Destinations & Things To Do

The In-Laws – The Trek

Published

7 hours ago

August 7, 2025

To-Go

Editor’s Note: this is the post that disappeared from my drafts that I thought was gone forever!! This should have been published back in the Shenandoahs. Consider it a retrospective that highlights Fail’s incredible generosity and friendship on this trail.

He was a good hiker and will be missed.

(He’s not really dead, he’s just off the trail now. Sad day for us all.)

—

Imagine this: you’re hiking with your friend in the woods. You’re dead tired because you’re rounding out a 15 mile day after hiking until midnight the night before, but at least you’ll make it to town in time for a nice meal and a beer at a local restaurant before getting picked up to be taken to the most luxurious place you been to in quite some time. Tonight, you won’t be sleeping in a hostel with a dozen or more other hikers. No, tonight, you’ll be sleeping in the quiet and air-conditioned, privately owned, personally cared for and known, beautifully manicured… Friend’s house!

We have finally made it. Fail’s loving wife’s parents live a short drive away from trail, and we are finally in that driving distance. We have been invited (with the exclusive perks of being friends with Fail) to enjoy the Good Life off trail for a few days, and for at least the moment, Cheese and I are able to take them up on the offer.

While Cheese and I were indeed dead tired from the most monotonous and arduous day of hiking yet (are we getting bored of hiking every day in the green tunnel of Virginia yet? Maybe!), we were happy to see Fail and his wife as they pulled up in Fail’s in-laws’ van. Fail has been recovering from the Noro that hit him hard a few weeks ago, and to catch up to us he’s been utilizing all the support he can get to make bigger miles days without hurting himself. This involves some light slack packing at staying at his in-laws to recoup when he can. As such, he’s been trying to get the tramily to visit the in-laws’ place for weeks now to partake in the wonders of showers and beds and AC.

It was sad that this particular opportunity wouldn’t be a place the whole tramily would get to experience together. Stoker has finally jumped up to New Hampshire, Gaslight is two days ahead of us pushing long days to make it to the next town North to meet up with his partner, and Roadhog is 100 miles behind from his week off last month. For now, it would be me, Mr Cheese, and Fail – still a good group, and I was still happy to be going to a comfortable house for a day or two while I could, but I was definitely feeling sad that the long awaited In-Laws’ House Fail had been hyping up wouldn’t be the tramily get together that we had planned for.

So, Cheese and I finished our beers at the restaurant, settled up the bill, and gathered ourselves for dinner number two at the in laws as Becky and Fail pulled up in the van. Becky leaned out of the driver’s side window, smiling and waving coyly, asking us to put our packs in the trunk. No problem, packs in the trunk is standard operating procedure for shuttles – but this van was special. With a press of a button, the van trunk started opening automatically, and we heard music playing.

Was that… John Cena’s theme music?

There in the trunk, someone I hadn’t seen for weeks and thought I wouldn’t see for weeks more yet, (which feels like forever on the trail)…

ROADHOG !!!!

I screamed. I was absolutely floored, elated, and a bit tipsy from the beer I’d had earlier, and I 100% screamed like Lucille Bluth discovering Gene Parmesan in disguise (Arrested Development references, anyone? Anyone?).

I hope readers of the blog will understand two things here from my previous posts: on the trail, the people you meet become like family very quickly, and the time is so concentrated that a week spent with someone on trail can mean you’re bonded for life. I have written some of my thoughts about tramily in the past, and have struggled with the concept and questioned the importance before I had found “my people”. As of now, I am a firm believer that tramily is a hugely important factor to both enjoying your hike and completing it. Roadhog is someone that I have only hiked with a couple of times, but those times were highly impactful, and the rest of the tramily has kept up with him and we all keep talking about him being a part of our group even if we haven’t seen him in weeks. With how much ground there is between him and us, it is hard to say if we will hike with him again before we reach the Northeast, but we’ve all talked about holing up to work at a hostel in Harper’s Ferry to let him catch up, and we have all tried our hand at convincing him to skip miles to be with us again sooner. To see him again here, in the trunk of a van on the way to the In-Laws’… Of course I screamed. It was the best surprise I could never have asked for. I believe Cheese was too stunned to scream, and just isn’t the type anyway, but he was just as blown away and excited to see Roadhog as I was.

Of course, Fail was recording the whole exchange from the front seat of the van, and caught my scream on camera. I think it’s a scream best kept in the tramily, however, and won’t be sharing it here. I’ll let you imagine the most excited and silly reaction someone could have with their friend surprising them with another friend in the trunk of a car.

