Hiking News - August 2009

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Improvements to Walls of Jericho Trails

Monday, 31 August 2009

Several improvements have been made to the Clark Cemetery section of the Walls of Jericho trail system in Jackson County, Ala. Recently the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (ADCNR) State Lands Division partnered with volunteers from the Tennessee Valley Chapter of the Alabama Hiking Trail Society to make the improvements including the re-grading of some steep-sloped areas, washed out portions of the trail were filled in, and new rock steps were installed and repairs made to existing ones.

Routine maintenance was also performed including the widening of narrow portions of the trail and fallen-tree removal. The work was performed during a volunteer trail work day in July.

State Lands director Patti Powell is grateful for the volunteers. "The volunteers and staff members who performed the repairs have helped make the Walls of Jericho a much safer and more enjoyable place to hike," Powell said. "We thank them for generously offering their time to improve this spectacular natural resource for the people of Alabama."

Those interested in helping with future trail maintenance and improvement, or just looking for more information on hiking in Alabama, should contact the ADCNR State Lands Division at 334-242-3409 or visit www.hikealabama.org.

The Walls of Jericho in Jackson County, Ala., is often called "The Grand Canyon of the South." Thousands of hikers, amateur photographers, birdwatchers and horseback riders have explored this natural marvel since it opened in August 2004 as part of the Forever Wild Land Trust, which aims to secure the state's natural heritage for the benefit of future generations. Alabama Gov. Bob Riley officially dedicated the area in April 2005.

The Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources promotes wise stewardship, management and enjoyment of Alabama's natural resources through five divisions: Marine Police, Marine Resources, State Lands, State Parks, and Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries. To learn more about ADCNR, visit www.outdooralabama.com.

New Guides Make Texas State Park Visit a Breeze

Friday, 28 August 2009

AUSTIN, Texas — Texans still looking to take a summer trek amid a sputtering economy without breaking the bank need look no further than a nearby Texas state park for an affordable and enjoyable vacation destination. To help you plan and make the most of a visit to many of the state's natural and cultural gems, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department offers two new, free publications.

The 112-page, sixth edition of the Texas State Park Guide puts at your fingertips all you need to know to discover why the more than 90 state parks are "getting better all the time." And, once visitors arrive at their chosen park, they can pick up a Park Visitor Welcome Kit tailored to the Texas tourism region in which the park is located.

The Park Welcome Kit is available at 93 state parks include not only a fold-out Texas state park map with the featured area and the region's parks highlighted and detailed in brief vignettes, but also a wildlife and plant guide, safety tips, ideas for children's activities, an outdoor gear guide, eco-friendly ideas and a regional calendar of events. In addition, each "Go Guide" gives park rangers' recommendations on which parks in the region feature the best scenery, camping, biking, hiking, fishing and other activities, and provides a suggested road trip to see the area's notable attractions.

The digest-size Texas State Park Guide provides a broad overview of the state park system and a centerfold map showing all park locations. Readers can learn about the millions of dollars in state park improvements made possible by increased state funding and bond issues. Today's park visitors will find in many instances upgraded park facilities, reopened campgrounds and hiking trails, improved maintenance, more interpretive programs and better customer service.

"We are creating a world-class park system that will generate tourism dollars and help Texans reconnect with nature," says Walt Dabney, state parks division director.

As in past state park guides, this year's edition features dozens of parks and historic sites within an hour's drive of Texas' major metro areas, as well as snapshots of "far-flung" parks, such as Palo Duro Canyon and Big Bend Ranch, worth the going the extra mile to visit.

The guide also directs readers to the wealth of state park information available on the TPWD Web site. Visit the State Parks & Destinations section of the Web site to access an interactive state parks map, a drop-down list of individual sites and facilities, downloadable park maps and information. There also is a link there to make camping reservations online. You can even "Shop the Outdoors" online for conservation license plates, wildlife posters and stamps, maps and other featured products.

The park guides are available at any Texas state park, state natural area or historic site, as well as TPWD law enforcement offices, Sea Center Texas, Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center, and most Texas Department of Transportation travel information centers, convention and visitors bureaus and chambers of commerce throughout Texas. You also can print selected sections of the guide from the TPWD Web site. The state park guide also is available online in Spanish.

Both the state park guide and welcome kits are printed on recyclable paper and were produced at no cost to the state. Funds to underwrite the publishing of the Texas State Park Guide were provided by Toyota.

Source: www.tpwd.state.tx.us

Registrations for 2009 Hike the Highlands Festival

Thursday, 27 August 2009

The 6th annual Hike the Highlands Festival from September 11-20, 2009, is now open for registration. There are three options for registering and payment - online, mail and in person.

You can register online for hikes & workshops as well do online payment. The festival uses google docs for online registration form and eventbrite and paypal for online payment. "The system work really well last year and close to 40% booked online," says Tom Wilson, Chair Hike the Highlands Festival. Wilson states that software has made further improvements, making the system even better in 2009.

