10 days, 10 states: Introducing Tallulah Gorge and the Seven Natural Wonders of…Georgia?

by Kyle Ellison on

“Oh Georgia, take me to your Southlands. I sometimes feel that life has passed me by. Oh Georgia, lead me through your heartlands, I need to see them one more time before I die” -Elton John-

By now you’ve probably heard about the new Seven Wonders of the Natural World which were released last week. If you’re anything like me, you’ve already begun formulating a plan on how to visit them all. I’ve already sailed a junk through Halong Bay, watched the sunrise over Jeju Island, and hovered over the Devil’s Throat in thundering Iguazu Falls, so what’s four more?

While I’m sure there are more than a handful of world nomads who have already experienced all seven of the new wonders, I can almost guarantee there is no one out there who has been to all seven of the new wonders and has also–get ready for this one–visited all seven of the Natural Wonders of Georgia.

Yes. You read that right. The Seven Natural Wonders of Georgia.

If I had read that statement five days ago while hiking the hoodoos of Bryce Canyon I would have coughed up a good chuckle at the thought. As I stand here on a roadside in northeastern Georgia, however, the hills dripping in red and orange foliage that spills nearly 1,000 ft. down into Tallulah Gorge, I’ve suddenly stopped my chuckling.

One of the state’s aforementioned wonders and the deepest canyon east of the Mississippi River, Tallulah Gorge State Park is best known for a series of six waterfalls that carve through the gorge and erupt into the Talullah River far below. A regional haven for whitewater kayakers, the Tallulah is known for a steep descent where the water drops 500 vertical feet over the course of only half a mile. You can only kayak the Tallulah, however, on days when there is a planned water release, which is an event that only happens six times every year.

Oh, and you also have to be completely out of your mind. Many of the rapids in Tallulah are classified as class V+, and one rapid by the name of Oceana Falls was described to me as simply being “boat-breaking”. Thanks, but I’m fine with sticking to the 20 miles of hiking trails for the time being.

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Speaking of completely crazy, although it’s pleasant enough to take a late autumn stroll through the park, there have been two notable figures in history who thought it would be a better idea to actually walk OVER the park and get a view of the Gorge from directly above.

The first tightrope crossing of Tallulah Gorge took place in 1883 as part of a publicity stunt for a local hotel, and it would be another 87 years before the famed daredevil Karl Wallenda would become the second man to walk over the gorge on a tightly stretched piece of wire. An estimated crowd of 30,000 people gathered around Tallulah Gorge to watch the nimble German do two complete headstands in the middle of his death-defying crossing, and the large towers from where he strung his high wire are still visible in the Gorge today.

Although Wallenda would eventually fall to his death in a tightrope stunt in Puerto Rico 8 years later at the age of 73, his crossing of the Tallulah Gorge still ranks as one of the most notable events to ever take place high up in these Georgia hills. The other, of course, being the filming of the 1972 hillbilly thriller Deliverance, which was filmed and set right here in the gaping Tallulah Gorge.

Tight rope acts and toothless movie characters aside, northeastern Georgia and the towns around Tallulah Gorge are a remarkably agreeable part of the country. After nearly 3,400 miles of driving, I am met with the same sensation I had in Durango of thinking I really could just stay and live here.

Single lane roads. Country stores selling locally made jam. The refreshingly slow pace and community feel of small town America. These are the scenes which inspire me to crawl behind the wheel of a car and drive across the third largest country on the planet. The simple joys of leaving the chaotic drone of the Interstate in favor of winding back roads that lead you to corners of this country you never knew existed.

Corners of this country, like Georgia’s Tullulah Gorge.

Follow Kyle on the rest of his journey as he explores “10 days, 10 states, 10 great American sights”

Gadling gear review: Adventure Medical Kits Smart Travel

by Kraig Becker on

Staying healthy while on the go is one of the most important aspects for us to enjoy our travels. Nothing ruins a “trip of a lifetime” more quickly than contracting a stomach ailment or developing nasty blisters on our feet. Anticipating everything we might need to take with us to avoid these issues can be tough however, and invariably we end up leaving home without the one thing we really need.

