Hiking News

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The Department of Fish and Game (DFG) closed down the Bump and Grind Trail in Palm Desert California on June 27, 2011. According to the DFG, the closure is necessary for  necessary to encourage endangered peninsular bighorn sheep to return and raise their young.

The Bump and Grind Trail is one of the Coachella Valley’s most popular trails and is known by several different names including Desert Drive Trail, Patton Trail, Desert Mirage Trail and Dog Poop Trail.

More than 200 people use the trail daily and according to the DFG, “human presence is disturbing groups of ewes that are caring for their young nearby.”

“We understand why (the hikers) are unhappy about this (closure), but we’re not going to take any proactive action,” said Andrew Hughan, a spokesman for the DFG in Sacramento. Anyone caught in the closed section of the trail could be cited and could face a misdemeanor and up to a year in jail.

I support the hikers because I don’t believe a handful of hikers are a threat to the sheep. It is more likely due to the hillside development that has made a lot of people very wealthy.

Stephen Thewlis, a hiker who is organizing the protest, said, “Hikers have some rights too. Until they can really show that the high mortality of new-born lambs is due to people rather than disease and predators, until that is made absolutely scientifically clear then the rights of the people should prevail,”

Photo credit: Jessica E. Davis

via PalmDesertPatch

At 11,239 feet above sea level, Mount Hood is the highest mountain in Oregon and a magnet for adventure seekers. Like many places like it, it’s also where many accidents have happened.

We mourn for Luke Gullberg who was found dead Saturday due to hypothermia. Two other hikers are still missing and search has been suspended due to heavy snow that cover most of the clues and the fact that the chances of finding them are very slim according to rescue experts. But for fear of avalanches, it doesn’t seem like the search will continue anytime soon.

Anthony Vietti, 24, and Katie Nolan, 29, are young, healthy, experienced and well equipped but they’ll have to make it on their own for now. Good Luck to them.

Jamie Neale, a gap year student from London, survived 12 days in the hostile Australian bush by making blankets out of tree barks on the freezing winter nights, drinking rainwater from leaves and eating seeds and wild plants.

Police Superintendent, Anthony McWhirter says that it was the “greatest tale of survival that we’ve seen in the mountains.”

After being discharged from hospital, the 19-year-old was offered a cash deal for an interview on Australian TV but the money will go to the people who put in the resources to find him.

This will probably quench the rumor that Neale staged his ordeal for the money. According to McWhirter, there was nothing to suggest that the situation was anything but credible.

Jamie thanks everyone involved for their help in his rescue.

http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/114640/-100-000-TV-deal-for-backpack-boy-Jamie

It’s a new world record by Christian Stangl. Before Everest, people thought he was crazy when he said he wanted to go up and down Mount Aconcagua, the highest peak in the Americas, in five hours. He only needed four-and-a-half hours.

There years later, with just a ski pole and a small backpack filled with carbohydrate gels, salted cookies and rosehip tea, Stangl went to the top of Everest in under 17 hours. No one has ever gone up that fast before.

In a total climbing time of 58 hours, Stangl conquered all the Seven Summits (the highest peaks on every continent.)

“Stangl’s climbing ethos has been described as pure mountaineering, but he calls it skyrunning. With hardly any equipment, no supplementary oxygen and no company, his approach is to insure against the grave dangers of high-altitude climbing by traveling light and getting up and back down the mountain before the weather deteriorates or his body begins to struggle from oxygen starvation.”

Now he’s preparing to climb the K2, a mountain fewer than 300 people have ever scaled.

What’s going to make it more difficult for him is the splitting of the serac, an overhang of glacial ice, in a steep corridor near the summit known as ‘The Bottleneck’. As a result, the ropes that help climbers up the normal Abruzzi Spru route are now gone and the route might have been blocked entirely.

Now this guy is something.

These guys are amazing! Not only did they set the record for most blind climbers at the summit but also the youngest blind climber ever to reach the top, 13-year-old Max Ashton. Truly inspiring.

All eight blind climbers and their seventeen guides reached the summit (19,340 feet) on June 29. It’s not usual for a whole team to reach the top together so the team deserves some credit.

The way to the top wasn’t easy for them; intestinal bacteria, altitude sickness and near frostbite are only some of the things they had to go through. Check out the SeeKiliOurWay blog.

A 50-year-old woman fell down a gully on Mweelrea mountain in Co Mayo while climbing with her husband. Lucky for her, she’s got a man brave enough to get down there a save her.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ukpress/article/ALeqM5gOauiK_zPdXsHUsS4KHS-Atq8crg

This is funny..

