Soon I’ll be creating my list of the best hiking blogs for 2011. Of course this list is really based on what hiking blogs stood out in 2010, but I feel if they did well in 2010 they’ll be great in 2011.

Comment with your favorite hiking blog.  It can be your own site as I enjoy sharing other sites with my readers.  Input and reviews from other bloggers and outdoor webmasters has been the highlight of my site this past year, and I hope it will continue.

There is no real science (analytics, rankings, etc.) for this review.  It’s mostly based on my spider sense (gut) and personal taste.  I enjoy sites with beautiful images, good reviews, and tips based on personal experience. If you have something to share online let me know. Even if your site doesn’t make the list I am always open to good trip reports.

Thanks,
Scott Thompson

Two-Heel Drive is not only a great name for a blog, but also a great hiking site.  This was one of my favorites from 2007 that made the list again.  Blogger Tom Mangan was in California, but now resides in North Carolina where he writes about hiking the Southeast as well as DVD and gear reviews.

CampNPost is a great looking blog about “Southeastern backpacking, camping, climbing, hiking and snowboarding.”  If you are planning a hiking trip to North Georgia this is a good place to consult for trip reports.

I rated the Yosemite Blog as the best blog for Yosemite in 2007 and it’s still the best in 2010.  If you are planning a vacation or hiking trip to Yosemite check out this blog to get the latest news about Yosemite and the surrounding area.

Camping & Hiking Blog from Tripleblaze - This blog is a good place for hiking gear reviews and holds frequent contests.

Modern Hiker is a great blog for hiking news for the Los Angeles and Southern California area, but I’ve also seen post for Northern California.  Even if you never plan on hiking in California this blog is a great bookmark for all the links and resources alone.

For a good read check out Sierra Club’s hiking, biking, and paddling site and blog aptly named Trails.  Check out the segment from a family living in Yosemite for a year.

The Backcountry Blog is the blog for Backcountry.com.  Even though they sell gear they don’t overload their blog with pitches.  I love this blog and this company.  I’m such a big fan of Backcountry.com that if I ever move to Utah I’m going to pester them for a job.  Even if it means sitting on their front porch every day until they start to feel sorry for me and bring me inside like a sad puppy.

The two blogs below are not solely hiking blogs but I love them so I’m including them here because I know you’ll love them too.

Dan Grec is driving his jeep from the top of Alaska to the tip of South America.  Along the way he’s posting some amazing pictures and highly interesting posts about the places he sees and the people he’s meeting.  I reviewed Dan’s blog a few months ago, but wanted to mention it again because this blog is a true gem.  I’m sure we’ll see a book from his adventure in a few years, but for those of us on the inside we can read about it in almost real time.

The Adventure Blog is a well run by the very accessible Kraig Becker.  He covers everything outdoor adventure related including destinations, expeditions, gear reviews, and outdoor electronics.  This blog will keep you updated on what’s happening in the expedition world and keep you motivated to find your own adventure.

If I left out your blog please send it to me and I might review it, or you can write a guest post to tell others about your favorite hike and your website.

As always I’m interested in hearing about your favorite hike, reviewing your hiking site or blog, testing equipment, or reviewing your book so send ‘em to me.

Scott

Garabaldi

Guest Trip Report from WilderMiss of A Mountain Top High blog

If you are looking for bang-for-your-buck on a trip in Garibaldi Provincial Park (between Squamish and Whistler, BC, Canada) you’ll be blown away by Garibaldi Lake. A gigantic glacier lake, panoramic views, and wildflower meadows await you after only a few kilometers on the trail. This trip is a must-do for local hikers and I highly recommend it to an outdoor lover planning a visit to south western BC.

Suggested Itinerary

You can hike all the way to Panorama Ridge in one epic day trip (bring your Power Thirst ) but for the most enjoyment I’d recommend a leisurely 3 day trip.

Day 1: Hike from Rubble Creek Parking Lot to Garibaldi Lake campsite. 9 km (5.5 miles), steep grade. Mountain Man and I are confident in doing this hike after work on Friday mid-summer (our northern latitude gives us very long days in June and July, check online for sunset time). Make sure that you’re used to climbing endless switchbacks with your pack on and have your headlamps handy if you attempt to do the same.

The hike from the parking lot to the lake isn’t fun. It’s switchbacks. ALL switchbacks. It’s steep and feels endless. But it’s not. If your quick you can cover the distance in about three hours. Budget for up to five hours.

But the reward makes it worthwhile. Garibaldi Lake is a gigantic, sparkling, glacier lake surrounded in a ring of white topped mountains. It’s breath taking and it’s untouched except by the hikers who schlep up 9km of switchbacks. Water skiers would be so jealous. Come on a sunny day and you’ll never want to leave.

Set up camp at West Garibaldi Lake, jump in the icy cold water, and make friends with like minded campers.

Day 2: Day hike to Panorama Ridge

The lake is fabulous. But Panorama Ridge on a clear day is what this whole trip is all about. They don’t use the term “panorama” lightly here. 360 degrees of stunning. Like, when-I-die-scatter-my-ashes-here stunning. Le sigh.

The trail from the campground is 5 km (3 miles) each way and is delightfully varied. You’ll encounter woods, meadows (with wild flowers if your lucky) and sheer mountain tops above the tree line. The final ascent is steep and covered in patchy snow fields year round. Hiking poles are recommended.

