Category: North America (Page 5 of 13)

Film » Transamericana » Ultra-Runner Rickey Gates runs 3700 miles across his country to better understand what America has become

2020.09.29 / Robert

Confused by the 2016 federal election results, Rickey Gates decides to run cross country in an attempt to get to know better the people of his own country.

From Salomon TV via YouTube»

In a time of uncertain politics and a crescendo of differences, American Ultra-Runner Rickey Gates sets off on foot across America. In the midst of the 2016 National Elections, which saw Republican candidate Donald Trump win the presidential elections, Gates realised that the America he knew wasn’t necessarily the America that was. Intrigued and curious, Gates decides to head out and see for himself in order to try understand and empathise with his fellow Americans. Starting out on the edge of the Atlantic Ocean in South Carolina, Gates journey takes him 5 months and nearly 3700 Miles to the Pacific Ocean in San Francisco, California. What begins as a search for the true America, during a period of political turmoil, ultimately becomes a story of identity as Gates begins to find clarity and meaning in his own life.

Conference Board of Canada report states trails play an important role in enhancing local economies, the environment, and quality of life while safely connecting Canadians to nature

2020.09.21 / Robert

Key Findings »

» Canada’s wide network of trails can help revitalize local communities’ economies and support their overall well-being. They offer outdoor tourism, recreation, and transportation space that can be used while respecting new physical distancing requirements.

» Trails provide various economic benefits. Their construction and maintenance increases income and employment in the region where the trail is built and across the country through indirect and induced impacts. Trails attract tourists and local visitors, whose spending in turn leads to other economic impacts. Trails also support local businesses and increase property values around the trail.

» Trails as green infrastructure systems provide many of the benefits of grey infrastructure, such as transportation corridors and outdoor facilities, while having additional advantages of storm-water retention, flood control, carbon reduction, pollution reduction, and preservation of natural ecosystems.

» Trails offer a relatively safe activity during the COVID-19 pandemic. Evidence from within and outside Canada indicates trail usage is increasing because it is naturally physically distanced and seen by many as safe.

» By providing safe spaces for users to enjoy physical activity and recreation, trails help to improve not only physical but also mental health. The fact that nature and physical activity have been found to improve mental health has important implications for today’s high levels of pandemic-driven mental stress.

» Evidence also shows that increased physical activity among Canadians could lead to a reduction in many chronic conditions. In Canada, 44 per cent of adults over age 20 have at least one chronic disease. Trails, therefore, could play a significant role to play in improving the health of Canadians and reducing medical costs.

Note » This Conference Board of Canada report was completed with support from Trans Canada Trail.

Lonely Planet’s 7 most scenic routes in the Americas

2020.09.21 / Robert

Snow tires are mandatory from November 1 to April 1.

According to Allegra Zagami, writer for Lonely Planet, on a drive along the Pan American Highway in 2019 »

» 1. Icefields Parkway, Alberta, Canada

The Icefields Parkway, or Canada’s Highway 93, is one of the most scenic drives in the world with over 144 miles (232km) of adventure and overwhelming natural beauty between Banff and Jasper National Parks.

Resources » Parks Canada, Icefields Parkway Continue reading

The 14 mountains over 8,000 metres elevation

2020.08.25 / Robert

A morning shot of Fairy Meadows and Nanga Parbat. » Photography by Imrankhakwani

Mount Everest
» 8,848 metres (29,029 ft) above sea level
» Located on the border between Nepal and the autonomous region of Tibet (OpenStreetMap / Google Maps)
» First summitted by Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay in 1953
K2
» Also known as Mount Godwin-Austen or Chhogori
» 8,611 metres (28,251 ft) above sea level
» Located on the border between China and Pakistan (OpenStreetMap / Google Maps)
» First summitted gy Lino Lacedelli and Achille Compagnoni in 1954
Kangchenjunga
» Located on the border between Nepal and India, approximately 125 kilometres from Everest (OpenStreetMap / Google Maps)
» At elevation of 8,586 metres (28,169 ft), it is the second highest mountain in the Himalayas
» First summitted by Joe Brown and George Brand in 1955 Continue reading

Film » On The Verge in British Columbia

2020.08.18 / Robert

As the last stands of old-growth trees come under threat of logging, climbers in Powell River, British Columbia face an uncertain future of the place that has come to define their lives and legacies.

Presented by Arc’teryx, June 2020

Confronted with the decision to fight for these last ancient trees and potentially lose access or look away as the valley is stripped for timber, On The Verge is a snapshot of outdoors culture in British Columbia. The way we reconcile industries that give us access to the wilderness with the destruction they cause. The desire to protect our backyard but keep it for ourselves at the same time. The importance of these places to the people who have shaped them and been shaped by them in return.

5 road trip adventures in Costa Rica

2020.08.11 / Robert

Ashley Harrell » Lonely Planet »

Some of the most interesting, little-explored destinations are only accessible by car, and for the adventurous traveler, there’s simply no substitute for freedom.

In some cases, the drive itself – and all the striking scenery along the way – becomes a highlight of the trip. For those with the desire and the 4×4 (almost certainly necessary if you are planning to drive off the highway), here are the country’s top five nerve-shredding road trips.

…

The roads in some areas are poorly marked, curvy, pothole-ridden, flooded and occasionally non-existent; do your research and check road conditions before setting out.

