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Chilkoot Trail, Alaska and Yukon Territory, U.S. and Canada

April 23, 2015, 9:06 pm
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Skagway to Bennett Lake

By Peter Potterfield, executive summary by darmansjah

Round-Trip: 33 miles, 3 to 5 days

When to Go: The Coast Range opens up a bit earlier than the Rockies, so you can push the season a bit. Late June to early October works most years, but August has the best weather—and sees the heaviest traffic.

The very names on this epic route—the Golden Stairs, the Scales, the Stone Crib—are redolent with the suffering of 1898 gold miners, and there’s no mistaking the history here. Both sides of the trail are littered with rusting remains of equipment the miners jettisoned out of exhaustion. More than a century later, the backcountry journey those miners blazed, driven by greed, has become one of the iconic wilderness routes in North America. It’s a natural. The route rises quickly from tidewater to crest Chilkoot Pass at 3,300 feet. But instead of dropping back down, it meanders more than 20 miles through an alpine wonderland, while losing only a thousand feet before returning to its terminus at Bennett Lake.


Insider Tip: Spanning two national parks, two countries, a state, a province and a territory, Chilkoot Trail makes staging a challenge. Solve that by starting and ending in Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, and use the robust infrastructure for trailhead transport. Take the White Pass and Yukon Railway over the mountains to Skagway, a stupendous ride, and have Alpine Aviation pick you up in a floatplane at Bennett Lake for the outrageous 45-minute flight back to Whitehorse, in plenty of time for a beer on the deck before dinner.

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Bay of Fires, Tasmania, Australia

April 24, 2015, 9:09 pm
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Stumpy’s Bay to Bay of Fires Lodge


By Peter Potterfield, executive summary by darmansjah

Round-Trip: 16 miles, 4 days

When to Go: October to May is the season for this beach route along the northeastern shore. Go with the Bay of Fires Walk; it’s the only way in or out.

From the start in Mount William National Park to the finish at the impressive Bay of Fires Lodge, the route never deviates from seemingly endless beaches of blinding white sand and surreal rock formations lapped by a turquoise Tasman Sea. Only the occasional headland of granite boulders, turned blood red by lichen or forested points of shoreline, pushes you up and out of the coves. The Bay of Fires walk is a four-day guided trip; you can’t do it solo, as there is no water on the route so no place to overnight. The first day takes you out to a permanent camp at Forester Beach. The second, longer day finishes at the architecturally striking Bay of Fires Lodge. It’s as green as they come—in fact, you’ll pump your own water up to rooftop tanks for a shower. Day three is the ultimate reward: free time on the stunning Bay of Fires coast with the comforts and fine wine of the lodge at your beck and call.

Insider Tip: Don’t bother learning to discriminate between the species of snakes on Tasmania—they all have fatal bites. Strikes are rare, however, so just keep your eyes peeled for the slithering black creatures when you’re crossing the headlands.


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Queen Charlotte Track, New Zealand

April 25, 2015, 9:12 pm
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Ship Cove to Anakiwa

By Peter Potterfield, executive summary by darmansjah

Round-Trip: 44 miles, 3 to 5 days

When to Go: Located on the sunny north end of the South Island, near the famed wine growing region of Marlborough, the Queen Charlotte can be done virtually year round. Hike with Marlborough Sound Adventures, who have the logistics wired.

A unique journey through the sunny hills of the Marlborough Sounds, the Queen Charlotte follows the dragon’s back ridge that separates the blue waters of Queen Charlotte Sound from those of Kenepuru Sound. Water taxis take you from the town of Picton to the start, at Ship’s Cove, where Captain Cook hung out frequently between 1770 and 1779, and the finish at Anakiwa. You can camp the whole way, a style of hiking the Kiwis call “freedom walking,” or choose to turn the jaunt into a cush day-hiking experience not unlike trekking in Nepal—except your gear is carried by boat, not yak. Go luxe, and you can crank 15-mile days and stay every night in comfortable lodges at Furneaux, Punga Cove and Portage.

Insider Tip: The Queen Charlotte is one of the few tracks in New Zealand open to mountain bikers for part of the season. Go early or late in the season if you want to ride, or choose high summer if you want a more tranquil hike without bikers coming up behind you.

