• At a light pollution symposium, the International Dark Sky Association awarded Dark Sky Reserve status to a 5,500 square kilometer area around the Mont Mégantic Observatory. The Montreal Gazette has  Peter Leney’s detailed account of a “region …. palpably remote amid rolling Appalachian mountains spilling over from Maine”; a region that “combines hiking trails with astronomy facilities” rewarding all with ….

Or just staying dry near Mount Si in Washington State.

• Karen Sykes tries to stay dry on her first wet hike of the Fall season. Rain gear insights along the Boulder Garden Loop and Little Si Trails near Seattle.

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Now Go Outdoors!

Now Go Outdoors!

Enjoy the BBC’s Bob Trevelyan’s account of hiking in the swirling turmoil that’s Lebanon. Neither the blazing sun nor the occasional blazing gun discourages the nascent ecotourism industry along the Lebanese-Syrian border.

Now Go Outdoors!

Now Go Outdoors!

Fall Arrives At Mount Hood
Fall is also a great season to go hiking … it may be a bit colder, but the views are just as good and the fall colors on the hillsides are worth the pictures you’ll take. Plus the trails are a bit quieter this time of year, …

Fall Hiking in Silverton, CO
With the fall colors peaking at this time of the year, there is no better place to hike than Southwestern Colorado, and no finer place in Southwest Colorado than the majestic high country surrounding Silverton: Christ of the Mines Shrine, Cement Creek, Kendall Mountain, and Lackawana Mill.

Berkshire Leaf Peeping
To the Northern Berkshires for a last hike of the year. Sadly, the photos don’t do justice to the Massachusetts fall foliage …

Favorite Fall Hikes In Wyoming
Fall can be fleeting in the American Rockies but when it cools the day and colors the leaves there is little that compares to filling your lungs with the fresh air of a Wyoming short hike in Autumn. For those who seek simple trails not …

Blue Ridge Fall Hiking
If you’re in Nashville, check out Blue Ridge Mountain Sports Backpacking 201 October 16^th through November 6^th. Courses include navigation, wilderness safety, and Leave No Trace Outdoor Ethics.

Maine’s Great Pond Mountain Hike
Forget about your stock portfolio and other woes for a few hours and take in the striking beauty of a splendid Maine fall day. Here is a favorite coastal hikes that can be enjoyed by everyone.

Washington State Fall Hiking
There are more great fall hikes in the Gorge than you can shake a stick at. Try the Pacific Crest Trail going either direction from the Columbia River. If you go north, you will get to Table Mountain (and see some pretty lakes along the …

Gearing Up For The Fall Hiking Season
Keeping warm on your Fall hike ….

Fall Hikes Around Chicago
Chicago hosts many great fall hiking options including Chain O’ Lakes State Park, Geneva Lake Shore Path, and Marengo Ridge Conservation Area.

Fall Hiking at Seneca Creek West Virginia
If you are looking for a wonderful place to enjoy the Autumn scenery, the Seneca Creek Trail has some of the most wonderful fall foliage ….

Fall Hiking in the Northwest
John D. Carr’s recommendations for Fall hikes in the Pacific Northwest. The trails he highlights are known to showcase some of the best wildflower and tree colors the season has to offer. They include Salmon Butte Trail, Vista Ridge Trail, ….

Fall Adventures Hiking the Appalachian Trail
The longest footpath in the nation offers beautiful scenery, is within a day’s drive of 67% of the US population, and serves as an escape from the “everyday”. The Trail provides hiking challenges for varying skill levels ….

Fall Hiking and Camping by Bill Sassani
Fall is a time for camping and hiking to take advantage of autumn colors, while at the same time being aware of changing temperatures, fluctuating weather, and hunters.

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Most people view conditioning for sports as something that should take place in a gym, in a field, on a track, or in a pool, but there are other, more adventurous options. Cross training has become a common practice for most athletes, but most of them think of it as a mix of other conventional sports such as running, biking, and swimming.

There are more useful and more exciting ways to cross train for any activity, and many options are in the outdoor adventure field.

As a soccer coach, I have used hiking, backpacking, mountaineering, trail running, mountain biking, climbing, cross country skiing, and downhill skiing as training methods that my athletes enjoy, look forward to, and always come out on the other side in much better shape.

I want to focus on Grand Canyon hiking, because of its unmatched upper leg building and overall conditioning.

Grand Canyon Hikes

There are many ways to use a Grand Canyon hike for team or individual sport training. I’ve taken my entire soccer team into the Canyon on rim-to-rim adventures that strengthened the boys’ teamwork as much as their bodies.

