Great Himalayan Trail on schedule to open in 2011

by Kraig Becker on

Way back in February of this year we told you about the Great Himalayan Trail, an epic hike more than 2800 miles in length that will eventually wind its way through the mountainous regions of Pakistan, India, Nepal, Tibet, and Bhutan. The trek, which is expected to take roughly 150 days to hike end-to-end, is scheduled to officially open in early 2011, although there are still some challenges to over come before the boots of adventurous travelers begin to walk the route.

2011 is being called Nepal’s Tourism Year, and the country is gearing up to promote itself as the top adventure travel destination on the planet. The GHT will play a role in that celebration, as roughly 1200 miles of the trail passes through the country, and while it is expected to officially open in January or February of next year, some are already questioning if that will happen as planned. Ang Tshering Sherpa, a former president of the Nepal Mountaineering Association, says that the trail has mostly been promoted and built by private sector dollars thus far, and he is calling on the Nepali government to inject some much needed funds to help launch the trail in early 2011.Without those funds, he feels that the GHT won’t get the recognition that it deserves to draw trekkers to the route.

Meanwhile, the Nepal Tourism Board named American Sean Burch as one of its Goodwill Ambassadors this past week. The 40-year old Burch recently completed an endurance run across Nepal, from the border of India to Tibet, that followed 1250 miles of the GHT, in just 49 days. He will now help to promote the epic new trail abroad, while also encouraging economic development in the villages through which the trail passes.

That economic development will be important for the future of the GHT. On other trekking routes in the region hikers find teahouse lodges and simple restaurants every few hours along the route, but there are large sections of the GHT where those amenities are not yet present. But the trail will provide opportunities for enterprising individuals to build these places, which should help the economies of each of the countries that the GHT passes through.

Trekkers interested in hiking some or all of the trail, should check out GreatHimalayanTrail.com for more information on the available routes and what to expect when it officially opens next year. Start planning your trek now and be sure to let your boss know you’re going to need 150 days off to make the hike.

National parks free for Veterans Day

by Kraig Becker on

The National Park Service will host its final fee free day for 2010 this Thursday, November 11th, in honor of Veterans Day, allowing travelers to experience more than 100 parks that generally charge admission at no cost. For a complete list of those parks, grouped by state, click here.

A number of the parks will host special ceremonies or commemorative events to honor America’s veterans, including Valley Forge, the birthplace of America’s army, which will hold a moment of silence and a wreath laying-ceremony at 11AM near the National Memorial Arch. There will also be living history interpreters near the Muhlenberg Brigade huts throughout the day who will share insights and thoughts on the history of the place. Meanwhile, visitors to Morristown Historical National Park, located in New Jersey, can enjoy a new trail that is 27 miles in length and wanders through George Washington’s historic army encampment.

The Park Service’s fee free days have been quite a hit with travelers over the past couple of years, drawing visitors in by the thousands, and helping to set new attendance records across the system. It seems they’re planning on continuing the practice in 2011 as well, as they have already announced that entry to the parks will be free from April 16-24 to celebrate National Parks Week, and again on September 24 for Public Lands Day and November 11 for Veterans Day. More dates are expected to be announced soon.

Additionally, a number of the parks’ partners will also be offering special discounts, prizes, and other deals to visitors on Veterans Day. Click here to view a sampling of those special offers.

[Photo credit: National Park Service]

Storm watchers invited to experience La Niña at Olympic National Park

by Kraig Becker on

Long range weather forecasts indicate that we can expect La Niña to have a direct impact on our weather patterns in the months ahead. That powerful natural force tends to sit off the west coast, causing pacific water temperatures to drop while creating storms that can dump rain and snow on large parts of the U.S.

For many of us, the mere thought of these storms is enough to send us scrambling for dryer and warmer conditions, but for adventure travelers and storm watchers, the thought of catching La Niña in her full fury is an opportunity that is often too good to miss.

To help facilitate that, the Kalaloch Lodge, located in Olympic National Park, is offering a Storm Watchers Package that is available now through March 12, 2011, which is when the weather phenomenon is expected to start to fade. The package runs $149/night and includes lodging in a personal cabin located on a bluff overlooking the Pacific Ocean. The rate also includes breakfast for each person, a souvenir blanket with the Olympic National Park logo on it, and perhaps most importantly of all, rain ponchos for everyone as well. Additional nights can be added for just $99 each. Simply use the promo code STORM10 when booking.

