Hiking News - Wednesday 23 May 2012

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 2012. 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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Naked Man Apprehended near Love Gap on Blue Ridge

Friday, 11 May 2012

Naked Man Apprehended near Love Gap on Blue Ridge

NPS Digest published a report yesterday about naked man that was apprehended near Love Gap on the Blue Ridge Parkway.

On the morning of May 1st, a suspect fleeing from the Virginia State Police for a speeding violation entered the park in the Love Gap area. Shortly after coming onto the parkway he lost control of his vehicle, resulting in the vehicle flipping onto its roof and catching fire. The man then got out and fled into the woods. Rangers responded and assisted county and state law enforcement agencies in tracking him down. A canine tracking team quickly discovered his discarded pants. Ground-based teams and Virginia State Police helicopters continued to search for him until he was apprehended. At the time of his arrest, the 24-year-old man was naked and suffering from multiple lacerations (no details on where those lacerations were located) as a result of fleeing through the wooded terrain.

This incident might sound vaguely familier, but shouldn't be confused with the naked man that was found riding a horse along the Blue Ridge Parkway a couple of weeks ago.

source: www.HikingintheSmokys.com

Cosby In The Park Festival

Thursday, 10 May 2012

Great Smoky Mountains National Park has announced the annual "Cosby in the Park" festival to be held this Saturday, May 19th, at the Park's Cosby campground. In its 13th year, "Cosby in the Park" is presented by the Cocke County Partnership, Great Smoky Mountains Association, and the Park. The event celebrates the cultural heritage of this area and highlights the many recreational opportunities a vailable in the Cosby section of the park. The event is free to the public and is scheduled between 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.

The festivities this year will all take place in the campground amphitheater, and the group campground areas. All of the crafts and children's games will take place near the amphitheater. Free parking for attendees will be provided in campground Loop B.

A full day of activities is planned that includes Southern Appalachian music, hikes, and demonstrations on local history, blacksmithing, quilting, corn shuck dolls and crafts, old time toys, natural foods and medicinal plants, and other folk arts.

Families are encouraged to attend, and take some time to learn more about old time toys and traditional mountain crafts. This year children and families are invited to make their own rag doll and button whizzer to take home.

The scheduled activities are:

Amphitheater Stage
10:00 a.m. - 10:15 a.m. Honoring of the Ogle Family
10:15 a.m. - 11:15 a.m. Mountain Strings
11:15 a.m. - 12:15 p.m. Lost Mill String Band
12:15 p.m. - 1:00 p.m. Scenes from Sunset is Coming with Duay ONeil
1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. Tony Thomas
2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. Boogertown Gap Band
3:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. The Green Family Band

Hikes
• Hike to Ella V. Costner Grave. 11:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Moderate in difficulty. Meet at Cosby picnic area pavilion. Leader: Alma Williamson
• Seeking Edible and Medicinal Plants along the Cosby Nature Trail, 1:00 pm - 2:30 pm. Easy to moderate. Meet at amphitheatre area. Leader: Jennie Burke

Ongoing Activities
• Ella V. Costner,"The Poet Laureate of the Smokies" Exhibit - Sheila Evans
• Blacksmithing - Clayton Sharp, ongoing demonstration
• Quilting - Maria Holloway, ongoing demonstration
• Old-Timey Food Preparation - Ellen Ogle, ongoing demonstration
• Cosby History Exhibit-Judy and Shane McGaha, ongoing demonstration
• Traditional Corn Shuck Crafts- Lori Anderson, ongoing demonstration
• Traditional Broom Making -Chuck Anderson, ongoing demonstration
• Native Foods and Medicinal Plants - Heather O'Donnell, ongoing demonstration
• Children's Toys and Crafts- Robin Goddard and Jennie Burke, ongoing activities
• And more….

source: www.HikingintheSmokys.com

Wild Rainbow Nation Tour for Club Campers

Wednesday, 9 May 2012

Wild Rainbow Nation Tour for Club Campers

Looking for an adventure? The Camping and Caravanning Club’s Carefree Worldwide Travel Service is offering a new escorted Tour of South Africa that offers superb value for money – save up to £2,300 per couple!

