Lost on the trail? Satellite tracking system can help

by Chris Owen on

Getting lost on the trail, injured during a climb or into some other unplanned situation can make a great day a lousy one really fast. Adventure travel often takes us to remote places and when accidents happen there might not be a 911 to call or close-by hospital to visit. On their own, travelers often have to make do with the resources at hand. Prepared for anything, some travelers pack registered locator beacons that can make the difference between life and death.

As an integral part of worldwide search and rescue, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) operates the Search And Rescue Satellite Aided Tracking (SARSAT) System to detect and locate travelers in distress almost anywhere in the world at anytime and in almost any condition.

NOAA’s polar-orbiting and geostationary satellites are part of the international Search and Rescue Satellite Aided Tracking System, called COSPAS-SARSAT. This system uses a network of satellites to quickly detect and locate distress signals from emergency beacons onboard aircraft and boats, and from smaller, handheld personal locator beacons called PLBs.

Easy to get, these PLB’s start at about $100, worth every penny if lost or stranded with no cell phone signal or help in sight. There are three types of beacons used to transmit distress signals, EPIRBs (for maritime use), ELTs (for aviation use), and PLBs (used for land-based applications).

In 2011, NOAA satellites were critical in the rescues of 207 people from life-threatening situations throughout the United States and its surrounding waters. Satellites picked up distress signals from emergency beacons carried by downed pilots, shipwrecked boaters and stranded hikers, and relayed the information about their location to first responders on the ground.

Of the 207 saves last year, 122 people were rescued from the water, 14 from aviation incidents, and 71 in land situations where they used their PLBs. Other rescue highlights from the year include:

  • Alaska had the most people rescued on land last year with 39, followed by Florida with 11, and California with 8.
  • NOAA SARSAT played a critical role in the rescue of a group of student hikers from a grizzly bear attack in Alaska by directing first responders to the scene.
  • In the pitch of night, two people were rescued from a life raft after their boat sank 140 miles off the coast of Marco Island, Florida.
  • An elderly hiker was rescued 74 miles south of Colorado Springs, Colo., during a heavy snowstorm.

Thinking this might be a good idea for your next adventure? These devices must be registered first.

Register a PLB online or download a beacon registration form from the registration website and fax to (301) 568-8649 or call NOAA at 1-888-212-SAVE (7283).

Noaa Photo


Richmond: America’s most underrated city?

by Dave Seminara on

As the former capitol of the Confederacy, Richmond has long been one of the premier destinations in the country for Civil War geeks. But as I discovered on two recent visits, it’s also a young, vibrant city with architecture treasures, stunning parks, walkable neighborhoods, great food and perhaps the most elegant vintage cinema in the country.

For Yanks looking for a quick taste of old Dixie, it’s also the northernmost Southern city, making it an easy weekend getaway for Northerners in search of some Southern hospitality. I live in Northern Virginia, which is technically part of the South, but in reality, Southern accents and good biscuits are a two hour drive south in Richmond, which is on my short list for most underrated historic cities in America. Below are my suggestions for how to spend a memorable weekend in Virginia’s capital.

Sites
Maymont– The hilly grounds of this 100 acre estate built by Confederate tycoon, Major James Dooley, offer panoramic views of the James River and feature lush gardens, a children’s farm, and a nature center. There is a small admission fee to visit the mansion and nature center but you can explore the beautiful grounds and visit the farm for free.

St. John’s Episcopal Church– Built in 1741, this handsome wooden church, located in Richmond’s historic Church Hill neighborhood, is where Patrick Henry delivered his famous “Give me liberty, or give me death,” speech to George Washington.

The Fan– If you like Victorian architecture, this alluring neighborhood just west of downtown is a must see. Easily one of my favorite walkable neighborhoods in the country.

The Byrd Theatre– Built in 1928, this may be the most beautiful old time cinema in the country. Even if you don’t plan to take in a $1.99 movie, stop in to take a look at this masterpiece theater, which is located in Carytown, a neighborhood with great shops and restaurants.

Virginia Museum of Fine Arts– A free-to-enter, world-class museum with more than 20,000 works of art, including a very impressive collection of South Asian art.

The American Civil War Center at Tredegar– If you’re only going to hit one Civil War related museum in Richmond, this is the place to go for a terrific overview of the conflict. Opened in 2006, the museum offers a visually attractive, interactive user friendly experience that depicts the war from the perspective of the Union, the Confederacy and African Americans.

The Virginia State Capitol– Take the time to explore this Classical Revival gem, which Thomas Jefferson modeled on a Roman era temple in Nimes, France.

