Posts by Olin Lathrop
There are many reasons a trail takes the particular path it does. Probably the most common is historical, as you mention. Probably the least common is deliberate design. Most trails have evolved...
There must be some kind of "free list" or "sell list" where you can give away stuff in your area. Maybe you can find someone that has a stove that is compatible with these things. Perhaps the loc...
I hike a lot with a camera. Put the camera around your neck and one shoulder after putting on the backpack. If the camera is just around your neck, as it would be in a more pure photographic situ...
I originally thought a porcupine did this (see my other answer), but after seeing your new photos and a closer look at the original ones I now have a different theory. Your tree was first infested...
In the US, the designation National Monument or National Park (same thing other than the first created by presidential edict and the second by congress), sets preservation as one of the top goals. ...
Even if the existence of rabies in that area is real, there is really very little you would do differently. I live in a area (New England, North America) where rabies is present. In your words, t...
If you aren't equipped to handle a situation where you can't drive out as expected, then you don't belong there. Conversely, if you go to such places and situations, you should take enough stuff w...
If there were any serious likelyhood of brain damage due to exposure to 10,000 feet or more altitude for just a day, then the city of Cusco would be full of brain-damaged zombies. There are nearly...
There isn't a lot of wilderness near Boston, but there are many local trails. Camping is not allowed on most land that local trails pass over. However, it is sometimes possible to get permission....
Yes, that looks like arrow heads I've found in that general area too. Note that it may be a unfinished or discarded piece. There is clear flaking and shaping. It would be very very unlikely for ...
It makes more sense to insulate you than the whole back of the truck. Get a foam pad to put under your sleeping bag. You say there is a plastic liner, but a real sleeping pad should insulate much...
Yes, the solar panel will be a little less efficient on the dashboard than outside because: Wavelengths absorbed by the windshield. The windshield absorbs most UV, which does still contribute to ...
Knowing why distance was included or omitted in any particular instance requires asking the people that decided on that particular sign. In other words, in the general case, you don't know why. I...
As far as I can see, only your original picture from 2016 shows sign of woolly adelgid. The tree is not in focus since the point of the picture was the doves, but here are some clues: The white...
I don't know how rare resistance is, but it seems the real question is about resistance coming and going. Yes, resistance can come and go for individuals over their lifetime. Exposure, or long pe...
"Get out as fast as possible" doesn't make sense considering you are "hours or days" from a trailhead. If the allergic reaction is going to kill you, like swelling up your throat to the point you ...
Protecting against UV is usually done with a covering like fur, feathers, scales, a hard shell, etc, or pigment. Our own species is a great example of the latter. It seems we emerged on the plain...
The cause of the itch can be quite different. For mosquito bites, the itch is due to a allergic reaction to the mosquito's saliva. The strength of this allergic reaction varies between people, an...
In my experience, hiking alone is definitely faster if the intent is to get to the destination quickly. I lead organized hikes often (roughly one/month) for the AMC (Appalachian Mountain Club) an...
That was almost certainly done by a porcupine. Like beavers, their primary food source is the cambium layer under the bark of trees. That's actually the only living part of the trunks and major...
I go to Arizona and hike around the desert pretty much every summer. One thing I've noticed that makes a difference is to immerse yourself in the heat. Don't try to avoid it; embrace it. I have ...
Wood is not a simple chemical. It releases a number of different compounds when heated. Try distilling wood some time. Put a few slivers into a test tube and heat it. Pipe the result into anoth...
Where: North-central Massachusetts When: 8 April 2017 Whenever I'm out and about, I look at wetlands as I go by to see their general state, how much the invasive phragmites is pushing out the nati...
Make the end objective not finding you, but some object. Then you can follow around and watch how the other guy solves the puzzle.
This is really a comment, or several of them, but too big to use the comments mechanism. Alberta is a big place with quite varied climates. In particular, you can divide the province into the R...