A little nervous about online registration & payment, no problem. Just print off page 4-5 of the festival's digital brochure, check off your hikes, complete the registration form, make out a cheque or money order for payment and mail in to the Festival's address one week prior to the festival starting. And finally you can register & pay in person at the festival's headquarters located at Glenghorm Beach Resort, Ingonish, Nova Scotia. For full information on registration and fees please visit the festival website at - www.hikethehighlandsfestival.com/Registration.html

Your registration fee includes a hike the highlands pass, guided hikes, trained guides and sweeps, water and granola bars for each hike, your national park pass if you purchased both of them together, evening presentations, opening and closing ceremonies, 10% discount off at Les Amis du Plein air Nature Bookstore in Cheticamp - books, souvenir items, smart wool socks, trekking poles, hikers distance award program and log book, 10% discount off Thirsty hiker pub merchandise plus specials.

Hike the Highlands Festival is a ten day hiking festival held in Cape Breton from September 11-20, 2009, around the Cabot Trail and Cape Breton Highlands National Park. The festival features guided hikes, evening presentations, opening & closing ceremonies, workshops and a hikers distance award program.

Source: www.prlog.org

Milestone for Camping & Caravanning Club

Wednesday, 26 August 2009

The Camping and Caravanning Club has cause for celebration after reaching an historic milestone.

A considerable upturn in interest in both camping and caravanning has been reflected in The Club's impressive advanced booking and occupancy figures, meaning that 2009 could prove to be one of the organisation's best year's on record.

And today The Club confirmed that it had reache d – ahead of forecast – a landmark membership figure of 250,570 households (477,000 actual members).

And the good news does not end there with The Friendly Club having recruited more families than ever before (25,629), accounting for over half of all new joiners so far in 2009.

The Club has also, as at the end of July, recruited more tent owners than during the whole of 2008 with two out of five new members having young children (average age of eight-years-old).

Director General Robert Louden said: "We are continuing to grow rapidly as a family, friendly organisation and to have reached this momentous milestone ahead of schedule is testament to the hard work undertaken by everyone connected with The Club."

"Interest in all forms of camping has reached unprecedented levels this year due to the tough economic climate we currently find ourselves in and our membership has benefited as a result."

"And despite the indifferent weather of late, our 109 Club Sites have been full to brimming and that is very pleasing to see."

Louden added: "As a Club, we simply want to help people enjoy the adventure and make the most of the outdoors."

During Easter, The Club saw an incredible 50 per cent rise in occupancy rates on its UK Club Sites whist the launch of its New to Camping campaign in May helped The Club reach its highest overall unique visitors figure for a month of over 201,000, exceeding the previous record of 200,000 in July 2008.

Three out of five new members have this year joined via the Internet.

Aldo Leopold Celebration at Red Rock State Park

Tuesday, 25 August 2009

Phoenix, AZ - This year, Arizona State Parks, in conjunction with the states of Arizona and New Mexico and the Aldo Leopold Foundation, are celebrating Aldo Leopold's arrival in the southwest (in Springerville, Arizona in 1909). Arizona State Parks has been holding events throughout the year at different parks. The next centennial event will be held at Red Rock State Park on Sunday, September 20 from 8am to 5pm (see complete schedule below).

Aldo Leopold is considered by many as the Father of Wildlife Management in the United States and his literary works are used in most Universities in the field of Natural Resources. He was born in 1887 and died in 1948 and was an ecologist, forester, and environmentalist. Leopold was influential in the development of modern environmental ethics and in the movement for wilderness preservation. For a good introduction to Leopold's time in Arizona check out "Aldo Leopold's Southwest," a collection of 26 essays by Leopold. Leopold's most famous book, "A Sand County Almanac," contains insightful and moving nature-related essays related to his outdoor experiences. His biography is called "Aldo Leopold: A Fierce Green Fire."

The goal of the centennial celebration is to promote Leopold's vision that an ethical relationship with the land is essential to a vibrant and healthy community. The theme of this yearlong celebration is the relevance of Leopold's Land Ethic to how we address today's pressing environmental issues and make policy decisions about our future. Our goal is to engage the citizens of our community in the meaningful commitment to promise our children the inheritance of a beautiful and healthy physical environment.

For more information, visit the State Parks website at http://azstateparks.com/find/aldo_calendar.html

Red Rock State Park is located at 4050 Lower Red Rock Loop in Sedona.

Aldo Leopold Centennial Celebration
Red Rock State Park Celebrates Aldo Leopold
with Guest Speaker Kim Stone
Sunday, September 20, 2009

Schedule of Events

Reservations required for 2PM speaker. Call (928) 282-6907.
8AM: Park Opens
10AM: Guided Nature Walk with volunteer naturalist
2PM: Chautauqua Speaker Kim Stone as Aldo Leopold
5PM: Park Closes

For more information about the 30 State Parks, statewide hiking opportunities, off-highway vehicle trails, and other outdoor recreational and cultural opportunities in Arizona, call (602) 542-4174 (outside of the Phoenix metro area call toll-free [800] 285-3703) or visit AZStateParks.com. Follow them on twitter.com/AZStateParks.

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