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Tag Archives: hiking
Climbing Mount St Helens…or Not
We’ve known since last year that we wanted to climb to the summit of Mount St. Helens back in Washington. My sister had suggested it for 2016 without realizing we needed permits for the high country, so we planned it for 2017 instead, coinciding with her college graduation at Oregon State. (Which was fabulous—you rock, E!). You need to prepare even before going on a trip like this, it also depends on your means of transport, RVs are often used but going to a place with cold weather is worth checking Top 5 Best Electric Tankless Water Heaters for RV [2022 Review] – RVProfy. The summit of Mount St. Helens isn’t supposed to require climbing gear, but it’s still tough, according to Kandoo Adventures, and that’s what we were looking for, a big-but not crazy-challenge. There’s a rise of 4000 feet in elevation, with about two miles of forest, two … Continue reading
Posted in Misc
Tagged Harry's Ridge, hiking, Jennifer Jensen, Mount St Helens, Spirit Lake
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Yes, Ireland Has Trees
Have you ever noticed that most of our favorite pictures of Ireland’s scenery are grass-covered hills with stone walls and sheep, but hardly any trees? The more I looked, the more I wondered if I’d be able to handle a land without forests. But Ireland has forests! According to one site, Ireland had only 1% forests a century ago. The Irish Forest Service has been planting managed forests, and when they got to a third of a million hectares (however that translates into acres), the company Coillte was formed. Coillte (sort of pronounced Kweelcheh) now privately owns most or all of the harvested forests, which have walking trails and recreations spots in the “forest parks” which are open to the public. Other forested land is owned by farmers, and the total is now up to about 10%. If you want a long hike, head for the waymarked trails. But for shorter adventures, you can head … Continue reading
Posted in IRELAND
Tagged forests, hiking, IRELAND, Irish forestry, trails, walking, waymarked ways
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Hiking in Ireland
We want to walk and hike in Ireland, and have found that hiking is generally called hill-walking. After browsing a link that Ciaran (pronounced Keeran) sent after our “cultural orientation,” it sounds awesome! Ireland is filled with “waymarked walking trails,” paths & roads through public and private land that are marked for hikers. Some go through several counties, some are short with different starts and finishes, and some are loop trails. There are guides for difficulty level, length, how much elevation, etc., so you know what you’re getting into. And if you follow one trail along over several days, there are usually youth hostels or bed & breakfasts to stay in on the way. So maybe I didn’t manage the mini-marathon, but I’m really looking forward to this. Here’s a map showing the trails (if you click on it you’ll get the big version). And check out the link to … Continue reading
Posted in Healthy Living, IRELAND
Tagged hiking, hillwalking, IRELAND, waymarked ways
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