Well, we are basically there. It took one helluva long time to get through winter, but unless Mother Nature decides
to hurl another storm at us, we may be in the clear. So it might be time to start looking around for what’s happening
in the nation’s parks…where to go for that first big trip outdoors? To take the mountain bike out after inflating the
tires for the first time in a few months? GORP has got
a piece on the top ten parks to check out. A couple of them are newbies: Ohio’s Cuyahoga Valley and Colorado’s
Great Sand Dunes National Parks, both of which were granted new status in the closing days of the Clinton
administration.
Segway Centaur
OK, file this one under gear, even though I suspect very few of us will ever own one. But check out
the newest transportation device from Dean Kamen and the folks at Segway.
If the new Centaur does not spark childish fascination in you, then, as Russell Crowe might have put it, you are
already dead. This futuristic buggy uses the patented stabilizing technology of the original Segway (the one that is
more like a scooter), but the Centaur is designed for off-roading. I actually got to ride a Segway the day they were
publicly released and loved it…though I have a hard time imagining myself owning one. But these might just turn out to
be a hit. I am already imagining all sorts of
interesting new sports that will emerge in
Silicon Valley when/if these become popular.
Ten Great Travel Adventues
The inimitable Richard Bangs, whose recent series of dispatches for MSNBC
I blogged about here, (and who more or less has the best
job in travel journalism), has committed to bits (as opposed to paper) the
ten greatest travel adventures you can take today. You should read
the article for a more detailed breakdown, but here are the ten:
— Llama Trekking the Hoover Wilderness Area
— Adventure Sailing Florida’s Gulf Coast
— Kayaking the San Juan Islands
— Canoeing the Boundary Waters
— Mountain Biking the Grand Staircase
— Climbing Denali
— Riding the Tetons
— Hiking Hidden Hawaii
— Dogsledding the Gates of the Arctic
— Rafting the Grand Canyon
How many have YOU done?
Fat Tire Time
It’s getting to be slickrock time again, so fill your fat tires with air and get ready to plan a trip. Of course,
you could do worse than select Utah’s Red Rock Canyon, probably some of the country’s most epic mountain bike
riding.
Away.com has got a series on the region with a nod to
the White Rim Trail, but also mention of the Flint
Trail, if your biking expertise is a bit stronger. You might also check out
this site which has got the low-down on a whole series of great trails
and biking-related info for Utah.
US Bike Trails List
Looking for a mountain biking trail in your
neighborhood? Or in, say, Colorado? Give the trail finder over at GORP a spin. Trails are listed by state and the
listings provide mileage, location and some suitable detail on the rides. I checked out New York and California and was
pleasantly by the comprehensiveness of the list. Made me want to suit up and head out.