Going to Yosemite? Don’t take the minivan!

by Katie Hammel on

One of the great draws of visiting a National Park like Yosemite in California is that you can get very close to nature and see animals in their own habitat. But there is a limit to just how close you want to get to certain animals, especially black bears, which can be dangerous to both humans and cars as they look for food.

There are several ways to reduce your risk of having an unpleasant encounter with a black bear, and as it turns out, not driving a mini van may be one of them.

A study done by the Journal Mammology over a 7 year period in Yosemite has shown that black bears in the region seem to prefer minivans as their vehicle of choice when looking for a snack. But, the study reveals, it’s not actually the car style and size the bears are attracted to (and no, they don’t care about the car’s crash safety ratings either), it’s more about fuel efficiency. And by “fuel efficiency”, they mean which cars provide the most food for the bears.

It seems that minivan drivers are more likely to be traveling with a family and toting around small children – children who inevitably leave open snack containers in the car or who leave a trail of chips and cookies behind them.

The researchers also hypothesized that minivans that often carry small children may have stronger food odors even when there is no food inside, because kids are likely to spill, and that minivans may be more likely to contain a cooler of food, because they are larger and can accommodate one more easily. The researchers also wondered if minivans were just easier for the bears to break into.

Out of 908 cars broken into in the 7 year period, 22% were minivans, 22.5% were SUVs, 17% were small cars and 13.7% were sedans.

Top Ten Most Badass Animals Native to the USA

by Annie Scott on

America may seem civilized to you, as you lock your door and hop on the subway or into the car, then hang around indoors all day. When you go to the zoo, there’s a disconnect. Ferocious animals seem to be things that exist behind bars. It’s easy to forget that this very country is home to some historically human-killing animals that could totally murder you in your sleep. Depending where you sleep. (But they probably won’t.)

Here’s our list of the Top Ten Most Badass Animals Native to the USA, a little about their habits, and where in the great United States you’re likely to be ambushed by one of them.

1. Polar bears. These big, beautiful beasts employ a method called “still hunting,” in which the bear sniffs out its prey’s home, then crouches by the door until the prey emerges. Then it crushes their skull. Normally, this prey is a seal, but polar bears have also hunted hunters and campers — this guy while he was sleeping in his tent (warning: graphic). Though polar bears are listed as a vulnerable species (likely to become endangered), they are still roaming Alaska. And they don’t just want Coca Cola.

2. Rattlesnakes. Normally, rattlesnakes kill small animals, but anyone who’s been to the Southwest knows: if you hear that rattle, you’d best be moving along. And by “moving along,” I mean “running for your life.” Their hemotoxic or neurotoxic (depending on the type) venom can kill you in horrendous ways, including respiratory paralysis. Check out this story from a guy who was bitten by a rattler when he was 13. Word to the wise: if the snake’s rattle gets wet, it won’t make any sound, so watch out during the rain. Rattlesnakes have been reported in many states, but keep an extra eye out in California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, Texas, and New Mexico. And while you’re down there, stay away from fatally poisonous water moccasins (the world’s only semi-aquatic viper) and coral snakes, too.

3. Coyotes. Just last month, according to Telegraph.co.uk, woman in Canada was mauled and killed by two coyotes, while “hiking alone on a trail in Cape Breton Highlands National Park, in Nova Scotia.” Coyotes are typically reported in the Southwest, but have also been sighted in Illinois, Wisconsin, Oregon, New Jersey, and all over New England. You can find them living in deserts, forests, plains, or even in icy regions like Alaska. Basically, these guys (and ladies) can live almost anywhere. Their diet is 90 percent mammals, which you may have noticed you are. They’ll get you on the ground, then bite/break your neck. According to Wikipedia, coyote attacks have been increasing in California since 1998.
4. Bobcats. According to the Arizona Game and Fish Department, bobcats who attack humans are typically rabid. That means attacks are less likely, but also all the more deadly. Bobcats, though just 20-24″ tall when full grown, will sometimes stalk larger animals which they can kill and repeatedly return to to eat over time. They typically catch them sleeping on the ground and bite into their neck, chest, or the base of the skull. That’s not even fair.

5. Alligators. These guys eat mostly fish, worms, and snails and stuff, but if you get to close, they’re known to attack humans. Wikipedia reports them living in “all of Florida and Louisiana, the southern parts of Georgia, Alabama and Mississippi, coastal South and North Carolina, Eastern Texas, the southeast corner of Oklahoma and the southern tip of Arkansas.” Alligators have also been found in extreme southern Missouri along the Mississippi River during the summer months.If you’re swimming and see one approaching, you’d best get the heck out of the water. Worse still, you might be mistaken — those alligators approaching could be …

6. Crocodiles. Crocodiles have pointier-shaped jaws than the alligators’ u-shaped jaws. Either way, you should probably run. Crocodiles live mainly in Florida (within the US), and are extremely dangerous to humans. Crocodiles eat mammals like you, fish and birds, and occasionally each other. While these web-footed cannibals probably won’t be able to chase you, they are extremely adept swimmers, and normally attack before their prey even sees them.

7. Bears. Kelly Ann Walz in Pennsylvania was killed last month by her own pet black bear — her Bengal tiger and African lion left her alone. Donna Munson, a 74-year-old who liked to feed bears, was killed last August. Black bears live in 41 US states, and while they’re certainly known killers, they are not as dangerous as brown bears; especially grizzlies and Kodiaks. According to Wikipedia, there are about 32,500 brown bears in the United States, mostly in Alaska and along the Rocky Mountains. Brown bears confront you like they’d confront other bears; by growling and huffing. Then, they bite your jaw to keep you from biting back. That’s only if they feel like taking their time; they can actually just crush a human head with a single bite. Weirdly, you’re more likely to be attacked if you run — I’d love to meet anyone who stood still after being growled at by a bear.

8. Wolves. Unprovoked attacks by non-rabid wolves are rare, but do you know where they tend to attack? The crotch. According to Answers.com, “Wolves will typically attempt to disable large prey by tearing at the haunches and perineum, causing massive bleeding and loss of coordination.” They drag small prey (including children!) to a secluded spot and feast on the abdominal cavity — sometimes before they prey is even dead. Be extra wary in Northern Minnesota, the Rockies, and New Mexico.

9. Cougars. While older women in search of younger men can certainly be dangerous, I’m referring to the North American Puma concolor couguar, also known as pumas, mountain lions, or panthers. Check out a list of fatal cougar attacks in North America here. While they are mostly found in the western United States, cougars have been reportedly expanding eastward, and in 2008, a cougar migrated from South Dakota to Wisconsin, and then right down into Chicago, where it was killed by a cop in an alley. When cougars attack humans, they attempt to get their teeth between your vertabrae and into your spinal cord. I shudder just thinking about it.

10. Brown recluse spiders. Perhaps they’re not “animals,” but no list of wild things in the United States would be complete without this silent killer. Also known as violin spiders, brown recluses live mostly in the southern states — check out a map here — in terribly familiar places: anywhere dark and normally undisturbed, like a woodshed, a basement, garages, closets and even under beds. Bites are rare, but if one accidentally gets into your clothes or bedding and is pressed against your skin, you’re in trouble. The bites can lead to necrosis, which is essentially your flesh rotting right off of your body.

If you’re heading on a camping or hiking trip, keep what these animals can do to you in mind, and don’t go provoking any of the fauna. By behaving respectfully towards nature, you can greatly lessen your chances of being attacked by an animal — but if you see a brown recluse spider, call pest control.

National parks free for Veterans Day!

by Kraig Becker on
Veteran’s Day is next Wednesday, November 11th, and to celebrate the National Park Service has announced that they will once again waive all entry fees to every national park, forest and monument across the U.S., giving travelers the opportunity to experience hundreds of amazing places for free.

This past summer the NPS offered several fee free weekends, which were extremely popular with visitors everywhere. In fact, those weekends were so popular that they helped several parks, such as Yellowstone, to set new attendance records.

Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar made the official announcement on this Veteran’s Day celebration, saying “The Department of the Interior is honored to offer this fee free day to thank our nation’s service men and women,” He went on to say, “The sacrifices and achievements of the brave men and women of our armed forces can never be understated. We invite all of our visitors to enjoy this fee free day and take time out on this national holiday to remember our service men and women who are currently serving overseas in harms way.”

Join in on the celebration for yourself by finding a park near you. Then head out to enjoy the best natural resources the country has to offer on Wednesday.

Trekking Tajikistan

by Kraig Becker on

The mountain countries of Central Asia have been a bit of a hidden gem for adventure travel in recent years. While the vast majority of people can’t find Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan on the map as of yet, the more adventurous travelers have begun to hear tales of rugged, remote mountain trails that weave their way through mostly unspoiled backcountry with some of the most stunning views on the planet.

