Best American Adventures: Learn to Fly a Wingsuit

 

We've just updated our popular America's Best Adventures feature with 50 new trips, bringing our grand total to 100 iconic escapes (see the map, state-by-state list, and photo gallery, too). So no matter what your pleasure—hiking, heli-skiing, surfing, climbing, biking, or paddling—we've got the perfect adventure for you. Check in each day for a new, out-the-backdoor adventure highlighted here on our blog.

By Doug Schnitzspahn; Photograph by Jimmy Halliday, Aurora Photos

Learning how to jump out of an airplane wearing something that looks like a superhero costume—and then, well, fly like one—sounds like the most impossible, extreme thing a person could try. Really, it’s not. Modern wingsuits, which consist of extra fabric under the arms and between the legs to provide enough lift for flight, are popular and allow parachutists to enjoy freefall longer.

That’s not to say wingsuits are not dangerous and don’t require a lot of training to use, just that they aren’t some impossible dream. You do need to be an accomplished skydiver—200 jumps are required before you can begin to wingsuit—but you can commit to the goal of flying even if you have never jumped out of a plane before.

Brook Shinsky, 33, who works at The North Face, did just that, spending several years accumulating her 200 jumps and flying a wingsuit on jump number 201. “Wingsuiting was my goal from the start,” she says. “It’s something I never thought I'd be doing, but now I can't imagine ever not doing it. If I can do it, anyone can do it. You just need to have a little faith.”

A handful of skydiving operations across the country offer wingsuit classes and make special accommodations for wingsuits on jumps. Get good at it and you become part of a select community of fliers. Shinsky participated in her first Bigway event, flying with 23 other wingsuiters, this year. “It’s a way to work through anxiety on a weekly basis—way more fun than therapy,” she says. “I learn how to trust myself, my equipment, other people, and let go of the things that I cannot control.”

Need to Know: There are many qualified wingsuit instructors across the country, with first flight courses starting at $100. Options include Texas Wingsuit Academy in Texas (www.texaswingsuitacademy.com), Z-Hills in Florida (www.z-flock.com), WestCoast Wingsuits in California (www.westcoastwingsuits.com), Flock University in Massachusetts (www.flockuniversity.org) or Brothers Gray Wingsuit Academy in Maryland (www.myspace.com/thebrothersgray).

Hurricane Season Surfing Report: How to Chase Swells

  
By Tetsuhiko Endo; Photograph by Ron Dahlquist, My Shot 
 
Contrary to popular belief, the summer is not a great time to be an American surfer. The sun is out and the water is warm(er), but the beaches are crowded, testy lifeguards limit access during certain hours, and most important, the waves simply aren’t that good. Atlantic surfers especially know that their beloved ocean can look more like a lake for weeks at a time during June, July, and August.

Given all of this, any wave rider who takes his or her craft seriously has only two words on the mind as the summer doldrums creep by in a sticky haze of sunblock-tinged frustration: hurricane season. In June, the NOAA predicted an 85 percent chance that the Atlantic would see an “active to extremely active” hurricane season. In August, they upped their prediction to 90 percent but the storms have yet to materialize in force. California saw some waves from Hurricane Celia way back in June, and last weekend brought the East Coast’s first swell from Hurricane Danielle. However, with Hurricane Earl hot on the heals of Danielle in the Atlantic, and tropical storm Fiona right behind him, things may yet get interesting.

Travel Tech: EveryTrail Review -- Trail Mapping For Everyone (Part 1)

 
By Keene Haywood

Editor's Note: Read this review then find a hike in our Best Trails feature, with 30 weekend, city, park, and backcountry options.

In today’s world, our mobile devices almost always have the ability to provide location, giving us directions as well as many other location-based services on bright, sharp screens with good maps. Whether it is a dedicated GPS device or a mobile phone, location data has become an integral part of the data we now are used to dealing with on an almost daily basis. Like digital photographs and video, location data is becoming ubiquitous. We are starting to accumulate GPS waypoints, tracklogs, and what are commonly called POI’s (Points of Interest) by the handful. Until recently, there really has not been a great way to create, organize, and share one’s GPS data, especially when it comes to trails. You really had to know what you were doing to download this data, make sure it was formatted correctly, integrate it with a map, on and on. It took awhile but could be done by the determined.

This all began to change when a little mapping service opened its doors called EveryTrail. EveryTrail is both a web-based service and an application for your smartphone (iPhone, Android, Windows Mobile, and Blackberry platforms are all supported). It has grown considerably in the past year or so and it keeps piling on the features. So, I wanted to give a review here of this most excellent service.

