Sometimes, one is compelled to tempt fate. On a recent trip, Sarah and I traveled to the Pacific Ring of Fire – on the Guanacaste Range of Costa Rica – to Arenal Volcano National Park so we could hike one of the most active volcanoes on Earth!

Arenal is the centerpiece of the 30,000 acre Arenal Volcano National Park.  At nearly 5,350 feet and growing, it is a perfect stratovolcano that rises over 2,000 feet above the surrounding tropical rainforest. Nestled at its base is Lake Arenal, a 33 square mile reservoir that serves as the catchment for water flowing down the mountain and out through the rainforest. The volcano, reservoir, and tropical rainforest are an exotic mix of ecosystems and landscapes. Experts estimate half of Costa Rica’s land-dwelling vertebrate species, such as birds, reptiles, amphibians and mammals live there.

Mount Arenal erupted in 1968. It was an unexpected and abrupt end to nearly 500 years of dormancy. Before 1968, adventure seekers would regularly scale the top of the then dormant mountain and some would even camp in the crater! It’s had a number of smaller eruptions since, so camping and hiking have been limited to specific areas. Despite the danger, hikes and nature walks are very popular in the park, and are the best way to enjoy bird and wildlife watching as well as volcanic activity. The park closes at dark but lava and pyroclastic debris can still be seen flowing and shooting out from the top from the surrounding area on most nights.

It was the loud booming and rumbling of an eruption that woke us up just before dawn the morning of the hike.  I could see and hear glowing orange-red boulders being ejected from the crater and then rolling and crashing down the side of the mountain. Neither of us had ever hiked or even been to a place like this.  It was then that we knew this was really going to be an adventure.

February is the region’s dry season so the temperature was mild and there weren’t many bugs biting when we arrived at the park entrance. There was a cabin where we paid the park ranger a small entrance fee and got a brochure with a map. The ranger instructed us to wet our clothes and wrap them around our nose and mouth in the event of an eruption.  It was unsettling, to say the least, but the fact that this volcano could erupt at any time made me feel alive!

There were deep rumblings under foot as we started on the trail behind the ranger station.  The mile-long Heliconias Trail was our first experience in a jungle. We were led into a lush green corridor as we walked away from the station and toward the mountain and La Miradora.  The vegetation was about twenty feet tall and dense with ferns and heliconias.  Brightly colored spiky-leafed bromeliads were attached to what seemed like every tree branch.  Butterflies and hummingbirds were busy dining on the many flowers.  All kinds of sounds were coming from within the thick wall of leaves and vines the trail was leading us through.  One sound really stood out: it was Montezuma Oropendola.  Those birds made a crackling noise followed by what sounded like a cassette tape playing while fast forwarding.

The new surroundings had our senses heightened as we moved forward another mile or so on the trail to La Miradora (the main lookout).  Once there, we sat on a bench under a shelter where there was a close-up panoramic view.  This was a good spot to listen and watch the manifestations from the volcano.  Four large birds that looked like a cross between turkey and peafowl were grazing the area.  After a snack, we hiked back down toward the rainforest on the flat, grassy two-mile Las Coladas Trail. It wasn’t far and we reached the first intersection with the Ceibo Trail loop.  We hiked this trail for an hour and a half into the rainforest where it featured a 100-year-old ceibo tree.  That tree was the largest of a group of trees that happened to survive the eruptions.  Standing next to the old giant was humbling.  It was draped by large woody vines, so I grabbed hold of one and climbed it a little.  There was no way I was going to make it up to the canopy.  Sarah grabbed a vine and was swinging back and forth like Tarzan!  Monkeying around was a lot of fun but we had more to see, so we trekked on.  The dimly lit trail got brighter as the tall tree’s canopy opened up and we merged again with Las Coladas Trail.

We weren’t on Las Coladas Trail long when it made an abrupt end at what looked like a large pile of rocks.  This was the edge of the 1992 lava flow.  A sign and a staircase carved into the rocks marked the beginning of the 1992 Lava Flow trail.  The rock stairs brought us out above the trees and on top of the old lava flow where pioneer vegetation was springing out from the barren landscape of jagged black rocks.  From under the rainforest canopy, we could hear animals but saw very few.  Once we were above the canopy we saw many more.  Toucans were flying from one treetop to another.  Monkeys were in the treetops too.  We met fellow hikers here who were enjoying the scenery.  The volcano, lake, and rainforest were all visible from the top of the old flow.  We had some laughs while we climbed over the rocks, shared stories, and watched house sized boulders ejected from the crater crash down the mountainside and break apart.  We were captivated by the clouds impacting the summit.  Wind was pushing them around the peak making an eddy current on the downwind side of the mountain top.

