Hiking News - January 2011

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A New "Green" Destination For Outdoor Recreation

Monday, 31 January 2011

A new "green" destination for outdoor recreation in Maine's 100-Mile Wilderness region is available to the public today with the official opening of the Appalachian Mountain Club's (AMC's) Gorman Chairback Lodge and Cabins, on Long Pond, between Greenville and Brownville. The new central lodge building is Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)-registered, making it the first sporti ng camp lodge in Maine, and one of only a handful of backcountry facilities in the nation, to be LEED-registered. Certification is anticipated later this year.

Overseen by the U.S. Green Building Council, LEED provides a nationally recognized set of industry standards for evaluation and certification of environmentally sustainable construction and design.

The new lodge building at Gorman Chairback was designed by LDa Architecture and Design. The property is off the grid, and power is supplied by solar panels. Other environmentally sensitive features include double-glazed, argon-filled windows, extensive insulation, radiant heat in floors, and use of a biomass heating system.

The opening of Gorman Chairback Lodge and Cabins is the latest milestone in AMC's Maine Woods Initiative, an innovative approach to land conservation that combines outdoor recreation, resource protection, sustainable forestry, and community partnerships in Maine's 100-Mile Wilderness region. The initiative supports local forest products jobs and recreation, creating new multi-day experiences for visitors and attracting new nature-based tourism to the region.

At Gorman Chairback, guests will find a new lodge with a dining room overlooking scenic Long Pond, a welcoming hearth and sitting area, a reading area, and a wood-fired sauna. Dining room tables were milled from lumber from the lodge site by Maine House Furniture in Abbot, and dining room chairs were crafted by Maine Made Furniture in Rumford

Home-cooked meals are served in the lodge dining room and accommodations are in recently refurbished, private log cabins furnished with queen beds, heated by woodstoves, and lit by gas light. Linens and other furnishings are provided courtesy of a generous donation from L.L. Bean.

Gorman Chairback is the newest stop on a 37-mile-long cross-country ski trail network that connects the camp with three other sporting camps, including two owned and operated for the public by AMC-Medawisla Wilderness Lodge and Cabins in Kokadjo and Little Lyford Lodge and Cabins in T7 R9. Also on the route is the fourth-generation family owned West Branch Pond Camps.

Skiers can travel from lodge to lodge, spending a night at each location, or, they can choose to spend several days at one location, exploring a growing network of trails for skiing and snowshoeing. AMC manages more than 70 miles of hiking trails and ski routes on its Maine Woods property, all of which are open for use by the public. Many new trails have been built over the past eight years, and AMC welcomes area residents and visitors to enjoy these trails and explore this scenic area.

With its 37,000-acre Katahdin Iron Works property and 29,500-acre Roach Ponds tract, AMC now provides recreational opportunities for the public on more than 100 square miles of conservation and recreation land in the heart of Maine's 100-Mile Wilderness region.

AMC is building on the Maine sporting camp tradition by maintaining a growing trail network and offering a variety of public programs. Through its Moosehead Area Schools Program, AMC has also slated Gorman Chairback as a venue for outdoor learning for Piscataquis County schoolchildren.

While at Gorman Chairback, guests can ski on an extensive network of groomed trails, including a stacked loop trail system that provides a variety of trip-length options. Snowshoeing terrain abounds as well.

In other seasons, visitors can enjoy day hikes to stunning vistas, including Chairback Ridge and Gulf Hagas; paddle a canoe; watch for moose, loons, and other wildlife; and fish for wild brook trout and land-locked salmon on Long Pond. Fly-fishing for wild brook trout is also available at more than 20 backcountry ponds on AMC's property.

Guests can also take part in a wide variety of AMC guided programs where they can develop skills in cross-country skiing, fly-fishing, backpacking, and paddling, including a five-day Family Adventure Camp and 50+ Adventure Camp this summer.

This authentic Maine sporting camp was originally built as a private camp in 1867. It was later operated as a commercial sporting camp until 1990, when it became a private summer residence. "We're pleased to be reopening this historic property to the public and protecting public access to a spectacular piece of the Maine Woods," said AMC Senior Vice President Walter Graff.

More than 20 local workers, including a dozen local contractors, worked to build the new Gorman Chairback Lodge. The lodge and cabins are named in honor of longtime AMC supporters and outdoor enthusiasts, Leon and Lisa Gorman. Building of the new lodge and cabin remodeling was funded through generous contributions to AMC's Campaign for the Maine Woods.

Overnight reservations at Gorman Chairback or other AMC Maine Wilderness Lodges can be made by calling (603) 466-2727, or visiting www.outdoors.org/mainelodges. AMC's conservation and recreation property, programs, activities, and lodging destinations are open to all, AMC members and non-members alike.

More information on the Maine Woods Initiative can be found at www.outdoors.org/mwi.

