Best American Adventures: Horsepack the Gila Wilderness

 

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 David Fenton

A founder of the Wilderness Society and granddaddy of American conservation, Aldo Leopold once worked for the U.S. Forest Service in the high, wild Mogollon Mountains of New Mexico. It was here that he dreamed up the idea of legal “wilderness.” In a 1921 article for the Journal of Forestry, Leopold declared that wilderness should be "a continuous stretch of country preserved in its natural state, open to lawful hunting and fishing, big enough to absorb a two weeks’ pack trip, and kept devoid of roads, artificial trails, cottages, or other works of man."

Three years later, the Gila Wilderness became the first spot the Forest Service would protect according to Leopold’s vision. (Lasting federal protection came in 1964, when Congress passed the actual Wilderness Act.) So what better way to explore the spot than as Leopold wanted it explored—on a two weeks’ horsepacking trip.

While there’s a certain luxury to horsepacking in the wild—travelers can carry in far more than they can on their backs—it’s also an art in its own right, since learning how to work with the animals and tackle is a must. But riding high in the saddle makes it possible to really enjoy the trip though the Gila’s forests and meadows, instead of hiking head-down. The Gila is also home to wildlife you won’t find in other parts of the Rockies, including peccaries (wild pigs!), coatimundi, Gila monsters (surprise), and recently reintroduced Mexican wolves—and don’t forget to pack the fly rods for a chance to catch rare Gila trout.

Need to Know: Gila Wilderness Ventures (www.gilawildernessventures.com) runs six-day horsepacking trips, starting at $1,460 per person.

Best American Adventures: Ski Mountaineer Mount Shasta

 

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 Chris Carr, Shasta Mountain Guides

Mount Shasta is one of the largest Cascade volcanoes by volume, but think of it as a gentle giant. This 14,163-foot (4,317-meter) volcano that towers over northern California is a veritable utopia for mountaineers: It’s gifted with spectacular vertical relief, relatively mild terrain, and reliably sunny weather that makes for prime climbing conditions. “There are few places in the world where you have that much vertical without the objective hazards,” says Chris Carr, director of Shasta Mountain Guides.

From a base camp above 8,000 feet (2,438 meters), the outfitter offers three-day courses that teach novices the basics of ski or snowboard mountaineering, such as how to use ski crampons, climb with skins, and self-arrest. Day three is when they put it all together for a summit bid: Students rise at 2 or 3 a.m. and zigzag 5,000 vertical feet (1,524 meters) up to the peak, a jumble of boulders big enough for multiple people to scramble on top to take in the views, which stretch as far as 125 miles (200 kilometers). The reward is one of the longest continuous ski descents in the Lower 48: Through some of the nation’s best corn snow, you’ll turn 7,000 vertical feet (2,134 meters) down a consistent 35- or 45-degree slope all the way to the trailhead.

Need to Know: Join Shasta Mountain Guides (www.shastaguides.com) on a prescheduled trip, starting at $595, from May through June.

Alaska-Yukon Expedition: Three Ways the Expedition Changed Me

By Andrew Skurka, written from Boulder, Colorado, after finishing his 4,700-mile Alaska-Yukon Expedition

See a photo gallery from the expedition and watch for the article in National Geographic Magazine in spring 2011.

This past weekend, just two weeks after finishing my trip, I moved back to the exceptional city of Boulder, Colorado. My life does not appear to have changed much since I left seven months ago: I’m living in the same house, hanging out with the same friends, and running the same trails; I still don’t get recognized by employees or other customers at REI; and my net worth is still laughable because I still have the same “job.”

The Alaska-Yukon Expedition (AYE) was not my first time at the rodeo and I suspected beforehand that it probably wouldn’t be a game-changer in terms of my personality, goals, opportunities, or outlook on life. If, before this trip, I had been an overworked desk jockey going through a midlife crisis, or a disillusioned youth with overly romanticized ideas about Alaska, the potential for radical transformation would probably have been greater. However, just because the expedition may not have been life-altering does not mean that I haven’t changed—it just means that the changes are more evolutionary than revolutionary and/or that they are simply boosts to longer-term trends. This type of change might be better described as personal growth and development, which I’ve found is accelerated by the intentional stepping outside of my comfort zone, whereby I’m forced to adapt to new realities and to acquire new skills and knowledge.

Best American Adventures: Backcountry Ski the 10th Mountain Division Huts

 

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 Pat Gaines

Colorado’s 10th Mountain Division Huts are the fruits of one man’s crazy idea: Fritz Benedict, a 10th Mountain Division soldier who fought in World War II and an Aspen architect, dreamed of setting up a system of winter huts to rival the Alps’ Haute Route. The results arguably outdid the Europeans at their own game. Today, the system, located on the division’s former training grounds between Aspen, Vail, and Leadville, is 14 huts strong and connects to another 17 in the area. Linked with 300-plus miles (483-plus kilometers) of skiable routes, it’s the largest system of its kind on the continent.

