Last week the Tripleblaze crew had a chance to travel west to southern Utah and the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. We even stopped off at Lake Mead and the Hoover Dam for good measure - hey, we were in the area

In St. George, UT we met up with some local mountain bikers and biked the trails at Gooseberry Mesa and Church Rocks. The views of Zion National Park from Gooseberry Mesa were incredible and the trails themselves were challenging to say the least. We enjoyed the ride at Church Rocks as well as the trail took us over incredible red rock formations with 360 degree views.

From St. George we drove to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon and it was an incredible drive. The scenery was mostly desert until we ascended the nearly 8,000 foot high Kaibab Plateau. On the plateau we found ourselves in a pine forest that seemed to go on forever - a stark contrast from the dry and open desert below. Just past Jacob’s Lake, AZ (our home for the night) the scenery became even more amazing: lush mountain meadows dotted with Aspen and Spruce trees and wildlife around almost every corner.

Inside the Grand Canyon National Park the lush mountain scenery continued all the way to the rim. When we arrived it was late afternoon and the shadows in the canyon were incredible - it really is tough to find the words to describe the sweeping vistas. As the sun went down we drove the 45+ miles back to our (tiny) cabin at Jacob’s Lake where our duplex-mate was already asleep at 7pm and snoring quite loudly.

The next day we made our way back down to the desert lands and took a detour off I-15 through the Valley of Fire state park and the Lake Mead National Recreation Area. The Valley of Fire was an incredible drive through an impossibly arid landscape. It was hard to believe the cool waters of Lake Mead were just beyond the hills on the east side of the rough highway. In the Valley of Fire we saw real desert oases with palm trees and all - who knew they actually existed!

We made a pit stop to stick our toes in Lake Mead and the water was actually much warmer than I imagined. From there we drove to the Hoover Dam where I was surprised to see a new bridge being constructed just below the dam to accommodate highway traffic. With all the people walking on the dam and crossing the road I imagine the new highway will reduce accidents while also improving security for the dam.

Our trip out west was action packed and full of outdoor adventures. Next time we’ll be heading to the north Georgia mountains for a quick weekend getaway - stay tuned for pics and reviews!

Dr. Joseph Guettler posted a great article on the health benefits of hiking at Hometownlife.com and I wanted to comment on some of the points he made. We all know that any kind of exercise – be it walking, running, or biking – is beneficial, so why not make it fun? Hiking is a fun, low impact way to get your exercise on!

Hiking is also an inexpensive way to get exercise since you don’t need a membership and there’s very little specialized equipment involved (aside from a good pair of hiking shoes or boots). For some trail access may be a bit of a hurdle, especially with high gas prices, but Dr. Guettler makes the point that you don’t need wilderness to hike – the local park or neighborhood sidewalk will suffice.

Some of the health benefits mentioned in the article:

losing excess pounds
preventing heart disease
decreasing hypertension or high blood pressure
improving and maintaining mental health
slowing the aging process
preventing osteoporosis
improving lung capacity
preventing and controlling diabetes
improving arthritis
relieving back pain
maintaining healthy joints

Aside from the physical health benefits associated with hiking, Dr. Guettler mentions the mental health benefits of hiking which I hadn’t really considered before: decreased stress levels, a clearer head, and a newfound appreciation for mother nature. For me I prefer more remote hiking trails to maximize the mental health benefits of hiking but I’m sure even urban hikers experience these benefits to some degree.

Hiking is a healthy activity that individuals and families can enjoy almost anywhere and fall is the best time to get started. Find a hiking trail near you today!

I saw this on the news the other day and since I’m traveling right now I thought it would be an interesting thing to post. The Mini Motel is a full collapsable privacy shelter that’s perfect for “camping out” at the airport, bus station, or other urban locations. The Mini Motel has a built-in padded mat and even an alarm clock. The complete product weighs in just under 5 pounds which isn’t light by any means - it’s like carrying an extra laptop - but I can imagine any number of situations where it would be a welcome item to have, especially on long international trips. Something to take on your next urban hiking trip perhaps?

