out. Perhaps it wasn't wise to take such a young pup, because the hike is not to be taken lightly.

"It's very rugged, a lot of rocky footing and a lot of open glades," Coates said. "But especially in early spring ... you can see some really neat vistas."

This is B.C.'s hiking heaven

2005-07-27T13:31:00.001-07:00

The Province

Cathedral Lakes Provincial Park offers up a feast for the senses

Jane Cassie
Special to The Province

Tuesday, July 26, 2005

1 | 2 | NEXT >>

Thirty kilometres from the town of Keremeos and 2,000 metres skyward awaits Cathedral Provincial Park and 60 kilometres of the most heavenly hiking that you'll find in B.C.

The 33,000-hectare mountain wilderness is splashed with azure lakes, cloaked with alpine meadows and backed by some mighty majestic jagged peaks.

"It's like being on top of the world!" I exclaimed, as we took our final steps onto the rim trail where our panoramic sights included distant summits of the northern Cascades and coastal range of mountians.

Although the vista was indeed a rewarding grand finale, the entertainment en route was equally uplifting.

Moulting mountain goats, California big-horn sheep and large hoary marmots were viewed from our rocky rubble trail. They were joined by cooing ptarmigans, chirping chickadees and whistling sounds from timid picas.

As well as exploring the massive rock formations of so-called Stone City, we were in awe of the geological profile known as Smokey the Bear. Along with more than 36 bird species and 500 kinds of plants, the adventurous ascent had been a feast for the senses.

Although you might think hoofing to such a heady elevation would be a quest considered by only serious mountaineers, thanks to the convenient location of Cathedral Lakes Lodge, at 2,050 metres, even novice trekkers are able to partake.

The journey to this divine destination actually commences at the park's base camp where, after a scenic 22-kilometre drive through the Ashnola Valley, high-country seekers rise up some 1,200 metres via four-wheel transporters to the shimmering oasis of Quiniscoe Lake.

Thick stands of spruce, fir and larch enshroud the glistening gem and snow-tipped peaks provide a breathtaking backdrop.

Varied accommodations that sprawl on the shoreline include cozy log-hewn cottages, a modern-day Mongolian yurt for the meditation-minded, a horde of well-groomed campsites and the grand focal point, a Bavarian-style lodge that hosts half a dozen guest rooms.

Here, a soothing hot tub waits to offer therapeutic relief for strained and mountain-worn muscles, a fireside lounge entices game lovers and bookworms and three times a day the clanging dining gong stimulates some serious salivation.

Inclusion of all meals can be arranged upon reservation and both the head chef, Surya Misra and pastry chef, Karin Leja, have the gastronomic knack of satisfying even the heartiest alpine appetite.

Some of the buffet specialties during our stay included succulent lamb that was delicately spiced with herbs, tender strips of beef prepared with a full-bodied curry and a lemon-garnished salmon done to Epicurean perfection.

As well as serving home-baked granola, fresh fruit and yogurt, the chef entices with a full morning feast of pancakes, bacon, eggs -- the works -- and lunches are arranged on a dine-in or take-out-to-trek basis.

A myriad of trails, well-marked by stone-piled cairns, leads to a full range of hiking options and a chain of seven linked lakes that possess their individual allure.

Cell Phone Aids in Hiker Rescue

2005-07-27T13:31:00.000-07:00

KGMB9 - Hawaii's Severe Weather Station | KGMB9 Top Stories

A hiker's ordeal began Sunday afternoon when injured she called for help, but her cell phone went dead. Honolulu resident Karis Johns spent two windy nights in Nu`uanu valley before searchers were finally able to locate her.

911 Operator: What's your emergency?
Johns: I'm hiking, I'm hurt and I'm lost and I'm stuck.

On her cell phone, Johns called 911 late Sunday afternoon. She had gone hiking at Manoa Falls alone and now had no idea how to get back home. But before the operator could get any more information from her, the line went dead.

Johns: I can see Pearl Harbor and the little stretch of highway. Right where I am there's a little...
911 Operator: Tell you what, let me have your cell number first... Hello?

Search teams immediately began looking for the 27-year-old and last night eventually traced her last known location with the help of her cell phone company T-Mobile.

"They provided us with valuable information as far as the identity as well as the general area where the person may have called from," said Det. Phil Camero of HPD's Missing Persons Detail.

It wasn't much information, but it was enough. Today a rescue helicopter began bringing rescuers up to a mountain in upper Nu`uanu, but high winds made things difficult and dangerous.

"On the mountains, you're hitting accelerated updrafts and downdrafts so the aircraft shakes a lot and moves up and down a lot," explained HFD helicopter pilot Steven Aiu. "It's really hard getting into the landing areas we need to."

As hours passed, hope seemed to fade. But at around 2:30 p.m. a helicopter pilot spotted Johns about 3,000 feet up at the bottom of a ravine. Half an hour later, a military helicopter and a rescue person lifted her from the valley and headed straight to the Queen's Medical Center.

"We're really happy," said Capt. Kenison Tejada of the Honolulu Fire Department. "We were pulling that something positive would happen today. It came out that way, so we're really thankful."

Mountain presents its own challenges

2005-07-27T13:30:00.000-07:00

keepMEcurrent.com - Sports & Outdoors News - Current Publishing, LLC

By Jim Correale
Assistant Sports Editor
Email this story to a friend
Printer-friendly Format
Add your comments

REGIONAL (July 27, 2005): In August of 1997, I was two-thirds of the way up Mount Monadnock when rain began to fall. Despite a forecast that said serious precipitation would hold off until later in the day, the wet weather had come not long after noon, making the trail a little muddy and making the boulders that I was climbing over rather slippery.
I wasn’t too worried about myself. In fact, if I were alone I might have gone on without too much thought. However, navigating the trail behind me were eight girls, all 10 and 11 years old, none with any hiking experience, proper boots for the excursion or rain gear.
As the drops fell harder, we pushed forward, and I cautioned the girls to move slowly and carefully. At the same time, I looked over at Melissa, the 18-year-old junior counselor who was assisting me on this outing. She looked back at me, and our unspoken concerns were exchanged. Things were getting a bit dangerous.
I had decided to take this particular trip to Monadnock because I was about to leave my job as program director at the Boys & Girls Club in East Boston, a place I had attended as a teenager and had gone on to work at for 13 years. I had supervised hundreds of field trips throughout the years, including a couple dozen overnight trips. We’d gone hiking, camping, skiing, canoeing, cycling, whitewater rafting, horseback riding, done ropes courses and stayed at youth hostels, in addition to the usual amusement parks and ballgames.
I took advantage of every opportunity that I could to get our club members off the streets of the city and into a different environment. Our neighborhood, isolated from the rest of Boston by the harbor and sometimes a traffic nightmare because of the proximity of Logan Airport, tended to ingrain a parochial view of the world into its offspring. I wanted the young people of the community to know that there is a whole world out there with lots of charms to offer, and it isn’t really that far away.
When I had been working at the Club long enough to organize my first camping overnight, I knew immediately that the destination would be Mount Monadnock, in southwestern New Hampshire. I had a connection to the mountain from my childhood, and I wanted to help forge that connection for others.
A summer day camp I had attended in elementary school had ended each season with an overnight to Monadnock State Park and a climb of the mountain. For four consecutive years, I navigated the white dot trail, the easiest of the routes to the summit, and on each of those hikes I never made it to the top. Our group of 50 or so became spread out, with some finishing their ascent, eating the lunches that we carried and then heading back down before I could even catch a glimpse of the view from the peak.
Every year the counselors had me turn around, and I was a little disappointed that I hadn’t completed the mission. When it was time for me to take youngsters on the climb, I promised myself that every one would reach the bald pate of the mountaintop.
Most often the trips were arranged for the teenage guys who were most involved in Club activities, but as time went on we had an increasing number of girls among our members, so they were included as well. Eventually, I also felt comfortable taking a slightly younger crowd, as I knew what I was doing and I saw even very small children out on the trail – sometimes passing me.
On every climb, each of those who came along with me sat at Monadnock’s summit, eating a sandwich and enjoying the view. Most rewarding were those who had doubted themselves along the way, sweating and straining and telling me that they couldn’t go on. Their accomplishment was something they would always remember.
When I decided that I had spent enough time working at the Club and lined up a job teaching English, I made a big deal of announcing that, in my last week as program director, I would take one final outing: a day trip to Monadnock. I also decided that the trip would be open to some of our youngest female members. They had become daily visitors to the Club and they were close to me and they adored Melissa.
As a group they weren’t very athletic and, despite my detailed list of what to bring and what not to bring, experience told me that they would all wear clothes and shoes that weren’t right for hiking and that some of them would bring a backpack with too much stuff in it, while others would expect someone else to carry their food and water on the climb.
None of this mattered. I had been up Monadnock more than a dozen times, and I had brought Club members on many of those excursions. All of them made it up and all of them made it down without injury. I was confident that this trip would be no different.
When rain started to fall lightly, I figured that the heavier stuff would hold off, as the forecast had indicated. When it started to come down steadily and unceasingly, we were just emerging from the canopy of trees that covers more than half of the trail.
I stopped, looked at the sky and then at the girls.
“We don’t want to stop,” they said, sensing what I was thinking. “We want to keep going.”
I conferred with Melissa. It began to pour.
“We’re going to head back down,” I told them. There were a couple of sighs and a tiny bit of whining, but the girls turned around and followed the trail the way they’d come. I moved quickly to the front of the group, to test the terrain, lend a hand and to stop the fall of anyone who lost their footing.
The bottom section of Monadnock’s white dot trail is a wide dirt path and it inclines relatively slowly, but the middle third is predominately rocky and significantly steeper, and climbers must make their way over large gray boulders. As most climbers know, 95% of accidents happen on the way down a mountain, where fatigue, lack of focus and gravity combine to knock people off balance.
We, of course, had a steady rain added to the equation and my contingent of young, inexperienced hikers was started to slip, one after another, as they worked themselves down the trail. This would be the only time I ever became worried on Monadnock, but worried I was. The conditions had worsened, and we still had a significant part of the difficult terrain ahead of us. I was responsible for the safety of each of those children, and I had us in a tough spot.
Slowly and carefully we moved down the mountain. Melissa and I both helped each girl over particularly difficult spots, and we kept the gang together and focused. There was some slipping and sliding, but finally we made it to the less taxing bottom third, and soon after that we emerged into the parking lot at the base.
We hopped back into the van, a wet and tired bunch, and then I pointed the vehicle east and drove off. Minutes later, the girls were begging for fast food and we stopped at Burger King.
I sat with Melissa and told her that I had been a bit scared out on the mountain. We looked over at the girls, who had by then already forgotten about the climb and were laughing and shouting and munching on fistfuls of fries.
They were the only group that I hadn’t been able to lead to the top, but I learned that day that the task is not always of my choosing, and on that wet August day eight years ago my mission had become bringing those children safely down the mountain, and I succeeded.

NorCal wilderness bill passes U.S. Senate, again

2005-07-27T13:29:00.001-07:00

AP Wire | 07/26/2005 | NorCal wilderness bill passes U.S. Senate, again

NorCal wilderness bill passes U.S. Senate, again

Associated Press

WASHINGTON - A bill to designate 300,000 acres in California's northern coastal counties as wilderness lands passed the Senate on Tuesday for the second time in two years, but its prospects in the House remained uncertain.

The Northern California Coastal Wild Heritage Wilderness Act would give wilderness protection to some of California's most remote and beautiful areas, including portions of Mendocino National Forest and Six Rivers National Forest as well as a long stretch of undeveloped beach and coastal bluffs in Humboldt and Mendocino counties.

The bill, which passed on voice vote, was sponsored in the Senate by Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., and in the House by Rep. Mike Thompson, D-St. Helena.

Earlier this month, House Resources Committee Chairman Richard Pombo, R-Tracy, made good on a promise to hold a hearing on the bill. But Pombo has voiced skepticism about the legislation and it is unclear whether he will bring it to a vote.

200 Days to Winter Olympics

2005-07-27T13:29:00.000-07:00

SKI Magazine ~ 200 Days to Winter Olympics

July 25, 2005

PARK CITY, Utah – The 2006 Winter Olympics in Torino, Italy, open 200 days from Monday and U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association Vice President of Athletics Alan Ashley said "everything's on track" for U.S. skiers and riders to achieve their goal of “Best in the World” next Feb. 10-26.

"We've had a solid summer of training to this point," Ashley said, "and while you never know what's around the next bend, I think that everyone is doing a good job of preparing for the season. I was in Torino a month ago and our venues are coming together nicely. Everyone – our athletes, our coaches, the USSA staff – is fired up to get over there and compete. There's a lot of enthusiasm and optimism."

He drew parallels between the unprecedented success Lance Armstrong achieved with the Tour de France, winning the fabled cycling race seven straight years and then retiring, as promised, on Sunday.

"Lance showed us again that preparation and team work are critical ingredients in success. Regardless of how talented you may be, you just don’t show up and win. Lance and the Discovery Channel cycling team are doing it better than anyone else – putting together guts, teamwork, sport science and technology. You build on your strengths, you modify and make-up for shortcomings...and, all the while, you pay attention to the details," Ashley said.

"Every single day, you take care of the little things and the big things will take care of themselves. Lance Armstrong sets a good example for all of us when it comes to setting a goal and applying yourself day-in and day-out to this goal. I see a lot of parallels between his preparations and the dedication our skiers and snowboarders are applying to being “Best in the World” in Torino."

A quick rundown of preseason training by sport:

ALPINE SKIING – "There was good snow at Mammoth Mountain, CA for our men's and women's camps in May and June," Ashley said, "and as they get set to go into the Southern Hemisphere to New Zealand and Chile in August and September, the snow reports are indicating they'll have good snow for training down there, too."

FREESTYLE SKIING – The aerials team, fine-tuning jumps in the splash pool at the Utah Olympic Park in Park City, is in the midst of its third preseason training camp. The aerialists also had a second-annual conditioning camp with U.S. Navy SEALs near San Diego, CA, and an intense trampoline camp in Toronto. Moguls skiers also had a splash pool camp at UOP and leave shortly for several weeks of on-snow training in Chile.

