January 14th, 2008 Sandra Friend
Last week, the world lost a hero: Sir Edmund Hillary. A New Zealander - not British, as many have assumed, despite his knighting by Queen Elizabeth into the Order of the Garter, he was the first to ascend Mount Everest, in 1953 with his guide Tenzing Norgay.
He knew, of course, that thousands of adventurers would follow in his footsteps, as my sister and I did almost a decade ago - not specifically to climb the world’s highest mountain, but to experience the Kingdom of Nepal, which had just opened to the outside world when Hillary made his climb. Mementos of his and successive climbs form the decor of the Rum Doodle, the adventurer’s bar in Thamel, Kathmandu, where Sal and I stopped for a drink just to soak in the ambiance.
Hillary knew, and he acted. He devoted the rest of his life to helping the people of Nepal, raising funds for charity, overseeing improvements in the quality of schools, assisting with reforestation programs, and making a huge fuss to other adventurers to “pack it in, pack it out,” especially on the slopes of Everest.
National Geographic has an excellent video of Sir Edmund talking about his ascent.
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October 31st, 2007 Sandra Friend
Last weekend, I headed for the hills– the Hocking Hills, to be exact, in southeastern Ohio. It was a day’s respite from hanging out in downtown Columbus while hubby was at a conference, and ever since I read about Hocking Hills State Park a decade ago, I’ve wanted to go there.
The state park is broken into segments scattered across the hills, each surrounding a signifcant geologic feature. I managed to hike at six of the eight locations, mainly by sticking to the trails that took you deep into the gorges instead of the hikes up on top of the cliffs. The formations, from Old Man’s Cave to Ash Cave to Rock House, are incredible rock shelters and deeply eroded ravines with winding streams, and the trails often lead you up and down steps carved into the solid rock and sometimes even through tunnels.
What I wasn’t expecting was the constant parade of hikers. Yes, it was the last hurrah of fall leaves, but the day was extremely overcast and misty rain fell several times. But every parking area was full to overflowing, and every trail was downright crowded with hikers. A surprising sight to someone used to hiking solo for miles and miles. Hikers of every age, size, and ethnicity, out enjoying the brisk temperatures, the stunning scenery, and each other’s company. As it said near the Old Man’s Cave trailhead, these are “The Most Exciting Trails in the State,” and it seems that everyone knows it. Which gets me to thinking … where in Florida is the most exciting trail in the state? My vote would be for the Florida Trail through Big Cypress, Loop Road to Oasis. Or perhaps Torreya State Park. I think I’ll start a discussion on it…
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October 29th, 2007 Sandra Friend
Years ago, I did an overnighter on Springer Mountain and looked out over the monument that marks the start of the Appalachian Trail, spending the night not far from the shelter in my then brand-new Nomad tent. It was an experience not forgotten, and I plan to return to finish the AT in Georgia. And now, there’s an excellent online resource for planning that hike, thanks to an old friend, trail name “Pittsburgh,” who’s been on the AT-L mailing list for more than a decade. He’s run a measuring wheel down the trail and created a detailed mileage chart with info on water sources, privies, and types of camping available, plus plenty of asides with general info. Check out the Appalachian Trail Mileage Chart in Georgia, and bravo, Pittsburgh!
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April 10th, 2007 Sandra Friend
Thanks to a posting about Mike DeWitt’s video (see a few blogs ago), I stumbled across a website called BestHike.com. Today’s post concerns hikers lost in the jungles of French Guyana for 7 weeks. Since I’ve hiked all around the world, it’s a blast to find a site devoted to hiking everywhere and anywhere. Bookmark this one.
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January 28th, 2007 Sandra Friend
I’ve posted an article that includes a segment on my Isle Royale backpacking experience last summer over on Friend | Travels. I can just imagine how icy it is up there right now! It’s a crisp night with a hard freeze expected here in Central Florida, so if you’re headed out backpacking in Florida this week, pack that fleece and zero-degree sleeping bag!
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