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Olympic National Park: One of the wildest places left in the USA [36 PICS] Maple Glade Trail. It’s supposed to be a humbling experience to stand amidst such giants in the ancient forests of Olympic National Park. Photo #1 by rachel_thecat Maples in Olympic National Park’s Hoh Rain Forest. 95% of this national park is designated as wilderness, a paradise for backpackers and hikers. Olympic National Park trees and roots in Hoh Rain Forest. Olympic National Park has a 73-mile long wilderness coast that is a rare treasure in a country where much of the coastline is prime real estate. Maple leaves and sword fern cover the ground. Big Cedar Tree and tiny girl. Lakes and mountains, an adventure lover’s dream. The largest known Western Redcedar, in the world with a wood volume of 500 cubic meters (17650 cu. ft.). Hoh Rain Forest has a mystical appearance with all the moss. The Kalaloch Cedar in the Olympic National Park, with a dbh of 599 (19,6 ft) cm and wood volume of 350 cubic meters (12,270 cu ft). Coast Range Subalpine Fir groves in meadow.

Nerd Fitness: Helping You Lose Weight, Get Stronger, Live Better. I received an email a few months back from a NF reader that made me smile: “I am going back to square one. I noticed the only habit that I changed and stuck with was drinking tons of water. Have you ever started playing a game and get a few hours in and go “man I wish I knew these controls/tips from the beginning”? So you restart and the game just feels easier from that point on. You start finding items that you missed before. I’m restarting my journey now that I have a better idea of the controls.” This resonated with me, because when I first played EverQuest (similar to World of Warcraft), the first character I created was terrible. When I started again playing as a new character, I FLEW through the first 30 levels: I understood the controls, how the game worked, and what needed to get done; it was much easier the second time through! The same is true for any boss battle you first encounter in any game. Getting in shape is no different.

10 of the Best Places to Hike in the United States The United States is a huge country with tons of variety, so there’s no shortage of awesome places to lace up the boots, get that blood pumping, and take in some amazing views. Want to add US hikes to your trip itinerary? If you’ve been stuck indoors much of the winter and spring, here are ten great places around the country to get out and hike. Zion National Park – Utah With a wide variety of options and a multitude of landscapes, Zion National Park in Utah is a hiker’s and climber’s paradise. Popular hikes in Zion There are a lot of challenging trails in Zion, and it’s imperative to be aware of weather and time of year, particularly when it comes to hiking in the canyon, as flash floods can happen at any time. Angels Landing - One of the most popular hikes in the park is also one of its most challenging. There are literally hundreds of different intersecting trails in Zion, so be sure to check out the following links for more information about hiking in Zion: Grand Canyon Backcountry Hiking

driving across america Ok, here's what you're up against: I-40: That's the most direct route for you from NC, but that road ends in Barstow, CA and you'll have to use other routes from there. Before you leave NC, you'll climb up through the front range of the Appalachian's; 6 or 7 miles of 6% grade up into Asheville (Black Mountain), but there's no corresponding downgrade on the other side, though the road does get pretty "curvy" leading up to the TN line. From there on, it's pretty much a piece of cake, with a long downgrade at Ash Fork, AZ and the God awful heat of Needles, CA (and nearby Laughlin, NV is you like to gamble). On the upside, you can explore Memphis (lots to do there), Oklahoma (I'd recommend old Rt. 66 whenever possible), the unique flatness of the Texas Panhandle and New Mexico is a world unto itself. Arizona offers Meteor Crater and the Petrified Forest right on I-40, with the Grand Canyon and Monument Valley just 50 miles or so off your route. From Barstow, you'll have to go Ca.

Use Your Body — Be healthy and beauty for your life! Hiking Beginner - Hiking | Hiking Boots | Hiking Socks | Hiking Backpacks Glass Beach - The Dump You'll Want to Visit - Unfinished Man - StumbleUpon Before you say anything about the content of this article, I hate people who litter. I’ll judge you if I think you’re too lazy to recycle. I hate pollution and the death of our fragile ecosystems and all the rest. But- with that disclaimer out of the way- Glass Beach in Fort Bragg, California is the incredible result of human wastefulness and the resilience of nature. It’s like a little Inuksuk… I’ve been trolling around for lesser known landscapes to road trip to and explore, and stumbled across this chunk of multicoloured west coast paradise. These days, Glass Beach is a protected part of MacKerricher State Park, but in 1949, it was the site of an unrestricted dump. Eventually, California realized that dumping automobiles, appliances, toxic substances and razor sharp shards of glass into the water was probably a bad idea, and looked elsewhere for a dumping site. The beaches under the cliffs lay polluted, cluttered and ruined, and were basically treated as a forgotten ‘mistake.’

HIGHLIFEWORKOUT.COM 10 Best Hiking Trails in the World If everyone placing personal ads who claimed the hobby of “hiking” really did it with any regularity, the earth would have been trampled flat decades ago. But those who really do enjoy this peaceful outdoor activity have plenty of incredible choices in every corner of the world. Here are the ten best hikes on the planet, each with a combination of scenery and special extras that make them well worth going out of your way to enjoy. You can use Indie, BootsnAll’s multi-country flight finder, to search and book flights for your trip. Tongariro Northern Circuit, North Island, New Zealand It is certainly no secret that New Zealand boasts some of the world’s most beautiful and dramatic scenery, which is why it’s not surprising that one of the world’s most spectacular hikes is located on these mountainous islands. >> Read about New Zealand adventure sports Zion Narrows, Utah, United States >> Discover the best US cities for visiting a National Park Annapurna Circuit, Nepal Inca Trail, Peru

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