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Kalalau Trail, Kauai, Hawaii, United States

April 26, 2015, 9:15 pm
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Ke’e Beach to Kalalau Valley


By Peter Potterfield, executive summary by darmansjah

Round-Trip: 22 miles, 3 to 5 days

When to Go: May to September for drier weather; April or October for more solitude

The finest coastal hike in the world, this rugged route through Kauai’s impressive Nā Pali Coast will challenge you physically with tropical heat and steep trails, and scare you with exposure on muddy slopes. But after a day of slogging 11 miles through the fluted cliffs above surf that crashes like howitzer fire on the coast below, you are rewarded with a view of the impossibly serene mile-long arc of golden Kalalau Beach along the shimmering Pacific. The Kalalau Valley itself holds fairy-tale waterfalls and lush tropical jungle, well worthy of exploration, but the highlight is camping right on the beach, with the Western Pacific before you, reflecting the setting sun.

Insider Tip: It’s hot, and you’ll be tempted, but don’t even think about cooling off with a swim at Hanakapi’ai Beach on the way in. All those small, makeshift memorials are erected in the memory of hikers who thought they might enjoy wading in and were immediately swept out to sea by the violent rips.



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Mountains of the Moon, Uganda

April 27, 2015, 9:27 pm
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Central Circuit, Ruwenzori Range

executive summary by darmansjah

Round-Trip: 38 miles, 6 to 7 days

When to Go: December to March, the “dry” season. Go with guides and porters; they know the way and are not expensive.

When approaching high-altitude glaciers, you don't often hear locals say, “There are elephants here.” But everything about the Ruwenzori Range, Ptolemy's legendary Mountains of the Moon, is unexpected. Looming on the Uganda-Congo border, these peaks make up the highest range in Africa, rising to 16,765 feet at the Margherita summit of Mount Stanley. (Kilimanjaro and Kenya are taller, but they aren’t ranges.) You’ll hike three days through two 14,000-foot passes and mind-bending forests of giant groundsel and giant lobelias to get to the Bujuku Hut, base camp for those wanting to climb Mount Speke. Hike one more day to Elena Hut, base camp for those who want to climb the glaciers, and try for the summit of Mount Stanley for its unique views of the Congo Basin. Two more trail days take you over Scott Elliot Pass, the highest on the circuit at 14,344 feet, and back to the starting point for your eventual return to Kampala.

Insider Tip: Bring a pair of indestructible camp shoes impervious to moisture, such as Crocs. The circuit can be a muddy mess. Walking in the creek beds often makes for the best progress. It is essential to be able to change into something dry and reasonably comfortable for your feet at day's end.


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Grand Canyon Hike, Arizona

April 28, 2015, 9:29 pm
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Rim to Rim to Rim

executive summary by darmansjah

Round-Trip: 44 miles, 4 to 6 days

When to Go: Everybody does this hike in September to October or April to May, so go in March or November for a more contemplative experience.

Any walk in the Grand Canyon is going to rate pretty high on the Richter scale of hikes, but this route shows you both rims and the river, offers different trails in and out, and gives you enough time within one of the greatest features on Earth to actually savor the majesty of the natural architecture. Time travel through the multicolored layer cake of the Colorado Plateau for two billion years' worth of geology, from the Kaibab limestone at the rim to the Vishnu complex at the river, all on good “corridor” trails with known water sources and pleasant camps.

Insider Tip: Bomb down from the South Rim via the uber-direct South Kaibab Trail to cross the Colorado River on the Black Bridge and camp at Bright Angel camp. Then ascend through the Box, the inner heart of the canyon, up to Cottonwood Camp and the remote North Rim. On the return trek, cross the Colorado on the Silver Bridge and ascend to the South Rim through Indian Garden via the Bright Angel Trail, better suited for uphill travel.

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15 Classic Trails World's Best Hikes

April 29, 2015, 9:36 pm
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executive summary by darmansjah

Over the past decade, author Peter Potterfield has hiked more than 10,000 miles over six continents to research this list. He here tells us his picks for the world's 15 best hikes, including Patagonia, Tasmania, Newfoundland, and Petra. Read more in his best-selling book Classic Hikes of the World or his forthcoming book Classic Hikes of North AmericaKungsleden, Sweden

Grand Canyon Hike, Arizona


Everest Base Camp Trek, Nepal


Fitz Roy Trek, Patagonia, Argentina


Petra Through the Back Door, Jordan


Grindelwald, Switzerland


Yosemite Grand Traverse, California, United States


Chilkoot Trail, Alaska and Yukon Territory, U.S. and Canada


Tonquin Valley, Canadian Rockies, Alberta, Canada


Bay of Fires, Tasmania, Australia


Long Range Traverse, Newfoundland, Canada


Queen Charlotte Track, New Zealand 


Mountains of the Moon, Uganda


Kalalau Trail, Kauai, Hawaii, United States



Croagh Patrick, Ireland
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Hike the Sierra High Route, California

April 30, 2015, 10:00 pm
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A climber makes tracks to the Mountaineer's Route on Mount Whitney in California's Sierras

Original Word By Jim Gorman and Robert Earle Howells, executive summary by darmansjah

If the Sierra’s original pathbreaker and solitude lover, John Muir, were alive today, it’s a fair bet he’d hike the Sierra High Route instead of the trail that bears his name. The High Route, arguably the best kept wilderness secret in the lower 48, shadows the John Muir Trail as the two traverse the remarkable kingdom of granite that lies between Kings Canyon and Yosemite National Parks. But whatever the JMT does, the High Route does it higher, harder, and more spectacularly.

