Outdoor Sports Blog

By Charles E. Brown Seattle Times staff reporter When Louise Marshall told someone to take a hike, she meant it. She claimed no credit for pioneering hiking in the Northwest, but local hiking enthusiasts consider her one of outdoor recreation's most ardent boosters. Mrs. Marshall wrote the first Northwest hiking book, "100 Hikes in Western Washington," a forerunner for many of the "100 Hikes" books still in print. She started the first Northwest hiking magazine, "Signpost," which now is called "Washington Trails." Mrs. Marshall, a founder of the Washington Trails Association (WTA), headquartered in Seattle, died Wednesday at her Lynnwood home. She was 90. >>More>>

By Tom Steadman GREENSBORO - Steve Patton had spent his share of time hiking the rugged trails of the Linville Gorge Wilderness area. After all, the longtime social studies teacher at Page High School had grown up in Morganton and had often taken student groups for outings there. But last Saturday afternoon, when the 56-year-old Patton and his two sons were in the midst of a five-mile hike along the Linville Gorge Trail, something went wrong. The slope gave way under Patton's foot, sending him tumbling down the mountainside, badly breaking his right leg in two places. "I looked down, and my foot was hanging off the end of my leg," Patton said. "I knew I wouldn't be of any help after that point." Now, it would be up to his sons -- 13-year-old Luke and 9-year-old Daniel -- to find their way out of the wilderness and get help for their dad. But for the boys, it was their first time on the winding, often steep Linville Gorge Trail near the intersection of Burke,

Associated Press WEST GLACIER -- A man and woman hiking in Glacier National Park suffered bite wounds and other injuries Thursday when they surprised a female grizzly and her cubs on a popular hiking trail, park officials said. The two hikers, who were not immediately identified, did not appear to have suffered life-threatening injuries, said park spokeswoman Amy Vanderbilt. But both had to be airlifted from a steep hillside, which they had rolled down in an effort to escape the bear, Vanderbilt said. "What we know at this point is that these hikers had a close-range encounter with a mother grizzly and her two cubs," she said. "The hikers reportedly sustained bites from the female grizzly and they may have other injuries. ... They rolled about 30 feet down the embankment." Read full article...

By: Ryan Peterson Sandy Garey began her journey in March. She's hiking all 2,100 miles of the Appalachian Trail, from Georgia to Maine, with just her dog Simon by her side. "It's been something that I wanted to do for a long time. But I know that I needed something else, besides health, to be able to walk it," said Garey. Garey's trek will benefit Newborns in Need. Newborns is a national, nonprofit charity that provides essential items and support, free of charge, for premature and newborn babies and their families. "If I can save one baby's life then my job has been well done. It's something that I really, truly believe in. We need to help these little guys that can't help themselves or little girls," said Garey.The charity relies on people like Laura Garrity of Pittsfield. Garrity makes custom receiving blankets and wraps for premies. Click here to read the full article.

On August 10th and 11th, I posted about a Utah hiker who was thought lost and later found in Australia. Now he's charged with insurance fraud. Click here now to read the full article.

By Brian Bridgeford TOWN OF WEST POINT - People who love hiking contributed some sweat equity to their cause last weekend as volunteers from around Wisconsin helped extend the National Ice Age Trail in the Lake Wisconsin area. Men and women armed with shovels, hoes, rakes, axes and chainsaws were hard at work around the Merrimac Ferry landing in Columbia County's West Point township over four days beginning Thursday. They were members of the Ice Age Park and Trail Foundation, a Wisconsin non-profit orgainization that is building a hiking trail across the state. Click here to read more...

By Eileen Ogintz Tribune Media Services Got the M&M's? They're as essential when heading out hiking with the kids as a water bottle, first-aid kit and proper footwear. "I could go days on M&M's," jokes Kurt Heisler, who designs camping gear for L.L. Bean, is a former park ranger and has been taking his 11-year-old daughter Makayla along on hikes since she was an infant. "Parents need to remember when they're taking kids hiking that the goal is to have a good time, not just get to the top of the mountain," Heisler says. Read full article...

After all the bad news about missing hikers in the last weeks I can finally post some good news today. Cororado: A Mississippi hiker missing in the Rockies has been found alive. Forty-six-year-old Eric Chandler went missing on Wednesday while... >> Read more

Members from Maine to Virginia participate in hiking, paddling, skiing, and otheroutdoor activities. Includes links to lodging destinations, local chapters ... This is an excellent resource web site!

By ARLEN SCHWEIGER Driving up the country road on the way to Wachusett Mountain last week, I couldn’t help but listen to the sports radio pundits weigh in on Terrell Owens’ latest antics. I was getting away from sports for an afternoon, trying to reassert a little life lesson that I’d missed out on over the last year. Something that T.O. ought to take a T.O. (timeout, that is) and do. For whatever reasons, I hadn’t gone for a mountain hike for over a year. Sure, I walk my dog everyday, but it’s not the same. Read more...

By Christine S. Moyer City dwellers and suburbanites in the Fox Valley may be hard-pressed to tick off their favorite hiking trails or the most scenic cycling route. But this is not due to a lack of local outdoor opportunities. Rather, Chicago author Ted Villaire blamed it on a lack of public awareness. And with his 238-page book, 60 Hikes within 60 Miles — available in stores this month — the author aims to heighten the public's awareness of the area's natural beauty by highlighting some of the best hiking trails zigzagging through Chicago, Aurora, Elgin and Joliet. Full article...

If you happen to live in the Richmond, VA area, this might be of interest for you: The Outdoor Adventure Program for Fall 2005 Kayaking Canoeing Rafting Climbing Hiking/Backpacking Caving Skiing Check it out!

A HIKE OF FAITH Lakeland 20-Year Old Conquers Appalachian Trail By Gary White The Ledger Brandon Hurst remembers the morning he woke up in the woods of Virginia in rainy, 35-degree weather. He hoisted himself out of his tent and began an all-day slog through high winds that pelted him with sleet. "I remember thinking, `Why am I doing this to myself?' " says Hurst, 20, a student at Southeastern University. The answer -- that he had pledged to himself at age 14 to make this journey -kept him going through that and other tremulous moments during his solo traverse of the Appalachian Trail, which stretches for 2,175 miles from Georgia to Maine. The Lakeland native reached the summit of Mount Katahdin in Maine, the terminus of America's best-known hiking trail, on July 30, five months after heading out from Springer Mountain in northern Georgia. Click here for more...

BY RALPH D. RUSSO Ralph Russo, who covers football for the Associated Press, hiked up Kilimanjaro with his wife, Sally Slavinski, on their honeymoon in late May -- the very end of the rainy season on the mountain in Africa. MT. KILIMANJARO, Tanzania -- Bundled from head to toe and huddled around the flame of a single candle, my wife and I force down a bowl of porridge in preparation for the final leg of our journey to the highest peak in Africa. Read full article...

In this article by Lee Graves you'll find hiking trails around Richmond, VA. All trails have location, number of trails, total distance and description of trails. Click here for the full article.

Whiteblaze.net is a community of Appalachian Trail enthusiasts. Read what these folks art thinking about to use or not to use trekking poles. Another great place for info on trekking poles is: http://www.OutdoorSportsAdviser.com

By The Associated Press ST. GEORGE, Utah (AP) -- Family and co-workers of a St. George man believed to have disappeared while hiking were relieved that he was alive but distressed that he had gone off secretly to Australia. Bryan Butas, 35, had said he was going hiking alone in an area near Leeds. He was reported missing when he did not show up for work on Aug. 1 and his car was found near the Oak Grove campground in Dixie National Forest. Sheriff Kirk Smith said Tuesday that investigators found that the ex-Marine had purchased a plane ticket on July 20 and flew from Los Angeles to New Zealand and then to Sydney on Aug. 2. He was then traced to Cairns, Queensland. Click here for more...

Man Thought Lost in Utah Found in Australia Washington Post - United States SALT LAKE CITY -- A man thought to have disappeared while hiking in southwestern Utah has been traced to Australia, Washington County sheriff's officers said ...

Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve to open new hiking trails Kansas.com - KS, USA TOPEKA, Kan. - Visitors to the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve soon will have reason to linger longer. Three new trails will open Aug. ... Hiking to remote fishing spots yields well-fed cutthroats Cody Enterprise - Cody, WY, USA As tempratures hover in the 90s, anglers have cast off waders and opted to wet-wade waters that harbor fat native cutthroats. They ... National parks at bargain rates MSNBC - USA ... Pack your bags (and your hiking boots) and head west to Utah, Arizona, and California for under $130/night, including guided tours, fun extras, and plush ...

By Dave Coleman For the CDT My dad called me last Friday night. He asked if I would like to join him for a paddle on the Middle Youghiogheny as we do together maybe once a year. Normally, this is the only whitewater river near Central Pennsylvania with enough water to run in these "dog days" of summer. After consulting the weather forecast, I decided that Sunday would be a great day for an outing. Read full article...

The Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association (SGMA) has released its 2004 report on 'Extreme' sports. A number of outdoor activities fall into the 'extreme' definition. One of the interesting facts in the report is how some of these activities once considered on the fringe now are approaching or have even surpassed numbers of 'traditional' sports. Read more...

Friends of a missing hiker in Washington County hope more volunteers help their search tomorrow. The man went for a hiking trip, last weekend... in the Pine Valley Mountains. He should have returned to St. George, Sunday. Jed Boal, has the latest on that search. More than 130-searchers scoured tough terrain for any sign of Bryan Butas. His abandoned car at the trailhead is all they have to go on. Click here to read the full article (KSL TV).

Hiking Branson’s Lake Taneycomo White River Corridor Trail By Gary Groman aka The Ole Seagull, Editor View from bridge on White River Corridor Trail The Branson area has hiking and walking trails for just about every level of expertise. A favorite of the Ole Seagull because of convenience, suitability for families, and beauty is the White River Corridor Trail on shoreline of Lake Taneycomo. >> read more

Backpacking is traveling long distances with a backpack. Two forms can be distinguished. Backpacking is the most thorough combination of hiking and camping. It is usually done for recreation, to explore a place that the backpacker considers beautiful and fascinating. A backpacker camps in one place, then packs all of his or her gear into a backpack and hikes off to a different location. More...

In this article the author talks about the pros and cons of using Trekking Poles. Click here to read the full article. **************** Another place to read about this topic and to find a solution for knee problems when hiking or backpacking is: http://www.OutdoorSportsAdviser.com