Just got the Ohiopyle gallery posted. I shot over 300 pictures and about 40+ made the cut, which is about the norm because I’m so picky. You can go to the menu bar and put your mouse over the “Hiking Gallery” button and select the “Hiking 2010″ button from the dropdown box.

You can also get to the gallery from HERE, But then you may miss the other galleries.

I hope you enjoy them and please send  me some feedback via my “Contact” Page which can also be found on the menu bar towards the top of the page> Any constructive comments, via email, would be appreciated.

If you don’t get the monthly news letter “Resource” from the PA. DCNR sign up for it HERE. The sign up is at the bottom of the page.

Water returns to portion of flood-damaged Delaware Canal after six years
After being damaged by several major floods and following about six years of remaining dry for repairs, DCNR Secretary John Quigley opened a stop gate on July 23 surrounded by bikers, kayakers, friends and partners to rewater the Delaware Canal and celebrate the restoration of the towpath trail in Delaware Canal State Park.

“The Delaware Canal is the last remaining canal in America capable of being fully watered, so it gives us great pleasure today to be able to ‘rewater’ this section,” Quigley said at a ceremony at the Forks of the Delaware Recreation Area adjacent to the Canal in Easton. “What once was a major transportation corridor connecting places and people, now connects people to our natural resources, serving as a popular canoeing, hiking and biking route.”

A walk along the 60-mile towpath of the Delaware Canal is a stroll into American history. Read more..

For more on this newsletter click HERE

If you don’t get the monthly news letter “Resource” from the PA. DCNR sign up for it HERE. The sign up is at the bottom of the page.

DCNR forests, parks to open 930,000-plus acres to Deer Management Assistance Program
DCNR will open nearly 1 million acres of state forests and parks to deer hunters this year through a Game Commission program that helps to curtail damage to forests and manage white-tailed deer populations effectively.

DCNR’s participation in the Deer Management Assistance Program, or DMAP, marks the eighth year state forests and parks have been opened to hunters for harvesting antlerless deer. This year, 15 of DCNR’s 20 state forest districts and 21 of 117 state parks will be enrolled in the program, according to DCNR Secretary John Quigley.

“By focusing DMAP antlerless harvests in 15 of our forest districts and some of our state parks, hunters can help balance deer populations with available habitat and promote healthy forests and healthy deer while enjoying quality hunting experiences,” said Quigley. Read more…

For more on this article click HERE

Miles Hiked: 6 (Approx.)/GoogleMaps/Previous Write-Up

I hooked up with Jason, from OutfoorInformer.com and we headed out to North Park to do the North Ridge Trail. This was the second “non-solo” hike I had done this year (I had hiked with the Pittsburgh Hiking Meet-Up Group earlier this year at Duff Park) and the fourth time on this trail. When I had hiked this trail in the Spring I had really enjoyed the scenery and the somewhat ease of the elevations. When I got there this time I was totally amazed at the transformation with the greens, the flowers, butterflies, moths…everything! It felt like I was in another place.

Read the rest of this entry »

Entrance to Colonial Williamsburg Information Center

Miles Walked: 3 miles (Approx.)

The whole trip to Virginia was a trip back in time whether it was visiting with friends, traveling along the beachfront, or revisiting Colonial Williamsburg. It had been many years since I had been there, about 15 to be more exact, and I expected some changes and “new discoveries” as well.

I got my ticket, a “One Day Plus” ticket, which opened up more of the exhibits like the Governor’s Palace, Public Hospital of 1773 and Museum, The Blacksmith, The Coffeehouse (which was new…to me at least), The Capitol…basically, anything that was “in red” on the city map, and decided to bypass the bus and head down the footpath that lead to the city.

I evidently miss a lot the last time I was here, but considering it takes a good full day or two (a week would be optimal) to see almost everything it really isn’t all that surprising. I came upon the Hope Plantation where it re-creates 1770’s rural life for the planter,  the growing of crops and gardens, to the smoke house, carpentry and the life of slaves on the plantation.Once I spent some time listening to the period dressed presenters and taking a lot of pictures I headed for the Governor’s Palace. The temperature had stayed in the mid 90’s the whole weekend and I took advantage of any shade that I came to knowing I was going to need water once I got to the palace.

