National Parks | N2Backpacking

Episode 15: Ultimate Summer Road Trip (Mackie)

August 30, 2013 By BirdShooter Leave a Comment

In Episode 15, Mackie and I sit down to discuss a 65 day and 17,000 mile cross-country road trip that went down in the summer of 1996. On the journey, we hiked sections of the Appalachian, Continental, and Pacific Crest National Scenic Trails and visited some treasured American wilderness including Isle Royal, Glacier, Mt. Ranier, Redwoods, Yosemite, and Grand Canyon National Park. In the podcast, Mackie talks about the adventure, some major mishaps, high and low moments from the … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Appalachian Trail, Backpacking Discussions, Backpacking Tips, Backpacking Trails, Canoeing, Continental Divide Trail, Gear, Long Distance Backpacking, Management, National Forest, National Parks, Pacific Crest Trail, Paddling, Podcasts, Storms, Weather, Wilderness Area, Wildlife

The Ultimate Summer Roadtrip – Part Two (Coming Soon)

July 15, 2013 By BirdShooter Leave a Comment

Had a chance to record a podcast with Mackie recently for "The Ultimate Summer Roadtrip - Part Two". It's in the editing room right now and should be ready for release by the end of this week. In the meantime, check out "The Ultimate Summer Roadtrip - Part One" if you haven't already. It will get you primed for Part Two and recaps a cross-country hiking/backpacking trip I did with Snyder (aka The Ox) two years after my 1996 trip with Mackie (who is shown above at our interview in … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Appalachian Trail, Backpacking Discussions, Backpacking Tips, Backpacking Trails, Continental Divide Trail, Humor, National Forest, National Parks, Wilderness Area, Wildlife

Episode 14: Ultimate Summer Road Trip (Ox)

June 24, 2013 By BirdShooter Leave a Comment

In Episode 14, Steve (aka The Ox) and I do an in-studio interview about a 38 day cross-country road trip that took place in the summer of 1998. We spent most of the tour in the western United States and Canada (Alberta and British Columbia) where we went backpacking and fishing in the Rockies, Cascades, and on the coast of the Pacific Northwest. In the podcast, The Ox talks about the high and low moments on our road trip, some favorite campsites in the backcountry, and breaking down on … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Backpacking Discussions, Backpacking Tips, Backpacking Trails, Fishing, How To Hike & Backpack, National Forest, National Parks, Podcasts, Weather, Wilderness Area, Wildlife

Documentary on The John Muir Trail

May 30, 2013 By BirdShooter Leave a Comment

Just heard about this documentary that was shot on the John Muir Trail. It's #1 on my list of long trails to do and traverses some spectacular scenery in Yosemite, Kings Canyon, and Sequoia National Parks. The DVD was released in April 2012 and follows a group of students from the Southeast as they walk the 220 mile Trail in the High Sierra of California. But you can watch it here for free ... thanks to PBS and UNC-TV: Watch High Sierra - A Journey on the John Muir Trail on PBS. See … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Backpacking News, Backpacking Tips, Long Distance Backpacking, National Parks, Videos

Newfound Gap Road Closed Due To Landslide

January 17, 2013 By BirdShooter 3 Comments

Fortunately, we had no delays during our annual winter hike in the Smokies last weekend, but Newfound Gap is now officially closed per the Hiking The Smokies blog: "A landslide along Newfound Gap Road near mile marker 22 has caused an extended closure of the road. Great Smoky Mountains National Park has closed Newfound Gap Road (U.S. 441) due to a landslide which undercut the road near mile marker 22 between Collins Creeks and Webb Overlook at 9:40 am. The slide is estimated to be a 200 foot … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Backpacking Articles, Backpacking News, Great Smoky Mountain National Park, Storms, Uncategorized

October Superstorm “Sandy” Hits The Smokies

November 1, 2012 By BirdShooter Leave a Comment

Snow in The Smokies is a common occurance in the winter - especially in the higher elevations - but snow drifts of 5 feet? And before Halloween? Unbelievable. Here's an Associated Press quote from a local newspaper describing a man that got caught on the Appalachian Trail between Pecks Corner and Tri-Corner Knob Shelter: GATLINBURG, Tenn. (AP) — A man trying to hike the entire 2,180 miles of the Appalachian Trail was rescued Friday after calling 911 to say he didn’t think he’d be able … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Appalachian Trail, Backpacking Articles, Great Smoky Mountain National Park, Long Distance Backpacking, National Parks, Storms, Winter Hiking

Yellowstone 2002, Heart Lake – Trip Video

September 6, 2012 By BirdShooter Leave a Comment

This is a slideshow from a 2002 hike in Yellowstone National Park. We started the 23 mile backpacking trip in the southwestern corner of the Park and hiked past campsites on the Snake River, Basin Creek Lake, and Heart Lake. You will notice charred and downed trees from the 1988 fires in the video and plenty of thermal features and wildlife. There's also a few slides from Jackson, WY and Red Lodge, MT where we stayed before and after the hike. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: National Parks, Videos, Water Hikes, Wildlife