On this date in 1937, a Civilian Conservation Corps crew finished construction on a two-mile section of the Appalachian Trail between Spaulding and Sugarloaf Mountains in Maine, thus connecting the final link along the entire trail. At that time, the footpath traveled roughly 2025 miles, from Mount Oglethorpe in Georgia to Mount Katahdin in Maine. However, the Appalachian Trail Conservancy website notes that the route is constantly changing, and estimates that 99% of it has been rebuilt or relocated since its initial completion, including the reroute to its current southern terminus at Springer Mountain. As you can see in this photo, women were active in building the trail, especially before the CCC became involved in 1933:
Here’s the Bates Outing Club conducting maintenance work on the Appalachian Trail, circa 1939. According to the video description, “The black liquid they're smearing on their faces and arms at the 42-second mark is probably pine-tar fly dope (nasty stuff!).”
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.
On this date in 1967 the unthinkable occurred. Two women, in separate incidents, were killed by grizzly bears while backpacking in Glacier National Park. The incidents were detailed in the best-selling book, Night of the Grizzlies, by Jack Olsen. Fifty years after the events of that night, PBS broadcast an outstanding documentary with the same name. As a hiker, this can be a little difficult to watch at times:
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 joint publication of Lyrical Ballads by William Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge in 1798 is widely recognized as the birth of Romanticism in English literature. In addition to being close friends, both poets held nature in the highest regard, and both enjoyed exploring the Lake District on long walking excursions.
In the 1805 version of The Prelude, Wordsworth described himself as a “mountaineer,” a term he didn’t use in the original 1799 version of this unpublished poem. It’s very possible that he may have adopted this expression during the intervening years from his friend and writing partner, Samuel Taylor Coleridge. On August 9, 1802, Coleridge sent a letter to Robert Southey, another one of the so-called “Lake Poets,” which described an extended rambling excursion he took in the Lake District. During the outing, Coleridge made the first known ascent of 3163-foot Scafell, the second-highest peak in England. In the letter, he casually remarked that he had "spent the greater part of the next day mountaineering." The Oxford English Dictionary now recognizes this as the first recorded use of the word “mountaineering" to describe this relatively new and emerging sport. Other Romantic poets, such as John Keats and Lord Byron, would also describe themselves as “mountaineers.”
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.
Last month, Triple Divide Creative released a documentary on the historic passenger boat that plies the waters of St. Mary Lake on the east side of Glacier National Park. This 21-minute film called "Little Chief: The Centennial Restoration," documents the extensive restoration work that was needed before the boat's 100th anniversary this year.
Originally known as Rising Wolf, the 45-foot carvel planked boat operated on Two Medicine Lake through the 1975 season. During the following year she began operating on St. Mary Lake, and was subsequently rechristened Little Chief, which reflects the name of the mountain that stands prominently above the southern shore of the lake.
Glacier National Park preserves more than a million acres of some of the most spectacular scenery on Earth. With more than 740 miles of trails meandering throughout this vast park, how will you find and choose the most scenic and rewarding hikes?
Exploring Glacier National Park takes all the guesswork out by focusing on the most amazing hikes, and provides you with handpicked recommendations that will allow you to make the most of your trip to Glacier:
Two hikers with an off-leash dog have been charged after coming close to a grizzly bear in Banff National Park. Parks Canada charged them after a TikTok post generated several million views after being published on July 21.
James Eastham, a spokesperson for Parks Canada’s Lake Louise, Yoho and Kootenay field unit, told the CBC that “Failure to keep your pets leashed in the national parks poses risks to pets and wildlife. Bears and other wildlife may react aggressively toward dogs they view as threats, resulting in their injury or death.”
Canadian law states that people must keep their pets on a leash of three metres or less in national parks. If found guilty, the two hikers could face a fine of up to $25,000!
In other words, it's not illegal to take a dog on a hike in grizzly country in Canada, only that it must be kept on a leash. However, multiple studies and historical analyses by wildlife biologists indicate that the presence of dogs more than doubles the odds of a human-bear conflict, and frequently acts as a catalyst for defensive attacks. Most recently, a "New analysis of more than 300 bear encounters suggests our canine companions often increase odds of conflict and rarely serve as early warning systems many recreationists assume." You can find more statistics here.
In America, dogs are not allowed on backcountry trails in most national parks. However, I've seen several hikers flout this law in places like Glacier, Grand Teton, Rocky Mountain and the Great Smoky Mountains.
Here's a CTV News report, which includes the social media video that led to the charges:
