Mount Shasta: Scale a Dormant-Active Volcano

December 3, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Aerial photo of Mount Shasta taken while flyin...
Image via Wikipedia

Classically cone-shaped, majestic Mount Shasta is not only nearly 10,000 feet tall, home to seven glaciers and numerous myths and legends. It’s also a dormant, yet active, volcano. Dormant because it has a history of only erupting once every 600 to 800 years; active because the fumaroles–small vents in the ground that let out steam and air from volcanic chambers beneath–on the mountain tell us that it’s still very much full of hot magma underneath.

Mount Shasta’s last eruption is speculated to have happened around 200 years ago; the speculation is based upon an account by French Navy explorer La Pérouse in his journal after observing the volcano erupting offshore of California from his ship in 1786. If this was indeed an eruption of Mount Shasta (for no other large volcanoes are anywhere near where La Pérouse observed the eruption), and if the pattern holds true, then the volcano will erupt again in around 400 years’ time. Not anything to cancel your vacation over!

Mount Shasta is notorious for having steep climbing trails; inexperienced climbers frequently must be rescued after taking on a climb more dangerous than they can handle, so if you are planning on attempting to reach the summit, be aware that it’s not a beginner-level kind of climb. Most popular (and involving over 6,000 feet of vertical gain) to climb is Avalanche Gulch, also known as the John Muir route. Obstacles in your path if you take this route include danger of rockfall (hence the name “Avalanche Gulch”), numerous snowfields and moraines, and a bergschrund.

To avoid the avalanches and other pitfalls of the John Muir route, Casaval Ridge and Sargents Ridge are your best options, especially during the winter months. There are hiking trails around the base of the mountain, too, if the summit isn’t your goal and you’d rather enjoy the atmosphere without as much of the risk. Thanks to its snowy, steep peaks, Mount Shasta is also a popular destination for back country skiing. Experienced skiers may choose the steep upper slopes, while the less-daring can still enjoy the mountain with less-angled slopes further down.

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Rocky Mountain National Park: A Hiking Trail Guide

November 7, 2010 By Leave a Comment
MELBOURNE, VICTORIA - FEBRUARY 03: A park ran...
Image by Getty Images via @daylife

If you are looking for a great hiking range within the Colorodo area then the Rocky Mountain National Park is just the place to go to. It offers hikers the oppertunity to see many great mountain vies, wonderful woodland creatures and a chance to have one of the most memorable mountain hikes of your life.

Here are some of the great things that Rocky Mountain National Park offers mountain hikers.

Hiking Trails. There are over 355 miles of charted hiking trails available through the Rocky Mountain National Park. These trails can range from very easy straight paths through the woods to more vigorous hikes up mountain ranges and climbing over objects.

Altitude Problems. The Rocky Mountain National Park sits on an elivation that ranges from 7500 ft to 12000 feet above sea water. That means that if you are from a lower flatter area you might experience problems with the hike. Even experienced hikers who have done this multiple times have problems with the change in the elevation that they have to go through.

Winter Hikes. Some national parks do not allow hikes through the winter. However, with Rocky Mountain National Park there is the option to do winter hikes during the winter months. Occassionally the park may be closed but as long as you have the necessary supplies winter hikes are allowed in the park.

Consider Park Ranger Led Hikes. There are plenty of park ranger led hikes that will take visitors through the park and allow them to see the sites and sounds without having to do it alone. This is a great choice for those with young children or those just starting out. It’s also a great way to learn about the various objects and items surrounding you in Rocky Mountain National Park as park rangers will walk you through it and point out areas of interest as you are on the walk.

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Mountain Climbing and Homeschooling Credits

November 3, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Mount Everest from Kalapatthar.
Image via Wikipedia

Mountain climbing is a great sport for exercise and endurance. Homeschoolers in most states (check your local laws) can use this sport to help fulfill P.E. credits. The physical activity and multitude of learning opportunities make it a fun, exciting P.E. class.

However, this isn’t the only use for the sport. You can incorporate mountain climbing into nearly every subject. Here are some examples.

1. Social Studies. In combination with a climb, have students study about historical expeditions, such as the ones on Mount Everest. Have them locate various mountain ranges on the map and study them. Have them research the biographies and nationalities of various mountain climbers and local their home countries on a map.