SNOWBOARDING – Alpine riders focused on equipment testing, and more testing, at Mammoth Mountain in May, then attended a tactics and technique camp at Copper Mountain, CO, in June... Halfpipe riders enjoyed a warm but great camp in Mammoth in May with newcomer Danny Davis (Highland, MI). Next up for freestyle riders: New Zealand camp in August... Snowboardcross riders found softening snow, but more than enough for competitive training runs in June at Mammoth Mountain. “It was intense because riders were earning spots for the World Cups in Chile in September,” said U.S. Snowboarding Program Director Jeremy Forster.

NORDIC – The cross country team trains daily in Park City, roller-skiing, running and doing strength training. It heads to New Zealand shortly for its annual on-snow camp during most of August... Nordic combined skiers are training in Norway after a successful conditioning camp at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, CA, and near-daily jump training, dryland workouts and roller-skiing in Park City. They'll compete in central Europe in August during the annual Summer Grand Prix... Jumpers are training at UOP and will participate in jumping's annual Summer Grand Prix, too...

"I like what I've been watching this summer," Ashley said. "Two-hundred days will go by quickly as everyone gets ready for Torino."

Quiksilver, Inc. Successfully Completes Acquisition of Rossignol

2005-07-27T13:28:00.000-07:00

Quiksilver, Inc. Successfully Completes Acquisition of Rossignol

HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 26, 2005--Quiksilver, Inc. (NYSE: ZQK - News) today announced it has successfully completed its previously announced acquisition of Skis Rossignol S.A., the world leader in alpine ski equipment. Quiksilver now owns directly or indirectly approximately 94% of Rossignol, with over 95% of the voting rights, and anticipates acquiring additional shares through a second tender offer period that opened yesterday, which would be followed by a mandatory squeeze out if an additional 1% is acquired. Rossignol owns and operates a diversified portfolio of premier brands including Rossignol, Dynastar, Lange and Look in winter sports, as well as Cleveland Golf. Rossignol's revenues totaled approximately $589 million for the twelve months ended March 31, 2005.
ADVERTISEMENT

The combination of Quiksilver and Rossignol creates a global leader in the outdoor sports market, generating annual sales of apparel, wintersports equipment, golf equipment, shoes and accessories totaling approximately $2 billion on a pro forma basis for the twelve months ended April 30, 2005. Quiksilver continues to believe that the acquisition will be accretive to earnings per share by approximately $0.02 to $0.03 in its fiscal year ending October 31, 2005.

Robert B. McKnight Jr., Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Quiksilver, Inc., commented, "This is an incredibly exciting day for both Quiksilver and Rossignol. We have joined together a stable of strong, authentic, lifestyle brands that extend across multiple product categories in the outdoor market and reach millions of consumers around the world. Rossignol has been a leading alpine brand for decades and benefits from a tremendous heritage. Like Quiksilver, their team has a true commitment to performance and passion for sports and the outdoors. We look forward to leveraging each other's strengths and to fully capitalizing on the many new and exciting growth opportunities in our future. Over its long history, Rossignol has come to represent a compelling lifestyle, and just like Quiksilver, we believe it will be embraced by many more people as we communicate the message."

Bernard Mariette, President of Quiksilver, Inc., commented, "The opportunities created with this acquisition are tremendous and numerous. We believe there is an excellent strategic fit between Quiksilver and Rossignol, and we are committed to using our global infrastructure to maximize our new position as the world's leading outdoor company. Perhaps the greatest synergy of all, however, is the relationships of our people. We've started to plan our future together, and the long-standing values cultivated by Mr. Laurent Boix-Vives are the same values held by Quiksilver. These values will form the foundation of our merged company, and there is a definite excitement about the future as we look together at our combined potential."

The Company also stated that it has named Jean-Francois Gautier as President of Rossignol. Mr. Gautier has managed an investment fund for the past five years and was the President of wintersports equipment maker, Salomon, from 1990 to 1998.

Mr. Mariette continued, "We are thrilled to have someone of Jean-Francois' caliber join our senior management team. Jean-Francois is a highly respected industry veteran with significant, global experience and alpine expertise. His insight and leadership capabilities will be very valuable to us as we evolve Rossignol's global infrastructure and industrial capabilities. We have developed a thoughtful integration plan, which incorporates both growth opportunities as well as cost rationalization, and we look forward to sharing more specifics about our plans and progress in the near future. As an early step, we are very happy to be launching Roxy skis, boots, bindings and poles for the upcoming season. Roxy has represented women's sports from its beginnings, and broadening its wintersports products from snowboarding to alpine skiing is a natural, especially with the technology of Dynastar, Lange and Look behind it."

Mr. McKnight concluded, "Our alliance with Rossignol represents another milestone in our company's history and a logical and important step in our global expansion strategy. We have clearly transcended our humble beginnings on the beaches of California to become a world-wide, leading, lifestyle company. Our success to date is directly related to our ongoing commitment to the same core ideals on which we built Quiksilver; creativity, adventure, individual expression, a love of the outdoors and a passion for our lifestyle."

About Quiksilver:

Quiksilver, Inc. (NYSE:ZQK - News) is the world's leading outdoor sports company, which designs, produces and distributes a diversified mix of branded apparel, wintersports and golf equipment, footwear, accessories and related products. The Company's apparel and footwear brands represent a casual lifestyle for young-minded people that connect with its boardriding culture and heritage, while its wintersports and golf brands symbolize a long standing commitment to technical expertise and competitive success on the mountains and on the links.

The reputation of Quiksilver's brands is based on different outdoor sports. The Company's Quiksilver, Roxy, DC Shoes and Hawk brands are synonymous with the heritage and culture of surfing, skateboarding and snowboarding, and its beach and water oriented swimwear brands include Raisins, Radio Fiji, Leilani and Island Soul. The Rossignol, Dynastar, Lange, Look and Kerma brands are leaders in the alpine ski market, and the Company makes snowboarding equipment under its Rossignol, Dynastar, DC Shoes, Roxy, Lib Technologies, Gnu and Bent Metal labels. The Company's golf business includes Cleveland Golf, as well as Never Compromise putters and Fidra apparel by John Ashworth. Gotcha is the Company's surf-based European brand addressing street fashion.

The Company's products are sold in over 90 countries in a wide range of distribution, including surf shops, ski shops, skateboard shops, snowboard shops, our proprietary Boardriders Club shops, other specialty stores and select department stores. Quiksilver's corporate and Americas' headquarters are in Huntington Beach, California, while its European headquarters are in St. Jean de Luz and Voiron, France, and its Asia/Pacific headquarters are in Torquay, Australia.

Forward looking statements:

This press release contains forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, and actual results may differ materially. Please refer to Quiksilver's SEC filings for more information on the risk factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from expectations, specifically the section titled "Forward-Looking Statements" in Quiksilver's Annual Report on Form 10-K.

NOTE: For further information about Quiksilver, Inc., you are invited to take a look at our world at www.quiksilver.com, www.roxy.com, www.dcshoecousa.com, www.quiksilveredition.com, www.hawkclothing.com, www.rossignol.com, www.dynastar.com, www.clevelandgolf.com, and www.fidragolf.com.

Columnist gets painful reminder

2005-07-27T13:26:00.000-07:00

roanoke.com - Outdoors Stories - Columnist gets painful reminder

By Mark Taylor
The Roanoke Times

Over the years I've used this space as a pulpit from which to spread messages of caution and safety.

Among other things, I've written about the importance of wearing helmets while cycling, carrying a small emergency kit while in the backcountry, and using caution while using treestands for hunting.

I'm pretty good about following my own advice, and that's rooted in experience.

A few years ago I came frighteningly close to spending an unplanned night in the woods. Now whenever I plan to get off the beaten path I carry a kit that contains survival basics such as a reflective "space blanket," a signal mirror, cord, a whistle and matches.

My bike helmet never leaves my head when I'm on two wheels, even if I'm just pedaling a half-mile to 7-Eleven for a jug of milk. I learned first-hand the power of a helmet when I slammed head-first into the road at 30 mph. The wreck snapped my collarbone like a toothpick, and I firmly believe it would have killed me had I not been wearing a helmet.

Treestand use was another story.

I've heard and read lots of horror stories, and I've met many hunters who have been injured in treestand-related accidents. I even had a scary moment when my stand lost a bolt while I was in it.

But I hadn't had any real close calls.

And I sometimes took chances.

Experts say hunters should be buckled in with a safety harness from the moment their feet leave the ground until the moment they're back on terra firma. In fact, a disproportionate number of accidents happen while hunters are climbing to or from their stands.

If you hunt from a stand you know that using a harness while climbing and descending is a hassle. I usually go to the trouble, but once in a while I skip that step.

Fortunately, I didn't Thursday.

My plan for that afternoon was to pull down a couple of hang-on stands that I'd left in the woods at the end of last season.

I was already breaking a basic stand safety rule.

Really, I should have pulled the stands immediately after the season. Leaving them in the trees invited potential problems, including the deterioration of bolts on the stands, and rotting of the nylon cords and straps that attach the metal climbing steps and ladders to the trees.

As happens to many of us, the deer season ended and pulling the stands became an afterthought. Had I not intended to put them in different locations for the upcoming archery season, I might have even left them up there.

The two stands were close together, about a quarter mile into the woods from the nearest decent road. Driving my friend's John Deere Gator utility vehicle up an old logging road, I got close.

At the first stand I put on my safety harness and rigged up a lineman's harness, with a rope connecting two loops on the harness belt. That's my preferred setup for working on stands because I can lean back on the rope and my hands are free.

Before climbing I gave a strong tug on the ladder. It didn't budge. As I climbed I inspected the thick nylon cords attaching the ladder to the tree. They looked great. Within 30 seconds I was 16 feet up the tree and at the stand.

Now I just had to unhitch the stand from the trunk and lower it using the haul rope that still hung from the stand.

What happened next is a blur, and made me realize why so many hunters who survive tree stand falls have trouble explaining exactly what happened.

A searing pain jolted my left hand, and when I recoiled I slammed the back of the hand into a branch or the stand itself.

I don't think I let go with my right hand but I'm not sure.

I was being attacked by wasps, one of which had already gotten me.

Somehow, with wasps swarming me, I managed to get down that tree in about three seconds. Then, before I could flee, I had to unhook the harness from the tree. That seemed to take forever.

Eventually I was able to retreat to the Gator and get the heck out of there.

A couple things hit me as I sat in my friend's cabin and soaked my hand in an ice bucket for the next hour.

I'm lucky I'm not allergic to bee stings.

I'm especially fortunate that I was attached to that tree when the wasps attacked.

I didn't break my hand, but I broke a sagittal band, which holds one of my hand's tendons in place over a knuckle. I will have surgery in early August to repair the damage.

So I'll spend the next two months with my hand in a splint. That will be a pain.

But it could have been a lot worse.

Russia submits Sochi bid for 2014 Winter Olympics

2005-07-27T13:25:00.000-07:00

MOSCOW (AP) -- Russia's national Olympic committee agreed Tuesday to submit a bid from Sochi for the 2014 Winter Games, officials said.

Sochi, a Black Sea resort, was an unsuccessful candidate for the 2002 Olympics.

About 2,500 kilometers (1,500 miles) south of Moscow, Sochi is one of Russia's most visited vacation spots -- popular for balmy summer weather and skiing in the mountains to its east.

Sochi failed to make the list of finalists in the race for the 2002 Olympics, which went to Salt Lake City, Utah.

"This will be a unique Olympics for those who come. Why? Because for the first time a city which is also a highly popular summer resort is bidding for the winter games," said Alexander Pochinok, a deputy Kremlin envoy.

"The winter Olympics have been needed for a long time in this country, not just for the sake of it but to create a first-class winter sports resort," said Russian Olympic Committee chief Leonid Tyagachev.

Thursday is the deadline for submission of bids to the International Olympic Committee. The host city will be chosen in 2007.

Formal bids have already been submitted by Pyeongchang, South Korea; Salzburg, Austria, and Sofia, Bulgaria. Pyeongchang finished second behind Vancouver, British Columbia, and Salzburg was third in the vote for the 2010 Olympics.

Other likely contenders include Almaty, Khazakhstan; Bakuriani, Georgia; and Jaca, Spain.

Copyright 2005 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Russia submits Sochi bid for 2014 Winter Olympics - Tuesday July 26, 2005 2:55PM

Kids take camping to extreme

2005-07-27T13:22:00.000-07:00

Posted on Tue, Jul. 26, 2005

Associated Press photos
Benny Swedberg, 13, of Seattle, zips his mountain bike down a narrow trail during the YMCA’s Camp Orkila Freedom Sports Week on Orcas Island, Wash. This non-traditional summer camp specializes in adventure sports including mountain biking, BMX, skateboarding and rodeo.

Gabriel Salazar, 11, of Bothell, Wash., right, fires an arrow during the YMCA’s Camp Orkila Freedom Sports Week at Orcas Island, Wash. The summer camp takes place on a 400-acre, 99-year-old site. The camp had 30 enrollees in its first year, four years ago. Enrollment is now more than 200 children.

Kids take camping to extreme

By Martha Mendoza

Associated Press

ORCAS ISLAND, Wash. – There are the requisite tater tots, plenty of kids and massive games of Capture the Flag, but this is no ordinary summer camp.

Instead of walking around downed logs, campers jump their bikes over them. At swimming hour, campers do double flips off the side of the pool. And counselors don’t even bother trying for the traditional after-lunch rest hour.

At the end of a long day, weary campers gather around a fire for what looks like what might be at least a traditional moment. But as they gather, squinting through the last rays of sun, no one is singing “Kumbaya.”

“Go hard or go home!” shout the kids, their voices echoing over Puget Sound.

Their clothes are sweaty, their hair filled with dust, their eyelids drooping. It’s clear that everyone is going hard, and no one is going home.

This is the YMCA’s Camp Orkila Freedom Sports Week, a weeklong extravaganza of jumps and bumps, ollies and grinds, a few scrapes and bruises and a lot of adrenaline.