The route is the brainchild of mountaineer Steve Roper, who sought an alternative to the heavily pounded JMT. With a taste for glacier-polished slab (or what he calls "Sierra sidewalk"), wind-warped whitebark pine, and lonely lake basins encircled by shark-toothed peaks, Roper pioneered a route that hews as closely as possible to the 10,000-foot (3,048-meter) contour in the narrow zone between timberline and talus summit. A portion of its 195 miles (314 kilometers) piggybacks on existing trail, but mostly the High Route sends hikers off trail to pick their way up jumbled passes and across high-mountain streams. No paint blazes and few cairns mark the way.

Don’t have the month required to hike the whole thing? Then spend a week on Roper’s favorite section between Merriam Lake (accessed via Paiute Trailhead west of Bishop) and Duck Lake, just south of Mammoth Lakes. As you clamber down from lonesome 12,400-foot (3,780-meter) Italy Pass, look west. Way down below you might catch a glimpse of the JMT.

Need to Know:Sierra High Route, by Steve Roper, is a must-read for off-trail hikers (The Mountaineers Books, $17).

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PACIFIC NORTH WEST TRAIL, MONTANA

May 1, 2015, 10:08 pm
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Original word by By Doug Schnitzspahn; executive summary by darmansjah

Forty years ago, conservationist Ron Strickland had a dream of connecting the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific Ocean. The Pacific Northwest Trail (PNT) would allow a hiker to make her way, like water, from the top of the Continental Divide all the way to the sea. Unlike other famed long-hiking trails, the PNT wouldn't just follow the backbone of a range of mountains—instead, it would cut a cross section through the varied topography and ecosystems of a whole region.

Running along the Canadian border, Strickland’s trail would pass through Montana’s Glacier National Park; across Idaho in the Purcell and Selkirk Mountains; into Washington and the Okanogan National Forest and the Salmon-Priest and Pasayten Wilderness areas; through North Cascades National Park; across Puget Sound; and finally end up on the wild beaches of Olympic National Park.

That dream became an official reality in 2009 with the passage of the Omnibus Public Land Management Act, which designated Strickland’s route as a National Scenic Trail to be maintained by the Department of Agriculture. For Strickland, the trail is a type of new Northwest Passage, but one concerned with celebrating the American landscape instead of exploiting it. Hiking the entire 1,200 miles (1,931 kilometers) of the PNT is not as easy as conquering more established long-distance trails—one section requires bushwhacking, encounters with grizzlies are possible, and there are few fellow thru-hikers. But those difficulties are what make the PNT so enticing.

Need to Know: Get more info from the Pacific Northwest Trail Association (www.pnt.org).

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Glacier National Park, Montana

May 2, 2015, 10:15 pm
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Original Word By Doug Schnitzspahn; executive summary by darmansjah

With its sheer peaks, wildflowers, alpine lakes filled with trout, grizzly bears, and, of course, glaciers, Glacier National Park is the ideal place to lose yourself for days. The park typifies the Rocky Mountain experience and yet has cathedrals of loose-rock mountains and yearlong snowfields that make it unlike anywhere else on the planet. This means backpacking options abound. Simple trips, like an overnighter to Akokala Lake, deliver a real wilderness experience, while a ten-day traverse of the Continental Divide across the backbone of the park is a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Then there are the grizzlies. Glacier is home to an estimated 300 of the big beasts, and chances are good that you will at least get a glimpse of them if you spend time in the backcountry. That’s why you’ll hear so many hikers wearing tinkling bear bells. Grizzlies are not the only wildlife you may bump into here: Wolves, moose, mountain lions, black bears, mountain goats, and over 260 species of birds call Glacier home. Go soon, however. Researchers at the U.S. Geological Survey believe the park's glaciers will be gone by 2030.

Need to Know: Hire Glacier Guides and Montana Raft Company (www.glacierguides.com) for a ten-day trip on the Continental Divide, starting at $1,350. For more information on Glacier National Park, visit www.nps.gov/glac.

