Category Archives: Outdoors

Activities

Trail Life USA Leadership Training is coming to a city near you

Posted on by Shawn E. Bell

Trail Life USA’s (TLUSA) National Director of Field Operations, Rob Green, announces a robust training program beginning in April and running through September in cities across the nation. “We are so impressed with our Area Teams and Point Men; they are fulfilling our vision of a volunteer-driven organization!” said Green.

Trail Leader Trainings (TLT’s) are designed to inform and support adult volunteers, Troop Committee members, and “direct contact” Program leaders. Troop leaders will connect with peers from other nearby Troops, find support from Area Team members, get the latest information, and have (nearly) every question answered.

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Activities, National Parks

Half Dome Cables Day Use Permits Available for Reservation Starting March 1 2014

Posted on by Shawn E. Bell

Permits Required Seven Days Per Week to Hike Half Dome Cables 

Half Dome cables day use permits for the 2014 hiking season will be available for reservation starting tomorrow, Saturday, March 1, through Monday, March 31, 2014. Permits to hike to the top of Half Dome are required seven days per week and reservations will be distributed via a lottery system. Successful parties will be notified in mid-April. A maximum of 300 hikers will be allowed on the Half Dome cables per day.

Reservations for the permits can be made online at www.recreation.gov or by calling 1-877-444-6777.

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Activities, Adventures, Conservation

Trail Life USA and Tread Lightly! announce outdoor preservation partnership

Posted on by Shawn E. Bell

Trail Life USA (TLUSA) takes another major step in building its outdoor adventure program by announcing a partnership with Tread Lightly!.  Together, Tread Lightly! and TLUSA will promote outdoor education, awareness, and habitat restoration projects that will preserve wilderness lands and teach environmentally friendly practices for all outdoor activities.

“Our partnership will teach outdoor stewardship and provide lasting benefits to our communities,” said Mark Hancock, Chief Operating Officer of TLUSA. “‘To be a good steward of creation’ is a key tenet of our Trailman Oath.”

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General Aviation, Geocaching

International Space Station Travel Bug Mission Update

Posted on by Shawn E. Bell

I just got an update from geocaching.com about the Geocaching Travel Bug that hitched a ride with astronaut Rick Mastracchio to the International Space Station. This is a great way to interest students (and us older folk who geocache about geography and science.

From the email:

Nearly 100 days have ticked by since geocachers cheered as a Travel Bug® rocketed toward the International Space Station. It’s in the capable hands of astronaut Rick Mastracchio. Like everything else on the space station, the Travel Bug has a mission. Mastracchio is using the Travel Bug to teach students back on Earth about geography and science. The Travel Bug’s page is the chatroom of a teacher’s or parent’s dreams. More than 1,200 posts have been logged so far, as classrooms (and even Geocaching HQ!) asked questions and Mastracchhio answered them from the weightlessness of low Earth orbit.

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Activities, Adventures

Loss of a truly great magazine – Sea Kayaker’s last issue

Posted on by Shawn E. Bell

I’ve only been a kayaker (kayakist? yaker?) for a decade, but one of my favorite magazines about the sport has been Sea Kayaker.  I’ve yak’d the shores from San Diego to L.A., taken a trip (alone and stupid) from Newport Beach to Catalina, and chosen my gear based on personal recommendation and from what I’ve read in the pages of this magazine.

It’s unfortunate the the tides have turned for Sea Kayaker, and I can only hope that there’s some out there than will be able to fill the void left now that this magazine is no longer available to the sea kayaking enthusiast.

Fair winds and following seas, Sea Kayaker.

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