PLAY AGAIN
What are the consequences of a childhood removed from nature?
One generation from now most people in the U.S. will have spent more time in the virtual world than in nature.
I had the good fortune of screening the eye opening PLAY AGAIN locally with my own kids, and meet the passionate filmmaker Meg Merrill. Her film makes a case, against a backdrop of contemporary teen life, about how more time in front of screens than in natural spaces bodes troubling outcomes individually and for our society. Here is more:
Read more
The 20 Hiking Trails Every American Hiker Must Try
A great list contributed by Harriet Gordon, who runs a site to help people research Human Services careers. Clearly, Harriet likes to hike too!
Whether you are looking to have an adventurous weekend or cross something off of your bucket list, nature is, and probably should be, involved. One of the best ways to get back to it is to go on a hike. With literally thousands of trails taking anywhere from hours to months to complete, it can all be somewhat to very confusing. With little money and less time at stake for most hikers, what is the best way to get the biggest bang for your buck/minute?
No matter what your skill level, there are loads of options in the below 20 hiking trails every American hiker must try. With entries from local national parks to ancient cities overseas, there is something for every budget and sensibility. Be sure and read up more before actually heading out, as some of these trails are expert only, but be ready to wear out your favorite pair hiking boots in no time.
The American Hiking Trails Every American Hiker Must Try
Stay in the 50 states for these impressive hiking trails.
-
- 1.
A constantly popular trail, it offers unparalleled opportunities to explore, experience, and connect with nature. From the Highlands of Roan in Tennessee to the strenuous trek up Katahdin in Maine, there’s a hike available for every level of experience. With loads of trails to choose from, visitors can do them in an afternoon, weekend, or even season. Simply visit the site to begin planning your hike and get loads more information.
2. Kalalau Trail
Who says hiking is all forests and mountains? In this must see Hawaiian trail, hikers go from beach to beach. Trails of two to five miles offer cliffs, valleys, waterfalls, streams, and other breathtaking views. There are even hunting options for those who enjoy archery.
3. Glacier Gorge
If the beach is too warm for you, click here. Part of the Rocky Mountain National Park, mountains, waterfalls, wildflowers, and more await you on this hike. The park also has loads of other trails to choose from including everything from the easy to vertical climbs. You can also choose trails by season and check out the webcams.
4. Zion Hiking
Get an up close look at the narrows of the American Southwest on these hikes. The diverse trek through Zion’s premier canyon is one of the most touted and breathtaking adventures in the United States. It greets hikers with hanging gardens, trickling water threads, sandy perches, and much more. The national park website has much more on lodging, camping, and anything else you may want to do there.
5. Wrangell St. Elias National Park
Why let Sarah Palin have all the fun? This Alaskan national park is six times the size of Yellowstone, has some of the tallest mountains in the world, and is home to many glaciers. Literally go off the beaten path through dense brush, steep slopes, glacial streams, and more. The park is also home to 14,185 square miles of designated wilderness, more than any other unit within the National Park Service system.
6. Continental Divide Trail
Got some time to kill and countryside to see? Then check out this trail that goes from the Southern part of New Mexico all the way through Montana and into Canada. Over 3,100 miles long, there is no need to do the entire thing at once. The site offers hiking and other related adventures by state.
7. John Muir Trail
The trail starts in America’s Yosemite National Park and continues 215 miles through the Ansel Adams Wilderness. It then extends to Sequoia National Park, King’s Canyon National Park, and ends at the highest peak in continental United States, Mount Whitney at 14,496 feet. The 30 day hike is not for beginners, but those who are brave enough to take it on will see mountains, lakes, snow, sun, and everything in between.
8. Napa Valley Hiking
Where can you hike and drink on the same trip? With a tour of California’s wine country. The best hiking trial is Bothe–Napa Valley State Park. Rising from the valley floor to about 2,000 feet elevation, this outstanding park is fully developed along one side, wild and rugged on the other. There is also loads of wine country to explore.
The Mountain Hiking Trails Every American Hiker Must Try
Hiking, climbing, and the ultimate outdoor experiences combine on these hiking trails.
-
- 9.
The highest mountain in the world, it stands at 29,028 feet high. Located in Khumbu, Nepal, there are many hikes around the base of the mountain that do not require the risk or steep price tag. Visits on the base trail can include Kathmandu, Phakding, Namche Bazaar, and others. Recommended times of visit include from the beginning of March to mid-May and again from the beginning of September to mid-November.