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Tahoe Rim Trail

May 3, 2015, 10:21 pm
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Original Word By Doug Schnitzspahn; executive summary by darmansjah

Encirclingthe largest alpine lake in North America, the 165-mile (266-kilometer) Tahoe Rim Trail just may be the singletrack with the greatest view in the United States. More than 80 miles (129 kilometers) of the trail are open to mountain bikes. In fact, the riding here is so sublime that the International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA) named the 21.8-mile (35-kilometer) section between Tahoe Meadows and Spooner Summit as one of its Epics, an honor bestowed on trails that epitomize the best that mountain biking has to offer.

For good reason: The trail takes in gritty climbs and fast descents with spectacular views of Tahoe to the west and the Nevada desert to the east. Nine miles (14 kilometers) in, you’ll split off onto the adjacent 22-mile (35-kilometer) Flume Trail, which starts at the Spooner Lakecampground. Though not officially part of the Rim Trail itself, it’s the signature ride here, and it requires a decent climb and a bit of singletrack to get down. Just remember, it’s tough to keep your eyes on the trail with all those eye-popping views of the lake. One of the best things about the rides on the Rim Trail is that it can be just as much fun for novices as it is for fat-tire vets.

Need to Know: Some sections of the trail are only open to bikes on certain days. Many local bike shops provide shuttles for the point-to-point rides in the Rim Trail. Rent bikes and check in on trail conditions at Flume Trail Mountain Bikes (www.theflumetrail.com). Bike rentals start at $45 a day; shuttles from $15.Read about the trail at www.tahoerimtrail.org.

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Wrangell-St. Elias

May 4, 2015, 10:41 pm
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By Kate Siber; executive summary by darmansjah

Alaska’s Wrangell-St. Elias National Park & Preserve, the country’s largest national park, operates on an entirely different scale than the Lower 48. Let’s just review the numbers: Six times the size of Yellowstone, it’s home to the country’s largest collection of glaciers and peaks over 16,000 feet (4,879 meters), including nine of the 16 tallest mountains. Parts of the national park are so remote and unexplored that mountains, glaciers, and passes remain unnamed, and only two roads—both gravel—enter it at all. Few visitors ever set foot into the backcountry. All of this adds up to that rarest of finds: true solitude.

Because there are limited well-trod trails in the park, backpackers usually forge their own routes, which is why a guide can come in handy. Enter Greg Fensterman, the author of the FalconGuidesto trekking in the park and owner of the outfitter Trek Alaska. After exploring the park for the better part of a decade, Fensterman now offers choice guided treks, ranging from several days of bush-plane-accessed base camping and pleasant day hikes to nine days of serious climbs, swift river crossings, and bushwhacking. Either way, the rewards are indescribable: You’ll witness paper-white peaks that rise 9,000 feet (2,743 meters) out of valley floors, spot grizzlies that have likely never seen humans, and witness a place so remote and wild it could very well be the end of the world.

Need to Know: Contact the National Park Service (www.nps.gov/wrst) for information on backpacking. Trek Alaska offers five-day trips from $900 (www.trekalaska.com).

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Milford Sound, Heaven on Earth fjords of the South

May 5, 2015, 8:30 am
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New Zealand is a place Fiorland National Park which is famous for its natural beauty and charm of Milford Sound to the top of a natural attraction to invite admiration of the visitors in every season. Here's the story Pungky Utami visiting Milford Sound, a summary of the natural beauty of the natural phenomenon of a long process of formation of fjords. executive summary by darmansjah


WintertemperatureinAugustwasstabbedwhenwe lefttownthat morningtoQueenstownParkFiorland. FromQueenstown, we went toTe Anau, asmalltownto be takenfor approximately twohours away. Unfortunately the weather wasnotonourside. We left thecityQueenstownaccompanied by afogso that Wakatipu Lake, located on the right sidecannotlookat allthe snowandrainheavyenoughto makea layerof snow onthe roadare becoming increasinglybold.



Thankfully, nearTeAnau, the snow stoppedandthe skywasbrightagain. It is true, the weather in the mountainous areais rapidly changingandunpredictable.Pause atthe parkVisitor Centre, wegetinformationabout thecurrentweatheralong theMilfordRoadandMilfordSound. It is veryimportant to knowbecause ofthewinterroadroutealong theMilfordRoadwhich dividesthe parkis oftencovered withsnowslidesso thateveryvehiclethat crossesthe routemustcarrysnowchainsto keep thevehiclefrom sliding. For safety, you will berentinga pair ofsnow chainsforNZD35.



