Update, July 16:听More than a few observant readers pointed out that the dog in the photo looks more like a than a Chihuahua. We reached out to the American Kennel Club, and a representative said that AKC experts believe the dog is a Papillon. “The butterfly ears are a hallmark of the breed.”

There are popular blends of the two breeds鈥攖he Chion or Pap-Chi. Alas, we cannot confirm whether or not the heroic doc in Switzerland is of either mix.

Original Story, July 4: A few years ago, my colleague Adam Roy titled “Why Chihuahuas Are the Best Trail Dogs.” The piece was one-half unintuitive hot take and one-half heartfelt love letter to Hobbes, his nine-year-old pet chihuahua.

Many of us on the 国产吃瓜黑料 staff shared a chuckle at the thought of a toy dog following our coworker along a tree-lined mountain trail. But Adam did make a few compelling arguments.

Chihuahuas are tiny: Hobbes weighs just five pounds, so carrying one on an adventure would be easy.

Attentiveness: Walking alongside a diminutive dog reminds a hiker to be mindful on the trail. One errant step could smash a paw or destroy the flora.

Avoids risks: Adam made one final compelling argument about Hobbes: his timid nature forced Adam to avoid potential pitfalls, like sketchy trails or too-deep streams.

“I鈥檝e got a partner who always keeps an eye on me, who understands, like the best partners do,” Adam wrote. “Sometimes the best things in the woods are the friends you brought with you.”

Turns out, Adam was right. This past week, a search and confirmed the chihuahua’s rightful place atop the ranking of trail dogs by adding another quality to the breed:

尝辞测补濒迟测:听A chihuahua will not abandon you, even if you are hopelessly stuck at the bottom of a crevasse.

Hero Chihuahua Saves Owner Stuck in Crevasse

An unidentified man was hiking the Fee Glacier on Friday, June 11, with his pet chihuahua, when the ice gave way beneath his feet. from the Air Zermatt flight school, which performs search and rescue missions, the man plunged 26 feet down into a crevasse, and was stuck there.

Back on the surface, the man’s long-haired chihuahua stayed on the ice next to the spot where its owner had vanished.

The dog’s loyalty likely saved the man’s life. The man used a walkie-talkie to call for a rescue, but when officials arrived on the scene, they had trouble locating the small entrance to the crevasse. That is until they saw the man’s four-legged friend running around the hole in the ice.

The rescue report reads:

Then a decisive moment: one of the rescue specialists spotted a small movement on a rock: the Chihuahua! Right next to it was the collapse hole through which the man had fallen into the crevasse. Thanks to the dog’s behavior, the crew was able to locate the exact site of the accident. The rescuers abseiled down to the casualty and were able to save him. Patient and dog were flown to hospital in Visp.

The little dog did not move during the entire operation and closely followed every movement of the rescue specialists. It is fair to say that his behavior contributed significantly to the successful rescue. The dog is a four-legged hero who may have saved his master’s life in a life-threatening situation.听

Of the many dogs I have owned, few would show this level of loyalty if placed in the same position鈥攎e, at the bottom of a crevasse, screaming for help. My current pet, a nine-pound Schnauzer/Yorkie mix named Beau, is more likely to chase the rescuers off than lead them to my unfortunate position.

Full disclosure: I’m not sure I’ll be purchasing a backcountry chihuahua anytime soon. But Adam’s compelling take, when combined with this rescue story, and, one important additional characteristic of the breed鈥�teeny tiny poopies鈥攃ould make the chihuahua the trail dog of your dreams.

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I moved West single and starry-eyed. With and mountains to climb, I knew the area was going to attract people that liked the same things as me, and maybe even one who liked me a little bit too. In fact, I was pretty adamant that a mutual passion for the mountains was going to be the make-or-break facet of my future dating life.

Then I met Will and Laura. Will was a typical Pacific Northwest transplant, coming in hot from four years of college in Vermont with aspirations to ski, hike, bike, and kayak his way across the whole region, and then maybe the world. He had turned his purple Chrysler Town & Country minivan into a verified rolling gear shed and loved anything that got him into the mountains. He also loved Laura. She, however, could do without the peaks that called Will鈥檚 name, claiming to hate skiing and only camping if it involved an electronic music festival. To top it off, she revealed that , and that she had no plans to break that streak anytime soon.

I was floored. Here were two people who had been together for years that hadn鈥檛 done something that I considered a pre-req for any kind of longevity in the dating game. Not even a single hike? Nada. I assumed this wild admission must be some sort of relationship denial or communication breakdown, but what I learned was much more revealing.

You see, Laura was totally down with Will鈥檚 mountain obsession. She talked openly (and quite candidly) about Will being more fun to be around when he came back from a hike or a day in the snow鈥攁nd that trading a few hours apart was more than worth it. Will echoed the sentiment. Laura was passionate about her art and pottery. That wasn鈥檛 really Will鈥檚 speed, but you know what was? The lit-up Laura that came back from her studio sessions.