10. Tour du Mont Blanc
How can you see France, Italy, and Switzerland all at once? By taking on this hiking trail. Called “one of the most exciting long distance wilderness walks in Europe,” the trip takes about eleven days. Highlights of the trail include staying in refuges, alpine climbs, and stunning views. This site has loads more on everything you will need.
11. Mount Kilimanjaro
Kilimanjaro is one of the world’s most accessible high summits at 19,336 feet. Most hikers can reach the crater rim with little more than a walking stick, proper clothing, and determination. For those with more experience, there is Uhuru Point, the actual summit on the lip of the crater. Located in Tanzania, there are six hiking trails and mountain routes. They also offer day or overnight hikes on the Shira plateau as well as trout fishing.
12. Monte Fitz Roy
Located in Argentina, Fitz Roy is at the northern tip of gorgeous Parque Nacional Los Glaciers. It is part of Hielo Sur, the largest icecap not in a polar region. Standout features of the hike include jagged mountain views, suitable for hikers of different experience, no need to filter water, and its inexpensiveness. This site has more on when and where to go, as well as what to see while you are there.
13. Silverton Mountain
Why just hike a mountain when you can also ski down it? Located in Colorado, this mountain offers amazing skiing opportunities, including a cross of heli-skiing experience, snow cat skiing, and resort skiing. There are no groomed runs, no cut trails, just loads of nature’s finest black diamond skiing in the U.S.A. Three to six runs a day are offered to visitors, along with other outdoor activities.
14. North Island
Does the idea of dormant mountains bore you? Then check out this hike located in New Zealand. Walk through fascinating volcanic landscape while touring the famous Tongariro Crossing. There is also the Waitomo caves, lakes, and loads more on the local Maori culture. Although this site offers a five day hike, there are also many other ways to see it.
15. Tiger Leaping Gorge
The Tiger Leaping Gorge trek, or Pinyin: Hu Tiao Xia, is near Lijiang in Yunnan and one of the finest treks through some of the most naturally beautiful and diverse landscapes China has to offer. The hiking trail runs high on the northern side of the gorge passing through quiet villages, shady forest, a blustery precipice, and farmland. The trail can be spread out for two days and there are also options for more adventurous hikers.
The Other Hiking Trails Every American Hiker Must Try
Get the best of the rest in hiking in these must see trails.
-
- 16.
Often a top choice for hikers, this trail is located in British Columbia, Canada. It stands out for its rain forests, rugged coastlines, and dramatic mountain peaks. Other highlights include cross boulders, logs over rivers, waterfall hikes, whale watching, and even shipwrecks and other historical sites. It is over 75 miles long and part of the Pacific Rim National Park. Open from May 1st to September 30th, make your arrangements now.
17. The Great Wildebeest Migration
Sick of hiking with humans? Then stop here on a hike that encompasses the remote and rarely visited corners of Kenya as you follow the great wildebeest migration. Hike northern Kenya’s incredibly dramatic landscapes which include river beds, lush green forests, and mountain glades. Four wheel game driving is also part of the trip.
18. Inca Trail to Machu Picchu
Also known as the Camino Inca, this hiking trail every American must try includes three overlapping routes: Mollepata, Classic, and One Day. Located in the Andes mountain range, the trail passes through several types of environments including cloud forest and alpine tundra. Settlements, tunnels, and many Incan ruins are located along the trail before ending the terminus at the Sun Gate on Machu Picchu mountain.
19. Torres Del Paine Circuit
Check out this hiking trail for “the best view you’ve ever seen,” according to Backpacker Magazine. The 52-mile, ten day loop sits 1,500 miles south of Santiago and encircles the 8,000 to 10,000-foot granite monoliths of rock above glacial lakes studded with icebergs. Exotic wildlife, late sunsets, and much more await hikers on this trail.
20. Haute Route
Also known as the High Route, this trail runs from Chamonix, France to Zermatt, Switzerland. First discovered in the mid-19th century, hikers and cross country skiers have been visiting this 180 kilometer trail ever since. It contains valleys, lakes, and glaciers, along with top notch food and cultural interests. It also offers frequent stops to eat and rest, help keeping packs light and the trip easier.
If you need more help in narrowing down the 20 hiking trails every American must try, visit a site like Backpacker Magazine. They feature loads of expert reviews of top hiking destinations both locally and abroad. The community also chimes in with their top choices, picks, recommendations, hiking tips, and much more. You can also stop to blog about your latest hike.
