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Oye! Has it really been 2 weeks since I set my eyes on this blog. I’m ashamed to say that it has. Just when I thought that spring was right around the corner, I woke up this morning to snow–2 inches and counting. I’m dreaming of swimming and kayaking.

Hiking and Camping

Two-Heel Drive presents Panting over hiking pants posted at Two-Heel Drive.

Let’s get things started this edition with a gear recommendation for some convertible hiking pants

Bruce presents Backpacker Magazine 2008 Gear Guide Lists A Whopping 480 Bags posted at LightBackpacking.com

while we are on the subject of gear, Bruce has narrowed Backpacker Magazines list of sleeping bags down to 45 3-season sleeping bags for light backpacking.

passionphish presents Excellent Customer Service? posted at MY THRU HIKE.

passionphish recommends Mountain Laurel Designs because of their great ultralight gear and great customer service

Wilde Beat presents Getting Around GPS posted at The WildeBeat.

This podcast will help you navigate the challenging, and often confusing world of GPS use.

zhakee presents Little bear posted at Sierra Nevada Ramblings.

I’ve never seen a bear in real life, but Zhakee has told his story of an encounter with a yearling cub. Living in an area where they used to release the rogue bears…um…I have mixed feelings about looking for bears out here

poetloverrebelspy presents Friday Freebie: U.S. National Parks Passes posted at Less Than a Shoestring

If you live near a US national park, this article is worth a read. You could be eligible for a free or reduced-price annual pass

Other Adventures

James Brausch presents Costa Rican National Parks posted at Costa Rica HQ.

I would love to do some hiking around the world, but I had better start in my own backyard first. James has some recommendations for hiking and traveling in Costa Rica

Daniel Lafleche presents Sell Sheet Sampler: Charming clip from TV series ‘Animal Crackers’ posted at The IPEX Blog

This Jack Russell Terrier loves surfing, Kayaking, and extreme sports with his extreme sports loving owner. Interesting relationship between owner and pet

J. Britely presents Prepare or Die. posted at SurvivalBlog.com.

This article emphasizes the importance of preparation for all kinds of situations

Diane McCalley presents Grand Canyon – a Trip you Have to Take posted at Hiking Trip Reports.

I agree with the author, “everyone should visit the Grand Canyon”–another thing on my list of things to do

GP presents Let us each Run The Race posted at Innside Montana-Your Home at the Range

GP relates the story of her first 10K and her first Marathon run. Wow! I’m in awe.

I remember running my first 10K , the Leggs Mini Marathon .. a loop of Central Park in New York held annually in May”

Outdoor Humor

Madeleine Begun Kane presents Surmounting Marriage posted at Mad Kane’s Humor Blog.

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Outside magazine has a good article discussing the newest controversy surrounding the Gray wolves. (Click Here for Article–opens in new window).

Gray wolves are being taken off the endangered species list and many in Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming are already preparing to reduce the population down to the federally mandated minimum of 100 animals per state.

Wyoming tried to pass a shoot-on-sight varmint rule for the gray wolves, the law was overruled by U.S. Fish and Game.

The animosity that nearly led to the extinction of the gray wolves began when the wolves developed a tasted for ranch-raised cattle. Among conservationists, there is an emotional mystique that surrounds the gray wolves.

In March, the state legislatures will have to struggle with the delicate balance of maintaining the wolf population and protection grazing animals (such as cattle, deer, and elk).

I heard an elk bugle for the first time while I was visiting Glacier National Park. When the wolf population grows too much, the elk will stop bugling because it would mean almost certain death. I want to be able to hear the elk bugle as well as hear the lonely howl of the wolf in the wild.

In the article linked above, the author points out that if the gray wolf can become a big game trophy animal, hunters will be the greatest proponent of the protection of the gray wolf.

The hunting of wilderness-dwelling gray wolves is probably the hardest concept for conservationists to stomach. And yet it’s the component of the states’ plans with the greatest potential to benefit the species in the long run. If the wolf can obtain the status of prized big-game trophy—and many think it can—it will have the most powerful ally of any animal in America: the hunter. As we’ve seen with elk and migratory waterfowl, having the support of high-caliber advocacy groups like Ducks Unlimited and the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation is the most effective way, by far, to get adequate protection from government game managers.

Not only have advocacy groups gotten behind the protection of animals such as elk and waterfowl, but hunters also pay for the protection of these animals through hunting licenses, fees, tags, and stamps.

The same way a boater has interest in protecting the lake, a hunter has interest in protecting his hobby by protecting animals.

The question of how wolves should be managed must be answered by logic not just emotion. Wolf hunts should be allowed because wolves will drastically reduce the number of deer, elk and other grazing animals, but the wolf population should not be reduced to the point of non-sustainability.