Mar 21 2014

Arthur Frommer Would Love Trailsnet

Arthur Frommer Promotes Inexpensive Travel

Since the mid-1950s, Arthur Frommer has been the champion of inexpensive travel and, for that, he’s my hero. His original travel guides touted Europe on $5 per day. He had to raise the daily rate over the years, but he has always introduced us to inexpensive vacations and affordable travel. Mr. Frommer gives four sage bits of travel wisdom that are shared below. Each of these travel tips would work easily well with the Trailsnet trail travel philosophy:

bike tours

bike trail travel

Don’t Be a Stupid Traveler

Arthur Frommer believes in traveling inexpensively but also safely. He would love trail travel. By avoiding dangerous highways and roads, trail travel is much safer than touring on road bikes. No traffic, no dangerous vehicles, no highway fatalities. It’s as simple as that. Trail travel is safe travel!!

See More Than the Sights

Frommer recommends seeing more than just the hyped tourist attractions like the Roman Coliseum, the Eiffel Tower & Big Ben. He advises travelers to take the path less traveled, stay at bed & breakfasts & interact with locals. Trail travel allows you the opportunity to travel off the beaten path and see sites that so many others miss. It’s less expensive & way more fun.

Travel in Small Groups

Avoid the busloads of tourists. Instead, join a small-group bike tour along the Danube River, the C & O Canal or the Silver Comet Trail. Travel in groups of under a dozen. Better yet, travel with a partner. Trail travel even allows you to comfortably travel solo. And don’t forget that in many places throughout the world, electric bikes are allowed on trails, so you don’t have to be a bike racer to enjoy bike trail travel.

Look for Bargains

Arthur Frommer recommends destinations such as Bali, Bulgaria and El Salvador for cheap destinations. When it comes to trail travel, you’re not limited to just a few inexpensive places. All trail travel, no matter what country you’re in, is an inexpensive way to get around and see the countryside. Even during peak seasons such as autumn leaf viewing, international festivals and summer hot spots are much less expensive when viewed via a bike trail or foot path.

Permanent link to this article: https://trailsnet.com/2014/03/21/inexpensive-travel-on-trails/

Mar 19 2014

Trails Promote Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness

Trails Embody the Spirit of the Declaration of Independence

No other institution better promotes life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness like trails. They promote life because of the great exercise they provide. Trails are the ultimate gymnasium providing safe and healthy exercise as well as fresh air and sunshine. And this is just one aspect of the importance of trails.

Trails Provide Liberty

forest trail

trail tranquility

According to an online dictionary, liberty is “the state of being free within society from oppressive restrictions imposed by authority on one’s way of life, behavior…” This is a pretty good definition of trails, too. Oh sure, trails have certain restrictions, but they are neither oppressive nor omnipresent as they are elsewhere. One can enjoy the freedom of trails without constant interruptions of stoplights, stop signs, congestion and societal restraints. Trail users are truly free in spirit and soul. More than anywhere else on this planet, trails provide peace, tranquility and…

Happiness on Trails

As any great philosopher knows, true happiness comes from within. And to have this true happiness and tranquility, one must be able to escape the rigors of daily life and commune with nature. If you don’t believe me, ask any of the great philosophers, poets and scholars. And where do you find nature and tranquility? Wilderness areas, open spaces and parks. And how do you get to and through these great bastions of freedom and relaxation? On trails, of course. Trails link us, unite us and free us. For years, mankind has built roads to escape the wilderness. Now we must build trails to find the wilderness… and to find peace and harmony both within ourselves and in the greater world.

Permanent link to this article: https://trailsnet.com/2014/03/19/the-importance-of-trails/

Feb 08 2014

Trail Tours and Trail Travel

What are Trail Tours?

trail tours & bike tours

trail travelers

You’re probably familiar with the typical adventure travel model that involves riding bikes on roads, streets & byways. It is a very popular travel option for travelers who are bicycle enthusiasts but is quite different than trail tours. It offers exercise and camaraderie as well as a unique way to explore different regions or countries. But traditional adventure bike tours also has their disadvantages:

  • It’s not very safe. As newspaper headlines often prove, automobiles & bicycles do no work well together.
  • It often involves a frantic pace. Although riders are free to stop wherever they want, many roadsides aren’t conducive to site-seeing due to narrow shoulders and/or speeding traffic.
  • Road biking presents numerous less-than-pleasant distractions including pollution, noise & unattractive views.

Advantages of Trail Biking

The next section of this blog-post will provide you with information about the types of trails most often used in trail touring. But first, let’s look at the advantages of trail bike touring:

  • safety –  Because you aren’t sharing the road with hulking, speeding vehicles, you are much safer riding on trails.
  • serenity – Without the noisy background sounds of traffic, trails are much more peaceful than roads.
  • scenery – Trails often provide a much more scenic backdrop than roads.
  • less crowded – Since the majority of people have not yet discovered the joys of trail-travel, you are much more likely to enjoy a more peaceful and less crowded biking experience.
  • history – Most long-distance trails are built on former railroad grades, canal towpaths, historic footpaths or converted roadways. As a result, they are often dotted with historical gems along the way, including scenic villages, converted rail stations, historical waysides & unique museums.
  • family friendly – Because of all the reasons listed above, trail tours are much better for families, couples, retirees and most other demographic groups.