That’s where Adventure Medical Kits comes in. The company makes a line of medical kits and survival gear that have long been favorites amongst the backpacking and adventure racing crowd. But they also have a fantastic set of med kids designed specifically for travel that offer everything we need for our next trip in one compact, well organized, package.

Take for example their Smart Travel kit, which is designed to support one or two people on an extended trip. The kit is essentially a well stocked medicine cabinet that you can take with you wherever you go. Weighing in at just over a pound, the Smart Travel comes packed with bandages, gauze, a thermometer, tweezers, medical tape, and much more. It also includes medications to treat a variety of stomach ailments, blisters, dehydration, fever, and other minor aches and pains. A comprehensive patient assessment form helps to diagnose exactly what it is that ails you, while a visual communications card allows you to communicate what is wrong, in multiple languages, just by pointing.

But that’s not all. The kit also packs in a handy 200-page pocket edition of a wilderness and travel medicine guide. The book offers tips and advice on how to handle everything from allergic reactions to snake bites. The book is so well organized and filled with great information, that it will come in handy even around the house. But having a compact version that fits snugly into the Smart Travel kit, is a nice addition to an already well stocked product.
Adventure Medical Kits recommends the Smart Travel for adventure travel through both developing and developed countries. They also give it a thumbs up for travelers on cruises or short term missionary tours. Personally, I think the kit is fantastic for just about any trip however and would recommend it whether you’re trekking through the Himalaya or staying in a luxury resort in the Caribbean. It is simply too useful to leave at home, no matter what your destination.

For those travelers who need something a bit more comprehensive, AMK offers the World Travel kit, which is designed to support 1-4 people. It is a bit larger, weighing in at a pound and a half, but comes stocked with even more emergency supplies. They even have a kit designed specifically for women, which was developed to meet their specific needs as well.

No matter which kit you use however, AMK has built them to be modular and easy to restock. That means that as you use it, and supplies begin to dwindle, you can simply order refills directly from the company, keeping your medical kit always ready to go. This is a handy option for those who want a simple way to ensure that they are always prepared for their next adventure, without worrying if they remembered to restock all the things they used on their last excursion.

The Smart Travel runs just $40, which is a small price to pay for staying healthy on your next trip. The woman’s specific kit and World Travel are $60 and $70 respectively, but come with even more medical supplies.

Anyone of these kits would make a great holiday gift for the adventurer on your list.

National Parks face significant cuts as budget deadline looms

by Kraig Becker on

In what has become an all too familiar story in recent years, America’s national parks are once again facing a serious threat to their future due to the ongoing fiscal crisis. The bipartisan congressional deficit-reduction committee, often referred to as the “Super Committee,” is currently struggling to find ways to cut $1.3 trillion of spending from the U.S. budget. But as their November 23 deadline looms, the committee is contemplating an across the board 9% cut on all programs, which could be potentially disastrous for the National Park Service – an organization that is already woefully underfunded.

There is no doubt that America’s national parks are popular attractions. On a collective basis, the parks now host more than 280 million visitors per year, giving travelers access to some of the most beautiful and historically important places in the entire country. Those places need to be protected and preserved for the future – something that is increasingly more challenging in today’s political and economic climate. A number of parks, such as Yellowstone and the Grand Canyon, have already delayed much needed repairs and upgrades due to a lack of funds.

Last week, in anticipation of a potential cut to the Park Service budget, the National Parks Conservation Association released a intriguing report entitled Made In America: Investing in National Parks for Our Heritage and Our Economy. The report is packed full of information that highlights the importance of the parks not only for American history and culture, but also the economy. For instance, did you know that the parks are responsible for more than 270,000 jobs and hundreds of millions of dollar in local revenue across the country? Budget shortfalls could mean the closure of some parks, which would have a dramatic impact on surrounding communities.