“At this camp we don’t tell them to slow down, we tell them to go fast, and faster,” said Chris Pierce, who runs camping services for the YMCA in the Seattle area.

“Our job is to go where the kids are interested,” said Pierce, “and kids are interested in going fast.”

There’s a custom-built BMX racing track where kids fly through the air on wheels, kicking up dust and spraying loose rocks on the fast dips and rolls. There’s a skateboard park – rated one of the three best parks in the world by industry magazines – where inline skaters and skateboarders drop in on 4-foot drops, swooping and sliding on the wavelike cement.

There are handmade ladders and teeter-totters in the woods where mountain bikers challenge their skills. There’s Ultimate Frisbee, wild west rodeo, sailing, hip hop dancing and an archery program co-sponsored by USA Archery.

It’s not just the sports that are unusual – it’s the coaches. World champion athletes – often wearing their stars and stripes jerseys just for inspiration – take a break from training for the week to volunteer at the camp, running campers through drills, games and adventures, keeping a close eye on their skills and safety.

“I really love seeing the kids progress, seeing their confidence come up,” said Tela Crane, 18, a two-time national champion bicycle track sprinter who placed 10th in the world last year. “Some of these kids don’t even have bikes, and here they get to ride excellent bikes on nice trails.”

The camp started four years ago after Pierce, frustrated by drops in summer camp enrollment nationwide, decided to revamp one of the YMCA’s showcase camps into a place that would meet kids at their level. The camp costs about $580 for the week, but kids who can’t afford that can go for free.

“After 125 years, the YMCA has gotten really good at lanyards and leather work, but we’re not meeting kids where they’re at,” he said.

Pierce chose Camp Orkila, a spectacular 400-acre, 99-year-old summer camp set in a sparkling cove on an island off the tip of the northwestern corner of the United States.

He brought in paramedic Jim Brown to run the program. Brown, known around camp as FSD (Freedom Sports Dude) has tattoos on his forearms, bleach-blond hair and a goatee. He manages one of the top junior bicycle racing teams in the country, and has the skills to coordinate the camp, the contacts to bring in the coaches and the hyperkinetic energy to pump everyone up.

“These kids are learning life lessons out on those trails,” Brown said. “They’re learning that it’s all about the journey, not the prize. They’re learning to challenge themselves. They’re learning to try and try and try in order to succeed.”

The camp is supported by an array of donors including Warren Miller, the godfather of adventure sports, whose ski films inspired a new genre of documentary and risktaking.

Now 80, Miller visited Camp Orkila in mid-session, his bright blue eyes delighted as children flashed past on bikes, boats and boards.

“They’re experiencing freedom within the limits of their own physical capability,” he said as a catamaran loaded with campers flew through the wind toward the camp dock. “Everyone, just everyone, wants freedom.”

Even so, the camp wasn’t an easy sell.

The president of the camp’s insurer paid the camp a personal visit, and the board of directors held an emergency executive committee meeting where they fretted over whether skateboarding and mountain biking, and the inevitable accompanying tattoos and piercings, could meet the mission of the YMCA.

Their doubts echoed those voiced almost a century ago when basketball first made its way around this country through the YMCA. And like those ancient doubts, these too soon were alleviated when it became clear this indeed was how to serve kids and the community.

Four years ago, in its first year, just 30 kids showed up for Freedom Sports Week. Word spread, and enrollment increased to 90 campers, then 180. This year more than 200 showed up to play.

“I had no idea what to expect, but everyone here is really with it,” said hip-hop dancer Brittni Legendre, 16, who had never had the opportunity to go to camp before. “It’s been great to get away, to just have fun.”

The focus is on the adventure rather than the score. The BMX track is a continuous loop, contests aren’t allowed at the skateboard park, and mountain bikers challenge themselves on new terrain rather than race. There are no courts, no tennis or golf. There are no scores. No losing teams.

Some of the campers arrive already committed to their sport – kids such as 13-year-old Jordan Campbell, who sold his Xbox computer game a few years ago to buy a bike. He now races with a team, many of whom joined him at camp this summer.

Others, such as 15-year-old Leigh Gronfein, are new to their sport. Rubbing a smear of dust from her brow, Gronfein grinned and hummed as she walked the quarter-mile trail to lunch from the archery range.

“I’m feeling great today. I’ve hit like seven bull’s-eyes so far,” she said on her third day of camp.

Gronfein, and most of the campers, come to work on their sport and end up enjoying the nature, the camping and the boisterous company as well.

“It’s beautiful here, gorgeous and huge,” she said. “There’s so much space for all of us.”

Even the skateboard punks – who would never have signed up for a week of weenie roasts and campfire skits – end up having a try at sailing, horseback riding and sleeping under the stars.

It’s clear, however, that most have a passion for their sport.

On a cool morning toward the end of their session, eight kids on mountain bikes zip down a trail called “Psycho.” They’re panting and hooting as they maneuver 4 miles of steep, winding track through a dense forest.

“This is so cool! Can we do this again? This is great!” shouts 14-year-old John Place, his exuberant cries fading as he blazes on.

Going below the surface

2005-07-26T07:50:00.000-07:00

It's been a rule in the backcountry for decades: Unfiltered water is unsafe. Now, Linda Marsa reports, research of remote Sierra sites shifts the blame for illnesses thought to be caused by giardia.

Linda Marsa
Bob DERLET drinks his water straight — without fancy filters or chemical treatments. He leans face down into Delaney Creek, which flows directly down into Tuolumne Meadows from the Sierra Crest, taking healthy gulps from the rushing stream, and then fills his water bottle. It's nearly noon on an early summer day, and temperatures are hovering in the mid-80s. After a rigorous two-mile ascent in altitudes around 9,500 feet, the pristine mountain water is indescribably refreshing: no chemical aftertaste of tap water and chilled to perfection by the Sierra's melting snowpack.

"No one camps above here. There's no livestock or park animals so there's little chance of contamination," says Derlet, gesturing toward Mt. Dana in the distance and the lush, grassy alpine meadow surrounding the creek.

ADVERTISEMENT

Derlet should know. The emergency room physician and professor at UC Davis School of Medicine in Sacramento has spent part of the last five summers hiking about 2,000 miles throughout the Sierra and stopping at spots such as Bubbs Creek in Kings Canyon and Vogelsang Lake in Yosemite to test the water at 100 sites each year for the presence of microscopic miscreants.

It's a Herculean task, but he's driven by a desire to meld his lifelong passion for the outdoors with his expertise as a scientist. Because half of California's fresh water comes from the Sierra Nevada, Derlet is curious about pollution levels in the wilderness and what that would mean for the future of a state whose growth is dependent on clean water. Funded by grants from the Wilderness Medical Society, Derlet's field work is part of a projected 20-year water quality study.

But what he's uncovered already is surprising, both for the seasoned wilderness traveler as well as the day hiker who stares longingly at a gushing river and wonders whether it's safe to take a slug. At many trails and backcountry camps throughout California, signs warn visitors off casual sipping. But are the dangers of Giardia lamblia, E. coli, Cryptosporidium and other bugs that wreak intestinal havoc grossly exaggerated?

Derlet thinks so, and his research reveals that the water is much cleaner than most people believe. His findings thrust him into the middle of a long-simmering controversy that's blatantly at odds with what many state biologists preach and what wilderness classes teach: Purify water before drinking. But is that really necessary? Do those high-priced pumps, chemical disinfectants and elaborate filtration gadgets truly merit a place in the backpack?

"It's a huge debate," says Ryan Jordan, a biofilm engineer at Montana State University in Bozeman who has studied pollution in wilderness areas.

The available scientific evidence, which is admittedly limited because of the scarcity of funding for testing wilderness water quality, confirms Derlet's findings. The threat is comparable to the chances of beachgoers being attacked by a shark, according to University of Cincinnati researchers who studied the danger giardia poses to backpackers, namely "an extraordinarily rare event to which the public and the press have seemingly devoted inappropriate attention."

And yet, some doctors say that backcountry water is not safe to drink, even if it looks clear as glass. Defecating wildlife and encroaching hordes of campers who aren't environmentally savvy have spoiled the lakes, rivers and streams of the pristine wilderness. "Infectious agents don't change the water's appearance. You can't taste, smell or see them," says Dr. Paul Auerbach, an emergency room physician at Stanford University in Palo Alto and author of the standard text "Field Guide to Wilderness Medicine." "All it takes is a few beavers upstream, and you're in big trouble."

The National Park System and the U.S. Forest Service urge backpackers not to drink untreated water, and it has become an accepted article of faith among wilderness travelers that a water cleanser is as indispensable as a tent, compass and boots. Veteran backpackers like Jim Metropulos, who handles water quality issues for the Sierra Club in Sacramento, view water purification devices as an insurance policy that "provides a backup layer of security."

Little wonder people are convinced that drinking untreated water these days is inviting trouble. A bad case of the runs can ruin a backpacking trek, and you can end up chained to the bathroom for weeks if you contract giardiasis, the intestinal scourge that ignited the water purification debate more than two decades ago. "The issue was first widely publicized in the early 1980s," says Derlet. "Because it only takes a small dose, 10 to 25 giardia cysts [infectious particles of the parasite], to become sickened, people were alarmed."

Some point the finger at pump makers for inflating the risks and making backpackers ultra-vigilant about purifying water. "The advent of affordable water filters kick-started this whole debate," says Jordan, who is also editor of Backpacking Light magazine. "There's a lot of money in water filters: They cost anywhere from $40 to $100 a pop, and there are several million backpackers in the United States, so do the math. The water filter industry has instilled in people a mantra of 'you just never know,' rather than trying to educate them about the differences between good water sources and bad ones."

The results of a study conducted in 1993 by researchers at the University of Nevada in Reno and the U.S. Geological Survey in Sacramento were eye-opening. Of 41 backpackers who trekked to the Desolation Wilderness in Eldorado National Forest west of Lake Tahoe, six of them were stricken with cramping, diarrhea, nausea and bloating. Yet lab tests revealed that none of them was infected with giardiasis. Researchers didn't determine exactly which bugs were sickening the backpackers, but they think the culprits were the usual suspects — E. coli, salmonella or Campylobacter jejuni — which they might not have contracted from drinking water.

Taking this research one step further, the scientists analyzed the backcountry water for giardia. The bug was indeed present, but at such low levels of concentration — just a few cysts per 100 gallons — that backpackers, on average, would have to drink 250 gallons a day to become ill.

"People tell me they went on a five-day backpacking trip and when they got back they got diarrhea, so they assume they had giardia," says Derlet. "But when I ask them if they've been tested for it, they haven't. But they're still convinced that it has to be that. The fact is that if someone develops diarrhea after a wilderness trip, they most likely got the bug before they entered the wilderness or from someone while they were on the trip, not from the water."

The 1995 University of Cincinnati survey of 48 of the 50 state health departments in the United States came to similar conclusions. Only two of the agencies considered giardia a problem for backpackers, and even then, they had no data to support this concern. Although giardia sickens about 20,000 Americans each year — outbreaks have been linked to contaminated drinking water in small towns, food handlers and child-care workers who are infected when they change diapers — the researchers didn't find any evidence that wilderness water is a cause. "Neither health department surveillance nor the medical literature," they note, "support the widely held perception that [giardia] is a significant risk to backpackers."

The reality is that poor personal hygiene, not contaminated water, "is to blame for people getting sick in the backcountry," says Gregg Fauth, wilderness manager for Sequoia and Kings Canyon national parks. Diarrhea-causing bugs, such as giardia and its cousin, Cryptosporidium, two parasites that live in the intestines of animals and humans, are transmitted through fecal matter — primarily by people who don't practice good sanitary habits, such as washing their hands or properly disposing of their feces, which should be buried at least 10 feet away from the water.

The typical chain of events is that hikers or backpackers go to the bathroom, then don't wash their hands thoroughly, if at all. Afterward they make dinner or even share a snack and contaminate the food with fecal matter, along with any disease-causing germs that were hitching a ride in their intestines. Giardia can even be spread by touching surfaces — eating utensils, camping gear, water filtration pumps — that are contaminated with feces from an infected person.

"We are so dependent on convenient sanitation that when people go out in the wilderness," says Dr. Howard Backer, a water purification expert and a past president of the Wilderness Medical Society, "they fall apart, and their habits drop to Third World standards."

In light of this growing evidence, Derlet decided to do some testing of his own — not only to debunk some myths, but also to figure out ways to preserve wilderness water for future generations. Starting in early May until the first snowfall in October or November, Derlet shoehorns wilderness forays into his busy schedule of teaching, research and stints in the emergency room, racking up 24 miles on a day hike, during which he hits about 10 places, or taking three-day backpacking trips to visit more than 20 spots. In the process, he's become intimately acquainted with the terrain of nearly every lake, creek and tributary off the hiking trails in the Sierra.

By collecting enough information so that pollution patterns become strikingly apparent, he hopes to identify the reasons why some areas become contaminated while others remain pristine. That way, effective steps can be taken to keep all the waters clean. "Initially, this was instigated by the backpacking water quality debate," he says. "But I also want to come up with some conclusions about which water is always pure, which water is subject to pollution and why that is and what we can do about it."

Lean and lanky, the 56-year-old physician, with his shock of thick, dark hair and long unlined face, is a poster boy for the benefits of clean living. He nimbly climbs up the steep 700-foot incline from the trailhead off of Tioga Road, the two-lane blacktop that traverses Yosemite, to his first stop of the day: Dog Lake in Tuolumne Meadows near Lembert Dome, at the eastern edge of Yosemite. He walks in long loping strides past the lodgepole pines, and the profusion of yellow and red wildflowers that burst into life in the early summer, and kneels at the edge of the water.

"Lake water is better," he says, glancing up. "Most people think the water is better from a nice, running stream because it's so fresh and churned up. But the top few inches of lake water are zapped with ultraviolet rays from the sun, which are a very powerful disinfectant."

