Nat Geo Adventure's 14 Survival Skills

Nat Geo Adventure's 14 Survival Skills

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

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Back when National Geographic Adventure was a magazine, and not just a website, they published a comprehensive article containing some survival tips that could prove very helpful if you were ever unfortunate enough to be in a situation requiring such skills.

As the article lead-in reads:

Most survival guides fail to consider some very useful tools: an individual’s character, wits, and worldview. The tips assembled here will change the way you approach each and every day — and help you survive a particularly bad one.

Some of the things the article discusses to help in a survival situation include doing the next right thing, denying denial, thinking positive, and to trust your instincts.

There's some really great advice in this piece. Please click here to read the full article.


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Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com Detailed information on trails in the Smoky Mountains; includes trail descriptions, key features, pictures, video, maps, elevation profiles, news, and more.

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Can we get an outdoor adventure channel?

Can we get an outdoor adventure channel?

Sunday, June 27, 2010

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Man came by to hook up my cable TV
We settled in for the night my baby and me
We switched 'round and 'round 'til half-past dawn
There was fifty-seven channels and nothin' on
Fifty-seven channels and nothin' on
Fifty-seven channels and nothin' on

-- Bruce Springsteen

Those lyrics are spot on. Maybe it's just me, but cable TV is absolutely horrible anymore. Except for NCAA Basketball, the Tour de France, a weather update, the news and an occasional movie, TV has become increasingly unwatchable.

I have no desire to keep up with the Kardashians. I don't need some abrasive British dude to tell me who the next invented American Idol is. I'm tired of watching Man Versus Food, Myth Busters and Deadliest Catch marathons. When was the last time network TV had a sit-com that was actually funny?

I know the chances of someone from one of the big cable networks reading this blog is next to nil, but maybe the "7 degrees of separation" theory will prevail in this instance. If anyone knows of anyone that works for ESPN, Disney or the Discovery Channel, could we ask if there's anyway that we can get a channel dedicated to the great outdoors? I'm not referring to more fishing and hunting programs, I'm referring to programming centered around adventure.

There's already plenty of content that could be used as filler as this point - such as Bear Grylls (which I don't care for), Survivorman, or the handful of reality type shows that have been on Discovery, such as the Alaska Experiments. The Travel Channel has also produced a few programs on various national parks that would be a great fit.

You could also throw in a few movies, such as Into the Wild, Into Thin Air, The Edge, White Fang, etc...

The channel would also be a great place for films from the Banff Film Festival or the Reel Rock Tour to land after their respective tours are over with.

My vision for such a channel would include "how to" skills programs, outdoor travel destinations, and programs that focus on an array of different pursuits, such hiking, camping, skiing, climbing, cycling, mountaineering, survival, kayaking, canoeing, whitewater rafting, etc.

You could even throw in biographies of famous outdoor celebrities, such as Sir Edmund Hillary, John Muir, Lynn Hill, Ed Viesturs or even Grandma Gatewood.

I can't be the only one who thinks there has to be a market for something like this. I mean, if ESPN can make money broadcasting poker and cheerleading tournaments.....

Thoughts?? Anybody with a good plan on how we could make something like this happen.....other than investing our own money!!




Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com Detailed information on trails in the Smoky Mountains; includes trail descriptions, key features, pictures, video, maps, elevation profiles, news, and more.

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Bear Grylls: Fan vs. Wild Challenge

Bear Grylls: Fan vs. Wild Challenge

Sunday, April 4, 2010

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Bear Grylls: Love him or hate him. If you love him, this is your chance to meet your hero. Hate him, and maybe this is your chance to possibly show him up and prove you're tougher.

The Discovery Channel is running a Fan vs. Wild Challenge contest now through April 30th. Before that deadline, those interested must submit a photo and brief essay explaining how you embrace the thrill of adventure every day and why you'd make a great candidate for the Fan vs. Wild program.

Four fans will be selected to participate in a Bear Grylls'-led boot camp with pro athletes in western Canada this June. Throughout the adventure, Bear will assess the fans' ability to embrace various adrenaline-pumping challenges. This portion of the contest will air as a multi-part video series on Discovery.com in August.

