Opening of Wyoming section of the Beartooth Highway (US-212) delayed due to winter storm

The opening of the Wyoming section of the Beartooth Highway (US-212) from the junction of WY-296 (Chief Joseph Scenic Byway) to the Montana state line, originally scheduled for May 22, is delayed due to a winter storm. It is now scheduled to open Saturday, May 23, conditions permitting.

Yellowstone road crews are clearing heavy drifts of snow across the road. Crews, in coordination with Montana teams, will continue to monitor weather, re-evaluate conditions on Friday, and open the road as soon as it is practical and safe for travel.

Once open, temporary travel restrictions or closures can occur at any time without notice. Prepare for winter driving conditions, have flexible travel plans, and watch for quickly changing weather conditions.

Check for road status and updates on the Montana and Wyoming departments of transportation websites. 



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Check out our online trail guides:

• Glacier National Park: HikinginGlacier.com

• Grand Teton National Park: TetonHikingTrails.com

• Rocky Mountain National Park: RockyMountainHikingTrails.com

• My new edition on hiking history is available on Amazon

The first external frame rucksack

In 1887, Henry C. Merriam patented the first external frame rucksack. During the Civil War, Merriam was assigned command of the U.S. Colored Troops in Louisiana, and led them during the Siege of Port Hudson, as well as a strategically important attack on Confederate positions during the Battle of Fort Blakely in Alabama. He was later awarded the Medal of Honor for making his “most gallant assault” during the battle, which was the last major conflict of the war. Though he was a colonel in the U.S. Army when he received the patent, Merriam retired as a major general in 1901. His innovative pack was made with drab duck canvas, which was attached to a light steel frame. In addition to two shoulder straps, the pack featured several leather straps that allowed an infantryman to attach his bedroll and canteen to the frame, instead of having them rest on his chest and hips. The most important feature, however, were the two hardwood rods that extended from the sides of the pack to leather pockets on a half-belt, which rested across the lower back and hips. This system allowed the pack to elevate off the back and shoulders, and thus transfer the weight of the load onto the hips. Though he tried in vain to sell his invention to the U.S. Army, he was only able to sell a few thousand packs to the New York National Guard, and the French and Austrian armies. To his lifelong dismay, the pack never caught on as expected. Here’s a U.S. Infantry soldier demonstrating the Meriam Pack:

You can read about the evolution of backpacks – from “Otzi the Iceman’s” wooden frame rucksack to Greg Lowe’s internal frame pack - in Ramble On: A History of Hiking.


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Virtually no one went hiking before the 19th century. What occurred that inspired ordinary people to take a walk through the woods for pleasure? Ramble On: A History of Hiking explores the rich history of hiking, and how it evolved into one of the most popular pastimes in the world.

Random photos from New Mexico

Last week, Kathy and I returned from from our trip to New Mexico. Here are a few photos from the trip (all taken by Kathy).

In the spirit of the 100th anniversary of Route 66, we stopped at the Route 66 Auto Museum in Santa Rosa:

The view from Atalaya Mountain north of Santa Fe:

A bone fragment from St. Francis Xavier (patron of the greatest university in America!), exhibited in The Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi in Santa Fe:

A mariachi band at the Del Charro Saloon in Santa Fe. Great music, and a great quesadilla!

The famous spiral staircase in the Loretto Chapel in Santa Fe. Its existence and construction is a pretty amazing story:

The San Francisco de Asis church in Taos. This adobe mission was constructed between 1772 and 1816. Ansel Adams took several iconic photos of the church in 1929. If you ever get a chance to visit this wonderful site, be sure to stop for lunch at the Ranchos Plaza Grill. You won't regret it...

