Good Spas for Hiking in Arizona

by Kelly Amabile on

Spa Finder’s

Readers Choice Awards picked these three Arizona spas as the best for hiking:

Mii amo, nestled within Boynton Canyon in red rock
Sedona. The spa is surrounded by the Coconino National Forest and ancient ruins of cliff dwellings. The Native
American phrase “mii amo” means “journey”.

Miraval is located on 300+ acres north of Tucson in Catalina. Their next Challenge Adventure
Week begins October 2. This outdoor wilderness experience teaches mindfulness through the practice of orienteering,
survival and indigenous spiritual rituals for healing. They offer night climbing on their 32-foot Miraval Rock and
their adventure page has details on loads of hiking,
mountain biking and horsemanship activities, including trail riding and vaulting.

Canyon Ranch’s flagship location opened in Tucson in 1979.
Hiking through the Sonoran Desert or mountain regions of the
area is a popular activity. Their next Hike Week begins October 29 and another one will take place during
Tuscon Hiking Week in January 2006.

Gunks Photos on Nat Geo

by Erik Olsen on

Just a few hours upstate from New York City is a famous rock climbing Mecca called the Shawangunk Mountains, or
Gunks. This
National
Geographic photo essay takes you there, with some decent photos of Gunks guide Ivan Greene and others as they scale
the rock faces of the area. It’s not the best photo essay I’ve seen, only few of the photos are worth the clicks, but I
was happy to see a local climbing spot like the Gunks get some Nat Geo love.

Yosemite Visitor Poses for Photo, Dies

by Erik Olsen on

Talk about tragic.

A visitor to Yosemite National Park was
posing for a photo last week at Upper Yosemite Falls and tumbled to his death. Shane Kinsella, a 21 year-old tourist
from Dublin, Ireland, was standing on the edge of the falls waiting for his friend to snap the picture when he lost his
footing and fell 1430 feet over the waterfall. Rangers recovered his body in a pool at the bottom of Upper Yosemite
Fall. Ugh.

Another hiker, Rachael Neil, 22, of Mesa. Arizona, also slipped when jumping across the rocks at  John Muir Trail
above Nevada Fall. I guess this is a reminder that Yosemite can be a dangerous place.  In fact, this is the fifth
accidental death in Yosemite National Park this year, according to the park. Folks, be careful out there.

The Poop Kit

by Erik Olsen on

Gadling readers might remember the story we posted
about the poop problems at Mt. McKinley. Namely, that due to high-altitude and the lack of organisms up there to
biodegrade feces, the mountain is becoming increasingly littered with poop. Other mountains are having similar
problems, and one of them, Mt. Shasta in CA, is doing something about it. According
to this peice,

Climbers are now required (in addition to the $15 summit permit) to acquire a “poop kit” from the various ranger
kiosks on the mountain before they ascend. The kit includes two brown paper bags and (nice touch!) a place mat sized
piece of paper with a target printed on it. The effort is part of a sensible and sanitary No Turd Left Behind policy
that should help protect our peaks from  the unnecessary accumulation of feces. Here
is a site that sells poop kits, should you be in need. So
next time you’re heading up your favorite mountain, do us all a favor, pack out your poop.