June 2007 - Posts

• Adventure-Space Presents; The Carson Hot Springs Challenge

  By Stu MarksAdventure-Crew Outdoor Reporter After talking to a friend of mine who lives in Carson City, NV (no connection with this Carson Hot Springs), and conversing with my sister-in-law who lives in Reno, I started thinking that maybe folks would be looking for a nice cool environment after all of this fire and destruction going on in the Lake Tahoe caldera, as well as the sweltering heat and humidity in the central states where we live, and out east. So, off to Washington state it is. This five star bike ride is just the thing after a grueling week fighting fires. It’s not a couch potato ride as there is one 900-foot climb involved, but it’s all on nice paths and roadways with one of the most awesome views of the Columbia River Gorge. And, there is a relaxing and rejuvenating soak and message half way though the trail. The ride is made up of two separate tracts. You start near Portland, Oregon, cross the river and ride on the Washington side of the Columbia to Carson Hot Springs where you can soak in the healthful mineral baths and take in a professional message. After a night or two at this enchanting spa, you take up the trail again by crossing the river and heading back to your starting point on the Oregon side of the river. The most cars you’ll deal with is no more than moderate traffic with good shoulders, and the views are even better on the Oregon side in my opinion. Of course, I am an Oregonian. This ride is a popular ride with bicyclists of all skill levels. If the 900 foot ascent is too much, just hop off and walk a while. I have bad knees and can’t negotiate too much stress on a continual push, so walking the bike is something I’ve gotten used to at my age of forty-nine. I’ve also found that my $400, seven-speed Boss is not quite the bike I thought it was when I first bought it. The quality is there but it’s a little short on features, like shock absorbing fore and aft, and lower climbing gears. If you are going to attempt a ride that includes a bit of a climb, make sure you’re riding a bike with lower gears. Any bike ride that happens in the Portland area will be one of the best for most folk. Portland is one of the best cities for choices of restaurants, and the views and climate, other than an occasional rain shower, can’t be beat. On your way east, from Portland, you’ll be seeing constant views of Mt. Hood on your right, and occasional views of Mt. Adams and Mt. St. Helens on your left. On the return trip heading west, you’ll enjoy the elevated views from the higher Oregon side of the Columbia Gorge. On clear days you can see the coastal mountains that separate Portland from the Pacific ocean, and as you get closer to Portland, the views of the city are beautiful. Be sure to bring a good camera, because you’re going to be riding next to one of the largest rivers in the world, and see it in both morning and evening light. And, did you realize that you get to ride on the Evergreen Highway right past the Bonneville Dam?  Trail Type               Road BikingNearby City           Portland, ORLength                   48+ miles there and backTotal Elev Gain       2,050 feetSkill Level               Moderate to difficult due to elevationSeason                  Year AroundContact                 Carson Hot Mineral Springs 509-427-8292  Notice; We are aware that many of these postings appear as one large block of text, instead of the standard paragraph formatting. There seems to be a problem with the Community Server Software that we have been using and they are working on it. Thanks; AC Staff.   Posted Jun 26 2007, 04:58 PM by Stu Marks with no comments

