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Archive for 'April 2012'

The Galapagos of North America? The Channel Islands May be Such a Place

In busy Southern California, there is—amazingly—a place where open space and remote wilderness still exist. It reminds visitors of a time when the world was simple and unadulterated. The place is Channel Islands National Park. Garrett Kababik has been guiding visitors here for 10 years. In 2009 he thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail with his dog, Lexi. When he's not backpacking, kayaking, mountain biking, scuba diving, swimming, stand-up paddling or jumping from really tall cliffs into deep blue ...

Posted by Liz Bee on April 13, 2012 2:43 PM & Tagged Hiking, REI Adventures, Travel, channel islands and kayaking | permalink | Comments



Nights in White Nylon: David Mydans Marks 25 Years as a Tent Designer at REI

In its March issue, Sunset magazine called him "REI's Frank Gehry of nylon and aluminum poles." So how would David Mydans, who today celebrates his 25th anniversary as an REI's gear designer, describe himself? "Just a dirtbag climbing bum with an art degree." People who know Mydans will tell you that both descriptions fit, summing up both the scope of his work and his free-spirited personality—artist, climber, bartender, telemark skier, rogue electrician and, ultimately, award-winning gear ...

Posted by T.D. Wood on April 12, 2012 2:33 PM & Tagged David Mydans, gear design and rei | permalink | Comments



Walking in America: Has It Been 'Engineered Out of Existence?'

Slate, the online magazine, is running a deep-thinking, 4-part series on walking in America by author Tom Vanderbilt. If, like me, you perceive that walking has become, to our collective detriment, an undervalued aspect of the human experience, you might find the series to be worthwhile reading. "To examine how Americans might start walking more again may seem like a hopelessly retrograde, romantic exercise: nostalgia for Thoreau's woodland ambles," Vanderbilt writes in Part 1, The Crisis in ...

Posted by T.D. Wood on April 11, 2012 8:59 PM & Tagged walking | permalink | Comments



How Do You Deal with Trail Trashers? Here's One Solution

My morning wander begins on a path bathed in sunlight filtering through majestic oak trees. A glisten of moisture catches my eye. "What is this lovely flower?" I focus my attention in the direction of the colorful dew only to discover a discarded aluminum can. I'm angry! Some careless "trail trasher" has discarded their garbage on my trail. How could they?   My waste awareness now heightened, I begin to notice more: a candy wrapper, a Styrofoam coffee cup, plastic bottles and more cans. My ...

Posted by Curt Cragg on April 10, 2012 12:14 PM & Tagged Hiking, litter, stewardship and trash | permalink | Comments



Rock Star: Meet the 87-year-old Legend of the Appalachian Mountain Club

You've likely never heard of Ed Daniels. His photo hasn't graced the cover of Climbing magazine, and he doesn't have a long list of first ascents. But, for more than 4 decades Ed has been a steadfast advocate for the sport he loves, and he has shared his passion with hundreds of beginner climbers. Ed, who recently celebrated his 87th birthday, has been rock climbing for 45 years. During that time he has instructed scores of beginner climbers through classes put on by the Berkshire Chapter of ...

Posted by Joe P. on April 9, 2012 2:36 PM & Tagged AMC, Appalachian Mountain Club, Ed Daniels, Rock Climbing and The Gunks | permalink | Comments