I've enjoyed living in rural southern California. I've got a decent place and a good dog to watch it while I'm at work. Last month my neighbor's beagles got tagged by a skunk. Twice.

Now, as funny as it may have seemed at the time, and believe me, it was funny, I knew it was just a matter of time until Gordon ran across the skunk, or skunks in this case. "Not to worry." my neighbor said. "When they get him I've got the dollar fifty cure!" he said matter-of-factly.

Sure enough, they got him. It was around 11 at night on a weekend and I was in no condition to de-skunk a dog. Luckily my neighbor heard the commotion and came over to laugh, I mean help. He brought over a 50-50 mix of baking soda and hydrogen peroxide with a few squirts of dish-washing liquid and swore the skunk smell would be gone. He was right again; in about 10 minutes Gordon was better than the night before!

Now I'm sure Gordon will know better than to face off with a skunk. After all, he's one of the smart breeds. He usually learns things really fast but just in case, I hope we can catch that last skunk before the dogs forget.

Without sounding like one of those extreme loons who think animals are more important than people, I'd like to point out one of the bad sides of humans spreading out and succeeding; the displacement of indigenous species. An interesting angle on this situation can be seen in the movie Over The Hedge, but it does little to provide you with solutions to real life situations like coming face to face with one or more hungry, displaced coyotes.

It is highly likely that if you're close enough to see a coyote, he a) knew you were there long ago and b) is hungry and a risk to your well being. When coyotes are in areas that are inhabited by humans it is usually because they're looking for food. Food comes in many forms for a coyote, mostly as trash and in some cases small animals and pets. Very rare cases involve small children.

The worst thing you can do when you see a coyote is to panic and run. Animal instinct, much like a cat chasing a toy, will compel the coyote to chase you, and the odds of that happening are greater the smaller you are.

If you can't go around the coyote to avoid it, or it's on your property and threatening your family or livestock and you simply want it to leave, your best bet is to be big and loud. If you've got a coat or jacket, take it off and wave it as you yell at the coyote. Swing a stick, bang it on the ground, throw rocks or sand or toys or silverware. Be in control. Be the Alpha Male. Make sure he knows you're not happy with him.

He's on your turf and he knows it. He wants to eat, not fight you for your territory. If he can't find an easy meal near you he'll move on, especially if he's afraid for his safety.

If you're on a hike our otherwise out in the wild, the same basic rules will apply with a couple of important exceptions. You may be intruding on a coyote's den, a fresh kill, or even a litter of pups. In those cases the coyote will be very defensive and will not be so easily intimidated.

You would be best advised to quietly and calmly walk away from those situations. Especially if the coyote shows no signs of nervousness upon your arrival.

(I am offering the above advice as nothing more than that, advice. It is taken from personal experience and is not meant to be the tell all for coyote encounters. I'm not responsible for your actions.)

Most of us enjoy hiking. Its great exercise and brings us closer to nature. Every once in a while I go completely bone headed and wander off on a hike without getting ready. It usually happens when I'm with my kids doing something else and decide to go "for a walk". The most recently was at Lake Henshaw where we took off on a hike while I was wearing Ugg boots.

The first 15 minutes were ok, but after that I was ready to go back. If you've never hiked in Ugg boots, let me tell you, it's not much fun. The less than 1 hour hike put me on my butt for almost a week while the blisters healed. Next time I won't be letting the little groms talk me in to going down by the lake unless I've got the right shoes on.

Before we go too far let me clarify that I CAN be an avid outdoor enthusiast and STILL not believe that Man is the main (or even a major) cause of so-called global warming. Considering we are more likely headed into another ice age, perhaps we could use a little more heat.

Don't get me wrong, I believe some of what we're doing "in the name of Global Warming" is going to have a positive effect on pollution. I just don't like being lied to.

Now that that's out of the way, let me direct you to the next big problem we, as humans, are causing Mother Earth... According to Greenpeace, the construction of soft, fluffy toilet paper is doing more to cause global warming than driving a hummer.

Luckily there's a solution. Quit using toilet paper, (or perhaps if we all just used one sheet), and start using Wallypops!

ABC News in phoenix arizona has an excellent report on hiking in extreme temperatures. While few of us will ever have to worry about the sort of temperatures Phoenix sees in the summer, it's important to prepare for what is considered hot for your area. If you're used to hiking in mild weather, any increase can tax your system.

