Our Natural Heritage: Largely Unappreciated

We so often don’t appreciate what we have until we start to lose it.

Alexis DeTocqueville, French political thinker and traveler, on a trip to America in 1831, said this:

In Europe people talk a great deal of the wilds of America, but the Americans themselves never think about them; they are insensible to the wonders of inanimate nature and they may be said not to perceive the mighty forests that surround them till they fall beneath the hatchet. Their eyes are fixed upon another sight, the . . . march across these wilds, draining swamps, turning the course of rivers, peopling solitudes, and subduing nature.

Fortunately for him, DeTocqueville couldn’t have imagined a chain saw.

We can turn our attitude, of which DeTocqueville spoke, around. It’s imperative that we do so.

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Hiking and Backpacking Tips: Safe Stream Crossings

Is Global Warming Our Fault?

GPS Devices

Survival Playing Cards

Labor Day of Potential Grief

September 7 is only 13 days away. So, what’s so significant about September 7? Well, it’s Labor Day.

So what? Labor Day comes every year.

You see, this year it’s different. Labor Day, 2009, is the date shortly after which the state of California proposes to close about 100 of its state parks.

Many interest groups and philanthropic agencies are trying to raise the money to keep these parks open.

If you live in California, write your state legislative representative, and tell him or her that the state parks are vital to our well-being and must not be closed.

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Our Planet Deserves Our Respect

Duct Tape: Blister Remedy

GPS Devices

Hiking Responsibly

People do crazy things at times. But, stupidity on the trail can result in tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars wasted and lives jeopardized.

Here’s an article on hiking responsibly.

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Is Global Warming Our Fault?

Organizing Your Food for the Trail

Automobile Roof Racks