Winter Camping

Winter Camping

Did you ever think about camping out in snow and cold? You should. Winter camping is not only fun, it can be – if done the right way – a real adventure and an experience that you wont miss anymore. And there are no bugs ;-)

My first winter camping trip dates back when I was approximately 15 years old. I made every mistake in the book. However, that didn’t keep me from trying again and I learned through trial and error what it takes to make winter camping a great experience. I can’t remember any winter since where I didn’t pitch my tent in the snow, sometimes on a lonely summit often deep in the woods, sometimes sleeping in snow caves or just in a bivvy bag.

First, I had the idea to write up a list of tips on how to prepare you for a night out in the woods or on a mountain when I received an email from fellow winter camper Jim Muller, who runs WinterCampers.com. As the name suggests, Jim dedicated his site to winter camping. If you’re playing with the thought of trying it out I highly recommend to check out his Web site.

You’ll find a wealth of information, such as:

• Winter camping gear lists
• The 10 essentials
• Tons of related articles
• Tips on how to prepare your trip
• And much more…

Here’s the link: http://www.WinterCampers.com.
Let me know what you think!

Spyder takes over Cloudveil Mountain Works

Another takeover has taken place in the outdoor sports industry.

Spyder Active Sports, Inc. acquired Cloudveil Mountain Works, Inc., a manufacturer of technical outdoor and mountaineering clothing. Cloudveil, so the new owners, shall remain a separate brand and operate as a independent division of Spyder.

Read more details in the press release below >>>

Yellowstone National Park - Old Faithful Live

Did you ever want to see the famous geyser Old Faithful live?

Well, technology makes it possible. Yellowstone National Park installed a live streaming and full-motion web cam near the Old Faithful and it is possible to see other geysers as well.

And if you are lucky you can even watch some wildlife. When I checked the web cam earlier a curious fox run across...

How can you view the web cam? Simply visit www.nps.gov/yell and click on "Photos & Multimedia". Once you arrived on the landing page you can launch your Media player and enjoy.

US Bird Species at Risk

According to a recent report by the National Audubon Society as well as the American Bird Conservancy, 25% of all bird species in the United States are at risk of extinction.

Main reasons for these alarming numbers are – how could it be different - human activity causing habitat loss and global warming. The introduction of alien mammals and plants also causes the number of many bird species to decline.

If you like to dig deeper and find out which kind of birds are on the endangered species list, visit the web site of the US Fish and Wildlife Service. Here’s the direct link to the page where you find lots of additional information.

http://www.fws.gov/Endangered/wildlife.html

Yeti alive?

Members of the US science fiction program “Destination Truth” claimed to have found footprints of the legendary Yeti not far from Kathmandu in Nepal.

The Yeti is a legendary creature that is supposed to live in the Himalayas. The legend says it’s half human, half ape – somehow a little bit like Bigfoot also known as Sasquatch.

The footprints are 33 cm (that’s almost 13 inches) long and 23 cm wide (slightly more than 9 inches).

Joshua Gates from “Destination Truth” said he’ll continue his investigations. However, Ang Tshering Sherpa President of the Nepal Mountaineering Association said it is unlikely that the footprints are really from the famous beast. Yetis, so the legend says, are supposed to have only had four toes, but the images showed five toes and he thinks it is the footprint from a Himalayan bear.

Numerous expeditions, mountaineers, explorers and other individuals searched for the Yeti since generations but no one ever was able to provide evidence that the Yeti really exists.

Famous mountaineer Reinhold Messner, who was one of them, wrote a book about his personal investigation and searches for the Yeti. You can check it out here: Reinhold Messner: Yeti.