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Inside Alex Honnold’s Tricked-Out New Adventure Van
Back in 2014, pro climber Alex Honnold gave us a tour of the 2002 Ford Econoline E150 he used as his mobile base camp. That van served him...
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You might be thinking more about snow than water right now. But that means it’s a great time to invest in off-season gear. And a bunch of BO...
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No one wants to have to use first aid. But everyone wants the goods when bad stuff goes down in the backcountry. You don’t have to try to f...
Monday, July 2, 2018
Monday Bargains: 4 Steals to Start Your Week
Great outdoor gear at an amazing price: That’s our goal each Monday. Check out the bargains below and save on gear for your next adventure.
Granite Gear Lutsen 55: $110 (50% Off)
Get a versatile hiking backpack for a heck of a low price. The Granite Gear Lutsen 55 pack is a solid choice for everything from quick weekend hikes to multiday efforts. Rated to carry up to 40 pounds, this 55-liter model weighs just 3.1 pounds yet has lots of tools for the hiker. It has a fully adjustable torso length, hydration port, stretch pockets, and a top lid with zippered pouch for storage.
Ray-Ban Wayfarer Polarized Sunglasses: $80 (57% Off)
Sunglasses don’t get much more classic than the Wayfarers. The Italian-made sunglasses have great lenses and have proven themselves over decades of use. They’re pricey, which makes this over-half-off deal all the sweeter. If you’re looking for a new pair of sunnies for summer, these should sit high on your list.
Black Diamond Camalot C4 Package #0.5 – 3: $262 (25% Off)
If you’re getting into trad climbing or just need a few cams to set up top rope routes, use this opportunity to grab some at a great price. The Camalot is an awesome piece of trad pro trusted by climbers the world over. This gets you five cams in very useful sizes and saves a lot of dough on your rack.
Mountainsmith Cooloir 12 Soft Cooler: $70 (41% Off)
This light, soft cooler works great for quick trips, picnics, and potlucks where a heavier hard cooler is overkill. We’ve used this model many times, and it’s awesome when you need to keep stuff cool for a day. Take it to the campground for an overnight, or load it up with a dish to share when headed to a house party. It holds a 12-pack of beverages too. Want a bigger model? Check out the Cooloir 24 Soft Cooler.
The post Monday Bargains: 4 Steals to Start Your Week appeared first on GearJunkie.
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Ruffed grouse numbers down 29 percent from ’17
Minnesota’s ruffed grouse spring drumming counts were down 29 percent statewide this year compared to last year, according to a survey conducted by the state DNR.
“Surveys indicate the peak occurred last year,” Charlotte Roy, DNR grouse project leader, said in a DNR news release Monday, July 2. “Grouse populations tend to rise and fall on a decade-long cycle and counts this year are pointing to the peak lasting only one year this cycle. This has occurred before, but it’s always nice when the cycle stays high a little longer.” 
Drumming is a low sound produced by males as they beat their wings rapidly and in increasing frequency to signal the location of their territory. Drumming displays also attract females that are ready to begin nesting. Ruffed grouse populations are surveyed by counting the number of male ruffed grouse heard drumming on established routes throughout the state’s forested regions.
Drumming counts are an indicator of the ruffed grouse breeding population. The number of birds present during the fall hunting season also depends upon nesting success and chick survival during the spring and summer.
“If production of young birds is low during the summer months, hunters may see fewer birds than expected based on counts of drumming males in the spring,” Roy said. “Conversely, when production of young is high, hunters may see more birds in the fall.”
For the past 69 years, DNR biologists have monitored ruffed grouse populations. This year, DNR staff and cooperators from 16 organizations surveyed 122 routes across the state.
The 2018 survey results for ruffed grouse were 1.5 drums per stop statewide. The averages during 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017 were 0.9, 1.1, 1.1, 1.3 and 2.1 respectively. Counts vary from about 0.6 drums per stop during years of low grouse abundance to about 2.0 during years of high abundance.
Results this year follow an increase from 2016 to 2017. In the northeast survey region, which is the core of Minnesota’s grouse range, counts were 1.7 drums per stop; in the northwest there were 1.0 drums per stop; in the central hardwoods, 0.9 drums per stop; and in the southeast, 0.9 drums per stop.
Sharp-tailed grouse counts down
To count sharp-tailed grouse, observers look for males displaying on traditional mating areas, which are called leks or dancing grounds.
Comparisons of the same leks counted in both years indicate that counts per lek were down compared to last year in the northwest and statewide. Declines in the east-central region were not significant, likely because fewer leks were counted compared to last year, and loss of small leks does not reduce the index.
This year’s statewide average of 9.3 sharp-tailed grouse per lek was similar to the long-term average since 1980. The 2009 average of 13.6 was as high as during any year since 1980. During the last 25 years, the sharp-tailed grouse index has been as low as seven birds counted per dancing ground.
The DNR’s 2018 grouse survey report and grouse hunting information can be found at mndnr.gov/hunting/grouse.
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Boat stewards will monitor New York waters for invasives
Albany — State officials, ahead of the busy boating season on New York waters, announced that boat stewards will be deployed at nearly 200 locations in an effort to halt the unintentional introduction and spread of aquatic invasive species.