I’m not even going to say more about how magical the ridge is. So here are some facts: the pointy topped black mountain you see is the Black Tusk, you can see your campsite on the right (west) tip of the lake below, and the mountains to the north include the famous ski resort Whistler Blackcomb. Figure out how to take panoramic pictures on your camera before you go. Trust me. I also highly recommend enjoying a lunch of bread and cheese (a la Heidi) atop the ridge, just to extend your time. And bring a jacket, it’s usually windy.

A lot of the other hikers you’ll meet will be day hiking to Black Tusk. Don’t be fooled. Panorama Ridge is the way to go. Black Tusk is really better for observing from a distance. If you have a fourth day or want a longer day trip, knock yourself out and head to Black Tusk. But bring a helmet (seriously) lest the lose rocks kicked by other hikers scrambling for the top knock you out.

Mountain Man and I had loose plans of heading over to Black Tusk after the ridge. But extra time on the ridge and a nap in a meadow below won out. I have no regrets.

Day 3: Garibaldi Lake to Rubble Creek Parking lot

Make it a leisurely morning, take a dip in the lake, and head back down to earth on the final day of your trip. The 9km (5.5 mile) hike down is easy (if a little boring) but you can punch it up by taking the turnoffs for view points and stopping by pretty creeks.

Getting There

Garibaldi Provincial Park is between Whistler and Squamish BC. You’ll find the Rubble Creek parking lot 37km north of Squamish or 19km south of Whistler off highway 99. Four wheel drive is not needed to access the parking lot.

Camp user fees are $10/person/night and must be paid in cash at the drop box at the trail head. Make sure to leave one receipt with your car and bring one with you in order to claim your campsite.

When to go

I recommend this hike for the sunny and warm months of July and August. Clear skies and warm temperatures are a must for enjoying the views from the ridge and the icy cold lake water. You will find crowds during these months, but I find that like-minded back country enthusiasts make great company.

Note that this area is open year-round and is also a destination for winter sports. If you plan to make the trip on skis or snowshoes plan a lot of extra time.

Campsites

There are only two campsites available: Taylor Meadows and Garibaldi Lake. Both are first-come first-served and the only way to know if there is space is to show up and look around. Garibaldi Lake is better so head there first. Taylor Meadows will get the job done but it’s not on the lake.

Camp amenities include

Pit outhouses

Shelter huts including critter boxes to store your food (bears and other animals are par for the course in these parts, please store your food appropriately); Rushing stream for water about 15 minute walk from camp (on the trail back towards the parking lot). The water is pretty clean but treat it just in case.  Raised plots to pitch your tent. Remember to bring your receipt from the parking lot in order to secure your spot. The ranger patrols regularly.  Lake for your swimming pleasure.

What to Bring

I recommend bringing gators and hiking poles to contend with the steep snow fields on the final ascent to Panorama Ridge. And don’t forget your hill climbing legs.

Hopefully I’ve encouraged a few of you to try out this fabulous trail next time you find yourself hankering for a hiking trip. Feel free to contact me on my blog amountaintophigh.blogspot.com or at amountaintophigh@gmail.com if you would like any more information.

Happy Wanderings

WilderMiss

Having Fun on the Trail

Trail Map

The only cons are the site is only in Beta in the USA now, not abroad yet. They do have plans for expansion but there is still a lot more to cover in the US before thinking about going abroad yet. Hundreds of new adventures are being added each day so hopefully the community adopts the platform to create a comprehensive outdoor guide.

The AdventureDrop.com outdoor traverl site can be visited here:

Adventure Travel
Or by going to http://www.adventuredrop.com

This blog is about hiking routes in Africa. The editor (Juanita Welgemoed) has been been blogging for over 2 years now, but this blog is her favourite and she is most excited about it. She has been a editor and moderator of a very successful website for 6 years, but blogging has taken on a new venture for her and she cant get enough of it.

“Our passion is being active, being outdoors and photography. The combination makes for good reading material. In the ultimate search for a picture guide of hikes in my area (or anywhere) we decided to start documenting our hikes with pictures and detailed descriptions. We plan to document any hike we go on no matter where in the world it is, with the same amount of detail and more.”

Right now, the favourite part of her blog is the awesome wallpapers that they have produced for their readers to enjoy. Be sure to see a new wallpaper at least once a week at Our Hiking Guide.

This is a guest post from a hiker and blogger, Juanita Welgemoed.

First you’ll need a domain name, like hikingtripreports.com. I prefer domain names that end in .com or .org. My favorite domain registrar is Godaddy. Godaddy is cheap and easy to use. I also like HostGator. Once you have your domain name you’ll need a place to host your site. This is where the actual files (pictures, page files, videos, etc.) will be kept and pulled from when a user visits your site. You don’t need to pay a lot for a host because there are many good cheap web hosts available. HostGator is also a great host as well as BlueHost.

Once you have your domain name and your host you’ll need a site to push to the new domain. You can create this from scratch or pay someone to do it for you. You can also use a blog, like this. I prefer WordPress for blog software. There are instructions on WordPress how to push it to your new site

Once you’ve got your site up and running you’ll just need content and images. Your site can be as small as a few pages or as large as you have the time and resources.  Once you’ve completed your site send a link or two to my blog if want:)

Scott