The 23-day guided tour will run from November 18 to December 10, 2012 travelling from Cape Town and along the Cape Coast, including two nights in the Kruger National Park.
< br> Highlights include a guided coach tour of Cape Town itself including a trip to the summit of the spectacular Table Mountain, an overnight stay in a beehive hut in a Zulu village, the beautiful scenery of the Swartberg pass and the chance to spot the Big Five in Kruger.

And campers will be in safe hands as Club Tour Escorts, Pat and Alan Gadd, have extensive knowledge of the country and have helped hundreds of members explore and discover hidden gems in this welcoming country.

Joyce and John Hudson, from the Isle of Wight recently visited South Africa with the Club and they said: “It was a wonderful experience; stunning scenery, climate, history and wildlife. It felt like an adventure through South Africa.”

The tour costs from just £3,450 per person (based on two people sharing a motorhome). Single and child supplements and additional adult costs are available on request.

Richard Grimsdale, the Club’s Travel Services Director, said: “Holidaymakers are continuously looking for exciting new travel opportunities so we’re delighted to be able to offer a new escorted tour of South Africa.

“Our worldwide destinations have proved to be very popular and we will continue to work hard to provide our campers with unique holiday options.”

Carefree offers six Worldwide Escorted Tours including; Argentina, New Zealand, Canada, USA West, South Africa and Southern Africa Discovery. Bespoke and individual tours are also available on request.

To book an escorted tour or for more information, please contact us by phone: - 0845 601 0905 or 024 7647 5340 or online: www.motorhometouringholidays.co.uk

Sean Alisea Confirms that Hiking Sparks Creativity

Tuesday, 8 May 2012

Sean Alisea Confirms that Hiking Sparks Creativity

In this Digital Age, information is never far from our fingertips. Indeed, most of us are constantly inundated by the effects of smart phones, computers, and cellular devices.

According to a new study from the University of Kansas, however, the effects of these gadgets are not always positive. In fact, this constant barrage of information can actually rob us of our creative inspiration , the study finds; something as simple as a nature hike can leave us refreshed and rejuvenated, however. This new study has garnered the affirmation of many notable outdoor enthusiasts, among them Santa Barbara’s Sean Alisea.

Indeed, as a proponent both of hiking and of calming meditation techniques, Sean Alisea finds much to praise in the new report. “The pressure, pace and noise of modern life creates in us a constant struggle against our primitive fight-or-flight response,” Alisea says in a press statement. “Aside from meditation, which I also highly recommend, I believe that the primary way to re-connect with one's spirit is to commune with nature. Hiking, besides keeping you extremely fit, affords you the space and solitude you need to feel at peace with your world.”

That hiking offers many physical benefits is hardly a surprise, but the new University of Kansas study affirms that, as Sean Alisea notes, the benefits are also spiritual and psychological. In fact, the report’s central finding is that a few days in the wilderness, surrounded by nature but away from the pull of the cell phone, can increase creativity by as much as 50%.

The research is presented in the current edition of Backpacker magazine, and suggests that the effects of hiking on the human body and mind are profound, and almost unclassifiable. Hiking and spending time in nature, the report says, are ultimately beneficial for “offering refuge from the cacophony of all of this information that simulates alarms, warnings and emergencies.”

Expanding on this point, the report notes that constantly being surrounded by technology makes one feel constantly surrounded by threats or stress-inducing factors. This ultimately saps the human mind of its ability to have fun or think creatively.

Spending several days in nature, apart from digital technology, is ideal, the report says. Indeed, the creative spark offered by a nature hike “peaks after about three days of really getting away, turning off the [cell phone], not hauling the iPad and not looking for Internet coverage,” the study suggests. An extended period of time, alone in nature, is said to offer numerous positive effects, both for the human body and for the mind.

Sean Alisea is an outspoken advocate for outdoor fun and adventure, as well as for meditation. He lives and works in Santa Barbara, California, and is a tutor at the Santa Barbara School of Squash, an educational outreach program aimed at urban youth. Alisea is also an avid outdoor recreation enthusiast, and is vocal in his love for hiking, backpacking, and scuba diving. His passion is for sharing his love of these activities with others.