• Adventure-Crew Presents; The I & M Canal Tow Path Trail

  By Stu Marks, Adventure-Crew Outdoor Reporter   In 1673, Louis Joliet and Father Marquette passed through the Chicago area searching for a water way link from the Great Lakes to the Pacific Ocean. Instead, they discovered the Mississippi river and a link to the Gulf Coast. That was the early beginnings of the Illinois & Michigan Canal.   Adventure-Crew has already done extensive research on canals and their earlier beginnings, documenting our findings in the video, Cuyahoga Valley National Park. Team II traveled to Northern Ohio to shoot the video and so we were excited to get to actually bicycle on a canal tow path near our home in the Chicago are.  The trail is fifty-six miles in length and is covered in limestone screenings. It runs in a general east-west direction from theChannahon access near I-55, to the city of LaSalle.  These types of canals were built to accommodate the small, mule powered barges on the rivers in North America. They are the same type of canals that still operate in Europe today, like in Amsterdam in the Netherlands. Those canals have become much more of a sub culture for thousands of individuals who live on narrow, but some times luxurious canal boats.  But, in Northern America, these canals are only making a come back recently due to park funding and the hard work of park rangers, park workers, and many volunteers. These folks have done an outstanding job of maintaining and in some cases, like the Cuyahoga area of Ohio, refurbishing and reclaiming what nature and disuse has damaged.  The I & M Canal construction began in 1836, paused for the Great Depression and then began again in 1845 to finish in 1848. It operated goods barges and pleasure craft right up until 1933 when it closed from lack of use. The earlier rail road and then the larger Chicago Sanitary & Ship Canal converted the bulk of east/west and north/south traffic from the mule driven barges of the smaller canals.  Until the more modern and efficient conveyances of rail and larger ships took over, the canals were the best way for the hundreds of farms in the plains states to get their vast quantities of corn and other ag goods to the East. The rich virgin soil of the Plains had only been producing grass for thousands of years and took well to the introduction of corn. The crops were virtually exploding in their first year, thus the press to complete a canal system.  The once illustrious, 60-to-120-foot-wide canal shrunk drastically due to sediment build up, construction, and landscape concerns, like trees falling into the canal. But, many of the old tow paths have been maintained or recently reopened.  We recently took our bikes to Morris, Illinois to travel a there-and-back-again ten mile ride east towards Joliet. One of the most interesting elements of the canal system is the rich wildlife that has adopted this man made water way as their ecosystem. The two most impressive of all creatures along this path are the large deer and the Great Egret.  We saw a few deer and even startled one from the water. But the great egrets were by far the most interesting. Their massive wings, as they take flight from their standing position, fly down range (away from us) across and down the trail, and then swing back into the water of the canal, seem to barely fit within the tree canopy, brushing tree limbs and shrubs before gliding into their new location from which to study us.  In the direct sun, their color is awesome to look at, with grey, purplish/blue/lavender plumage.  There were also a number of different aquatic animals that were causing lap rings in the water as we bicycled past. Too large to be fish, we still haven’t identified them.  There were also the playful and skittish squirrels in abundance.  As we are endeavoring to bike the whole trail by the end of the summer (07), we’ll have plenty of photographs and more paragraphs of the I & M Canal State Trail.  East Access Trail Head;Channahon, IL. I-55 to Route 6/Canal Street exit. Proceed ½ mile southeast to Story St. Then, 1 block west.  West Access;LaSalle IL.— parking off Canal St., ½ block south of Joliet St.  Trail Length; 56 miles  Contact;I & M State Trail, 815-942-9501  The trail stretches through Will, Grundy and LaSalle counties Illinois.  Level of Difficulty;Easiest. Flat, hard pan. None of it appears to be paved.  Source; Bicycle Trails of Illinois by American Bike Trails, Hiking and Biking the I & M Canal by Jim Hochgesang, Google Earth.   Posted Jun 18 2007, 12:42 PM by Stu Marks with no comments

