Are the US National Parks Becoming Less Safe?

Are Accidents and Fatalities in the US National Parks on the rise? A man was seriously injured on Thursday falling into a volcanic crater in Hawaii’s Kilauea Volcano National Park. The man was apparently trying to get a better view of the caldera when he plunged 70 feet down to a lower ledge; initial reports stated that he lost his […]

To Paradise and Beyond

The Rae Lakes Loop, Kings Canyon NP One of the best hikes in the United States is the Rae Lakes Loop in the Sierra Nevada. This challenging backpacking trip requires five or more days to complete and takes hikers through some of the best – and most remote – country the High Sierra has to offer. For much of its […]

The UTMB gets underway!

The Ultra Tour du Mont Blanc Less than a month ago, Sylvia and I completed the Tour du Mont Blanc, Alpine Europe’s premier walking route. It was an amazing journey. We thought it was pretty challenging, and are proud of our accomplishment.   However, this weekend another journey is about to start, one that puts our — and in fact, […]

Sent To The Big House (Mountain)

Big House Mountain, VA *We have added the Big House Mountain hike in House Mountain Preserve to our list of the Best Hikes in the Southern Appalachians. It is a REALLY interesting hike in west-central Virginia. Note that there are several options to this hike and the one we ended up hiking was…somewhat on the creative side. There are easier […]

The Linville Gorge: A GoPro Blockbuster!

Video of the Table Rock and Chimneys Hike Now Online! Check out some of the gorgeous scenery of the Linville Gorge Wilderness — in our opinion , the best place to hike in North Carolina — on our new hiking video. This is at the top our list of Best Places to Hike in the Southern Appalachians and Carolinas. The cast […]

Gravitating Towards a Better Filtration System

Gear Review: The Sawyer One Gallon Gravity Assisted Water Filtration System *Note that BecauseItzThere receives NO compensation of any kind from any outfitter. The products you see reviewed here are purchased with our own funds and objectively reviewed under field conditions.* Our recent multi-day hike of the Standing Indian Loop forced me to re-think an old problem that I had […]

The Downhill Run

The Standing Indian Loop, Day III We emerged from our tent on the last day surprised to find that the shelter and campground were almost empty. The early departure of the hikers did not surprise me – Thru hikers have their miles to bag and therefore are used to getting an early start. What did surprise me is how quietly […]

Our (mis)Calculations Prove Right!

The Standing Indian Loop, Day II The second day dawned crisp and sunny through the newly budding trees of Beech Gap; the night had proven to be nowhere near as cold as the previous one. Sylvia reported no issues with her ‘manos’ and was generally in better spirits, the lingering effects of her fall having passed on like bad weather. […]

West to go South to go North

The Standing Indian Loop: Day I We arrived at Standing Indian Campground just after 5 pm on Thursday….though we had another 30 mins or so delay as we had to backtrack into Franklin to stop at an ATM machine (we had forgotten to bring cash.) If you stage out of this campground, remember to bring it. The camp host warned […]