Suffice to say, my mood had turned around pretty quick from tired, drained, and exhausted from the day’s hike, to pure excitement and joy. We finally piled into the van and started heading to the In-Laws’, and I immediately texted Gaslight to tell him that we had won. We had Roadhog in the car, and we were about to have the best zero ever, and he wasn’t going to be there because he had a town to catch. Aw man, I made myself sad again. It was a beautiful thing to see Roadhog so unexpectedly, but Gaslight wasn’t here to enjoy the little reunion (Roadhog is his favorite person), and Stoker wouldn’t be joining either. I missed my absent friends and felt like they should be here to enjoy this with us.

The In-Laws

Now, imagine the house of your friend’s retired parents, who have lived full lives as an engineer and a physicist, who “have it made”. The house is immaculate, in a brand new neighborhood in the hills of Virginia, with a yard and two cats and two dogs (Fail and Becky’s dogs). And since the grandkids live nearby and visit often, Grandma (the engineer) built bunk beds for them, which double as bunk beds for freshly showered thru-hikers. Now imagine that this matriarch is also a great cook, not to mention that she’s the kindest, most generous host you’ve experienced in months even while you’ve been surrounded by some of the most kind and generous angels along the trail.

Now imagine that you were once a student of physics and engineering and maintain a love of learning and a huge respect for people who build the things they need themselves, and you also love a good library. Imagine being welcomed into a home full of expert craftsmanship and books on physics and philosophy, and two wonderful people who will talk about their passions and their life stories with you as long as you like. I think I personally died and went to heaven. At least, I did a happy dance when I saw Becky’s dad’s shelves of physics books and her mom’s workshop.

(If my phone’s camera wasn’t broken, I would have a lot more pictures from the last few weeks, but alas, the trail giveth and the trail taketh away. Not a lot of pictures to share here.)

The first night at the In-Laws’ was uneventful – we simply had the best food and best beds we had had access to in weeks, surrounded with our friends (except Stoker and Gaslight). We watched a movie together, laughed, and caught up about our time on the trail that we had been separated.

The next morning, after an absolutely delightful breakfast – I had 6 pancakes, 5 slices of bacon, and 2 bowls of homemade yogurt – so a light meal, Becky had to run an errand. We all joked about how we missed her whenever she left us, and un-jokingly stated that she’s absolutely a part of our tramily. I knew that just sitting around the house would be too much of doing nothing for me after such an amazing meal, so I offered to walk the dogs with Becky’s mom after cleaning up the kitchen. Soon enough, Becky returned, and I was diverted from my dog walk as we were all corralled downstairs. Naturally, I thought that we would be taking a group photo while we were all together to send to Gaslight to make him jealous – the most obvious conclusion I think I could have come to. Of course I didn’t notice Fail filming us all with his phone again as Becky opened the curtain to the patio to reveal….

GASLIGHT !!!!

I screamed again! Less screaming this time, since I hadn’t had any beer with my breakfast and was stone cold sober, but once again I found myself with the best surprise ever of an unexpected friend. I had been duped! I had texted Gaslight the night before about how he should get picked up and brought to the house for just one night to hang out and see his good friend Roadhog again, and he had given a number of excuses for why he couldn’t. Why do I keep trusting everything this guy named Gaslight says?? Well, good thing I didn’t question it, because the surprise was worth the initial disappointment.

We were assured that Stoker wouldn’t be the next surprise, that this was everyone, and that we could finally relax all together.

Right after Sunshine showed up later in the morning!

She tried to surprise me after hearing about the first two, but I had finally caught on, and while I didn’t scream when I saw her, I did give her a big hug. We were all so happy to be in one place together (except for Stoker, who I tortured with pictures of all of us together without her), and spent the day playing video games, watching more movies, and eating lots of food.

At some point, Cheese, Fail, and I went to Costco to resupply, which was a terrible idea financially, but it was fun to go to a Costco again after so many shopping trips at grocery stores like Ingles, Food Lion, Food City, etc. We obviously bought way too much food, and said that the excess would be used for trail magic for other hikers when Becky took us back to trail.

This wouldn’t be the last we saw of the in-laws, since Fail was still behind us and using all his resources to slow us down while he hiked to catch up. We will be forever grateful to Fail, Becky, and Becky’s mom for the hospitality and generosity that brought us all together for a night. Watching movies and sitting on the couch with your friends is sometimes better than hiking all day every day, as it turns out.

