Cruising along I-19 from Tucson towards Nogales, I often risk becoming distracted and taking my attention off the important task of driving safely along the interstate. The problem is not a preoccupation with the car stereo, jabbering away on a cell phone or texting messages. Nope, the issue along this stretch of highway is Elephant…
Author: Dave Baker
I'm Dave Baker, founder of Summit Hut, an independent outdoor retailer based in Tucson, Arizona since 1969. As an experienced and passionate hiker, climber and backpacker, my blog is intended to be an informative and interesting look into the outdoors and the outdoor industry.
SPOT Revisited
Last month I reviewed the SPOT Satellite Messenger in a blog entry titled “See SPOT”. In the review I reported that while using SPOT on the Arizona Trail, I experienced an 80% transmission success rate, speculating that the failed transmissions were due to hillsides or foliage blocking SPOT’s view of the sky. Last week I…
Little Rincon Mountains
The Little Rincon Mountains lay just east the Rincon Mountains, separated from their much larger sibling by Ash Creek and Happy Valley. These “little” mountains offer a wonderfully scenic hike up a rugged, unnamed canyon, through a maze of spectacular granite rock formations, to a perched valley called Hidden Pasture. Hidden Pasture is tucked between…
Light Emitting Diodes
I sometimes muse, “What have been the best advances in outdoor gear?” There are plenty of candidates. Developments in material, fabrics and design have led to plenty of innovation in packs, outerwear, clothing, cooking systems, tents, and much more. And how about GPS units and digital mapping software, or the introduction of trekking poles? But…
Blackett’s Ridge: Because It Is So Good
It is popular, sometimes even crowded, but that’s only because it is so good. The Blackett’s Ridge Trail packs a great punch: it is imminently accessible, as scenic as they come, short enough that you don’t have to plan your entire day around it, and challenging enough to provide a very rewarding workout. Blackett’s Ridge…
See SPOT
I used the SPOT Satellite Messenger during my hike of the Arizona Trail last spring, and wanted to let you know what I experienced using the device. Weighing 7.3 oz (including two lithium batteries), the SPOT device is billed as “Handheld satellite communication and safety device” by SPOT Inc. (a subsidiary of Globalstar, the satellite…
A North Rim Classic
About 5 million people a year visit Grand Canyon National Park, the vast majority of whom go to the Visitor’s Center, which overlooks the South Rim. If you want to leave the crowds behind, look no further than the North Rim. A mere 10 miles to the north across the Colorado River, the North Rim…
Welcome to Trail Talk
Welcome to the inaugural post in Summit Hut’s new blog, Trail Talk. I’m Dave Baker, owner and founder of Summit Hut, an independent outdoor gear company based in Tucson, Arizona since 1969. To a large extent, I have been inspired to start this blog by the response to an Arizona Trail blog at summithut.com which…