Follow writer and adventurer Mike Eckel
on his hike through Utah’s canyons
and into Death Hollow, a canyon on the fringes of Utah’s Escalante-Grand Staircase National Monument. Hiking,
rapelling, avoiding deep water and dangerous boulders, Mike and his buddy make the trip without killing themselves, but
have a killer adventure.
This is a hike that is best done right about now, and is one of the more challenging treks/climbs in the
area.
The Wilderness Act is almost 41 years old…about the same age as Tom Cruise…but I argue it’s
been much more influential. There are 8.5 million acres of wild country in the Arctic…a mind boggling expanse when you
think about it. Access to the area comes mostly from float planes, leaving you very alone in a very remote place.
NPR’s Elizabeth Arnold heads to the
Gates of the Arctic National Park in this audio piece and explains what makes
the North so alluring and intimidating.
You can hike into the verdant
slopes of the Na Pali Coast in Hawaii, but the best way to see them is unquestionably by boat.
We’ve just slipped out of the time when humpbacks can be seen in cetacean plentitiude, but the diving is great and
the view of the hills is unreal, like something out of Jurassic Park.
For a tour by boat, check out Napali Explorer, a tour company that will
find you the best spots to hang out and will take you to a few secret swimming holes.
I have raved before about one of
my favorite places on earth:
Patagonia. It is without question one of the most beautiful and interesting regions for travel. In fact, right now I am
reading the book Savage, the story of a Yaghan Indian named Jemmy
Button who was taken aboard the Beagle (yes, the one with Darwin…although he was on the return trip to Patagonia,
not the one that initially grabbed Button) and spirited off to Britain to be “civilized”. It’s immensely interesting,
and a fine example of a particularly silly kind of manifest destiny, not to mention a timely story about how our
notions of societal superiority lead us to try odd and sometime dangerous things.
Anyway, all of that is a long-winded way to get
to this story in the New York Times about Welsh Patagonia. Farmers and herders from Wales came to Patagonia early
in the 19th century to settle. Over the course of many years, they changed the landscape and the local economy, and
endured numerous booms and busts. It is a fascinating history, one recounted in the superb book by Bruce Chatwin
In Patagonia.
Some of this is mentioned in the
article here, that is worth a read if you, too, are interested in Patagonia. But I should add that the brilliance
and wonder of Patagonia is not just in its storied hiistory, but in its outdoor delights. Patagonia is one of the best
places in the world to paddle, hike, climb, fish and photograph. Trust me on this one.
Hey, even though its (finally!) getting warm, there is still some backcountry skiiing to get done. There will likely
be at least one more storm somewhere, and quite possibly that storm will be in British Columbia.
So as you gather your gear to head out for that final trip, give a read
to this article in Backcountry Magazine on skiiing
Plinth Peak in BC. The photos are pretty good and it’s
enough to make you want to hit the slopes one last time.