The West Coast Trail

The West Coast Trail is a 47-mile long path along the Pacific coastal rim of Vancouver Island in British Columbia.  It was formerly a trail used by shipwrecked crews after drifting ashore onto the island.  The trail sees 6,000 visitors annually.  It is known as one of the most technically difficult trails to hike and demands seriousness and cautiousness.  The trail has various cable car passes as well as vertical ladder ascents to complete certain portions.  The trail skirts out along the coast and the beach at certain times, while other times it crosses into lush temperate rainforest to the east.  One needs to allow themselves and their group plenty of time to explore this beautiful place.  Most websites suggest at least 6-8 days to complete the hike, this gives you time to stop and enjoy what you're actually doing.  

As for equipment, one should plan on bringing a small collapsible backpacking stove and canister source as well as wet-start flint switches.  Campfires are prohibited on the trail but if in a survival situation then wet-start flint switches are a must.  Make sure to take note of the climate and its ability to change drastically along a coast.  Sleeping bags and sleeping pads are a must.  My tent of choice is going to be a bivy tent but keep them to minimal size to reduce impact on soil around you.

I hope to successfully trek the WCT this summer with a friend from Washington.  I want to experience the isolation granted by a location like this and hope to have some kind of enlightening moment while trekking.

I'm also going to try to take as many photos as possible so Facebook me for updates if you're interested! It was a great semester and I hope everybody enjoyed it as much as I did. Thanks again.

-JS

Copyright Tim Wellhausen

Copyright http://blog.travelpod.com/members/adarandjeremy

Hunting in Nebraska

Nebraska holds lots of challenges for hunters looking for a trophy. The eastern part of the state holds more whitetail deer then we know what to do with. The west contains the bigger Mule Deer and plenty of whitetail along the river. 63,000 deer were taken in the rifle season alone!

Turkey hunters will also have success in Nebraska. Turkeys are found state wide and show sighs of population growth. Shot gun and Archery seasons give hunters options in their method of take.

Nebraska is located right in the middle of the central flyway, one of the largest waterfowl migration routes in North America. Geese and all kinds of ducks are harvested every year.

Check out the game and parks website for more information!

outdoornebraska.org

Morel Mushrooms

http://thegreatmorel.com/index.shtml

The morel mushroom season varies across the United States depending on the region in which you are located. Typically it arrives in the spring months for most regions. Many variables such as air temperature, ground temperature and rain levels impact the growing cycle and how bountiful the crop. An air temperature of about 60-70 degrees Fahrenheit during then day and a temperature of no less that the mid 40’s in the evening is perfect for them. They are usually found near downed trees, but can be elsewhere, near a river or stream. They like having some shade and sunlight throughout the day so they like wooded areas. They are great to eat or to sell and make money. You just have to be careful and know what they look like so you don’t pick the wrong mushroom.

 

The UNL Challenge course (aka ticktown by Wesley) was a blast!

Ticks that go eek in the Night!

After being attacked in "ticktown" a.k.a. the Challenge Course today, by what seemed to me like 100s of ticks, ( I might be over rounding) I decided to do a little research. On the bright side of the nasty little blood suckers, the tick itself would have to be attached for 24 hours before you can contract lyme disease. http://www.surviveoutdoors.com/reference/ticks.asp
Also some things i have picked up over the years about handling or dealing with ticks;

bug spray will deter ticks from biting the treated area but will not stop them from crawling to an untreated spot like under your clothes, when pulling a tick off of you, pull staedy and at a 90 degree angle from your body to ensure that the head doesnt break off, and when actually bitten anti itch creams usually will stop the itch.
    Some things for future classes or even a future outings like ours is to be prepared! If doing a challenge course , do not wear shorts. Always use sunscreen, and it wouldnt hurt to spray some bug spray on yourself.

Ecotourism: That thing we've been talking about all semester!

In the spirit of recently celebrating Earth Day I found an article that explains ecotourism.  It's like what we've been talking about in class and is being seen more and more by the public!   It's all about giving more than you take and how you can make your traveling experiences more ecotourism-friendly rather than mass-tourism.  It also goes on to mention the mentally fulfilling experience of green travels providing you with the best memories and a good feeling and it gives tips on how to travel greener to get to your ecotourism destinations.  I liked the article, take the time to read it.  It's fun and is SO closely related to what we have talked about in regards to ecotourism all semester!

Here's the article!
http://austin.culturemap.com/newsdetail/04-19-12-14-18-go-green-when-traveling-its-nicer-to-the-planet-and-creates-a-more-authentic-experience/

Also, if you ever use Google news and search "ecotourism" you can find all kinds of articles on ecotourism in the news.  It's pretty interesting because it's becoming more and more popular in many areas of the world. There are multiple articles about ecotourism; from Louisiana starting ecotourism in remote areas that haven't been explored much to the Philippines's bright ecotourism future.  Now that we know what ecotourism is, it's fun to go through Honey's principles to determine if what these articles are talking about really is ecotourism. I think it's fun to keep track of, especially since we have learned so much about it in this class!

Happy travels!

"Becoming an Outdoors-Woman" Program in Nebraska

As much as I love the outdoors, camping and hiking wasn't something my family did much when I was growing up. I never learned how to pitch a tent, load a fishing reel, or shoot trap.  Especially for women who have never learned these kinds of skills, spending a lot of time outdoors can seem intimidating.  Now, there is a nation-wide "Becoming an Outdoors-Woman" program that teaches women a wide range of outdoor skills.

The program is run in almost every state in the U.S., and here in Nebraska it is run by the Nebraska Game and Parks.  The program lasts three days, and this year it will be held October 5-7 at the Nebraska State 4-H camp in Halsey, NE.  The classes cover a wide range of topics: identifying Nebraska animals species and ecology, beginning archery and bowhunting, fishing basics, introduction to shotguns, rifles, and deer hunting, game calls, canoeing and kayaking, hiking and camping, dog training, geocaching and GPS use, campfire cooking, climbing and repelling, photography, and emergency survival skills. The class is open to any women 18 years or older and costs $225 ($200 if you plan on providing your own off-site lodging), and scholarships are available.

Their brochure for the 2012 year can be found at:
http://outdoornebraska.ne.gov/Education/Programs/bow/pdf/BOW-HALSEY2012-events.pdf

And the website for the program and downloadable forms can be found at:
http://outdoornebraska.ne.gov/Education/programs/bow/information.asp