Author Archives: Cathy

Email From the Trail? Tales from Alaska

Do you email from the trail? Tweet about the birds you’ve just heard? Check your iphone or Blackberry while out in nature? Do you find it unbearable to be disconnected? Or do you happily take a break from technology when … Continue reading

Posted in Alaska, Rafting, Technology, Utah, Wildlife, Yukon | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Outdoor Contests: Share Your Photos (or Just Your Name), Win Trips and Gear

Three cool contests that hikers and other outdoors people are sure to like: The Leave No Trace Trailhead Sign Contest wants your photos of trailhead signs that mention the Leave No Trace program. Post them on the Leave No Trace … Continue reading

Posted in Colorado, Contest, Environmental Impact, Gear, National Parks, Photographs, U.S. Forest Service, Wilderness Area | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Outdoor Contests: Share Your Photos (or Just Your Name), Win Trips and Gear

Free Admission to National Parks

Time to plan a hike! The National Park Service announced two more free-admission days –August 14 and 15 — at the 146 parks that normally charge an entrance fee (nearly 250 others never charge a fee). Rocky Mountain National Park, … Continue reading

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How Do Search and Rescue Dogs Find People?

[This is a reprint of an article I wrote for Smithsonian magazine a few years ago. My all-time favorite freelance assignment. Longer than your average blog post, but that’s what writers did in those days.] Elbow by elbow, like a … Continue reading

Posted in Colorado, Dogs, Hikes, National Parks, Safety, Search and Rescue | Tagged , , , , | 6 Comments

What’s in Your Backpack? The 10 Essentials of Hiking…and a Few More

What should you bring on a hike? I’ve always heard that there are “ten essentials” of hiking – the items you must bring on a hike to stay safe and warm. That list seems to vary a lot, though, depending … Continue reading

Posted in Colorado, Gear, Hikes, Safety, Wilderness Area | Tagged , , , , , | 13 Comments

Fiery Furnace Hike in Arches National Park

The Annual Girls’ Adventure Tour took us to Moab, Utah, this year. My sister Lisa and I had camped in the area a very long time ago, at Dead Horse Point State Park, but she hadn’t been back since then. … Continue reading

Posted in Hikes, Kids, National Parks, Safety, Utah | Tagged , , , , , | 6 Comments

Welcome to GoodHiker.com!

GoodHiker.com is here to help you and the kids in your life to get outdoors and have fun hiking, while also learning about minimizing your impact on the environment — in short, how to have fun, stay safe and tread … Continue reading

Posted in Colorado, Environmental Impact, Everything Else, Good Hiker Certificate, Hikes, Kids, Safety, Wildlife | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments