A new survey by the CDC, as reported in the New York Times and on Backpacker’s blog by writer, editor and regular contributor Grant Davis, shows that hiking is the third most outdoor sport, if assessed by the numbers of injuries stemming from a given sport. The numbers are from data collected in 2004 and 2005. 
The New York Times takes the tack that it’s odd that snowboarding is number one - and higher than the rates for a number of other outdoor activities, including boating, waterskiing, mountain biking and camping, combined. Davis notes how odd it is that hiking - which is essentially walking - ranks so highly as to be in third place, and wonders where skiing is in the mix.
Curious indeed that hiking ranks so highly, but it’s probably like those statistics that show driving is so much more dangerous that flying, simply because so many people drive. After all, most everybody walks.
But I’d like to know how they define hiking. Is walking around a city park hiking? Or is that just walking?
Do you have a to be wearing a backpack to be hiking? Or wearing hiking boots, not running shoes?
And the most obvious question: Is hiking more dangerous than just staying home and watching TV?
Anyway, there’s a lot of amusement to be had in both Davis’ post and the report in general. And if you haven’t checked out Backpacker’s excellent and relatively new blog page, which offers frequent entries from Davis along with Backpacker Rocky Mountain Editor Steve Howe and regular blogger Ted Alvarez, there’s lots of thoughtful info there. Worth a bookmark.
I wish.
But, if you can’t have a pack that instantly kills those pesky winged devils once they penetrate your personal space, then you might as well have a pack that’s ergonomically comfy and stays on your back when you’re swinging for the fences trying to escape from the torture of those worthless winged things. Since it covered my entire back, my Gregory Triconi 60 probably did save me from a few more dozen bites.
I should have known better though. Taking a four-day backpacking trip into Wyoming’s Wind River mountains in the beginning of July after a huge snow year is like going to your local blood drive - except you come away with 46 swelling bumps instead of feeling warm inside that you might have helped save someones life. The Winds in July equals Mosquitoville and my girlfriend, Genevieve, and I were held hostage.
Yes, our friends, sisters, brother-in-laws, crusty old retail gear shop guys and co-workers all told us the bugs were going to be bad. But really, how bad can it be, I thought? Bad enough that after every mosquito bite you got you wanted to name it after someone who told you not to go?
It was bad. Unbearable at times. And dousing yourself in DEET didn’t seem to do the trick. Continue reading >>
We just added a new item to our blogroll, one that’s got a lot of useful resources for the transplants in the Gregory crew.
Trailspotting has some great info on northern California hiking trails. And though apparently based in Gregory’s new neighborhood (yep, we consider northern California a neighborhood), the folks who produce it aren’t limiting their coverage to that area; there’s also some great info on hiking in Hawaii.
Check it out. Cool thing is, they’ve cataloged hikes by location, so it’s easy to find a hike in the area you’re headed. Or an area to head for a hike.
