Today is my last post on the GoBlog. Had to happen sometime, and today is the day. So, I took the liberty of showing up to work late, and of not really writing much of a post. Sorry boss, but you can't fire me because I already quit. Also, my truck battery died last night, so I had to spend half the morning running around getting a new battery so I could get to my day job somewhat on time.

I would like to say a few things before I hit the save button and this post goes live: It's been great writing for all you GoBlog readers out there. Thanks for reading and sticking with us. If I managed to offend you, I'm sorry. If I managed to get some laughs, that's great. All in all, I've had a great two and half years of writing about all the silly, stupid, awesome, inspiring, disappointing, and otherwise bizarre occurrences that have happened in the outdoors in the past couple of years. 

So, a big thanks to all you readers and to all the other bloggers and news outlets out there who have provided fodder for my ramblings. I'll leave you all with the following thoughts, as cheesy and trite as they may be:

It's not about the gear,

It's not about the peak,

It's not about the win or even the competition,

It's about getting outside in the sun, in the rain, in the snow; it's about simply enjoying the incredible wild nature of this amazing blue planet. So, in the words of this url: Get Outdoors.

So you're out fishing in an area that has been known to have bears. Of course you brought your iPad because no fishing trip is complete without a few tweets, using a fish identification app, or watching a few videos or a movie. But, you're responsible so you keep the iPad in your backpack on a picnic table, with your lunch and other necessities. And while you're quietly casting into the lake, a bear sneaks up and steals your backpack, iPad and all.

Sound far fetched? Not anymore.

In the San Bernardino National Forest in California, a black bear stole a fisherman's backpack from a picnic table and made off through the woods. Presumably he or she was after the granola bar that was also in the pack, but who knows, maybe he just wanted to watch the latest Bear Grills video. Either way, the backpack was not recovered despite the tracking software that Apple installs on all its gadgets.

Life lesson here? Don't bring granola bars fishing. Here's a video of the bear returning to the scene of the crime and making off with a tupperware full of food.

Via ABC News

The British are generally known for being stoic and long-suffering. You know, the whole stiff upper lip thing. Granted some might argue they've brought much of that "suffering" on themselves, but nevertheless, they can hunker down and slog through an ordeal.

That's a good trait for a wildlife photographer and one that doubtless aided in the production of the amazing 2012 British WIldlife Photography Award Winners. While Britain isn't exactly known as a haven for exotic wildlife, photographers still captured some stunning images of the Isle's wild creatures and critters doing their thing. These types of photos are actually often my favorite sort of wildlife photos - they're not the giant landscape photos of majestic animals as much as small moments intimately captured that let you peek into the hidden world of wildlife.

This is the fourth year of the contest, run by National Geographic, and the overall winner was Matt Doggett who used dead mackerel to lure gannets underwater off the coast of Scotland. All the photos must be taken in the United Kingdom, but the contest is open to anyone. So there, even if you're not British, bring your camera on your next trip to Ireland and you might snap a winner.

The winning shot and some of my other favorites are below. The rest are here.  Via The Goat. 

Came across this great video of Ed Abbey - the iconoclastic environmentalist and writer. It's a pretty cool glimpse of the man who helped to build the foundation of modern environmentalism. The back story is pretty cool too. I don't know how authentic the back story is, but it seems pretty odd that someone would make something like that up just to post an old video of Edward Abbey on Vimeo.  Here's the story and the video. Enjoy.

An eight minute film essay that I co-produced and directed with Ed Abbey in 1985. At the time I was working for a network magazine show. The executive producer took me to lunch one day. He told me that he was having trouble with his son who was 18. The son thought his dad was a corporate whore. He had told his father if he had any balls at all he’d put Ed Abbey on his show. That’s why the EP was talking to me. Would I see if it was possible? I had an acquaintance who knew Ed and he passed the request along. Ed responded that he’d give it a try. He signed the contract and wrote a script. We met in Moab and went out to Arches National Park to shoot some practice sessions with a home video camera. We would review them at the motel in the evening. After a day or two, Ed was feeling pretty comfortable on camera so we scheduled the shoot. We were all happy with the way it went. But then we ran head-on into network reality. Roger Mudd, the show’s host, was extremely negative about putting an “eco-terrorist” on the show. The executive producer caved (his son was right about him apparently). So this Abbey essay was put on the shelf and never aired. Abbey died 3 years later in March 1989.

Essay by Edward Abbey "I Loved it...I Loved it All" from Ned Judge on Vimeo.

Seems like I'm always a few clicks behind the rest of the hip world. I'm the last guy to watch the latest hot Youtube video. I don't have cable so, no cool new TV shows for me. I'm generally broke most of the time, which means my gear is heavy, neon, and some might say, "vintage".

Well, although I missed their Kickstarter campaign, I'm not as late to this party as typical. Torch Apparel is now letting folks pre-order its new T1 Torch Helmet, which incorporates LED lights in the front and the back of a bike helmet to increase visibility of nighttime bicyclists. While not bright enough to work as a headlamp, the lights do provide increased visibility and better safety for cyclists who ride at night. An integrated USB charging port makes the helmet easy to recharge, and it runs for five hours on a 1.5 hour long charge.
Pre-order pricing is $120 for the standard model and $130 for the Midnight Edition that uses smoked  lenses, whatever those are. Should be delivered in time for the Holidays; Torch Apparel is stating it will get them shipped by November.