It also accesses the best of Rocky Mountain skiing and a menu of terrain and scenery as diverse as the state itself. Choose to stay at one or to link up several. Backcountry beginners often head to the McNamara Hut, a stone’s throw from mellow intermediate ski touring. Or, for seasoned alpine tourers and telemarkers, the Eiseman Hut has access to steep couloirs and lines that’ll grow hair on most anyone’s chest.

No matter the level of challenge, the greatest reward is returning to the huts themselves. “Hut,” in fact, might be a misnomer: These are more like miniature trophy homes, with wood-fired heating stoves, propane cook stoves, porches, private rooms, million-dollar views, and sometimes even saunas. Come evening, after a long day and a good dinner, kick back by the fire in the grand tradition of America’s storied ski pioneers.

Need to Know: The 10th Mountain Division Hut Association (www.huts.org) holds a lottery for winter hut reservations every spring. Huts from $30 per person, and guides are available.

Big-Wave Surfer Maya Gabeira on Fear, Beauty, and Her Favorite Surfing Spot

 
By Tetsuhiko Endo; Photograph by Dove Shore, Redbull Photofiles. See more surfing photos of Maya Gabeira >>

In her short, but brilliant career, Brazilian big-wave surfer and a 2009 Adventurer of the Year Maya Gabeira has made very few missteps. Discounting the slew of broken noses she has sustained, she is a four-time Billabong XXL award winner and also won an ESPY in 2009 for Best Female Action Sports Athlete of that year. With preternatural strength, kamikaze fearlessness, and glamor model looks, she is one of the action sports world’s favorite daughters—and a marketing diamond mine for her sponsors. But behind the cover shots, the grinning photos, and the accolades, Gabeira is a 23-year-old woman who has dedicated her entire life to the heretofore masculine pursuit of riding things that can easily kill her. For better and for worse, she stands mostly alone in her profession.

Adventure caught up with Gabeira in New York City of all places, where she was making the PR rounds while on a trip to mentor some of the East Coast’s best young female surfing talent.

What brings you out to New York?

MG: I’m working with [fellow professional surfer] Carissa Moore on the Carissa and Maya Project. We spend time with top amateur girls from the East Coast and try to mentor them a bit. The East Coast isn’t famous for surfing and doesn’t have great waves. Also, the water gets cold during the winter and most of the industry is located out West. The idea is for Carissa and me to share some of our experiences with the girls and hopefully inspire them.

Are you getting to enjoy New York between all this work?

Maya Gabeira: Yes! I went to the Jay-Z concert last night, and it was one of the most amazing concerts of my life. I’m not that into concerts because I usually go to bed around eight or nine, but this one was worth it.

Best American Adventures: Paddle Lake Powell

 

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 Robert Earle Howells; Photograph by James Kay, Stock Connection/Aurora Photos

The huge upside of Glen Canyon Dam on the Colorado River, nexus of an environmental battle lost a generation ago, is the emergence of its progeny, Lake Powell, as a supreme freshwater kayaking destination. The lake’s green-water tentacles extend from the main 185-mile (300-kilometer) watercourse into 96 side canyons, where kayakers can paddle free of tides, waves, currents, and motorboats. A reverential hush inevitably descends upon a group of kayakers when they proceed into slots of Navajo sandstone towering 500 feet (150 meters) overhead that constrict to barely the length of a paddle.

The size and complexity of the lake convey both challenge and mystery to the experience. Kayakers wanting to go the DIY route might need two full days to get to the best kayaking—and even then they can find themselves paddling into inviting slots that turn out to be blank walls. Outfitters provide a motor assist and the local beta for five-day trips that get you into canyons like Cascade, Driftwood, and Rainbow, beneath the numinous presence of Navajo Mountain (10,388 feet, or 3,166 meters) and the Kaiparowits Plateau. Rainbow Canyon is the gateway to the massive natural arch of Rainbow Bridge.

The typical routine is to paddle eight to ten miles (13 to 16 kilometers) a day, venture into a slot, cross the channel, paddle another, proceed afoot when the canyon closes in entirely, and paddle back out to camp on the main channel where sunset, stars, and sunrise are players in the drama.

Spring and fall are the best times to paddle free of the swarms of speedboats and personal watercraft that plague the lake in summer. Warm water lingers right into fall.

Need to Know: No fees or permits are required to enjoy Lake Powell. Get general info at www.nps.gov/glca. Outfitters and rentals: Kayak Powell (www.kayakpowell.com) provides shuttles, tours, and rentals. A five-day tour starts at $895.

Easy Forward: Good Advice on the Gauley River, the East Coast's Premiere Whitewater

One paddler on our trip, Christina McIntyre (see hand on raft in lower left corner) falls out of a raft at the rapid Pillow Rock on the Gauley River. Thanks to quick action and strong swimming on Christina's part, she quickly rejoined her raft. Fellow raft-mate Jonathon Hall manages to stay in with the very tip of his foot.

By National Geographic Digital Media's Amy Bucci; Photograph by Trevor Coffman

Each fall loads of adventurers and whitewater enthusiasts load their kayaks on top of their cars, put their paddles in the back seat and head out to the Gauley River in West Virginia to take on what are considered by many to be the best whitewater rapids on the East Coast.