In Part 1 of this review, I’ll cover the main website http://www.everytrail.com. In Part 2, the iPhone app will be covered in detail. You can explore the website without an account, but in the end, I think you will find you will want to sign up. It is free so you have nothing to lose. On the site menu bar, you will find links to Guides, Find Trips, Destinations, Create Trip, My Trips, Mobile Apps and finally the Forum. I’ll briefly cover these to give you an idea of the features and then you can dive in and explore for yourself.  

Best American Adventures: Bike Across America

 

We've just updated our popular America's Best Adventures feature with 50 new trips, bringing our grand total to 100 iconic escapes (see the map, state-by-state list, and photo gallery, too). So no matter what your pleasure—hiking, heli-skiing, surfing, climbing, biking, or paddling—we've got the perfect adventure for you. Check in each day for a new, out-the-backdoor adventure highlighted here on our blog.

By Kate Siber; Photograph by Ben Neumeyer

Here’s one way to outdo the all-American cross-country road trip: travel by bicycle. The best way is along the TransAmerica Trail, a low-traffic, highly scenic back-roads route the Adventure Cycling Association designed specifically for cyclists for the country’s bicentennial. Passable between May and September, the route takes three months, factoring in stops to smell the flowers along the way—and there are plenty of proverbial flowers. Between Astoria, Oregon, and Yorktown, Virginia, riders pedal past rugged beaches, ancient lava beds, high passes in the Rockies, fertile farmland, and snowcapped peaks. They pass some of the country’s most beloved national parks (Yellowstone, Grand Teton), and stop in small-town cafes that have served down-home American comfort food, from chili to Chesapeake crab, to cross-country riders for decades.

The challenges, of course, are formidable, such as 11,000-foot (3,353-meter) passes, a 70-mile (113-kilometer) climb, and deadening Midwestern heat. But seeing America from the slow-moving seat of a bicycle offers a more detailed view of the country than any other mode of transportation. It also offers the time to ponder it all, including those who came before you: Signs of Native Americans, pioneers who labored along the Oregon Trail, and soldiers who fought the American Revolution all dot the route. What cyclists say strikes them most, however, is the remarkable hospitality and warmth of the modern-day Americans that they meet along the way.

Need to Know: The Adventure Cycling Association (www.adventurecycling.org) offers maps and guided tours from $4,349.

Alaska-Yukon Expedition: Approaching the Unavoidable, Bittersweet Finish

 
Follow adventurer Andrew Skurka as he skis, hikes, and rafts 4,720 miles through eight national parks, two major mountain ranges, and some of North America's wildest rivers in Alaska and the Yukon from March to October. Read his blog updates here.

For the last 12 months, my life has revolved around a singular purpose: to complete the Alaska-Yukon Expedition. In the first six months I planned how to do it, which entailed intricate spreadsheets, goodie boxes from sponsors, and Sam’s Club shopping carts overflowing with food. And for the last six months (168 days, to be exact), I’ve actually been doing it: I skied along the Arctic Coast and through the Alaska Range, I paddled my 4.5-pound inflatable boat across terrifying Icy and Yakutat Bays, I endured the Yukon’s ravenous mosquitoes, and I traversed the length of the Brooks Range.

But now that I’m just 200 miles and 7 days away from finally achieving my goal, I find myself pouring over maps looking for ways that I could extend the experience--side trips, detours, and even backtracks. I just don’t feel entirely ready to finish yet. The journey really is the most important part, not the destination.

Best American Adventures: Backpack the Pacific Northwest Trail

 

We've just updated our popular America's Best Adventures feature with 50 new trips, bringing our grand total to 100 iconic escapes (see the map, state-by-state list, and photo gallery, too). So no matter what your pleasure—hiking, heli-skiing, surfing, climbing, biking, or paddling—we've got the perfect adventure for you. Check in each day for a new, out-the-backdoor adventure highlighted here on our blog.

By Doug Schnitzspahn; Photograph by Melissa Farlow, National Geographic

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).

Gear Review: The North Face's Eco-Friendly Backpack

By National Geographic Adventure Contributing Editor Steve Casimiro, editor of The Adventure Life

I long for the day when environmentally conscious products like The North Face Tree Hugger 32 backpack ($149) are the exception and not the rule, when instead of saying, “Oh my gosh, it’s made of wool,” we say something like, “Ew, can you believe they’re still using petroleum to make their packs?” For now, though, I’ll take comfort that the capability exists and that a brand as big as TNF is getting behind it.