Types of Trails Conducive to Trail Tours & Trail Travel

Most people are unfamiliar with “destination trails.” Destination trails are those that are worthwhile for planning a vacation around and are most often the type used in trail travel and trail tours. Here are some examples of destination trails with brief explanations or definitions:

Trail Tour Companies

At present, only one bicycle tour company specializes in trail tours. Active Travel Tours offers trail tours as part of their hosted tour program. Most bike tour companies offer guided tours that are mainly limited to road biking. That will probably change soon as trail biking becomes more and more popular. Both trail tours and hosted tours are recent innovations in the travel industry, but it is likely that they will gain momentum and become a rising trend.

Permanent link to this article: https://trailsnet.com/2014/02/08/trail-tours-trail-travel/

Jan 09 2014

Top Trail Articles for Trailsnet.com

Ammonoosuc Rail Trail Rates in Top 3 on Internet

New Hampshire's Ammonoosuc Rail Trail

Covered Bridge Near Ammonoosuc Rail Trail

Ranking high in the search engines is difficult; and, believe it or not, trails are one of the more competitive search terms when it comes to SEO ranking. (Search Engine Optimization) Let’s face it, there are a lot of great trail websites out there: Traillink, Everytrail, Trails.com… Don’t forget all the trail websites run by government entities such as the Forest Service, BLM, various National Parks, state trails, county trails, community trails and so on. So I’m quite pleased to have one of Trailsnet’s major destination trail descriptions, the Ammonoosuc Rail Trail in New Hampshire, ranked in the top five in the search results on Google and many other search engines.

Colorado's Glenwood Canyon Trail

Glenwood Canyon Trailhead

Colorado’s Glenwood Canyon Trail Ranks in Top Ten

Trailsnet’s Glenwood Canyon Trail near Glenwood Springs, Colorado ranks among the top 8 in search engine returns. This is especially significant considering how popular the Glenwood Canyon Trail is among bikers in Colorado and throughout the nation. Since Glenwood Springs is such a famous recreation destination, its premier bike trail is a big deal.

Permanent link to this article: https://trailsnet.com/2014/01/09/top-trail-articles-trailsnet-com/

Jan 03 2014

Enjoy Some of Englands Best Hikes in Yorkshire Hiking Country

Yorkshire hiking trails in Great Britain

Britain has some of the best hiking destinations in the world, and among those, some of the most majestic are to be found in Yorkshire. But Yorkshire’s a big place, so if you’re trying to decide exactly where to walk it can be hard to know where to start. Fortunately, we’re here to help. Here are five of the best walks you can find in Yorkshire, whether you’re starting out on your first walk or looking for a really challenging hike.

Aysgarth Falls

This walk starts out at the Aysgarth Falls National Park Centre, and is actually a pretty easy stroll compared to most routes. Starting from SE012888 on your Ordinance Survey (you’ll need your Ordinance Survey maps for all of these walks), the walk will take you 2.2 miles in one or two hours, and is perfect for family outings.

The route will take you through charming woodland, scenic looking fields and eventually turns around to take you through Low Force, Middle Force and High Force, the three beautiful cascading waterfalls that visitors love. It’s a relatively short hike, so feel free to take your time and drink in the scenery.

Crummack Dale and Norber Erratics

This walk starts out from Austwick village, Ordinance Survey reference SD768686. It’ll take you 5.7 miles over two or three hours, and is just a bit more of a challenge than the afternoon stroll that is Aysgarth Falls.

Now personally, this is one of my very favourite walks as it goes into the Norber Erratics. If you’re a bit of a geology nerd like me this place is a paradise. You’ll find limestone and Silurian sandstone boulders, and the red and green whetstone of the Moughton Scar. There’s also some fantastic views, such as the one you can see from the top of the drop into Crummack Dale.

Catrigg Force and Attermire Scar Walk

This walk starts in Settle, where Alfred Wainwright began his legendary epic hike up to Hadrian’s Wall and back. This is more of a hike than a walk, talking you 11.2 miles over four or five hours, it’s a challenge for intermediate hikers.

This walk is a walk full of secrets. It will take you to Catrigg Force, a magical hidden waterfall that it feels great to discover. You’ll then end up following a quiet road down to Victoria Cave and the Attermire Scar, before eventually finding your way back to Settle.

Simon’s Seat and Troller’s Gill from Strid Wood

Okay, we’re getting onto the real challenges now. This hike starts out at lovely Pavilion cafe in the Bolton Abbey Estate, and goes on to cover 13.2 miles over five or six hours.

