Happy New Year 2012

From TheBackpackerTV

Louie Schwartzberg is an award-winning cinematographer, director, and producer whose notable career spans more than three decades providing breathtaking imagery for feature films, television shows, documentaries and commercials.

This piece includes his short film on Gratitude and Happiness. Brother David Steindl’s spoken words, Gary Malkin’s musical compositions and Louie’s cinematography make this a stunningly beautiful piece, reminding us of the precious gift of life, and the beauty all around us.

As a visual artist, Louie has created some of the most iconic and memorable film moments of our time. He is an innovator in the world of time-lapse, nature, aerial and “slice-of-life” photography – the only cinematographer in the world who has literally been shooting 24 hours a day, 7 days a week continuously for more than 30 years.

Louie was recognized as one of the top 70 Cinematographers for the On Film Kodak Salute Series. He is a member of the Directors Guild of America and the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences.

Louie is credited by many with pioneering the contemporary stock footage industry by founding Energy Film Library, a global company with a network of 12 foreign offices, which was acquired by Getty Images in 1997. Motion picture clients of his cinematic artistry include Sex in the City, The Bourne Ultimatum, Die Hard 4, Syriana, Crash, Men in Black and classics such as American Beauty, Koyaanisqatsi and E.T. among others.

Louie went on to found BlackLight Films, a creative production company specializing in producing original theatrical feature, large format films, HD and TV programming.

In 2004, BlackLight Films completed production of the theatrical feature film, America’s Heart &Soul, distributed theatrically by Walt Disney Pictures. In 2006, BlackLight Films completed a series of HD shorts, Louie Films, for the launch of Buena Vista Home Entertainment’s Blu-Ray DVD releases. In 2007, the company produced a 1-hour special, Chasing the Light, which aired nationally on PBS.

Past projects include the 35mm film Seasons of the Vine for Disney’s California Adventure Theme Park and a 26-half hour series, America!, for The Hallmark Channel.

Louie has won two Clio Awards for Best Environmental Broadcast Spot, an Emmy nomination for Best Cinematography for the Discovery Channel Special, Oceans of Air, and the Heartland Film Festival’s Truly Moving Picture Award for Walt Disney Pictures’ feature film release America’s Heart & Soul.

Louie completed production on a feature length nature documentary, Wings of Life, to be theatrically released worldwide, under Walt Disney Pictures’ new production banner, Disneynature. The film was released in France (March 2011) under the title Pollen and won the Roscar Award for Best Cinematography at the 2011 Wild Talk Africa Film Festival.

Louie spoke at the TED 2011 conference in Long Beach, CA and has been a regular presenter at the annual Bioneers Conference in San Francisco. Currently, Louie is in production with National Geographic to produce Hidden Worlds, a 3D Imax film.

This amazing 20 minute documentary tells the story about Melissa Amacher and Justin Smith’s amazing journey on the Pacific Crest Trail. Their mission is simple: InspireOut encourages confidence, compassion, and environmental awareness using outdoor exploration as our muse.

In 2010, we hiked the entire Pacific Crest Trail, 2,663 miles from the border of Mexico to Canada, to raise awareness of theimportance of Outdoor Education and to increase scholarship funds so that as many children as possible have the opportunity to attend these life changing programs. Just even a tiny batch of testimonials from children and adults who have attended Outdoor Education shows how important these schools are in positively shaping the lives of our future.

Throughout high school and college, Melissa worked with numerous education programs geared toward helping kids find their inner strengths. Melissa graduated from UC Berkeley with a B.A. in Public Health, focused in infectious diseases. She also graduated from National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) where she spent 96 days in the Rockies with simply a pack on her back learning how to not only survive but lead others mountaineering, backpacking, climbing, and paddling/kayaking.

After college, Justin went to work at his first outdoor education job in Florida, where he led 30-day canoeing expeditions with Outward Bound. Justin pursued coaching and have enjoyed being with the Amador Polars Bears, Rocklin Wave, All-American Swim Academy, Sierra College and currently the Arden Park Dolphins.

This video was shot by Vimeo User: InspireOut

From the mountain lakes and grizzly bears of Glacier National Park to the crimson sunsets and lava flows of El Malpais National Monument, the Continental Divide Trail (CDT) provides a 3,100-mile scenic backdrop of pure adventure.

Walking the Great Divide – A Journey Along the Continental Divide Trail is the second documentary in a three-part series on the triple crown of hiking. This newly released two-hour program (Part 1 & Part 2) takes you from Mexico to Canada along the backbone of America.

