On the Blood Trail (2-12-2010)

The Seven Bridges Trail is one of my favorite hiking destinations. In the winter, ice is common on the trail. On this particular day (1-2-2010), the trail was snow packed with patches of ice. Here is an example of the terrain near the start of the trail:

(Click on any picture for a larger, clearer view)
























A few pictures of the bridges:







































After bridge #5, my hiking partner and I ran into a group of hikers. A lady was holding her nose. She advised us that the trail ahead was very icy and treacherous. PERFECT!

The Notorious ICY SPOT...















































This was the aftermath of the woman's fall on the above icy section...






















The moral of the story? Be careful when you hike on icy trails.

The Hiking Nerd

Aoraki/Mt Cook Climber Falls 300 Feet & Lives! (2-12-2010)

Incredible. My last "news post" was about an ice climber that survived a 100 foot fall. I thought that was impressive.

But now, we have a 63-year old man surviving a 300-foot fall! WOW. Read the entire amazing story HERE.

The man fell 100 meters. The video below shows what an 18-meter fall would be like. Just imagine falling 5 times that distance!



The Hiking Nerd

Ice Climber Falls 100 Feet & Survives! (2-12-2010)

A 34-year old man fell 100 feet while ice climbing "The Fang" near Vail, Colorado. After an hour and a half rescue, he was airlifted to a hospital in Denver. He has since been released from the hospital...injuries unknown.

AMAZING!!! A very fortunate man.

Check out this short video of ice climbers falling:



The Hiking Nerd

The TOUGHEST Peaks in New Hampshire to Hike in the Winter (1-25-2010)

Looking for a challenge? Live near New Hamshire OR are willing to travel?


Check out this LIST of the toughest mountains, over 4,000 feet, to climb in the winter.

Man Sets Out to Hike the Entire Perimeter of Texas (1-25-2010)

Looking for a unique hike? How about hiking the entire perimeter of the state you live in? That's exactly what S. Matt Reed is doing...right now.

Reed is currently 900 miles into his goal of hiking all the way around Texas (~2,850 miles). Check out WHY he is doing it - HERE.

What's in YOUR Bathroom? (1-27-2010)

"They" say you can learn a lot about a person by what books are in their bathroom. So...what do you read when you're taking care of business?

If you were to infiltrate my downstairs bathroom, here is what you would find:



The Hiking Nerd

Cheyenne Canyon Hike - Ranger's Route (1-19-2010)

The plan was to hike the Seven Bridges Trail in Cheyenne Canyon. Once I reached the turn-off for my intended route, I noticed a packed down trail leading to a different destination.

(Click on any picture for a crystal clear view)

In the spirit of adventure (and a desire for a steep climb), I turned left instead of continuing on toward the Seven Bridges Trail. Here is a bird's-eye view of the area I hiked:

The route is known to locals as "Ranger's Route". It is often skied in the winter. On this day, the route was a mix of rock, snow, and ice.

The hard packed snow, coupled with the steepness of the slope, led to me turning back before reaching the top. Safety first. Summit second.

This hike took about 75-minutes (Parking lot-to-Parking Lot). I look forward to tackling this route when I have the right gear!

The Hiking Nerd

Jessica Biel and Other "Stars" Climb Kilimanjaro (1-19-2010)

In an effort to raise awareness and money for the global water crisis, Jessica Biel and other famous stars climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro. The hikers took six days to reach the summit of Africa's highest mountain. All made it down safely.

I suppose the big "Send Water" sign was supposed to magically get people to care about their cause and/or send money?

As long as you're here, take a look at this "behind-the-scenes" video of Kilimanjaro narrated by Will Lyam of National Geographic:

Spider-Man Actor to Star in Movie About Hiker That Cut Off His Own Arm (1-18-2010)

James Franco, from the Spider-man trilogy, will play Aron Ralston in an upcoming movie. Ralston became famous after cutting off his arm days after being pinned down by a boulder in a Utah slot canyon.

Aron recounted his ordeal in the bestselling book " Between a Rock and a Hard Place". I have personally read the book. It is an amazing story that demonstrates just how far a person will go when the will to live is greater than the pain one must endure to survive. A MUST read. Get the book for a cool penny HERE.

The movie, titled "127 Hours", is slated to be released at the end of 2010.

