Old Dogs and New Tricks
Plus Waiting for Monuments, Duo Sleeping Bag Reviews, Attack of the Zombie Forests, Backbone Trail treks and more
howdy
There’s a saying about old dogs and new tricks, but I don’t know if I believe that particular idiom has a ton of truth to it. For one, my elderly dog is very adept at trading new bad habits with her upstairs dog-cousin, and has recently started harassing my husband and I when we’re eating so she can lick plates in the dishwasher while we’re cleaning up. And in more human terms, I’m trying to pick up new snow sports.
Now, I’ll be honest, this is not without some mild-to-moderate duress. I’m currently in my third full year of downhill skiing, which I started doing both to help survive some exceptionally dreary Northwest Winters and because my husband’s family are all skiers. It is not easy to learn how to downhill ski when you start in your (cough) very late 30s, and although I still can’t say in earnest it’s a fun activity, I’m solidly in the “I can see fun approaching on the horizon” stage right now and that’s not too bad.
I was recently up in Nelson, British Columbia, which I’d visited a few years back as part of a trek on the BC Ale Trail (read more here and here) for a quick family ski weekend visiting the charming Whitewater Ski Resort. The snow was great and the food was shockingly good, but most of the runs were on the upper end of my ability so I stuck to the easy stuff.
The next day, though, I rented some gear and tried another new snow sport – cross country skiing.
The Nelson Nordic Ski Club was celebrating its 40th anniversary, which meant free coffee and cake (always a plus in my book), and I’m not sure whether it was the festivities or the good weather or just the general Canadian cordiality but everyone there was welcoming, enthusiastic, and altogether jazzed to spend a morning on these strange, thin, light skis.
So after one very mild downhill where my ankles were searching in vain for the vice-grip security of downhill ski boots, I was able to pick up the almost meditative glide-push-kick rhythm. I was able to soak in the scenery (something I can still only really do when I’m stopped on downhill skis), had some lovely hellos with other skiers, and just generally had a great time.
I also learned pretty quickly that downhill ski gear is not great for cross country skiing – because it’s easier but also somehow a lot more work? My Apple Watch tells me I burned over 1200 calories in 2 hours of skiing … and several days later my legs are still telling me about muscles I didn’t know I had.
So chalk this up as at least one more new trick for a … let’s say middle aged dog. Elder Millennial dog? You get it.
Are you spending these wet winter days learning any new sports or hobbies? Let me know about ‘em!
The Big Story
Something to talk about
Solo No-Go
If you were planning on doing a solo backpacking trek through Nepal’s national parks, you’re going to have to do some quick re-planning. The Nepal Tourism Board announced that solo travelers in the Himalayan country’s national parks and conservation areas will now need to hire a local guide to accompany them. The Board said travelers can expect to pay a minimum of around $17 per day for a licensed guide, with higher prices for tougher hikes or more experienced guides.
This new policy is being put in place for two reasons: first, safety. Each year, the majority of tourists reported lost or missing were what the Tourism Board calls “Free and Independent Travelers” – people who weren’t part of an organized group or using a licensed guide. The Board said these incidents were causing Nepal’s trails to get an undeserved reputation for being dangerous. Local guides would be able to help foreign tourists navigate the unique terrain and weather conditions and prevent these injuries and deaths.
The second reason? Economics. Nepal’s licensed trekking guides have been short on work for several years, and requiring a guide for solo travelers would be a huge boost to local economies. In 2019, Nepal had 46,000 solo trekkers, and if all of those tourists were paying guides even for portions of their trips, that’s a big injection of cash in a country where the average salary is under $8000 US.
Have you hiked with guides before? What was your experience?
Via Lonely Planet.
Modern Hiking
Good stuff from the Modern Hiker site
Break-In the Backbone
If you wanted to tackle a beautiful section of the long-distance Backbone Trail but still wanted to head home that night, you may want to check out Andrew Shults’s new trail guide for a loop on the Backbone and High Point Trails that kicks off in Will Rogers State Park. It’s a solid almost 8-miler that offers up both a good workout and some of the best views of coastal L.A.