Despite his lofty goals, Derlet's testing methods are decidedly low-tech. He carries his equipment in a fanny pack strapped around his waist that is about the size and heft of a tool belt. His routine is virtually the same at each of the sites where he takes samples: He snaps on a pair of blue latex gloves to avoid contamination and then skims a plastic test tube along the surface of the water, collecting just enough to fill the 2-inch rectangular container, which he stores neatly in an ice chest that he stows in his SUV. He dips a thermometer in the water, and then jots down the time, water temperature and altitude on a log to record each visit. The samples will be taken back to his laboratory at UC Davis and tested for such bugs as giardia.

After making the late morning ascent to Dog Lake, he drives along Tioga Road to do a series of hikes into other places in the park, ranging from the highlands of Tioga Pass, where he clambers through packed snow in altitudes that climb to 10,000 feet, to boulder-strewn trails in the lower elevations around Tenaya Lake closer to Yosemite Valley. He finishes up in the early evening after treks along Gaylor, Budd, Snow and Yosemite creeks to collect samples in designated wilderness areas that aren't heavily trafficked.

It's an arduous day, but what his research reveals so far is encouraging: High Sierra waters are not nearly as polluted as was thought 15 or 20 years ago and contain about 10,000 normal aquatic bacteria per quart, which is not harmful at all. Derlet has mostly found low levels of E. coli, primarily in regions below cattle grazing tracts and popular campgrounds, and Yersinia enterocolitica, a bacteria from the droppings of migrating flocks of birds, in high country alpine lakes. The most fecal matter he's unearthed has been in the runoff from the melting snow in the spring, when it washes the ground, and sweeps everything, including manure, into the streams. The only situation in which Derlet treats water is below sheep and cattle pastures, and in slow-flowing warm streams immediately below heavily used campsites. Otherwise, most of the water is clean enough to drink

"I've felt at home in the wilderness for the past 50 years," he reflects, perched on a log near the trailhead leading to Gaylor Lakes in between bites of a tuna salad, fruit and crackers. "I want to do whatever I can to ensure that 100 years from now, we have clean water and clean forests. That why I'm doing this — to contribute to the science to help preserve it and to distill the true science from rumor."

*

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Linda Marsa is a freelance writer based in Los Angeles. She can be reached at outdoors@latimes.com.

*

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX)

TIPS

Drink responsibly

There are many places in the Sierra where you can safely drink the water, but choose carefully. "If you have a question, then treat it," says Gregg Fauth, wilderness manager for Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks. But if you have a hankering for fresh water and don't want to lug a pump or disinfectants that make the water unappetizing, drinking smart can minimize risks of getting sick.

Don't drink untreated water in places downstream from livestock pastures and large backpacker camps. "Humans and cattle are the worst offenders," Fauth says.

Water at higher elevations is safer because there's less risk of pollution by humans or wildlife. As water travels to lower elevations, it can pick up contaminants along the way.

Lake water, especially the top few inches, has less bacteria than running streams because the rays of the sun act as a disinfectant. And big lakes are better than smaller, shallow lakes because there's more of a surface to sanitize.

Clean melted snow is less risky than ice from the surface of a lake or stream because hardy diarrhea-causing bacteria can survive for months on ice.

Deep well water is considered safe because the water is filtered when passing through the soil, which removes giardia cysts. Springs bubbling from the side of a mountain are generally safe too.

Avoid drinking untreated water from stagnant ponds or slow-moving streams.

Don't leave home without them: Alcohol hand gels, which are available in drug stores, are incredibly effective at inactivating bacteria on your hands. "Washing your hands," says Dr. Howard Backer, a water purification expert, "will prevent you from spreading bacteria to your fellow camper when you prepare the food."

— Linda Marsa

What Heatwave?… “Indoor” Snownews from Around the World

2005-07-26T07:49:00.000-07:00

July 25, 2005
Nieve Mundo (Ski Press) Star City Adds X-Attractions, Unlimited Snow Prepare For The Arctic, Extreme Snow Event At Snowscape, South Africa, Sports Minister Backs SnOasis Project, New Indoor Snow Company Launched, Korea Plans Indoor Snow Centre for Busan, Xanadu Construction ‘Ahead of Schedule’, Big Banana Gets New Joint Owners, Kerry Packer Invests in Welsh Casino, Dry Slopes Encourage Britons To Learn To Ski Then Head For Conventional Resorts.

Star City Adds X-Attractions

Star City in Birmingham, UK, has added extensive new attractions to transform the existing facility in to more of a destination and change the established perception of the center. Built and operated by the SELECT company, the new facilities include an indoor snow sledding slope, 25 meters long and five wide. The slope is designed for sledging only, not skiing or boarding. There is also an outdoor skate park, a climbing wall with several routes of various difficulties and an air park suspended from the ceiling. A five-a-side soccer pitch is also planned.

Unlimited Snow Prepare For The Arctic

Amsterdam based indoor snow center experts, Unlimited Snow, are pressing ahead with their first ‘Arctic’ indoor snow facility, to open in 2007/2008 in Etten-Leur in the south of the Netherlands. The snow center will form part of a sport complex with swimming pool, fitness, sports hall, sports retail, jungle world, sports and leisure educational institutes and hotel. Among many unique features, The Arctic will include an igloo village made of real snow where guests can stay overnight.
The Arctic is a ‘Stretched Igloo’ design re-locatable (instant structure) building with a patented snow circuit. Visitors to The Arctic, will also be able to choose between a electric snowmobiling, digging up snow with electric diggers, bobsledding over bridges and tunnels, bumper cars on ice as well as dog sledding and cross country skiing.
Thrill seekers will get their highs in the ‘The Wave’, a speedy tubing area with slides and spins or indulge in snowball fights in the ‘Snow Wars’ sector. Snowman building or dressing up as an Inuit and being photographed against a backdrop of arctic Scenery are available to those not looking for speed or a face full of snow. An arctic motion theatre and a ‘Base Station’ will be part of the high tech area, which will also include snow related simulators and virtual reality games. The food and beverage designs include an arctic barbecue area, an arctic lounge featuring an open fire and an ‘igloo bar’ themed as an igloo.
”Chill out” balconies will offer people the chance to create own ice sculptures or to watch others climbing on ‘The Glacier’ - a real ice climbing wall. Special effects will make The Arctic even more realistic, with animatronic skimos and polar bears, 3D landscaping, digital projection creating a change from day to night and trees that smell of pine. A sound system will even be put into the entrance so that guests will hear themselves walking on crispy snow.
www.unlimitedsnow.com

Extreme Snow Event At Snowscape, South Africa

The Oakley Air & Style event wil be held between 29th and 31st July at Snowscape, South Africa at the Forest Road Décor center in Fourways.
There will be a 60m real snow slope with a Big Air Jump and Slopestyle course. The event will kick off on Friday with practice sessions from 16:00 -22:00 and at the same time a street shoot with some of our top skiers, snowboarders and skateboarders will take place at locations around Johannesburg
On Saturday, there will be demos during the morning with the Slope Style and Rail Jam Sessions starting at 15:00 and continuing into the night for the Big Air Event, prize giving and after party. Other activities available over the weekend consist of RAP jumping, Big Boy Scooters, Quad Bike rides, Playstation Pods and a bigger than ever after party. On Sunday, there will be snowboarding and skiing sessions and also open slope sliding sessions for those who can’t take part in the event and just want to have fun.
Entrance to the competition costs R200 and registration will take place on the Saturday. Prizes will be awarded for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place in both disciplines for the Biggest Air (Skiing Big Air and Snowboarding Big Air), Best Line up (Slopestyle), Best Trick / Set of Tricks (Rail Jam) and biggest Wipe with an overall winner in each category ie. Overall Mens Snowboarder, Overall Ladies Snowboarder and Overall Skier.
For more information contact SnowScape on South Africa (0)861 787 909.

Sports Minister Backs SnOasis Project.

The British Sports Minister, Richard Caborn, has given his support to the SnOasis indoor snow center in England, claiming that the winter sports leisure resort will be ‘a real asset to the country’s pool of sports and leisure facilities’. The Sports Minister joins the numerous organizations and individuals, including the British Olympic Association and Visit Britain, who have already backed the privately funded project.
In a letter to the developer, Onslow Suffolk, the Minister praises the scheme and acknowledges that it would be a significant boost to the region’s economy. His letter goes on to say ‘(SnOasis) would provide a winter sports center of excellence for people in the local community, athletes and young people with the potential to become international and Olympic competitors.’
A planning application for SnOasis has been submitted to Mid Suffolk District Council and it is expected to be considered by their planning committee later this year.

New Indoor Snow Company Launched in India

Snow World India, the country’s only indoor snow centre, has launched a new company 2R Leisure from their base in Hyderabad
“Snow World’s snow making and snowfall technology is based on 2R Leisure’s natural snow making technology,” said RAJA Jupudi, Director of Ocean Park Multi Tech Limited. “2R Leisure’s technology is eco-friendly and makes snow using water and air.”
Snow World, which opened in January 2004 is spread over 1609 square meters (17,000 square feet) with activities including a snow slide, snow merry go-round, snow mountain climbing, snow bumper cars, ice skating rink, ice sculptures, snow basket ball, snow volley ball, snow play area and snow-fall. Snow World has won the Indian National Award for Best Creativity Innovations for 2005.
www.snowworldindia.com
www.2rleisure.com

Xanadu Construction ‘Ahead of Schedule’

Despite several legal challenges, building work at Xanadu, the Mills Corporation’s 1.3 billion dollar office and leisure complex is “a little ahead of schedule” according to a company spokesman.
The latest legal challenge was an environmental one from the Sierra Club who wanted to block the paving over of eight acres of wetlands next to Continental Arena to make way for the Xanadu retail and entertainment complex. A judge denied the Sierra Club’s request for a temporary order to prevent construction from continuing at the site at the Meadowlands Sports Complex. The Club has however said that it will continue its fight.
The latest legal challenge comes several months after the New York Giants sued New Jersey State over disagreements to do with the construction of a new $750m stadium for them on the site. These disagreements still seem to be rumbling on although key issues have been agreed and construction of Xanadu reportedly continues.,
The final go-ahead for work to begin on the five million-square-foot development was given on March 16th, 2005; two years after the Mills proposal for the site was accepted over rival bidders. The entertainment/retail component of Xanadu, including what will be the first North American indoor snow center, is now scheduled to open in mid-2007. Mills Corporation, who built the Xanadu mall with snowdome in Madrid, are converting the former ‘Continental Airlines Arena’ at Meadowlands into a convention center with 500 room hotel, shopping mall, entertainment center including a 35 screen cinema - the largest in the US, climbing wall, roller coaster, giant ferris wheel; extreme-sports skate park, luxury spa, hall of fame, indoor snow center and office space.

Big Banana Gets New Joint Owners

Coffs Harbour’s Big Banana Theme Park in New South Wales, home to the only surviving indoor snow slope in Australia, has a new 50% owner - Canberra-based Village Building Company. Village will build about 300 tourist apartments and an upgrade of many of the attractions, pouring up to $300 million into development of 40-year-old tourist attraction area over the next 10 years. Plans include a new “3D electronic Banana Experience theatre”, The Canberra Times reported.
Village chief executive Bob Winnel said while it was the first foray his company had made into developing a tourist attraction, there was a sound business case for getting involved in the project. “The banana was the first of the big things in Australia and it is starting to look a bit tired. Surveys have shown it is extremely well-known … and is a big drawcard,” he said.
By redeveloping the tourist attraction he was confident the number of visitors could be boosted from 450,000 to about 600,000 a year.
Mr Winnel said the facility, which includes an indoor ski slope and ice rink, would be developed to better reflect the region along the lines of a water-based resort.

Kerry Packer Invests in Welsh Casino

Kerry Packer, the Australian billionaire, will be building a $360 million casino in Cardiff Bay in Wales. The casino will be the center of a much bigger complex including two hotels, a snow sports center, and an indoor hockey arena for the Cardiff Devils ice hockey team.
Working through Aspers, a unit of Packer’s Aspinall Packer Group, Packer managed to defeat competition from Ameristar Casinos, because the Cardiff city council said that the Aspers plan seemed more in tune with the city council’s vision for the complex, intended to be a full entertainment complex and not only a casino area.

Dry Slopes Encourage Britons To Learn To Ski Then Head For Conventional Resorts

Six dry ski slopes across the UK are offering cut-price courses for beginner skiers - both adults and children - to learn this summer. The most improved skier from each slope will win a holiday for two from the UK’s biggest ski operator Crystal Ski.
The courses are backed by The Association of Snowsports countries: Andorra, Austria, Canada, Finland, France, Norway and Switzerland. The aim is to encourage more people to try the sport. The Ski Challenge courses will be held at dry slopes in Glasgow, Gloucester, Sheffield, Stoke, Aldershot and Rossendale and registrations are taken either in person or over the phone. The cost of the course is £50 per adult and £40 per child (under 18 years) and for this the instructors will get completely novice skiers to the dry ski slope bronze level - which means they are capable of skiing a slope.
The cost is approximately half the normal rates and entrants need to register by 31st July and complete lessons by 31st August. At the end of the Ski Challenge each slope will hold a themed party, sponsored by one of the participating Snowports countries and all entrants can take place in a slalom race, with prizes and medals.
One winner from each slope will win a Crystal Ski holiday for one adult and a child to one of the countries participating in this promotion.
The Chairman of the Association, Oskar Hinteregger, said: “This is a great opportunity to learn to ski at very low cost and with a very real chance of winning a holiday. We want to encourage as many people as possible to try this sport because they will find it much easier than many imagine.
“The number taking up skiing in Britain is rising each year and more than 1 million Britons now take a ski holiday every year. But it’s still hard for schools to organise trips and we particularly want to encourage children.”

Wilderness groups file lawsuit to force grazing plan

2005-07-26T07:48:00.000-07:00

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- A pair of wilderness group are suing the federal government to force the implementation of a grazing plan in the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area.

The Center for Biological Diversity and Great Old Broads for Wilderness filed the lawsuit in U.S. District Court for Utah Friday.

It would compel the U.S. Department of Interior and to institute the 1999 plan when the Bureau of Land Management next renews grazing leases along the Utah-Arizona border.

"The Park Service recognized itself the livestock was causing damage to the resources up there so they formulated this management plan," said Greta Anderson, a botanist and range restoration coordinator for the Tucson, Ariz.-based Center for Biological Diversity. "So what we want is for them to enforce it."