“The outdoor climbers group “wind runners” was earlier formed spontaneously by some climbing amateurs by posting forum through internet. On June 28th at 8:00am, the 104 climbing group members, led by an employee of a shenzhen transportation company, rented two buses and headed for the Shitouhe Reservoir for climbing from Shenzhen Gymnasium. At about 21:00pm, the 104 members were lost and stranded in the Lovers’ Valley due the darkness.”

230 rescuers were sent by the Chinese authorities to rescue the 104. Pretty amazing what can happen today.

Nepal could drop climbing fees for Everest, making them more competitive with Tibet. It costs $25,000 in climbing fees to get your shot at climbing Everest from the popular Nepal side. It’s the sherpas’ move to staying competitive with the cheaper fees on the Tibetan side.

I love to watch the show “Man vs Wild” on discovery channel.  In case you didn’t know it’s a show teaching you how to survive in just about any terrain. What a kid watches on TV he follows and a boy who got separated from his parents in the woods in Daggett County claimed that it saved his life.

Grayson Wynne and his cousin had been hiking back to his family camper with a cousin when he fell behind and strayed onto a different trail. Family members immediately began a search when they found him missing.

It was Saturday and Grayson was found on Sunday and the first sign of him was found Saturday night about 300 yards from the trail the family had been hiking.

Did you notice anything wrong with this picture? While I believe the show helped the boy survive through the night, he could have been found that same night if he stayed put. He left a lot of clues behind just like in the discovery channel show but the best thing to do is stay put. He even left his backpack behind which contains his sleeping bag, snacks and extra jacket.

He spent the night under a log but he was found in good health and spirit.

“Search teams concluded the boy was following the creek based on the layout of items they found and concentrated efforts on that area. Two searchers on horses, Dave Potter and Rusty Burnside of McKinnon, Wyo., found Grayson at around 10 a.m. in a meadow near the stream. He was waving strips he had torn from a yellow rain slicker hoping to get the attention of the helicopter he heard flying overhead.” – Deseret News

The European Union bans iodine for use in water treatment. I was always doubtful about using iodine for water treatment anyway – honest.

A man hiking in McDowell Sonoran Preservenear Scottsdale, Arizona, fell onto a cactus not even a mile up the trail. Ouch!

He was rescued by firefighters who brought him down using the stokes basket and big wheel and provided onsite treatment.

What a bummer. He was so looking forward to the trip.

The guy in the picture is not him btw.

The first meeting will be held on Thursday, June 18, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., at the Board of Supervisor’s Chambers in Lakeport. It will a two-hour interactive session.

The public now has the rare opportunity to provide input on the future shape of a county-wide, non-motorized Konocti Trail System.

http://lakeconews.com/content/view/9096/771/

Former soldier, 52-year-old Micheal Egglestone of Nettlesworth left his villa in Benichembla, near Alicante, on June 1 to trek up Monte Cocoll.

He has never been seen since that day and volunteers have already given up the search because of the slim chance that he will ever be found alive. One of the volunteers, Dr Geoff Hall, a retired GP from Yorkshire who had spent almost 10 years hiking in the area said no trace of Egglestone or his clothing has been found. Nine others are involved in the search.

Monte Cocoll is a remote area with overgrown paths and no natural water supply.

Volunteers end search for hiker.

Dr. John Mislow, 39, and Dr. Andrew Swanson,36, had been mountain climbing partners for life. Both were experienced climbers, awarded in 2000 by the Park Service for being safety conscious and helping other climbers in distress.

“The two were roped together and plummeted at least 2,000 feet to their deaths Thursday while on the Messner Couloir” according to the National Park Service.

While the two were using a route not typically used to get to the summit, it was still unclear as to how the accident happened.

Check out the whole story here.

They sent a specialized ropes team down a cliff at West Rock State Park after receiving reports from hikers of a deteriorating body only to discover that it was a mannequin. Thank God.

The rescuers must’ve felt relief and annoyed at the same time for wasting their time. I just wonder how on earth did the mannequin get there?

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jKjVlnHL3zhSOAuB3bYyFz51W4VAD98LVFI00

Three climbers went missing after being hit by an avalanche on Mount Edgar in the Minya Konka massif. One body has been found at 13,000 feet of the mountain and Chinese climbers are searching for the other two in the avalanche debris.

The body was not moved for fear that the are was unstable. Pictures were taken instead for identification at a later time so it could still be someone else other than one of the Americans.