Still in my early 20s, I had really only seen relationships as dusty mirrors. This, though, was the first time I watched partners support each other鈥檚 passions rather than share them. I鈥檓 pretty sure that鈥檚 when the Earth started shaking under my feet. It was uncomfortable, but refreshing, that kind of perspective shift you don鈥檛 really want but might kind of need. Since getting to know Laura and Will, I鈥檝e . While there were many pros and cons lists and plenty of overthinking, I鈥檝e met some great people, untangling a bit of my identity and the activities I love in the process. That last part is a continual journey, but it鈥檚 comforting knowing there鈥檚 plenty of connections to make off the beaten path. Hey, most will even tolerate me going off to do my own thing once in a while (if I ask nicely, of course).

I鈥檓 not saying I know a lot about a lot, but thanks to Laura and Will I find myself holding onto a simple truth: Standing on top of a mountain with your person is amazing, but finding someone who will let you be who you are鈥攈iker, potter, or otherwise? That one鈥檚 hard to top.

The post It鈥檚 Fine to Date Someone Who Doesn鈥檛 Hike appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

crews around the country have had their hands full this summer, and humans aren鈥檛 the only ones requiring aid.

According to , volunteer rescuers across Colorado responded to at least four missions during June to save dogs. The circumstances varied, from hikers bringing their furry friends on multi-day backpacking trips to taking them up 14,000-foot peaks, but in every case, sheer exhaustion was the primary cause.

Search and rescue organizations have varying policies regarding rescuing canines. There are examples of rescuers going above and beyond to save dogs in danger, but other outfits explicitly state that they will not accept rescue calls involving dogs. Some organizations, like (PCSAR), will respond to calls to rescue dogs in the wilderness if their location is known, but will not search for missing animals.

鈥淎s the weather warms up, we鈥檙e seeing more hikers and their four-legged fur children on the trails鈥攁nd we love it! But please remember: Search and Rescue teams are here to help people in emergencies, not to carry out tired, dehydrated, or injured dogs,” PCSAR wrote on its Facebook page. “Especially when these types of pup emergencies can be prevented.”

According to听The Vail Daily,听SAR teams will not deploy a helicopter for a dog rescue in the backcountry.

The most recent incident occurred on June 24, when a pair of hikers three days into a backpacking trip in the Lost Creek Wilderness called PCSAR to report that their dog was lying down and refusing to hike further. Five rescuers hiked into the wilderness, loaded the dog into a litter, and hauled it out. The mission took ten hours to complete.

Daniel Knudsen, PCSAR鈥檚 field director, told The Vail Daily that every time the rescuers tried to see if the dog could walk on her own, 鈥測ou could immediately see her legs quivering, the muscles exhausted.鈥� He added that the animal鈥檚 鈥減aws were very likely going to blister, and need some time to heal.鈥�

Another dog rescue mission occurred on June 21, after a husband and wife called PCSAR for help with their dog, who had become exhausted during a backpacking trip. The husband attempted to carry the 80-pound dog back to the trailhead. Rescuers needed to help the dog and husband.

On the same day, Lake County Search and Rescue aided a dog descending 14,433-foot Mount Elbert, Colorado鈥檚 highest peak.

Tips to Remember When Hiking With a Dog

The incidents are a sobering reminder to keep your furry friend鈥檚 capabilities in mind before heading out on the trail. Dogs don’t sweat like humans, instead they rely on panting to cool themselves down, which is far less efficient at high altitudes and under a hot sun. Remember the endurance paradox: your dog may be a sprinter at the park, but human beings are built for long-distances. Over a full day of hiking, even a moderately-fit human will out-perform the most athletic dog, which can make it easy to not realize the strain you鈥檙e putting your pet under. Watch for excessive panting, lagging behind, or stumbling.

A dog鈥檚 paws, while tough, aren鈥檛 nearly as burly as your hiking shoes, and they鈥檙e no match for miles of sharp scree or hot granite.

Keeping your dog safe and happy on an outdoor adventure is about more than just bringing extra water and snacks, too. Invest in a doggie first aid kit, dog booties or other paw protection, a collapsible water bowl, and a harness. Even if your dog is capable of walking off-leash around town, in the wilderness it鈥檚 a different story. Keeping them leashed up with a comfortable harness may prevent a sudden chase after wildlife, which could in turn lead to a fall, a frantic search, or a wild animal attack.

That said, even the most prepared adventurers鈥攖wo-legged and four-legged鈥攎ay need a rescue one day, and experts say that once things go south, it鈥檚 best to call emergency services as quickly as possible. In the same piece published by The Vail Daily, Anna DeBattiste of the Colorado Search and Rescue Association indicated that even if you aren鈥檛 sure whether the search and rescue outfit in your area will respond to a canine incident, it鈥檚 always best to call and see.

鈥淚f you cannot get your dog out of the backcountry on your own, call 911 and ask the question,鈥� DeBattiste told The Vail Daily. 鈥淲e love dogs, too, and we know that if we don鈥檛 rescue the dog, we may end up having to rescue the exhausted or injured owner later.鈥�

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Summer is here. In the southern Appalachian Mountains, that means triple-digit temperatures, humidity that does crazy things to my hair, and the constant search for cool swimming holes to battle the heat. It鈥檚 a season that demands a certain kind of footwear. Instead of a clunky, full-leather boot, I need summer hiking shoes that breathe like Wim Hof and can handle constant stream crossings and maybe even the occasional cold plunge into a deep, backcountry pool.