A telephone call to the recreation area headquarters in Page, Ariz., was not immediately returned. And in Washington, Interior spokesman John Wright said the department could not comment.

The lawsuit alleges the plan has been ignored despite the renewal of leases in 24 areas. It claims resource damage includes vegetation, streams, archaeological sites and recreation.

To allow stream corridors "to be destroyed by indiscriminate cattle grazing is just not acceptable," said Rose Chilcoat, program director for Great Old Broads for Wilderness.

In a prepared statement, Veronica Egan, executive director of Great Old Broads, said her organization has made multiple attempts to resolve the issue through letters and discussion, but saw no changes made by the agency.

Information from: The Salt Lake Tribune, http://www.sltrib.com

Driving Responsibly in the Outdoors

2005-07-26T07:47:00.000-07:00

--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Exploring the great outdoors is a year-round pastime, from hiking and biking to off-roading and extreme sports. The popularity of sport utility vehicles, all-terrain vehicles and trucks shows how much consumers crave an adventurous lifestyle. But unless it's done responsibly, four-wheeling could have a damaging effect on the environment.

When driving off the highways and main roads, it's important to take extra precautions. Remembering a few practical tips can help make the trip enjoyable, while minimizing any impact on surrounding areas.

-- Plan and prepare a route that is safe, legal and within the limitations of your vehicle. Local agencies like the Forest Service, National Park Service, or Bureau of Land Management should have information on off-highway vehicle trails near you.

-- Stay on designated roads and trails. Drivers should only use trails designated for off-highway vehicle use, and should never make their own shortcuts or trails. Private land should only be crossed with the owner's permission.

-- Make sure to drive in the middle when on the trail. You'll avoid widening the lane and destroying vegetation along the roadside. If possible, also avoid driving through mud or soft soil.

-- Drive over fallen trees or other obstacles at an angle, one wheel at a time. Driving around them can destroy vegetation surrounding the trail, so sometimes it's best to either move the object or drive over it.

-- If you must cross a stream, do so slowly at a 90-degree angle, and only at trail fording points -- where the trail usually crosses the water.

The national nonprofit organization Tread Lightly! has developed a variety of educational materials to encourage responsible four-wheeling, mountain biking, ATV riding, sand duning, personal watercraft use, snowmobiling and off-highway motorcycling.

For the full story, go to http://www.medialinkfeatures.com/home.aspx?Story=30668

ABOUT MEDIALINK FEATURES: Medialink Features provides free, ready-to-run, non-copyrighted news features, fillers and photos to newspaper and online editors. To download copy and photos, please visit http://www.medialinkfeatures.com.

Campers, RVs keep Michigan vacationers rolling

2005-07-26T07:46:00.000-07:00

July 25, 2005 - 6:40AM
BANGOR TOWNSHIP (AP) - Hot summer weather, more affordable trailers and hectic lives are helping sell more pop-up campers.

John and Jenay Korpal are the owners of Tri-City RV in Bay County's Bangor Township. They've sold 88 new and used camping trailers so far this year -- including 20 in June alone compared with 75 all of last year.

The Korpals offer everything from $5,500 pop-up campers to $70,000 "fifth wheels."

This comes as the state Department of Natural Resources says camping is up about four percent at Michigan state parks this year. Sales of daily and annual state park vehicle permits are up about 10 percent.

Hiker survives 100-foot fall at Snowshoe Falls near Snoqualmie Pass

2005-07-26T07:45:00.001-07:00

A 22-year-old Everett man was seriously injured yesterday when he tumbled 100 feet down a hillside at Snowshoe Falls near Snoqualmie Pass.

The man was hiking with four friends at about 3:30 p.m. when he fell down the hillside near Denny Creek, said King County Sheriff's Sgt. John Urquhart. It took several hours for a search and rescue team to pull him up the hillside and into a helicopter. He was flown to Central Washington Hospital in Wenatchee.

Copyright © 2005 The Seattle Times Company

Ride Snowboards Launches 05/06 Website

2005-07-26T07:45:00.000-07:00

Ride Snowboards Launches 05/06 Website
Ride is the first major snowboarding company to launch their 05/06 website. This cool site has everything you need to know about Ride Snowboards. You can check out photos and videos of the team, stay up to date on current events and start getting an idea of what board you want buy this season. Another cool feature of the site is the artist profile section where Ride gives the artists a chance to explain their inspiration for the 2006 board graphics. Of course, Ride also makes great bindings, boots and outerwear. Take a break from the heat and have a peak at what's in store for the upcoming season.

Yellowstone Park offers limited, but scenic rides

2005-07-26T07:43:00.000-07:00

By CHRIS KERR, Chronicle Staff Writer

Avoiding the crowds in Yellowstone National Park is easy, if you have a mountain bike.

While most summer travelers are happy to see the park from the roadside, mountain bikers have the opportunity to explore Yellowstone on more than a dozen designated biking trails.
Bike rides in the park vary from family friendly trails leading to waterfalls, geysers and a natural bridge, to a quad-burning pedal to the summit of Mount Washburn. All of the bike paths are double-track park service roads, which may also used by hikers. About half are paved while others are gravel, and all are clearly marked with a biking symbol. Of the 13 designated bike trails, many offer a leisurely ride with day hiking trips along the way.

"Most of our trails are under a mile," Anita Varley, a park ranger at Mammoth Hot Springs, said. "We have brochures with all the bike trails listed at the visitor centers in the park."

The paved Natural Bridge and Lone Star trails are both easy pedals to unique geological attractions. Near Yellowstone Lake, a quick one-mile trail leads to the natural bridge area. Caused by erosion, the arch-like bridge is a popular destination for families and hikers. A short, but steep trail takes hikers to the top of the 30-foot bridge and offers unobstructed views of the surrounding mountains.

Near Old Faithful, the Lone Star trail follows the Firehole River for two miles before ending at the backcountry geyser. The geyser erupts every three hours with boiling water shooting 30-50 feet high. Bikers in the Old Faithful area can also get a glimpse of the park's largest thermal feature, Grand Prismatic spring, if they're willing to hike a little.

Grand Prismatic spring is visible a mile into the Ferry Falls bike path. Bikers have to park their rides and scramble up the hillside for a clear view. It's a tough bushwhack through a burned lodgepole forest, but the view is worth it.

Packing bear spray usually isn't a requirement for a bike outing, but it's a good idea when riding or hiking any trail in Yellowstone.

Bikers looking for more of a workout and a speedy, technical descent should look no further than Mount Washburn. The trail to the top of Washburn is a lung-burner even for the most athletic riders. Pedaling from the Chittenden Road, the trail climbs 1,400 vertical feet in three miles to the 10,243-foot summit.

The challenging climb isn't the only reason why mountain bikers flock to Washburn.

Arguably the most scenic peak in Yellowstone, Washburn offers views of the Grand Tetons, Yellowstone Lake, the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone and numerous mountain ranges. After taking in the view, the real fun begins when riders hop back on their bikes and head downhill.

The trail descends rapidly, and experienced bikers will enjoy the quick pace. Rocks, loose gravel turns and a few winding switchbacks make this trail the most technical descent allowed in the park. Other longer rides include the Blacktail Plateau trail, the Old Gardiner road and Bunsen Peak road near Mammoth.

Dale Sexton, owner of Timber Trails in Livingston, waits for the summer crowds to thin out before pedaling Bunsen Peak, one of his favorite rides.

"Riding from Mammoth you have to be cognizant of traffic," Sexton said. "Bunsen Peak (Road) is usually rideable after the first snowfall when traffic has slowed down on the main roads. We'll start in Gardiner and ride the old trail, then ride the Mammoth terraces to the Osprey Falls hike.

"It's like your own private Yellowstone."

Hamilton Twp. urged to think before subsidizing superstore

2005-07-26T07:42:00.000-07:00

By ANDREW JOHNSON Staff Writer, (609) 272-7238

TILDEN TOWNSHIP, Pa. - The most noticeable feature inside the Cabela's store here is a 30-foot faux mountain that seems far larger. That's because it can sport stuffed polar bears and an exceedingly annoyed-looking 800-pound black bear.

"Everything seems bigger in here," sales manager Jennifer Fuller explained.

Welcome to Cabela's, where everything is bigger.

The superstar outdoor retailer, which is considering building a store in Hamilton Township, has been riding a wave of success since it began opening super-sized stores nationwide.

Cabela's, which started as a cataloguer in 1961, began building retail outlets in 1987. Turns out that was smart. Store profits make up a huge chunk of Cabela's business today, accounting for a third of the Sidney, Neb.-based retailer's total $1.5 billion annual revenue, according to the company's financial reports.

Cabela's is on a roll - in more ways than one.

Everywhere it has opened (there are 19 stores built or in the development stage throughout the country), communities have ponied up taxpayer-financed incentive packages to land the behemoth.

Deena Kershner, manager of the Our Town Foundation Program in Hamburg, Pa., saw a Cabela's open near her two years ago. She has advice for New Jersey officials: Carefully consider the needs of your area before you make a deal with the company.

"They are making billions of dollars, and they want tax breaks," Kershner said. She questions if that is fair.

Kershner owns a struggling dress shop in downtown Hamburg, about a mile-and-a-half away from Cabela's. She says she has seen little benefit from having the store nearby.

Although Cabela's promised 6 million visitors to Berks County per year, (and delivered 7 million), local officials like Hamburg Borough Mayor Roy C. Del Rosario say they have seen little economic impact from the store to justify a $32 million tax write-off.

Actually, $32 million is on the short side of what Cabela's has sought in the past.

Cabela's wants and likely will get $40 million in subsidies from Illinois officials for a store there. Louisiana is considering $53 million.

West Virginia gave away a record $125 million.

It now seems certain that if Cabela's does open in southern New Jersey, it will get subsidies. Local and state officials are already standing by, ready to talk to the company.

Hamilton Township officials are doing what they can to make a possible deal in its township attractive.

This spring, state Sen. Bill Gormley, R-Atlantic, contacted the state Department of Community Affairs, New Jersey Commerce, Economic Growth & Tourism Commission and the New Jersey Economic Development Authority, on the township's behalf.

On July 18, the Township Committee authorized a "preliminary investigation" into redeveloping the Atlantic City Race Course.

Cabela's has expressed an interest in the fading racetrack, owned by Greenwood Racing.

"The concept of a Cabela's is a wonderful one," said Greenwood Racing CEO Hal Handle. He has yet to sit down with the company.

The Township Committee hopes that by re-classifying the 254-acre tract as a redevelopment zone, pursuant to New Jersey law, it will open up possible grants for Cabela's, and that will make them want to talk to Handle.

Hamilton Township Community/Economic Development Director Philip C. Sartorio said he ultimately foresees the state, county and township all contributing to a financial package, but it is still too early to tell.

The reason for the proactive approach, even before a land deal is struck, according to Hamilton Township Mayor John Sacchinelli, is that he understands his township is competing with another southern New Jersey municipality for a store.

Cabela's will not talk about its plans.

Gormley says that if a financial incentive package materializes, he wants to see property taxes go down in Hamilton Township. That's the most important criteria to him.

Officials in Pennsylvania said that that's what they wanted too, but that's not what happened.

Some question why they gave up millions of dollars in tax revenue.

Berks County Community and Economic Development Director Thomas C. McKeon said he couldn't speak for Atlantic County, but the reason his office pursued a deal with Cabela's is that Berks County had lost 10,000 manufacturing jobs before Cabela's came.

Even 200 jobs at one store is a lot in his area, McKeon said, and Cabela's has successfully raised the county's profile.

To McKeon, Cabela's has been an economic catalyst.

Tilden Township and next-door Hamburg Borough, however, report that their tax rates are the same two years after Cabela's opened.

Tilden Township officials balked at making it easier for more development, as Cabela's had suggested.

Cabela's spokesman James C. Powell said sniping in Pennsylvania is the exception, and that everywhere else, communities have embraced the stores.

Dennis Hays, administrator for Wyandotte County/Kansas City, Mo., has high praise for his area's Cabela's. The Kansas City store opened in 2002.

His community also made a deal with Cabela's - it gave the company 80 acres - in order to rejuvenate the Kansas City area, Hays said.

So would Hays make the same deal today?

"Overwhelmingly, yes," Hays said. Next door to the Missouri store is the Kansas Speedway. Together, both are a tremendous success, he said.

Kershner, the Hamburg business owner, predicts that on the Jersey Shore, Cabela's and the Atlantic City casinos would draw the same crowd. She wonders how the rest of Hamilton Township would benefit from a store.

In Pennsylvania, Cabela's is a stand-alone tourist attraction, according to Kershner. People come specifically for it, and then leave.

There is evidence of that.

Downtown Hamburg business owner Aaron Muller wonders where 7 million shoppers are going before they enter and after they leave Cabela's, because he hasn't seen them.

Muller is old-school in this Schuylkill River town. He is a second-generation pawnshop owner who offers cut-rate deals on diamond rings at his South Fourth Street store, Muller Rare Coins & Fine Jewelry.

"The town was supposed to be booming," Muller said. "It never really happened."

Kacy Brown, 5, of LeRaysville, Pa., didn't care about financial incentives when she visited the Tilden Township store last month.

Brown seemed mesmerized by a talking robotic hunter who tells of his adventures, "his trusty rifle" and "good pair of boots."

To e-mail Andrew Johnson at The Press:

AJohnson@pressofac.com

Sprint and USSA Renew Sponsorship Agreement for Three Years

2005-07-26T07:39:00.000-07:00

Sprint and USSA Renew Sponsorship Agreement for Three Years
Monday July 25, 12:01 am ET

OVERLAND PARK, Kan., July 25 /PRNewswire/ -- Building on a 15-year relationship, Sprint (NYSE: FON - News) today announced it has renewed its existing sponsorship agreement with the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Association (USSA), the national governing body of Olympic skiing and snowboarding. Sprint will continue to serve as an official sponsor and exclusive communications provider of the U.S. Ski Team and U.S. Snowboarding through 2008.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20001013/SPRINTLOGO )

"Our relationship with USSA has been an excellent way to promote and leverage the Sprint brand and market Sprint products and services to fans of winter sports, and we fully expect this success to continue in the future," said Tom Murphy, senior vice president - Corporate Communications and Brand Management, Sprint.

