Last weekend a couple of friends were ice climbing in Vermont’s Smuggler’s Notch near Mt. Mansfield and they were benighted. When they returned to their car their window had been smashed, and one of the climbers wallet had been stolen from the glove compartment. Any way you slice it, getting your wallet stolen sucks. But there are steps you can take pre-theft to protect yourself and make the process of dealing with it easier.

Whether your wallet is lifted from you pack, your car or your pocket…here’s what to do before and after to lessen the impact:

2. When you are writing checks to pay on your credit card accounts, only put the last four numbers of your account in the “for” line. The credit card company will know the rest of the number, and anyone who might be handling your check won’t have access to the number.

3. Put your work phone # on your checks instead of your home phone. If you have a PO Box use that instead of your home address. If you don’t have a PO Box, use your work address. Never have your  social security number printed on your checks. You can write it in if necessary.

4. Photocopy the backs and fronts of all the cards you carry in your wallet, including credit cards, insurance cards, AAA card, license, etc. That way, you’ll know what you had in your wallet and you’ll have the account numbers and phone numbers to call and cancel cards or alert agencies. Keep the photocopy in a safe place.

5.  Call the police where your wallet was stolen and file a police report immediately. This proves to credit providers you were diligent, and this is the first step toward an investigation.

7. Call the three national credit reporting organizations immediately to place a fraud alert on your name and also call the Social Security fraud line number. The alert means any company that checks your credit knows your information was stolen, and they have to contact you by phone to authorize new credit.

The numbers:

1.) Equifax: 1-800-525-6285

2.) Experian (formerly TRW): 1-888-397-3742

3.) Trans Union: 1-800-680 7289

4.) Social Security Administration (fraud line): 1-800-269-0271

Don’t leave your wallet in a vulnerable place. Only take what you need to the trailhead–a credit card, insurance card, license and some cash, and leave the rest home in a safe place to minimize your risk. And, if you’ve brought those items along, zip them into a safe pocket in a piece of clothing you won’t peel during the day so they are always with you as ID and to keep them safe from sticky fingers.

-Berne Broudy

The original article is here:
Stolen Wallet?

Most Appalachian Trail thru-hikers rely on the view to sustain them through the hardest pasts of the trail, but Mike Hanson doesn’t even have that. This week, the 44-year-old Minnesota man will begin hiking the Appalachian Trail blind.

Hanson hopes to show that visually impaired people are as capable and independent as anyone. He hopes to use just his walking stick and the turn-by-turn voice commands on his GPS phone as a guide. He’ll be accompanied by a documentary filmmaker who has promised not to interfere with navigation.

“It gives me everything I would need to know about the trail but the view,” Hanson said. “I will be able to hear and smell what is going on.”

Surprisingly, Hanson won’t be the first person to hike the Appalachian Trail blind, but he will be the first to do it unassisted if he’s successful. Right now, Hanson’s raised about $9,000 to cover expenses, but he hopes to reach $25,000. You can follow his progress on his Facebook page.

—Ted Alvarez

Originally posted here:
Blind Hiker Tackles Appalachian Trail

Q: After the Olympics in Vancouver, my buddy told me he thought he remembered someone on TV saying they found a white spirit bear. Is this true, or is he smoking too much peyote?—Gerald Nutinya, via email

A: I’m happy to report that your pal isn’t just making up stories after getting hazed and infused with post-Olympics joy.

There is a rare subspecies of black bear, called a Kermode bear, that often exhibits white pigmentation. These bears aren’t albino or blonde like some other black and brown bears; instead, they possess a recessive gene that expresses itself in 1/10 of the population as a white or cream-colored coat. They’re usually found on the coast of British Columbia, but sightings have been reported in Minnesota, too.

In fact, some folks in BC recently stumbled upon a hibernating Kermode bear when they fell into its den. They’ve set up a webcam to watch the bear (which they named Apollo) while he sleeps. Watch:

Read more from the original source:
Ask A Bear: Are White Spirit Bears Real?

