The WildeBeat

Tue, Mar 20, 2007

The Best Wilderness At Night

Posted at 15:25

/blog/wild_places [link ]

In our editions 13 & 14, titled The Wilderness at Night, we talked about the value of dark skies, and the detrimental effects that artificial night lighting can have on natural ecosystems. We interviewed Chad Moore, a physical scientist with the National Park Service, and Program Manager of their Night Sky Research Program. In that interview, Chad Moore said that the darkest skies in the National Park System are at Natural Bridges National Monument in Utah.

According to our friend Jeremy Sullivan, editor of the Park Remark site:

Natural Bridges National Monument, in the southeast corner of Utah, has been named the world's first ever International Dark-Sky Park, as designated by the International Dark-Sky Association.

You can read the rest of Natural Bridges is World's First Dark-Sky Park at Park Remark.

We'd like to congratulate Chad Moore and the rest of the NPS Night Sky Research Team for this well deserved recognition of their work.

Thu, Mar 15, 2007

Fighting Animal Terror

Posted at 09:00

/shows/skills [link ]

This skills program looks at how to handle potentially dangerous animals in the wilderness. How afraid of them do you really need to be? Is this something that should prevent you from getting into the wilderness?

Steve interviews Dave Smith, a former backcountry caretaker at Yellowstone National Park, and the author of two books, Don't Get Eaten, The Dangers of Animals that Charge or Attack, and Backcountry Bear Basics, the Definitive Guide to Avoiding Unpleasant Encounters. Dave talks about ways to handle bear, cougar, and large herd-animal encounters.

Two great sources of information about bears are the Sierra Interagency Black Bear Group, and the Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee. Also, check out our earlier edition titled Keeping Bears Hungry.

• Show number 80 [MP3 format; length 9:59; 2,399,454 bytes]
• Show number 80, extended version [MP3 format; length 15:53; 7,627,402 bytes]
• Show number 80 script

Thu, Mar 08, 2007

Counting Up Essentials, part 2

Posted at 09:00

/shows/skills [link ]

This skills program is the second half of a look at the ten essentials. Are there ten, and why are they essentials?

Since it's mysterious introduction by the Mountaineers early in the twentieth century, the 10 Essentials have been the list that everyone should know, and few could recite with certainty. In this edition, Doug Ritter, the executive director of the Equipped To Survive Foundation, and Amy Racina, author of the book Angels in the Wilderness, compare notes on some of their ideas of the 10 essentials. Amy finishes her story about her rescue from a life-threatening emergency in a remote location of Kings Canyon National Park. Doug completes his list of the Ten Essentials.

There's additonal information about the ten essentials, and a bonus audio clip, under the To find out more... link, below.

• Show number 79 [MP3 format; length 9:57; 2,391,427 bytes]
• Combined shows number 78 & 79, high-fidelity stereo [MP3 format; length 20:47; 19,968,905 bytes]
• Show number 79 script
• Show number 78 & 79, combined script
• To find out more...

Thu, Mar 01, 2007

Counting Up Essentials, part 1

Posted at 09:00

/shows/skills [link ]

This skills program is the first half of a look at the ten essentials. Are there ten, and why are they essentials?

Since it's mysterious introduction by the Mountaineers early in the twentieth century, the 10 Essentials have been the list that everyone should know, and few could recite with certainty. In this edition, Doug Ritter, the executive director of the Equipped To Survive Foundation, and Amy Racina, author of the book Angels in the Wilderness, compare notes on some of their ideas of the 10 essentials.

Next week, in part two, we'll finish Doug's list, and you'll find out what happened to Amy.

• Show number 78 [MP3 format; length 9:48; 2,354,179 bytes]
• Show number 78 script

Mon, Feb 26, 2007

Vox WildeBeat for February 26, 2007

Posted at 14:40

/vox [link ]

While we were away snow camping in our first good Sierra Nevada blizzard of the year, Jeremy Sullivan, editor of the Park Remark site, called in with some comments. His comments were in reference to the interview of Steve by Bob Cartright of the U.K.-based Backpacking Light podcast.

• Vox WildeBeat 12 [MP3 format; length 4:40; 1,122,244 bytes]

Thu, Feb 22, 2007

Yosemite Snow Vox Pop

Posted at 09:00

/shows/outings [link ]

This outings program is a Vox Pop where we ask: Are snow campers and winter wilderness visitors super-human?