I鈥檝e been on a perpetual hunt for the perfect summer hiking shoe for the last decade, and this spring I committed to finding my match, testing several pairs of highly rated hikers designed for hot temperatures and intentionally leaving sandals out of my search. I spent the last month wearing these hiking shoes on backpacking trips, day hikes, waterfall hunts, and a few speed treks. Throughout the process, I found four contenders that rose above the rest, each designed for a specific situation and now on my regular rotation throughout the summer.

My 4 Favorite Summer Hiking Shoes

Best Overall Summer Hiker: Astral Nosobo听

This is it. The Astral Nosobo. Hands down, it鈥檚 my favorite summer hiking shoe, and the shoe that I reach for on most occasions, whether I鈥檓 traipsing around town for coffee or heading into the mountains for an eight-mile suffer fest. Astral is known for making water-centric footwear, and is often the shoe of choice for kayakers and paddle boarders that are constantly in and out of the water. I鈥檝e worn several models over the last decade and love them for river-based adventures. I usually wouldn鈥檛 choose them as my hiking shoes though, as they lack the support and cushion I desperately need. But the Nosobo is a true hiking shoe (with a skate-shoe aesthetic) that just happens to be comfortable around the water.

Watch: Astral Nosobo Review

The Nosobo is built on a zero-drop platform, which I鈥檓 typically hesitant to wear because I need as much cushion as possible under my feet, but Astral鈥檚 take on zero drop isn鈥檛 about minimalism. They simply created a level footbed with 20mm of cushion under the entire foot. The result is a smooth, comfortable ride that doesn鈥檛 make me feel like I鈥檓 wearing heels, which is a downside of all of the max cushion running shoes I鈥檓 addicted to.

Beneath that cushion is Astral鈥檚 proprietary G.15 rubber outsole, which was designed to handle river rocks and is the grippiest sole I鈥檝e ever tested. The upper is made from 85 percent recycled nylon and is super breathable and quick to dry, even if you decide to take these shoes for a swim like I did. Astral adopted a wider toe box for the Nosobo, which I like, but they kept their signature locking heel and secure mid foot design. Put it all together and you have a really secure shoe that doesn鈥檛 slip regardless of the situation, but also a wide, stable platform in uneven terrain.

Astral offers replaceable footbeds for the Nosobo, so if you wear them for several months and notice some of the spring and cushion has dissipated, you can slip in a brand new midsole and enjoy that new-shoe bounce again. I haven鈥檛 reached that point yet after two months, but I like the idea of replacing the midsole as opposed to buying a new pair of shoes.

I鈥檝e worn the Nosobo on hikes, rafting trips, date nights, and even to do some deep water solo adventures at the . These shoes perform really well in a variety of situations, but they鈥檝e become my go-to footwear for the summer for one simple reason: They鈥檙e comfortable. The Nosobo is the kind of shoe that I forget to take off when I get home at the end of the day and put my feet up to watch a game. They鈥檙e so comfortable, I literally forget I鈥檓 wearing them, and that鈥檚 the highest compliment I can give a pair of shoes.

Best for Backpacking: Teva Grandview Max Vent听

At first glance, the Grandview Max Vent looks like your standard bulky hiking boot, but this shoe was built for summer. Yes, the high-top style offers plenty of support for hikers carrying a heavy pack, and Teva鈥檚 Universal Heel Lock System doubles down on that support by keeping your foot in place even on steep terrain. But instead of a burly build, the Grandview Max Vent has a super breathable mesh upper that鈥檚 built on top of a plush, max-cushion midsole to provide bounce even when you hit double digit miles on the trail.

The mesh material means these shoes aren鈥檛 waterproof, but they do dry pretty quickly if they happen to get wet. I wore the Grandview Max Vent on an overnight backpacking trip and several longer day hikes in Pisgah National Forest, and was really impressed with the wide toe box and supple cushion underfoot, both of which combined for a very comfortable long-haul boot. I don鈥檛 typically love high-top hikers, but the mesh construction kept me from feeling claustrophobic in the summer heat. These boots are breezy and comfortable enough that they鈥檝e become my top choice for backpacking trips.

Best for Swimming Hole Hikes: Hoka Hopara听

Hikes in the southern Appalachians are a wet affair because the mountains are full of rivers and streams, and the trails often cross these bodies of water. While I like the idea of a hiking sandal, I need the full protection of a shoe because there鈥檚 nothing worse than kicking a rock or root while wearing an open-toe shoe. The Hopara gives you the freedom of a sandal but the protection of a shoe with an upper that fully covers the toes but plenty of cutouts to help drain water. It鈥檚 not a revolutionary design, but it works when you鈥檙e in and out of water while covering longer miles.

They were comfortable out of the box, much like the brand鈥檚 running shoes, and I didn鈥檛 have any issues with hot spots while hiking without socks. Hoka gave the sandal its signature plush midsole as well as a super grippy outsole with aggressive lugs so it can handle the trail regardless of how technical the terrain becomes. I wore the Hopara on several hikes while hunting waterfalls and swimming holes, and I was impressed with how secure they felt thanks to the lace system that cinches down easily. Also cool: They didn鈥檛 weigh me down while swimming in rivers. The Hopara has been my go-to shoe for waterfall and swimming hole adventures so far this summer.