National Geographic Adventure Travel Program

Friday, 28 January 2011

In keeping with its tradition of adventure and exploration, National Geographic has introduced National Geographic Adventures, a new program offering unique trips for the active traveler. The program allows travelers to experience adventure from new perspectives, such as trekking across mountain ranges to archaeological wonders; kayaking into a glacier-carved wilderness; crossing an entire countr y on foot; or climbing a little-known route up one of the world´s highest peaks. These adventures also offer immersive cultural experiences like visiting with Andean villagers, hiking to a remote monastery in Bhutan to meet with monks, or living among some of the world´s last hunter-gatherers in Tanzania.

To make these trips possible, National Geographic has partnered with Mountain Travel Sobek, an adventure travel company co-founded more than 40 years ago by the late Barry Bishop, legendary mountaineer, photographer and longtime National Geographic staff member. Together, National Geographic and Mountain Travel Sobek have developed unique, active itineraries in some of the world´s most remote and spectacular places, including Alaska, Bhutan, Chile and Argentina, England, Italy, Mongolia, Nepal, Peru, Spain, and Tanzania.

"Adventure is an integral part of National Geographic´s heritage. These new trips combine the immersive experiences for which we are so well known with the opportunity for a more physically active adventure," said Lynn Cutter, National Geographic´s senior vice president, Travel and Business Development. "Each unique itinerary has something special to offer that makes the experience not just a trip through stunning scenery, but an authentic, unforgettable adventure."

Trips are categorized by activity level - easy, moderate, strenuous or ultimate challenge. Each trip has a maximum of 16 travelers, allowing for greater flexibility to take advantage of unexpected opportunities that may arise. The small group size also allows for stays in cozy inns, deluxe tented camps and mountain lodges not able to accommodate larger groups. Along with dynamic and experienced trip guides, travelers are joined by local guides, from sherpas in Nepal to nomads in Mongolia, who share invaluable insights into their culture and their land.

Each itinerary is crafted by tapping into the knowledge and insights of National Geographic experts to bring depth and meaning to the travel experience. Traveling with National Geographic allows adventurers access to special sites, fascinating people and private homes. Whenever possible, National Geographic arranges visits with experts in the field, giving travelers the opportunity to meet with the people whose discoveries have appeared in National Geographic´s television programs and magazines.

For more information or to receive a copy of the 2011-2012 National Geographic Adventures catalog, the public may call (888) 689-2557 or visit www.nationalgeographicadventures.com

Source: http://www.live-pr.com/en

New Guided Alaska Backpacking Trip in Denali

Thursday, 27 January 2011

Today, Alaska Alpine Adventures launched a brand new Alaska backpacking adventure through Denali National Park & Preserve. For well over a decade, Alaska Alpine Adventures has been pioneering new backpacking routes through Alaska’s spectacular national parks and wildlife refuges, and while they have explored some of the most wild and remote parks the state has to offer, they have never guided a b ackpacking trip into Denali National Park. But in 2010, working in cooperation with the National Park Service under a commercial use authorization, they have been granted permission to guide an exploratory backpacking trip in the southern region of the park.

This 10-day, 35-mile Alaska backpacking trip will include 8-full days of backpacking across massive glaciers, along wild rivers, and through virgin wilderness in this most amazing and virtually unexplored area of the park. Not only will this experience include an amazing flight seeing tour of Mt. McKinley and the mighty Ruth Glacier Gorge, a floatplane drop-off at a small lake, and a train ride back to Anchorage, it will also provide experienced backpacker the opportunity to see Denali National Park in a way that few ever have. http://www.alaskaalpineadventures.com/trips/denali-unexplored-backpacking-denali-national-park.html

"We're extremely excited to have the opportunity to guide in Denali National Park." said manager Aaron Fetter from his office in Anchorage. "Denali is one of those places in Alaska that everyone wants to see. And to explore Denali on an Alaska backpacking adventure is really the best and most authentic way to truly experience Denali National Park."

Alaska Alpine Adventures has been leading Alaska trips and adventure vacations throughout Alaska's spectacular national parks and wildlife refuges since. Recognized by National Geographic as one of the Best Adventure Travel Companies on Earth in both 2008 & 2009, Alaska Alpine Adventures takes adventure seekers on multi-day and multi-sport hiking tours, rafting trips, Alaska backpacking trips, kayaking trips, and skiing vacations throughout the Last Frontier. http://www.alaskaalpineadventures.com/

Source: www.exactrelease.com

SteriPEN Adventurer Opti Wins Backpacker Mag Award

Wednesday, 26 January 2011

Hydro-Photon Inc, makers of SteriPEN®, has been honored as a recipient of a 2011 Backpacker magazine Editors’ Choice Award, the most prestigious award in the outdoor industry, given annually to products in recognition of their outstanding innovation in design, materials and/or performance.

Backpacker Editor-In-Chief Jonathan Dorn and his staff of editors and testers presented the Steri PEN Adventurer Opti with the award at the annual Outdoor Retailer Winter Market in Salt Lake City, Utah on Thursday, January 20th.