TeAnauis thelast placeto refuelbeforeheadingto tasteMilfordSound. Travelingback and forthfromTeAnauto MilfordSounda distance ofapproximately240 km. brochurecomplete withthe followingroutesareinterestingplacestostop offalong theMilfordRoad, off we went. Sightsalong thespectacularMilfordRoad. The series oftoweringmountainswithsnowon topmakeseverything inbetween,even thebigbusesthat passthe time,lookedstunted. Inmyimagination, locatedatMilfordRoadas ifthrowninto thepast when thedimension ofhumannatureandyetthereis stillpurein its form, complete with an atmosphere ofdesolation.Along theMilfordRoad, Iincreasinglyrealizethat manis nothingat allcomparedwith the universeis sogreat. Along the way, we stoppedtovisitMirrorLake. Inshallow lakes, we canseea perfectreflection ofaseries ofEglintonMountainscovered with snowand vegetationuniquemountainplants. So pretty!.



Entering the Monkey Creek, there is a prohibited area to stop along the 17 km in the winter because of avalanche-prone. And sure enough, there are many traces of avalanches from the mountain range. Shortly thereafter, we entered along the 1.2 km Homer Tunel which again covered in snow. The final stop before reaching Milford Sound is The Chasm, Cleddau river flow results with the pressure that resulted in such a way against the rock carvings in its path. The Chasm into areas such as entering the green forest full of secrets and when we looked down from the bridge, I saw a giant rock grotto complete with a sound resembling the roaring water make this place as well as the creepy but intriguing.




Finally we arrived at Milford Sound before sunset and stay at the Milford Lodge, one of two specialty epidermis contained within this area. Profits stay in the area of ​​Milford Sound is that we can choose the itinerary is quite flexible, in contrast to when we book a ticket to the point of initial departure from Queenstown or Te Anau. There are many carriers that serve the cruise down Milford Sound, and each has a shipping schedule for morning, noon, and evening. In general, most carriers are pursuing passengers sailing during the day time so that at almost the same moment of silence in the park will be replaced with a large group of tourists crowd and rows of tourist buses on any interesting attractions. This is in contrast to our experience, in which almost every place we visited only the sound of silence and the breeze is heard. There are several types of cruises are offered, ranging from cheapest to most expensive price, depending on the operator, the type and duration of the voyage. At the inn, we took a cruise early schedule for Encounter Cruise with Southern Discoveries operator who departed from the port at 09:45 and lasted 135 minutes. If the Scenic Cruise focuses on the beautiful places along the Milford Sound and a duration of 90 minutes, then Encouter Cruise took us to look more closely at the life of existing vegetation along this beautiful fjords.



The starting point ofthe cruisestartsatMilfordWharfVisitorCentrelocatedinFrehwaterBasin. Misty morningdoes not diminishthe beauty ofMilfordSound. It was truewhat waspresented byour lodginginQueenstownreceptionist, thatrainor not, in winterorsummer, thepanoramic view ofMilfordSoundwillnotdisappointanyonewho visits. Throughoutthe cruisewe sawa series oftoweringmountainsandicemeltin thehigh mountainpeakscreatingwaterfalls inseveral places. IconicMilfordSound, MitrePeaktoweringapproximately1.682metersfrom the surface ofstandingwateras ifto keepthe naturalpeacethattrulyeye-catching.Froma short distance awaywe couldseethe region'svegetationseriesfollowsthecuteanimalinhabitants, from the colonyof sealsloungingbytinypenguins. Unfortunatelywefailed tomeetthat morningwith theotherinhabitants oftheMilfordSounddolphins.



MilfordSoundis an example offjordsformed bythemelting oficeresulting inthe valleys oftheU-shapedwithsteepcliffsasseen alongmany ofourvoyagethat morning.Thesefjordshavevarieddepthsup to300m. Accordingbeliefsof the Maoritribe, the ancestors of thosewhohavecarved ahalf-god Tuterakiwhanoaicebergsat this timeon its waytoachievingPiopiotahi(Milford) MilfordSound, forming as wesee today.

Once in themouth ofthe fjordsaredirectly adjacent to theTasmanSea, the shipwasturnedbacktook usto see sometinypenguinsstanding onthe rocks. FiordlandCrestedPenguin, which is one type ofpenguinis rare in theworld is sosmalltomeandother passengerswhowereon the deck ofthe shiphad troublefindingthem. Conservation regulationsin New Zealandandrockslimit theshiptomoveclosertoseethisfunnyanimalclearly.However,almostallpassengers, includingus, arequite happytomeet withone ofthe originalinhabitants ofMilfordSound

Shippingcontinuestoplacea sealcolonySealRock, rockylandon the seafrontwherea bunch ofcutesealsareoftenseensunning. It turned outjustright, when he got inSealRocknumberof sealsseenwere lyingidle,presentinga uniqueview oftheextraordinaryadorable! Satisfiedlooking atthe familydogfrom theseanear theshipto take us toStirlingFalls, one ofthe threemajorwaterfallsinMilfordSoundareestimated tohave existed15.000years ago. The skyslowlybrightenedwhenthe shipmovesbacktowardthe harborandwe werefinallyable toenjoy acruisein the sunshine.