At the end of the competition, one of the four participants will be chosen to go with Bear on a full-length Man vs. Wild adventure to air on the Discovery Channel this fall.

Since this is a promotion involving Degree Men Deodorant (I assume this is the reason), only men 21 years of age and older are allowed to participate.

Please click here for more information and to enter the contest.




Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com Detailed information on trails in the Smoky Mountains; includes trail descriptions, key features, pictures, video, maps, elevation profiles, news, and more.

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Mountain Biking Down the World's Most Dangerous Road

Mountain Biking Down the World's Most Dangerous Road

Sunday, January 10, 2010

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Check out the video below of Bolivia's "Death Road". This is from a segment of ABC's Nightline that shows off the thrills of biking down Bolivia's "World's Most Dangerous Road", one of the most popular adventure travel activities in all of Latin America.

The Yungas Road, also known as "Death Road" and the "World's Most Dangerous Road", earned these nicknames because it has more deaths per mile than any other road in the world.

The bike ride starts out at roughly 16,000 feet elevation and descends to 4,000 feet in roughly 40 miles. The bike ride takes nearly 7 hours, as the road snakes its way through the high mountains of the Andes to the subtropical jungles that lead to the Amazon basin in Corocio, Bolivia.



Think you want to do this?


Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com Detailed information on trails in the Smoky Mountains; includes trail descriptions, key features, pictures, video, maps, elevation profiles, news, and more.

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Roan Highlands better than the Smokies?

Roan Highlands better than the Smokies?

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

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Well, according to National Geographic's Adventure Magazine, the answer to that question is a resounding yes.

In the lastest issue of Adventure, National Geographic ranked the top 50 Best American Adventures. Coming in at number 23 was “Hike the Roan Highlands,” which refers to a 48-mile stretch of the Appalachian Trail between the Nolichucky River and U.S. Highway 19E.

As you might expect, locals and hikers from the Roan Highlands region are pretty excited about the ranking.

The magazine "dissed" the Smokies with this brief description:

“Surprise. The finest mountain scenery to be found on the southern half of the Appalachian Trail isn’t in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. It’s north along the Tennessee-North Carolina border in the Roan Highlands.”

I'm sure some of you might find those to be "fighting" words! Sure, the Roan Highlands has a lot of open areas providing for a lot of expansive vistas. But quite frankly, as good as they are, those views just aren't quite as good as they are along the Appalachian Trail in the Smokies. Think about the views of Fontana Lake from Shuckstack, or the any of the views from places like Spence Field, Rocky Top, Charlies Bunion or Mt. Cammerer.

I don't know, what do you guys think? Which section of the Appalachian Trail do you think has the better scenery?

By the way, here's the top ten adventures from the list:

1. Biking the Continental Divide Trail: Multistate
2. Kayaking Lake Yellowstone: Wyoming
3. Rowing Down the Grand Canyon: Arizona
4. Climbing Mount Rainier: Washington
5. Canoeing the Adirondacks: New York
6. Exploring ANWR: Alaska
7. Biking RAGBRAI: Iowa
8. Surfing the Lost Coast: California
9. Hiking the Sierra High Route: California
10. Wreck Diving Lake Superior: Minnesota

Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com Detailed information on trails in the Smoky Mountains; includes trail descriptions, key features, pictures, video, maps, elevation profiles, news, and more.

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The World's Most Dangerous Hike

The World's Most Dangerous Hike

Sunday, February 1, 2009

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You've probably seen the pictures floating around the internet or in your email box. Pilgrims, hikers and adventurers walking across wooden platforms precariously situated on the face of a cliff on some remote mountain in China.

Well, we now have someone who was brave enough to make the trek to Mt. Hua in China to film his experience as he crossed his way over what some people are calling "The World's Most Dangerous Hike". The video below was shot as part of a television show hosted by Robin Esrock. You can find more video and photos from Robin over at his website ModernGonzo.com.





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Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com Detailed information on trails in the Smoky Mountains; includes trail descriptions, key features, pictures, video, maps, elevation profiles, news, and more.