Best for Fast Hikes: Merrell Speed Arc Surge BOA听

There鈥檚 no getting around that the Speed Arc Surge BOA is expensive. But Merrell loaded this shoe with all kinds of cutting edge tech, all designed to help you move fast on the trail. The most notable features are the midsole with a nylon plate sandwiched between two layers of foam designed to maximize energy return, and the two-point BOA fit system that allows you to dial in the fit (literally, there are dials) on the fly.

You might expect all of that foam underfoot to give you a soft, max cushion ride, but that鈥檚 not the case with the Speed Arc Surge BOA. Sure, it鈥檚 a comfortable shoe, but it鈥檚 more springy than plush, which is exactly what you want if you鈥檙e trying to cover a lot of miles fast. The BOA fit system works beautifully, giving you a secure fit that you can micro adjust without creating any hot spots.

But what I love most about this shoe is the sock-like upper, which slips on easily and molds snugly around the top of your foot. The best word I can use to describe the feeling is 鈥渃ozy.鈥� Fun fact: Merrell uses threads of Kevlar in that upper to maximize durability. But be warned: The Speed Arc Surge BOA does not have an understated design, so people will notice your kicks. Several other hikers commented on the look of my shoes as we passed along the trail during my testing period. My daughter says they look like 鈥渕oon boots.鈥� Fair enough.

More Gear Reviews

We Tested More Than 800 Pieces of Summer Gear. These 22 Are the Best.
The Most Innovative Outdoor Products from the Switchback Trade Show
New to Backpacking? This Pack is Preloaded with All the Gear You Need.

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A flurry of distress calls from a single hiking trail near Seattle prompted the local King County Explorer Search and Rescue (KCESAR) team to ask hikers to exercise better judgement and caution.

All of the incidents occurred on 4,841-foot Mailbox Peak.

On Monday, June 22, KCESAR , noting that five different people required rescue over the span of seven days in June. Another rescue group, called Seattle Mountain Rescue, posted that it responded to three different distress calls on June 19 on the mountain.

In the semi-satirical , KCESAR wrote that it had 鈥淥fficially Filed Change of Address to Mailbox Peak鈥� to make future rescues easier.

Both of the posts included a photo of the metal mailbox that sits atop the mountain.

“Sometimes, accidents just happen鈥攁nd we鈥檙e here for that,” wrote KCESAR.

Mailbox Peak is accessible by two trails: an older, steeper route, and a newer, slightly longer but more gradual trail, but neither requires any technical rock climbing or scrambling, and even the longer route is less than 10 miles round trip.听However, the path is quite steep. Hiking from the trailhead to the summit entails 4,000 feet of elevation gain, and even via the newer, gentler trail, hikers must ascend approximately 850 vertical feet per mile.

As the , 鈥測our thighs will feel the burn once you start climbing, and it won’t let up until you’re standing triumphantly next to the Mailbox.鈥�

In addition to the steep nature of the trail, Mailbox Peak is less than an hour by car from downtown Seattle. with local outlet KOMO News, KCESAR鈥檚 Natalite Patterson called hiking the mountain a 鈥渞ite of passage鈥� for locals, and noted that the majority of distress calls on Mailbox entail dehydration, leg cramps, falls, or becoming lost in the dark. Although five emergency calls in a single week is unusual, KCESAR says the peak is one of their 鈥渢op 5 most common SAR callout locations鈥� year-round.

Due to the high quantity of inexperienced and unprepared hikers who seem to find their way to the peak, the idea that Mailbox is inordinately treacherous or difficult has become a . On the Reddit page r/Mountaineering, commenters routinely to 8,000-meter mountains such as K2 and Mount Everest.

King County isn鈥檛 the only county in Washington struggling with an excess of search and rescue calls. In nearby Skamania County鈥攚hich saw a 400 percent increase in SAR incidents in May compared to last year鈥攍ocal authorities are considering an ordinance that will require rescued hikers to pay for their rescues, if their behavior is deemed to be negligent or reckless. Many rescue outfits, particularly volunteer ones, oppose this idea, arguing that punitive policies could deter hikers from calling for rescue.

In a follow-up post to their announcement of the five calls on Mailbox, KCESAR wrote, 鈥渁nyone can find themselves in trouble. Whether you鈥檙e a first time hiker or experienced guide, accidents happen, weather shifts, gear fails. Whatever the reason, KCESAR has your back!鈥� Their post goes on to advocate a policy of, 鈥淐ompassion first. Lessons second. Judgement never.鈥�

Taking a middle ground, some states, like Utah and New Hampshire, have implemented programs that encourage hikers to purchase search and rescue cards in advance of any wilderness trips, both to support the state鈥檚 search and rescue efforts and, worst case, offset the costs of potential rescue missions for themselves.

In its Instagram post, KCESAR included five tips to address common mistakes the crew has seen on the mountain:

• Bring a headlamp, even in summer. Phone flashlights don鈥檛 count 鈥� batteries die, and trail nights are darker than you think.
• Pack the 10 Essentials 鈥� including that headlamp! If you get injured, these items help keep you safe, warm, and dry while waiting for help.
• Choose hikes that match your current fitness and experience鈥攅specially early in the season.
• Don鈥檛 count on cell service. Many trails have spotty or unreliable service. Bring a backup way to call for help and navigate (download your maps!).
• Wear real hiking shoes. Crocs may be comfy, but they鈥檙e not made for steep mountain trails.

