Today’s photo of the day is a Flash
series from professional photographer James Balog. Balog, you may remember from a
previous gadling entry is the photographic force behind
some amazing photos of trees…one montage, in fact, that will really blow you away. I met him at the Adventure Travel
Expo a while back and thought he was a reall ynice guy. Unassuming and cool. Not to mentions amazingly talented. So
check out this series by him. Good stuff.
A Roger Rocky Horror Show: First Time Climber
I’m not one to feel intimidated by much, but it’s hard stepping
out into the world, trying something new like scaling what seems to be a gigantic mountain for the first time with
a group of people who seem to have forgotten their first time climbing. Keeping the fear factor low can be
a real challenge. After saying all that, first time climbers might
find comfort in this
story.
Roger, a long time regular at being a couch potato and stuffing chips in his mouth decided to break loose. He
looked up Graham Uney, an expert mountaineer, for his first time rock climbing in Sandale. His team was built of
two semi-experienced climbers and one other novice with a fear of heights. In the end he learned to confront his
fears, trust other people and explore the world beyond his couch. It’s actually quite inspiring and humorous even
if you are a pro.
Picking Idaho
Idaho has got a lot going on. I myself had never considered
Idaho for future vacations, but I’m
quickly changing my mind. You can rediscover what Lewis & Clark saw by visiting
their historic trail, parasail in Coeur D’Alene, check out a rodeo, and camp in some terrific
backcountry. Anyone who says Idaho doesn’t have something for everyone sure better check out this site.
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?
The 14 Peaks of Ed Viesturs
One of the best places to take stock of the world around you is
on the top of a mountain. Ed Viesturs is one climber who can truly say he’s
had plenty to see as he seeks to be the first American to climb the 14 tallest mountains in the world (all above 8,000
meters). He’s already got 13 checked off the list,
according to this Seattle Times
interview, and is on his way to Nepal to tackle his last obstacle before the goal line: 26,545 foot
Annapurna. He’s already been bested by this peak twice
and has no attentions of letting three times be the mountain’s charm.