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The Reel Rock Tour

The Reel Rock Tour

Tuesday, September 9, 2008

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For all those climbers and adventurers out there, or for people who just enjoy watching extreme sport films, the 3rd annual Reel Rock Tour is coming to a town near you.

The Reel Rock Tour is a climbing and adventure film festival, which will be touring in over 80 cities around the world. The tour kicks off tomorrow in Boulder, Colorado. Then, throughout September and October, the film festival tour will bring the latest and greatest in climbing flicks to practically every state in the nation. You should be able to find a town within driving distance.

The tour will make stops in Nashville on 9/11 and in Asheville on 9/18. You can visit the Reel Rock Tour website for all tour dates.

Here’s a short two minute film trailer:




Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com Detailed information on trails in the Smoky Mountains; includes trail descriptions, key features, pictures, video, maps, elevation profiles, news, hiking gear store, and more.

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Adventure Travel in a Tough Economy

Adventure Travel in a Tough Economy

Monday, July 21, 2008

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Although we’re already half-way through the summer, there’s still a lot of time left for vacations and adventure travel. Instead of traveling to some far-off vacation destination, why not travel over to the national park in your own backyard? With roughly 50 percent of the U.S. population within 500 miles, Great Smoky Mountains National Park is an excellent choice for a little adventure travel.

With a sluggish economy and high gas prices, traveling to Great Smoky Mountains National Park is a great way to stretch your entertainment dollar. You can’t beat the price of admission; Great Smoky Mountains is the only major national park that doesn’t charge an entrance fee. The main attractions in the park are all free as well. Choose from over 800 miles of trails to create your own adventure. Check out one of the many waterfalls in the park, or take a hike in the high country for some spectacular vistas. If your preference is seeing wildflowers, stop by one of the ranger offices and ask what’s in bloom. There’s something in bloom somewhere in the park almost any time of year. Another free adventure option is to take your bike for a ride around the pastoral settings of Cades Cove. The Park Service closes the 11-mile Cades Cove loop to motor traffic on Wednesday and Saturday mornings.

Another adventurous way to see the national park is on horseback. The park has hundreds of miles of horse trails as well as five drive-in horse camps. If you don't own a horse, there are four rental stables that will provide you with mounts and guides.

Maybe hiking and adventure travel isn’t really your cup of tea. Don’t worry; the park still provides many activities for those that like more leisurely pursuits.

Wildlife viewing is very popular within certain areas. Go to Cades Cove in the mornings and early evenings to see black bears, white-tailed deer and wild turkeys. The Cataloochee Valley is the best place for spotting elk which were recently reintroduced to the park in 2001.

The Smoky Mountains also boasts nearly 80 historic structures that have been preserved or rehabilitated. Feel free to walk in and explore the many houses, barns, outbuildings, churches, schools, and grist mills from the late 1800s and early 1900s.

All this sightseeing is naturally going to make you hungry. Make sure you bring a picnic lunch or dinner with you. There are eleven picnic areas within the park. There’s also more than 2100 miles of streams where you could roll-out a blanket and enjoy the scenery while picnicking. With all those streams, there’s also plenty of fishing opportunities.

You can really make your dollar stretch by camping in the great outdoors. There’s nothing better than sitting around a camp fire and watching the stars after a hearty dinner cooked over an open flame. The park has 10 campgrounds from which to choose from.

If you’re not into roughing-it you could stay in one of the gateway communities. Being as popular as it is, Gatlinburg can be a relatively expensive option. However, if you travel to Townsend, Cosby, Cherokee or Bryson City, you’ll be able to find more affordable lodging. Restaurants will also be cheaper in these towns. Furthermore, if you opt to stay at one of the many cabins that the Smoky Mountain area is famous for, you could save a lot of money by cooking your own meals instead of eating out every night.

Another reason to stay at one of the smaller towns is that you won’t have the constant temptation of dropping cash on places like Ripley’s Haunted Adventure or Hillbilly Golf.

Whether you’re looking for adventure travel or just an inexpensive vacation, the Great Smoky Mountains is an excellent way of getting more bang for your buck. And, it’s most likely right in your own backyard. You could spend a weekend or a full week here and you’re almost guaranteed to spend much less than you would if you were to go to Disney World or Las Vegas.

Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com

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