One of the biggest challenges to being a real trail photographer/videographer is how to carry your gear at the ready, and minimize camera deployment and tripod hassles, while still getting sharp shots and steady footage. Even if you’re a nature photog who concentrates on landscapes and wildlife, cumbersome photo equipment (virtually all of it designed for street and studio shooters) can make you miss fast-changing light and brief wildlife encounters. It’s an unfortunate truth that most great images are taken in spite of the gear, not because of it.

And then there’s video, a  medium that’s never been more appropriate for backcountry image capture. Video can bring a whole new hassle level, especially when shooting telephoto sequences that are impossible to handhold. Setting up a video tripod  level enough for flat, smooth pans on uneven terrain makes the most exacting still photography seem streamlined. And if you get a video tripod with a “leveling ball” for the head, it’ll weigh5 to 6 lbs minimum. Ugh.

Fortunately, photo and video gear is just now beginning to catch up to the fast-changing language of action imagery, with cameras and camcorders that can (finally, thank gawd) shoot in low light, capture time lapses, combine stills and video, and handle a modicum of bad weather. The last gear frontier is camera steadying systems. Let’s face it, tripods do the job well, but they all suck.

Enter the BodyLink Telephoto Pack, by photo equipment newcomer ClikElite (the same people who started Ultimate Direction running packs). This camera/camcorder daypack has a well-tailored harness that carries securely in backpack style, takes accessory pouches on the waistbelt, and holds a monster SLR with bulky telephoto (think 70-200mm f2.8 zoom) or multiple smaller lenses.

The big difference is that the BodyLink switches to become a chest holster with an integrated camera holding frame. Just mount your own small tripod head, adjust the frame to position your camera at eye level, and you can handhold that dusk mule deer shot while still following Bambi, or get steady video pans, or do unique point-of-view action sequences. That, my fellow freaks, is a friggin’ revelation. Hallelujah!

At 13.5″ x 8.5″ x 8″, the BodyLink is a bit ungainly to use as a dedicated chest holster in combination with a multi-day backpack, and there’s no room for dayhike gear unless you’re using it to carry small cameras. But bulk aside, it still rules. The gusseted clamshell-style zipper opening lays out in front of you like a work table, making lens changes drop-free. The gusset also seals most of the zipper against blowing dust. The frame is removable if you don’t need the steadying effect and want to save weight. Adjustable interior dividers let you configure it for a variety of lenses and accessories, and it’ll even fit an SLR with separate camcorder.

ClikElite has applied this combo frame/tripod concept to several larger backpacks as well. Bottom line: An awesome tool for serious, on-the-move shooters. $200; 3 lbs.; Clikelite.com.

Read the original post:
Photo School: The ClikElite Bodylink Telephoto Pack

You took a beautiful photo of a beautiful place, but something isn’t quite right. You may need to tweak the white balance if there’s an orange or blue tint to the image. If the colors aren’t popping, try adjusting the contrast or saturation sliders. If there are some ugly branches cluttering the side of the image, learn how to crop or clone them out.

Making these adjustments isn’t difficult and taking the time for post production will improve your photos. Get started by watching this slideshow and then choosing which photo software you’d like to use to develop your photos. The office favorite, and the professionals’ choice, is Adobe Photoshop Lightroom. Read more tips from pro-photographers here.

—Genny Fullerton

Read the original here:
Backpacker Photo School: How to edit your photos

People, don’t let kids grow up like me: I didn’t get to camp until I was old and slow, and I’m poorer for it. You can prevent this horror by supporting Mountain Hardwear’s 2010 Send a Kid To Camp program, which connects children to the outdoors through great programs like Big City Mountaineers.

The idea is simple: Visit the Mountain Hardwear Gives Back page every day and click on the icon. Every time you do, MH will donate $1 towards a range of Outward Bound-style organizations who help get young’uns in the woods. They won’t stop bleeding cash for kids until they’ve reached $40,000.

