Mt. Rainier adventures …

On August 4, 2010August 4, 2010 By Rick McIn health & fitness, hiking, travelLeave a comment

My first trip to the biggest volcano in the continental USA.

… Although Mount Rainier is an active volcano, as of 2010 there was no evidence of an imminent eruption. However, an eruption could be devastating for all areas surrounding the volcano …

… a mudflow might also reach down the Duwamish estuary and destroy parts of downtown Seattle, and cause tsunamis in Puget Sound and Lake Washington. According to USGS, about 150,000 people live on top of old lahar deposits of Rainier …

Three trip reports are posted:

• my climb to Camp Muir

• my day hike climb of Burroughs Mountain

• Dave & Jeni’s 94 mile/47,000 feet elevation Wonderland Trail speed hike

soaking in Boiling River, Wyoming

On August 3, 2010 By Rick McIn travelLeave a comment

I got an evening bath. … Then was first one in the river next morning.

At Boiling River you can stand with one leg in the icy Gardner River and the other in a hot spring called Boiling River. The result is nature’s own hot tub …

cycling the Hiawatha Trail, Idaho

On August 3, 2010August 18, 2010 By Rick McIn best bike rides, cycling, health & fitness, travelLeave a comment

… The “crown jewel” of rail-to-trail mountain bicycle trails is operated by Lookout Pass Ski Area which is located adjacent to I-90 at the Idaho/Montana state line, 12 miles east of historic Wallace, Idaho. The Hiawatha Trail is generally open late May through early October. …

Winding through 10 tunnels and 7 high trestles, this 15-mile route crosses the rugged Bitterroot Mountains between Idaho and Montana. The Route of the Hiawatha is best known for the long, dark St. Paul Pass, or Taft Tunnel, which burrows for 1.66 miles …

details

more photos tagged “Hiawatha Trail”

It made Allie Comeau’s list – 10 Great American Bike Trails

man’s biggest killer – malaria

On July 21, 2010July 19, 2010 By Rick McIn health & fitness, travel3 Comments

“The malaria parasite has been responsible for half of all human deaths since the Stone Age” is the quote that jumped off the page in a recent article by Sonia Shah in the Wall Street Journal.

Sonia Shah is author of The Fever: How Malaria Has Ruled Humankind for 500,000 Years.

I saw this linked from LongNow.org blog dedicated to important news. They don’t cover Justin Beiber.

The same day I read a related article on BBC:

Scientists in the US have succeeded in genetically engineering a malaria-resistant mosquito.

The researchers, from the University of Arizona, introduced a gene that affected the insect’s gut, meaning the malaria parasite could not develop.

They report the advance, which also reduced the insects’ lifespan, in the journal PLoS Pathogens.

They say that the ultimate goal is to introduce malaria-resistant mosquitoes into the environment. …

Malaria-proof mosquito engineered

I know what you’re thinking … Man playing God. … It will inevitably end like a Michael Crichton novel.

nets in St. John’s, Newfoundland?

On July 14, 2010 By Rick McIn travelLeave a comment

Many homes have these nets in the front yard …

I assumed they were kept at-the-ready for when the next big fish school arrived. Citizens could dash out and start net fishing at a moment’s notice.

… Actually, they are tossed over the garbage to keep out pesky crows.

45km+ trail run Monday

On July 10, 2010 By Rick McIn hiking, travel1 Comment

Wish me luck.

I’m planning on doing the most scenic section of the East Coast Trail in Newfoundland.

Weather permitting I’ll start about 8AM at North Head, Bay Bulls.

Visit The Spout …

I’ll finish at Cape Spear, the eastern-most point in Canada.

official website – East Coast Trail

am I in St. John’s … or Saint John ??

On July 6, 2010July 5, 2010 By Rick McIn humour, travel1 Comment

Dumb people confuse St. John’s, Newfoundland with Saint John, New Brunswick.

Don’t snicker. It’s true.

Know that Saint John is the largest city in the province of New Brunswick while St. John’s is the most populous Census Metropolitan Area (CMA) in Newfoundland. Completely different.

Tradition declares that St John’s, Newfoundland earned its name when explorer John Cabot became the first European to sail into the harbour, on June 24, 1497 — the feast day of Saint John the Baptist.

In stark contrast, French explorers Sieur de Monts and Samuel De Champlain, arrived at the mouth of what is now the St. John River in New Brunswick on June 24, 1604, feast day of St. John the Baptist.

… I hope that clears it up for you.

If not, simply use this pneumonic / mnemonic:

St. John’s = Roughriders football
Saint John = Rough Riders football

first look at St. John’s harbour

On July 4, 2010July 5, 2010 By Rick McIn gymnastics, health & fitness, travel3 Comments

My first afternoon in St. John’s, Newfoundland, I did a 2.5hr jog along superb city trails up to Gibbet Hill, seen here in winter:

Gibbet is one of the viewpoints in the fabulously popular Signal Hill National Historic Site.

Was Gibbet Hill named after Sir Humphrey Gilbert Edgar Rennie Bowring Alexander Bannerman Gibbet, first Chief Bobby of the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary?

No.

I’m here for 9 nights leading two gymnastics camps.

Why am I running 2.5hrs? … Supposedly I’m training for a 90mi (145km) run starting July 26th.

Canada’s not-so friendly skies

On June 30, 2010June 27, 2010 By Rick McIn product complaints, travelLeave a comment

Cost in CDN dollars for 3,300 domestic miles:

Europe = $535
USA =$935
Canada = $1500

Consumers pay more for air travel in Canada than in the U.S. or Europe, says a new study that calls on Ottawa to open the market to more competition.

The Frontier Centre for Public Policy, a western Canadian think-tank, found Europe’s liberalized air policies resulted in the cheapest fares for travellers because they allow for more competition. …

Calgary Herald