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My five-year-old daughter gazed skyward at the Milky Way, while nearby, my wife and I unloaded backpacks, a cooler, and an extensive collection of stuffed animals from our Subaru.

After a few “oohs” and “ahhhs,” we unzipped the safari tent, climbed into a comfy queen-sized bed, and passed out.

So kicked off our recent Memorial Day Weekend trip to Southern Colorado where we hiked, visited a national park, and (most importantly) caught up on our sleep. This last activity was made possible by our secluded glamping site.

That’s right: after decades of sleeping in ultralight tents or under the stars, I have recently embraced glamping (much like a few 国产吃瓜黑料 contributors before me). And after a handful of glamping trips under my belt, I’ve come to some conclusions about this supposedly luxurious activity.

For one thing, glamping is the ideal gateway drug for getting your kids hooked on camping鈥攃ue the s’mores and fireside ghost stories. And in some areas of the country, glamping is actually more accessible than traditional tent camping.

But my biggest takeaway is that glamping has an identity crisis, or at the very least a branding problem鈥攂ecause most people still think of the pasttime as a glamorous one.

And it’s not.

Most Glamping Ain鈥檛 That Glamorous

I still remember the first time I came across the term glamping almost 20 years ago in a New York Magazine story about supermodel Kate Moss and actor Johnny Depp attending Britain’s Glastonbury Music Festival. They slept in lavish canvas tents, were served gourmet meals and booze, and generally had a fabulous (if overpriced) time.

As the years rolled by, the word entered the American lexicon to define a new type of resort experience in which the wealthy paid a premium to tiptoe right up to the edge of bonafide camping without, ya know, pitching a tent. and other mainstream media outlets with five-star menus, massages, and even ornate tree dwellings that would make the Swiss Family Robinson drool with envy.

But today, glamping is no longer reserved for the affluent. To search “glamping” on the campsite finder Hipcamp is to come across a , from yurts, to TPU-coated听polyester tents, to cabin-tent hybrids. Half of Hipcamp’s glampsites sit on properties that also offer traditional tent camping.

On the high end, you can pay several hundred dollars a night. On the low, less than $75.

“People think glamping is luxurious and exclusive, and that is such a loss for the outdoor industry,” says Alyssa Ravasio, the CEO of Hipcamp. “People assume it’s going to be expensive, and think, ‘If I’m going to spend that much money, I’ll just go to a hotel.'”

I recently called Ruben Martinez, who operates a glamping trade organization called . He told me that the majority of the businesses in his network are essentially semi-permanent tents erected on private land.

Even within this group, there’s a wide array of accoutrements. There’s probably a bed, and maybe even a port-o-potty, but not always, and you can pretty much forget听about the massage.

“It’s not like a hotel or a bed and breakfast, where customers know exactly what they’re going to get,” Martinez said.” And right now, the wide range of experiences can cause confusion when people think about glamping.”

Glampsites Are Available When Campsites Are Not

I am a terrible planner, and this deficiency means that holidays and three-day weekends always听catch me by surprise. This is a huge no-no in Colorado, where reserving a traditional campsite is akin to scoring Taylor Swift tickets.

Every spring, thousands of would-be campers sit at their computers just before the booking windows open on and the Colorado Parks and Wildlife reservation pages. Within a few hours, most campsites are booked out for all the major summer holidays.

But that’s not the case with glamping sites. In 2024 I started my search just one week before Memorial Day weekend,听and I quickly found two open glampsites near Great Sand Dunes National Park.

This year I was even lazier. On the Wednesday before the holiday weekend, my wife and I made the rash decision to return to the Sand Dunes. After a brief search, we found a glamping site on a farm near Salida, Colorado. This setup was even more bare bones鈥攏o bathroom.

Why are glampsites available when traditional campsites book out months in advance? My experts listed a few reasons. For starters, there’s the perception problem I mentioned above.

“Some people just don’t want to be associated with the word ‘glamping,’“ Martinez said. “The branding is still a hurdle for them.”

And yet, the inventory of glamping sites is rapidly expanding. Martinez told me that he receives about five calls each day from private landowners who want to pitch a tent and start a glamping operation. Ravasio said the number of glamping sites on Hipcamp increased by 25 percent from 2023 to 2024.

“Unfortunately we’re not building many more traditional campsites on public land right now,” Ravasio said. “I wish that wasn’t the case.”

Of course the price tag also keeps competition lower. I’ve paid between $65 and $100 a night for glampsites, double or triple the cost of a traditional tent campsite. But it’s still half the cost of staying at a hotel or an Airbnb. And I also didn’t have to buy a tent to replace the 35-year-old one in my garage.

“If you don’t already own all of the gear, glamping is the most affordable and accessible way to get outdoors,” Ravasio added.

A Way to Hook Kids on Camping

Some parents can take their toddlers on long backpacking trips deep into the wilderness. And then, there are the rest of us.

My wife and I learned early on that we are in the latter group. So, when it came time to finally take our daughter to sleep outdoors, a glamping setup, with a bed and sturdy tent, seemed enticing.

Martinez, who has two older children, said he and his wife took their oldest daughter tent camping when she was just six months old.