"Gauley Season begins the first weekend after Labor Day, and continues for six weekends. Dropping more than 668 feet through 28 miles of rugged terrain, the Gauley River's complex stretch of whitewater features more than 100 rapids with a steep gradient, technical runs, an incredible volume of water and huge waves. Its vigorous rapids, scenic quality and inaccessibility combine to make Gauley River one of the premier whitewater runs in the world. The Gauley River contains several class V+ rapids, making it one of the most adventurous white water boating rivers in the east." – National Park Service

The reason for extra excitement around the Gauley each fall is the scheduled releases from the Summersville Dam just for white water recreational community. These dam releases increase the wrath of the river up to 2800 cfs.

Best American Adventures: Bodysurf the Wedge

 

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 David McNew, Getty Images

Most of the time, when humans mess with nature, they lose. But at the Wedge, a monstrously big and powerful break off Newport Beach, California, they hit the jackpot—for bodysurfers, that is. There, an Army Corps of Engineers jetty relays big swells, forming slow-moving, pyramid-shaped waves that, during South Pacific storm cycles, can top 30 feet (9 meters). They’re too steep for surfers but perfect for the ultimate man-versus-nature contest: bodysurfing.

When the surf goes off, as many as 15 locals brave the indiscriminate spin cycle in hopes of catching a wave’s sweet spot. “The absolute most difficult part of it all is the moment you decide to go,” says Fred Simpson, owner of Viper Surfing Fins and a Wedge veteran. After that, there’s a purgatory of about five seconds, when even the best bodysurfers won’t know whether the wave, like an unbroken mustang, will let them mount or pitch them forward with the force of the South Pacific hurricane that birthed it. If they succeed, the reward is the ultimate rush: a perfect 50-yard (45-meter) glide through water moving as fast as that from a fire hose.

On high-surf days, only the bravest—and most practiced—take to the water, but as many as a thousand spectators come to watch and feel the reverberating rumble of the waves from a 15-foot (5-meter) sand berm that makes a natural stadium. The waves break so close to shore, they offer an opportunity rare in the world of bodysurfing: An onlooker can see the open-mouth, wide-eyed, absolutely-in-the-moment expression on a bodysurfer’s face as he or she takes on Mother Nature.

Need to Know: Locals say that if someone has to explain how to bodysurf the Wedge, you shouldn’t be there. Thus, there are no lessons available, and newcomers must bring fins and demonstrate their skills for the beach’s gantlet of lifeguards. Practice on nearby beaches and low-surf days.

Ask Andrew Skurka: Get Hard-Won Wisdom From the 25,000-Mile Man

On many days during his Alaska-Yukon Expedition, Andrew Skurka would take just one long break for about an hour in the early afternoon. This was an opportunity to dry his feet and gear, to make notes on his maps, and to take a cat nap to re-energize for another long push to camp. See the photo gallery >>

At 29 years old, Andrew Skurka has managed to build his adult life around planning and going on great expeditions. So far he's pulled off a dozen remote trekking adventures and covered some 25,000 miles, including his latest 4,700-mile loop of hiking, skiing, and packrafting in Alaska and the Yukon.

Now here's your chance ask Andrew how he pulls off his adventures. How does he determine his food needs? How does he approach orienteering? Does he use a compass or GPS? How does he deal with being alone in the wilderness for big chunks of time? Then how does he deal with being back in "normal" society with cable TV, well-stocked refrigerators, and no risk of bears sneaking up on you? How does he get funding to do this stuff?

Ask Andrew your expedition questions now, and then get started planning your own great adventure, big or small. We'll post Andrew's responses next week.

Gear Review: A Sleek, Swanky Hoodie For Men

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

A few years ago, an outdoor apparel manufacturer was showing me a line of tops for men and women. All the chickie pieces had hoods available, but none of the men’s. “We can’t sell hoodies to guys in outdoor shops,” he said, which was a head scratcher to me because at the time surf companies couldn’t make enough guy’s hooded sweats.

Times have changed. Or guys have changed. Or apparel makers have changed. Because one of the swankiest hoodies I’ve ever worn is just hitting stores, the Boulder Hood from Icebreaker. Made of organic merino wool and lined with stretch-woven polyester, it features a polyurethane laminate that blocks water but still breathes. It’s at once a dressy coat and a performance garment.

By some measures, the Boulder Hood is a strange beast. The wool outer fabric feels like what you’d find on a high-end woolen coat. But the hood gives it a decidedly modern, hip silhouette while adding an extra bit of functionality. In some coats, the hood might not work. But with Icebreaker’s subtle attention to details, it does.

And forgetting about how it looks for a minute, when worn it’s super comfortable—roomy without being huge, soft on inside and out, and warm but not stifling. The hood might not play on Wall Street, but for just about everywhere and everything else—work, travel, going out, primary autumn jacket or layered winter coat—this Icebreaker sells itself ($400; www.icebreaker.com).