Sprint's relationship with USSA began during the 1990-1991 season. The new agreement will give Sprint rights to U.S. Ski Team and U.S. Snowboarding athletes and logos for advertising and promotional purposes as well as placement on uniforms. Sprint also will serve as title sponsor of the Sprint U.S. Freestyle Championships, March 24-26, 2006, in Killington, Vt.

"Sprint has been an incredible partner of ours for 15 years," said Ted Morris, USSA vice president of sales and marketing. "The communication products and services Sprint provides are key instruments to our athletic success. Sprint keeps our Team connected. We are thrilled to extend our partnership with Sprint through 2008."

Additionally, Sprint will be associate sponsor of the premier snowboarding series in the country, the Chevrolet U.S. Snowboard Grand Prix that also is the pathway to the 2006 U.S. Olympic Snowboard Team. The series goes coast-to- coast with stops at Breckenridge, Colo. (Dec. 16-18, 2005), Mt. Bachelor, Ore. (Jan. 6-8, 2006), and finishes up just 60 minutes from the Big Apple in Mountain Creek, N.J. (Jan. 20-22, 2006); Sprint's support also extends to two domestic freestyle World Cup competitions (Jan. 13-15, 2006, in Deer Valley, Utah, and Jan. 20-22, 2006, in Lake Placid, N.Y.).

About Sprint

Sprint offers an extensive range of innovative communication products and solutions, including global IP, wireless, local and multiproduct bundles. A Fortune 100 company with more than $27 billion in annual revenues in 2004, Sprint is widely recognized for developing, engineering and deploying state- of-the-art network technologies, including the United States' first nationwide all-digital, fiber-optic network; an award-winning Tier 1 Internet backbone; and one of the largest 100-percent digital, nationwide wireless networks in the United States. For more information, visit http://www.sprint.com/mr .

About USSA

The U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association (USSA) is the national governing body for Olympic skiing and snowboarding. Founded in 1905, the century-old organization provides leadership and direction for tens of thousands of young skiers and snowboarders who share an Olympic dream. As a company, USSA's management and staff coordinate a nationwide program in six distinctly different Olympic sports -- alpine, freestyle, cross country, ski jumping/nordic combined, and snowboarding, as well as the Paralympics sports of disabled alpine and cross country. Follow the teams at http://www.usskiteam.com or http://www.ussnowboarding.com .

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Source: Sprint

There's no business like snow business

2005-07-26T07:38:00.000-07:00

Nokia's 'Totally Board' over the weekend brought together fun in the sun, snow and extreme sports
By Roy Done
CONTRIBUTING REPORTER
Monday, Jul 25, 2005,Page 16

Advertising Nokia's Totally Board was called the most expensive outdoor event in Taiwan's history and you could see why. Moving snow into Chiang-Kai-shek Memorial Hall in the middle of summer and keeping it from melting in the blistering sun must have burned Nokia's pockets.
Totally Board was a new event for Taiwan, with snowboarding/skiing, skateboarding/BMX competitions.

"I love it, it's just something you don't see in Taipei because of the weather," one enthusiastic crowd member said.

The day started with skateboarding and BMX preliminaries, which were entertaining enough, even though you did get the feeling some of the guys just weren't trying, or just weren't any good.

Then the snowboarding and skiing preliminaries kicked off, with two malnourished-looking commentators showing off their lack of tact by making fun of one of the participant's name.

The snowboarders and skiers did better, executing their jumps with a lot of flailing and crashing, or pulling off flawless crowd-pleasing jumps.

A mixture of events never before seen in Taipei brought out the crowds to Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall.
PHOTOS: LIN CHENG-KING, TAIPEI TIMES

The crowd loved them, gave applause when deserved and let out the usual "oohs" and "aahs" when it looked like someone got hurt.

In one corner of the park Nokia predictably showed off its new gadgets. To enter the marquee there was a huge queue and one couldn't help but wonder why? since all you got for going in was a small carton of ice tea and a visor.

As for the musical stage shows there was a variety of artists, like MC Hotdog, Stanley Huang and the internationally famous Coolio. It was enough to keep the crowd amused and the performances themselves were competent and bright.

The sun, however, was intense and there were few places to cool down in the center of the park. The hot weather deterred some spectators from coming earlier and when the sun went down they descended, swelling the crowds to up to 120,000 at one point, according to the organizers.

You would have thought that they would have been able to provide toilets though. All those people and nowhere to go.

The sun and the heat also created big problems for the competitors. Skier Mart Perendi said, "The runway is really sticky, so you can't get enough speed."

So, usually rain is the ruin of events but on this occasion the sun made conditions difficult. But for most people, it was a lot better than being totally bored.

Skiing without the snow

2005-07-26T07:36:00.000-07:00

Nordic walking adds upper body workout to fitness routine
Rick Polito

MAKING EXERCISE FUN: Fitness trainer Tina Vindum demonstrates Nordic walking, a new fitness craze that has caught on fire this year. The activity started in Europe and is expected to continue to gain momentum in the United States. Special to the IJ/Zachary Kaufman

THE NEWEST TREND in fitness isn't just hitting the trail. It's hitting the trail with three feet of aluminum and a sharp point.
Nordic walking is striding its way onto American bike paths and hiking trails as the newest way to get fit fast. Nordic walkers use a pair of poles similar to those used by cross country skiers to add an upper body workout to their walks.

Or their runs.

Tina Vindum does a little of both.

Vindum is the trainer behind Mill Valley-based Outdoor Action Fitness and is promoting Nordic walking as the best fit for a fit lifestyle. Anybody can do it and they can do it anywhere.

"I keep them in the back of my car and I just fit it in," says Vindum. "It's cross country skiing without the skis."

Or the snow.

The lack of snow was the inspiration behind Nordic walking in the first place. Cross country skiers in northern Europe were using the poles to train in the off-season. The concept was first promoted as a fitness activity for non-skiers in the late '90s in Norway and has since spread across Europe.

The poles and the Nordic walking workout started getting notice in the United States in the last year. "It's very new here," says Vindum, who is helping promote the poles for Swix, a Norwegian ski equipment manufacturer.

"In Europe, it's everywhere."

The concept, and the equipment, are simple. The poles have straps that aid the grip and provide leverage. The walker uses a smooth stride and holds the poles loosely with their elbows at a 90- degree angle. Timed with their stride, they then dig in with the poles and push off, calling the arms and shoulder into the movement. "You can propel your body forward," Vindum says.

It is not a difficult movement to learn. Vindum took four days of classes to become a certified instructor, but she can teach the basic technique in four minutes.

She makes her clients sweat a lot longer than that.

Lea Gamble of San Francisco had been training with Vindum for a long time before the poles showed up. They'd been running the hills and stopping for crunches and other no-equipment strength training. The Nordic workout changed everything, Gamble says. The first thing she noticed was the "intensity." The poles are "an entirely different experience."

"It feels like a much more efficient workout," Gamble says.

The poles have since changed her expectations and her body.

"I felt like I was fit before, but you start using the poles you realize there is a whole other level of fitness."

Mill Valley real estate consultant Karen Fairty was introduced to Nordic walking in the spring. "I'm addicted," she now says.

Fairty alternates between running and the Nordic striding. She feels stronger on her runs now. "I like that it works your upper body as well," she says.

Vindum claims the response is common. Her clients "like being pushed."

"I've been doing this (personal training) since '95 and I didn't get a puker until this," she says.

Nobody needs to push that hard to get something out of it. Vindum says she sees older people on the trails using the poles - "For them, it's two extra legs and some balance." But anybody who walks could benefit. The poles make walking a more conscious activity. It's hard to amble with the poles. "There's a little more tempo," she says.

That means people get more exercise in less time, Vindum says, pointing to a study by exercise researchers at the Cooper Institute showing that Nordic walking could burn 23 percent more calories than simple walking.

Used correctly, the poles effectively turn a cardiovascular workout into a full-body exercise. "With running it's just your legs," Vindum says. Holding hand weights on a walk only adds the arms and shoulders. Vindum says that properly used, the poles reach the chest and the core abdominals.

But she will admit that Nordic walking draws some stares and unsolicited comments.

"Where's the snow?" being one of them.

The stares and jokes will fade, Vindum predicts. "In the '70s, people thought running was weird."

None of that is stopping Fairty. "It's a little dorky," she says, but she's willing to look past that when she sees the results.

"You're getting so much better of a workout that you don't care."

MAGIC CAMPING TRIP INSPIRES MACY TO HEAD FOR COLORADO

2005-07-26T07:28:00.000-07:00

FARGO star WILLIAM H MACY is building a house in Colorado after falling in love with the state on a recent family camping trip.

The actor admits the tent trip didn't start out perfect but he had the most amazing experiences around the campfire with his two young girls and wife FELICITY HUFFMAN.

He says, "Felicity ordered this tent; she got it online. There were two rooms, an upstairs and a downstairs. It's not your normal backpacking tent. We took a feather bed.

"It took two cars two trips to take all this c**p but the girls slept through the night.

"We roasted smores and I pulled out the ukelele and my two little girls and Felicity and me sang camp songs. It was one of those perfect moments in a man's life - it was just fabulous."

Safe Kids Kansas offers camping safety tips

2005-07-25T10:43:00.000-07:00

Campfires, camping gear and hiking trails present special safety considerations for families with children. The preparations for a family camping trip should include a review of safety guidelines for outdoor recreation, water and falls. Parents should also pay attention to potential hazards specific to camping and hiking.

“Camping is the only situation where a family is purposely starting a fire outdoors a long way from pressurized water or the nearest fire engine,” says Jan Stegelman, Safe Kids Kansas coordinator. “A campfire is a serious responsibility.”

In addition to the danger of starting an uncontrolled brush fire, campfires — like portable stoves, heaters and fuel-burning lanterns — produce carbon monoxide, an odorless gas that can poison a child very quickly. “About 30 campers each year die of carbon monoxide poisoning,” says Stegelman. “If someone near a campfire or portable stove seems drowsy, disoriented or sick, move that person away from the fire immediately to get some fresh air.”

In addition, Safe Kids Kansas recommends these precautions around campfires and portable heating devices:

Always actively supervise children near a campfire or portable stove. Follow posted rules about campfires, and do not light fires in windy or excessively dry conditions.
Keep a bucket of water and a shovel near the fire at all times and extinguish the fire completely before going to sleep or leaving the site.
Keep matches and lighters out of children’s reach.
Never use matches, lighters or any device powered by kerosene, propane or other heating fuel inside a tent or camper.
Also keep these precautions in mind around the campsite and on the trail:

Keep first aid supplies and emergency phone numbers handy, and know where the nearest phone is located. Cell phones might not work in remote areas. Let friends and relatives know where you’re going and when you’re coming home.
Dress children in layers of clothing to help prevent heat-related illness and hypothermia. A child’s body temperature changes faster than an adult’s.
Never let children hike alone.
Don’t push kids to go on a longer or more strenuous hike than they can handle. Exhausted children are more likely to fall, wander off or otherwise get injured. Bring plenty of drinking water or sports drinks and high-energy snacks.
Kids should wear hiking boots and clothing that offers protection from scrapes, bites and poisonous plants.
For more information about outdoor recreation safety, visit www.usasafekids.org.

Safe Kids Kansas, Inc. is a nonprofit Coalition of 67 statewide organizations and businesses dedicated to preventing unintentional injuries to Kansas children ages 0-14. Local coalitions and chapters are located in Allen, Anderson, Atchison, Clay, Dickinson, Doniphan, Douglas, Ford, Franklin, Geary, Jackson, Jefferson, Johnson, Leavenworth, Marion, Meade, Montgomery, Nemaha, Osage, Pottawatomie, Republic, Rice, Saline, Smith, Shawnee, Wabaunsee, Wilson and Woodson Counties, as well as the cities of Chanute, Leavenworth, Manhattan, Norton, Pittsburg, the Wichita Area and the Metro Kansas City Area. Safe Kids Kansas a member of Safe Kids Worldwide, a global network of organizations whose mission is to prevent accidental childhood injury.

www.kansassafekids.org

Climbing accident kills OSU student

2005-07-25T07:23:00.000-07:00

By Jennifer Moody
Albany Democrat-Herald

ALBANY — An Oregon State University student died in a climbing accident Saturday afternoon on Three Fingered Jack in the Mount Jefferson Wilderness Area.

Linn County Sheriff Tim Mueller said the name of the 23-year-old woman is being withheld until her family can be notified.

Mueller said the woman was with four other hikers on the South Ridge trail of the popular crags, which are just north of the Santiam Pass at the eastern edge of Linn County.

The group had made the summit and was on its way back at about 2 p.m. when the accident occurred, Mueller said.

"She fell about 700 feet," Mueller said. "They were in an open area, where there was nothing to anchor to ... somehow she got too close to the edge and she fell."

A second group of climbers, unrelated to the first, saw the accident from about 400 yards away. A man with that group tried to help and slipped over the edge himself, but was able to climb back up and was not injured, Mueller said.

A climber with an unrelated group did manage to make his way down to where the victim lay about an hour after her fall, Mueller said, but it was not clear whether he was with the group that saw the accident.

Craig Medred: Seeing the light in packing gear

2005-07-25T07:22:00.000-07:00

CRAIG MEDRED
OUTDOORS

Published: July 24th, 2005
Last Modified: July 24th, 2005 at 03:42 AM

NEAR THE SOUTHERN EDGE OF THE ARCTIC ICE -- All night the wind blew strong from the northeast, pounding inland from the cold, arctic heart of everlasting winter.

On the flat, unbroken surface of the tundra, we huddled deep in our bivouac sacks and sleeping bags behind what little protection was offered by a small nylon fly pitched as windbreak. We were warm enough but only a few degrees away from significant discomfort.

To ease a hike across the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge from the Hulahula River to the village of Kaktovik on Barter Island, Jim Jager, Richard Murphy and I had kept gear to the absolute minimum.