The NPCA points out that if the 9% cut takes effect, the Park Service will see its budget reduced by $231 million. Considering the Park Service’s current budget is already more than $400 million below what it was a decade ago, you can begin to understand why this is such a huge concern.
Cuts of this size will have an immediate and direct impact on the parks and our experience there. The NPCA warns that these budget shortfalls will likely lead to fewer rangers in the parks, which means fewer programs for visitors, the potential closure of campgrounds and reduced hours at visitor centers as well. Worse yet, it could have a dramatic impact on response time for emergency rescue teams and lead to the inability to monitor the health of endangered species in the parks.

These changes would have a damaging effect on the communities that surround the park too. When visitors no longer get the experience they had hoped for out of a park, they will decide to go elsewhere, taking their money along with them. That drop in revenue in those communities would have a direct impact on local business and lead to a loss of jobs as well.

Reading through the NPCA report two numbers stood out to me. First, the document cites a poll in which more than 85 percent of Americans said that they supported full funding for the national parks. That impressive number only servers to further demonstrate how well loved those wild places truly are. The other number that stood out was that less than 1/13th of one percent of the total U.S. budget actually goes to the parks. I’d say that makes them an amazing bargain considering some of the other things our tax dollars have gone to over the years.

With the November 23rd deadline looming, lets hope some of the men and women in Washington D.C. are as impressed with those numbers as well.

Meet the 2012 National Geographic Adventurers of the Year

by Kraig Becker on

On Monday of this week, National Geographic announced their list of the 2012 Adventurers of the Year, bestowing the honor on eleven men and women who have pushed the envelope in their particular fields over the past 12 months. This year’s group includes mountaineers, a professional surfer, a long distance hiker, a mountain biker, and more.

Several of the names on the list will certainly be familiar to Gadling readers. For instance, we told you about Jennifer Pharr Davis when she set her new speed record on the Appalachian Trail a few months back and we took note of climber Gerlinde Kaltenbrunner when she summited K2 in August, ending her quest to become the first woman to climb the highest peaks in the world without the use of supplemental oxygen. We even told you about Lakpa Tsheri Sherpa and Sano Babu Sunuwar, the two men who paraglided off the summit of Everest last spring. Others earning Adventurer of the Year status include mountaineer Cory Richards, who became the first person to climb Gasherbrum II in the winter and snowboarder Travis Rice, who rode some of the toughest mountains in the world, in style no less. To view the entire list of winners and read more about their exploits, click here.

With the announcement of these recipients, Nat Geo has also opened an online poll that allows you and I to weigh in on who we think deserves the most recognition for their accomplishments this past year. Readers are encouraged to vote everyday until the poll closes on January 18, 2012. Then, in February, they’ll announce the winner of the 2012 People’s Choice Adventurer of the Year Award as well. Click here to cast your vote for your favorite adventurer.

Finally, to catch these men and women in action, check out the online photo gallery that National Geographic has put together to highlight their selections. Not only are they fantastic photos, they also capture the winners in their natural habitats, namely mountains, oceans, forests, and so on.

Congratulations to all the winners.

[Photo courtesy of Cory Richards]

Chinese kayak race turns violent

by Kraig Becker on

A kayak race in Nanchang, located in the Chinese province of Jiangxi, turned violent last week when two teams came to blows while still out on the water. The brawl broke out when one team intentionally rammed its boat into the other, causing both squads to start swinging their paddles at one another.

The fight took place during the four-man, 2000 meter finals in the Chinese City Games, when the home team from Nanchang drifted into the lane that belonged to the paddlers from Guangzhou. Incensed by this intrusion, the Guangzhou squad paddled directly into their rivals, prompting them to strike back. While swinging their paddles, the Nanchang team hit one of their competitors square in the face, cutting him deeply. Covered in blood, the man would later be rushed to the hospital.

The incident comes as China is attempting to clear up its image heading into the 2012 Olympics. The organizers of the City Games warned the competitors that doping, lying about their age, or unsportsmanlike conduct would result in swift and severe punishment. As a result of their actions, the Nanchang kayaking squad was disqualified from the competition.

The paddlers weren’t the only ones getting in on the action either. Apparently the women’s under-18 soccer tourney saw a benchs clearing brawl as well. Apparently, they take their sports very seriously in China.

[Photo credit: www.cfp.cn]