Via Gizmag

Suffice it to say, the U.S. State Department needs a feel good story these days. Fortunately, a crew of paddlers from Canada is planning a little international diplomacy mission.
The Ottawa-based paddlers are paddling from Ottawa's Victoria Island to Washington DC. Using apparently epic navigation and mapping skills, the group is weaving its way through the St. Lawrence Seaway, Lake Champlain, the Hudson River and Chesapeake Bay on a mix of canals, rivers, lakes, and bays, covering about 50 km a day. Calling their journey the Capital to Capital by Canoe, the group is hoping to bring attention to the health of rivers and waterways in both the U.S. and Canada.

I saved you some time and went ahead and googled a few things about Ottawa. It turns out that Ottawa is a city in the Canadian Province of Ontario. In fact, it is the capital city of Canada and its located up near the New York/ Vermont Border, has about 800,000 people, and is reported to be a pretty nice place. It's about 470 miles as the crow flies to Washington DC and about 560 miles driving. God only knows how long it is paddling. Either way, a pretty epic adventure.



Via Paddler.net

If you're gonna head to the Minnesota woods this fall, better skip on the wolf costume. According to Scientific American, more than 23,000 folks have applied for the 6,000 wolf hunting permits available in Minnesota this fall. Wolves, as you likely are aware, have been taken off the endangered species list in Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, and Minnesota. Montana and Idaho have had a couple of hunting seasons already, and Wyoming is initiating its first season this fall too. There are two seasons in Minnesota, one that starts in November and coincides with deer season, and one later in the winter that allows trapping. Of course, environmental groups have fought the delisting, the hunting, and the trapping at every step, but their efforts have been ineffective in cancelling the hunting seasons.

If the success rates in Montana and Idaho are any indication, the folks in Minnesota aren't going to get anywhere near the 600 wolf quota set for this year's "harvest." Folks from 33 states applied for the Minnesota permits, which cost $250 for out-of-staters and $30 for Minnesota residents. Wow. I guess some people really like shooting animals.

Via Outside Online 

Photo Via All-about-wolves.com

Cannondale has introduced a nifty new concept bike, the Continuously Ergonomic Race Vehicle or CERV, that has the capacity to automatically adjust the handlebar if the rider is heading up or down a slope. When the bike senses it's descending, the handlebars move down to reduce the angle of the rider and lower his/her profile. When climbing, it raises the handlebars, all without changing the seat-to-crank distance. 

Of course, this means no front fork, so the bike has a pretty far out design and unique steering mechanism that translates movements from the handlebars through the frame to turn. No chain either, power is transferred to the rear wheel through a transmission running through the shaft of the rear support arm.

Cannondale partnered with a company called Priority Designs to build the concept, which it unveiled at the Eurobike exhibition in Germany last month.

Via Gizmag

I'm not a huge fan of the law that allows guns in National Parks. Mostly, I'm far more afraid of people with guns than I am of any type of animal that I might find in the woods. So, instead of being afraid of a few bears or the occasional mountain lion, now I'm afraid of every Tom, Dick, and Sally I meet on a blind corner of the trail. I'm not so afraid of people thinking of me as a threat and shooting me due to perceived aggression or some other obvious reason. No, I'm afraid of some idiot shooting me accidentally and then making up some ridiculous story about how I got shot by an unseen gunman in the middle of nowhere.

Apparently, my fears aren't unfounded…. Last weekend, a 29-year-old man was shot in the leg - twice - by an "unseen gunman" in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Although he was pretty far out in the park, a 911 call and subsequent ambulance ride ensured that he is recovering from the wounds.  Well, it turns out the guy accidentally shot himself. Twice. In the legs. This is why I'm afraid.  

Via The Goat Blog

I don't write a lot about hunting, but it's something I enjoy doing every fall. Alright, I do a lot of rifle hiking and not so much hunting, but I count it anyway. I've not had much success, and now I think I know why.

A recent study conducted by University of Alberta suggests that maybe it's the personality of the elk I'm stalking, not the fact that I can't shoot straight, don't go to the right place, and don't go at the right time. That's right, it's the elk.

Researchers placed GPS collars on more than 100 male and female elk in southwestern Alberta, and ended up classifying the elk into two groups, the bold runners and the shy hiders. According to the research, the bold runners hang out in open meadows, chomping on the more nutritious grasses available there. They run quickly from noise, but because they're in the open, they end up getting shot more often. The shy hiders on the other hand, hang out in trees, munching on woody vegetation and staying hidden. While they don't get the same nutrition and move more slowly and cautiously, they do survive hunting season more frequently than the bold runners.

Wow, good to know. If the zombie wars ever come, hiding in the woods may be the best way to roll. Good luck.

Via Outdoor Hub

Photo via Elk-Pictures.com