The beauty of day hiking in the fall is in its simplicity. You don’t need a ton of equipment, years of experience or hours of prep time. At a mimimum, it’s just you and your legs and a path to walk on.

On July 4th weekend, our group of 45 all gay & lesbian outdoor enthusiasts, members of Chiltern and Sundance, enjoyed a fabulous trip hiking Mt. Washington, the 6,288 foot star attraction of the White Mountains' Presidential Range. One of the most remarkable feature of Mt. Washington is its extreme weather conditions that change unpredictably and rapidly.

A trip to the Alaskan backcountry is unlike almost anywhere else in North America. treacherous trailess terrains, dense thickets of alder and willow, ever-present grizzly bears, ornery moose, raging rivers, crevasse-ridden glaciers, fickle weather and mosquitoes by the thousands are just some of the hazards backpackers are likely to encounter. These hazards can be both a detriment and a benefactor to your trip. Fraught with potential danger, an adventure in the wilderness of Alaska can also be a rewarding and exciting excursion. The thrill of seing wild grizzlies, or the solitude found in such remote and wild country is without parallel. Preparation is key to enjoying such adventures, and gearing up for a trip only adds to the excitement.

Boston's Chiltern Mountain Club founder Sturgis Haskins started the club from monthly outings organized from Boston's Unitarian-Universalists Gay & Lesbian group. He never imagined that 25 years later, it would evolve into one of the most successful gay outdoor clubs in the U.S.. In those days, going outdoors for gay folks meant an escape from prejudice with their straight friends and families. Bob Mack researched this story and is retold by GayOutdoors.com columnist Gandalf in his new column, GayOutdoors Muses.

Exploring the outdoors often leads the adventurer to as much self discovery as it does new favorite locales. This is one such account of a gay man's connection with the outdoors, with nature, and with a deeper part of his self.

GayOutdoors.com writer Gandalf explains how sometimes despite a hiker's longing for solitude, the talk heard from strangers & friends along the trail add a whole new dimension to the journey.

Under a brilliant late-spring sun, Rick Rahn navigates our baby blue school bus-turned hiker shuttle over the narrow dirt road winding deep into the heart of the wild Stehekin Valley. With windows rattling and suspension bucking around every turn, we rumble past streams, color-splashed meadows, and rustic cabins nestled into the forest.

Build yourself a new closet. You'll need it. Trail running, ultrarunning, multisport races -  each of these niches begs for its own specialized footwear. Fortunately, your local running store can offer you a handful of kicks tailored to your own favorite flavor of what used to be called simply "jogging." And as shoes have evolved to suit specific pursuits, they've also gotten lighter, more protective, and weatherproof.

The Pacific Northwest is well known for its abundant hiking opportunities, and fortunately for outdoor enthusiasts visiting Seattle, there are some great hiking spots right on the city's doorstep. If you're short on time but want to sample the splendor of the Pacific Northwest's forests and mountains, consider a hike to Granite Mountain. It's within an hour's drive of downtown Seattle, and provides an opportunity to immerse yourself in lush forests, stretch your legs powering up a steep trail, and amble through high alpine meadows.

Many people don’t realize how dangerous spring in the mountains can be – especially if they’re unprepared for the potentially cold weather that could be encountered at higher elevations. GayOutdoors Muses columnist Gandalf talks safety. 

The Pacific Northwest is well known for its abundant hiking opportunities, and fortunately for outdoor enthusiasts visiting Seattle, there are some great hiking spots right on the city's doorstep. If you're short on time but want to sample the splendor of the Pacific Northwest's forests and mountains, consider a hike to Tiger Mountain. It's within an hour's drive of downtown Seattle, and provides an opportunity to immerse yourself in lush forests, stretch your legs powering up a steep trail, and amble through high alpine meadows.

As winter descends on the Pacific Northwest and drapes its high country under a thick blanket of snow, many hikers tuck their boots away, content to sit out the season until the late spring sun melts out the alpine trails once again. But many of the region's more dedicated hikers know there's another option: head for the lowland valleys, many of which stay green and snow-free all year...

It's no accident they filmed The Lord of the Rings in New Zealand. Its landscape is so diverse, it hosts every adventure sport imaginable.

In the last few weeks, Americans have been preparing for war in Iraq. Whether or not the war is justifiable, the military technology that will be developed will surely trickle down to the consumer market and result in a multitude of cool outdoor gadgets.

Leigh Brown, a gay scout in college and living in Great Britain, will be launching "OutInScouting.org" on February 1st. He's hoping to provide a space to advise gay scouts of all ages and backgrounds who are being discriminated against. And to provide a forum to discuss the idea of gay scouts in general. As a Cub Scout Leader, he does not openly parade himself as gay but is prepared to answer questions if he obtains a greater profile as a result of this initiative. Already a "legend" in his own Scout Council, Leigh is the ideal role model for gay boy scouts and scoutmasters.