BACKPACKER Photo School: A Walk in the Redwoods

Our photo editor clears her mind with selections from BACKPACKER contributing photographers

Most mornings while sipping my coffee, I cruise through the myriad of blogs I have bookmarked from our contributing photographers to see what they have been up to. 

Gregg Bleakney, an adventure photographer based out of Seattle, has a 46-second video, A Walk in the Redwoods, on his blog using both video and stills.  The sound of the rain is so visceral that I feel like I am there.

Check it out: Read Full Story...

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Monday, February 08, 2010 in: BACKPACKER Photo School
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Hike of the Day: Superior Hiking Trail, MN

Hike past rushing creeks, numerous overlooks, and verdant hills on the Superior Hiking Trail, then bike back on the Munger Trail on this 14.4-mile loop near Duluth.

Stash your bike at the Superior Hiking Trail’s Kingsbury Creek trailhead, and then start the hiking portion of this route at the Munger trailhead just west of Gary, MN. After a brief walk on the paved Munger Trail, head uphill into an oak and pine forest for an 8.5-mile hike along newer sections of the Superior Hiking Trail. The trail runs... Read Full Story...

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Monday, February 08, 2010 in: Destinations, Hike of the Day, Maps
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Video: Three-legged Upright Bear And Cub

A three-legged black bear learns to survive by walking upright

This video of a three-legged mama bear walking upright with her cub has been making the Internet rounds, and with good reason. In addition to sporting several "aww-isn't-that-so-cute" Wild America moments, it also stands as a testament to the black bear's adaptability for survival.

No one seems to know how the bear lost her right paw and foreleg, but she's adjusted with aplomb, instead choosing to go bipedal. Check it out: Read Full Story...

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Monday, February 08, 2010 in: Nature and Wildlife
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Hike of the Day: Alabama's Pinhoti Trail Loop

Ford creeks and rivers and traipse past rocky overlooks on this 17.6-mile loop along Alabama's secluded Pinhoti Trail.

This 17.6-mile loop follows a well-worn path as it crisscrosses numerous creeks and rivers (some of which can be tricky at high water). White quartz outcroppings offer hikers an opportunity to peer beyond dense tree cover, but... Read Full Story...

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Friday, February 05, 2010 in: Destinations, Hike of the Day, Maps
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Movie Review: 'North Face'

German/Austrian film makes good on its promise

"And you said we should leave the portaledge at home..."

Climbing film fans, you can stop holding your breath: We've finally got another good climbing movie. Jettison those painful memories of Hollywood disasters like K2, Vertical Limit, and the god-awful Cliffhanger—North Face offers relative historical accuracy, climbing chops, and gripped suspense. It doesn't quite reach the heights of the sublime docu-drama Touching The Void, but it reaches hard and comes close.

It's fitting that this production doesn't come from Hollywood in the first place: The German/Austrian film tells the story of Toni Kurz (Benno Fürmann) and Andi Hinterstoisser's (Florian Lukas) ill-fated attempt on the north face of Switzerland's Eiger in 1936. Back then, it was heralded as the "last great problem" of the Alps, and glory-hungry Nazis longed for an Aryan first ascent. Kurz and Hinterstoisser are portrayed as reluctant German soldiers and lifelong climbers from Berchtesgaden who hope to bag the beast for themselves, not for the Fuhrer. Read Full Story...

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Friday, February 05, 2010 in: News and Events
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Lose Weight Fast...At Altitude

New study shows obese people lose weight at high altitudes without exercising or dieting

It sounds like a late-night infomercial scam: "Lose weight fast! Without dieting or exercise!" But the gimmick is real—if you're obese and live at high altitudes. Researchers in Germany sent obese males to live at high altitude without changing diet or exercise and found they lost weight and kept it off for four weeks after returning to lower altitudes.