Hike this one soon before it starts getting too hot –and you might even spot some ephemeral streams along the way!
Your Parks
Your Places
Avi Kwa Ame Any Day Now?
I know these things are complicated but … what’s taking so long?
President Biden first promised to designate the Avi Kwa Ame National Monument in Nevada over 100 days ago and uh … we’re still waiting. It was heavily rumored and expected the President would name the new monument by decree using the Antiquities Act during a visit to Las Vegas this week. But those plans have been scrapped and now the designation is expected sometime in April.
In response, the group Indigenous Voices of Nevada is making its pro-monument voice clear: by sponsoring a mobile billboard to circle Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. and the federal building in downtown Las Vegas during the president’s visit.
Something the Biden administration DID have time to approve: the Willow oil-drilling project in Alaska, which when completed would add as much CO2 to the atmosphere as adding two million gas-powered cars to the roads each year. So … great.
Learn more about the proposed monument here.
Tech Talk
Gadgets, Technology, and Hype
Sleeping Bag Snuggles
Just like sleeping in regular ol’ beds, everyone has their own sleeping styles, wants, and must-haves, which makes it really difficult to do a blanket recommendation (sorry) of sleeping gear for the outdoors. Over the years, I came to the conclusion that it was well worth the extra weight to have some bonus comfort for sleeping, so although I wish I could catch z’s with a simple foam pad, I really need a good inflatable for side-sleep or I’m probably gonna wake up cranky.
For anyone lucky enough to have a partner who’s also into sleeping outdoors, in recent years companies have produced a crop of double-wide sleeping bags for duos who want to try to recreate their home beds.The Wall Street Journal’s Justin Pot has a nice overview of pros and cons for anyone considering the switch, as well as some solid entry-level recommendations.
I have a Big Anges double-wide that we enjoy using, even though its weight and size mean it really only makes sense for car camping.
Leafing Out
Plants!
Zombie Forests
The phrase “zombie forests” may conjure up some black and white B-movie horror images, but the they are a reality on the edges of the Sierra Nevada. The term refers to a forest that may appear healthy – indeed, established trees still may be doing well here – but now the climate has become too warm and dry for newer trees to thrive.
In these zombie forests, a major disturbance like a wildfire, harsh drought year, or logging may be all it takes to lose the tree cover forever. About 19% of the Sierra Nevada forests are ‘mismatched’ to today’s climate, and on average the appropriate climate for forests has risen 112 feet in elevation since the 1930s.
Read more about the study and some of the efforts to mitigate damage and help these forests survive in The New York Times.
Two More Things
Oh yeah, before I go …
First, spring is FINALLY starting to show its face around the Modern Hiker HQ. The big-leaf lupines and red flowering currants are waking up in the sleepy native plant garden, and the first songbirds are returning to town. Portland photographer and bird-watcher Tara Lemezis shared a lovely video of one of her favorites on Instagram recently, saying “Pacific Wren is one of the top tracks on my spring birdsong playlist.”
In other media, I’m a huge fan of repurposing archival ephemera to create new art. The now-defunct band The Books was incredible at wringing songs and music videos out of old audio and video tapes discovered in garage sales and storage lockers, and it’s worth checking out some of their old videos if you’re interested in some foundational “folktronica.”
Visual artist Angelo Madsen Minax recently emerged from a few years sifting through news archives from 1970 at the Southern Methodist University’s G. William Jones Film and Video Collection and emerged with a piece called Stay With Me, the World is a Devastating Place. I think it’s hypnotic and beautiful and I hope you enjoy it while waiting for the next round of atmospheric rivers to pass by.
Until next time, Happy Trails.
love your blog Casey! thanks for taking the time to tell us all your stories and share your adventures.
FYI the 11% of vegetation-climate mismatched forests you report here for the Sierra is wrong -- the study says 19%