This is a great loss for the climbing world. Jonny Copp, one of the missing, is a 35-year-old climber renowned for his first many ascents around the world, including Pakistan, China, Alaska, and South America.

His proudest ascent was the first alpine ascent (second ascent of route) of Inshallah on Shipton Spire in the Trango Valley in the Karakoram Range in Pakistan with Mike Pennings in 2000.

This landmark route was the first alpine ascent of a Grade VII route up one of the biggest walls in the world. That summer he also made the first ascent of nearby Cat’s Ear Spire, a spectacular double-summitted mountain.

Details of that ascent can be found here.

The other one missing, Micah Dash, 30, is also a renowned climber as well as alpinist. He’s done some really cool ascents including Freerider on El Capitan and Regular Northwest Face on Half Dome, both in Yosemite Valley.

You can read one of his articles at Climbing.com.

The third person is Wade Johnson, a 24-year-old climber and filmaker from Minnesota who was on an expedition to do some filming for SenderFilms.com.

This story was taken from here. We hope for the best.

Update: The body was confirmed to be that of Jonny Copp and a second body was found which is believed to be that of Wade Johnson. Micah Dash is still missing.

Gerald Myers, 41, a Colorado doctor who vanished near the top of Mount Mckinley,  is now listed missing and presumed dead according to Denali National Park and Preserve spokeswoman Maureen McLaughlin.

Search efforts were called off Tuesday afternoon after search crews determined that further efforts were unlikely to find him. Normally, this is when a breakthrough occurs, just after someone decides to give something up but continues anyway. Unfortunately, this is not the case. Rangers searching on the ground weren’t able to even find signs of Myers.

However, the park rangers will continue examining the thousands of high resolution images taken of the mountain during the search for any signs of the doctor.

Myers was described as someone who was the most likely to live through survival situation among his friends. A chiropractor with extensive climbing experience, Myers had been planning the ascent for a few years, said Dr. David Friedman, whose Centennial practice, Arapahoe Chiropractic and Acupuncture Center, Myers worked for. He’d held out hope Myers would be rescued until the search was called off, he said.

While Myers had 3 climbing partners for the climb, he left them at a 14,200-foot camp last Tuesday to attempt a solo summit. He packed a pair of skis and talked about skiing down after his ascent but he did not mention which route he planned to take.

Other than a pair of skis, Myers only carried a small daypack with insufficient survival gear. It appeared that he was not carrying recommend gear like a sleeping bag, bivvy sack, camp stove or thermal pad.

In the amount of time that he was missing and without the appropriate gear, it was very unlikely that he would survive. Myers is the 104th person whose life is claimed by Mount McKinley since tracking began in 1932.

Rest in Peace.

The American Hiking Society is the only national, recreation-based nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting and protecting America’s hiking trails, their surrounding natural areas and the hiking experience. Together with outdoor enthusiasts across,  the country will celebrate the 17th annual National Trails Day (NTD) on June 6, 2009. It’s a long-standing celebration of America’s magnificient trail system and its countless supporters and volunteers.

On that day there will be about 1,500 events around the country including trail maintenance, hiking, paddling, biking, horseback riding, bird watching, running and trail celebrations.

I like the theme for this year’s NTD. It’s “Take in the Outdoors”, an open invitation to all Americans to get outside, connect with local hiking clubs, outdoor retailers, local parks and recreation departments or federal land managing agancies to experience everything the great outdoors has to offer.

“American Hiking Society’s National Trails Day serves as a gateway to introduce youth and adults to the outdoors and an opportunity for outdoor enthusiasts to give back,” said Greg Miller, American Hiking Society president.

This year’s sponsors include Nature Valley, Backpacker Magazine, Merrell, Fetzer Vineyards, REI, YMCA, and American Park Network.

The first National Trails Day was in 1993 and since then has inspired thousands of people and community groups to take part in activities that promote healthy living, protect green space, educate youth and adults on the importance of trails, and instill excitement for the outdoors.

To know more about National Trails Day and the American Hiking Society, go to www.AmericanHiking.org.

Any community organization that would like to host an even should contact Heather Sable, Trail Programs Manager through email at hsable@americanhiking.org or call (800) 972-8608 x.204.

This is the right time to buy camping gear.

[media:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hr3bfBNj1pk]

[media:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FV6WtkNxw3A]

Millions of people go to the mountains for backpacking, skiing, mountain climbing and other activities every year. If you’re planning a trip to altitudes over 8,000 feet, talk with your doctor about high-altitude illness (also called mountain sickness or altitude sickness).