This post The 20 Hiking Trails Every American Hiker Must Try is written by Harriet Gordon, who writes on human services degree blog.
Outdoor Afro Cheers on Barbara Hillary
The First African-American Woman on Record to Reach North and South Poles!
Outdoor Afro fans learned about Barbara Hillary back in 2009, she not only survived lung cancer, but also took on a trek hardly imaginable to most to the North Pole on skis at age 75!
Here is our Talk Tuesday Blog Talk Radio interview with Hillary from July, 2009 where she humorously shared how it is possible and necessary to live up to ones potential:
Not willing to remain still, this month the venerable Hillary started on another trek, this time to the South Pole.
See the Expenews feed for futher details and to read the rollercoaster of events leading to her journey.
Outdoor Afro wishes Ms. Hillary the best of luck for a safe trip, and recognize the inspiration she is to us all!
Learn more about Barbara Hillary, including booking information for speaking engagements by visiting her website.
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day: Not What it Used to Be
It’s important to remember that Martin Luther King Jr. led a movement that was results driven with little rest toward a vision of equality and justice to benefit everyone. In the spirit of King’s work, celebrating his birthday as a day of service to address the practical, environmental, and spiritual needs of our community makes every bit of sense.
In 1994, Congress designated Martin Luther King Jr. Day as a National Day of Service to recognize the legacy of King in a new and active way. It is often referred to as “a day on, not a day off,” and organizations around the country have since lead efforts on the Holiday to help Americans transform their communities for the better.
While we have had nearly two decades of service emphasis on his birthday recognition, it is only in more recent years that this thrust has gained enough public momentum to resonate with a critical mass. No longer can people dismiss the day as a “black holiday” – as a commitment to bettering our communities must be a universal value.
2010 was my very first day of official MLK Day of Service with my children, where we took part in a local coastal clean-up effort in Oakland, California with dozens of committed folks of all colors in pouring rain. I finished the day cold and tired, yet grateful to know my young children will grow up with the value of service intertwined with the King Holiday, and I am now glad for the ways Outdoor Afro can encourage this vision for others.
I urge you to find ways to get involved if you have never done so before. There are ways for all interests and abilities to take part. If you already have plans, then consider getting your children, neighbors, and other loved ones into the mix.
You’ll be glad for the ways you can make a difference.
Learn more about opportunities in your community!
Every Child Should...
Discover California's Past
Splash in the water
Play in a safe place
Camp under the stars
Explore nature
Learn to swim
Play on a team
Follow a trail
Catch a fish
Celebrate their heritage
According to the California Roundtable on Recreation and Tourism, "Numerous studies document that children who do these things are healthier, do better in school, have better social skills and self-image, and lead more fulfilled lives."
In 2011, please join Outdoor Afro in helping all children, no matter what state they live in and their adult caregivers, exercise these rights through activities such as camping, hiking, biking, birding, and other outdoor activities in both structured and unstructured ways.
Each month, Outdoor Afro will focus on a different aspect of these opportunities. I encourage you to share your photos and videos that show how you connect with nature and community and can inspire others.
In what ways will you commit to helping a child in your life connect with the outdoors?
January’s Bird of the Month
By Douglas “Birdman” Gray, Outdoor Afro Contributor
While I love birds and birding, if I'm honest with myself, I find that I'm a bit jealous of birds sometimes. The reason for my jealousy is the fact that, "Birds have wings...and tend to use them."
On occasion, I have wished for the ability to spread my wings and fly away somewhere. Somewhere warm, cozy, and with beautiful scenery. During this time of the year, I'd like to take flight from Indiana and its Midwestern winters and fly south. Southern Texas and other parts of the American Southwest are very appealing right now. Central and South America would also be on my short list of places to take flight about now.
All this brings me to the Bird of the Month, the Vermillion Flycatcher.
I've seen more Vermillion Flycatchers this year than I ever have before, but I've never seen one in Indiana. That's why I watched with excitement as folks were reporting seeing this flycatcher in Marshall County, Indiana. I’m sure I would have “chased” this bird myself, like so many others, if I hadn’t seen plenty of these birds earlier in the year. (So this is actually my first BOTM in which I didn't actually see the bird with my own eyes. But the bird in the accompanying photo is the actual bird seen. Thanks Rob Ripma!)
