Tag Archives: Advocacy

Outdoor Society argues for more huts in USA

Mathias Eichler, outdoors advocate and editor of the Outdoor Society blog, grew up in the foothills of the Alps.  He can’t understand why there are not more huts in USA, his beloved adopted land.  He is a great fan of our National Parks and advocate for recreational use of public land. {Featured image courtesy Mathias Eichler}

In two posts (click on titles in excerpts below) he discusses his ideas.  In an editorial “Whats next for America’s Public Lands?” he presents a case for more huts on public lands.  A separate piece “Eight Huts we need in the Mountains of the American West” presents brief profiles, accompanied by great pictures, of some huts he admires.

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Sean Byrne: Wicklow Way farmer, host, & advocate

The Byrne family has farmed in the Wicklow hills, along the Wicklow Way, for five generations. As a teen Sean helped out just down the road at a guest-house catering to hunters and fishermen on the beautiful Lough Dan. He also worked for his neighbors, the Guinness family, on their estate on the sublime Lough Tay. This farm boy gradually developed a gracious ease in working with people of all walks of life, a strong sense of the traditions of rural hospitality, deep knowledge of the land and the region, and a guiding commitment to preservation of the mountain uplands and way of life.  Photo above of Sean and Theresa Byrne.

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Over-snow Vehicle Rule issued by US Forest Service

Finally!  Conflict on trail use between skiers and snowmobilers has been addressed with a new US Forest Service (USFS) rule: the Over-Snow Vehicle (OSV) Travel Management Rule Revision.  10 years in the making, the final OSV Rule revisions were published in the Federal Register on January 28, 2015.  Also included in this notice are summary responses to some of the 20,000 comments received during the public comment period.

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North Country Trail Route Adjustments – support requested

Two proposed adjustments to the route of the North Country Trail (NCT) would: 1. utilize more than 400 miles of existing trails in Minnesota (including the Superior Hiking Trail, the Border Route Trail,  and the Kekekabic Trail), and 2. extend the trail about 40 miles east of its present terminus to link to the Appalachian Trail in Vermont.

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Book review: “Bold Spirit: Helga Estby’s Forgotten Walk Across Victorian America”

In an attempt to prevent foreclosure on the family farm, Helga Estby and her daughter Clara, ages 36 and 18, walked from Spokane, WA to New York City in 1896. They walked over 3,500 miles in 7 months and 18 days. Taking into account stops “aggregating about two months” to work and to recover from injuries and illness, they may have averaged about 20 miles a day, though they often walked considerably faster. Their satchels weighed about 8 pounds and did not include a tent or blankets, but did include lanterns for night walking. By today’s standards, their thin leather ladies shoes and foul weather clothing were shockingly inadequate.

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