Steve recorded the candid thoughts of several skiers, snowshoe hikers, and snow campers at Summit Meadow along the Glacier Point Road in Yosemite National Park. Summit Meadow is about a mile from the Badger Pass downhill ski area, a popular trailhead for winter access to the Yosemite backcountry.

First, we hear from Howard Weamer, the Hut Master for Yosemite Park's backcountry ski hut at Ostrander Lake (who we heard from in edition 72), about the history of cross country skiing in Yosemite. Then we hear the intermingled comments of Kevin Schwartz, Tazuo Han, Ken Branson, Karina Schwag, Rich Rasmussen, Chris Gorton, and Chris Clay.

At the end, Steve invites listeners to contribute their comments to Vox WildeBeat, our companion podcast of community conversation.

• Show number 77 [MP3 format; length 8:09; 1,959,939 bytes]
• Show number 77 script

Wed, Feb 21, 2007

Steve Interviewed by Bob Cartright

Posted at 21:55

/blog/recognition [link ]

Steve was interviewed a couple of weeks ago by Bob Cartright of BackpackingLight.CO.UK. Bob produces a podcast about backpacking in the U.K. and Europe. Bob did this as part of a series of shows interviewing other podcasters who focus on outdoor recreation topics.

Here's a link to the Backpackinglight.CO.Uk podcasts. Here's a link directly to the audio:

• Interview with the man behind Wildebeat [MP3 format; length 40:06; 19,993,258 bytes]

Thu, Feb 15, 2007

WildLink Program

Posted at 09:00

/shows/outings [link ]

This outings program is a visit to the WildLink program, a partnership between the Yosemite Institute and the Sierra Nevada Wilderness Education Project. This is the first follow-up to our original program on ethnic diversity among wilderness users.

WildLink is a program to expose teens from low-income, ethnically-diverse families to a wilderness experience. Nina Roberts, Ph.D, assistant professor at San Francisco State University, explains why a program like WildLink is necessary.

Steve visited one of WildLink's family weekends in November of 2005. He goes on a day hike to the Tuolumne Grove of giant sequoia trees, and talks to:

• Mandy Vance, the director of the WildLink program.
• Lawrence, a WildLink student from Sanger, CA.
• Lawrence's mother.
• Lawrence's sister, Christella.
• Jonathon, a WildLink student from Traver, CA.

In the bonus interview segment, linked below, Mandy Vance talks about the origin of WildLink, why she thinks minorities are under-represented in the wilderness, and her thoughts on how others can help her efforts.

• Show number 76 [MP3 format; length 9:58; 2,395,766 bytes]
• Show number 76, extended high-fidelity stereo [MP3 format; length 10:31; 10,112,589 bytes]
• Show number 76 script
• Bonus interview segment, Mandy Vance [MP3 format; length 9:28; 1,137.604 bytes]

Thu, Feb 08, 2007

Winter OR 2007

Posted at 09:00

/shows/gear [link ]

This gear program is a report on the Winter 2007 Outdoor Retailer's Expo. When the outdoor industry gathers, it's a major expedition for the folks at Backpack Gear Test; but it isn't all about the toys.

Jason Boyle¹, Raymond Estrella², and Rebecca Sowards-Emmerd³ report on the most interesting gear they hope to test for BackpackGearTest.ORG. They comment on products by: GoLite¹, Snow Peak¹, MSR¹, Primus¹, Fox River¹, Injinji¹, Sierra Designs², Osprey Packs², Blue Desert³, MontBell³, and Go Pro³.

Backpack Gear Test has more gear to review than reviewers. You might be able to get free gear to review. Read: How to become a tester.

As a wrap-up, we invited Kurt Repanshek to comment on a larger issue facing the outdoor industry. His commentary includes a statement by Peter Metcalf, president of Black Diamond Equipment. More of Kurt's commentary is available on his web site, National Parks Traveler.

• Show number 75 [MP3 format; length 9:42; 2,331,316 bytes]
• Show number 75, extended version [MP3 format; length 11:16; 5,416,178 bytes]
• Show number 75 script
• Bonus segment, original reports from BGT [MP3 format; length 14:22; 1,724,628 bytes]

Thu, Feb 01, 2007

Reprise: Staying On Top of the Snow

Posted at 09:00

/shows/skills [link ]

This skills program is a reprise of our February 2nd, 2006 introduction to avalanche safety.

