Hiking News

Hiking News - May 2008

Our Hiking News Desk stays up-to-date with all the camping events and news items from around the globe. This is the news archive of May 2008. Get your daily hiking news updates right here. You can use the Display Mode changer below to view our news in different formats:

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Summer Challenge at Cuyahoga Valley National Park

Thursday, 29 May 2008

A commemorative patch designed by Akron artist Chuck Ayers awaits those who will be able to finish the Cuyahoga Valley trails in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park’s summer challenge to hikers.

In this free program, hikers need to complete 10 of 13 designated trails in the 33,000-acre federal park between Akron and Cleveland from June 1 to Sept. 30, 2008.

The trails rang e from 1.5 miles to 12.4 miles - easy to difficult. The program is sponsored and organized by Cuyahoga Valley National Park Association, a friends-of-the-park group, and North Akron Savings Bank.

Those who are interested can get their forms at park visitor centers and at http://www.nps.gov/cuva/parknews/newsreleases.htm. Forms can be dropped off at Trail Mix, 1565 Boston Mills Road in Boston Township or can be mailed to Cuyahoga Challenge, Cuyahoga Valley National Park Association, 1403 Hines Hill Road, Peninsula, OH 44264. Participants must get their hiking forms initialed by park rangers at any park visitor center at the end of their hikes. Submission of forms is on or before October 31, 2008. For more information, call 330-657-2909.

For more details on this news, please visit www.ohio.com.

Forest Service Increases American Fork Canyon Fee

Tuesday, 27 May 2008

American Fork Canyon visitors were greeted on Monday with increased entrance fees at the forest reserve in Utah. A three-day pass now costs $6 from $3. The 14-day pass was replaced with the new seven-day pass for $12, and annual passes are available for $45.

The fee program started in 1997 and has not increased since the American Fork Canyon was opened for public tour. Another chang e announced by the Forest Service is that passes can now be interchanged with the Mirror Lake Area. The public welcomed the fee increase with support for the American Fork Canyon, and people think the fees are relatively inexpensive even after the increase, according to reports from the Daily Herald which interviewed some visitors last August.

Fees collected in the American Fork Canyon are used to reconstruct day-use areas and campgrounds, maintenance expenses, and for other improvements in the area’s facilities and security. The Canyon gathers about half a million dollars in revenue from entrance fees and another $250,000 annual revenue from the Mirror Lake area.

For more details on this news, please visit www.heraldextra.com.

Abo Trail Opened on Memorial Day Weekend

Monday, 26 May 2008

Maine, USA - Abo trail, the shortest route to Mount Katahdin, was the only trail which was opened by Baxter State Park officials for the Memorial Day Weekend last May 24 - 25.

According to park officials, some trails are muddy and soft, and there are many washouts that need to be repaired. In some cases, people might also not be able to get to the trail head.

Another con cern of the park officials is that hikers might stomp on rare alpine plants. These plants are limited in Katahdin and serve as food for many rare and endangered animals and insects.

The park has about 200 miles of wilderness hiking trails. These trails have many rocks and roots, even on the flattest terrain. Hikers are encouraged to wear sturdy footwear and up-to-date maps. Maps are sold at campgrounds, the park headquarters on Route 157 in Millinocket, and at the Visitor Center in Togue Pond. Visitor Center guides can provide up-to-date trail conditions and weather reports. Park officials said that the closed trails will probably be open in as early as two weeks.

For more details on this news, please visit bangornews.com.

Youth Camp for Climbers to be Held in Romania

Thursday, 22 May 2008

An international youth camp for young climbers and hikers (17-25 years old) will be held on August 16 - 23 at the Bicz Gorges National Park in Romania. This youth camp program is designed for climbers and hikers of all abilities.

The area has over 200 climbing routes which are suitable for beginners and experts, with Union Internationale Des Associations D' Alpinisive (UIIAA) grade 3 to 10, 1 to 15 pitches and 15m to 300m high.

Aside from climbing and hiking, the youth camp program offers a cultural round trip to see the city of Piatra Neamt, the Moldavian medieval monasteries, the Bistrita valley, and the 40-km long Bicaz Lake. Camp participants can also go mountain biking, caving, horse riding, fishing, and swimming.

There will also be seminars, discussions about mountain tourism, access and conservation, climbing techniques, and important issues in different countries. Aside from that, dancing, campfire, barbecue, and expedition presentation will take place. Accommodation and meals will be at the Ecolog Hut (Cabana Ecolog), run by the Romanian Mountain Club. Experienced and qualified instructors will lead the activities.

The youth camp program costs 200 Euros per participant. This includes the entire program, accommodation, full board, and local transport. All participants under 18 must be accompanied by an adult or a team leader over 18 and must secure parental consent.

To those who are interested to join, fill in and send the registration form before July 15.

For more details on this news, please visit www.theuiaa.org.

Researcher to Study Impacts of Outdoor Activities

Wednesday, 21 May 2008

FORT COLLINS - The history of hiking, mountaineering, and technical climbing on Longs Peak in Rocky Mountain National Park and the impact of these recreational activities on the mountain's natural and cultural resources are part of a new study by a Colorado State University researcher.

Beginning this summer, Ruth M. Alexander, a CSU history professor, will work with graduate research assistants and staff at Rocky Mountain National Park to determine how hiking, mountaineering, and climbing have changed since 1925 and how they have impacted cultural and natural resources on 14,259-foot Longs Peak. This includes studying the damage caused to geological resources from technical climbing, litter, and soil erosion.

"We will be looking at how and why people have engaged in recreation on the peak and affected its cultural and natural resources since 1925. Our goal is to offer information that will help park staff develop management plans that protect Longs Peak and simultaneously allow people to enjoy the beauty and recreational challenges it offers," Alexander said.

The modern history of recreation and its impact on Longs Peak have never been systematically explored. As recreational activities evolve and visitation to the peak increases, an inventory of the mountain's resources and an analysis of the impacts of recreation on them is critical to park managers who must offer long-term protection to resources and resolve complex questions about balancing use and preservation.

As part of her study, Alexander also will investigate changes in the social identities, cultural values, and environmental perceptions of people who have hiked or climbed Longs Peak and analyze changes over time in park management goals in relation to the mountain.

The study will provide National Park Service managers direction and documentation when developing land and resource management plans, interpreting the area, managing visitors, and protecting wilderness resources.

Longs Peak is a key recreational attraction in Rocky Mountain National Park. Despite lacking a road, unlike other Front Range fourteeners, Longs Peak draws thousands of people up its hiking trails each year. Hiking destinations include the summit or the view of Chasm Lake. The peak, which is the highest mountain in the park, also attracts thousands of technical climbers to its vertical faces.

This project is the first phase of a multi-phased study that will extend its analysis from Longs Peak to other high peaks in Colorado and the Rocky Mountain region. Later phases of this project will use resources and themes identified in this initial study to evaluate the meaning of high peaks in local, state, and national contexts and guide the development of visitor use and impact surveys for park and resource managers outside of Rocky Mountain National Park.

This study is being conducted out of CSU's Center for Public History and Archaeology. The center hosts an interdisciplinary team of historians and archaeologists who engage in public history and public archaeology research projects throughout the American West and the United States. For more information about the center, visit http://www.cpha.colostate.edu/.

Source:
newsinfo.colostate.edu

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