Governor's Palace - Rear of the building

Read the rest of this entry »

Miles Hiked: 5.59 miles/GoogleMaps/Annotated Map

When I decided on the trip to Virginia Beach, to visit some long time friends, I also wanted to hike a park in the area. I do that when visiting family or friends who live out of state, I get to see, and hike some new parks that way as well as get some exerscise. First Landing State Park was an easy choice because of it’s location near where I was staying in Virginia Beach and it turned out to be more than just another hike.

Read the rest of this entry »

The “Follow Me” Series is an endeavor that has taken about 2 years to make. Why so long? Lack of equipment, lack of money to buy the equipment and lack of inspiration. Once I got back into hiking I wanted to relate how much I enjoyed the experience and to show what Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania had to offer. I wanted to inspire the “Couch Potato” to get moving and to help the amateur hiker find places that were within 2 hours from the Burgh.

After saving up enough “pennies”, I bought a new Nikon (with lenses) and a Sony HandiCam. I had the gear and after two years of hiking local and state parks the inspiration was there. I know what I wanted to show I just didn’t know how to show it. So I went with examples of how others did their videos, threw in my “gut feelings” with a little “heart”, and began to record.

Another thing…when I visit friends and family I find places to hike. So, I decided to include these “side trips” in order to show the other places that I hike. There aren’t many of these but I thought it would be nice to show these places and maybe the diversity of other parks. My primary goal is showing off the Burgh and PA. but a change of pace is nice now and then.

The series will be releasing in the Fall, maybe a little earlier and I hope you enjoy it.

Here’s the link to my trailer: My YouTube Channel

My friend Jason, from Outdoor Informer, is running a contest. Please take a moment and check it out.

Enter to win a pair of of Hi-Tec Cascadia XCm eVent hiking boots. Be the talk of the trail and show your backcountry prowess on your next backpacking trip with a boot from Hi-Tec, a leader in in high-adventure footwear.

If you don’t get the monthly news letter “Resource” from the PA. DCNR sign up for it HERE. The sign up is at the bottom of the page.

Conference and lecture set stage for conservation leadership
Urging people to “stand up and demand change because we are in serious trouble,” Larry Schweiger, president and CEO of the National Wildlife Federation, offered a unique, historical perspective on conservation in Pennsylvania at the midpoint of a two-day Conservation Leaders Summit held June 17-18 in Valley Forge.

The Conservation Leaders Summit gathered people from across the state to discuss how to protect Pennsylvania’s natural resources in the future. The group heard from panelists and keynote speakers who addressed trends impacting conservation in this century; generated big ideas and initiatives on how to protect Pennsylvania’s legacy of special natural lands and waters, working farms and forests; and determined how to help green the state’s built environment.

Schweiger’s lecture, “Pennsylvania Conservation: Standing on the Shoulders of Giants,” was billed as a modern-day Michaux Lecture, which was first delivered in the late 1800s by Joseph Rothrock to draw attention to the environmental destruction of the time. Read more…

For more on this article click HERE

If you don’t get the monthly news letter “Resource” from the PA. DCNR sign up for it HERE. The sign up is at the bottom of the page.

Two major studies show Pennsylvania Wilds effort resulted in investments, increases in tourism
In 2003, Governor Edward G. Rendell established the Pennsylvania Wilds initiative to conserve natural resources and energize local economies in the state’s 12-county, north-central region by drawing visitors to the vast and largely rural area that is home to some of the best outdoor recreation opportunities and wilderness adventure experiences in the eastern U.S.

He charged DCNR with spearheading the effort and coordinating state agencies, as well as local jurisdictions, tourism promotion agencies, economic development leaders, and the private sector.

Now, two new reports have found that the initiative is helping to rejuvenate the area by bringing in new visitors and new investments, and have developed a case study on how state governments can build similar successful initiatives while working with local officials and citizens. Read more…

For more on this story click HERE