Arches National Park hosts one millionth vistor

by Kraig Becker on

Arches National Park reached a milestone last Saturday when Victoria Carlson of Santa Fe, New Mexico arrived at the entrance. Ms. Carlson found herself greeted with unusual fanfare by the park rangers at the gate, who were eager to welcome their one millionth visitor.

Located in eastern Utah, Arches National Park is home to more than 2000 natural sandstone archways, including the most famous of them all, Delicate Arch. While touring the spectacular landscape by car is fantastic, the park is also home to miles of trails, which deliver great hikes ranging in length from a couple of hours to a full day.

As an artist seeking inspiration, Carlson says that she has visited Arches on several occasions in the past. On November 20th she was returning once again to soak up even more of the natural beauty, which is so prominently on display there, when she helped the National Park Service reach this major milestone. In recognition of the one millionth visitor, Carlson was given an America the Beautiful – National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass, a coffee table book about the park, and an Arches National Park t-shirt and ball cap.

Arches National Park was first established as a National Monument back in 1929 and remains an amazing destination for outdoor enthusiasts. In the past, it has averaged about 750,000 visitors per year, but like many U.S. national parks, it has continued to see increased traffic in recent years.

[Photo credit: Palacemusic via WikiMedia]

Colorado residents petition to change name of Kit Carson Mountain

by Kraig Becker on

Residents of the Colorado town of Crestone have petitioned the U.S. government to change the name of a local mountain, sparking a heated debate and controversy that revolves around community rights, history, and the lasting legacy of an American legend.

At the heart of the controversy is the 14,165-foot tall Kit Carson Mountain, located in the he Sangre de Cristo Mountains, not far from Crestone itself. The peak is named for the famous trapper and frontiersman who gained notoriety when he led explorers through the American West back in the 1840’s. Later he would play a part in the expansion into California and would also organize the New Mexico militia during the Civil War. But he is also accused of leading a brutal military campaign against the Navajo Indians that resulted in the tribe being forced off their lands, and into captivity, for a number of years. It is because of those actions, that the residents of Crestone are seeking the name change. The 104 Crestone residents who have signed the petition requesting a name change say that the city was founded back in 1880’s and the mountain was always called Crestone Mountain dating back to that era.

The mountain was officially given the name of Kit Carson back in 1970, when it still sat on privately held lands. But in 2004, the U.S. government purchased those lands to expand the Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, moving the mountain squarely into the realm of public property. The U.S. National Park Service manages the lands that surround Kit Carson Mountain, and they don’t seem too keen on letting a small number of locals dictate the name of any monuments or landmarks that are on property that they oversee. Likewise, hikers and climbers have known the peak as Kit Carson Mountain for over 40 years, and they feel the name change would cause confusion as well. With 54 mountains above 14,000 feet in height in Colorado, the outdoor enthusiasts take their climbing seriously.

The debate over the topic will continue for another few months at least. The Board of Geographic Names, the 18-person committee that reviews these kinds of petitions and disputes, will need to review the situation before they cast their votes, but at the moment, it isn’t looking good for Crestone.

[Photo credit: Leahcim506 via WikiMedia]

Hundreds of trekkers stranded in Himalaya due to bad weather

by Kraig Becker on

More than 2000 travelers remain stranded in the Himalaya after bad weather moved into the region earlier this week. High winds and thick cloud cover have conspired to cut off all flights back to Kathmandu, leaving the high altitude trekkers with an unexpected extended stay in the mountains.

Most of the travelers were returning from treks in the Khumbu Region of Nepal, which includes hikes up to Everest Base Camp, located at 17,600 feet. Those treks generally begin and end in Lukla, a small and remote village in the Himalaya, which sits at an altitude of roughly 9100 feet, and offers the only true airport in the region. That airport is little more than a runway that runs up the side of the mountain, and is widely considered to be amongst the most dangerous in the world. The already tricky approach to the village becomes impossible when you add bad weather to the equation.

Fortunately, help began arriving yesterday when the Nepali army sent helicopters to Lukla to start evacuating some of the stranded travelers back to Kathmandu. Their helicopters perform much better in the poor weather conditions and offer plenty of lift to get the trekkers and their gear out of the Himalaya safely. With so many travelers waiting for a ride however, it’ll take a few days before everyone is back in the capital.