The Rio Grande Gorge bridge stands 650 feet above the river below, making it the fifth highest bridge in the United States. This is the original “Bridge to Nowhere.” During its construction in the 1960s, funding didn't exist to continue the road on the other side, thus leading to its nickname. There's a trail that extends south from the bridge for several miles if you wish to see this incredible geological feature up close. The gorge has the appearance of being a crack in the Earth's crust:

On our final day in the state, we intended to hike to Gold Hill near Wheeler Peak. Unfortunately, lingering snow pack conspired to thwart our plans. At roughly the 2.75-mile mark we began to encounter snow patches, which proceeded to get worse the higher we climbed. At roughly the four-mile mark, we finally threw in the towel. We thought we would rise above the treeline at some point, and thus out of the snow, but there was no end in sight. As we descended from our highpoint we snapped a few photos in a small meadow that looked towards Wheeler Peak and the Taos Ski area. Though the photo below seemingly indicates that massive amounts of snow were still around at this point, this view is of the north side of those mountains. We were climbing the south side of Gold Hill. The Taos Ski area webcam showed very little snow on Gold Hill the day before, but the trees at the mid elevations hid the lingering snow.

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Check out our online trail guides:

• Glacier National Park: HikinginGlacier.com

• Grand Teton National Park: TetonHikingTrails.com

• Rocky Mountain National Park: RockyMountainHikingTrails.com

• My new edition on hiking history is available on Amazon

How art inspired hiking

Though it may sound strange, or maybe even surprising, but art played an important role in the development of early American tourism and hiking. Specifically, it was a mid-nineteenth-century art movement known as the Hudson River School that celebrated the pastoral landscapes of our fledgling republic. The significance of the movement, whose artists were influenced by Romanticism and nationalism, was that it helped to usher in the acceptance and appreciation of the American landscape. It also encouraged Americans to visit the places depicted in their paintings. The founder of the movement, Thomas Cole, traveled to the Catskill Mountains for the first time in 1825. One of his first paintings, The Falls of the Kaaterskill, portrayed one of the highest waterfalls in the eastern United States, which in turn helped to make it one of America’s first tourist destinations.

Other notable artists from this genre include Albert Bierstadt and Thomas Moran, both of whom became famous for their paintings of the American West. In 1839, Cole painted A View of the Mountain Pass Called the Notch of the White Mountains (Crawford Notch), which by that point had already been established as America’s first hiking destination.

You can read about the crucial role the White Mountains of New Hampshire played in making hiking a national pastime in Ramble On: A History of Hiking.

National Park Service Reminds Visitors to be Bear Aware as Spring and Summer Bear Activity Increases

The National Park Service is reminding visitors to take extra precautions in bear country following recent bear incidents in several national parks.

Spring and early summer are periods of increased bear activity in many parks. Bears may be moving through habitat, searching for food or protecting cubs. Visitors can reduce the chance of a dangerous encounter by staying alert, hiking in groups, making noise in low-visibility areas, storing food and trash properly and never approaching bears.

“National parks are wild places, and wildlife safety is visitor safety,” said Jessica Bowron, Comptroller, Exercising the Delegated Authority of the Director. “Simple actions, like giving bears space, securing food and knowing what to do before you enter bear country, can protect visitors and bears.”

Visitors should check current park alerts before their trip and follow park-specific bear safety guidance. Bear species, terrain, food storage rules and bear spray recommendations vary across the National Park Service.

Core safety reminders include:

* Never approach a bear.
* Stay alert and avoid headphones on trails.
* Hike in groups when possible.
* Make noise near streams, dense vegetation and blind corners.
* Store food, trash and scented items properly.
* Carry bear spray where recommended and allowed.
* Never run from a bear.

If you encounter a bear, stay calm, speak in a steady voice, back away slowly and do not make sudden movements. Visitors should report bear encounters to park staff as soon as it is safe to do so.

For park-specific bear safety information, visit the park’s website before arrival.



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Check out our online trail guides:

• Glacier National Park: HikinginGlacier.com

• Grand Teton National Park: TetonHikingTrails.com

• Rocky Mountain National Park: RockyMountainHikingTrails.com

• My new edition on hiking history is available on Amazon