Race to the Moon Wellness Challenge

Monday, 7 May 2012

HealthAmerica and CafeWell™ today announced that participants in the Race to the Moon wellness challenge, sponsored by HealthAmerica, recently passed their target of walking the distance to the moon. At April 30, participants had walked more than 685 million steps, which equates to 302,000 miles. Based on the program's success,a new challenge program was announced today, Return to Earth*, which features new fitness challenges as participants log steps for chances to win prizes, and allows in additional members.

At a celebratory event today in Harrisburg, HealthAmerica chief executive officer, David Fields, recognized the many people with individual stories of success in the Race to the Moon, including 153 participants who each surpassed one million steps, 19 participants who exceeded two million steps, four participants who exceeded three million steps, and one participant who surpassed four million steps.

"The entire HealthAmerica family congratulates the more than 6,500 active participants who took advantage of the Race to the Moon wellness challenge to change their health and fitness," said Fields. "The results we have demonstrated with this new type of socially enabled wellness program are getting people's attention across the healthcare industry, and we are proud to have led the way."

For example, 68% of participants reported walking or running more every week, 36% have become more health conscious about their diet and 29% have lost weight.

While logging steps, members participated in 32 different challenges on the CafeWell social health network, which served as Race to the Moon's central 'Mission Control'. The top five discussion groups used by participants include Race to the Moon, Fitness and Exercise, Diet and Nutrition, Weight Loss, and Stress Management.

Nearly half, 48%, of Race to the Moon participants were over the age of 45 and only 24% were under 35. The age weighting underscores the positive health impact Race to the Moon participants reported.

Participant comments, all available here, reported many instances of weight loss, energy gain and reversal or improvement in chronic conditions such as high blood pressure, cholesterol and arthritis. Photos from the event are available here after today's event.

"Race to the Moon was simply life changing," said Rick Sanger, a two million-step achiever from Mechanicsburg, Pa. "Who would have ever guessed in six months I would have walked two and a half million steps? Not me! I was a self-made couch potato. I liked to exercise, but I could never find something I could stick with. This is like Facebook meets Biggest Loser! I have made so many friends, lost weight, have badges to brag and show as accomplishments and stories of how our team stuck together and pushed each other way past what we thought we could ever do as individuals! Amazing experience, I cherish the time I spend in CafeWell and Race to the Moon."

"I'm happy to say that I've lost 12 pounds and the warm spring weather will help me keep going," noted Pam Zemaitis, a one-million step achiever from New Cumberland. "One thing that I've noticed the most is that last year at this time, I went on a field trip to Philadelphia with my son's 6th grade class. My knees hurt so bad that I couldn't keep up very easily with the tour guide. This year I'm going with my daughter's 6th grade class and even though my knees are still a little sore, it is nothing like last year so I'm looking forward to being in the front of the group! I didn't do anything to help my knees either...except for walking!"

Michelle Hawkins, a participant from Lancaster, added, "The Race to the Moon has motivated me to get outside more, as well as to make a decision to hike Mt. Washington in New Hampshire. My dad has done the hike many years in the past and this will be our first year to do it together. I have been extremely motivated to go train with my dad by hiking every weekend."

"I started slowly, 20 to 30 thousand steps," said Bob Scott of Harrisburg. "As I got caught up in the challenges, I added more and more, and started to finish in the top five. Exercise became more often and more vigorous. I looked forward to it and am exercising much more regularly now. I have increased my endurance and lost 15 pounds."

"I define my success in Race to the Moon as getting much more exercise," said Cheryl Walker of Middletown. "I have walked over 1,000 miles for a weight loss of 19 pounds, so far."

Pam Smith of York added, "My success is measured by meeting the weekly goals, to schedule specific times into my day to walk. I take each day as it comes. Some days are busier than others and I can spend more or less time each day with the weekly goal as the target. I have become more competitive because of the ranking within the challenge and wanting to get more badges for points. Winning an Amazon gift card was the icing on the cake! Sharing this experience with others has also been reaffirming for me to continue. Friends tell me how great it is that I have accomplished what I have. When I started, it was difficult to walk 4 blocks."

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