It was after noon and we knew we had a long hike back to the cabin so we said our goodbyes and started back toward the park entrance.  Leaving the park, we picked up our pace on the bumpy gravel road following the shore of Lake Arenal.  We stopped to check out the wild impatiens covering the hillsides and streams flowing across the road.  The scenery was truly amazing as we finished the five miles back to our cabin just in time for nightfall.

A Walk in the Woods chronicles author Bill Bryson’s  hope of rediscovering America through the Appalachian Trail after living abroad for two decades. His goal is to hike the 2,146 mile trail from Maine to Georgia but his adventure does not meet the idea of a typical through hike approach. The stories of Bryson, his friend Katz, and the many wild characters they encounter along the trail kept me reading and laughing late into the night.

Bryson’s goal was simple: “I wanted a little of that swagger that comes with being able to gaze at afar horizon through eyes of chipped granite and say with a slow manly sniff ‘Yeah, I’ve shit in the woods.’” From a fellow hiker that wouldn’t stop talking to arming himself with toenail clippers to fight off a bear, Bryson found a way to turn every moment into something that would make you really laugh.

Bryson’s attention to detail in this book stood out. At the end of the book, he offers a list of suggested reading material which he also references throughout the book. Information about the geology, ecology, and history of the Appalachians leaves the reader not only understanding Bryson’s personal adventure, but also the factors that have shaped the trail into what it is today. At times he takes on hard issues, such as the Department of Interior’s land usage and preservation policies and at other times he shares his fear of bears by quoting selections of Bear attacks: Their Causes and Avoidance (Stephen Herreos. Harmony Books, 1992), a book I will not be reading anytime soon!

Overall I think A Walk in the Woods is a great book and may even be a great primer for through hiking the AT as it provides insight into the politics, the geologic and more recent history, and what it means to be on the trail. I give it two thumbs up and suggest it to anyone who wants a good laugh and an introduction to the Appalachian Trail.

Congratulations to last month’s outdoor review and photo contest winners, SCgregg1 and newcomer Iron Kalli Cutlass. SCgregg1 racked up an impressive triple digit score while Iron Kalli Cutlass added some sweet hiking and camping info across California and Nevada. Once again we didn’t receive a single gear review (!) so there will be no third prize this month.

To make it easier for folks to find outdoor gear to review, we’ve added hundreds of new products this month so if you haven’t checked out the gear review section in a while, get busy! Who knows, just a single review of a sleeping bag or tent could net a cool $25 REI gift card next month…

We also wanted to announce our recent partnership with ReserveAmerica’s campground reservation service that makes it easier than ever to find and reserve great campsites around the country. Just look for the “Reserve” button on select campground pages and claim your spot for spring and summer camping!

Finally, we’ve added a new trip tab that links to info about guided outdoor adventures around the world. The info comes courtesy of SWAE Sports and you can book any of the trips directly through their website for a hassle-free experience. Where will you explore in 2011?

This story is getting picked up all over the place so apologies if you already read it elsewhere. Last week three young guys from Texas were sent back to the Lone Star state after arriving in Dublin, Ireland for a backpacking trip. Their offense? No address for the place where they planned to stay and no demonstrable money on hand (apparently immigration officials wanted to see bank statements).

Anyway, the whole incident resulted in major media coverage in Ireland and now the guys are being showered with offers for free hotel stays, interviews, and even an ad campaign on the Emerald Isle. Apparently those in the tourism biz are a little upset that their potential “customers” were treated so rudely and they’re trying to make up for it.

Admittedly the 3 men hadn’t done a lot of planning for their trip:

We learned it the hard way. We recognize now that we were less prepared than we should have been.

Then again, I suppose I’ve been guilty of this myself too. A few years back my brother and I planned to meet in Europe for an epic trip through Germany, Italy, and France. The only hotel we booked ahead of time was for our first night in Mainz and beyond that we basically winged it (which, in hindsight, was pretty stressful). To top it off my brother didn’t even have a passport with him which meant our transportation options were pretty limited. Fortunately we didn’t run into any snags but that’s probably just because we were lucky.