If you’re like most people the very idea of cooking a hot meal while camping can seem a bit intimidating if you’ve never done it before. Bringing the right pots and pans, the right stove (plus fuel!), and not to mention all the spices you’ll need is a real exercise in planning even for the pros. But if you’re up for adding one more variable into the camp cooking equation, consider giving solar cooking a try on your next trip!

The Homegrown Evolution blog posted a quick article about solar cooking and the author claims some foods, like rice, are actually easier to cook on a solar stove than on a gas-powered contraption. As a Boy Scout I remember hearing about solar cooking but never tried it myself. Apparently the concept has been around for some time and folks still find it useful.

Solar cooking can be inexpensive and not just because you’ll save pennies on fuel. Nope, most solar cookers are homemade and consist of little more than aluminum foil and cardboard. Solar cooking can be a fun experiment to pass the time on a family camping trip or could act as an ‘emergency’ backup plan for your traditional camp cooking plans. For more info check out solarcooking.org. Oh yeah, and don’t forget to bring your gas stove just in case the weather is cloudy

Last week we added a new section to tripleblaze that allows you to find and review camping and hiking books and equipment. So far the equipment section has backpacks, tents, sleeping bags, and cookware with more categories like GPS units and hiking boots coming soon.

Our camping and hiking guide book section is quite extensive and no matter where you live you’re sure to find at least one book about camping or hiking in your state. Just use the pull down menus on the equipment tab to select your state or follow one of the many links from the hiking trail and campground listing pages to view individual products. When you find a book you might like to purchase you can even use the provided link to Amazon.com to find out more.

Tripleblaze is off to a strong start following the redesign just a couple weeks ago and we have even more in store this fall. Keep up with the news right here on the blog or the New Stuff RSS feed to see when new campgrounds, hiking trails, and photos are added.

ParentDish.com posted a quick article about camping with kids and it links to some good resources for planning your kids’ first camping trip. Although I’m not a parent myself I have spoken with neighbors who are considering their first family camping trip and one of the concerns is that the kids will have some sort of meltdown in the great outdoors.

Of course every child is different and some can handle bugs and dirt a little better than others but honestly you never know how kids will react until you give camping a try. Some children may do just fine during the day’s activities but when it’s time to sleep in the great outdoors they may get a little scared by nighttime noises. For others the sight of a single bug may send them running for the car.

My advice is to pick out a spot close to home for your first family camping trip. Many folks cheat a little and set up a tent in the backyard for that first “real” camping trip but I’m not sure this commits you or your kids enough. Instead, choose a campground within an hour’s drive from your home so kids get the idea that they’re going on a trip. Choose a location with plenty to do during the day (hiking, fishing, swimming, etc.) so the kids are nice and tired at night. And if the whole sleeping-outdoors-thing doesn’t work out - no worries - at least the drive home in the dark won’t be too far!

Would you consider walking around an urban area hiking? I pondered this thought the other day as I jogged around town and I came to the conclusion that, yet, urban hiking is a legitimate form of hiking.

One definition for hiking from Dictionary.com says a hike is “a long walk or march for recreational activity, military training, or the like.” I’d also add that the long walk needs to be outdoors - mall walkers don’t really qualify in my opinion. So, under my amended and slightly more specific definition, walking outdoors in an urban area for the purpose of recreation is indeed a hike. In fact others have already latched onto the term ‘urban hiking’ as this New York Times blog post confirms.

So where are the best urban hikes in the US? I’d vote for a number of locations, starting first in the Southeast: Charleston, SC, Savannah, GA, and New Orleans, LA are truly walkable cities with plenty to see and do along your hike. Megapolises like New York and San Francisco are also great places for urban hiking and even small, less traditionally ‘walkable’ cities like Denver and Atlanta can be fun if you have a guide.

For hiking purists the idea of urban hiking may seem like blasphemy but I’d argue that urban hiking has its place, particularly for those who live in urban areas without easy access to nature. The best part is, many of us can go for a quick urban hike on our lunch breaks!

