Yellowstone sets new record for visitors in June

by Kraig Becker on

It seems that the sluggish economy isn’t preventing Americans from traveling this summer, at least not to one of our favorite adventure destinations. The National Park Service announced earlier this week that more than 694,000 people visited Yellowstone in June, an increase of 7.9% from last year, and a continuation of a recent trend that has seen travelers flocking to the park.

In 2009, Yellowstone set an attendance record with nearly 3.3 million visitors making the trip to the America’s first national park. But it seems that mark is already in jeopardy in 2010, as every month this year, save May, has seen an increase in traffic. With July and August, the park’s two busiest months, still to come, it seems that the Park Service will have another very successful year on its hands.

With all of the spectacular natural beauty that is found in Yellowstone, it is easy to understand why it is so popular. The park is famous for its amazing mountain vistas, impressive waterfalls, sprawling canyons, and of course its geysers, with Old Faithful being the most famous of all the attractions. Yellowstone is also home to plenty of wildlife ranging from elk and bison to wolves and bear, making it one of the best places in all of North America to watch wild animals.

If you’re still undecided about where you want to travel to this summer, perhaps you’ll add Yellowstone to your itinerary. It’s a classic American destination, and a must see for any traveler.

[Photo credit: Daniel Mayer via Wikimedia Commons]

Video captures the essence of climbing Mt. Shasta

by Kraig Becker on

Mt. Shasta is a 14,179 foot tall volcano located in California’s Cascade Mountains. The peak is a popular one with climbers, who generally attempt the mountain between April and October, although winter summits are not out of the question. The climb is a challenging one that requires more than 6300 feet of vertical gain, while crossing over snowfields and treacherous glacial moraines, which makes it the perfect peak for tuning up for other, bigger mountains, elsewhere in the world.

Recently, climber Ryan Commons, whose beautiful video of the John Muir Trail we shared a few months back, made the climb to the top of Mt. Shasta, and created another spectacular video to share with the rest of us. The video is twenty minutes in length, but is well worth watching from start to finish. It not only shows off the amazing scenery off the Cascades, but also captures the experience of the climb very well. For anyone contemplating making the climb up Mt. Shasta for themselves, there is plenty of great information to assist in that adventure too.

The video shows us all the elements of the climb, both bad and good. Ryan and his partner Mark make the ascent along the most popular route on Shasta, Avalanche Gulch, and it was a cold and challenging climb almost from the start. I won’t spoil the rest of the video for you however, as it is so well made, you’ll almost feel like you’re out there on the trail with the guys. Enjoy.

Summiting the Volcano, Mt. Shasta California from Ryan Commons on Vimeo.

Expedition school preps potential explorers

by Kraig Becker on

Are you an adventurous traveler who has ambitions of exploring the world, but you just aren’t sure how to put the unique expedition of your dreams together? If so, then perhaps Mark Kalch’s Expedition School is for you. This 3-day event is designed to give budding explorers all the skills they’ll need to embark on their own solo expedition, no matter what that adventure might be.

The Expedition School will take place August 20th-22nd in the Pyrenees of the south of France, near Bordeaux. The area is the perfect base of operations for the program due to the close proximity of mountains, forests, and rivers that will serve as the weekend’s adventure playground, where attendees will learn whitewater rafting, mountain trekking, and other outdoor skills.

Students at the Expedition School will also learn how to select the proper equipment for their journey, write sponsorship proposal letters, and more. There will be classes on how to document their adventure through the use of photography and video, as well as how to approach the logistics of planning and preparing for an extended expedition into remote places. Attendees will have the opportunity to share ideas and discuss their plans, while working in a team environment designed to simulate the dynamics of an expedition, including packing the van, sorting through the gear, and so on.

Explorer Mark Kalch has plenty of lessons to pass on to his students, most of which he learned on expeditions of his own. Back in 2007 and 2008, Kalch spent several months traveling the length of the Amazon River, from source to sea, across Peru and Brazil, and he recently completed a solo trek north to south across all of Iran.

Kalch is happy to impart his wisdom on potential explorers who attend his Expedition School for just £295 (about $440) for those who don’t mind camping, while the price jumps to £365 ($550) for a shared room. Seems like a small price to pay for the opportunity to network with other adventurers and learn some important skills that could make your expedition a reality.

[Photo credit: Mark Kalch]

It’s the last dam summer at Olympic National Park

by Kraig Becker on

There are big changes in store for Olympic National Park, which is located in the Olympic Peninnorthwest corner of Washington state on the Olympic Peninsula. The park is an interesting combination of Pacific Coast beaches, lush rain forests, and snow capped mountains, with some of the best scenery in the Pacific Northwest. But part of the landscape there is changing dramatically, and by next year it will be altered forever.

In 2011, as part of a plan to remove the Elhwa River Dam, Lake Mills and Lake Aldwell will both be drained, allowing the river to flow freely once again. This is a wonderful ecological move, as it will open up more than 70 miles worth of waterways to let the native salmon swim free, but it will also have an impact on the paddlers who have enjoy kayaking and canoeing through the Elhwa Valley. By next summer, that will no longer be an option.

To celebrate this historic event, the Sol Duc Hot Springs Resort and Lake Crescent Lodge are offering the Last Dam Summer Package, which ranges in price from $206-$229, and includes lodging, a box lunch for each person for each day of your stay, water bottles, a waterfall trail map, and informational material about the impact of the dam removal. To book the package, simply use the promo code: OLYLDS10 when booking your stay.

As if getting the opportunity to paddle two lakes that won’t exist next year wasn’t enough of an incentive to visit Olympic, there is also a new trail to explore as well. The recently established Olympic Waterfalls Trail is sure to be a hit with visitors who want to explore all the stunning waterfalls that the park is famous for. The new trail offers a variety of ways to access these natural wonders, including paved, wheelchair accessible trails, scenic forest roads, and traditional hiking trails. Several of the falls can only be reached by kayak or boat as well, which adds even more of an adventurous element to the trip.

To take advantage of the new trail, four of the park’s lodges, which include Lake Quinault Lodge and Kalaloch Lodge, in addition to the two mentioned above, are offering the Olympic Waterfall Trail Package. This option includes all of the same amenities, at the same rates, as the Last Dam Summer Package, but allows visitors to coordinate a multi-night stay across multiple lodges that fall along their route. To take advantage of this deal, use promo code: OLYWFT10.

Both of these deals are good through October 30th. For more information check out OlympicNationalParks.com.

[Photo credit: National Park Service]

Nepal plots to regain Everest “youngest” record

by Kraig Becker on

Yesterday we heard how China was instituting age requirements for mountaineers hoping to climb Everest from the North Side of the mountain. These new restrictions are a direct response to 13-year old Jordan Romero successfully reaching the summit last month, setting off a heated debate in the climbing community about just how young is too young to climb the tallest mountain on the planet.

That debate is sure to get heated all over again, as Himalayan mountain guide Pemba Dorje Sherpa has announced that he is looking for a suitable Nepali child to take to the summit in an effort to break Jordan’s record. He has even gone so far as to say that he may even take his own son to the top of the world. The boy is currently nine years old, but will turn ten before the 2011 spring climbing season, when the expedition is expected to take place.

Dorje says that he feels all climbing records pertaining to Everest should be held by people indigenous to the Himalaya, and the Nepali government seems to agree. The Tourism Ministry in Nepal, which is responsible for issuing climbing passes, has set a requirement that states all climbers must be 16 years of age or older to climb Everest from the South Side, but they have already given the Sherpa permission to proceed with his plans none the less. Dorje is an Everest record holder himself. Back in 2004 he set the speed record for climbing the mountain in just 8 hours and 10 minutes.

This news fuels the fears that many in the climbing community had when they heard that a 13-year old was attempting Everest. The concern has been that younger and younger climbers would continue to climb these very dangerous mountains in an effort to push the “youngest” records even lower. So again, the question is how young is too young?

[Photo credit: Pavel Novak via Wikipedia Commons]