Not to be outdone, the nearby Lake Quinault Lodge is offering a Storm Watchers Package of their own. This package is also available for the same dates as the Kalaloch Lodge and includes a warm and dry fireplace or lakeside room and a rainforest tour for two. The lush forests that surround Lake Quinault receive as much as 12 feet of precipitation between October and March each year, and experiencing those rains can be amazing for nature lovers. This package costs just $119/night and comes with the option of adding additional nights for $50 each. The promo code for this package is LQSTORM10.

So whether you want to experience the power of El Niña on the Pacific Coast or the storms she generates in the rainforest, Olympic National Park has you covered.

Oprah Winfrey introduces Yosemite National Park to her audience

by Kraig Becker on

When it comes to influential television personalities it is difficult to top Oprah Winfrey. After all, the queen of daytime television has been making authors rich for years with her book club and its no secret that her endorsement of a product, sends her audience out to the shopping malls. Now, the National Park Service is hoping they’ll be the recipients of a little Oprah magic thanks to two high profile episodes about her recent camping trip to Yosemite National Park.

Oprah, along with her best friend, the ever-present Gayle King, spent a week in Yosemite awhile back, “roughing it” in a pop-up RV and exploring the stunning landscapes that the park is so well known for. They also found some time to do a little fly fishing, go hiking, and even cooked their meals over an open fire. The first episode of Oprah’s camping adventure aired last Friday and the second is due to be broadcast today. (Check local listings to see when it airs in your area.)

The excursion came about after Ranger Shelton Johnson, who has spent 18 years working for the Park Service, wrote to Oprah asking her to consider visiting Yosemite. Johnson, who is African-American, told the talk show host that not enough black people visited the parks, and that perhaps she could help change that with a visit of her own. With African-Americans making up less than 2% of the visitors, Oprah has her work cut out for her, but these two episodes may bring Yosemite some much needed exposure. It is likely that for many viewers, these shows are giving them their first ever glimpse the place.

Encompassing more than 1200 square miles of California wilderness, Yosemite is best known for it’s legendary rock formations, Half Dome and El Capitan, both of which are popular draws for rock climbers. The park also offers beautiful alpine meadows, giant sequoia trees, and deep mountain valleys, allowing visitors to hike more than 750 miles of trail or bike the 12 stunning miles of the Yosemite Valley. For adventure travelers it is quite the outdoor playground and visitors who just come to take in the view will find plenty to love as well.

As for Oprah, it’s unlikely that she’ll be back soon. While it seems that she and Gayle had a reasonably good time on their outdoor adventure, she did tell her audience “I’d never do that again” in reference to their camp out. I guess we can’t expect her to be hiking the Appalachian Trail after she retires from television next year, huh?

[Photo credit: Oprah.com]

Aspen’s St. Moritz Lodge rolls back room prices to $69/night

by Laurel Miller on

Snow enthusiasts salivating over last week’s dump in the Colorado Rockies, don’t despair. A fall vacation in Aspen is affordable thanks to the St. Moritz Lodge’s “Roll Back Our Rates to 2006 Levels” promo.

Starting now through November 24th, get a low-season rate of $69/night for a standard Lodge room (double bed, twin, mini-fridge, TV, and private bath). If you’re a returning guest, call 800-817-2069 and receive a 10% discount. Early winter and spring ski season is still a screaming deal if you’re traveling with a friend or two, with standard Lodge rooms going for $99/night. It’s Aspen’s only hostel, and thus the best accomodation bargain in town.

Enjoy an outdoor heated pool and hot tub (summer/winter only), steam room, daily housekeeping, laundry, a well-equipped kitchen, free Wifi, coffee, and deluxe Continental breakfast, and a cozy lounge/TV room/library, and off-street parking.

The St. Mortiz is just 10 minutes walking from the hopping scene in the center of town and the Silver Queen Gondola, spitting distance from a handful of trailheads. Even if you don’t ski, take advantage of the gorgeous running paths and hiking/snowshoeing trails for free.

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Need more incentive? United and Frontier just announced they are increasing their flights into Aspen. In addition to the 14 to 17 flights per day from Denver International Airport (DIA), there are more direct flights from San Francisco, Los Angles and Chicago, and the newly added Houston-to-Aspen route. Delta and American Airlines serve Eagle County Regional Airport, an hour-and-half-away (FYI, this is the closest airport to Vail, 30 miles away). Colorado Mountain Express has shuttle service to/from DIA to Vail, Eagle, and Aspen, as well as Keystone, Breckenridge, Copper Mountain, Beaver Creek, and Snowmass.