As we hunkered down now on the mainland side of a tidal gut south of Barter Island, I could not help but recall the backcountry travel advice uttered so many times by Alaska Pacific University professor and Alaska wilderness rambler Roman Dial.

A staunch advocate of easing Alaska wilderness treks by going light and fast, Dial likes to caution that "you pack your insecurities.''

We hadn't packed many, and that was a good thing. The hike across the so-called 1002 Area of the coastal plain would have been a nightmare with the kind of packs you're likely to see someone carrying on, say, the Kenai Peninsula's Resurrection Trail or the Crow Pass Crossing through the Chugach Mountains.

People end up with huge backpacks for those treks because they carry everything they think they need. But the truth is, other than food, you don't need much.

Though traveling in a far more inhospitable climate than Southcentral Alaska, we managed to get by with less than 10 pounds of personal gear each. Not counting, of course, the 5-pound packrafts, the lightweight drysuits, the kayak paddles and the personal flotation devices we'd used to float the Hulahula River out of the Brooks Range to the coastal plain.

Even with that gear, plus all our food, a heavy MSR X-GK stove and a 2-pound medical and repair kit in my pack, it's doubtful my load exceeded 30 pounds.

So how many pounds of gear do you need to stay warm, dry and comfortable in the Arctic? Here's what I had:

• Arcteryx Sirrus SL Gore-Tex parka, 11 ounces.

• Montane Featherlite rain/wind pants, 3.5 ounces.

• Lowe Dryflo white T-shirt packed as much for sun protection as warmth, 6 ounces.

• Pair of Patagonia capilene shorts primarily for wear beneath the drysuit when floating the river, 3.5 ounces.

• Pair of Hind Munich tights for warmth, 12 ounces.

• Duofold Varitech Zip crew top, also for warmth, 6 ounces.

• Patagonia MicroPuff pullover in case it got seriously cold, 12.5 ounces.

• Montbell U.L. Super Stretch Down Hugger sleeping bag, 1 pound, 1 ounce.

• Marmot Alpine bivouac sack for protection from moisture that got under the fly, 1 pound.

• Mesh bug jacket with headnet to keep the mosquitoes at bay, 8 ounces.

• Pair of Outdoor Research gloves, 3 ounces.

• North Face stocking hat, 2.5 ounces.

Total weight? 6 pounds, 5 ounces -- about the weight of the 20-degree-below-zero-rated sleeping bag some people carry for summer hikes on the Resurrection Trail.

Admittedly, on our coldest night, when the temperature pushed near freezing, the wind howled and fresh snow fell on the Brooks Range slopes, I did need to sleep in the MicroPuff pullover with my hat and socks on. But on most nights, I slept hatless and sockless in shorts and the Lowe top.

And sure, it probably helped that we used the deflated packrafts, the PFDs and our packs for insulation beneath our bivvy sacks. But my Pacific Outdoor Equipment InsulMat Max (basically an inflatable mattress with insulation inside) would have done the job better and more comfortably with less weight. The pad weighs 1 pound, 1 ounce.

Substitute the pad for the boat and paddling gear and you're looking at a total of 7 pounds, 6 ounces of insulation and shelter for a simple backpacking trip. Add a 3-ounce alcohol stove, fuel, a titanium spoon, a bowl/cup and a titanium cook pot, plus a 2-pound pack in which to carry it all (mine is a Go-Lite Trek used mainly because the 4,000-cubic-inch volume is needed to fit a packraft and PFD) and you're still under 10 pounds.

Why, you could throw in a Black Diamond Mega Light tarp tent, which would have been my choice for our Arctic trip but for the additional $250 cost, and still come up shy of 12 pounds. The Mega Light weighs 1 pound, 15 ounces and has room to sleep three people. It's a palace for two.

With this gear, no one should have any trouble living comfortably along the trail anywhere in temperate Southcentral.

So maybe you're beginning to see why I'm always baffled to meet weekend backpackers struggling along the Eagle River or Resurrection trails under 40- or 50-pound loads.

Even if someone took all the gear outlined here, plus enough food to eat like a pig on a weekend or three-day trip, they'd still have a pack weighing 20 pounds or less.

That's a pack easy to carry, a pack that lets you remain a backpacker instead of becoming some sort of two-legged pack animal, a pack that can actually turn a back-breaking backpacking trip into an enjoyable hike.

So pack your insecurities if you must, but remember the price to be paid in sweat and suffering.

And then consider that there just might be a better way.

Daily News Outdoor editor Craig Medred can be reached at cmedred@adn.com.

These Oregonian journalists more than happy to take a hike

2005-07-25T07:21:00.000-07:00

Daily blogs will help you keep pace with our photographer and reporter as they walk the Oregon leg of the Pacific Crest Trail
Sunday, July 24, 2005
Mark Larabee and Ian Malkasian, staff members of The Oregonian, began their hike of the Pacific Crest Trail through Oregon on Friday.

They started just south of the Oregon border at Seiad Valley, Calif., and plan to hike nine to 22 miles a day -- with three days off -- reaching Cascade Locks on Aug. 24.

During their 32 days on the trail they will report, write and photograph for stories that will appear Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays on the paper's Metro cover. These stories, based on their hiking and reporting the past two months in California, Oregon and Washington, will deal with issues surrounding the trail and the people who use it.

Advertisement

In addition to the newspaper stories, they will file daily blogs to OregonLive. You can find those at www.oregonlive.com/newslogs/pacifictrail.

Although much of their hike is through wilderness, modern technology -- a satellite phone, a lightweight minicomputer and a collapsible keyboard -- will allow them to transmit stories and photos electronically.

Their backpacking gear also is high-tech, consisting of much of the latest in lightweight gear, from a 2-pound silicon-impregnated-nylon shelter to a 1.4-ounce titanium alcohol-fired stove.

Much of what they eat has been dehydrated. They'll filter their water to make it potable, but will also carry purification tablets. Supplies and food will be mailed to them at six locations.

Mark Larabee, 42, has been a journalist for 20 years, first as a reporter and editor in San Diego County before joining The Oregonian in 1995, where he's covered local politics, crime, federal courts and terrorism. He is an avid backpacker, rock climber, mountain biker and backcountry skier. He has summited many Oregon, Washington and California peaks and has hiked sections of the Pacific Crest Trail in the Sierra Nevada, Trinity Alps, Marble Mountains and Cascades.

Ian Malkasian, 34, is the photo assignment editor at The Oregonian. He joined as an intern 1998 after graduating from the Missouri School of Journalism. In 2002 Malkasian spent 28 days backpacking in the Yukon Territory with the National Outdoor Leadership School. He also is a wilderness emergency medical technician, a wilderness first aid instructor for the Mazamas and a member of the Mount Hood Ski Patrol at Timberline and Mt. Hood Skibowl.

Readers who have questions about their trek can e-mail them directly at onthepct@mac.com

Event features snow in sweltering heatassociated press

2005-07-25T07:20:00.001-07:00

Residents of Taiwan's capital, Taipei, found a novel refuge yesterday from this subtropical island's sweltering July heat: snow.

Thousands came to watch "extreme sports" champions from 16 countries, including Canada, Finland and Germany, show off their skills on a 28-meter-high snow slope set up on a plaza in central Taipei.

While the mercury rose to 34 degrees Celsius, the stars raced down the slope on skis or snowboards and did flips in the air during the event, dubbed Totally Board.

Members of the public were allowed to slide down another slope on inflatable plastic devices while electronic dance music set the tempo.

Machines at the site produced 300 tons of ice-flake "snow" during the night before the event, organizers said.

Many Taiwanese have never seen snow. Even during the island's short winters, only the highest mountaintops in sparsely populated central Taiwan occasionally receive a light dusting.

Backpackers heading here

2005-07-25T07:20:00.000-07:00

R.S. Kamini

KUALA LUMPUR, July 23:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Backpackers Gauthier Sebastien and Buffard Aurelie are staggered by the variety of food found in Malaysia.
The French travellers have been having Malay specialties for breakfast, Indian cuisine for lunch and Chinese delights for dinner.

The fascinating variety of food has the shoe-string tourists hankering for more.

Sebastien and Aurelie, in their 20s, have also been taken aback by the plurality of the nation.

"In the month that we have been here, we have found the cultural mix simply amazing. Never have I seen so many different races living together in peace," said the duo who had also visited Turkey, Iran, Pakistan, India and China.

The backpackers have even learnt a little Bahasa Malaysia, Chinese and Tamil along the way. "Moving around here is not a problem. People don’t treat us differently as we try to adapt to the surroundings."

Their experience is similar to that of Andrew Allen and Amy Davies from the United Kingdom, who backpacked to Malaysia and fell in love with the east coast islands.

"We island-hopped from Perhentian to Redang to Lang Tengah. The thick green jungle and a beautiful world immersed by the turquoise- green water was simply breathtaking," said Allen.

The two, who had spent two weeks in Thailand and Singapore, had allocated five weeks for Malaysia.

"We have five weeks to experience the cities, country and sunny seaside in Malaysia with a budget of RM165 per day," said Allen.

"It was either Malaysia or Africa but we are glad that we settled for Malaysia," said Davies.

Canadians Madeline Speedy and Amanda Wilson, both 21, love Malaysia for its cultural diversity, food and shopping facilities.

"My parents are from Sabah. They had always told me how much Malaysia had developed from a small and poor country into this modern nation," said Speedy.

"We have had a fair share of sweet and bitter experiences, but so far, we are enjoying everything here, especially our daily doses of roti canai and satay," added Wilson.

She added that travelling independently provided much more freedom than planned or packaged vacations.

For some backpackers though, a modern Malaysia was not exactly what they had in mind when they decided to travel here.

Briton Robert Cunning said Malaysia "was just too developed to enjoy travelling".

"I’ve been to other Southeast Asian countries and I enjoyed travelling in old and dirty buses with clucking chickens," he said.

The Malaysian Backpackers Association (ABM) has found budget travellers do play a role in bringing in the tourist dollar.

"When backpackers started coming into Malaysia in the early 1980s, few wanted to take note without realising that the backpacker market is worth tapping into," said ABM president Dr Wong Sai Hou.

He said the lack of tour packages appealing to backpackers and poor reception could turn them away from Malaysia.

"There are two types of backpackers, the seasonal and the avid. Seasonal backpackers have their favourite time of the year to visit a country while avid backpackers are those who stay in a place for months," he said.

"The authorities could promote all highlands, lowlands and coastal areas in affordable packages as these are the areas most backpackers focus on," he said.

Wong estimated that, on the average, backpackers spent more than RM100,000 monthly.

"This is just an estimation because most backpackers travel on a tight budget and find ways to get the cheapest accommodation available," said Wong.

He said backpackers could be encouraged to spend double this amount if the authorities worked hand-in-hand with non-governmental organisations and private tour agencies.

As for Tourism Malaysia, it is currently collecting statistical data on backpackers to market more products.

"We find a lot of young backpackers coming to Malaysia, mostly in search of eco-adventures.

"So we are trying to develop and promote packages that include the rainforest, wildlife and islands," said its director-general Kamaruddin Siaraf.

The independent travellers, he said, looked for tours that were not necessarily cheap but were good value for money.

"We know for a fact that backpacking is a potential market, since cheap motels and inns are mushrooming in the country."

Exploring outdoors with kids is work, but worth it

2005-07-25T07:19:00.000-07:00

With planning and patience, active lifestyles can continue after children are born
By ERIN GARTNER
Associated Press

ELDORADO SPRINGS, COLO. - Alex Katschke hopped out of her mother's SUV after the drive from nearby Denver, ready to join her friends for a hike through Eldorado Canyon State Park near Boulder.

ADVERTISEMENT

Though not as fancy as her friend's new hiking boots, her white tennis shoes should work just fine, her mother explained. She frowned as her mother wiped suntan lotion on her face, then made an outhouse stop before bouncing off to join four other children examining an oddly shaped rock on the creek bank.

The hike was organized by a branch of the Colorado Mountain Club that caters to young families who believe an active lifestyle doesn't have to take a back seat once kids come along — though it does take more planning, gear and patience.

"With kids, you have to keep their minds going and keep them focused on something, otherwise they tend to lose interest pretty quick," Alex's mother, Cheryl Katschke, said as she adjusted her own backpack and picked up her hiking poles.

Experts say introducing children to the outdoors early instills confidence, comfort and respect for the environment. Plus, it's fun.

"I think it's great to expose kids to outdoor activity, but you just need to modify your activity when they're young," said Dr. Matthew Daley, a Denver pediatrician, avid hiker and father of two boys.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends not using sunscreen on children under 6 months old, so Daley suggests dressing young children in long, lightweight pants and shirts and a wide-brim hat to avoid overexposure to the sun. Children, especially infants, also are more prone to heat, cold and dehydration.

The most important thing to remember is that children's legs and attention spans are shorter than their parents.

A daylong hike for Caryn and Peter Boddi once meant trekking 10 miles with full packs or climbing a 14,000-foot peak. With a toddler, a day hike covers about a mile, complete with stops to watch bugs, touch flowers and, when Mom wasn't looking, eat dirt.

"When my son was little, all he wanted to do was play in the river," said Caryn Boddi, who wrote a book about Colorado hikes while she was pregnant. "It makes you slow down because you're guided by their curiosity. You see things you may have missed."

Outdoor gear companies are now selling everything from off-road strollers and bike chariots to waterproof, child-carrying backpacks with rain hoods and insect nets.

"When you're talking about child carriers, safety is always the No. 1 issue. From there, it becomes a question of functionality and aesthetics," said Ed Ruzic of the Boulder-based outdoor gear store Sherpani Alpina.

The store began offering baby-carrying packs that also hold supplies after seeing parents hiking with infants in a front carrier while wearing a separate backpack for diapers, formula and other essentials.

Larger companies also have adjusted: The North Face and Sierra Designs, normally more hard-core backpacking lines, are now making family tents, said Carolyn Burnham, a product manager at REI's Seattle headquarters who is also a mom and Girl Scout leader.

Kent Parkhurst, who likes exploring underground caves, is introducing caving to his daughters, Lauryn, 5, and Ashley, 3.