A couple of the tips from the article were new to me, and are key to successfully planning a hike in hot weather: Start hydrating at least 24 hours before you start hiking, and if your body stops sweating while hiking, that's an important sign that dehydration has begun.

Click the link above to read the story on the site, or watch the video. Well worth it!

Thanks to everyone who commented on my last post, Best Place To Hike In The US. I have to admit, there were a few I'd never thought of, but they seem really exciting. Some of the places that came up:

• Rocky Mountain National Park


• White Mountains in New Hampshire (ok, that was mine)


• Yosemite


• Big Bend


• Alaska (this one really got me thinking!)

I want to take a closer look at all of these, so over the next week or so, we'll see what kind of adventures these places and hikes offer, not only for hiking, but for other summer sports like rafting, camping, cycling and other outdoors pursuits.

Still welcome any further suggestions!!

I have a bit of a quandary, and hopefully some out there in the blogosphere can help me out. I'm looking to take a hiking vacation in the fall, likely in mid to late September. I was particularly sold on Utah, specifically MOAB, but as I look around a little more, I see some truly amazing hiking and camping spots in Colorado. Then my inner traveler points out that since I live close to the Rocky Mountains, perhaps I should spread my wings a little and try hiking elsewhere.... Virginia perhaps? New England?

If you could hike anywhere in the US or Canada, where would you go, and why. Plus, let's assume money is a bit of an issue, so maybe no spendy hiking trips to Hawaii (though I have hiked there and it was amazing).

Suggestions?

After a week of some pretty rough weather around the continent (both too hot and too rainy), thought I'd throw some link love out. Here's some of the best outdoors posts found in the blogosphere the past month or so:

sierra trading post's blog has a great read of important safety tips to consider when hiking outdoors. Even (or maybe especially) in summer, sudden weather changes can leave us in trouble, and no matter what part of the world you're hiking in, it's best to know what types of weather you might encounter. Check out Mt. Rainer Tragedy Reminds Us To Be Prepared (especially helpful is the section on being caught in a lightning storm).

Speaking of lightning, ever tried to start a campfire in the pouring rain? Mungo Says Bah! talks us through the secrets of starting a fire when the world around you is soaking wet in How To Start a Campfire in Wet Weather - and Pictures of Lightning.

From last month, but still a great read, the Camera-Trap Codger writes about what happens when your camera trap is discovered by a large, thoroughly annoyed bear. The photo of just the bear's eye is especially impressive. Camera Trap Codger: Back on the mountain

Finally, SectionHiker lists their current lineup of gear in Gear List: Long Trail Section Two. Focusing on lightweight gear, this list comes in at an astonishingly light 12.2 pounds, not counting food and water. When you see how much gear that actually entails, your jaw will drop.

The guys from Primal Quest 2008 dropped me a line a couple of weeks ago and I felt compelled to see what they were up to.

Turns out they're up to 10 days of mountain biking, climbing, trail running, paddling, orienteering, and so much more that I'm too intimidated to list them all. This takes place over 500 miles, all in the beautiful state of Montana.

Primal Quest is an annual adventure/endurance race now in its 5th year. Teams of 4 will compete to see who can complete the course first, testing their endurance, strategy and basic survival. This year the race is from June 21 to July 2.

The competition can be tracked through Spot, the GPS safety tracking device I reviewed here a couple of weeks ago.

For more info, visit the official Primal Quest site.

Between bears attacking and cougars stalking, it never really occurs to most outdoor enthusiasts there could be danger from the herbivores that co-habit the trail. The reality is, between the spring rutting season and the spring calving season, most elk are extremely sensitive to humans and protective of their young.



I'm pretty prepared for what to do if we surprise a bear on the trail, and I know the signs a cougar might be in the area, but until I read this piece in the Rocky Mountain Outlook of Canmore/Banff, Alberta, Residents urged to be on alert for elk with calves, I'd never thought about aggressive elk and what I would do.

The article includes ways to spot aggressive elk gestures (including grinding teeth, raised hair and staring), and what to look for in an elk herd (female elk with newborn calves tend to isolate themselves from the herd, so if you spot a solo female elk on the trail, odds are good there's a newborn nearby), and what to do if they charge you (climb a tree, appear big, maintain eye contact). Please take a look if you're going to be near elk herds this spring.

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