But what if these guys had planned to spend their nights outdoors as they truly “backpacked” across Western Europe. Is that allowed? Judging by immigration officials’ response, it isn’t – unless you have a fat bank account

I read an article on CNN.com last week about folks who are choosing to travel to dangerous areas despite government warnings. I’m always up for an adventure myself but I’m not so sure I’d enjoy vacationing in a war zone as one author claims to have done 36 times. (!) Sure, other places with travel warnings like Tijuana, Mexico seem harmless enough but I still wouldn’t plan a trip there just for the adrenaline rush you get from ignoring a travel warning.

In fact whenever you travel you face uncertain circumstances even if no warnings exist. My uncle was on a Central American cruise recently and while taking a stroll along a beach at one of the ports he was robbed at knifepoint. After refusing to hand over a bag containing his passport and some money a scuffle ensued and he was slightly injured. Even cruising isn’t completely safe.

Government travel warnings typically exist to keep travelers out of harm’s way and generally they should be followed. In some cases, though, the warnings seem to go too far. A friend was on a cruise to Mexico a couple weeks ago for his honeymoon when the CDC turned the boat around due to Swine flu fears. Despite the fact flights into Mexico hadn’t been canceled and most of the flu cases seem to be centered far from the Gulf Coast tourist spots, my friend spent his days at sea instead of in port.

Following travel warnings really comes down to common sense and it’s up to the traveler to decide if a trip is worth the risk. What risky spots have you visited?

Photos from The Martin House Company.

With tough economic times facing many Americans some folks are deciding to go on semi-permanent camping trips in specially designed tiny houses. CNN.com posted an interesting article on the trend and it turns out it’s not just retirees deciding to downsize their living spaces these days.

Tiny houses can be purchased starting around $15K and offer most of the conveniences of a regular home, albeit on a much smaller scale. Since the homes are so small (generally around 100 square feet) they are ultra-portable and some are even built on a trailer for maximum mobility. Some small home residents are parking their pads on land owned by friends or relatives to save money between jobs. Others are flocking to the tiny home lifestyle for the freedom such a small footprint (both literally and financially) affords.

The tiny home trend has been around for a few years now and for many it’s surprising to see the quality of such homes (these aren’t you’re typical mobile homes by any means – stainless steel appliances, granite, etc.). The great thing is these homes can be installed almost anywhere with little environmental impact and some owners are using tiny houses as simple vacation getaway cabins.

It seems that modern materials and conveniences are blurring the line between camping and everyday living – perhaps one day we’ll all be on permanent vacation!

Photo from American Hiking Society

By now you’ve probably heard about the idea of “voluntourism” – mixing vacation tours with a chance to give back to the world in a small way. According to one study, in 2007 11% of vacationers planned to volunteer during their trip – a huge increase from just the year before. Voluntourism opportunities are as varied as vacation ideas themselves and a recent article from the Foster Folly News showcases a great pick for folks interested in hiking.

The American Hiking Society organizes Volunteer Vacations in most US states and gives volunteers the opportunity to pick jobs from easy to moderate with accommodations ranging from cabins to primative tent camping. In addition the American Hiking Society organizes National Trails Day each year which attract over 100,000 volunteers annually. For more diverse voluntourism opportunities, travelers can also log onto Voluntourism.org to find even more ways to help.

The next time you plan an outdoor adventure or vacation consider how you can spend a portion of your time giving back – you’ll be surprised how rewarding voluntourism can be!

Two years ago I wrote about some of the best adventure travel books I had read at the time. Since then I’ve read a number of great travel books I’d like to recommend in no particular order. First, though, a recap of books I recommended in my previous post:

• On the Beaten Path by Robert Alden Rubin
• Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer (since made into a movie) *
• The Climb by Anatoli Boukreev
• Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer
• On the Road by Jack Keroac *
• Dark Star Safari by Paul Theroux
• Endurance: Shackleton’s Incredible Voyage by Alfred Lansing *
• A Walk Across America by Peter Jenkins *
• Travels with Charley by John Steinbeck
• Blue Highways by William Least Heat Moon *
• Kon Tiki by Thor Heyerdahl *

The asterisk marks above denote the books I highly recommend as they’re truly adventure travel classics.

Since compiling the original list I’ve expanded my reading to include all the books by Peter Jenkins: The Walk West (AKA: A Walk Across America 2), Along the Edge of America, Looking for Alaska, and Across China. Truthfully none of the books or adventures can compare to Jenkins’ first but his books are still entertaining nonetheless.

If you prefer fiction, I recommend some of the classics in the travel genre: Around the World in 80 Days by Jules Verne is great, as is his 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe is another classic that’s worth a second read, especially if you haven’t picked up the book since grade school. Some may argue with me here but I also think Grapes of Wrath by Steinbeck is a great travel story about the massive western migration.

