Saturday, April 23, 2016

The Insider's Guide to the Grand Canyon

Use these tips to avoid the crowds and take in all this magical place has to offer.



Autumn, when temperatures fall and the tourist hordes go home, is the perfect time to head to the Grand Canyon. Whether you have a weekend or a month, we've got options.

Car Camp
You don’t have to take all your vacation days to have a good adventure. For starters, you get a pretty damn good view of the canyon’s majesty from the National Park Service village along the South Rim. Skip the tourist vibe at El Tovar and the Bright Angel Lodge in favor of one of the campgrounds along the entrance road. The best is Mather, located within walking distance of the canyon and a general store (good for last-minute s’mores supply runs). Even on a busy Memorial Day weekend, you can ditch the bused-in gawkers at this quiet, wooded site...outsideonline.com for more..




Watch: NH State Trooper Almost Struck by a Bus 4/21/2016




CONCORD, NH - The New Hampshire State Police took to Facebook yesterday to remind New Hampshire residents that the state has "move over" legislation in place so that officials don't get hit while at emergency stops on the highways.

According to the video, at before 10 a.m. on Thursday, April 21st, Trooper Michael Catalfamo of NHSP Troop D conducted a roadside investigation on I-89 and a consent search of a vehicle. Upon completing the traffic stop, Catalfamo attempted to return to his cruiser. At that time, a coach bus failed to move over or slow down when approaching Catalfamo.

The weather at the time of this incident was clear, traffic conditions were light and this section of roadway was straight, according to the post. The three cruisers on the stop had emergency lights activated and would have been visible for more than a mile. The bus came within inches the trooper, as shown in video provided by the Grantham Police Dept.

The operator of the bus was issued a citation for failure to obey.

The NHSP request that motorists obey the state's Move Over and Slow Down.

IT'S THE LAW

NH RSA 265:37-a. Motorist Duties When Approaching Highway Emergencies (Move Over Law). I. When in or approaching an incident involving a fire, collision, disaster, or other emergency resulting in partial or complete blockage of a highway, or a location where a police officer has made a traffic stop, every driver other than the driver of an emergency response vehicle, shall:
(a) Maintain a reduced speed.
(b) Obey the directions of any authorized person directing traffic and of all applicable emergency signals and traffic control devices.
(c) Vacate as soon as possible any lane wholly or partially blocked.
(d) Give a wide berth, without endangering oncoming traffic, to public safety personnel, any persons in the roadway, and stationary vehicles displaying blue, red, or amber emergency or warning lights.

10 Pound Backpack to Hike 100 Miles - Adventure Alan

The Outdoors and Wildlife Daily #GetOutside #SeeAmerica #OptOutside
Dave Peatfield - http://thoughts-drp.blogspot.com

10 Pound Backpack to Hike 100 Miles - Adventure Alan

Shared by
Prejoyful
adventurealan.com - That’s the total weight of everything in my backpack—gear, food, water, and stove fuel. I used that 10 pound backpack to hike 100 miles (plus a few more) of the Appalachian Trail through Shenandoah...












12 Incredible Hikes Under 5 Miles Everyone In Virginia Should Take

The Outdoors and Wildlife Daily #GetOutside #SeeAmerica #OptOutside
Dave Peatfield - http://thoughts-drp.blogspot.com

12 Incredible Hikes Under 5 Miles Everyone In Virginia Should Take

Shared by
Barbara Jennings
onlyinyourstate.com - Crabtree Falls is the tallest series of waterfall on the East Coast. Crabtree Creek plummets nearly 1,080 feet down into the Tye River, causing a beautiful scene of cascades and rushing waters. Thi...








Saturday, April 16, 2016

Trails and tribulations: Lessons learned on a six-month hike along the Appalachian Trail | National Post

Trails and tribulations: Lessons learned on a six-month hike along the Appalachian Trail | National Post:

'via Blog this'

The sun beat down on the narrow wooden boardwalk. On either side, lush, impenetrable foliage hummed with insects and birdsong. It was sweltering — a cloying, sultry, sticky heat more appropriate for primordial jungles than for Western Massachusetts. And yet I was wearing almost every stitch of clothing I had: sports bra, tank top, fleece pullover, hooded raincoat, running tights, tall socks, trail runners.

As sweat and hysterical tears ran down my cheeks, I contemplated the life choices that had brought me to this moment, this pivotal moment, in which I had no option but to run through a swarm of yellow jackets.


A few months earlier, my fiance, Clif, and I had decided that what our life was really missing was a walk from Georgia to Maine. In undertaking a “thru-hike” of the 3,523.2-kilometre (2,189.2-mile) Appalachian Trail — that is, end-to-end, rather than in sections — we were called upon to risk life and limb over treacherous mountains, slippery rock scrambles and you-name-it-infested everythings.

By the time we’d reached Massachusetts, I had become a person.............. cont.