What’s more, it’s steep. The initial leg of the walk will see you climb over 350 metres, with a highpoint of 485 metres at Simon’s Seat. But it’s worth it for the breathtaking views you’ll get over the desolate Barden Fell. Many hikers prefer to stop for lunch here before starting back down to Parceval Hall and the wonderfully named Troller’s Gill. You’ll then head along the River Whafe, past the magnificient waterfalls of Strid Wood. It’s hard going, but worth every minute of it.

The Three Peaks Walk

Okay, now we’re headed into the big leagues. This walk is a legendary hiking challenge, one of those things that anyone who’s serious about their walking shout try at least nice, and anyone who isn’t should probably leave well alone.

Starting off at Horton in Ribblesdale, you’re going to walk 25 miles. If you’re quick you could hypothetically complete the walk in eight hours, however it’s not unusual for the entire trek to take up to fourteen hours. This is a real challenge for serious hikers, many of which hop over from Europe by ferry to attempt it.

There are various routes you can take, but you what’s compulsory is that you climb the titular Three Peaks – the 694 metres Penyghent, the 736 metre Whernside and the 723 metres Ingleborough. You’re going to spending a large chunk of the walk climbing and descending, so you need to be properly equipped and in good physical fitness. However if you can do it, the views are well worth it, as is the sense of achievement when you finally get to the end.

 

Featured images:

By Sam Wright

Sam Wright is a writer based in Norwich, Norfolk.

Permanent link to this article: https://trailsnet.com/2014/01/03/yorkshire-hiking-trails/

Dec 23 2013

5 Horse Riding Tips For Beginners

 Horse riding is a fun activity if you can afford it. It’s a skill set that you can use if you’re ever in any trouble and a horse is your only getaway. You’ll be surprised how often that situation comes up. In any case horse riding is an important skill to possess, which is why it’s taught at fancy schools where rich kids go to study. If it’s important to a millionaire’s daughter, it should be important to you as well. However, before you saddle up take a look at these important tips.

horse owner and horse

horse and rider

Spend Time with Your Horse

Riding depends on the connection between a man and his horse. If that connection isn’t strong the horse isn’t going to have any qualms about knocking you over. Groom your horse and spend as much time as you can with it. It’s not a bad idea to talk things over with your horse before your riding sessions. Bribe your horse with an apple every time you meet him, so he perceives you as a caregiver and not some moron who wants just wants a ride. A rider’s safety depends on the horse’s mood.

 A Little Warm up

training horse on sandy trail

horsemanship requires training

Before running a full sprint people usually jog. It helps them loosen up their muscles. Your horse should also warm up a little before your riding sessions. Before you test your equine companion’s horsepower it’s best to take a few laps. This will prevent any accidents halfway through your gallop. At that speed if your horse’s muscles tighten up, it could spell trouble for you. The horse will come to a sudden halt and you’ll become airborne. Where you land will be a simple matter of physics and luck. Knowing both I wouldn’t keep my hopes up if I were you.

 Follow the Rules

Rules are meant to keep you safe, not to inhibit your fun. Following them doesn’t make you any less cool. Equestrians may dress up like pompous English royals, but there’s a reason for it. The clothes make it comfortable for you to ride and the helmet prevents your head from cracking open like an egg. Also, hold the reins with both hands and keep your body in a locked position. You’re not exactly John Wayne, so riding like a cowboy is out of the question. You may try to wave to somebody while riding and end up crashing at their feet.

 

horseback saddle on fence rail

equestrian saddles require routine maintenance

Inspect the Saddle

The saddle is meant to keep you on the horse, but if it’s loose, you’ll go down with it. It’s important to check your horse saddle before each riding session. Someone could have tampered with it or unknowingly loosened it up. Either way you’ll be the one eating dust. It’s best to replace your saddle once a year. Don’t wait for the wear and tear to become apparent before making this decision, or you may not live to regret it. A large number of horse riding accidents are related to saddles, so they can be quite deadly.

 Fall Gracefully

Horse riding can be dangerous, it even injured the Man of Steel Christopher Reeves, so it’s important you know how to take a fall. The second you realize you’re going to fall your body tightens up due to instinct. You’ll need to fight this instinct and loosen up your body, because that way you’ll be better prepared. A rigid body falling on a rigid surface will end up with broken bones. Try to roll as you fall to avoid injury. Rolling will prevent the retaliation force of the ground from seriously injuring you. Keep rolling like a stone or you may accidently be trampled by the horse.

equestrian trail rides

horseback trail ride

Horse riding in my mind equates to freedom. It’s just you, your horse and the open plain. Gallop away when you feel like it and leave your worries and your troubles behind. Following the tips mentioned here will prevent accidents while riding. Few people ever get back on the horse after taking their first tumble. If you want to ride like a cowboy, you need to be fearless like one. If you happen to fall, pick yourself up, brush yourself off and then try again. And keep trying until you succeed, because that’s the only way you’ll learn how to ride a horse.

Author Bio:

The contributor of this article, John Ray, is an employee at Saddle World, well-known providers of horse saddles. John loves adventure sports and goes paragliding with his friends every now and then.

 

 

 

 

Permanent link to this article: https://trailsnet.com/2013/12/23/5-horse-riding-tips-beginners/