Articles and information on hiking, outdoor adventures and the Great Smoky Mountains. For hiking trail information in the Smokies, please visit HikingintheSmokys.com
I accidentally ran into this video a few days ago, which was put together by Mike Maples in early July. The video takes a look back in time at the Elkmont area during the logging and railroad days. There are a lot of great photos included here.... especially if you like train crashes!
On Tuesday, June 26, 2012, 30 filmmakers converged in Yosemite to document one day in the life of the national park. Viewers of the film see the park through the eyes of rangers, park employees, sight-seers, hikers, painters, climbers and even hang-gliders. The park published this wonderful film late last month, and called it One Day in Yosemite:
Finally! A really good video of Great Smoky Mountain National Park in timelapse. At least this is the first that I can recall. What do you think of this short film by "MILapse":
In this episode of the Colorado Parks & Wildlife outdoor survival video series, outdoor expert Peter Kummerfeldt discusses clothing (your only dependable shelter) and layering:
In this episode of the Colorado Parks & Wildlife outdoor survival video series, outdoor expert Peter Kummerfeldt discusses the use of shelters in a survival situation. He has some fairly surprising recommendations on what you should bring into the wilderness:
In this episode of the Colorado Parks & Wildlife outdoor survival video series, outdoor expert Peter Kummerfeldt discusses techniques for starting fires in a survival situation:
In this episode of the Colorado Parks & Wildlife outdoor survival video series, outdoor expert Peter Kummerfeldt discusses signaling for help in the backcountry:
In this episode of the Colorado Parks & Wildlife outdoor survival video series, outdoor expert Peter Kummerfeldt discusses the use of maps and compass in the field:
In this episode of the Colorado Parks & Wildlife outdoor survival video series, outdoor expert Peter Kummerfeldt discusses controlling panic, including the elements of S.T.O.P.:
Check out this beautiful video from the Great Smoky Mountains Association. This footage was taken from Clingmans Dome on the moring of July 15th just as the mountains began to reveal themselves beneath a sea of clouds.:
Here's another look at what it was like when the July 5th windstorm struck the Smoky Mountains. This video was taken from the porch of a cabin. The publisher doesn't indicate where the cabin was located, but you certainly get a feel for the power of the storm as it passed through:
Check out this pretty amazing video of the windstorm that struck the Smokies Thursday evening. This video was shot from the parking lot at Clingmans Dome as the storm approached. It was uploaded to Youtube yesterday:
In this episode of the Colorado Parks & Wildlife outdoor survival video series, outdoor expert Peter Kummerfeldt discusses the survival kit, including the three main components of that kit: fire, shelter and signal.
In this episode of the Colorado Parks & Wildlife outdoor survival video series, outdoor expert Peter Kummerfeldt discusses weather, lightning and altitude:
Appalachian Trail thru-hikers Tom Foster and Avery Richardson discuss their motives and goals behind hiking the entire 2200-mile trail. The two started their quest in early March, and the Great Smoky Mountains Association caught up with them at Clingmans Dome to talk about their quest:
Back in December I posted a short video from a group of multimedia artists that spent 25 days hiking the 219-mile long John Muir Trail last summer. The video was only a small taste of a documentary film the group is currently working on.
Recently, the group published the first official trailer for the documentary, called MILE...MILE & A HALF: A Journey Across The John Muir Trail. I know I said this back in December, but I'm really looking forward to seeing the entire film. The incredible scenery from the Sierra Mountains is pure inspiration. For more information on JMT: the Muir Project, you can visit the film crew's website.
Fresh off his incredible solo trek around the Alaskan and Yukon bush in 2010, Andrew Skurka is at it again. This past summer he guided Gerry Morton, President and CEO of EnergyFirst, on a 7 day hike along the entire 224-mile John Muir Trail. Averaging 32 miles a day, the two hikers trekked from the Yosemite Valley to the summit of 14,505-foot Mt. Whitney, the highest peak in the lower 48. The video below documents some of the highlights from their adventure.
In recent years Skurka has become known as a hiking and adventure superstar. During his trek around Alaska and the Yukon he traveled roughly 4680 miles in 176 days. This included 1315 miles of skiing, 2100 miles of trekking, and 1270 miles of packrafting.
In addition to his recent Alaskan and John Muir Trail excursions, he's hiked the Appalachian Trail, and in 2007, became the first person to hike the 6875-mile Great Western Loop, which includes the Continental Divide and Pacific Crest Trails. It's probably safe to say that after all those miles he should be an expert on blisters. Andrew offers some excellent tips on preventing them in the January issue of Backpacker Magazine.
As of today, Skurka is officially an author as well. The Ultimate Hiker's Gear Guide was officially released today by National Geographic Books, and is available on Amazon. In this how-to guide, Skurka "shares the gear, supplies and skills that will allow you to love hiking, while still remaining safe and comfortable while camping."
As many of you are likely already aware, my wife and I launched a new trail website late last year called Hiking in Glacier.com.
As part of our launch we published a video to Youtube a few weeks ago that highlights scenes from around Glacier National Park. The short video is a collection of photos from some of the most popular trails, from deep in the backcountry, as well as from some of the most iconic roadside vantage points.
Hope you enjoy:
If this video has in anyway inspired you to make the trek to Glacier Park this summer, don't forget to visit HikinginGlacier.com beforehand for some help with your trip planning. Our site provides detailed information on more than 60 hikes in the park, as well as general travel information.
In 2011 the Great Smoky Mountains received close to 100 inches of rainfall, making it one of the rainiest spots in the entire United States. It was also one of the wettest years on record. The latest video from the Great Smoky Mountains Association captures the result of all this rainfall in this film footage of waterfalls and streams within the park:
