REI Alpharetta – Over 800 people waiting in line at 10am

  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...]

Relying Too Much On Technology On The Trail

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...]

Bill Irwin, First Blind Hiker To Hike The Appalachian Trail, Passes Over The Weekend

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...]

Krakauer Offers New Insight In To What Killed Chris McCandless

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...]

Mountain Man v's Government – The History Channel's Eustace Conway

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...]

Red Flags In The Idaho Backcountry

When Mark John spotted two hikers in the backcountry of the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness - something didn't seem right:  "Usually when you meet people in the back country, you have a pretty good encounter, you know, and talk about where they've been and where they're going. But they didn't want to talk," he told reporters at CNN.Salmon River - Frank Church River of No Return WildernessThe Idaho horseman was riding with his wife and … [Read more...]

Naked Rambler Gets “”Long” Jail Sentence

From the Daily Echo in the UK....A HAMPSHIRE man dubbed the Naked Rambler has failed in a bid to challenge his latest jail sentence.Stephen Gough gained notoriety after walking naked from Land’s End to John o’Groats ten years ago – and has since been handed prison sentences totalling more than six years.The 54-year-old was jailed for 11 months in June after being found guilty of breaching an antisocial behaviour order (ASBO) which bans him from appearing in public with his … [Read more...]

Search For Missing Maine Hiker Now Focuses On Trail Near Stratton, ME

The Associated Press reports that the search for a missing Maine hiker now focuses on a short section of trail near Stratton, ME: "The Maine Warden Service is narrowing the search area as it tries to determine what happened to 66-year-old Geraldine Largay of Brentwood, Tenn. She contacted her husband on July 21 from the top of Saddleback Mountain but failed to meet up with him as planned the following day.  Authorities are focusing on a 14-mile section of the trail in Carrabassett Valley, … [Read more...]

Reese Witherspoon Set To Star In Wild, A Story Of Discovery On The Pacfic Crest Trail

Wild, a best-selling book of Cheryl Strayed’s journey on the Pacific Crest Trail is about to become a movie staring Reese Withersoon.  HollywoodReporter.com reports that ...   "Fox Searchlight has acquired worldwide rights to Wild, a screen adaptation of Cheryl Strayed’s best-selling memoir that will star Reese Witherspoon.  The film is scheduled to begin production in the late fall once a director is chosen and will be overseen by … [Read more...]

Protected: Hike Naked Day Comes A Month Early

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