Having visited Lukla this past spring, I can’t even imagine where all of these trekkers are staying at the moment. While it is one of the larger villages in the Khumbu Valley, that isn’t saying a whole lot. There are a number of good teahouses to stay in there, but the rooms fill up quickly, and generally it is a very transient place, with adventure travelers coming and going on a regular basis. With 2000 trekkers in the village, it must be one very busy and crowded place.

National Geographic maps available on new GPS device

by Kraig Becker on

Earlier this week National Geographic announced that it was joining forces with Satmap to release a handheld GPS device that offers support for a range of maps from their library. The collaboration of the two organizations means that backpackers, hikers, and adventure travelers will have an electronic version of Nat Geo’s award winning Topo!, Trails Illustrated, and AdventureMaps in the palm of their hands for the first time.

The Active 10 TREK is a fully featured GPS device that has been on sale in Europe for some time, but makes its way stateside thanks to this partnership. It comes fully loaded with U.S. and World base maps, which offer a solid level of detail for the average user looking to navigate between landmarks. But the device also supports expansion through the use of SD cards, and that is where the National Geographic maps come into play.

Nat Geo has already made 14 of their Topo! map guides, which contain USGS topographic map data, available for use on the Active 10. Those maps cover Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, the Mid-Atlantic region, Montana, Nevada, New England, New Mexico, North and South Carolina, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming. The rest of the states and other regions of the U.S. will be made available in the first quarter of 2011. Additionally, three of the Trails Illustrated maps are available as well covering California’s Sierra Nevada, the Southern Appalachians and America’s “Greatest National Parks.” Entries into the AdventureMaps category, which includes international destinations, will be added in the future as well. Topographic map packs are also available for most Western European countries too.

The actual GPS device clocks in at an MSRP of $369.99 and each of the National Geographic Maps SD cards run $99.99 each. The complete line of products launched this week and is already available online. Click here for more information on the Active 10 Trek and here for a look at the various maps packs that are currently available.

This combination of the Active 10 and the Nat Geo map packs should be a great tool for adventure travelers. The National Geographic maps are packed with information and preset points of interests, which make them perfect for navigation in a variety of remote locations around the world. The device has plenty of nice options as well, including a long battery life, a bright, color screen, ruggedized construction, and a fast processor, all of which help to ease the navigation process. I know I’d certainly enjoy finding one of these under my tree this holiday season.

Rent an African villa for an exclusive safari experience

by Kraig Becker on

Renting a private villa, isn’t a new concept for travelers. In fact, many have been doing it for years in a variety of countries throughout Europe. But now, Kensington Tours is bringing the same concept to southern Africa, delivering a unique take on the experience by offering up luxury villas and safari houses for their clients.

According to Kensington travel expert Brad Crockett, a number of luxury villas have begun appearing in both South Africa and Botswana already, and he predicts that it’ll become a very popular option for families or groups of friends traveling together. These rental houses offer all the luxurious (and then some) of home, but in close proximity to some of the best safari destinations on the planet, allowing you to escape to the wild during the day, then return to a comfortable chateau, complete with a deck, pool, modern kitchen, and luxurious beds.

Kensington, who specializes in luxury adventure travel, has a new safari option that includes a stay at the exclusive Ellerman Villa. The ten day trip offers visitors a glimpse at Zimbabwe, Zambia, and South Africa, and includes a number of unique options that aren’t found on any other trip of this kind. For instance, the journey beings with a visit to Victoria Falls and proceeds to South Luangwa, one of the best places in Africa to spot wildlife. Later, back in Cape Town, the travelers will visit the Cape of Good Hope, take a tour of wine country, and trek up Table Mountain. Check out the full itinerary by clicking here.

Having already gone on the traditional African safari a few years back, the thought of gathering up some good friends and renting a villa for a week sounds really appealing. Spending the day on game drives and then retiring to our rental home for the evening for some good food and a bottle of wine sounds like a fantastic escape, and a great alternative to spending the night in a crowded camp site.