Flycatchers are an interesting group of birds. What I find most interesting about them is just how uninteresting they can appear. They are usually drab, dull, and dry. Well that’s usually the state of “most” flycatchers. There are many flycatchers that show up in Indiana, and “most” are so drab, so dull, and so dry that it’s very challenging telling them all apart. Giving them all separate names may seem to be a bit of a waste to some. Flycatchers can be almost impossible to differentiate, even amongst the most expert of birders. (The most reliable way to tell them apart is by their singing.)
OK, let me make a full circle and get back to the Bird of the Month. The male Vermillion Flycatcher is one of the few striking flycatchers. It’s one of the dazzling exceptions in the world of flycatchers. Out of the typical drab, dull, and dry world of most flycatchers comes this strikingly brilliant, scarlet red bird. While this bird is a very rare visitor to Indiana, reading the stirring and exciting words of folks seeing this bird for the first time made me glad that “Birds have wings…and tend to use them.”
I don’t know why this bird ended up in Indiana. I hope the bird was able to use the same wings that got it here, to safely return to where it came from. Maybe it was from Southern Texas or some other part of the American Southwest. Maybe it was from Central America or even South America. Places I’d rather be right now. I just wish I had wings to do what it did. (Strange enough, I’ll be birding in Duluth in a few weeks. Maybe this bird and I have more in common than I suspect.)
Douglas “Birdman” Gray has been birding almost all of his life. He grew up on a family farm near Clarksville, Tennessee, where they grew crops ranging from apricots to wheat, and most things in between. They also raised chickens, guineas, pigs, horses, and a cow named…….Apples. Doug’s grandfather identified the birds they would see daily on the farm.
Doug now resides in Indianapolis and works in Parenteral Engineering with Eli Lilly and Company. Most of his current birding takes place in Indiana, with a concentration on Central Indiana, where he leads bird walks for “Backyard Birds”. Doug can be reached at 317-255-7333.
ACA Forms Educational Alliance with Outdoor Afro
Outdoor Afro was fortunate to make contact with the American Camp Association (ACA) at the Grassroots Gathering hosted by the Children and Nature Network last summer, and after several enthusiastic conversations about connecting diverse communities to the outdoors, Outdoor Afro and ACA decided to form a new educational alliance. Outdoor Afro believes the camp experience, particularly family camp, can be an important gateway to connect children with nature, create lasting environmental stewardship, and inspire a healthy future.
The American Camp Association is a community of camp professionals who, for nearly 100 years, have joined together to share knowledge and experience and to ensure the quality of camp programs. ACA is dedicated to enriching lives through the camp experience. They believe that all children, regardless of their family’s financial capacity, deserve the opportunity to attend camp.
"We are pleased to partner with Outdoor Afro," said Peg Smith, ACA’s CEO. "We share a commitment to bring the benefits of first-hand
experiences with the natural world to diverse populations."
Outdoor Afro will support ACA’s efforts to better reach diverse populations with information about the camp experience. And in February of 2011, Outdoor Afro will host a talk at the ACA National Convention called: Cultivating and Recognizing Diversity in Family Camp to examine strategies camps can use to support cultural relevancy in the camp experience.
As part of this partnership, ACA is offering the Outdoor Afro community of readers a free, one year membership to their association. Use the following link: http://www.acacamps.org/membership/counselors. Use the code COUNSELOR-2010 for the free membership, a value of $200.
The Bracebridge Dinner
When visiting the Ahwahnee Hotel in Yosemite National Park years ago with my sister Delane in the summer, we both noticed the promotional materials for the winter Bracebridge Dinner and absentmindedly added it to our bucket list as an experience to have at least once in our lifetime. So imagine my pleasant surprise, when I learned my Bracebridge moment would come this year!
Outdoor Afro friends Frank and Audrey Peterman were invited, courtesy of the Deleware North Company, to take part in this historic Christmas Pageant penned by John Muir, as Visiting Squire and Lady. They generously provided a table for their guests to enjoy the experience, and Outdoor Afro was so glad for the invitation! Dr. Carolyn Finney was also in the mix, so we decided to make the pilgrimage together by car to Yosemite from the San Francisco Bay Area.
Without a shade of difficulty on the road, we descended into the Yosemite Valley in all its winter splendor with a fraction of the crowds. Light snow had fallen on the ground and around every bend of the road was a perfect visual frame of nature hard to harness within words.
The eight-course meal was served over four hours by the Squire’s serving party, with each course announced with enthusiasm and pageantry by The Manor Parson, serenaded by song: The Fish! The Peacock Pie! The Boars Head! The Baron of Beef! And in between the delicious courses the court jester and cook routinely poked fun at unwitting audience members with some hysterical results – including a gag on yours truly!