“It was an absolute disaster,” he said. “It got colder than we anticipated, so my wife took her into the car and they tried to sleep there. I wondered, ‘Are we ever going to camp again?'”

Giving parents an easy entry point to camping is perhaps the most alluring attribute of glamping. According to Ravasio, families are the biggest group booking glamping vacations on Hipcamp, and the number of family glamping trips on the site has tripled since 2020.

“If you are leaving town Friday after school and arriving that night, not having to set up a tent is a huge improvement to your experience,” Ravasio said. “For a lot of families, that’s the best way to give it a try.”

Our 2024 glamping trip fit this description. Our daughter reveled in roasting marshmallows and staring at the stars.

Our glamping tent included a thick comforter and even a propane space heater. These accoutrements saved our weekend when a late-May tempest blew across Colorado’s San Luis Valley one night. The temperature plummeted, and fierce winds buffeted the tent walls. Rain bucketed down and thunder echoed through the valley.

Squeezed between us in the bed, my daughter listened wide-eyed to the storm before drifting off to sleep. When it was light, the two of us strolled around the campsite inspecting the damage that the storm had caused to those with traditional tent setups: tarps and rainflies were strewn about, and some campers hung their rain-soaked sleeping bags on car hoods. People were bleary-eyed and grumpy.

My daughter, meanwhile, skipped through the parking lot toward the port-o-potty, a stuffed animal under each arm.

What About the Name?

I recently came across written by former听国产吃瓜黑料 contributor Chris Solomon. In the piece Solomon wrote that glamping is “the worst thing to happen to public camping since poison ivy.”

“Not one fire ring should be cordoned off only for those who can pay triple-digit rates to sleep under the stars,” he wrote.

While I agree with Solomon’s sentiment, I feel like the contemporary glamping landscape no longer reflects the luxurious and pampered industry he was raging against a decade ago. And as I’ve quickly converted to glamper status, I’ve often wondered if the outdoor industry needs to either redefine the experience, or at the very least ditch the “glam” part of the word.

I posed this question to both Ravasio and Martinez, and it turns out they were both way ahead of me.

Martinez said his membership base has kicked around a few different terms, such as “Unique Structure” and “Direct Access,” but thus far, nothing has replaced the term.

Ravasio said Hipcamp has tried to loosely define the activity under the title “Structures” and “Outdoor Hospitality,” but that everyone eventually comes back to the 20-year-old word.

Even I have been unable to break free from the word’s clutches. During my call with Ravasio, we both attempted to come up with a new name. After a long pause, we were both stumped.

“Glamping鈥攊t’s like this jingle that just sticks in your brain,” Ravasio said. “It’s just too catchy.”

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A summer hike on New Hampshire鈥檚 6,288-foot Mount Washington became a fight for survival for a 55-year-old woman on Friday, June 20.

from New Hampshire’s Fish and Game Department, the woman required a rescue after temperatures plunged and gusting winds began to batter the peak. The woman, identified by officials as Caroline Wilson of Austin, Texas, became hypothermic and unable to move or communicate on an exposed ridge just below the peak’s summit.

Officials received a distress call from Wilson鈥檚 husband at 5:00 P.M. He said that his wife 鈥渨as unable to move or communicate鈥� and needed help, the release stated. Wilson was hiking the Gulfside Trail, a popular route leading to Mount Washington鈥檚 summit from the north flank.

Rescuers from the Fish and Game department responded, as did volunteers from three local search and rescue outfits, and by 7:00 P.M., the first team of lifesaving personnel was ascending the mountain on the famed Mount Washington Cog Railway, an alpine train that ascends the peak. The rescue was made easier by the fact that Wilson鈥檚 position on the Gulfside Trail was located near the railway’s track.

At the time of her rescue, the weather station on the peak鈥檚 summit was recording winds up to 120 miles per hour and temperatures at 20 degrees Fahrenheit.

鈥淭he Cog has always been willing to help in every rescue situation,鈥� said NHFG, 鈥渁nd this time they provided a train, which saved rescuers from having to hike over three miles up the Jewell Trail in rainy, windy conditions鈥� to access the stranded hiker.

Even with the help of the train, rescuers hiked a mile along an exposed ridgeline above 5,000 feet, encountering high winds and freezing temperatures, to reach Wilson. She was then carried back to the train in a litter, and later transported to a nearby hospital for treatment. But she wasn鈥檛 alone in her predicament. On the same day, officials received multiple other calls concerning hypothermic hikers throughout the Presidential Range, which includes Washington and other nearby peaks.

Located in New Hampshire鈥檚 White Mountain National Forest, Mount Washington is the tallest peak in the northeastern United States. Although it鈥檚 only 6,288 feet above sea level鈥攕carcely higher than the city of Denver鈥攖he area surrounding Mount Washington is very low in elevation. It rises over 6,100 feet above the surrounding terrain, making it one of most topographically prominent mountains in the United States.

Mount Washington has long been known for its ferocious and unpredictable weather, and particularly high winds. For nearly a century its summit, which is home to a weather station, held the world record for the strongest wind ever recorded (231 mph). To date, the only faster winds recorded on earth have been inside of tornadoes or tropical cyclones.

