An idyllic canyon adventure went bad when a hiker fell to his death at Glen Canyon on Saturday. The red rock country attracts explorers from all over the world. Unfortunately not all visitors are accustomed to walking along steep cliffs with areas of loose, talus slopes.
A National Park Service (NPS) investigation found that Robert Hunt, 49, from St. Peters, Missouri was day hiking with a friend. As he attempted to cross a talus slope at the edge of a cliff, Mr. Hunt fell, landing in the shallow water and mud 70 feet ( 21.336 meters) below. He sustained a traumatic head injury.
The NPS warns that talus slopes, or areas of loose rock on steep terrain, are extremely hazardous for hikers. Mr. Hunt had been visiting the area with four friends and had gone on several day hikes during his trip.
Girls' Adventure Travel tip: Hey, unknown waters or unfamiliar terrain certainly increases the ol' adrenalin rush when adventuring, but remember to use caution. The unknown environment can "act" quite differently than what you are used to back home or in more familiar surroundings.
In Canyon Country, arroyos can become flooded with deadly waters without a cloud overhead. A small rain burst miles away has killed unprepared hikers as the water rushes downhill. The stone canyons do not absorb water. Likewise, extreme temperatures can cause dizziness and it is easy to lose your balance. Of course it doesn't help when the terra firma is not so firma. Even after several days in an unfamiliar environment, stay on your toes, drink plenty of water and watch your footing. I recently took a nasty tumble as I video taped a hike. Wounded pride and skinned knees was, fortunately, all that beset me. It could have been deadly.
You won't see signs like the one above at Glen Canyon National Recreation Area. (I took this one on the side of Kilimanjaro in Tanzania.)
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Glen Canyon National Recreation Area was created when the Colorado River was dammed by the Glen Canyon Dam. The waters behind the dam formed Lake Powell, named after Colorado River explorer and one-armed Civil War veteran John Wesley Powell.
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Safari in South Africa is like no other and the experience at Legends Golf and Safari Resort is a great mix of wild life and recreation. Legends is a three hour drive north of Johannesburg in the Limpopo province and is juts outside of the Entabeni Safari Conservancy. The accommodations are luxury and contemporary set out in the wild or the bush as they call it. We had a fantastic time going on safari at dawn and at dusk, which are the best times of the day to see wildlife. We saw three of the Big 5 (Elephant, Rhinoceros, Lion). The two we did not see were the Leopard and Buffalo. while it's fun to count the big and to see them, it's just as much fun seeing the others and we saw plenty as you can see from the photo show. One treat was seeing two cheetahs, brothers just walking down the dirt road. Fortunately for us they did not run. They are the fastest of the cats.
On Safari
Whenever I would hear the name Sheboygan, I heard it the way Jerry Lewis would say it, "She BOY gan! After spending two wonderful, peaceful, yet exciting days here, I still say SheBOYgan, but with excitement!
Day two – we were introduced to the outdoor wonders of Sheboygan. I didn’t realize that people surfed on Lake Michigan. Sheboygan is a popular destination for surfing, sailing, fishing, hunting, bird watching, kayaking, and so much more. We were invited to join Captain Patrick on his fishing boat the Wolf Pack II. Now, those of you who know me understand that I do not do boats, especially boats on Lake Michigan. I allowed my adventurous co-host, Ja’Vonne, to talk me into going on this fishing excursion. To make a long story short, she caught a good sized salmon, I fed the fishes. Our cameraman, Howard, didn’t feed them but boy did he see double.
Feet back on land, we stopped by one of Sheboygan’s sports shops EOS and met Michael. Of course the dare devil of The Traveling Eye wanted to learn how to Kayak so Michael put her in a kayak, and with some direction he pushed her out into the water and off she went. She did an awesome job! Afterwards we did something I could enjoy; we biked along the lakefront and took in the shops and sites. It was so relaxing and fun.
Restaurant
