BirdShooter's Backpacking Blog & Podcast Series
In Episode 74, we record at a historic time. Coronavirus has caused a worldwide pandemic. The governor of Georgia just cancelled school for the year and ordered a "shelter in place" mandate across the State. So tonight we skip the studio interview, record with a combo of Skype, Join Me, and Zoom, and embrace the social distancing guidelines of the CDC. In the show, we discuss our time on the Trail this month, talk about how hiking has changed over the last two weeks, … [Read more...]
Click here to listen through their app ... https://open.spotify.com/show/1kyHwpMbZV29VdxMFa4C4H … [Read more...]
In Episode 49, the Camel, Pixie, and I review a few of the major U.S. hiking news events of 2017. Some of the topics we discuss include nails on trails, backcountry treasures, girls joining the Boy Scouts, and the hardest partiers on the A.T. And in the spirit of giving you reasons to hike more in the New Year, we offer up the 52 hikes in 52 weeks challenge. We also find inspiration in the youngest person to complete the triple crown (at age 9) and the oldest person to hike the … [Read more...]
In Episode 40, The Camel and I continue the discussion on hiking news from 2016 in a show recorded right before our annual Klondike hike on the North Carolina side of the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. Forewarning, we talk felonies, guns, and politics - subjects that get The Camel particularly fired up. So listen in, and we'll brace ourselves for the feedback! 'Cause we talk arson, kidnapping, self-defense, and about the political leadership of our country. And if that … [Read more...]
In Episode 39, Therm Rider and I do a live winter show from the Yavapai Lodge at the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. After a day hiking on the Arizona and Rim Trails, we kick back a cold one and discuss some of the major hiking news events of 2016. In the show, Therm Rider and I recap and debate some of the U.S. news events that were heavily publicized in the outdoor community last year - including epic fails with drones, lost lives from selfies, and wildlife issues and encounters. … [Read more...]
REI opened their 5th store in the Atlanta metro area today in Alpharetta, GA and clearly their marketing folks have figured it out. There were over 800 people waiting in line at 10am when the doors opened. Yeah .... people love free stuff, and REI delivered. The first 200 in the door received a water bottle with a $25-100 gift card inside. I opted to head back to work rather than line up as shopper #804. How in the world did so many people get off work mid-morning … [Read more...]
Here's an interesting article about over reliance on technology on the Trail. From Glacier National Park and reported by the Magic City Morning Star: "I don't know what to do," she said several times. And that, of course, was the problem. They were strangers in this strange land of "no cell service." No texts. No calls. No contact. And while the manager offered her options, the girl's reaction got me thinking. This almost teenager wasn't prepared to handle … [Read more...]
I read Bill Irwin's book during my 1994 thru-hike - very inspiring. He was the first blind hiker to hike the entire Appalachian Trail and did it with the assistance of his dog Orient. Sad to hear that he has passed over the weekend: "Bill Irwin, who in 1990 became the first and only blind person to hike the entire length of the Appalachian Trail without human assistance or companionship, died Saturday morning." A video story on You Tube... … [Read more...]
Yesterday, author Jon Krakauer posted an article in the New Yorker that claims to solve the mystery once and for all on how Chris McCandless died ... "Considering that potentially crippling levels of ODAP are found in wild-potato seeds, and given the symptoms McCandless described and attributed to the wild-potato seeds he ate, there is ample reason to believe that McCandless contracted lathyrism from eating those seeds." You might recall that Chris McCandless was the tragic figure … [Read more...]
Photo of Turtle Island's Eustace Conway on his ranch in N.C. from theadvocate.comIt's hard to say how much "reality" is in the History Channel's "Mountain Men" TV series - but I confess to watching and enjoying the program. Here's an interesting article on Eustace Conway, the North Carolina mountain man who promotes sustainable and primative living. It's a tale of man v's government and how the popular TV series may have saved his beloved Turtle Island near the Pisgah … [Read more...]
