Ray K. Anderson's Blog, page 7

Another New Hiking Trail

The Great Eastern Trail blazes from Alabama to New York. Running parallel to the original Appalachian Trail, It is 90% complete and will be 1800 miles long. This new trail was originally the idea of Earl Shaffer, the first person to thru-hike the Appalachian Trail back in 1948! The brochure states that Shaffer noted a network […]

New Hampshire Hiking Trail

  Something special for hikers in New Hampshire. The little known Cohos Trail blazes north from New Hampshire’s White mountains to the Canadian border. This 162-mile Appalachian-like trail was the dream of Kim Nilsen who conceived the idea 36 years ago. This trail is remote and wild and is “the largest trail system to be built in the northeast in generations.” As the […]

Ultra Light Backpacking at ALDHA

A couple of years ago, I attended the Appalachian Long Distance Hikers Association (ALDHA) conference in No. Adams, Massachusetts. There is also a sister organization known as the American Long Distance Hiking Association. They meet on the west coast at a different time. Of the many workshops I attended, one dealt with ultra light backpacking. There are pros and cons […]

A Backcountry Checklist

Previous posts have addressed some of the dangers in hiking. I had scanned an itinerary form to leave for loved ones and a report form for helping Rangers and authorities. But if we prepare thoroughly before stepping off into the wilderness, we will have the best chance of returning safely. That old adage, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of […]

Hiking Trails Near You

                                                   I’m always surprised when people think one needs to travel to the mountains to hike. True, that’s where most of the spectacular hikes are, but you will be surprised at how many hiking trails are close to you. In southeastern Massachusetts, for example, we have Blue Hills Reservation. This state park is only minutes from […]

Hiking’s Magic Moments

Hikers love magic moments. It’s usually those times when the scenery is perfection. But there can be other magic moments; for example, when you feel extra healthy and fit, or when you become perfectly relaxed and happy.  That’s the way I felt when I camped by the lake in the picture. But I want to share another magic moment […]

Hiker Killed by Grizzly

YELLOWSTONE GRIZZLY KILLS HIKER.  An autopsy confirmed that a 59 year-old man was killed while hiking near the Mary Mountain Trail in Yellowstone National Park. This is not the first fatality from a grizzly at Yellowstone National Park. Grizzly bears are aggressive. Black bears, which are found in the east, are smaller and shy away from humans. Being attacked by […]

The Appalachian Trail: How To Find Anyone Who Has Hiked It.

Do you know someone who has hiked the Appalachian Trail? Want to see that person’s picture when he or she came through Harper’s Ferry, home of the  A.T. Conference headquarters in West Virginia? Simply go to www.athikerpictures.org   type in the information, and you can view the hiker. I tried it for me. On the site, all I typed in was my first […]

FULL MOON HIKING

Want to try something different? Want an exhilarating experience? Hike under a full moon. The following post from Modern Hiker reminded me of the first time I’d hiked at night under a giant moon. I was in southern California on the Pacific Crest trail 44 miles north of Mojave. I was in a flat area that passed […]

Maps–Don’t hike without one

A few years ago a hiker who was injured and lost in the Oregon woods. She had broken her leg and spent three days and nights alone. The available details were posted here on this blog. Turned out that the injured girl and her boyfriend had become separated for a different reason (a spat), which explains how she really got […]