The higher you climb above sea level, the less oxygen there is in the air. The oxygen level becomes very low at altitudes above 8,000 feet. This causes problems for people who normally live at lower altitudes because their bodies aren’t used to working on so little oxygen. If you stay at a high altitude for a long time, your body gets used to the low oxygen level, and you don’t get sick from it.

Just yesterday, May 19, an amateur Chinese mountaineer died on the return trip after reaching the peak of Mount Everest. Wu Wenhong, from east China’s Jiangsu Province was pronounced dead at around 4 a.m. at 8,750 meters. The total height of the highest mountain on earth is about 8,848 meters above sea level.

Professional mountaineers armed with oxygen tanks, tents and camp stove made an attempt to rescue Wu but all proved to be useless.

However, some sources suggests that the best treatment for altitude sickness is by going down to a lower altitude right away unless the symptoms are mild in which case you can stay at that altitude and let your body adjust. Rest is very important as you let your body adjust to the altitude.

If you have severe symptoms, go down 1,500 to 2,000 feet right away to see if your symptoms get better. Keep going down until your symptoms go away completely.

Waiting for the rescuers to come may not be the best thing the Chinese climbers did to save Wu’s life but the weather was extremely harsh and the path to descend was difficult.

How can I prevent high-altitude illness?
You can do 2 important things to prevent high-altitude illness:

1. Take your time traveling to higher altitudes. When you travel to a high altitude, your body will begin adjusting right away to the lower amount of oxygen in the air, but it takes several days for your body to adjust completely. If you’re healthy, you can probably safely go from sea level to an altitude of 8,000 feet in a few days. But when you reach an altitude above 8,000 feet, don’t go up faster than 1,000 feet per day. The closer you live to sea level, the more time your body will need to get used to a high altitude. Plan your trip so your body has time to get used to the high altitude before you start your physical activity.
2. Sleep at an altitude that is lower than the altitude you are at during the day. For example, if you ski at an elevation of 10,000 feet during the day, sleep the night before and the night after at an elevation of 8,500 feet.

Is it safe to go to a high altitude if I have a chronic illness like heart disease or lung disease?
It depends on the type and severity of chronic illness you have. Most people who have a chronic illness, such as heart or lung disease, can safely spend time at a high altitude if their disease is under control. People who have coronary artery disease, mild emphysema or high blood pressure aren’t at greater risk of high-altitude illness than people who don’t have these diseases. They also don’t risk making their disease worse by traveling to a high altitude. In addition, being overweight does not increase the risk of getting high-altitude illness.

Some diseases make going to a high altitude very dangerous. People who have sickle cell anemia shouldn’t go to a high altitude. A high altitude is also dangerous for people who have severe lung disease, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or severe emphysema, and for people who have severe heart disease. If you have a chronic disease, ask your doctor if it’s safe for you to travel to a high altitude.

Check out the view from the summit of Mt. Everest:

[media:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q9dHML7oadU]

This years’ Suburban Warrior Challenge is the third in a series of extreme fitness competition hosted by Mbody Strength, an unconventional fitness company based in Orange County.

This is the first time the event will be held on the beach, making it an exciting challenge. Also dubbed “The Sand Trek” the beach promises to give the participants a good workout.

Participants will have to hike 2 miles in the dry sand of Bolsa Chica State Beach in Huntington Beach, California, while carrying a weighted backpack and a kettlebell in hand.

For every half mile, competitors are required to perform a hundred repetitions of either push ups, kettlebell snatches or kettlebell clean and presses. This will definitely test the participants’ strength and endurance to the limits.

For those who have never used a kettlebell before, there are trainers onsite that can train people hot to do the kettlebell exercises.

The main equipment is the MBody KettleBack™, the only backpack designed to carry kettlebells for weighted lifting. The heavy duty backpack is a result of  research in the field of effective, new strenght and conditioning training method.

The army uses weighted hiking to train their soldiers for combat duty. Soldiers are required to walk at a fast pace over rough terrain with a least 45 pounds in their backpack.

The four divisions in the competition are:

1. Men’s Division 1: 60lb Pack/18lb Arm Load/53lb Kettlebell for Exercises
2. Men’s Division 2: 40lb Pack/18lb Arm Load/35lb Kettlebell for Exercises
3. Women’s Division 1: 32lb Pack/9lb Arm Load/26lb Kettlebell for Exercises
4. Women’s Division 2: 25lb Pack/9lb Arm Load/18lb Kettlebell for Exercises

The competition will start on May 9th, 2009 from 8 in the morning to 12:00 pm in Bosla Chica State Beach in Huntington Beach, California. Entry fee is $15 and participants must be at least 18 years old. All necessary equipment will be provided.

All participants will receive a free Likida Stainless Steel Water Bottle and the winner of each division will recieve an Apollo Kettlebell.

Challenge yourself and be a part of The Third Suburban Warrior Challenge Fitness Competition.

Looks like good news for bears (a other wildlife) at least the month of March.

The U.S. District Court Judge blocked the rule which allowed visitors to carry concealed, loaded guns in national parks and wildlife refuges.

The ruling was issued by the Bush administration back in January as they were leaving office and was reviewed by former Colorado Senator Ken Salazar when he became the new Interior Secretary.

The Interior Department is expected to issue a statement about the gun rule in the next month.

It was never a good idea anyway to use guns as protection against wild animals. There are other ways to protect yourself like carrying a bear spray instead.

Weird things sometimes happen on a hiking trip but in all my life hiking in the wild (fortunately) I have never come across a dead body much less a naked (almost) dead body.

On the morning on February 11, hikers found the body of a nearly naked man (he was only wearing a pair of blue underwear) lying across the Wahkeena Falls Trail near the junction with Multnomah Falls Trail in the Columbia River.

The man was described as a white male in his mid twenties, 5 feet 10 inches tall with receding brown hair and hazel eyes. Authorities are still trying to figure out the identity of this man.

No signs of trauma was found on the man but this incident is really suspicious.

One guy even went so far as to say that it might have something to do with aliens and the human cloning project that he says has been going on for many years in the BullRun watershed.

He suspects that there’s a deep underground facility somewhere near the gorge where genetic experimentations are conducted and communications with aliens are established.

But when he says that the poor guy was probably trying to escape from these ‘alien facilities’ or from some occult group that had made him a sex slave I began to laugh out loud.

Even if the guy was trying to escape from aliens there would at least some sign of struggle (which there were none). An escaped sex slave would probably show signs of trauma.

A more reasonable explanation would be that the guy was probably high on drugs. The Multnomah County Medical Examiner’s office will establish a positive identity and perform an autopsy.

Anyone with any information related to this incident should call the Sheriff’s Tip Line at 503-261-2847.

My advice would be to avoid Wahkeena/Multnomah Falls until everything is cleared. Who knows? There might really be aliens or some weird cult working in the area.

Stay safe!

Due to a recent Salmonella outbreak that is thought to be caused by tainted peanut butter supplied by the Peanut Corporation of America(PCA), CLIFF Bar announced a voluntary recall of 14 U.S and 4 Canadian products including CLIF Bar, CLIF Builder’s, CLIF MOJO, CLIF Kid Organic ZBaR and LUNA Bar, in the U.S. and Canada.

The peanut butter in those products was sourced, for a limited period of time, from the PCA.

The U.S.  Food and Drug Administration is currently investigating PCA. CLIFF Bar and Company takes the health and safety of their consumers very seriously and recall was in no way under orders from the Food and Drug Administration.

Not all CLIFF Bar products are affected, only the ones with BEST BY or SELL BY dates below:

CLIF BAR Chocolate Chip Peanut Crunch BEST BY/SELL BY: 21JUN09 to 01OCT09 and 03NOV09 to 28NOV09 CLIF BAR Crunchy Peanut Butter BEST BY/SELL BY: 21JUN09 to 01OCT09 and 03NOV09 to 28NOV09 CLIF BAR Peanut Toffee Buzz BEST BY/SELL BY: 13SEP09 CLIF Builder’s Peanut Butter SELL BY: 19JUL09 to 30SEP09 and 05NOV09 to 18NOV09 CLIF Kid Organic ZBaR Peanut Butter BEST BY: 07JUL09 to 05SEP09 and 12NOV09 LUNA Nutz Over Chocolate BEST BY: 29JUL09 to 03OCT09 and 11NOV09 to 14NOV09 LUNA Peanut Butter Cookie BEST BY: 02OCT09 to 03OCT09 and 11NOV09 to 14NOV09 MOJO Honey Roasted Peanut BEST BY: 30APR09 to 21JUN09 MOJO Mixed Nuts BEST BY: 30APR09 to 21JUN09 MOJO Mountain Mix BEST BY: 30APR09 to 21JUN09 MOJO Peanut Butter Pretzel BEST BY: 30APR09 to 21JUN09 MOJO Dipped Chocolate Peanut BEST BY: 30APR09 to 21JUN09 MOJO Dipped Peanut Butter and Jelly BEST BY: 30APR09 to 21JUN09 MOJO Dipped Fruit and Nut BEST BY:

30APR09 to 21JUN09

In Canada, the following 4 products are included in the recall. Only bars with wrappers that have the following EXPIRY DATE/DATE D’EXPIRATION codes1 on them, in all sizes and packages, are being recalled:

CLIF® BAR Chocolate Chip Peanut Crunch / Brisures de Chocolat aux Arachides Croquants EXPIRY DATE/DATE D’EXPIRATION: 2009SE07 CLIF BAR Crunchy Peanut Butter / Beurre d’ Arachide Croquant EXPIRY DATE/DATE D’EXPIRATION: 2009SE06 to 2009SE11 and 2009NO13 CLIF® BAR Peanut Toffee Buzz® / Toffee et Arachides EXPIRY DATE/DATE D’EXPIRATION: 2009SE12 CLIF Builder’s Peanut Butter / Beurre d’Arachide EXPIRY DATE/DATE D’EXPIRATION: 2009JL20 and

2009AU20

No other CLIF or LUNA products or flavors are included in this recall.

For more information and refunds see cliffbar.com

Mary McMullen, Town Trails and Outdoor Recreation Coordinator has scheduled three recreational opportunities that she says she will definitely accomplish.

The event, which would attract a lot of families and outdoor enthusiasts, includes and three-mile hike, urban biking and wildlife viewing.

Hiking Event

The hiking event will begin at 8:30 a.m. on January 24 at the Boulders Trailhead located 3.7 miles east of Highway 260 on Granite Dells Road.

The hike, which will be led by McMullen herself, is rated as moderate but there will be some slopes, loose granite and water that must be traversed.

You will enjoy the fantastic views along the trail, which are of Granite Dells and riparian areas.

It is advised that you bring you use good quality hiking boots, drinking water and walking sticks.

It will be a free hiking event and anyone can join but be sure to sign-up. It is recommended that you pre-register at the P&R offices even though sign-up can be completed prior to the event.

Urban Biking

Aspiring mountain bikers and those wanting to learn about the sport will appreciate the urban biking event. There will be a $15 charge for the event which includes a two-hour clinic and ride.

Participants are expected  to bring along their own mountain bikes, helmet, tire repair kit and pump.

The event will begin at 10 a.m., January 31st at Ramada No.1 in Rumsey Park.

The longtime local mountain hiking guru himself, Dan Basinski will conduct the event which will cover bike setup, maintenance and repair, and practice in mountain biking techniques.

The wrap-up will be a trail ride near Payson, which promises to be a fun and exciting event.

Wildlife Watching

The final event is  a  wildlife-watching seminar which be held from 6 to 7 p.m., February 18 at the Green Valley Park P&R office.

The main purpose of this event is to learn to view wildlife responsibly with minimum impact on the animals and habitat.“It will include a slide show and hints on where to go to get good views of wildlife,” McMullen said.

Arizona Game and Fish Urban and Watchable Wildlife Program Manager Joe Yarchin will host the clinic.

For more information about any of the three events, call McMullen at (928) 474-5242, ext. 7.

The Minkoffs

Lawrence and Diane Minkoff, of Lattingtown N.Y., had lost their way after having trouble crossing a swollen stream in Worthington State forest and was found at 7.17 pm the same day they had set out hiking, almost 2 hours after calling for help.

The couple had been hiking since early morning and was carrying a GPS device. The thing with technology is that sometimes it can make you too confident.

The Minkoffs tried a different trail which required them to cross a stream and it took them longer than expected to reach their car.

They were found when Worthington State Forest Officer Steve Franzone spotted a light in the woods, which came from a dying flashlight. The cellphone they were carrying ran out of batteries. At least a dozen officers took part in the search.

There are 2 things you can learn from this incident. The first one is to never trust a GPS too much that you would wander off the trail or use a different trail that you are unsure of.

Second, always use fresh batteries for your flashlight and cellphone when you start on a hike and only use your cellphone in case of emergencies to preserve battery life.

The Trio from El Paso County

The three hikers started hiking around noon in Waldo Canyon, a popular hiking spot along Highway 24 between Manitou Springs and Woodland Park. They got lost after taking a wrong turn on the trail.

Luckily they had a cell phone and called for help at around 5 pm. The trio were found at approximate 9 pm and escorted to safety.

The three were lucky to be rescued as they were not equipped with winter hiking gear and probably would not have survived the night if they were not found.