Get out there !

 

Mountain High staff wants to help you get outside. Here are some suggestions on everything from international travel, to local climbing areas to camping in a hammock

Backpacking Essentials
Backpacking Checklist
Travel to Africa
Travel to Europe
Kids' Summer Camp
Family Camping Checklist
Hammock Camping
New Scouts Top 10
Trip Leader full Checklist
Rental Gear
Local Climbing Areas
Local Natural Areas - Hiking, Camping, etc.

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Moss Rock Trail Day Writeup

By Drew Jackson, posted Monday, March 3

Even with the short notice, gloomy weather, and cold temperatures, a large group of 60+ climbers and nature enthusiasts came out to support the Moss Rock Preserve area for the cleanup. The day started at 9:00 with the arrival of nearly 120 cubic feet of bagged mulch, donated by the City of Hoover, thanks to city forester Colin Conner. The Moss Rock Preserve is located within the City of Hoover in Birmingham, Alabama.

With rakes, wheelbarrows, and shovels in tow, people hauled the heavy bags into the boulder fields and began to spread it out amongst the rocks. With such a big turnout, the last bags were put out well before lunchtime, when the bar-b-q arrived, donated by Mountain High Outfitters.

With everyone well worked, well fed, and ready to take advantage of the cold weather, the climbing competition began. The feel of the comp was more of a big climbing session some said, with all climbing together and sharing beta. Everyone was psyched, and projects were sent up until around 4:30, when the awards and prizes were given out.

The whole day went off without any problems, and the turnout was better than any could hope for. I think this is due to the areas impact on the local climbers that regularly come out, and see the new spray-paint, trash, and broken bottles lying around their beloved rocks. It is great to see people traveling from areas all around the Birmingham area, and from as far away as Huntsville and Tuscaloosa to do something about it.

Special thanks go out to the following: Primavera coffee, for donating three large coffee dispensers for all to enjoy, David Camp of Camp Construction for the rental port-o-let, the Southeastern Climbers Coalition (SCC) for taking care of miscellaneous expenses and for all the support, the City of Hoover for the LARGE donation of mulch, and especially to the local climbing community for putting this all together and spreading the word.

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Mountain High sponsored ultra runner wins the Yukon Arctic Ultra

Where: Whitehorse, Yukon
What: Yukon Arctic Ultra 2008 100 mile race
Time: 31 hours
Conditions: low of -58F; snowing for most of the race; ankle to knee-deep snow
Guidebook: No chance..
Difficulty: Extreme

February, 2008 - Mountain High sponsored athlete Will Laughlin won 1st place in the Yukon Arctic Ultra, a 100 mile winter footrace near Whitehorse, Yukon Territories, Canada. It's always cold in the Yukon in the winter, but this time some records were set--it was -58F at the start of the race. About seven runners were hospitalized with severe frostbite, but with skill, a little luck and some Icebreaker Merino Wool baselayers, Will managed to get away with just a little frostnip on his fingers, nose, and earlobes. The Yukon Arctic Ultra 100 mile race tends to attract a very small batch of hard-core ultra runners. When these seasoned runners arrived in White horse this year, the hotel thermometer registered balmy -49 degrees.

During the pre-race training session, one competitor developed severe frostbite in the few brief minutes it took to demonstrate his stove-lighting skills. In the required drill, he took his outer gloves off, leaving on only his thin liners. The instructor's update was something along the lines of:

• “We’re having a bit of a cold spell.”
• Parts of the trail are -50C (-58F) today with chest-high snow drifts.
• Because of the most extreme conditions in the race’s history, the course designer has not made it back yet…so we’re unsure of conditions. It’s cold enough that his snowmobile may malfunction, but we hope he’ll make it back tonight.
• “If there is a hazard, such as overflow (open water or flooding from the river or a hotspring) and you have to go off course, use your poles to check for animal traps. There are lots of set traps in this area.”
• “Remember that there is no helicopter rescue at night, so be prepared to survive at least through the night if you get stranded…maybe longer.”

(click here for the full trip report)

Will Laughlin serves as the executive director of Impossible2Possible (I2P), an organization dedicated to hosting "impossible adventures that inspire and educate youth to protect this fragile planet." Read more about Will on his blog. The Yukon Arctic Ultra was a training exercise for Will - his next expedition is a 500 mile run to the Geographic North Pole from Ward Hunt Island!

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Trip Report: Snowbird Mountains, North Carolina

by "Lancer's Ledger"

When: December 7, 2007 Where : Snowbird Mountains, North Carolina Trails Hiked: Snowbird Mountain Trail ( #415 ), Big Snowbird Trail (#64). Trail Map: Snowbird Area Trail Map Guidebook: “North Carolina Hiking Trails” Fourth Edition by Alan de Hart Difficulty: Moderate to Difficult (Mostly due to non-maintenance on the Snowbird Mountain Trail. Many river crossings on Big Snowbird Trail may be dangerous at high water levels). Scenery: Very good on the Big Snowbird Trail, average on the Snowbird Mountain Trail. Mileage: 20 mile loop Accomodations: Micro-Tel and San-Ran hotel in nearby Robbinsville.

Over-all beta: Do the Snowbird Mountain Trail only in the dead of winter unless you just want to punish yourself. Logging scars keep old growth timber limited to the more inaccessible drainages along the Big Snowbird Trail. There are numerous large campsites along the river (a few are overly impacted) but few along the ridges.

Trip Report: The Huddle House in Robbinsville was brand new. We got out of our cars and stood in the freshly asphalted parking lot before entering for our last meal in the front country. I couldn’t help but think that a few years earlier we would be confused with a paramilitary search party fueling up for another foray into the backcountry in hopes of locating Eric Rudolph. The place was clean and as expected, none of the food served matched the photos on the menu. We ate, drank coffee, and contemplated the gray skies and unknown terrain ahead. The weather channel had been predicting clear skies for today and tomorrow with only a slight chance of rain on Sunday. The look on my dog’s face said otherwise. (click here for the full trip report)