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Archive for 'December 2011'

Lonnie Dupre Begins Solo Winter Attempt on Denali

Lonnie Dupre loves cold weather. Seriously cold weather. Last week, Lonnie flew from Talkeetna, Alaska, to the Kahiltna glacier on the flanks of Denali (Mount McKinley) where he embarked on a journey that could make him the first solo climber to reach the summit in January. Denali in winter is not a hospitable place. Only 9 expeditions, totaling 16 people, have ever reached the summit of Denali in winter. Never has a solo climber stood on top of the 20,320-foot peak in January, one of the ...

Posted by Joe P. on December 30, 2011 2:51 PM & Tagged Climbing, Denali, Lonnie Dupre, Mt. McKinley and Winter | permalink | Comments



Top Tales from the Trail in 2011

Here's a nod of admiration to the hiking headliners of 2011: Jake Bramante of Kalispell, Mont., age 34, became the first person to hike all 734 miles of trail within Glacier National Park in a single hiking season. Jennifer Pharr Davis of Asheville, N.C., age 28, set a new overall speed record on the Appalachian Trail, covering the 2,181-mile route on a supported hike, north to south, in 46 days, 11 hours, and 20 minutes. She broke the previous mark, held by a male, by 26 hours and averaged 47 ...

Posted by T.D. Wood on December 29, 2011 8:11 PM & Tagged Hiking, Pacific Crest Trail and appalachian trail | permalink | Comments



Must See: Great Outdoor Videos from 2011

Thinking about the year that was, we present a rewind of some of the best outdoor-oriented videos (in no particular order) we ogled in 2011. For optimal bedazzlement, we suggest viewing in full screen and HD; maybe even cue them up on the flat screen. All promotional videos (this one for tourism in Finland) should be this good: A timelapse view of the Canary Islands, with some amazing cloud sequences, by photographer/videographer Daniel Lopez of Spain: This was a huge internet hit when it ...

Posted by T.D. Wood on December 28, 2011 1:47 PM & Tagged El Teide, Yosemite, timelapse and video | permalink | Comments



Happy Holidays from The REI Blog

Lots of holiday greetings are exchanged at this time of year, but this one from the rangers and sled dogs at Denali National Park in Alaska is sure to put a smile on your face. Here's hoping you can get outside and enjoy the long weekend. ...

Posted by Steve T on December 28, 2011 1:29 PM & Tagged Denali, National Park, holiday and sled dogs | permalink | Comments



Hibernation Envy: Time for a Long Winter's Nap?

Would you hibernate if you could? We're deep into daylight-shrinking time here in the northern hemisphere, and many of our fellow mammals (and some other creatures) have already bedded down for a long winter's nap.   Faced with the extra pressures of the holiday season, I admit to some envy for the European dormouse (shown below), who famously snoozed through the Mad Hatter's tea party in Alice in Wonderland. Lewis Carroll was onto something:  Each fall, the dormouse stuffs itself to twice its ...

Posted by KellyH on December 27, 2011 3:29 PM & Tagged Winter, animals, hibernation, rei and torpor | permalink | Comments