1. Cerro Chirripó in Parque Nacional Chirripó

2. The Monkey Trail – A shortcut between Playa del Coco and Playa Flamingo

3. San Gerardo de Dota – a charming town set in a high-altitude cloud forest where one of Central America’s rarest and most beloved birds – the quetzal.

4. The drive to Drake Bay.

5. Rio Celeste – The forest surrounding the river is lush and wild, providing a home to an abundance of Costa Rican fauna, including the iconic jaguar.

11 young women canoeing for 6 weeks through a wilderness of streams, lakes, rivers, mud holes, and muskeg bogs of northern Quebec

2020.08.04 / Robert

Hannah Maia » The Guardian »

This is an epic adventure, 40 days in the northern reaches of Quebec, travelling with traditional tools including wood-canvas canoes and fire irons for cooking over an open fire. It is a trip filled with unknowns for me, but there is one thing of which I’m sure: the 11 young women I’m travelling with, nine of whom are teenagers, will not see each other at their best. They are bug-bitten, cold and boob-deep in muskeg bog and have to carry an incredibly heavy canoe on their heads.

…

At the heart of this story is a summer camp – but not the kind most people know. This one is called Keewaydin, the second-oldest operating summer camp in North America. Its vision hasn’t changed since it was established in 1893: “a program focused on wilderness canoe tripping, with minimum time spent in base camp”. In its first 105 years only boys got the chance to go tripping, but in the past two decades girls have joined the ranks. I’m interested in how something established more than a century ago to promote manliness and “roughing it in the woods” can be relevant for teenage girls today. I wonder what kind of teenage girl would want to forgo life’s luxuries to spend a summer in the wilderness – but also know that, as a teenager, I probably would have been one of them.

UNESCO designates 15 new Geoparks

2020.07.17 / Robert

UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization) on July 10, 2020 at it’s meeting in Paris, designated 15 new Geoparks. There are now 162 designated sites across 44 countries.

UNESCO said »

These sites of exceptional geological and cultural significance showcase the beauty and diversity of planet Earth. Today 162 sites across the world document our planet’s evolution over 4.6 billion years, unlocking our history preserved in the rock record to learn from the past and support local communities.

Cliffs of Fundy UNESCO Global Geopark in Nova Scotia, Canada (Twitter)
Discovery UNESCO Global Geopark, Bonavista Peninsula in Newfoundland and Labrador (Twitter)
Xiangxi UNESCO Global Geopark, in Hunan Province, China
Zhangye UNESCO Global Geopark, in Zhangye City, Gansu Province, China
Lauhanvuori-Hämeenkangas UNESCO Global Geopark in Finland (Twitter)
Toba Caldera UNESCO Global Geopark, on Sumatra Island, Indonesia
Rio Coco UNESCO Global Geopark, in Nicaragua
Estrela UNESCO Global Geopark, in Portugal (Twitter)
Hantangang UNESCO Global Geopark, in Korea
Yangan-Tau UNESCO Global Geopark, in Republic of Bashkortostan, Russian Federation
Djerdap UNESCO Global Geopark, in Serbia
Granada UNESCO Global Geopark, in Spain (Twitter)
Maestrazgo UNESCO Global Geopark, in Spain
The Black Country UNESCO Global Geopark, in England, UK (Twitter)
Dak Nong UNESCO Global Geopark, in Dak Nong Province, Viet Nam
Kula-Salihli UNESCO Global Geopark, in the Aegean Region of Turkey (Twitter)

More » UNESCO

More » Wikipedia entry for UNESCO Global Geoparks

Sarah Hornby » Choosing to Live

2020.06.15 / Robert

From Vimeo »

While mourning her late husband, Sarah Hornby craved an opportunity to connect with him through his biggest passion. Her goal was simple. She would attempt all 10 routes he created while researching his Bikepacking in the Canadian Rockies guidebook, in a single year. As she pedaled, her story transformed. From sadness and loss to a profound celebration of both his life and her own unique journey, she was choosing to live.

The guidebook Bikepacking the Canadian Rockies, which had been due in 2019, is now scheduled for release in 2022.

Video » San Francisco Bay from Space

2020.05.16 / Robert

This video from space of San Francisco Bay, California is brought to us by the European Space Agency (ESA).

San Francisco Bay, almost 100 km in length, is a shallow estuary surrounded by the San Francisco Bay Area – an extensive metropolitan region that is dominated by large cities such as San Francisco, Oakland and San Jose. The densely populated urban areas around the bay contrast strongly with the surrounding green forest and park areas.

In the upper right of the image, the delta of the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers is visible – with the brown, sediment-filled water flowing down into San Pablo Bay. Here, the murky waters mix before flowing into the larger bay area, which is connected to the Pacific Ocean via the Golden Gate strait. A large sediment plume can be seen travelling westward into the Pacific in the left of the image.

The Golden Gate Bridge, around 2.7 km long, is visible crossing the opening of the bay into the Pacific Ocean between Marin County and the city of San Francisco – which can be seen at the tip of the southern peninsula in the centre of the image. Treasure, Angel and Alcatraz islands can be seen sticking out of the waters of the bay, with several bridges connecting its east and west shores. Several boats are also visible.

The bright green and yellow colours in the bottom right of the image are salt ponds and are part of the Don Edwards National Wildlife Refuge. Covering an area of around 120 sq km, the refuge contains salt marsh, mudflat and vernal pool habitats for millions of migratory birds and endangered species.