The DEC, state Department of Transportation and Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation boat steward partnership “provides a vital function in protecting New York’s waters and raising public awareness about aquatic invaders that could harm the health of our rivers, lakes, and streams, as well as the fish and plants that inhabit them,” DEC Commissioner Basil Seggos said.
The state DOT is working with the Adirondack Park Invasive Plant Program, DEC, state parks and local communities to host boat inspection and decontamination stations and help establish new sites along state highways, including at the Adirondack Welcome Center being built on Interstate 87 in Queensbury, Warren County.
Locating regional inspection stations on primary travel corridors helps obviate the need to construct and staff stations at individual lakes and streams, officials said.
Aquatic invasive species are nonnative aquatic plants and animals that can cause environmental and economic harm and harm to human health. Many such species have been found in the lakes, ponds, and rivers of New York – often transported from waterbody to waterbody on boats and watercraft equipment.
Boat stewards are volunteers or paid members who provide boaters and other water recreationists with important information about precautions to reduce the likelihood of spreading aquatic invasives. The stewards help people learn how to inspect, clean, drain, and treat watercraft and equipment. Stewards also ask where boaters last launched and can sometimes determine what invasive species are found in the lake or pond visited through the iMapInvasives website.
DEC and state parks are working with local governments, lake associations, the Adirondack Park Invasive Plant Program and Paul Smith’s College Adirondack Watershed Institute “in taking a front-line defense against invasive species, such as Eurasian watermilfoil and spiny water flea, in waterbodies in the Adirondacks.,” officials said in a prepared statement.
That effort is funded by the state Environmental Protection Fund (EPF), including $9 million in funding for a five-year management contract with the watershed institute.
Funding for programs in other areas of the state is made up through a combination resources including the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Great Lakes Restoration Initiative and EPF aquatic invasives prevention grants.
In addition, state parks has entered a partnership with the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry (SUNY ESF) to place boat stewards at approximately 30 state parks-owned boat launches across the state.
Since 2008, the number of boat steward programs has been steadily increasing. To date, more than 25 programs are active in the state through the Partnerships for Regional Invasive Species Management program, including the Finger Lakes and more recently established in the Lower Hudson Valley, Long Island, the Capital District/Mohawk River area, and Western New York.
Many organizations pursue boat steward programs, such as lake associations, colleges and universities, non-profits, county soil and water conservation districts, and municipalities.
New York has more than 7,000 lakes, ponds and rivers that could potentially be exposed to dozens of harmful aquatic invasive species available on DEC’s website. One of the main pathways for transfer of aquatic invasive species between waterbodies is recreational water vehicles (boats, canoes, kayaks and jet skis). Aquatic invasive plants and animals such as hydrilla, water chestnut, Eurasian watermilfoil, zebra mussels and Asian clams are easily transported on boats, boat trailers and recreational gear.
State regulations require water recreationists to take reasonable precautions to prevent the spread of aquatic invasives, and New York is expanding boat steward programs across the state, particularly in popular, high-use areas.
DEC advises boaters and anglers to check boats, trailers, and other fishing and boating equipment for any plants or animals that may be clinging to it. Be sure to check bunks, rollers, trim tabs and other likely attachment points on boats and trailers. Following a thorough inspection, DEC encourages boaters to follow the “Clean, Drain and Dry” standard:
- Clean boats, trailers and equipment of any debris, and dispose of it in an upland area or receptacle provided for this purpose.
- Drain the boat completely, including bilge areas, livewells and baitwells. Water ski and wakeboard boat operators should be sure to drain all ballast tanks. Many aquatic invasive species can survive in as little as a drop of water, so it’s imperative that all water is removed, officials said.
- Dry all equipment for at least five days before using it in another waterbody. Longer drying times may be required for difficult-to-dry equipment or during damp or cool periods.
If boating equipment cannot be completely and thoroughly dried, it must be decontaminated prior to use in another water body. Various decontamination techniques and special techniques to clean boats previously used in zebra mussel infested waters are provided on DEC’s website.
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Minnesota DNR: breeding duck numbers up
St. Paul — Population counts showed good results for several species of ducks that nest in Minnesota, according to the results of the annual DNR spring waterfowl surveys.
“Mallard, blue-winged teal, and Canada goose counts were all improved from last year,” said Steve Cordts, DNR waterfowl specialist. “The survey is designed for mallards, and our breeding mallard population remains above its long-term average.”
This year’s mallard breeding population was estimated at 295,000, which is 38 percent above last year’s estimate of 214,000 breeding mallards and 30 percent above the long-term average measured each year since 1968.
The blue-winged teal population is 191,000 this year, 20 percent above last year’s estimate and 10 percent below the long-term average.
The combined populations of other ducks, such as ring-necked ducks, wood ducks, gadwalls, northern shovelers, canvasbacks, and redheads, is 207,000, which is 21 percent lower than last year and 15 percent above the long-term average.
The estimate of total breeding duck abundance (excluding scaup) is 693,000, which is 9 percent higher than last year and 12 percent above the long-term average.