The rescue is another reminder that鈥攅ven in the middle of summer鈥攈ikers underestimate Mount Washington at their own peril. Even in summer, the peak is prone to dangerous winds and sub-zero temperatures. The mountain averages 25 rescues a year, and has since record-keeping began in 1849. Check out 叠补肠办辫补肠办别谤鈥檚 on how to hike the peak safely.

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A county sheriff in southern Washington is considering fining visitors who require search and rescue鈥攕pecifically if those visitors are unprepared for their backcountry trips.

In a June 5 Facebook post, the Skamania County Sheriff’s Office reported that 鈥渄espite continued preparedness messaging and warnings of the dangers鈥� of recreating outside, the county had seen a 400 percent increase in SAR incidents in May 2025 compared to numbers from last year.

Skamania County, which spans roughly 1,600 square miles north of the Columbia River Gorge, is home of Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument, as well as other popular outdoor destinations in the Cascade Range.

County Sheriff Summer Scheyer said that, in a growing pattern, the vast majority of individuals who require rescue are non-residents and are behaving 鈥渋n a negligent or reckless way.鈥� The press release detailed ten search and rescue incidents from the May. In one, a woman 鈥渞eported leg cramps鈥� while hiking, and was unable to return to the trailhead, which resulted in a four-hour extraction by volunteer rescuers. In another, a man called for aid after his vehicle was stuck in the snow on a Forest Service road, and in another, a woman called for aid after experiencing a 鈥渉igh heart rate while bicycling.鈥�

Other incidents included ankle and knee injuries, and two men on separate occasions who fell down steep slopes near the Wind River. Most of these required multi-hour rescues, some extremely technical in nature. Washington state law requires sheriffs to respond to all search and rescue calls, regardless of severity.

Scheyer said the exponential increase in such incidents, despite 鈥渆xtraordinary efforts鈥� made in the last year to educate hikers and other outdoor enthusiasts, has led to a need to 鈥渇ind a creative way鈥� to deter this behavior, while also recouping the costs of these operations, which are levied on county taxpayers despite being primarily perpetrated by tourists.

While some SAR missions are a matter of gathering a few volunteers and hiking a couple of miles down a trail, others, particularly those involving high angles or elevations, aquatic environments, or remote destinations, can be extremely expensive. This is particularly true when aerial reconnaissance or extraction is required. The operating cost of a helicopter, including fuel, maintenance, and crew, ranges from $1,200 to over $3,000 per hour.

In most cases, search and rescue services in the United States are provided free of charge, and federal agencies like the National Park Service and Coast Guard do not charge for SAR operations. But laws vary widely at the state and county level, and Skamania County isn鈥檛 the first to raise the idea of charging outdoor adventurers for their rescue. Several states, including , Idaho, Utah, Maine, and Oregon, have enacted legislation that gives officials the authority to seek reimbursement from rescued individuals, although typically only in cases involving severe negligence or recklessness.

Opinions vary as to whether the most effective method is punitive鈥攁s Skamania County is proposing鈥攐r a voluntary, preventative fee. Utah, for example, sells Search and Rescue Assistance Cards. Available as a one-time purchase, $25 for an individual for one year, these cards eliminate an individual鈥檚 liability to repay associated costs if rescued, although cardholders may still be billed if found to have engaged in 鈥渉ighly unreasonable conduct.鈥� New Hampshire has a similar program, the 鈥淗ike Safe鈥� card, as does Colorado, the CORSAR, Colorado Outdoor Recreation Search and Rescue, card.

Some groups, such as the National Search and Rescue Association (NASAR) and the Mountain Rescue Association (MRA), oppose the idea of charging individuals for a rescue at all, arguing that this can incentivize individuals to delay calling for help, which can in turn increase financial costs and risk, both for the victims and rescuers. In lieu of charging fees, the MRA promotes 鈥渢raining and education鈥� as the solution. 鈥淣o one should ever be made to feel they must delay in notifying the proper authorities of a search or rescue incident out of fear of possible charges,鈥� the group鈥檚 .

Even in states, like Maine, where charging for SAR efforts is allowed by law, some officials are reluctant, saying it could be a deterrent. 鈥淲e want people to call, because the longer they don’t call, especially if they’re lost, the farther, more trouble they could be getting into,鈥� Lt. Kevin Adam of the Maine Warden Service told in 2019. The Colorado Search and Rescue Association , and also maintains that charging for search and rescue services, 鈥渆specially in a punitive context,鈥� could make the outdoors less welcoming, hindering the state鈥檚 significant outdoor tourism industry.

Whether Skamania County will adopt a punitive measure remains to be seen. 鈥淚 need to find a creative way to deter the current behavior we are witnessing, while attempting to recoup the financial burden placed on our county for an unfunded state mandate,鈥� said Sheriff Scheyer. 鈥淭his ordinance is still in the planning phase, but I believe it would be an added deterrent for those who take exceptional risks and expect the services we are required to provide as a result of their own actions.鈥�

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A missing hiker has been found after spending nine days lost in the Himalayan foothills in northern India.

, the hiker, Samuel Vengrinovich, 44, survived the ordeal despite limited access to food and water. He also had a broken arm.

“He ate insects along the way to survive and was following the river to get to Dharamshala village,” Vengrinovich’s sister, Natasha, The Jerusalem Post.听

The saga began on June 5 when Vengrinovich, an Israeli-American, went disappeared while hiking near the town of Dharamshala.听The town is the modern-day spiritual center of Tibetan Buddhism, and it is the home of the religion鈥檚 leader, the Dalai Lama.