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Destinations & Things To Do

Trucking in Oregon – The Trek

Published

2 hours ago

August 7, 2025

Jerry CrampPa Tillman

The Oregon Trail

No I have not died due to Dysentery like in the video game….. But there was a dysentery sign just before leaving CA from that game messaging …pretty funny! I just got done eating a Maple Long John and drinking a chocolate milk from the bakery in Sisters OR. That puts me at 1985 miles on the trail. As soon as I get done with this Blog I will hitch the 12 miles back to the trail head. Then it is only about 165 miles left before I hit Cascade Locks and the Bridge of the Gods and step onto WA soil. The trail in Oregon has been fabulous. Well maintained and pine needle soft for a lot of it. There are still climbs up and decents down but they are graded pretty well for the most part. Some places with water sources that are spread out making you carry 2 liters of water but the streams have been ice cold and clear to replenish our water. Each liter is 2.2 lbs so we try to minimize the amout of water we have to carry. We have run across some awesome people doing trail maintenance in Oregon and their hard work really shows up on our hiking. I am most of the way through a 14 mile stretch of walking through a lava flow which is very different and more difficult to walk through. Gotta keep your eyes on the trail and watch where you plant your feet. We just hiked through the Sisters Wilderness and there were thousands and thousands of butterflies flittering all around us as we hiked through the meadows and up the trails. It was amazing to have all these butterflies coming right at you and then somehow flittering around you. The weather has also cooled off which makes hiking very enjoyable. The peaks still have some snow on them and we even have to cross a few snow fields every now and again. Nothing sketchy but still amazing considering it is August.

We have a couple of iconic mountains coming up. Mout Washington, Mount Jefferson, and Mount Hood. We can see them in the distance and they look amazing. We do have had to walk though some burn areas from previous years fires and it is jarring to see what looks like the zombie apocalypse landscape.

How Are the Knee and Feet

My knee is still doing great! No problems and I am now about 835 miles up the trail so I am very pleased with it. The new shoes are great. All 4 concerns I had with my feet have been addressed and the blisters are turning ito calluses. There is still dirt on my feet at night but not nearly as bad as it was. I think a combination of the shoe design and also the change in the trail environment have helped. My new logistical challenge is the weight loss and muscle mass loss from hiking 24-26 miles a day. I adjusted my food supply options so I can eat snacks ever couple of hours while hiking. There are a lot of Resorts on the backwoods lakes that the trail goes by as well as towns like Sisters. I am making sure I am chowing down on milk shakes, pizza, and burgers/fries as these locations to supplement the food I am carrying. It is helping with my energy levels and also the ability to hike more miles each day.

Tidbits from the Trail:

Burney Mountain Guest Ranch is an oasis in the middle of No. Cal. wilderness. It was previously a Horse Rance that has been turned into a hiker haven. There are bunk houses and private guest houses and laundry and showers besides tent camping area. The main dinning room has big wooden tables and the breakfast and dinners are buffet style with lots and lots of comfort food, salads, fruit, and desert. The ladies that are cooking are super nice and it is like going to Grandma’s house to eat. Off the dinning room is a salt water pool for swimming or just soaking your tired feet. Christine and Kyran are really making the place something special.

The worst trails conditions so far was just before and after the Middle Fork of the Feather River Gorge in No. Cal. 30 miles of the trail were burned in a 2020 fire and the burned trees are falling across the trail in large numbers and brushy plants have had the time to grow big enough to choke the trail. The effects of fires can cause years of maintenance issues and are of concern with climate change. Climbing over, under and around blow downs can be quite challenging and tiring. It was during this section that a woman injured herself and had to be air evacuated from the mountain. Her husband’s pack as well as her pack were left behind and SAR (Search and Rescue) arranged to have two hikers each carry out one of their packs latched onto their own packs. Bombadil and Appleseed carried 2 packs through this incredibly tough section for 2 days before they could get to a dirt forest road at the top of the Feather River Canyon and give them to SAR.

We had an interesting 3 days right out of Ashland OR. Day one Big Mac and I were walking up the trail then the earth started shaking…….. All of a sudden around the bend about 45-60 feet in front of us a riderless horse was galloping down the path right at us….. Being the City Slickers we are, we froze! Fortunetly the horse changed direction and bolted through a thicket of brush to our left and kept on running… A few minutes later 2 girls, one on foot, and one on a horse came looking for the horse. All we could do is point down the mountain. We heard a few days later that they were still looking for the horse…

The next day Big Mac left camp earlier than me and came upon a skunk on the trail…. The skunk turned and lifted his tail but fortunately Big Mac backed up before he could be sprayed… However on the third day, Mr. Skunk’s friend, Mr. Wasp, stung him righ on the upper lip area. The rest of the day Big Mac looked like Homer Simpson…

Another great place to stay is the Columbia Hotel in Ashlund OR. The have refurbished the old hotel and is very hiker friendly and is in the middle of town. Ashland puts on the Oregon Shakespearean Festival every year and there are free concerts in the plaza between shows. Lots of people travel to see these shows thorughout the summer. Makes the town very festive.

Sisters is a great little town in central Oregon with lots of Shops and Restaurants and Bars. The City Part has a very clean and accessable campgrounds that has a biker/hiker section to stay at for just $10.

Crater Lake is pretty amazing and I met a guy from Texas that was shooting photos at sunset. He was waiting for the light to be just right and when he started taking pictures, I started taking pictures…..figured he knew what he was looking for.

Well onto Cascade Locks. Gonna grab a milkshake on the way through town and start hitching. Remeber to consider volunteering on a trail near you as the work is very rewarding and many hands are needed to keep the wilderness accessable to us all.

Peace and Happy Trails!

CrampPa

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Destinations & Things To Do

Nova Scotia Hiking Trails Closed Due to Wildfire Risk

Published

3 hours ago

August 7, 2025

Chickpea

For the first time in recent memory, Nova Scotia hiking trails are closed due to extreme wildfire risk and drought. The Canadian province has issued a full ban on hiking, backcountry travel, and forest access across both national and provincial lands.

The closure took effect on Tuesday, August 5 at 4 p.m. AST and will remain in place until at least October 15, or until conditions improve.

“Stay Out of the Woods” – Nova Scotia government signage reminds residents and visitors of the province-wide closure due to extreme wildfire risk. Photo: Premier’s Office of Nova Scotia

Nova Scotia, located on the Atlantic coast of Canada just east of Maine, is known for its forested landscapes, rugged shorelines, and many hiking trails. With a growing reputation among backpackers, the province is home to Kejimkujik National Park, the Cape Chignecto Coastal Trail, and part of the International Appalachian Trail in Cape Breton Highlands National Park.

Why Are Nova Scotia Hiking Trails Closed?

The province is currently experiencing severe drought conditions, with weeks of hot, dry weather leaving forests highly flammable. According to the Canadian Drought Monitor, much of Nova Scotia is facing moderate to severe drought, and officials say the risk of wildfire is elevated and widespread.

“Conditions continue to be extremely dry. Until we get a significant amount of rain, we’re at an elevated risk of wildfires,” said Premier Tim Houston. “Most wildfires are caused by human activity, so to reduce the risk, we’re keeping people out of the woods until conditions improve.”

Over 100 wildfires have already occurred this season. While all have been small and quickly extinguished, officials say that could change “in a heartbeat” under the current conditions.

In addition to hiking and camping restrictions, the ban also applies to forestry, mining, and other commercial activity on publicly owned wilderness areas managed by the province. Businesses and individuals conducting this kind of work must apply for permits through the Department of Natural Resources.

Anyone caught violating the restrictions faces a fine of $25,000 CAD.

What’s Affected by the Hiking Ban in Nova Scotia?

The ban includes all hiking on public lands, all backcountry camping, any vehicle use on forest roads, and commercial and recreational activity in wooded areas managed by the province. Private landowners may use their own property, but cannot host guests or allow others to access their wooded land.

While beaches, day-use areas, and some parks remain open, trail systems and backcountry areas—even within those parks—are off-limits. A total fire ban is also in place, prohibiting campfires, solid-fuel stoves, and open flames across the province.

Cape Breton Highlands’ most iconic hike, the Skyline Trail, is now off-limits under the province-wide fire risk ban, as it travels through vulnerable forested areas. Photo: Wikipedia Commons

Impact on Hikers, Tourism & Local Culture

The closure comes at the height of Nova Scotia’s travel season. Outdoor businesses, guides, and accommodations are already reporting cancellations. Some travelers have had to scrap multi-day hiking trips or modify backcountry itineraries into less immersive beach vacations.

Though not as well-known internationally as British Columbia or Alberta, Nova Scotia has become an increasingly popular destination for hikers seeking a quieter, coastal wilderness experience – with a mix of cliffs, old-growth forests, and ocean views. The closures are a reminder that wildfire risk is no longer limited to the western U.S. or Canada, and that climate change is reshaping outdoor recreation even in traditionally wetter, forested regions like Atlantic Canada.

Widespread Drought – Much of Nova Scotia is facing moderate to severe drought. Dry conditions have pushed the province to ban forest access and backcountry travel. Photo: Canadian Drought Monitor

Stay Updated

The situation is being monitored closely, and updates will be posted by local and federal agencies. Before making travel plans, check Nova Scotia BurnSafe map and restrictions and Parks Canada trail and park alerts.

“We ask everyone to cooperate, stay out of the woods, and be sensible,” said Tory Rushton, Nova Scotia’s Minister of Natural Resources. “We all have a role to play in keeping our communities safe.”

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Destinations & Things To Do

Tornos News | Russian Tourism: +12.5% Increase in Travel to the Top 30 Foreign Destinations in H1 2025

Published

3 hours ago

August 7, 2025

the Editor

An increase in international travel activity by Russian citizens was recorded in the first half of 2025, according to the latest data from the Border Service of the FSB. From January to June, Russians made a total of 13.66 million trips abroad, marking a 7.8% increase compared to the same period in 2024.

However, the most notable finding is the impressive 12.5% rise in travel to the top 30 most popular tourist countries, compared to a modest 4.3% increase to “near abroad” countries — mostly former Soviet republics with limited tourist appeal.

Turkey Leads, But with Losses
Turkey remains the top destination for Russian tourists, with 2.57 million trips in the first half of the year (18.8% of the total). Despite holding the top spot, Turkish statistics show a 2.9% decline in arrivals, attributed to a drop in Russian arrivals from third countries. Analysts suggest some of these trips were transit-related.

UAE and China on the Rise – But Many Are Transit Trips
The UAE ranks second with 1.14 million trips, up 16%, although up to 200,000 of these were transit stops en route to other Asian destinations.

Similarly, China saw a 31.2% increase with 1.04 million visits, though a significant portion involved border shopping or transit travel. Purely tourist visits are estimated at 600,000 to 700,000.

Strong Genuine Growth in Thailand and Egypt
Thailand posted a healthy 12.4% increase, reaching 1.03 million Russian tourists, supported by regular flight connections and its reputation as a vacation hotspot.

Even more striking was Egypt, with a 40.4% rise and nearly 940,000 arrivals, confirming renewed interest in the destination.

New Players at the Top: Vietnam, Maldives, Indonesia
Vietnam recorded a 139.3% surge to 260,000 visitors, climbing from 9th to 7th place, thanks to new flight routes to Nha Trang.

Maldives saw a 20.7% increase with 126,780 Russian tourists.

Indonesia jumped 35.4%, with 117,000 visitors, mostly due to direct flights to Bali.

Sri Lanka and South Korea – Same Rank, Different Trends
Both countries share 10th place but with different dynamics:

Sri Lanka experienced a small drop of 1.6% (112,000 visits), attributed to rising costs.

South Korea increased 20.8% (110,000 visitors), supported by connecting flights via China.

Returns and Declines
Cuba, previously in the top 10, saw a 43.4% decline, largely due to fewer direct flights.

Venezuela showed a similar trend.

In contrast, some less traditional destinations posted explosive growth:

Tunisia +364% (though in small absolute numbers)

Japan +103%

Morocco +65.8%

North Korea +279% — reaching 1,937 tourists, which still doesn’t indicate a true tourism boom.

The Bigger Picture
In total, 8.74 million trips were made to the 30 most popular destinations, accounting for 64% of all international travel. The top 10 (or 11) destinations absorb 93.3% of outbound Russian tourism, a nearly unchanged share from last year.

Interestingly, two-thirds of the TOP-30 countries showed positive momentum. Among the major mass-market destinations, Egypt stood out for absolute growth, while Turkey slightly declined.

Abkhazia attracted an estimated 665,000 visitors (+6.5%), though data is less reliable due to cross-border day trips and irregular reporting.

Key Takeaways
2025 started positively for outbound Russian tourism, especially to long-haul and traditional vacation destinations. This trend is supported by tour operator flights and restructured air routes via third countries.

However, despite the growth, the outlook remains fragile. In many cases, numbers are affected by flight logistics and hub transfers (e.g., UAE, China). Experts expect greater stability or even further growth over the summer, especially in countries that strengthen direct flights and offer competitive travel packages.

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