The oldest hiking club outing footage?

I recently ran into this film clip showing an outing of the Contra Costa Hiking Club from the 1940s or 1950's. The Contra Costa Hiking Club, now the Contra Costa Hills Club, is located in the greater San Francisco Bay Area. After watching this, I began to wonder if any older footage of any other club outings existed:



The answer to that question is yes… Here’s a clip of the Smoky Mountains Hiking Club from the late 1920s, by Jim Thompson:



Not knowing the exact date of the Thompson film, however, it’s very possible that this 1927 clip of a Mountaineers club outing on Mt. Robson in Canada might be the oldest club outing film (this is actually the first in a four-part series):





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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.

Select Yellowstone National Park entrances and roads open to public April 17

Beginning at 8 a.m. Friday, April 17, 2026, select entrances and roads in Yellowstone National Park will open for the summer season, weather permitting, as part of the annual spring opening.

Entrances Open on April 17:

* North Entrance (Gardiner, Montana)
* West Entrance (West Yellowstone, Montana)

From either entrance, visitors may access the following destinations:

* Mammoth Hot Springs
* Lamar Valley
* Norris Geyser Basin
* Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone
* Old Faithful
* Northeast Entrance (Silver Gate and Cooke City, Montana)

Additional roads within the park will open throughout May, weather permitting. Specific routes and directions can be found at Park Roads.



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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 and improved edition on the history of hiking is available on Amazon

Grand Teton National Park announces plans for prescribed fire in April

Grand Teton National Park is planning a 196-acre prescribed fire near Mormon Row, starting as early as April 9, if conditions allow. The prescribed fire treatment area is located east of Blacktail Butte and south of Mormon Row, between Gros Ventre and Antelope Flats roads. The primary vegetation in the prescribed fire area consists of invasive grasses and noxious weeds.

The 196-acre prescribed fire area is part of the larger 4,000-acre Hayfields Restoration Management Area, which aims to restore fallow hayfields in Grand Teton National Park to native vegetation. Removing non-native vegetation will also benefit wildlife, such as bison, elk, pronghorn, sage grouse, and songbirds, and will reduce fuels near historic park structures in case of a wildfire.

In collaboration with park vegetation ecologists, fire managers will use prescribed fire to prepare for future herbicide applications, which supports the long-term transition from non-native grasses back to native rangeland species. This restoration is part of a site improvement project for the Mormon Row Historic District that honors the site’s history while creating a safer, more accessible, and more immersive experience for visitors. The timing and execution of the prescribed fire depends on favorable burning conditions to ensure safety and maximize ecological benefits. Weather and other factors will be evaluated to determine if conditions are optimal to achieve the project’s objectives.

Smoke from the prescribed fire will be visible the day of the burn, mostly during the warmest part of the day. With cooler temperatures in the evening, smoke may linger and accumulate in low-lying areas. Every effort will be made to minimize smoke impacts on visitors and the adjacent community. To monitor wildfire smoke concentrations near Grand Teton National Park and learn how to minimize exposure, please visit https://fire.airnow.gov/

The prescribed fire is expected to take one day to complete. No area closures are expected with this operation, but park staff may pause traffic briefly to allow firefighters to safely work along the road, if necessary. Prescribed fire signs will be placed along adjacent roads before and during firing operations. Drivers are asked to slow down and use caution as fire vehicles and personnel may be working near the roadway.



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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 and improved edition on the history of hiking is available on Amazon

Alpenstocks

An alpenstock is the German word for a long wooden walking staff - usually six to ten feet in length, and tipped on one end with an iron spike. Though it’s not exactly clear as to when this multi-functional tool was first used, we do know that alpenstocks were used by shepherds and hunters while travelling across snowfields and glaciers in the Alps during the Middle Ages. In fact, travel across the Swiss Alps was so common by the mid-to-late 1500s that Josias Simler wrote a book about the topic in 1574. In one of the chapters, “Concerning the Difficulties of Alpine Travel and the Means by which they may be Overcome,” Simler provided practical advice for travelers wishing to cross the highlands. In this section, he described the use of alpenstocks to help with balance and support on steep slopes and icy terrain. By the late 18th century, alpenstocks had become standard equipment for early mountaineers during excursions in the Alps and other mountainous regions.

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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.

The Facts Behind the ‘Everest’ Scandal of Poisoned Clients and Fake Rescues

In the last day or so, you may have seen the shocking stories about a major scam involving guides on Mt. Everest. Screaming headlines, like that from People Magazine: "Mount Everest Climbers 'Poisoned' by Guides in Insurance Scam" or on The New York Post: "Mount Everest guides allegedly ‘poisoned’ climbers as part of sinister $20M scam," suggest an insidious plot that seemingly implicates the entire guiding industry in Nepal. However, an article published on ExplorersWeb early today suggest there's more, or maybe even less to the story than what the headlines indicate:

Today, Everest is making headlines around the world with scandalous stories of climbers poisoned or pushed unprepared into the death zone by nefarious guides. The stories aver that it’s part of a major scheme of fake rescues involving guides, companies, helicopter pilots, and hospital staff.

Much of the overall story is true enough, and there have been over 30 arrests around fake rescues so far. But the accusations have been out there for nearly a decade. What has changed to make publications large and small, serious and less serious, suddenly notice it? And what is really going on behind the scenes of the Everest industry?

The article is a great read, and provides a broader view of the entire story.

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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 and improved edition on the history of hiking is available on Amazon