Gary Bard, an avalanche safety instructor for Mountain Adventure Seminars, talks about easy ways to stay out of avalanches, and describes a rescue. Brandon Schwartz of the Sierra Avalanche Center talks about avalanche forecasting and the Snow Condition Report. Tom Murphy, of the American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education (AIARE), talks about avalanche safety education.

There's a lot of additonal information about avalanche-related organizations, and avalanche safety, under the To find out more... link, below.

• Show number 74 [MP3 format; length 9:57; 2,389,645 bytes]
• Show number 74, extended version [MP3 format; length 12:55; 6,203,212 bytes]
• Show number 74 script
• To find out more...

Mon, Jan 29, 2007

Vox WildeBeat for January 29, 2007

Posted at 17:00

/vox [link ]

In this week's edition of The WildeBeat, number seventy three, we presented a fourteen month old interview with Nina Roberts, Ph.D., of San Francisco State University. After listening to the show, she called to update her answers to a couple of Steve's questions, based on more timely information.

• Vox WildeBeat 11 [MP3 format; length 4:09; 998,110 bytes]

Thu, Jan 25, 2007

Race in the Backcountry

Posted at 09:00

/shows/wild_places [link ]

This wild places program asks why ethnic minorities are even more in the minority in wilderness recreation areas.

Steve interviewed Nina Roberts, Ph.D., in November 2005. Dr. Roberts is an assistant professor at San Francisco State University in the Department of Recreation and Leisure Studies. An expert on the demographics of National Park visitation, she previously worked for the National Park Service as an education and outreach specialist.

The National Park Service has this web page on diversity issues and resources that Dr. Roberts originally developed while working with the NPS. She also conducted a major study of diversity issues in Rocky Mountain National Park, published in 2004.

Update: (1/29/2007) Listen to Vox WildeBeat number 11 for some updated information provided by Dr. Roberts.

• Show number 73 [MP3 format; length 9:59; 2,399,945 bytes]
• Show number 73, extended version [MP3 format; length 11:58; 5,753,061 bytes]
• Show number 73 script

Thu, Jan 18, 2007

History of Backcountry Skiing

Posted at 09:00

/shows/skills [link ]

This skills program is a look at the evolution and history of the sport of backcountry ski touring in California.

Howard Weamer, who also appeared in edition #69: Indoor Snow Camping, has been the keeper or master of the backcountry ski hut at Ostrander Lake in Yosemite National Park for 33 years. Over that time, and in his formative years before, Howard saw tremendous changes in the sport of backcountry skiing. Howard talks about some of those changes, and his experiences in the early days of backcountry skiing in California.

• Show number 72 [MP3 format; length 9:45; 2,342,058 bytes]
• Show number 72 script

Thu, Jan 04, 2007

Two Week Break

Posted at 11:40

/blog/news [link ]

Happy New Year! And thanks to all our listeners for your interest and support in 2006.

In case you missed the announcement in our edition #71, we're taking a two week break from production of The WildeBeat. Our next show will be published on January 18th.

Until then, if you're relatively new to the show, we encourage you to look back through our archives. In a year and a half and 71 shows, there are hours of our programs and bonus content you might not have heard.

Before we return, we'll have an announcement about the future of The WildeBeat, and our plans to keep bringing you more and more informative programs.

Thu, Dec 28, 2006

Year in Gear '06

Posted at 09:00

/shows/gear [link ]

This gear program is a wrap-up of Backpack Gear Tests's reviews of 2006. Steve asked the volunteer editors and moderators from Backpack Gear Test to pick their favorites; three replied: Ray Estrella¹, Rick Allnutt², and Jim Sabiston³. Out of more than a thousand reviews published on BGT this year, they recommended these:

1. Nunatak Skaha Plus Down Sweater¹
2. Nunatak Back Country Blanket¹
3. Kershaw Rainbow Leek Knife²
4. SureFire L1 LumaMax Flashlight³
5. Trail Designs Caldera Cone Stove System²
6. Suunto Vector Wristop Computer Watch³
7. Six Moon Designs Essence Pack²
8. Exped Wall Creeper Sleeping Bag³

Backpack Gear Test has more gear to review than reviewers. You can start out by reviewing gear you already own, and then you might be able to get other free gear to review. Read: How to become a tester.