After hours of laughter, and revelry, the Squire Bracebridge and his family lead the final procession from The Great Hall and into modern times, and as they did, we Bracebridge guests rose our glasses over full bellies to celebrate with gratitude the joy of the Season and coming of the New Year.
Outdoor Afro is deeply thankful to Frank and Audrey Peterman, the Delaware North Company, and the fabulous folks of table 19 for including us in a memory of a lifetime!
Click to read more about the Bracebridge Dinner and its history, also check out Frank and Audrey’s delightful narrative of their wonderful experience.
EcoSoul Wisdom: Re-Imagining the River
By Outdoor Afro Contributor, Phoenix Smith, MSW
Sometimes, if you stand on the bottom rail of a bridge and lean over to watch the river slipping slowly away beneath you, you will suddenly know everything there is to know -- Winnie the Pooh
Wade in the water, Wade in the water children. Wade in the water. God’s gonna trouble the water-- African American Spiritual
It has been noted that the esteemed African American ancestor Harriet Tubman sang this spiritual as a warning to runaway slaves. This song signaled a need to change paths and move into the water, to go with and trust in the flow of the river. We can learn from her lesson today.
Where I live, in the San Francisco Bay Area, the rains have returned after a long season of dryness and drought. Although rain comes in sheets today, the drought remains.
Usually I lament the coming of the rains as it has signaled less time in nature, but I’ve now come to appreciate the rains differently, knowing that a “flow” has returned, and whatever droughts I have experienced can be healed like the water that flows in the river.
The creeks and rivers are now full of rushing water and of life. When I am still and listening near the river, hearing her rushing water, feeling her mist on my face, I am restored.
The simple act of being still at the river allows me to listen deeply and I stop and ask what does the river have to say? In the freedom of the flow I hear,: Do I flow full of life like the river, or do I resist? In my practice, I seek guidance by asking questions of the natural world as I embark on making big changes in my life, and aligning myself with my highest purpose.
I start with the most basic questions: What’s the word river? What’s ‘up mountain’? How’s it going dear hill? In response, something amazing happens. The river, the mountain, and the hill respond: “Ah, I’m glad you finally recognized me, didn’t your mama teach you to greet your Elders?” When I heard this the first time, I stopped in my tracks, and looked around to see if someone was fooling around with me, but there is no human there. Just wisdom. So now I sit by the riverbank, ask questions, and listen to the message for the day.
“What has happened to your flow? “She asks. I remain silent. shocked that the river knows I’ve felt a little sluggish lately. And so she says, “I have only one course and that course is to the truth, to beauty, to life, to love. But I don’t always flow, and more often than not I’m not flowing or I’m very sick because of human neglect, and abuse and ignorance. I hear her saying, “Please remember me and thank me when you take a sip of cool clean water, as I am no longer flowing everywhere --thank me when you are flowing in your life. Consider me when you are not.”
J. Phoenix Smith, MSW is the founder of EcoSoul a leader in the movement to foster a deeper connection between nature and intergenerational healing for personal and community wellness, sustainability and transformation. She is an Ecotherapist who utilizes ancestral wisdom, mindfulness based practices, and nature to cultivate peace and well-being. www.ecosoulwisdom.org
Equinox and Rebirth
Even though we lived in the city, my father remained true to his southern roots and was devoted to growing all types of things from the soil. And he consulted his Farmer's Almanac and later the Weather Channel regularly to inform his urban gardening plans. I have to admit that I did not grow up with a spoken consciousness about the solstice. But considering the bounty of his garden each year, I know my father respected the solstice as a time of transition into a season of dormancy necessary for the new growth in his garden.
Last night marked an historic moment in the earth's sky. For the first time since 1544, the earth aligned directly with the sun and moon, which cast a shadow on the moon's face. This all happened on Winter Solstice, which is the longest night and shortest day of the year. For many, darkness is associated with negative things, but we also know that darkness is the birthplace of dawn -- of light.
Nature is a generous teacher and model for how we might live our lives. Those flowers in my father's garden regenerated and bloomed after a period of barren stillness in winter. So too, can we retreat into contemplation of those things we want to be born into our own lives for the new year, and we can allow anything that no longer serves our highest good to die away.
In this rare solar event as light recedes, perhaps we can take a moment to imagine the world we want to live in. What thoughts, ideas, or circumstances no longer serve you? How might we bloom differently or commit to change in the world to prepare for the sun that is certain to rise?