Outside Magazine included a short blurb this month about the Camp Cooking School in Philipsburg, Montana. The Camp Cooking School offers 4-day or 2-week courses and students camp in wall tents without access to electricity or even running water! Personally I can get along just fine without electricity for a couple weeks but no running water - that’s a tough one. I suppose the idea is to get water for cooking and bathing from streams or lakes and learning to purify the water properly, though that may be a turn off to some aspiring camping chefs.

The syllabus includes some great skills every outdoors-person can use, just take a look:

Wilderness camp and food regulations
Setting up and operating a camp kitchen
Dutch oven cooking
Food storage and safety
Baking breads and desserts
Sourdough baking
High altitude adjustments, measurements, and substitutions
Menu and meal planning
Grocery and camp supply inventory
Preparing and cooking wild game and chicken
Cleanliness and safety in the kitchen
Duties and responsibilities of the camp cook
Using propane and wood as cooking sources
Cooks apparel and gear in mountain climates
Cooking in and over open fire and pit

Many years ago I taught cooking merit badge at a Boy Scout camp but I have to say this class looks much more in depth. In my Boy Scout days an acceptable camping breakfast would consist of cold pop tarts and instant oatmeal but I get the feeling the Camp Cooking School instructors would scoff at the idea

The Metro has a good article on the growing popularity of backpacking and day hiking in Algonquin Park north of Toronto. Of course making the jump from day hiking to backpacking can be a pretty big leap for some. Backpackers need to carry sleeping (tent, sleeping bag, air mattress) and cooking gear (stove, pots, utensils, water purifier) which means a heavier load - but it also means more potential rewards. Backpacking allows hikers to truly immerse themselves in the outdoors and campsites along the trail are often completely private and secluded unlike most car-camping experiences.

The Metro article also makes the point that September and October can be the best time of year for hiking and backpacking in many parts of the US and Canada:

McEathron recommends September or October as the best time of year to venture into the interior. The bugs are at a minimum, the water is often still warm enough to swim in and the changing leaves will distract hikers from their burning muscles.

Here in the southeastern US I’ve been backpacking in December on more than one occasion and found the weather to be surprisingly pleasant (carrying all that gear up a mountain means you’ll work up a sweat in all but the coldest temperatures!). Stay tuned to this blog for more tips and info on backpacking and hiking this fall!

For those looking for a slightly more refined camping experience, Eureka has a new line of camping tents pre-wired with electric outlets and switches. Just plug in the rechargeable 12-volt power pack and you’ve got power for lights, fans, or even a wet/dry vac! All the wires are concealed within the tent fabric and the built-in switches are lighted so you can find them in the dark.

Pricing for the tents is fairly reasonable with the 10-person size going for $289; a 4-person tent will set you back just $159. Of course the power pack and electric accessories are sold separately but they’re not as expensive as you think: $60 for a power pack and anywhere from $10-$30 for individual accessories. For longer trips I imagine most folks would like to have a couple power packs on hand but luckily you can recharge using your car’s cigarette lighter in around 2 hours.

These certainly aren’t backpacking tents as the 4-person tent weighs a hefty 15 pounds and the power pack itself adds another 8 pounds. The video on the E!Power website shows a woman drying her hair in an E!Power tent but somehow I doubt this is really viable given the amount of current requried to run a hair dryer (not to mention the fact that hair dryers run on AC power and the power pack is DC power). The coffee maker in the online video is also probably not really a good idea, however charging cell phones and MP3 players should be entirely possible. Ditto for the portable DVD player.

If you’re looking for a way to make your time in the outdoors a little more comfortable the E!Power tent series from Eureka might just do the trick - just don’t forget to enjoy the scenery and fresh air!

For many folks Labor Day means the end of outdoor activities for the year but for me this is just the start of prime hiking season. In many parts of the country the leaves are starting to change and the air is getting cooler and hiking is a great excuse for getting outside. Here in the southeast it’s really too hot and humid to do any serious trekking in the summer so the fall is a great time to get back on the trail.