PanoramaandbiodiversityMilfordSoundis very special, so do notbe surprised ifthis placebecame one ofthe most famoustourist destinationsinNew Zealand, andeven around the world. With a locationsoremotefjords ofMilfordSoundto bethe only one inthearea of​​FiordlandNational Parkwhich is accessibleby roadvia theMilfordRoadwithstunningpanoramicexceptional. FiordlandNational Parkitself is thelargest national parkin New Zealand, covering an area of approximately1.2millionhectares, and is partofTeWahipounamuSouthWestNewZealandWorldHeritageAreaUnesco.

How To Get There

Milford Sound is located in southwest South Island, within Fiordland National Park. There are no direct flights linking Jakarta with cities in New Zealand. You should at least do one-time transit. Of Jakartra you can use the Singapore Airlines (http://www.singaporeair.com) destination transit in Changi Christchurch with Qantas Airways transit or using one-time in Sydney, Australia. You can also use AirAsia (www.airasia.com) Christchurch with one goal in Kuala Lumpur transit. Of Bali you can use for later transit Jetstar Airways in Sydney dang anti aircraft to Christchurch Qantas Airways.

How To Explore



To visit Milford Sound you should spend the night in Queenstown which is about 479km from Chirstchurch. You use the bus (www.intercitycoach.co.nz; www.newmanscoach.co.nz; and www.toplinetours.co.nz) or use the airline Air New Zealand or Jetstar Airways (www.jetstar.com) to fly from Christchurch to Queenstown. From Queenstown you could drive a rental car or tour bus trip to Milford Sound with about five hours. If you drive a car or bus, you have to leave early. Prepare yourself to face congestion during the holiday season, good jams on the way home or while using the facilities at tourist spots. You can explore Milford Sound boat ride or cruise ship. Some tour operators also offer overnight cruises, which gives more time for you to enjoy the scenery in Milford Sound. You could also try some water sports such as canoeing and kayaking.

Where To Stay

To date there is only one inn in Milford Sound, and as always you should book a place full of far-distant day.

Mildford Sound Lodge

Milford Sound Lodge offers accommodation for those of you who want to stay overnight to enjoy the atmosphere of calm after the tourists away from Milford Sound. You can choose the available accommodation, from camping in tents, simple rooms are quite comfortable, to the chalet with luxurious amenities. State Highway 94, 9640 Milford Sound, New Zealand T. +64 3 249-8071 F. +64 3 249-8075 or it can try to log on www.milfordlodge.com

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Superior Trail

May 6, 2015, 10:43 pm
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By Robert Earle Howells; executive summary by darmansjah

The 277-mile (365-kilometer) Superior Hiking Trail, which hugs a ridgeline above the Lake Superior shoreline between Duluth and the Ontario border, is the best long hike in the country between the Continental Divide and the Appalachian Trail. It covers rugged terrain—bluffs, cliffs, and the spine of the ancient Sawtooth mountain range—as it traces streams and skirts wild rivers, rises to mighty bluffs overlooking the great lake, and plunges into deciduous forests of birch, aspen, and maple interspersed with redolent stands of boreal spruce and balsam. Massive beaver dams compete for the title of Minnesota’s Hoover—you cross over one on a 440-foot (134-meter) boardwalk.

The Superior serves up every sensation of a great wilderness hike, but adds in all sorts of flexibility. With 30 trailheads near roads and towns, plus 86 free backcountry campsites, the trail lets you get away for a long weekend or embark on a three-week epic with the possibility of crashing at an inn or two along the way. (Zealous thru-hikers add in extensions on the 65-mile/105-kilometer Border Route Trail and the 40-mile/64-kilometer Kekekabic in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area.)

Sightings of moose, bears, beavers, wolves, coyotes, or grouse are possible. At times you’re strolling through carpets of leaves, and at others ascending a bald for yet another dramatic lake vista—from the south you can spy the Apostle Islands; from the north, Isle Royale. Fall brings out the best in the Superior Trail—lower humidity, fewer bugs, intense colors, and a migration of hawks and eagles.

Need to Know: Maps and info are available at www.shta.org. The Superior Shuttle (www.superiorshuttle.com) costs $15. Arrange a trip with Boundary Country Trekking (www.boundarycountry.com).


