Working in Torres del Paine

by Erik Olsen on

Now here is a way to have a vacation in one of the most amazing
places on earth and to do a good deed while you’re at it. First, though, I have to tell you how incredibly amazing Torres del Paine is. Located far, far South in
Patagonian Chile, Torres is one of the loveliest, most adventure-laden places you will ever go. I was there for a few weeks years ago and
did part of the Torres circuit. The trail wanders through a glacier scoured land dotted with cerulean lakes and teeming
with unusual wildlife. We were actually talked by a rhea (a South American ostrich) while hiking and saw herds of wild
guanacos (sort of a llama-like animal) scampering around the hills. So, yes, Torres is unforgettable. Really the
Yosemite of South America…and without the crowds.

But beginning March 18, you can head to Torres and help fix the trails and make the place
even better. Imagine the friends you’ll make?  The nine-night excursion is being sponsored by the U.S.
Forest Service and Chile’s park service. You’ll get to explore the park for a couple of days and then hunker down
and fix up the trail system on other days. During the time you’re there you’ll stay in a local hostel with
hot showers and an incredible view of the park. Good stuff. It will, of course, cost you, so you are doing this for the
good of the park. The cost is $2,700 per person, including round-trip international airfare to Santiago from Pittsburgh.
There are also “extension” trips that you can take, should you have not satisfied your travel jones that
take you to Easter Island or Machu Picchu in Peru. Get more details
here.

Ah, the Azores

by Erik Olsen on

For those of us who had to trudge to work this
morning over monstrous piles of ice, the idea of heading to a place like the Azores has an unmistakable appeal. These
Portuguese islands in the middle of the Atlantic have long been a favorite of explorers, whalers and, well, European
tourists. Today, they are a popular place for adventuresome types in search of "clean and unspoiled vistas"
and relatively untrammeled beaches. Given their relative isolation, the islands have managed to stay off the tourist
map, and they offer fabulous hiking, swimming and exploring. This piece in the
Globe and Mail does a nice job conveying the allure of the Azores, where the writer spends a few blissful days
trudging around the islands of Pico and Faial, and examines both the natural grandeur and the history of the place. If
you need an antidote, as I did, for the current cold snap, this could be it.

Top 100 Trails in North America

by Erik Olsen on

You have to hand it to the folks at Trails.com. What a tremendous amount of work must go into compiling their annual list
of the 100 Best Trails in North America. I mean, someone is doing one hell of a lot of walking.

OK,
the walking is done by people like you and me, who take to the trails and then submit votes on their favorite trails.
Which may explain, perhaps, why some of the best trails are located near dense urban areas. That, and because the scale
uses a Nielsen rating-type ranking to define both trail popularity and usage. You may also notice that trails like the
AP are listed several times, which makes some sense because the damn thing is so long and diverse…even though it
takes up space from other trails that might have made the list. No matter. So here are the top 20 trails in the country
according to the list:

Top 100 North American Trails:

1. Breakneck Ridge Trail
(Beacon, New York; Hiking)

2. Cohutta Wilderness Area Trails (Ellijay, Georgia; Hiking)

3. Glacier Gorge
(Estes Park, Colorado; Hiking)

4. Harriman State Park (Bear Mountain, New York; Walking)

5. Mount Whitney
(Lone Pine, California; Hiking)

6. Appalachian Trail: The Pinnacle (Hamburg, Pennsylvania; Hiking)

7.
Appalachian Trail: Springer Mountain to Hightower Gap (Suches, Georgia; Hiking)

8. Appalachian National Scenic
Trail – Pennsylvania Section (Rouzerville, Pennsylvania; Hiking)

9. Conundrum Hot Springs (Aspen,
Colorado; Hot Springs)

10. American River Confluence to Lake Clementine (Auburn, California; Hiking)

11.
Furnace Mountain / Trayfoot Mountain Overnight Loop (Waynesboro, Virginia; Hiking)

12. Dolly Sods Wilderness
(Petersburg, West Virginia; Hiking)

13. Appalachian National Scenic Trail: CT & MA
(North Adams, Massachusetts; Hiking)

14. American River Bike Path (Sacramento, California; Mountain
Biking)

15. Bear Mountain – Mount Riga State Park (Salisbury, Connecticut; Hiking)

16. Half Dome
(Merced, California; Hiking)

17. Appalachian Trail: Crampton Gap to Harpers Ferry (Burkittsville, Maryland;
Hiking)

18. Appalachian Trail (VA): Chester Gap to Harpers Ferry (Front Royal, Virginia; Hiking)

19.
Cougar Mountain Regional Wildlands Park (Issaquah, Washington; Hiking)

20. North Country Trail (Morenci,
Michigan; Hiking)

Best of Explorer's Web

by Erik Olsen on

If you follow the hard-core
exploration stuff, you’ve probably clicked on Explorer’s Web at some point. We’ve blogged about the site and articles
on it a few times over the last year.

There’s a ton of great info here, and some thoroughly interesting
articles about Everest and other bit hills out there. Well, they posted their best of 2005 articles jus recently and it’s worth a
look.

Disney's Everest Ride

by Erik Olsen on

After the Pirates of the Caribbean ride and the Haunted Mansion (about which, we blogged recently…to some
controversy), probably my favorite ride at Disneyland is the Matterhorn. The reasons for this have as much to do with
the fun quotient of the ride itself (about a 6.4) as with heart-warming childhood memories of going to Disneyland. You
see, the Matterhorn rises above the valley in Anaheim and is easily spotted from Interstate 5 from miles away.
Therefore, it was always the first thing you saw that let you know you were near the Magic Kingdom. In fact, when I was
a kid going to Disneyland with the family, we’d place bets on who could spot it first. The winner got to punch whomever
he wanted in the arm.

Well, now Disney is one-upping itself and creating an all new ride to beat even the
Matterhorn. Except this one is in Florida at Disneyworld. Called Expedition Everest, the 200-foot ride will launch in
April, and will offer guests the opportunity to "trek" to a Tibetan village as well as to hike a miniature
version of the Hillary Step. Of course, trek is in quotes because you know the marketing people are concerned that
legions of obese Americans will see the word and react negatively. When they say trek, that is, they mean you will ride
in a train.

Now what’s interesting about the ride is that the Imagineering folks really went all out to make
sure the new ride is authentic. Check out this site
detailing the group’s trip to Nepal to nail down certain details. Rather impressive. And here is a photo gallery about the ride showing
construction and the faux Everest.

So I have to say I’m intrigued. I like the idea of another Disney
ride with some substance and a story behind it. The white-knuckle rides of the recent past seem to lack a narrative, so
I’m glad to see this ride will have a bit more to it than a looping coaster.