Over in California a blogger named Molly writes about her hiking trip at Uvas Canyon County Park near Morgan Hill over Labor Day weekend. The post includes some great pics of the local flora including a good primer on identifying poison oak. Also check out the tree bark photo - cool looking stuff.

Suzanne writes about her hike at Mt. Charleston in the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest in Alaska and posted some pretty incredible photos as well. The scenery in the photos reminds me of Colorado a bit where the Aspen leaves are starting to turn yellow for the fall.

No matter where you live the fall is one of the best times to get out and hike. Who knows, you might even find a trail you never knew existed!

New Bruswick, Canada campground managers report that campground occupancies are generally up this year despite a rise in gas prices. The only difference is that this year there are fewer campers from outside the province. Luckily the number of locals going camping is up this year for an overall increase.

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: camping is a great way to save money on your next vacation. You’ll save on lodging and activities and if you stay close to home you’ll save even more on gas and vechicle expenses. Camping is the new ‘Cruising’ in 2008

Eielson Air Force Base in Alaska posted some useful camping safety tips on their website this month and while many tips are focused on the unique conditions found in Alaska, most of the tips are applicable no matter where you venture outdoors. Here are some of my favorites:

· Avoid wildlife. Remember in Alaska you are not the top of the food chain.
· If you are a beginning camper, use a camping check list or speak with experienced campers.
· Instruct family members especially children that if they get separated or lost to stay put.

We actually posted a camping checklist this summer that you can use right now; also, read here to find out what to do if you find yourself lost in the wilderness.

Staying safe on your camping or hiking adventure is a key part of enjoying yourself outdoors this summer and fall - just be prepared!

Over on the Blogging Away Debt website Tricia wrote about her family’s short camping trip. The family’s original plan was to buy a tent but found it was cheaper to rent a cabin than to buy a tent (though that’s not really thinking long-term if you ask me).

Anyway, Tricia is right to recommend camping as a thrifty family vacation choice. Sure, most places you’ll pay a small fee to pitch your tent (generally less than $20 per night) and you do need equipment (which you could borrow from a friend if you’re really strapped for cash) but for the most part it’s the cheapest way to travel. Most folks would be surprised to know there are plenty of scenic and fun places to camp close to home - meaning you can save on gas as well

If you’re looking for a great place to camp close to home, look no further than TripleBlaze.com! We have more than 2,000 campgrounds all over the US for you to choose from and you can even read reviews and view photos of campgrounds to help you find the perfect spot. With all the money you’ll save on your vacation this year you can splurge on new camping gear for next season!

The BlueproofBikes Motorcycle Adventures blog posted a detailed review of the Juniper campground at Mt. Diablo State Park in California this month. The review includes some great pics as well including one of the local nighttime wildlife

I’ve never been Motorcycle camping myself but I imagine that it’s not unlike backpacking due to the limited packing space constraints. All the better if you ask me, camping light means a real sense of freedom and roughing it that can be fun (sometimes). Of course if you get caught in a downpour when motorcycle camping you can just zoom to the nearest hotel unlike on a backpacking trip

Welcome to the new and improved TripleBlaze Camping and Hiking Review website! Just in time for the Labor Day holiday we’ve improved the navigation and combined our camping and hiking resources to make it easier for you to find the perfect spot to enjoy the outdoors. A few notable improvements:

• The blog is back! What is a blog? This is a blog and it will be updated most weekdays with camping and hiking news and articles you can use all year round.
• Camping and hiking accounts have been integrated. No more need to sign up / sign in on two different sites - TripleBlaze brings together camping and hiking information in one spot!
• Improved user account features. Now it’s even easier to change your password, update an email address, and manage your camping and hiking wishlists.
• New homepage takes you right to the content. No more selecting your outdoor activity of choice, now it’s all on a single page!

Those are just some of the improvements you’ll notice at TripleBlaze.com. Stay tuned for much more in the next few months including contests, product reviews, and news.