Allegheny National Forest

Allegheny National Forest covers 512,998 acres of Northwest Pennsylvania. Two hundred years ago the forest was mostly Eastern Hemlock and American Beech, but today the area is comprised mostly of black cherry, maple and other hardwoods. The disappearance of hemlock began in the 1850s when tanneries started using hemlock bark as their source for curing leather. The industry received a great boost by the Civil War demand for harness, military equipment and industrial belting. By the end of the century, the tanning industry was a major forest industry in Pennsylvania. Goodbye Hemlock.That sure is one green forest.MP3: Farm Band - Lord's Work

Adobe Bricks

The following is from New Mexico State University's "ABCs of Making Adobe Bricks."Select a site that is near a suitable soil and has a large level area for drying and curing the bricks. Dig a pit about 2 feet deep and of any convenient size for mixing. Before you start mixing, soak the pit thoroughly for at least 12 hours to saturate the retaining perimeter.When you are ready to start, put some soil in your pit and add just enough water, mixing as you add, to make a stiff mix. You may wish to add straw or dried manure to your mix. Although this may be the local customs, it is not structurally necessary.Transport the mix to the drying area. The drying area should be sprinkled with dry sand or straw to prevent the wet blocks from binding to the surface of the drying area. Fill the forms with the mix and compact the corners thoroughly. With a straight edge, strike off the form and "gently" remove it, leaving the wet adobe bricks to dry for several days (at least three) before handling. Wash and reuse the forms immediately, but do not disturb the bricks. After several days, the bricks should be strong enough to be turned so that drying can continue. But they will not be strong enough to be handled roughly for three or four weeks, depending on weather conditions during the drying time. However, if showers are prevalent during the brick-making season, you should stack the partially cured adobe in loose ricks and protect them as much as possible from moisture.Adobe bricks gain strength with drying time, provided they are not exposed to rain or other moisture. Protect your work, but remember that the wind and the sun are you drying agents, and use judgment, too.Don't build with adobe unless labor is cheap or free. Adobe bricks are cheap only when labor is cheap.Read the rest here.

Open Job: Denali Dogsledder

Denali National Park is looking for a Park Ranger (Kennels Manager). It pays around 60K a year, you're responsible for 20 - 25 government-owned dogs and you'll be using those dogs to patrol the Denali wilderness and maintain winter trails. Read the full description here:

As the manager of the kennels the incumbent is responsible for the feeding, training, conditioning, breeding, and basic health care of between 25 and 35 government-owned dogs and the maintenance of associated equipment. Additionally, under the close supervision and mentoring of the district ranger and other employees the incumbent will assist with a comprehensive visitor and resource protection program by utilizing dog teams to patrol the park wilderness to break and maintain winter trails, monitor wildlife activity and assist visitors; lead other employees in patrolling by dogsled; plan and coordinate freight hauling trips by dog-sled in the park wilderness; and perform as a member of the district team to maintain year-round emergency management and response capability. The incumbent will receive additional training and mentoring in order to educate and inform the public about the significance and uniqueness of park resources and the history and relevance of the sled-dog tradition in Denali National Park and Alaska using formal and informal interpretation techniques. Will participate in and plan intensive summer visitor program schedules. The incumbent may lead the day-to-day activities of employees and volunteers.

(Via The Goat)

Mountain Goat

No question that a mountain goat is one of the more spectacular things you can see while hiking/camping. The only time I've seen one, albeit from a hefty distance, was on my first trip to ROMO in 2001. Pretty amazing creature. Despite its vernacular name, it is not a member of Capra, the genus of true goats. According to Wikipedia:

The mountain goat is an even-toed ungulate of the order Artiodactyla and the family Bovidae that includes antelopes and cattle. It belongs to the subfamily Caprinae, along with thirty-two other species including true goats, sheep, the chamois, and the musk ox. The mountain goat is the only species in the genus Oreamnos. The name Oreamnos is derived from the Greek term oros (stem ore-) "mountain" (or, alternatively, oreas "mountain nymph") and the word amnos "lamb."

Interesting? Maybe. (Via OhRanger)

Eric Ryback

Eric Ryback hiked the entire Appalachian Trail in 1969 when he was only 17 years old. The next summer he was the first person to hike the Pacific Crest Trail, 2500 miles from Canada to Mexico. He did it in 132 days carrying an 80 pound pack. Two years later he became the first person to complete backpacking's "triple crown" by hiking 3,000 miles along the Continental Divide, approximating a route that now makes up the Continental Divide Trail. He wrote a book (above), had a bunch of articles written about him, tasted a little celebrity, then hung up his boots and reemerged in the 90s as a one of the nation's most accomplished mutual fund managers. Makes sense.A few pictures from his PCT hike can be found here.

