Ahh, two of my favorite subjects: hiking and computers (well, the internet). Yep, underprivileged teenage students in the Seattle area got the chance to earn themselves a free computer by taking part in an overnight backpacking trip to Mt. Ranier thanks to the generosity of a computer entrepreneur back in the late 1990s (though for some reason the Seattle News Tribune decided to republish the article this week). The 100 computers were donated by the US Department of Energy and part of the deal was that the students agreed to help their classmates with computer support once they get their machines.

I’m always excited to see technology being used to get people outdoors, even if that means bribing folks a little bit. Some may see computers and the internet as an end unto themselves but websites like this one seek to motivate people to log off and explore the great outdoors. Just think: in the old days we had to rely on word of mouth to find new hiking trails or secluded campgrounds but today the internet is bristling with information about the best places to experience nature.

Technology and nature can indeed coexist and one day computers may just help us save our environment in more ways than one…

Related posts:

1. Hiking classes at University of Georgia
2. Finding the Best Hiking Trail Guidebooks
3. Hiking without the crowds
4. Hiking Buddies program pairs hikers with dogs
5. American Hiking Society Supports 10 Favorite Hiking Trails

Tags: technology

This entry was posted on Tuesday, March 3rd, 2009 at 6:54 am and is filed under hiking. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.