• Show number 71 [MP3 format; length 9:58; 2,394,512 bytes]
• Show number 71 script

Tue, Dec 26, 2006

Bonus material for Park Pass Pique

Posted at 15:45

/blog/wild_places [link ]

Scott Silver of Wild Wilderness has done considerable research on the origins of usage fees on federal recreation lands. In particular, he has evidence which supports a theory that the new America The Beautiful National Parks and Federal Lands Interagency Recreation Pass (ATB pass) has been the goal of some political groups for more than 20 years. We discussed this pass in our most recent edition, #70, titled Park Pass Pique.

Below is a bonus segment of our interview with Scott, which gives his view on the history of the ATB pass, fees for public recreation lands in general, and his vision of how these lands should be managed. Scott argues that the intent behind the ATB pass may not be to improve our wilderness experiences.

• Bonus Interview Segment, Scott Silver of Wild Wilderness [MP3 format; length 12:16; 1,472,389 bytes]

Thu, Dec 21, 2006

Park Pass Pique

Posted at 09:00

/shows/wild_places [link ]

This wild places program investigates the new America The Beautiful National Parks and Federal Lands Interagency Recreation Pass. Is this new public lands pass a sneaky price hike, or a great new bargain?

Steve visits Muir Woods National Monument and buys a new National Parks Pass. He tells the rest of the story with the help of:

• Alex Picavet, the Public Information Officer of Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks.
• Jim Bedwell, National Director of Recreation and Heritage Resources for the United States Forest Service.
• Kurt Repanshek, author of the National Parks Traveler blog.
• Scott Silver, executive director of the nonprofit advocacy group, Wild Wilderness.
• Ian Cook and Amanda Barnes, Muir Woods hikers visiting from Middletown, New York.

The America The Beautiful National Parks and Federal Lands Interagency Recreation Pass will be available at most federal fee areas, including national parks, after January 1st, 2007. In the remaining week or so, the original National Park Pass with the Golden Eagle sticker, or the Golden Eagle Pass, looks like a pretty good deal.

• Show number 70 [MP3 format; length 9:58; 2,393,153 bytes]
• Show number 70, extended high-fidelity stereo [MP3 format; length 11:21; 10,899,595 bytes]
• Show number 70 script

Tue, Dec 19, 2006

Digg the WildeBeat?

Posted at 15:45

/blog/recognition [link ]

No, this isn't a rhetorical question in Hippie or Beatnick speak. The technology-oriented social networking and bookmarking site, DIGG.com, now has a podcast directory. If you digg The WildeBeat, and are a registered member of their site, you can help others discover us by clicking on the "Digg it!" link on our Digg page.

Thu, Dec 14, 2006

Indoor Snow Camping

Posted at 09:00

/shows/skills [link ]

This skills program presents a way to try snow-camping without actually sleeping on the snow, but rather in a rustic backcountry ski hut.

Steve starts out at a volunteer maintenance work-party at the Sierra Club's Bradley Hut in the Tahoe National Forest. We hear from Dick Simpson, the volunteer coordinator for the four huts in the Sierra Club's system.

Steve then talks to Howard Weamer, the Hut Master of the Ostrander Lake Hut in Yosemite National Park. He wraps up by talking to Ben Dodge, the Executive Director of the Tenth Mountain Division Hut Association in Colorado. Ben mentions Vance's Cabin as being a typical hut in the system.

• Show number 69 [MP3 format; length 9:53; 2,373,823 bytes]
• Show number 69, extended high-fidelity stereo [MP3 format; length 11:35; 11,123,274 bytes]
• Show number 69 script

Mon, Dec 11, 2006

National Park Pass Price Increase

Posted at 13:30

/blog/wild_places [link ]

If you expect to visit a national park more than twice in the coming year, you may want to buy a National Park Pass before the end of this month. The cost of an annual pass, which has been $50 for the past few years, will go up to $80 with the introduction of a new kind recreation pass called the America The Beautiful pass. The new pass will also be available for free if you're willing to volunteer 500 hours of labor valued at $0.16 per hour.

We'd love to hear your comments on this new pass. Please call our toll-free comment line: 866-590-7373.

Thanks to Kurt at National Parks Traveler, and Scott at Wild Wilderness for tipping us off about this.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License. (Details)