And the Tree Hugger is nothing if not capable. Once you get over the novelty of its material, the pack feels, acts, and behaves like any other 32-liter backpack. You stuff your kit into the top, smush it down to the bottom, make sure it’s well-balanced behind the plastic frame sheet, and away you go. The load carries nicely for a minimalist pack—the hipbelt and straps are both lightly padded with vented mesh and foam—though if you fill all 32 liters with, say, full water bottles vs. pingpong balls, you’re going to wish for a more robust suspension. Stick to extended day trip use and you’ll be happy.

The wool itself is ripstop and treated with a durable water resistant coating that makes liquids bead and roll off like pearls. It feels softer and more natural than a typical nylon pack, but no less abrasion proof. The synthetics on it—webbing, mesh, foam, buckles—are 100 percent recycled, too. Time will tell if the Tree Hugger leads the way to more innovation in the use of natural materials or simply becomes a one-note feel good; from my experience filling it and carrying it, I don’t see any reason why it shouldn’t be the former.

Best American Adventures: Backpack Glacier National Park

 

We've just updated our popular America's Best Adventures feature with 50 new trips, bringing our grand total to 100 iconic escapes (see the map, state-by-state list, and photo gallery, too). So no matter what your pleasure—hiking, heli-skiing, surfing, climbing, biking, or paddling—we've got the perfect adventure for you. Check in each day for a new, out-the-backdoor adventure highlighted here on our blog.

By Doug Schnitzspahn; Photograph by Jaesu Jung, My Shot

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.

Best American Adventures: Fly-Fish the Spring Creeks of Paradise Valley

 

We've just updated our popular America's Best Adventures feature with 50 new trips, bringing our grand total to 100 iconic escapes (see the map, state-by-state list, and photo gallery, too). So no matter what your pleasure—hiking, heli-skiing, surfing, climbing, biking, or paddling—we've got the perfect adventure for you. Check in each day for a new, out-the-backdoor adventure highlighted here on our blog.

By Doug Schnitzspahn; Photograph by Barry Beck, Aurora Photos

According to Montana author Norman Maclean, the only pure way to catch a trout is on a dry fly. After all, in the first lines of his A River Runs Through It, one of MacLean’s characters says that “all first-class fishermen on the Sea of Galilee were fly fishermen and that John, the favorite, was a dry-fly fisherman.” And there is no more religious experience for a dry fly angler than catching big trout on the spring creeks of Montana’s Paradise Valley. These slow, rich, clear waters require great art with a fly rod, but they also pay out the greatest reward—big, fat rainbow and brown trout.

The scenery here is straight out of a Robert Redford movie—crystal waters licked by willows with the crags of the Absaroka Range towering above it all. The three famed spring creeks—Armstrong’s, DePuy’s, and Nelson’s—all have their own quirks. But they are similar in that, even though they are less than 4.5 miles (7.2 kilometers) long, their rich waters produce the big trout perfect for high-calories meals. For the true trout bum, it’s the apex of the sport.

Need to Know: Some experience fly-fishing is best before you take on the holy grail. Yellowstone Angler (www.yellowstoneangler.com) will guide you to all three creeks, starting at $425 per person. You will need a Montana fishing license, and the owners of the creeks recommend guides and reservations.

Best American Adventures: Ice Climb Hyalite Canyon

 

We've just updated our popular America's Best Adventures feature with 50 new trips, bringing our grand total to 100 iconic escapes (see the map, state-by-state list, and photo gallery, too). So no matter what your pleasure—hiking, heli-skiing, surfing, climbing, biking, or paddling—we've got the perfect adventure for you. Check in each day for a new, out-the-backdoor adventure highlighted here on our blog.

By Doug Schnitzspahn; Photograph by Boone Speed, Getty Images

The ice of Hyalite Canyon, just south of Bozeman, has gained fame as the proving ground of legendary Himalaya climbers Conrad Anker and Alex Lowe, as well as a spot for the locals to just get out and swing their picks. Filled with countless waterfalls in the summer, Hyalite sets up with a smorgasbord of ice climbs in the winter. Routes range from popular, consistent classics to ephemeral wisps of ice that have only have been climbed one season.

The Genesis area is the center of most action, since it requires only a scramble from the parking lot to access and offers standards like Sleeping Giant Falls (WI 4) and Genesis II (WI 3 ). More daunting is a rare climb like Black Magic (WI 5). Starting in 2007 there was some controversy about keeping the Hyalite Canyon Road plowed in winter, but the Southwest Montana Climbers Coalition has worked with the Gallatin National Forest to ensure access remains open to one of the best natural ice climbing playgrounds in the country.

Need to Know: An extensive online climbing guide to the Hyalites can be found at Montana Ice and Alpine Recreation (www.montanaice.com). Barrel Mountaineering in Bozeman has information and equipment and can set you up with guides (www.barrelmountaineering.com).