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Continental Divide Trail

May 7, 2015, 10:44 pm
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By Jim Gorman and Robert Earle Howells; executive summary by darmansjah

The world’s longest mountain bike route zigzags 2,490 miles (4,007 kilometers) along the Continental Divide from the Canadian border near Eureka, Montana, to the Mexican border at Antelope Wells, New Mexico. In the process, it climbs 200,000 feet/60,960 meters (that’s seven Everests) and ascends passes two miles (three kilometers) high. Naturally, the first nation-spanning fat tire route encompasses the best of our Rocky Mountain spine: alpine wilderness, undulant grasslands, scrub desert, solitude that frays the edges of your brain, and a sense of what the country would look like if wilderness were the rule, not the exception. Yet the signature of the Great Divide Route is its doability. It was purposefully scouted and mapped over a decade ago by Adventure Cycling to intersect civilization virtually every day. That eliminates the need to schlep a heavy larder or to arrange complicated food drops.

Most of the ride is on doubletrack forest roads, with rare technical bits and a smattering of asphalt. While zealots race it unsupported in just over two weeks, anyone with true grit, good gear, and a Suze Orman-approved budget can do it in just over two months. Or riders can select a single state and call it a dream vacation: Montana is 20 days and 695 miles/1,118 kilometers (the majority surprisingly easy) from the wild alpine country near Glacier National Park to the big grassy basins in the south.

Need to Know: For maps and trip planning advice, visit the Adventure Cycling Association online.

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Leadville Trail 100

May 8, 2015, 10:48 pm
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By Doug Schnitzspahn ; executive summary by darmansjah

Leadville was always the epicenter of the core endurance mountain biking race scene, but when Lance Armstrong started competing—and winning—the Leadville Trail 100 Mountain Bike Race, a hundred-mile (161-kilometer), high-altitude sufferfest, it became the showcase race of mountain biking pain. The course is so hard that even the mighty Armstrong was humbled the first time he raced it (in 2008), when Colorado local and six-time champion Dave Wiens beat him by two minutes. But Armstrong broke the course record in 2009 and will be back to defend his crown in 2010.

Plenty of mere mortals take on the race, too, but don’t expect to be on Armstrong's wheel. The course gains 12,612 vertical feet (3,844 meters), with several heart-busting 3,000-foot (914-meter) climbs and a highpoint at nearly 13,000 feet (42,651 meters). At that altitude, not only does it become tough to breathe, legs also grow dead and sluggish. And don’t think the race is just for the guys—last year’s women’s winner, Rebecca Rusch, finished in an impressive 8 hours, 15 minutes. If pedaling is not your thing, there’s the Leadville Trail 100 run.

Need to Know: Register by January for the 2011 race. Entrants are then chosen by lottery. For information, go to www.leadvilletrail100.com.

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Yellowstone’s Southwest

May 9, 2015, 10:46 pm
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By Robert Earle Howells; executive summary by darmansjah

It’s a mighty high claim to call one backpacking trip in our archetypal national park the best, but it’s hard to top this traverse of the southwest corner of Yellowstone National Park. Factor in a hot soak or two with a hike beside burbling hot springs, steaming fumaroles, streaming waterfalls, a grand finale at the park’s signature attraction and you’ve got plenty to back up the boast.

The 27-mile (43-kilometer) hike starts at the Bechler ranger station, a long haul in itself, reachable via Idaho Highway 47. It crosses expansive Bechler Meadows, where an early-season crossing would be one of America’s worst adventures—they’re underwater in June and under bug siege in July, so wait till August or September when they’re in their wide-open glory. Then comes a spectacular series of waterfalls in the cool, damp, forested embrace of Bechler Canyon—Ouzel, Colonnade, Iris—and even more cascades outside the canyon in Continental Divide country. But enough of all this cool mist—time to get into hot water.

Near the Three Rivers Junction is the redoubtable Mr. Bubble hot spring, conveniently cooled by the flow of the Ferris Fork River, so it’s an ideally tempered spot for a soak. Take the two-mile (3.2-kilometer) side hike to Shoshone Lake and camp by the park’s largest backcountry lake and find a remote geyser basin and some trailside hot springs. Then, time the exit hike to pass by one of Lone Star Geyser’s eruptions, which happen every three hours. Ironically, after three to five nights on the trail among some of the park’s most remote water features, you emerge right at Old Faithful, feeling like a prune-skinned version of Jeremiah Johnson.

Need to Know: Get more information about Yellowstone attractions at www.nps.gov/yell.