The estimated number of wetlands was 1 percent lower than last year and 4 percent above the long-term average. Wetland numbers can vary greatly based on annual precipitation.
The survey is used to estimate the number of breeding ducks or breeding geese that nest in the state rather than simply migrate through. In addition to the counts by the DNR, the continental waterfowl population estimates will be released by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service later this summer.
Canada geese
This year’s Canada goose population was estimated at 162,000 geese, similar to last year’s estimate of 152,000 geese and 2 percent above the long-term average.
“We had very unusual weather conditions this spring, with the mid-April blizzard and record-late ice-outs. April temperatures were the third-coldest on record, and May temperatures were the fourth-warmest on record,” Cordts said.
“This likely impacted geese more than ducks, with an extremely late, and probably reduced, goose hatch,” he said.
The 2018 Minnesota waterfowl report is available at mndnr.gov/hunting/waterfowl
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In Illinois, clues in decline of scaup on rivers
Champaign, Ill. — What is happening with the lesser scaup?
A study of avian malarial infections in female lesser scaup during spring migration may offer new insights into the puzzle of why the continental population of this diving duck has been declining so dramatically.
Previous research has found that female ducks that are in poor condition during migration are less likely than healthy ducks to produce a healthy, large brood once they settle into their summer breeding sites.
In an attempt to gain greater insight into the mechanisms responsible for the declining populations, researchers from the Illinois Natural History Survey collected 130 female lesser scaup at 24 stopover sites along the Illinois and upper Mississippi rivers in 2014 and 2015.
They measured body fat levels, which are thought to be the most important predictor of subsequent reproductive potential, parasitic infection status, body mass, wing size, and other features.
The researchers found that infected ducks were in poorer condition than uninfected birds, but faced a cause-and-effect challenge: Did the infection cause ducks to be in poor condition, or did ducks in poor condition have a greater likelihood of becoming infected with parasites?
“The cool thing is that we have strong circumstantial evidence supporting the idea that body condition is driving the changes in the prevalence of infections,” said Loren Merrill, an INHS scientist and now with the U.S. Army Corps.
In 2014, nearly 28 percent of ducks tested positive for infection, but in 2015, that prevalence increased to 47 percent. Also, body fat levels decreased substantially from one year to the next, but at nearly the same rate for both infected and uninfected ducks.
The similar rate of body fat decline for infected and uninfected birds suggests that the increased prevalence of infection in 2015 may have been related to the greater proportion of poor-condition birds being more susceptible to infection, or to a relapse of latent infections.
“Incidences of infection rates may help us understand the causes for the declines that the lesser scaup is experiencing,” Merrill said. “In general, studies on migrating birds are focused on food quality in stopover and nesting sites. However, there may be more subtle effects that are partly responsible for population changes over time.”
Climate change, in particular, is an important factor to consider. Mosquitoes, which are the parasite-carrying vectors, are predicted to move farther north of their typical range because of a warming climate. As a result, the lesser scaup infection rates may increase as ducks come into contact with mosquitoes for a longer period of the spring migration.
The continental lesser scaup population peaked in the early 1970s and has declined ever since.
“The population has remained well below the long-term goal of the North American Waterfowl Management Plan,” said Jeff Levengood, a researcher at INHS. “This research was part of a larger, multifaceted study to examine the health of lesser scaup migrating through Illinois on their way to the breeding grounds to the north. These studies can help us identify causes of reduced condition of female lesser scaup at a critical time and guide management actions to alleviate the impact these stressors.”
The study is set to be published in the Canadian Journal of Zoology.
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Flooding, washouts close roads, parks, trails in Wisconsin’s northern counties
Superior, Wis. — Heavy rains across northwestern Wisconsin June 15-18 flooded some roads and caused washouts on some highways, roads, state parks, forests and trails.
According to the National Weather Service, these areas received 7 to 12 inches of rain from Friday, June 15 into Monday, June 18.
There are several Wisconsin state park properties and parts of properties that are closed due to the rain and flooding in Douglas, Ashland, Bayfield, Iron, Burnett and Price counties. Amnicon Falls State Park, about 7 miles east of Superior, closed temporarily but reopened the afternoon of June 19. Pattison State Park about 13 miles south of Superior is open for camping only; all trails, observation areas, picnic and day-use areas are closed.
The Saunders Grade, Wild Rivers and Gandy Dancer state trails in Douglas County were still closed last week. Several canoe launches, picnic areas and day-use areas in the Brule River State Forest were under water and unusable as of June 20. The St. Croix family campground at Gov. Knowles State Forest was closed at least until June 20. The bridge at the headwaters of the White River in the town of Delta was closed. Portions of the Tuscobia Trail were washed out in southern Price County; a reroute will be established soon.
The public is urged to use caution in the coming days and weeks. People traveling in the area may check the Wisconsin Department of Transportation’s 511 website for road closures and any detours.
Conditions at properties in the counties and in the northwest part of the state are changing rapidly as water levels decrease in some areas and increase in other areas downstream. For the most current information follow the DNR on social media go to the DNR website.
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