The rim-to-rim, which entails 4000 feet of downhill hiking and 4000 feet of uphill hiking, can be done in a single day for the super-fit or as a multi-day hike, which works better for team-building. The rim-to-rim-to-rim, which includes 8000 feet of downhill hiking and 8000 feet of uphill hiking can also be done in a single day or as a multi-day hike, but should only be tried in one day if you’re willing to trail run much of the way.

Either way, hiking between the rims is a feat both physically and emotionally. The trail is steep and sustained and is absolutely perfect for upper leg strengthening. For the rim-to-rim, most people take the South Kaibab Trail down and the North Kaibab Trail back up, and then back the same way for the rim-to-rim-to-rim.

Another alternative though is to take the Bright Angel Trail as a alternative route back to the South Rim.

Another option especially for preseason trainings is a rafting trip into the canyon and then a hike out. The conditioning isn’t as good with the rafting, but the hike out more than makes up for it. The rafting is one-of-a-kind when it comes to bonding athletes around something outside of their sport.

Less Strenuous Options

The New Hance Trail is a great option for a tougher hike, and a mule-assisted trip down to Phantom Ranch is a great way to make it more moderate. Whichever option you choose, just remember it’s critical to stretch and hydrate frequently.

And in the Grand Canyon September is the best month because it’s not too hot, and the Fall sports season is just beginning.

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• Laurel Reckert’s contributions in the Fitness section of WiredBerries are succinct introductions to outdoor adventures. Start here and then browse through her other posts.

• Julie Onufrak of the GateHouse News Service outlines additional considerations for proper hiking boot selection.

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The next three excerpts present opposing reactions to Gov. Lynch’s Climate Change Task Force:

• Observed Climate Change in New Hampshire …. In December 2007, New Hampshire Governor John Lynch signed an Executive Order calling for the establishment of a “Task Force…

• The green police state coming to New Hampshire …. John Lynch created the New Hampshire Climate Change Policy Task Force to work in conjunction with DES to develop policy options designed to address global warming. The DES, in turn, hired a global warming alarmist group called Carbon …

• Global warming deniers aim to hold New Hampshire back …. New Hampshire Governor John Lynch has struck a climate change task force to craft an action plan with the goal of finding ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions that are good for the state’s economy. Great news for New Hampshire, …

Yes, New Hampshire does have an ocean coast line:

• Project to Help NH Coastal Communities Adapt to Climate Change …. New Hampshire Estuaries Project launches program the help coastal communities adapt to climate change.

New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services Newsletter …. A useful resource

Please comment if you have any climate change insights from a New Hampshire point of view.

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There are three reasons it’s so effective. (And it’s OK if you don’t have the physical conditioning to do it, or if you have small kids – I have some answers for you.)

Share The Moment

First, the Grand Canyon is an incredibly special place. Carved by water and blowing wind over millions of years, it’s literally a 4000 foot deep chasm winding through a vast plateau.

A wild river thunders through the canyon’s base. Desert flowers, wildlife, waterfalls, springs, rapids, and horizon-busting vistas will astound even the most cynical of brothers, sisters and spouses.

After spending 3 or 4 days exploring the Canyon’s depths, it’s impossible to view the Canyon from its rim and not be overwhelmed. Overwhelmed with gratitude for being alive in that moment. Overwhelmed by sharing that moment with every family member …

A Natural Rush

Second, small family groups living in the wilderness is how human beings evolved over the past 70,000 years. It feels right.

Freed from the work-a-day world with its superficial distractions, your family can talk and listen and interact in natural and stimulating environments. It just may be possible to open new and healthy dialogues. What is crushed by the rush of every day civilization, just may be nurtured by the rush of the Colorado River ….

Team Family

Third, hiking the Grand Canyon is an achievement. Your family, like any team, is happier when they win and is less happy when defeated. Even the most basic trek into the Canyon is an achievement . It isn’t easy. It’s challenging.

And once your family tastes this sweet “victory”, it may create a hunger for more family achievements, more family victories ….

Not In Shape?

If you aren’t physically fit enough to take on Grand Canyon hike then I’ve got some solutions.

First, you may be in shape enough to hike without a pack. If you are, then there are mule services to carry your gear down and back up, so you don’t have to do it. The mules are also a great solution for families with young children.

Another solution is to book the trip several months out and then start training. Start training as a family activity.  And if neither of those solutions will work, then another option is to do a Grand Canyon rafting trip with day hikes from the bottom.

If your family is going through a rough patch, consider a Grand Canyon adventure. Or any outdoor activity. It may be the natural healing tonic your family craves.

(Would love to hear from anyone with a healing family adventure.)

Now Go Outdoors!