Finally, if you’re looking for an easy, fun travel read check out Catch Me if You Can by Frank Abagnale (or rent the movie if you prefer). This summer I read Cabin Pressure by Josh Wolk which took me back to my days as a kid at summer camp in Tallulah Falls, GA – not really a travel book but it does have an outdoor flavor to it. A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson is another outdoor travel / hiking book that’s certainly worth a read.

Whew, that’s a big reading list! If anything, writing this follow-up has inspired me to seek out more adventure travel books – look for Part III of this thread in just a few months…

The Long, Long Honeymoon blog posted about their recent experience camping at a $1.1B campground in Las Vegas. Though they didn’t mention the name of the campground, I’m pretty sure they stayed at the Circus Circus RV campground located just north of the Circus Circus casino and hotel on Las Vegas Blvd. I once stayed at the Circus Circus motel that shares a parking lot with the RV campground and let me just say it’s an interesting spot.

The honeymooners got a chance to see the strip while their RV was parked in a spot estimated to be worth $5 million (given that a half acre of land on the strip recently sold for $47 million). Staying in the lap of luxury isn’t without its risks though – the couple returned to their RV and found one of their bicycles had been stolen I guess even expensive neighborhoods have crime…

Airstream RV Blog #84 – The $1,128,000,000 Campground from Sean Michael on Vimeo.

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!

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

I’ve realized over the past few years that the books I tend to enjoy reading the most are those that chronicle some kind of travel or adventure. My interest isn’t limited to true stories either, I’m just as interested in fantastic adventures as well.

Right now I’m flying through A Walk Across America by Peter Jenkins. It was written in the 1970s but it’s still a fascinating read today. I love imagining what it might have been like to hike all those miles and to camp along the road, all the way from New York state to the gulf coast of Alabama. A similar backpacking story I enjoyed was On the Beaten Path: An Appalachian Pilgrimage by Robert Alden Rubin. Rubin chose to hike the trail to discover himself after a sort of mid-life crisis and offers great insight into what drives people to hike to find themselves.

Last summer I read Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer about Chris McCandless and his solo adventure around the US. McCandless was eventually found dead in the Alaskan wilderness and his final days and months remain a mystery that Krakauer attempts to recreate through his book. This truly was a gripping story, perhaps one of the most interesting travel novels I’ve read.

I also just finished Dark Star Safari by Paul Theroux about his journey overland from Cairo to Cape Town just a few years ago. This novel does a great job painting a picture of the issues facing African nations and is entertaining in its accounts of the adventures of travel in a third world country.

I’m reminded of Paul’s trip and the way his blog is essentially a novel about his trip visiting friends and parks around the US. Paul recommends Blue Highways and it’s definitely on my list of things to read. That list also includes Kon Tiki and Peter Jenkins’ “Looking for Alaska” so I should be set for a while. I’m also interested in hearing which travel adventure novels you recommend. I plan on putting together a top 10 list when I get a chance to formally rank my favorites.

This morning we broke camp and hit the road around 9am bound for Albuquerque. Paul’s friend Chris recommended that we take the scenic route to Albuquerque and skip the flat, boring route through Roswell. It turned out to be great advice and well worth any additional driving that we ended up doing.

Our route today took us through Cloudcroft, NM which kinda reminded me of Woodland Park, CO. I realized after the fact that there’s an interesting sounding mountain bike trail in Cloudcroft that we could have checked out but it was a little too cold and windy anyway. We descended into Alamogordo and stopped at White Sands National Monument. White Sands is very cool and we took tons of pictures and did some sand hiking in our bare feet. The sand is actually gypsum crystals and the stuff was blowing everywhere during our visit. We both ended up with lots of gypsum in our ears and hair but it was definitely a highlight of the trip.

We got into Albuquerque around 6pm and had dinner at a local Mexican restaurant. They put either green or red chile on EVERYTHING, a great authentic New Mexican dinner.

I’m heading out to New Mexico for a week to do some hiking, camping, backpacking, skiing, spelunking, and potentially mountain biking. I’ve only driven through New Mexico a couple times (and each time I have encountered local law enforcement) so I’m stoked to actually get my feet on the ground for a few days. The plan is to hit Guadalupe Mountains NP (actually in Texas), Carlsbad Caverns, Taos or AngelFire, and Albuquerque. I’ll be taking lots of photos and posting all my adventures on various TripleBlaze sites (camping, hiking, and mountain biking) including this blog.

You can also follow along on Paul’s Road Trip Blog. Adios!

I originally wrote this as an assignment for my India Global Academic Travel Experience course at school after a 10+ day trip to the country in March, 2005. I got a good grade on the paper and I’m pretty proud of the writing so I’m posting it here for others to read. Enjoy.

The gleaming corporate campus of Infosys rivals the grounds of any country club in the United States, with swimming pools, a chipping green, and lush landscaping crossed by meandering walkways. After an introduction to the company and a walking tour of the campus, we were posed an interesting lunchtime choice: banana leaf or Domino’s? This question succinctly captures the underlying contrasts in a culture trying to find its place in the new global economy.

On the surface, the contrast of serving traditional foods on a banana leaf in the company cafeteria struck me as interesting. Here we were at arguably the most successful company in India on an ultra-modern campus, but we were eating with our hands from a leaf just as Indians had hundreds of years before. Young info-tech workers, many chatting in English, ate the meal just as their parents had, and their parents before them. Globalization to many evokes notions of Western imperialism and the death of local culture but in this setting the benefits of globalization seemed to coexist peacefully with a rich cultural heritage. Indeed, sprinkled amongst the crowd of blue jeans and t-shirts, women in Saris and men in more traditional Indian garb stood in stark contrast to the western idea of business casual. Looking beyond the surface, one finds contrasts more fundamental to the future direction of India as a part of the global economy.

Women occupy a unique position in Indian culture. In many respects, women are expected to be modest homemakers, a position not too different from women in the United States in the 1950s. One can see the women in the streets in India, modestly riding side-saddle on their husbands’ motorcycles or covered head-to-toe in Islamic burqas. But inside many Indian corporations, one finds Indian women in positions of authority rivaling those held by women in the west. Indeed, at each company we visited within India (with the exception of Standard Chartered Bank, whose lack of visible women is not surprising considering the number of women in the US banking industry) we met successful and confident Indian women doing jobs that would have been dominated by men just a few years before. India appears to be on the way to establishing itself as a world class meritocracy where individuals can rise to the highest levels of ability regardless of gender, and sets a great example for other developing countries around the world. For now it appears that the contrasts between traditional thinking about women’s roles and gender equity in India are able to peacefully coexist.

In stark contrast to the idea of peaceful coexistence, one notices the daily conflicts between the old and new in transportation and labor issues around India. Overloaded oxen and human powered carts attempt to share the roadways with taxis, busses, and large trucks on a daily basis in India, leading to crippling traffic jams and dangerous lives for all involved. Construction projects appear to drag on ad infinitum as men and women carry rocks and gravel in small pans perched on top of their heads, leading to further congestion of the roadways and no clear end in sight. Leaders within India claim that a lack of transportation infrastructure is to blame for the problems on the roadways but clearly the lack of capital, both physical and intellectual, limits the possibilities for swift change.

Despite the seemingly counterproductive nature of the contrasts observed in India today, the Indian economy is clearly headed in the right direction. Companies like Infosys and Wipro demonstrate that the use of technology to “catch-up” to more developed economies is indeed a viable option. Instead of toiling through the messy and often painful transition from an agrarian to an industrial economy like many of today’s G6 countries did during the early 20th century, India has capitalized on its strengths while taking advantage of the global demand for information technology. Cleary this is a time of transition in India between old economy and new; because this shift is happening without many of the intermediate steps that other economies have experienced, the contrasts stand out even more.

Gender equality in India, despite contrasting appearances, is years ahead of most developing countries. Indian women are truly leaders in the business and political worlds and bring diverse perspectives and ideas that clearly benefit any endeavor. India has certainly capitalized on this diversity and is in a position to set an example for both developing and developed countries alike.

Lastly, despite the opportunities presented by technology utilization and gender equality in India, the lack of capital seen in India is a major hurdle to overcome. The stark contrast between the old and new in terms of capital shows just how limiting this issue can be to national progress. With capital the immense human and intellectual potential in India could be unlocked, releasing a huge flood in productivity and economic growth. Indeed, many global investors have realized this and continue to pump investment into the country. It appears that the simple limiting factor in India today is capital, without which the contrasts between old and new will continue to conflict and slow the country’s growth.

In times of transition, contrasts can always be seen between old and new. The contrasts within the Indian economy and society are visible hallmarks of the sweeping changes affecting not just India but the rest of the world. As our group struggled to keep our pressed shirts clean while eating with our hands, we all got a much better feel of the unique changes taking place in India today.

Infosys campus in Bangalore

Banana leaf meal