Sandy Hook

by Erik Olsen on

The key to dealing with blazing hot summer days in New York is getting out of the city. But it
takes forever to motivate sometimes, and you often need a car to get anywhere worthwhile.  Well, the New York
Times has got a feature on an excellent day
trip that gets you out of the city and onto the beach in about 30 minutes.

 

You reach Sandy Hook New Jersey from Manhattan by taking the ferry, either the SeaStreak and New York Waterway, and
riding to Sandy Hook. You can ride your bike around the area and check out the lighthouse or the small museum at Fort
Hancock. There is a multi-use pathway for biking if you haul your two-wheeler along with you. This is about as easy as
it gets when it comes to gettting out of the city. Personally, I’m not sure what the crowds would be like at this
place…could be dodgy. But we may give it a try ourselves to find out.

Hiking the Lost Coast and More

by Erik Olsen on

There are very few areas left along the California Coast that are more or less undisturbed by development. But one
of them, a 25 mile stretch North of San Fransisco called the Lost
Coast, is one of the most beautiful places in the state. I hiked it with some friends a few years ago, and found it
immensely fun…but at times it is grueling. You have to walk along a slanted beach for long sections of the hike and the
effort wreaks havok on your ankles. So bring some good boots.

Those interested in the Lost Coast will find this piece on
GORP worth checking out. And
Backpacker Magazine runs a piece on
several excellent places in California to find solitude and outdoor adventure whether you want to travel on foot or by
bike. They cover the Lost Coast and also Humboldt Redwoods State Park, where the mountain biking is said to be superb.
And finally, they mention Stone Lagoon, where paddlers can drop a boat in, and experience the coast from off
shore.

Pursuing Penguins

by Erik Olsen on

Years ago when I had the chance to
go to Antarctica, one of the things that most interested me were the penguins. I scrabbled out of the Zodiak and found
myself on Terra Firma and as I gazed around the desolate beach, I saw dozens of cute waddling little creatures all over
the place. Little birds in suits. Penguins. They were so cool. You could get really close to them, too. I’d just lie
down on the beach next to one holding my camera, and he’d kind of gaze at me and give me a look that said, “Does my ass
look fat?”

So I’ll put it out there right now. Penguins are cool. If you agree, and if you decide you would like to hang out with
penguins some day, read this piece in the
Christian Science Monitor about the legions of penguins who call Magdalena
Island home. Magdalena is a nature reserve and summer home to more than 60,000 Magellanic penguin families. That’s a
lot of penguins. Hanging out there with all these little birds in tuxedos must be like attending the midget Academy
Awards.

Skinny Dipping in the Drakesnberg

by Erik Olsen on

Pat Walker
heads
off to South Africa not knowing what to expect. She heads to a place little known among Americans called
Drakesnberg, which means dragon mountain in Dutch, and
discovers a South Africa of “rushing rivers, trickling creeks, plunging waterfalls and shimmering lakes”. The lakes
boast some of the finest trout and bass fishing in Africa. Hiking to a swimming hole called the Blue Grotto (isn’t this
what all swimming holes are called?) she sits and watches her friends do a bit of skinny dipping and fantasizes that
she has found the Garden of Eden. Not bad for a day’s trek.

A nice little story.

Walking the Mormon Walk

by Adrienne Wilson on

Not certain how many of you are interested in hikes highlighting the struggles of Mormons in the
days where wagon wheels and handcarts lead the way out west,
but it might make for a promising Wyoming trek.  The two day trek begins at Sixth Crossing which is next
to Sweetwater Station, extends 28 miles one way and ends at a place called Rock Creek. The historic pioneer trail
typically sees members from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, but welcomes all visitors to
come explore and pull a handcart along the trail. (The handcarts are free at
Sixth Crossing.) CNN has the
full scoop on the history of the trail and more on planning your own historical weekend hike.