August 2009 Archives

Emmy-winning filmmaker Ken Burns’s new work “The National Parks: America’s Best Idea” will begin showing on PBS September 27. It’s a six-episode series directed by Burns and written and co-produced by Dayton Duncan.

You can watch Backpacker magazine’s new 4-minute video interview with Burns here.

In the Seattle Times, Mike McQuaide describes five trails that are perfect for end-of-summer, post-melt hikes in Washington’s Cascades National Park. “Cascade Pass/Sahale Arm: With its stunning views of Johannesburg Mountain, Cascade Peak and more — easily had without even taking a step from the trailhead parking lot — the Cascade Pass Trail is justifiably one of the most popular trails in Western Washington.”

In the Denver Post, Kirk Mitchell writes about the infiltration of national forests by international drug cartels, noting not only that hikers risk stumbling across the operations, but that grower chemicals may be polluting wilderness streams. “People hiking in national forests need to be aware of several red flags, including trails formed where there shouldn’t be any, as well as tortilla wrappers and beer, Spam and tuna cans left on them. Also, people should not take the time to take pictures or record GPS positions. They should quickly hike away and call authorities,’ [U.S. Forest Service Agent Michael] Skinner said.”