Appalachian Trail Conservancy Seasonal Employment – Get Paid to Hike!
Photo by: Mike Swanson, Appalachian Trail ConservancyHow many of us have ever dreamed of the perfect outdoor job? Getting paid to hike, camp, or backpack seems too good to be true. But for the right person it could be a dream come true. The Appalachian Trail Conservancy is currently accepting application for 2011 Rdigerunners and Caretakes. Ridgerunners are assigned to hike specific sections of the A.T., while Caretakers remain at specific overnight sites.According to the Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC): ATC
Last Chance to get a Davis Mountain Preserve Christmas Tree
This coming Saturday (December 11th) is the last chance to get a real Texas grown Christmas tree from The Nature Conservancy’s Davis Mountain Preserve. Every year the Davis Mountain Preserve opens the property to the public for their annual Christmas Tree Hunt. During this time the public is encouraged to come and select a naturally growing tree from the high alpine forest of the Davis Mountains. There are sure to be lots of good Christmas Trees growing naturally at the
Big Rocks Park – Glen Rose, Texas
The town of Glen Rose is one of my favorite small Texas towns. I have gone there many times with my family and friends to paddle the Brazos River, play in the Paluxy River, or see Dinosaur Valley State Park. Every time I have I pass through a small city park has caught my attention.Big Rocks Park
Lost Maples SNA, Texas – Backpacking with Children
Last Friday I took my nine year old daughter on her first backpacking trip. We headed down to Lost Maples State Natural Area (SNA) for a short one night trip.Entrance to Lost Maples State Natural AreaThis time of year Lost Maples is alive with fall color and we hoped to take it all in. With this being my daughter’s first backpacking trip I was real worried about mileage. But Lost Maples SNA provided the perfect place.We arrived at Lost Maples
Hunter Peak 8,368 feet – Sixth Higest Mountain in Texas – Summit Hike
On Thursday October 21st I hiked to the Summit of Hunter peak in the Guadalupe Mountains National park. At 8,368 feet Hunter Peak is the fourth highest mountain in Texas. I had come to the Guadalupe’s for a long planed backpacking trip through the heart of the mountain range. I arrived a day early to ensure my group could reserve the necessary backcountry sites needed to complete our hike. (The Guadalupe’s are a popular place in the fall). Having acquired
The Smoky Mountain Hiking Blog
Last January my wife and I took a small side trip to The Great Smoky Mountains National Park. In preparation for that trip I stumbled upon The Smoky Mountain Hiking Blog and have been reading every since. Recently SmokyMountainHiker visited the Guadalupe Mountains National Park hiking Devil's Hall and Guadalupe Peak. He mentioned how he would have liked to have seen McKittrtck Canyon but ran out of time. I invited him to come read my report on my Pine
Pine Springs to McKittrick Canyon – Guadalupe Mountains National Park
A couple of weeks ago two friends and I headed out to the Guadalupe Mountains National Park for three days and two nights of backpacking. We started off at the Pine Springs trailhead and planned to finish at the McKittrick Canyon trailhead. Before us lay 19 miles of trail that traversed the heart of the Guadalupe Mountains allowing us to sample everything that makes this place unique.Fall Colors in McKittrick CanyonFriday morning we woke up at the Pine Spring
Exit Glacier – Kenai Fjords National Park – Alaska
This summer I had the opportunity to spend some time in Alaska. Although the nature of my trip was not recreational, I did find some time to get outside and enjoy the natural, abundant, beauty of Alaska. One thing I really wanted to do was get up close to a Glacier. Talking to some locals, Exit Glacier, on the Kenai Peninsula, was highly recommended. I was told that I could take a short hike to the edge of the glacier
Sierra Blanca – Summit Hike – New Mexico
Last Labor Day weekend a friend and I decided to head out to south-central New Mexico to summit Sierra Blanca. Sierra Blanca rises 11,973 feet (some sources say 12,003 feet) above sea level and about 8,000 feet above the surrounding desert floor making her the most prominent peak in New Mexico. The peak is owned by the Mascalero Apache Indian Tribe and is considered the sacred place where “the creator gave us life.”Sierra Blanca New MexicoWe decided to make
Hermit’s Peak Trail – Santa Fe National Forest – New Mexico
Last weekend I made it back to Hermits Peak with plans to summit. I made sure I had my map (and a backup) just in case I left one in the car. The weather was perfect and nothing was going to keep me from the summit this time around.Hermits peak (10,263 feet). is at the extreme southern end of the Rockies in the Sangre de Cristo mountains. The peak rises 3700 ft above the town of Las Vegas in northern