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UTAH Zion Narrow

May 10, 2015, 10:51 pm
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Original Word By Kate Siber; executive summary by darmansjah

If any place has the power to inspire awe, it’s the Zion Narrows, southern Utah’s premier hike in Zion National Park. For 16 miles (26 kilometers), the canyon winds voluptuously through the crimson sandstone, in some spots stretching 2,000 feet (610 meters) high and narrowing to 20 feet (6 meters). Lush hanging gardens spring from the walls, stately ponderosa pines grow in nooks, and the water can turn a shade of turquoise that perfectly contrasts with the cliffs’ deep terra-cotta hues. The hike isn’t necessarily a cakewalk, however: For more than half the time, hikers walk in the Virgin River, which can be waist-high, and negotiate cobbles as large and slippery as bowling balls.

Still, the appeal of the area is certainly no secret, and the Zion Narrows attract plenty of keen hikers. Though it’s possible to hike top-to-bottom in one long day or do a shorter out-and-back from the bottom of the canyon, the ideal approach is to take two days, camping overnight at one of 12 designated campsites deep in the canyon. The stillness of evening and the otherworldly glow of moonlight make the perfect atmosphere in which to absorb the beauty of those towering canyon walls, sculpted by elements unfathomably more powerful than ourselves.

Need to Know: Zion Rock & Mountain Guides (www.zionrockguides.com) offers shuttles to the top of the canyon for $30, rents dry bags and trekking poles, and offers advice on flash-flood conditions. Contact Zion National Park (www.nps.gov/zion) to reserve a permit for the full 16-mile hike or overnight camping.

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Vermont’s Catamount Trail

May 11, 2015, 10:53 pm
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By Robert Earle Howells; executive summary by darmansjah

The country’s longest ski trail is also the most brilliantly conceived. It was dreamed up 26 years ago by three zealous backcountry skiers, one of them a cartographer, who didn’t want just a straight-shot wilderness route from the Massachusetts border to Quebec. They deliberately set out to weave together the state’s best cross-country ski areas with that most Vermont of all institutions—country inns.

So the 300-mile (483-kilometer) Catamount Trail is not just about getting from point to point. It's about savoring superb skiing along the way, which is likely to include some schussing on the side in groomed backcountry ski areas, with plenty of true wilderness in between.

To wit: Section 18 of the trail starts in Sugarbush Valley—no secrets there—but then heads north into ungroomed state park wilderness before rejoining civilization in Huntington, where a number of trailside inns serve skiers. After descending to the Winooski River Valley, the trail climbs to the Bolton Valley Resort—more groomed trails, more lodging. The next day’s trek starts off with an hour’s climb to the highest point on the Catamount before a phenomenal downhill run through open glades of birch and poplar forests to the Nebraska Valley below. When you reach the Trapp Family Lodge the next day, you get groomed runs and cushy digs at one of the best XC resorts in the country. You just might feel like singing like the kids in The Sound of Music.

So it goes on the Catamount—mellow farming valleys framed by old stone walls, chances to break trail and chances to follow trails, a couple dozen country inns, and another couple dozen touring centers along the way.

Need to Know: Maps, trail info, and a list of lodging and touring centers are available at www.catamounttrail.org. Book rooms at Bolton Valley Resort (www.boltonvalley.com) starting at $99 and the Trapp Family Lodge (www.trappfamily.com) for $180. Self-guided inn-to-inn packages can be found at www.inntoinn.com.

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Hayduke Trail

May 12, 2015, 10:59 pm
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executive summary by darmansjah

Edward Abbey, who spent his formative years working in the parks of southern Utah, used to suggest that every time you see one of those national forest signs that say “Land of Many Uses,” you change the last word to “Abuses.”

A Vietnam vet turned radical conservationist, George Hayduke is the hero in Abbey’s famed novel The Monkey Wrench Gang,which chronicles the adventures of ecowarriors sabotaging extractive and exploitive industries in order to save public lands from destruction. Hayduke is a sort of environmental superhero, evading the law while he defends the land he loves—and inspiring hundreds of Abbey’s readers to, in fact, change the words on those signs.

It’s only fitting that an 800-mile (1,287-kilometer) trail that began as a semisecret underground project be named after Abbey’s folk hero. The Hayduke Trail was founded by hikers Joe Mitchell and Mike Coronella, who wanted to go out on a long, Abbey-esque trek that celebrated the land. They set a route that spans theColorado’s Plateau’s must-see list of postcard landscapes, starting in Arches National Park (where Abbey worked), heading through Canyonlands National Park, down into Capitol Reef National Park, across the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, into Bryce Canyon National Park and the Grand Canyon, and finally ending up in Zion National Park.

Many Americans hit these sites in an RV, but the Hayduke way requires an incredible amount of resourcefulness, wriggling through slot canyons, route-finding, careful logistics, and luck—in short the way Abbey wanted Americans to experience their public lands. Completing the entire trail can take up to three months. Go ahead. Abuse yourself and enjoy the land.

Need to Know: Find maps and hiking information at www.hayduketrail.org.
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