James River Bridges– Take the Robert E. Lee footbridge over to Belle Island for a great walk and then check out the unnamed, interpretative footbridge just off the Canal Walk for insights into the fall of Richmond during the waning days of the Civil War.

The Museum of the Confederacy– While the American Civil War Center offers a nicer overview of the conflict, this is a great stop to see Confederate memorabilia, like Robert E. Lee’s hat and tent and Jeb Stuart’s knee high boots. The gift shop sells lots of kitsch, including nylon Confederate flags for $39.

Children’s Museum of Richmond– If you’re traveling with kids, this is their reward for tolerating all the Civil War history.

Food

Alamo BBQ– Cheap and delicious, this is one of my favorite BBQ places anywhere, but I also love the tilapia burritos. Excellent pecan pie for $2.93 a slice. The only downside is that you have to sit in a tent, but it’s not as cold as you might think, even in January.

Edo’s Squid– Italian fine dining in a hidden location at very fair prices. Arrive early to beat the crowds.

Comfort– Southern comfort food at its finest in a relaxed setting.

821 Bakery Café- Tasty food and a terrific beer selection in a cool old building with exposed brick walls and a vintage tin ceiling. Also wins my award for the most colorful bathrooms I’ve ever seen.

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Sunken British warship to be raised, mystery solved

by Chris Owen on

In 1744, a mighty British warship sank off the Channel Islands, killing more than 1,000 sailors and carrying an estimated £500m worth of gold coins. Now, plans are being made to raise the ship and solve one of seafaring’s greatest mysteries.

“HMS Victory was the mightiest vessel of the 18th Century and the eclectic mix of guns we found on the site will prove essential in further refining our understanding of naval weaponry used during the era,” said Greg Stemm, chief executive of Odyssey Marine Exploration the American salvage company that found the ship and has been chosen to carry out the recovery.

The wreck of the 300 ft HMS Victory was a predecessor of Lord Nelson‘s famous 104-gun flagship, now a floating museum, was found near the Channel Islands in 2008, nearly 65 miles from where it was historically believed to have sunk.

Only a cannon, marked with the crest of King George I, has been recovered so far but the remains of the ship’s hull, an iron ballast, two anchors, a copper kettle and rigging have been spotted on the ocean floor where the ship was laid to rest 300 years ago.

The guns and other reclaimed artifacts will be displayed in British museums, however under British laws of salvage, the salvage company is likely to receive the bulk of any treasure found.

No matter, says Lord Lingfield, a relative of Admiral Sir John Balchin, who was onboard the warship when it sank. “We will have the satisfaction of solving a great maritime mystery that has been part of my family history since the 18th Century.”

Flickr photo by david.nikonvscanon


HipGeo iPhone app makes sharing travel easy

by Chris Owen on

HipGeo is a Los Angeles based development team with a passion for creating the most convenient way for people to keep track of what they saw, where they saw it, share it, and use what other people share to enhance their own travel experiences. Now, HipGeo has a new, free iPhone and iPad app that passively records your location as you travel. It can then mash your pics and comments into an animated map and travel diary for sharing.

“If Tumblr and Foursquare had a baby, it would look like the new HipGeo,” HipGeo’s chief product guy, Rich Rygg told cnet.

HipGeo automatically groups photos, comments, places, tags, likes, and dates together, allowing users to search and follow real travelers who go interesting places.

As users go about their normal posting, HipGeo creates place blogs with user generated content. In addition to seeing what friends and family are doing while traveling, we can also access this user generated information to help plan a trip or discover something interesting.

“HipGeo is attractive in that it seamlessly combines tools that are already popular on other platforms and redefines the social aspect of travel, ” says HipGeo on their website.

The app tags photos, adds captions, and pinpoints its location on a map but if you don’t want it tracking your every move, settings can be changed to record just certain locations.

The app is free but using it has a price. HipGeo warns that tracking GPS in the background “can dramatically decrease battery life.”

Photo: HipGeo


Video: Oahu Island: Miracle Coast

by Elizabeth Seward on

Oahu Island: Miracle Coast on Nowness.com.

Would you like to spend a moment reviving your spirit with a beautiful video depicting Hawaii‘s Oahu Island? Oahu Island: Miracle Coast, is a gorgeous little video released on nowness.com. It’s a short by photographer and filmmaker Lyall Coburn. Through the video, he captures a summer spent idly on the island’s North Shore. The video is certainly enough to make me want to kick back in Oahu for a summer, watching locals take nerve-rattling jumps off of cliffs and maybe jumping myself. Life, for me, is much about variation and travel satiates this need I have, as well as so many others, for an ever-changing environment. Kudos to Coburn for changing his environment and spending a summer along these shimmering, lapping waves.