The Big Burn

In 1910, three million acres of forest in Idaho and Montana - an area the size of Connecticut - burned down, making it the largest forest fire in American history. Timothy Egan's new book, The Big Burn: Teddy Roosevelt and The Fire That Saved American, argues the fire, which claimed 70 lives, actually saved our nation's forests by strengthening the U.S. Forest Service and rallying public opinion behind Roosevelt's plan to protect national lands. Listen to Egan discuss the book on Fresh Air and then read a chapter here.

Europe '72

I spent last night getting drunk on a huge bottle of cheap red wine, slovenly walking around the living room playing 6th-grader pentatonic solos to Europe '72. Whether it really is the band's best album or because it's the one that followed me around most of my young adult life, Europe '72 is the one to have. If there's something better than "Ramble On Rose" to blast through a shit car stereo on the way to wherever you're going, then I'm not sure I want to know it.MP3: Grateful Dead - Ramble On RoseArgue with me, go ahead. What's better?

White Nose Syndrome

Map illustrating the ranges of endangered species of hibernating bats in the U.S. and the spreading distribution of White-nose syndrome What is White Nose Syndrome:

In February 2006 some 40 miles west of Albany, N.Y., a caver photographed hibernating bats with an unusual white substance on their muzzles. He noticed several dead bats. The following winter, bats behaving erratically, bats with white noses, and a few hundred dead bats in several caves came to the attention of New York Department of Environmental Conservation biologists, who documented white-nose syndrome in January 2007. Hundreds of thousands of hibernating bats have died since. Biologists with state and federal agencies and organizations across the country are still trying to find the answer to this deadly mystery.We have found sick, dying and dead bats in unprecedented numbers in and around caves and mines from Vermont to Virginia. In some hibernacula, 90 to 100 percent of the bats are dying.

NPS:

In mid-October, New York DEC bilogists helped set up video cameras in a mine where WNS has severly impacted hibernating bats. The U.S. Geological Survey and National Park Service planned and funded this project, which is also monitoring a cave likely to become affected by WNS this winter. The video surveillance will monitor for aberrant behaviors of hibernating bats, such as excessive grooming, unusually long periods of activity, or winter flight. USGS researchers are assessing whether such behaviors could be the link between skin infection by the fungus Geomyces destructans and death by starvation after premature depletion of winter fat reserves. Preliminary results are expected by late spring 2010.State fish and wildlife agencies have until Jan. 8 to apply for state wildlife grants. Last year, Northeast Region states combined forces and received $940,870 for white-nose syndrome work.

Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore

by Mark CahillSleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore sits just west of Traverse City along the Lake Michigan shoreline. There are two islands that lie offshore that form the legend of the dunes. The Chippewa Indians told the story:"Long ago, along the Wisconsin shoreline, a mother bear and her two cubs were driven into Lake Michigan by a raging forest fire. The bears swam for many hours, but eventually the cubs tried and lagged behind. Mother bear reached the shore and climbed to the top of a high bluff to watch and wait for her cubs. Too tired to continue, the cubs drowned within sight of the shore. The Great Spirit Manitou created two islands to mark the spot where the cubs disappeared and then created a solitary dune to represent the faithful mother bear”.When there be sure to head straight west to where the dunes start to turn and lookout out over the Lake. It's a perfect place to throw your arm out trying to get a stone to land in the water: It's impossible, trust me. After you've soaked up the view, be sure to trek down the steep sandy slope and stand at the thin strip of rock between the dune and the water. Then take a dip in Lake Michigan (might be a little cold now) and hunt for some Petoskey stones.Watch: Bob Seger System - Lucifer

Arc'Teryx Gamma MX Hoody

The weather in New York has been a little cold and rainy, and although those conditions might be a tad premature for the Arc'Teryx Gamma MX Hoody, I haven't had a chance to wear it since it came in July, so as soon as the temperature dropped I put it to use around town. The coat fits perfectly (gusseted underarms that eliminate bulk) and the hood is meant to go over a helmet, so you'll have plenty of protection if you're using it to walk the streets of Brooklyn. The Gamma MX Hoody also has very tight cuffs on the sleeves, a feature of Arc'Teryx coats that I've always liked. So far it's kept me warm and dry, and at only 1.5 lbs, it'll be getting a lot of use this season. Check out what Backcountry users have to say about it.