2. Language Arts. Students can read about various expeditions and write reports covering the details. Details about both the climbers and the mountains they climbed can be researched and discussed.

Have each student keep a journal that details the climbs they have undertaken. Have them share details such as landmarks reached, improvement with each hike and lessons learned from the experience.

3. Math. How long did they walk? How how did they climb? Have them do detailed calculations on the scope of the climb(s).

4. Science. Rock formations, mountain formations, geographical features with the types of rock are all possibilities for studies. Nature observations are also a good idea, and many students will keep a nature journal to write and draw what they observe.

5. Art. A picture is worth a thousand words. Have students sketch what they see. Have them add in elements of depth and shading for realism.

Mountain climbing is more than just an exercise – it can be incorporated into an entire unit of study with some creativity and imagination. By reading biographies and other supplementary material, writing about what they have read and experienced and studying maps for a feel of the geography involved, mountain climbing can be a well-rounded study for any curriculum.

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The Amazing Things That Fresh Air Can Do For You

October 22, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Wise Old Men
Image by lawgeek via Flickr

Ever feel stressed, tired, frustrated or angry? If you’ve answered yes to that then you’re probably human. If you’re like most people you probably don’t handle these types of emotions very well. There is however a secret cure that anyone can partake in.

Fresh air.

Fresh air is known to help a number of people overcome a laundry list of emotions and feelings that they’re dealing with. When you get upset and angry, consider taking a walk around the block. You come back to your house or apartment and you instantly feel better. Surprisingly it’s the fresh air that does it.

Some of the freshest, crispest air can be found while hiking to the top of mountains. For centuries people have used mountain hiking and mountain air as a form of relaxation and stress relief. Some of the world’s heaviest problems have been solved after taking a stroll up a mountain path. Think of all the old stories that involve having children or adventurers hike to the highest mountain to see a wise old man. It wasn’t the wise person who gave advice it was the mountain air that helped them figure it out. This might be a slight exaggeration but these stories do showcase how mountain air can help ease stress and solve problems.

In today’s society people carry a number of more modern concerns such as growing debts due to addictions to sports betting sites, divorce and marriage problems, world peace and even unemployment. While climbing to the top of a mountain won’t give you the instant answer to these problems, it can help you relax and be at ease for a little bit. The best part of this great relaxation method is that it is free and open to anyone who might feel stressed, angry or anxious. Try it out for yourself and see what fresh air does for you!

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A Brief History of Mountaineering

October 9, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Two mountaineers descending a snow/ice gully f...
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The term ‘mountaineering’ refers to any sport that involves climbing mountains, and encompasses cross-country skiing, rock climbing, hiking and more. Because humans were climbing mountains long before any of them were interesting in recording history about that climbing, the origin of mountaineering really can’t be determined. With the human tendency to do something just to find out if you can, it is safe to assume that mountaineering originated simultaneously anywhere there were mountains to climb and people to attempt climbing them.

Reasons for climbing mountains have varied over the centuries, but the human spirit’s rise to a challenge is relatively unchanged; even today, many mountaineers climb a mountain simply to reach the summit, not because there is anything there (although there is often a spectacular view), but simply to prove to themselves that they could climb the mountain if they really tried to. Others don’t care about the destination, and only want to enjoy the climb. This second more leisurely group of mountaineers tend toward more easygoing forms of the sport–hiking and walking. The ones interested in proving to the world that they can scale a mountain singlehandedly, those tend to take a more difficult method such as cross-country skiing, snowshoeing or rock climbing to reach the absolute highest spot there is to be reached.

For those mountaineers who strive to prove how high they can climb, often their dream climb is one of the eight-thousanders. The eight-thousanders are all independently-standing mountains on earth that are over 8,000 meters tall at sea level. There are fourteen such mountains, and only a handful of people have successfully ascended them. The first person to successfully summit all fourteen only accomplished the impressive task recently; it was Italian mountaineer Reinhold Messner, and he reached the last of the eight-thousanders’ summits in 1986.

Mountaineering is also known as Alpinism in many countries; this usage is rare in the United States; possibly due to the word’s similarity in sound and appearance to albinism. Alpinism was included in the Olympic Games during the 1920s, complete with prizes for the winners, but soon petered out after World War II.

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