• Adventure-Space Presents The Clingman’s Dome Overnighter Loop

  By Stu Marks A great place to enjoy an overall outdoors vacation with all of the trimmings is by taking the Clingman’s Dome Overnight Loop. Located in the heart of the Smoky Mountains National Park, the trail is built around the famous Clingman’s Dome Observation Tower built in 1959 and starts at the highest trailhead in the park.Following the Appalachian Trail with many awesome park views of the mountains covered in the misnamed “smoke”, which is really none other than a first view of raw oxygen, the trail then crosses down into the Tennessee side where streamside woodlands replace the highland spruce. After a good night’s rest encircled by lush vegetation and sparkling streams in the lower watershed, it’s back up into the high country on the Sugarland Trail where once again the mist covered Smokys dominate the overlook views unavailable by car. Meet up with the Appalachian Trail (AT) for the final leg and you’re rewarded with a double blessing at trail’s end with the view from the observation tower from the highest point in the Smokys, and your car is only a short walk down hill, in the nearby parking lot. After a couple of days on the up and down of this moderately strenuous trail, Gatlinburg and nearby Pigeon Forge Tennessee offer up great and varied dining as well as world class entertainment with a very large aquarium in downtown Gatlinburg and lots of permanent, theme park like rides and attractions. From scenic helicopter flights and cable car rides, to dozens of food, souvenir, clothing and outfitter shops. The trail itself covers many different environments and several interesting features. Make sure to bring your camera for some awesome views. This trail is world famous for creating some of the most prolific photos in the world, showing up in national and international forums. There are seemingly desolate areas where depending on when you travel could leave you alone for many hours at a time. There are also crowded areas like the AT trail head near the observation tower where a bottleneck in trail engineering brings everyone together for a few feet. There are several little villages that until just a few years ago were home to many who had never been outside of North Carolina or Tennessee. These locals relish the outdoor country life and are some of the most humble and friendly people one will meet when treated likewise. The Little River area is a microcosm melting pot of old mountain family culture and modern attitudes with the youngsters. During the summer months most kids and older teens find their recreation in the rapids of the Little River and other streams. There are countless B&Bs all over the mountainous region. We’ve checked out several and always feel welcome upon our return. There is nothing like sleeping out in the mountains away from the busy highways of Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge. As The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is the most visited in the U.S., over 20 million visitors in 2005 were recorded, getting away is a major pastime to we who travel there often. Remember that The Smokys collect more rain storms than many other parks so gear up accordingly. Make sure to contact the park concerning current conditions before committing yourself or small group to this trek. It is best to block out five to seven days in order to best coincide your three days of trail time with the weather patterns. We spent some time in our car more than once while waiting for a deluge to end in order to hop out of the car and gear up under dry skies. Be sure to watch our Adventure-Crew video about the Smokys Trail Type:        Hiking Loop City:                 Gatlinburg, TN Length:            25 total miles Skill Level:        Moderately Strenuous Special Gear:   If you don’t have good boots broken in, don’t go on this three day trail loop. You are likely to encounter everything from hard packed trail dirt and fixed and loose rock to shallow water and trail mud. So, leave your whiney little brother at home along with your sandals and Speedo and bring your wide brim hat, walking stick and layer options. We actually encountered summer like weather at the lower elevations while there was a fresh snow cover up at the observation tower. Duration:         3 days Season:           This trail is often stated as year-round, but local snow fall can change trail head start points because the Dome’s parking lot and access road is sometimes closed for days or weeks at a time. Top Elev:          6642 Feet Contact:           Adventure-Crew Smokys Contact Park Page Reviews:          Eric. 7/4/2006. Great Hike, good 3-day trip I hiked it from west to east. There is a lot of uphill hiking. Might be easier to go to the Mt. Collins Shelter the first night. I would recommend that you hike another trip before this though to condition your legs for the uphill. Happy Backpacking Pearman. 5/26/2006. I did this trail in 3 days. I started on the trail going west to campground 23 for the 1st night. This part was a moderate hike. The campground has a creek that runs within 50 yards and even has room to take a dip (too cold at the time). The second day I hiked to the shelter that is 5 miles from the dome. Make sure you have water because once you cross the creek for the last time there is not water to be found. Continuing to the shelter was a good decision because the hike was mostly up hill and steep. The shelter has a very small stream for water that is 1/3 of a mile north from the shelter. Get water on the way in or you will have to go back down the hill. The last day of hiking was mostly up hill and the walk from Clingman's dome to the parking lot is 1/2 mile steep downhill. It is not a very scenic trip because the overlooks have trees and I was not able to see a lot. Overall it was a fun trip but was long and strenuous. I would not recommend doing this with children or the weak hearted. Keith. 4/15/2006. Great trail. More crowded around the trailheads and on the Appalachian Trail, but the crowd got sparse a few miles in. The guide calls for a three day hike, but if you can do the final 12.8 miles in a day (almost all uphill) then you could easily combine the first 2 days and stay at 3 Forks campsite that night. Good for someone like me who only has a weekend to hike. Patrick. 7/6/2005. This hike has a little bit of everything. Ridge walking mountain top views, deep valley lush forest, and plenty of creeks/streams. We went a little further on our ridge walk and went to Sliers Bald Shelter. Newly renovated shelter is very nice, the water source was less than desirable though. The trails leading back to Clinmans Dome are not for the faint of heart, especially with a good size pack. Great overall hike. Starting from the AT at Clingmans Dome it is very crowded. The solitude is great when you head down Goshen Prong Tr. to the area of Little River. Reviews courtesy of Trails.com. Other sources: Google, National Park Service, Stu and Corie Marks Posted Jun 12 2007, 02:54 PM by Stu Marks with no comments

• Adventure-Space Presents; Florida National Scenic Trail, Northern Big Cypress Section

  In our continuing weekly exploration of America's National Park trails, we move south and east into Florida's Everglade Region. Although the Big Cypress National Preserve is contiguous with Everglades National Park to the south and east, it is floristically much different. While the true Everglades are open watery prairies with a mosaic of hardwood hammocks, pine rocklands, mangroves, and other interrelated ecosystems, the Big Cypress National Preserve is characterized by a more temperate inventory of plants that make up the swamps, hammocks, pinelands, and prairies. Deep cypress sloughs and strands channel water south, and many of these are bisected by Tamiami Trail. A free brochure map of the preserve that shows the locations of the various sloughs, trails, and other points of interest is available at the Big Cypress Visitor Center at Oasis. If you are the adventurous type, stop at one of the sloughs and take a walk into the watery interior. Unlike Everglades National Park, the Big Cypress National Preserve does not have an official entrance, nor is a fee charged to enter the preserve. Off-road hikes can be rewarding, exhilarating, and educational, so feel free to stop anywhere and explore—using common sense, of course.Once you cross the first prairie, the trail becomes much more scenic and enjoyable. Primitive tent camping is available at two designated sites along the trail. This can be a short or long hike, depending on your intent and skills. A 13-mile loop is available by hiking to the first campsite and then taking the trail to the west until it bisects another trail. Turn back south to complete the loop. You can, of course, simply turn around and go back at any time, but it is well worth the effort to at least get far enough away so you no longer see buildings and hear traffic. Wildflowers can be abundant at times, and if you are lucky enough to walk the trail in early summer, you will be rewarded with hundreds of eye-catching pink blossoms of Bartram’s rosegentian (Sabatia bartramii), named to honor the intrepid explorer William Bartram. -The nearest city is Monroe Station, FL -The total trail length is 16.5 miles -It is an Out and Back Trail -Skill level is moderate to strenuous -Duration is all day for the round trip -It is open all year -Contact; Contact phone numbers & address  -Map   Source; Trails.com, Inc. Posted Jun 04 2007, 10:27 AM by Stu Marks with no comments