That’s exactly what London Times reporter Caroline Eden found when she traveled through the High Pamir mountains of Tajikistan recently. She wrote about her experiences trekking amongst the 7000 meter peaks of the Geisev Valley, describing crystal clear mountain lakes, wide open skies, and tiny, remote villages populated by friendly, hospitable people. Best of all, the country has few tourists, which meant she often had the trails to herself, and many of her nights were spent staying with locals, which gave her a very personal glimpse into their daily lives.

The travel experience in Tajikistan has a lot to offer on the cultural and historical level as well. The former Soviet satellite has long been a crossroads for trade between the East and West, with major routes along the Silk Road passing through the country. Islam is the predominant religion now, but there are elements of Buddhism, Hinduism, Christianity, and even Zoroastrianism, each having an impact on the people that live there.

While that culture and history is interesting however, the big draw for the country is what it has to offer adventure travelers. Aside from the amazing trekking, there is plenty of rock climbing, horse and camel riding, and backpacking to keep you occupied for week, and mountaineers are also discovering the challenge of the “three giants” of the Pamirs, namely Peak Somoni, Peak Lenin and Peak Korzhenevskaya, which have earned there place amongst the top alpine climbing destinations in the region.

Know the limitations of GPS when hiking

by Kraig Becker on

There is no doubt that using a GPS has changed the way we travel. Adding one of the little devices to our cars allows us to navigate effortlessly to our destinations and has all but eliminated our need to carry road maps or stop off at the local gas station to ask for directions. That same technology can be of benefit when we leave the vehicle behind and hit a hiking trail as well, although hikers should be aware of the limitations of their devices, and be prepared to use their common sense and good judgment when employing such a device.

Hand held GPS units are very common and inexpensive these days. Most are small, light weight and battery operated, allowing them to be dropped into your backpack when you head out for the day. They generally offer such features as trail maps, suggested points of interest, and topographical data, all of which can be helpful for finding your way in the backcountry.

But unlike GPS devices in our cars, our hand held units don’t do “turn-by-turn” navigation while out in the wilderness, mostly because there are no clear cut roads or landmarks that can be used in the same fashion as when we are on the streets, and natural obstacles can abound. Hikers are instead provided with a general indication of where their destination is from their current position in an “as the crow flies” fashion, and they are forced to navigate to that destination themselves. When doing so, they’ll generally take advantage of the GPS’s built in electronic compass and topographical information to assist them, but more importantly, they’ll need to constantly survey the terrain, adjusting their course as needed, in order to reach their end point successfully.
Speaking of terrain, it can also have a direct impact on the performance of your GPS device while hiking. In order to find your location, you’ll need a clear view of the sky overhead, and that works fine when you’re in a wide open field. But many trekkers have found their hand held GPS can’t connect to the orbiting satellites when they are under a thick canopy of trees or deep in a canyon or gorge where the sky is obscured by the rock walls. It is important to know how your device will perform on the trails that you’ll be hiking so as to avoid a surprise that may leave you lost in the woods and without alternative methods of find your way.

The battery life of our hand held GPS units are also a cause for concern, as they can chew through a full charge in to time at all if you’re not careful. That means you’ll need to carry more batteries in your backpack, which hampers the portability of the device to a degree. And should you run out of juice while on the trail, then your expensive electronic toy becomes useless. Make sure it is fully charged before heading out, and that you’re aware of how long the batteries last under typical conditions. Also keep in mind that cold weather will have an impact on battery life as well, often reducing run times dramatically.

Most of this isn’t new information of course, and experienced hikers have learned that a GPS can be an invaluable tool. However, they’ve also learned not to become overly reliant on the devices, preferring instead to continue to use the time tested skills of reading maps and compasses to find their way. Those skills are enhanced however by being able to turn on the GPS, take some quick readings to find your bearings, plot your course on the map, and set out for your destination, returning to the GPS from time to time to ensure that you’re still on course and making adjustments as necessary.

Despite some of these drawbacks to the use of a hand held GPS, they can be quite a powerful addition to anyone’s mandatory gear list. They are an excellent navigational tool, as long as the person using it is familiar with both the strengths and limitations of such a device. Finding our way in the backcountry has never been so easy, and we’re definitely safer than ever while on the trail.