Scientists from Ludwig Maximillian University in Zurich chose 20 males averaging 230 pounds and classified as obese and monitored their daily eating and exercise habits at low altitude. They then moved them to an air-conditioned facility in Germany at 8,700 feet for two weeks, where they all lost an average of 3.3 lbs. without any dietary restrictions. They were also specifically asked not to exercise. Read Full Story...

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Friday, February 05, 2010 in: News and Events, Health And Fitness
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Hike of the Day: Matthews Arm in Shenandoah

This rugged, 16.8-mile, 2-day backpacking trip reveals classic Appalachian wonders: idyllic waterfall-laden hollows, reborn woodlands, and scenic backcountry campsites.

Here's an ambitious weekend loop in Shenandoah National Park. You'll see: rushing waterfalls, old gravestones, beautiful hardwoods, and hike a series of steps aptly named Little Devils Stairs (see elevation profile). Book this trip in early spring to avoid the crowds and to catch extra views through the leafless trees. Download more details at backpacker.com/hikes/17056. Read Full Story...

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Friday, February 05, 2010 in: Destinations, Hike of the Day, Maps
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Trail Chef: Trailside Dining Manners

One of the greatest things about eating in the wilderness is that a lot of the traditional dining rules are abandoned. But it's still nice to wash your hands...

A recent article on Chow.com (yes, even the Trail Chef needs inspiration at times) about restaurant etiquette got me thinking about the rules of on-the-trail dining etiquette. Certainly one of the greatest things about eating in the wilderness is that a lot of the traditional eating rules are abandoned. Pants become excellent napkins. Almost anything is finger food. And cheese doesn't have to be refrigerated.*

But there is the little problem of bears and rodents in the woods that requires backwoods dining due diligence. And then there's the matter of sharing tight quarters with close, or not-so-close, friends. So below are several dining rules to consider on your next outing. And if you have ideas, anecdotes, or your own set of rules please share in the comments section at the bottom. Read Full Story...

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Thursday, February 04, 2010 in: Trail Chef
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Gear Test: Stoic Bombshell

Backcountry's house brand delivers an epic winter softshell

A few months ago we dropped word that Backcountry.com planned to launch a new house brand called Stoic, a technical category built around "core gear users helping create gear for other core gear users." After a winter's worth of thrashing about the mountains in the Stoic Bombshell ($259), we're happy to report that they've lived up to the challenge: The Bombshell is a dynamic, breathable, tough-as-nails winter shell with features and style to boot.

The Bombshell is built from a stretchy, 3-layer proprietary waterproof/breathable fabric, and while it feels thick, it's actually relatively light for a fully weatherproof winter shell. At 1.75 lbs., it won't double as a summer backpacking jacket, but you'll appreciate the extra armor in a winter gale. When a surprise blizzard blasted Steamboat's frontcountry, the Bombshell's 20K-rated waterproofing shed snow, meltwater streaming off a lift, and even slush sprayed from a passing car without letting in a drop. Fully welded seams make for some of the most leakproof but easy-moving zippers I've used. Read Full Story...

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Wednesday, February 03, 2010 in: Gear, Gear Test
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Hike of the Day: Mollies Ridge in the Smokies

Wildflower meadows, oak forests, snorting boars, and curious bruins (the Smokies have the highest concentration of black bears in the Lower 48): This 18.6-mile out-and-back claims them all.

From the shores of Fontana Lake, climb 1,900 feet in three miles to the west shoulder of Shuckstack Peak. The route undulates over two gaps (Sassafras and Red Ridge) to a campsite at Birch Spring Gap (mile 5.2). Hike two miles from camp to Gregory Bald, drop into fern-filled Ekaneetlee Gap, and finish the hike on Mollies Ridge, where you can spend a second night in a 12-bunk hut. The shelter is allegedly haunted by the ghost of a Cherokee woman who froze to death there—or was eaten by a bear called Spider Foot, depending on who you ask. Check out more map details, photos, and a bear movie collected by map contributor Jeff Chow at backpacker.com/hikes/44824. Read Full Story...

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Wednesday, February 03, 2010 in: Destinations, Hike of the Day, Maps
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