The Backpacker Editors’ Choice Awards, bestowed annually since 1993, honor the products that Backpacker editors have chosen as the best of the year based on months of trail testing by teams of highly experienced hikers and climbers. With no set categories for the awards and no set number of recipients, the products and the testing process drive the award categories.

SteriPEN Adventurer Opti was one of only 13 innovative products that have been honored with a 2011 Backpacker Editors’ Choice Award. The innovative Adventurer Opti uses an optical LED water sensor and purifies 16 oz (0.5L) of water in just 48 seconds—or 90 seconds for 32 oz. (1L). The germicidal ultraviolet light destroys bacteria, viruses and protozoa such as giardia and cryptosporidium. As a bonus, the LED serves as a flashlight when the purifier is not in use. This pocketsize device weighs only 3.6 oz.(103g) with the included batteries and the long lasting UV lamp provides 8,000 treatments.

"BACKPACKER gear reviews have many imitators, a few competitors, and no equals," said Editor-in-Chief Jonathan Dorn. "That's because no other magazine or website conducts in-depth field-testing as vigorously or impartially as the crew led by Gear Editor Kristin Hostetter. With a core team that has several centuries of combined trail time, along with first descents, decades of retail experience, and expertise in every backcountry discipline, Kristin puts new products through an unprecedented level of real-world abuse in every terrain and weather imaginable. She also oversees a transparent process that has earned an unrivaled amount of trust from readers, retailers, and manufacturers. The results are reviews that lead consumers to smart, durable products that consistently prove their worth with years of best-in-class performance."

“The entire team at Hydro-Photon is absolutely thrilled about the SteriPEN Opti’s 2011 Backpacker’s Editor’s Choice Award. While any recognition from Backpacker is great – winning an Editors Choice from such a widely known and deeply respected organization is just huge!!! Many, many thanks from all of us to everyone at Backpacker for this truly amazing honor!” said Miles Maiden, Hydro-Photon’s Founder/CEO.

The Backpacker Editors’ Choice Awards are the gold standard against which all outdoor products are measured, and are a seal of approval that can help put an outdoor company or product on the proverbial map. Each year at the Outdoor Retailer show, retail buyers use the awards announcements as a must-buy shopping list, knowing that their customers will be asking for these products in the spring.

Since their inception, the Backpacker Editors’ Choice Awards have come to be regarded as the most sought-after award for outdoor equipment and apparel found in the industry. The impeccable outdoor credentials and rigorous field-testing standards of the Backpacker staff guarantee that these awards are an undisputed mark of quality for the companies and products selected.

All winners must excel under extensive field-testing conducted by Backpacker’s team of editors, who take hundreds of new products every year into the backcountry to put them to the test. This rigorous process ensures that the performance of the winners is truly worthy of distinction and meets the guiding principle behind the program: gear that is of real value to the readers of Backpacker magazine, who are very active, long-term outdoor enthusiasts.

The complete list of Backpacker 2011 Editors’ Choice Award winners will be officially announced to the general public in the magazine’s April Gear Guide issue, on newsstands March 9, 2011.

Source: www.outdoorindustry.org

Plan a Winter Getaway That's Fun for Everyone

Tuesday, 25 January 2011

This season, families looking to get away together will find it easier than ever to plan a vacation that won't break the bank. That's because Delaware North Companies, one of the world's leading hospitality and food service providers, is offering a wide range of affordable family vacations in some of the world's most beautiful destinations.

With hotels and resorts in or near breathtaki ng state and national parks, as well as awe-inspiring attractions, guests can relax, unwind and experience the thrill of the classic family vacation. Whether you prefer to fly or drive, Delaware North offers affordable family vacation destinations across the country – making it easier to plan a trip that's on budget, convenient and fun.

Get away for less at:

The Lodge at Geneva-on-the-Lake. Nestled on the shore of Lake Erie, this warm and family-friendly lodge boasts a game room, bicycles for rent, a heated swimming pool and easy access to Geneva State Park.
Gideon Putnam Resort. Featuring the historic Roosevelt Mineral Baths & Spa, miles of hiking and cross-country ski trails, ice skating and more, it's a great place to explore.
Harrison Hot Springs Resort & Spa. Boasting pools and a spa fed by the hot mineral springs for which it's know, nearby skiing, hiking and a host of special events, this Canadian resort welcomes guests from around the world.
Niagara Falls State Park. Guests can spend days exploring the park's miles of hiking trails and touring the Aquarium of Niagara. Fans of America's oldest state park insist it must be seen in winter.
Sequoia National Park. Located in the heart of Northern California's Sequoia National Park. Families can play in the snow, go cross-country skiing or take up snowshoeing. And after a day of adventure, families can relax and unwind in the lodge.

In addition, Delaware North also offers affordable family vacations at Tenaya Lodge at Yosemite, the Queen Mary, Holiday Inn West Yellowstone and Yosemite National Park. For more information about the company's affordable family vacation destinations, activities, amenities and vacation packages, visit http://dncdestinations.com/Affordable-Vacation-Destinations.aspx.

For more information, visit www.DelawareNorth.com.

Source: www.prnewswire.com

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