Boy Lost During Field Trip is Rescued (1-10-2010)

A 14-year old boy heads out on a hiking field trip with three adults and five other students. Next thing you know...he's been left behind by the group, he loses the trail, gets lost, falls down, hits his head, and gets lodged between a log and the ground.

Read the article HERE.

The good news is that Sebastian Barrett was rescued. He was cold, but not hurt.

UPDATE on a Previous Blog: Javelina That Bit Hiker HAS Rabies: (1-10-2010)

I reported last week (1-4-2010) that an Arizona hiker was pinned down and bitten by a rogue javelina.

Unfortunately, the javelina had rabies. I say "had", because the animal was shot dead by a police officer shortly after the attack.

The 66-year old hiker has started rabies treatement.

Hiking With Your House Cat (1-7-2010)

A man hiking with his house cat was attacked by a young mountain lion. And what did his cat do? It ran off!

What nerve...

A dog wouldn't do that.



FYI: Don't hike with cats. They attract larger predators.

Javelina That Bit Arizona Hiker is Being Tested for Rabies (1-4-2010)

Ok, what the heck is a javelina?

Being a Colorado native, I had no clue what kind of animal the news article was talking about. I got really curious when I read that the animal pinned the hiker down and kept biting him until a cyclist whacked it with a log.

I did some research and found out that a javelina is a medium-sized mammal with a strong resemblance to pigs. Isn't he cute?

















More Facts About the Javelina (from the Arizona Game & Fish Department):

• Peppered black, gray and brown hair with a faint white collar around the shoulders
• 40-60 pounds
• Approximately 19 inches tall
• Young born year-round, most often from November to March
• Average litter of two
• Newborns up to 3 months old are red-brown or tan and are called “reds”
• Live an average of 7.5 years
• Very poor eyesight, may appear to be charging when actually trying to escape
• Keen sense of smell
• Will roll in water and mud to cool off
• Scent gland on back; animals from the same herd stand side-by-side and rub each other’s scent glands with their heads; use scents to identify animals from different herds
• Need a water source for drinking
• Eat primarily plants, including cacti, succulent plants, bulbs, tubers, beans and seeds; sometimes eat insects, garbage and grubs

If you encounter a javelina while hiking, don't run or taunt it. Word on the street is that they get real mad if you call them names like pig wannabe, or long snout. The best strategy is to make a bunch of noise, throw rocks near it, or spray it with water. If none of that works, prepare to defend yourself!

Couple Hikes the AppalachianTrail for Their Honeymoon (1-3-2010)

Nothing says lovin' like a 2,000 mile trek with your new spouse! Wes and Kendra Jackson couldn't agree more. They took off on a 5 1/2 month journey along the Appalachian trail shortly after getting married.

Check out their story (and a few pictures) HERE.

Forgot Your Sunblock? Save Your Skin With This Tip... (1-2-2010)

We all know excessive sun exposure is the primary cause of skin cancer. Therefore, it is absolutely critical to protect your skin from the sun while hiking.

But what if you forget your sunblock...like I did on my summit attempt of Uncompahgre Peak (OUCH!):





















Don't despair! The secret tip that will save your skin is...ChapStick.

As with sunscreen, you should always be carrying some type of lip protector. The key is to buy one with an SPF of at least 15. Then, when you forget your sunscreen, you can rub the lip balm all over your exposed areas and be totally protected!

I've implemented this strategy on several hiking occasions. And it worked every time. The two products that I've personally used are:

1. ChapStick Lip Moisturizer SPF 15
2. Blistex Ultra Protection SPF 30

Now, if you forget sunscreen AND lip protection with SPF, you're hosed.

Just kidding! Try to cover all exposed areas with clothes or anything else you have on hand.

The Hiking Nerd

History's Longest Swim EVER (1-1-2010)

Swimming? I thought this was a hiking blog!

When I came across this news story, I had to pass it on.

Martin Strel, back in 2007, swam the ENTIRE length of the Amazon river. A whopping 3,375 miles in 66 days!

You can read excerpts from his weekly diary reports during the historic swim HERE.

Martin was asked many times why he wanted to do something crazy like swim the Amazon. His response: "I want to prove to myself that I can achieve more than others, to conquer the impossible. I want to do something that no one else has ever done".

Will you conquer the impossible in 2010? I hope so...