According to multiple reports, Vengrinovich told family members that, after hearing the Dalai Lama speak, he planned to hike a nearby route called the Triund Hill Trek. He had rented a tent and other outdoor gear, and planned on a two-day hike, beginning on June 6.

But when other hikers noticed that he hadn鈥檛 returned to their group campsite by June 9, they contacted his sister, Natasha, who raised the alarm. 鈥淗is tent and a majority of his clothes and his phone are still at the campsite,鈥� Natasha told J. Weekly. 鈥淗e went hiking with a backpack, with, from our understanding, a day of food.鈥�

Natasha told that Sam left his cell phone at the campsite and attempted to ascend to the snow line on a nearby ridge. She said that Sam saw other hikers as he ascended, but he reached higher altitudes by himself.

Vengrinovich, was raised in California, the son of Jewish Russian immigrants, but has been living in Israel for the past 14 years. 鈥淪am wasn鈥檛 just another backpacker. He was on a mission鈥攖o heal,鈥� his friend . Freedman said that Vengrinovich was in India looking for solace due to the recent hostilities in the Middle East.

His disappearance prompted a sizable search and rescue mission.听Vengrinovich鈥檚 parents, Vlad and Tina, started an online fundraiser with the stated goal of $100,000 to cover the efforts. They told media outlets they were paying 鈥�$6,000 for local search teams, including equipment and management鈥� as well as $40,000 to fly in an Israeli delegation, which consisted of 鈥渁lpinists, flight costs, and equipment鈥� for four days of searching, and an additional $20,000 for helicopter search and rescue.

Vengrinovich was finally found by rescuers on Sunday, June 15, and sent to a hospital in India to recover. In a note on his GoFundMe page, which has raised over $66,000 at the time of publication, Vlad Vengrinovich wrote that Samuel still 鈥渇aces significant medical care and hospitalization for his injuries.鈥�

鈥淲e still need your help!鈥� the note reads. 鈥淲e urgently need help to cover the immediate costs of the rescue operation. The incredible teams who searched for Samuel, day and night, require payment now, regardless of the outcome. In addition, Samuel faces significant medical care and hospitalization for his injuries, along with flights to reunite him with his family. Please continue to donate and share.鈥�

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Search teams using a helicopter hoisted two hikers off the summit of a Colorado fourteener after a lightning strike badly injured one of them on Thursday June 12. Rescuers believe the medevac mission may be the highest-altitude helicopter evacuation in state history.

In a Facebook post, Evergreen, Colorado鈥檚 wrote that it had received a message just before 5 P.M. on June 12 alerting them that two hikers had wandered off-route while attempting to ascend the Kelso Ridge route up 14,267-foot Torreys Peak.

Over the course of an hour, personnel from the team stayed on the phone with the hikers, talking them through regaining the trail and climbing to the summit, where they would be able to find their descent route. , Alpine Rescue Team public information officer Jake Smith said that the two men were on a road trip from New York, and that it 鈥淸didn鈥檛] sound like they had a ton of prior experience.鈥�

Eventually, the hikers successfully reached the top. While they were on the phone with rescuers, however, lightning struck the hikers, leaving one of them 鈥渦nresponsive.鈥� Alpine, working alongside Clear Creek EMS and Clear Creek Fire, immediately sent five ground teams totaling about 30 people up the mountain. Meanwhile, a Colorado National Guard Blackhawk helicopter ferried two technicians from Vail Mountain Rescue Group to the top of the peak, where they evacuated the stricken hiker by hoist at about 11 P.M. A small group from Alpine continued to the summit of Torreys to assist the second hiker, and the helicopter returned to evacuate them, the patient, and a remaining technician.

鈥淭his call illustrates how quickly situations change in Colorado鈥檚 high country, and the importance of having your ten essentials and being prepared for a lengthy evacuation,鈥� Alpine wrote. Officials have not shared the rescued hikers鈥� names.

The team told the AP that it believed Thursday鈥檚 helicopter rescue was the highest in Colorado history, beating a previous record of 13,700 feet.

Torreys and Grays are two of the most heavily trafficked fourteeners in Colorado. According to the Colorado Fourteeners Institute’s , between 20,000 to 25,000 hikers ascended the peaks during the 2023 season. Only two fourteeners logged more hiker ascents: Mount Bierstadt and Quandary Peak.

The peaks are located near the Bakerville exit on Interstate 70 and are located just 54 miles west of downtown Denver.

Grays Peak is also ascended by hikers following the Continental Divide Trail.

Lightning is a common occurrence on Colorado鈥檚 fourteeners, especially during the summer monsoon season. On its website, the notes that most of its volunteer projects begin with an alpine start to minimize the risk of thunderstorms.

In Colorado, as in most U.S. states, search and rescue is free of charge and staffed mostly by highly-skilled volunteers who pay for most or all of their own training, equipment, and transportation. Hikers from both Colorado and out of state can support Alpine and other Colorado rescue teams by purchasing a , which runs $5 for one year or $20 for five. Those funds go toward reimbursing county sheriffs and volunteer teams themselves for the cost of rescues.

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