You can click once a day, or, if you’re like me, multiple times a day. I do this by shoving coworkers out of the way, commandeering computer booths at libraries, and hijacking laptops at coffee shops until my clicking finger is sore. Sure, it’s a hassle with the cops always chasing me, but it’s all worth it. I still have nightmares about not learning how to pitch a tent until it was too late. Do it for the children!

—Ted Alvarez

Original Post here:
Click And Send A Kid To Camp!

Our resident bruin expert answers all your questions in our weekly feature, ‘Ask A Bear.’

Q: I don’t know how acquainted you are with mountain lions, but can you ask one what they think of small children in the wild? Do they look like prey or do mountain lions try to avoid them? What should a
parent do to keep their children safe?—love2hike, via email

A: How dare you ask a mountain lion question in this forum—I’m a bear, for Bjorn’s sake! Just kidding: While I’m not exactly tight with mountain lions, I know plenty of ‘em, since we live in the same general neighborhood.

I’ll tell ya what they think of small children in the wild: “mmm-mmmm tasty.” While mountain lions are often shy and secretive, small children would fall right into their prey category, and captured wild mountain lions have shown particular attraction to small children. In fact, most recent mountain lion attacks on humans have been directed towards kids.

That all sounds scary, but no need to panic. Just keep your little ones close to you in the wild, and never let them out of your sight, even for a few minutes (a good general rule for the wild, or the supermarket). The noises you make as people will probably scare off cougars long before you notice them, and they are less likely to take a chance on nabbing a kid if an adult is nearby.

If you encounter a mountain lion with your child, immediately pull them close and pick them up without turning around or crouching. This serves a dual purpose: It lessens the chance a mountain lion can separate you from your child, and it makes you look bigger and more intimidating. Start yelling, making noise, throwing rocks, and you’ll likely find out this fearsome beast is more fraidy cat than anything else. If it attacks, use rocks, sticks, your jacket, and even your bare hands to fight the cougar off while protecting your head and neck. It’ll most likely work.

—BEAR

Original post:
Ask A Bear: Kids and Mountain Lions?

Description:

Mission Creek Regional Park is one of the best parks in Kelowna for a family day out in nature.
With over 12kms of trail, 3kms that follow along Mission Creek, it makes for a great spot to go hiking or biking.

There is also a playground, a covered picnic area, adjacent washroom facilities, the Composting and Xeriscape Education Gardens, and the EECO center.

Photos of Mission Creek Regional Park

The photo gallery below contains pictures of Mission Creek Regional Park.

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Directions:

The main entrance is located at 2363 Springfield Road at the intersection of Springfield and Durnin Road. Other smaller accesses are at Springfield and Leckie or Ziprick Roads. You can also access the top of the park from Hall Road.

More Information:

http://www.regionaldistrict.com/departments/parks/regional/reg_parks_missioncreek.aspx

Description:

Hardy Falls Regional Park is an easy, peaceful and cool place to visit on a hot Okanagan summer day.

Photos of Hardy Falls Regional Park

The photo gallery below contains pictures of Hardy Falls hike.

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Directions:

Highway 97 S in Peachland at Hardy Road. Turn south off the highway into the parking lot.

More Information:

http://www.regionaldistrict.com/departments/parks/regional/reg_parks_hardyfalls.aspx

Description:

Kaloya Regional Park is a great place for families to swim Kalamalka Lake, boat, picnic, use the playground, and take a short (about 20 minutes) but relaxing and beautiful walk around the peninsula. Kaloya Regional Park is a very popular spot for outdoor weddings in Kelowna. If you are lucky, you will see several deer that have been spotted in the field and trees around the walk.

Photos of Kaloya Regional Park

The photo gallery below contains pictures of Kaloya Regional Park and hike beside Kalamalka Lake.

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Directions:

Take Highway 97 north, turn right onto Oyama Road and turn left onto Trask Road. The park entrance and large parking lot is at the end of the road.

More Information:

http://www.regionaldistrict.com/departments/parks/regional/reg_parks_kaloya.aspx