"We took Lauryn into the entrance of a cave when she was about a month old, in the Snugli," he said. "They've always been exposed to the outdoors, since they were little teeny kids."

For less experienced parents, outdoor groups can help.

Wilderness Kids, part of the 8,500-member Colorado Mountain Club, offers family outings, including picnics, overnight camping and easy hikes.

"The kids just take to it. I used to change diapers along the trails," said Robin Commons, a longtime mountaineer who led the group of energetic and inquisitive 5- to 10-year-olds hiking through Eldorado Canyon.

His daughter, 6-year-old Haley, skipped along the rocky trail with her pink Barbie backpack bouncing along with her.

"I've been doing this for a long time, since I was 3," she said before stopping abruptly to scoop up a chunk of dirt.

"Cool, a black rock," she said as four other children ran up the trail to examine the stone.

"All the rocks need to stay behind," Commons advised, then added as he turned to the other parents watching their children: "Years ago, I would have just walked right past the spiders and the plants."

HUNKER DOWN IN A HUT

2005-07-25T07:18:00.000-07:00

The Sierra Club's Benson Hut has been a popular overnight objective for Sierra hikers and skiers since 1949. And if rumors are to be believed, it has been a frequent stop for travelers of the spirit world for just as long.

Guests staying in the snug A-frame cabin need not worry about exposure to the elements. But mysterious footsteps, creaking ladders to the loft and the occasional sighting of a young girl who quickly disappears provide skiers with great stories to share around the hut's wood-burning stove.

Situated in a thicket of mountain hemlock under the shadows of Mount Anderson (8,683 feet), 5 miles south of Donner Summit along the Sierra Crest, the hut is one of four backcountry buildings hand-built and maintained in the Lake Tahoe Basin by Sierra Club volunteers. Roomy enough to allow 12 guests, the cabin offers an overnight stop for those either on a loop trip from Donner Summit or en route to Squaw Valley, just six miles farther south.

"The spirit that resides in the place isn't too scary -- it just adds to the experience," says Doug Read, a member of Tahoe Nordic Search and Rescue who has explored Tahoe's backcountry for 30 years. "Some of us believe it's the ghost of John Benson" -- the Sierra Club member and 10th Mountain Division soldier the hut is named after. "I'll sleep in one of the downstairs bunks, and during the night it's not unusual to hear thumping footsteps walking back and forth in the upstairs loft."

Other campers claim to have felt and seen the presence of a young woman. Jim Granger, an experienced backcountry skier and another member of Tahoe Nordic Search and Rescue recalls waking up and seeing a young girl, dressed in turn-of-the-century dress, staring directly at him.

"Benson is my favorite of the Sierra Club huts, mainly because it's more remote and less frequented than the other cabins," Read says. "It's a bit of a ski to get to, but the reward is worthwhile. It's intimate and peaceful and has outstanding scenery."

The most-visited cabin, the Peter Grubb Hut, was constructed during 1938- 39 below Castle Peak, and provides backcountry enthusiasts with a starting point for exploration to Sand Ridge Lake and Castle and Basin Peaks. The Ludlow Hut, built along the Sierra Crest south of Homewood in 1956, at Richardson Lake on the northern edge of Desolation, opens up adventure to Rubicon Peak and the General Creek area. And the youngest cabin, the Bradley Hut, reconstructed in Pole Creek near Squaw Valley in 1998, allows linked tours by experienced hikers to the Benson Hut four miles away.

Each hut is equipped with a wood-burning stove, but because there is no water or plumbing (compost outhouses are provided) visitors need to bring in their own food, bedding, camp stoves and personal equipment. At just $10 per person per night, the huts are a great bargain, but reservations, especially for weekend stays, are essential.

Used extensively all year (1,800 people stay overnight annually), each hut can be reached in a day or less (weather and conditions permitting) from the nearest road. But the hike to the huts still demands good judgment and athleticism. Visitors should backpack in as if they were going to a snow camp. Sheltered by glades and sometimes buried under snow in heavy winters, the huts can be hard to spot even from nearby well-used trails. First-timers shouldn't attempt to hike to the huts without a map or someone who has been there before.

Every September and October, weekend work parties help prepare the huts for winter, stocking the cabins with firewood and participating in other chores. Those helping out are put on a priority list for reservations at the huts.

"They're unique attractions. They have survived a lot of harsh seasons, but they continue to provide shelter and good times, besides very nice recreation, to a great many people," says Dick Simpson, a Sierra Club member who has chaired the Hut Subcommittee for 20 years. "They are really a tribute to the many volunteers who help maintain them."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
WANNA GO? For year-round reservations at the Sierra Club backcountry huts, call (530) 426-3632 or (800) 679-6775, or visit www.sierraclub. org/outings/lodges/huts/benson.asp.

Canyon Country not just a summer job for students

2005-07-25T07:17:00.000-07:00

Program gives on-site lessons about Utah's national parks
By Lisa Church
Special to The Tribune

Members of the National Park Service's Canyon Country Conservation Corps, a crew of local students who participate in a nine-week summer job program through the parks, raise the base of a new shade structures at the Island In The Sky district of Canyonlands National Park. (Lisa Church)

MOAB - Donnie McCandless wipes sweat from his face as he brushes stain on the wooden support beam of a new shade structure at Canyonlands National Park's Island In The Sky.
"I like this kind of work, so it's fun for me," McCandless says. "You make some good friends."
The Grand County High School senior is one of 10 students from Grand and San Juan counties laboring for nine weeks this summer for the National Park Service's Canyon Country Conservation Corps. Since 1998, the park service's Southeast Utah Group has invited students ages 17 to 22 to apply for the program aimed at providing them summer employment and an education about the region's national parks. This year, 35 young people from both counties vied for the 10 slots. McCandless and other Grand County students who made the cut typically travel each day from town to the job site. The San Juan County crew camps out in remote regions of the parks, constructing and repairing fences and marking trails and park boundaries.
Program coordinator Mary Frothingham says participants get to visit and spend time in Canyonlands' Maze District, Natural Bridges National Monument, Hovenweep National Monument and other remote areas.
"We can get to these backcountry spots and do work that really helps relieve the burden of our maintenance crews," Frothingham says. "But we also try to give [students] projects that they can take real pride in. This shade structure, for instance, will provide shelter for visitors for years to come."
While other national parks have similar programs, Canyon Country's is unique in that its student-workers get to see and work in four parks during the nine weeks instead of just one. Like its counterparts, the program includes a strong educational component that helps students brush up on the culture and natural resources.
"We try to give them a wide variety of work experiences," says Southeast Utah Group spokesman Paul Henderson. "But this is not just about the work. We also try to give them the 'why' . . . with regard to the work they may be doing."
Students pulling weeds, for example, learn why it is necessary

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Advertisement

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

to control or eliminate invasive weeds.
"They learn about how invasive species impact our parklands and public lands," Henderson says. "At the end of the day, they're still pulling weeds, but they understand that it is important work."
Canyon Country also helps the park service cement ties with communities.
"The kids take pride in the work they do, and they then bring their families to show them," Henderson says. "It helps us build ties with the community that we might not otherwise have."
Besides toiling and touring, students do some studying. Each student selects and researches a topic, then presents a report at an end-of-season event hosted by the park service. Frothingham says the research project is the highlight of the summer for many students.
Research in past years has focused on park wildlife or cultural history. This year's students are probing the use of solar energy to power parks, ancient hunting and trapping methods, and medicinal plants.
Sarah Stock, 19, says visiting backcountry areas is one of the job's bonuses. A Grand County resident, Stock never visited Natural Bridges or spent much time at Canyonlands until her crew worked there this summer.
Although the job pays almost $9 an hour and can be interesting, Stock says it isn't for everyone.
"If you like being outside and working hard," she adds, "it's a great job."
Of all the projects her crew has completed thus far, Stock has enjoyed building the shade structure at Island In The Sky the most "because you can see it through from beginning to end."
lchurch@citlink.net

Start Smart: Hiking Solo

2005-07-25T07:16:00.000-07:00

Save your wild, off-trail adventures for a group of backpacking vets

April 2005

default blank image

For most people, hiking is like fine dining and hot-tubbing: It's a pleasure best enjoyed in good company. But if you crave the singular adventure of hiking alone-the sense of absolute solitude and self-reliance, the mental challenge, and the silence--safety becomes a paramount concern.

Know Yourself

Be realistic about your abilities. Stay within comfortable limits for mileage, elevation gain, navigational challenges, and technical skills. This is not the time to experiment with off-trail navigation or exposed scrambling. It doesn't have to be hairball to be enjoyable.

Hike In Familiar Conditions

Know the environment you are entering, its hazards, and how to travel safely through it. Don't make your first multiday winter trip or your first dry, desert trek a solo affair; build up a solid base of experience with partners before attempting an ambitious trip alone.

Pack Wisely

Whether you're an expert or a novice, going alone invites greater risk: help is not guaranteed. Decide what to bring--like a sleeping bag or bivy sack on a long dayhike--by weighing the consequences of not having it against the burden of carrying too much. Extra food, water, and a signaling device (a whistle, signal mirror, or cell phone) are musts.

Make Conservative Decisions

Before taking even routine risks (like crossing a moderately challenging stream), evaluate the potential dangers. Never rule out an alternative route or simply retreating. As they say, pride goeth before a fall.

Leave Word

Give your itinerary--including alternative, emergency routes--to someone who knows what to do if you don't return on time, but who won't panic and report you missing if you're only a few hours late.

Keeping up on camping etiquette

2005-07-25T07:15:00.001-07:00

By Jimmy Watson

jimwatson@gannett.com

Not unlike the movie theaters, you don't have to spend much time at a Louisiana campsite without ending up next to some of the most annoying people in the world.

You know the type. They walk little Tippy in your campsite and let him leave behind a reminder of their visit which you step in on the way to the restroom. Or they leave unsecured food on their picnic table, which attracts a horde of pesky varmints.

They might even turn up the volume on the Reggae music while they play cards and drink beer late into the night.

Few things are more bothersome than to leave your home for a quiet evening under a tent in the Bodcau Wildlife Management Area and not be able to get any rest. But people exhibiting a lack of camping etiquette are turning up more and more often on campsites across the area.

Shreveport fireman Curtis Greene said that he's one of those people that other campers have complained about. While camping in the Albert's Pike area of Arkansas recently, Greene's party was approached by a Camp Host, who asked him to turn his music down.

"Everybody likes to be real quiet, but it depends on how quiet quiet is," Greene said. "I think some people come out to camp from the city where there's a lot of noise and they expect things to be very quiet. We turned the music down and went about our business."

Music doesn't bother Greene, but people who leave an untidy campsite really get under his skin.

"I don't like to drive up and see a mess left by someone else ... cigarette butts and the like," Greene said. "You don't want to have to police your area when you just arrive."

Suzanne Odom, project forester at Bayou Bodcau Dam and Reservoir for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, said that one ongoing problem at northwest Louisiana campsites is people running generators for electricity or for cooling.

"If it gets too loud the park ranger will come by and ask them to turn it off," Odom said. "But there is a procedure for muffling the sound that people can use."

Odom suggests getting a cardboard box that a washer or dryer was delivered in and cutting out one side. Campers can set their generator inside the box, which will reduce the noise to their fellow campers.

"Sound waves travel horizontally so it's amazing how much making that move cuts down on the noise," she said. "If people don't have one of those boxes, they can make one with cardboard and duct tape."

Camping complaints at Army Corps sites aren't as easy to rectify as they once were.

Due to cutbacks, park rangers aren't on duty at night to respond to calls from irate campers.

"We tell people that if they have a problem to call 911 and ask the sheriff's office to send out a deputy," Odom said.

On Army Corps campgrounds 10 p.m. is the quiet hour and campers are expected to reduce the volume of their entertainment until the following morning.

"It's common sense and it's being a good neighbor to get quiet by that time," Odom said.

If you plan on camping at Bodcau or at any of the state's Wildlife Management Areas, a free self-clearing permit is required to do anything and having one will save you an expensive ticket from a Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries enforcement agent.

The permits are available at the entrance to most campgrounds. State funding is determined by how many people use a WMA and the permits are used to determine the number of visitors, according to Odom.

Greene has never had anything stolen from his campsite but one of his uncles had some fireworks taken in Arkansas. He's always careful with the food at his site, however.

"If anything's left uncovered, the raccoons, crows or squirrels will get into it," Greene said.

"It's best that if you have food, keep it sealed in Tupperware or something like that."

Camping is losing ground to comfort

2005-07-25T07:15:00.000-07:00

By Bill Finney | New York Times News Service
Posted July 24, 2005

E-mail this article
Printer friendly version
Most e-mailed articles

For most of his adult life, Ray Villa's ideal vacation involved spending the day white-water rafting and the night in a tent. Now, he said, it's not only the addition of a wife and two children that has dulled his enthusiasm for a sleeping bag under the stars.

"There's no way I'm going on my summer family vacation and sleeping in a tent for a week," said Villa, 34, of Middletown, N.J. "I guess because it's vacation, and you're looking for comfort. I much prefer five stars over a tent with a campfire."

Villa isn't alone in choosing creature comforts over the great outdoors. Statistics from the National Park Service in January showed a significant downturn in camping at the parks. From 1995 to 2004, backcountry camping declined 21 percent (1.72 million campers from 2.19 million), recreational vehicle camping 26 percent (2.3 million from 3.1 million) and tent camping 19 percent (3.1 million from 3.8 million).

To accommodate the camper who might not be content to eat granola bars and freeze-dried food, some tour operators are trying to put comforts into roughing it.

"There are extended river trips available now that are a very comfortable experience," said David Brown, the executive director of America Outdoors, an industry group for outfitters, tour companies and outdoor educators. "The public is sleeping on a thick, foam air mattress and in a comfortable sleeping bed. The food is remarkably good. When you're eating steaks on the 10th day of a Grand Canyon trip, that's a surprise to many."


Bridge Over Falling Water	Waterfall Near Road	Among the Clouds	Half of a Large Waterfall
Our Wet Camp Site	Hoary Marmot	Water Along Trail