Filmmaker Mark Flagler interviews over 30 hikers as they embark on a 5-6 month thru-hike traversing New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming, Idaho and Montana. Share the trials and triumphs as Flagler and his fellow hikers brave high altitude trekking, intense desert heat, cross country navigation and deep canyons. Follow Flagler as he hikes through 21 wilderness areas, 3 national parks and one national monument to capture this national treasure.

Whether you are a long-distance walker, day hiker, or outdoor enthusiast, this primitive backcountry trail provides you with the opportunity to experience the unique and scenic areas that surround it. Whether you walk only a few steps or choose to experience the CDT from the comforts of your own home you will quickly see why it is coined The King of Trails.

This YouTube Video was shot by Flagerfilms

Backpacker and Film maker Terry Bond has made another one of his memorible films about getting outdoors. Terry is a backpacker from England who has put together some amazing short films.

In this film, Moonlightshadow has recently took up wild camping as a hobby. Hear his thought’s as he shares them with Terry on a wild camp in Northern England.

To see more of Terry films, you can visit his YouTube site.

Scott Janz

Feel free to contact me at any time. Started Backpacking in 2003 and have never looked back. My all time favorite hike was last April when I hiked the Sycamore Wilderness Canyon. No trails, no signs, just wilderness and a 3,000 foot steep drop into the Canyon. I ran out of water my third day. Why? There was no water in the Canyon. You can check out my video on the “backpacker.tv” page. Thanks for dropping by.

 

LOVE LIFE: The Tale of Steve Fugate from Erin Henning on Vimeo.

Over the past ten years Steve Fugate Sr. has walked almost 25,000 miles, and did it all with a sign over his head saying, simply, “Love Life.” His mission is to teach his love for life to every person he meets, so that no other parent will lose a child to suicide.

Stevie was operating my business for me while I attempted a “thru-hike” of the Appalachian Trail. I had traveled just over half the trail when I received word that my son had placed a gun in his mouth and effectively ended both our lives.

I am convinced that there is no pain equal to that of losing a child. The grief was indescribable. I felt as though someone had taken an axe and chopped out my heart while I was yet breathing! My son, this living, breathing, precious life, my beautiful contribution to the universe, was suddenly gone. I can in no way fully describe the pain, I don’t know how to scream on paper…

Eight months later I returned to the exact spot where I had stopped my hike and proceeded to finish the “AT” as a tribute to my son. I screamed and cried almost every step of the way but I finished, having walked the entire 2,167 miles. While out on the trail in solitude, surrounded by the magnificent, inspiring beauty that encompasses that soothing and healing footpath, my life took a turn. For me, the Appalachian Trail became a pathway back to life… Trail Therapy. After completing my “thru-hike” of the Appalachian Trail I adopted a creed; I want no other parent to suffer the horror that I had to go through and I wanted no other young person to miss out on the chance to.. “LOVE LIFE”

Read about Steve’s awesome crusade to spread the word of Loving Life on his web site http://www.trailtherapy.com/

Admin

I created TheBackpackerTV because of my passion for the outdoors and seeing nature up close and personal. To share my experiences, and the experiences of others for everyone to enjoy. We go watch hundreds of videos each month picking the very best for you. Enjoy!

   

Throughout the winter, the elevation where rain turns to snow changes with each new storm.
Join meteorologist and park scientists as we chase the snow line in Yosemite.

Yosemite Nature Notes is a video podcast series that tells unique stories about the natural and human history of Yosemite National Park. Produced by the National Park Service, this series features park rangers, scientists, historians and park visitors as they discuss the diverse plants and animals that make Yosemite their home, as well as the towering cliffs, giant waterfalls and mountain peaks that are known throughout the world.

Admin

I created TheBackpackerTV because of my passion for the outdoors and seeing nature up close and personal. To share my experiences, and the experiences of others for everyone to enjoy. We go watch hundreds of videos each month picking the very best for you. Enjoy!

   

Moondance Adventures - Big Wild Backpacking from Hayes Hitchens on Vimeo.

What would happen if you took your teenager out into the Wilderness? Good question. Moondance Adventures knows the answer.

Moondance provides an unforgettable journey into the backcountry in some of the world’s most beautiful and pristine wilderness areas. It’s a place to experience the world without barriers, only curiosity and acceptance. From the gnarled mountains of the Rockies to the mysteries of Machu Picchu, our adventures offer you a first-hand view of the diverse ecosystems that make our world wild and fascinatingly beautiful.

Every Moondance trip offers its students unparalleled opportunities for personal growth. Students broaden their personal horizons through travel to new and unique destinations. They find their curiosity and sense of connection to the larger world stimulated by a rich set of experiences and encounters.

They discover remarkable reserves of adaptability, resourcefulness, and spirit while undertaking adventurous and challenging outdoor activities. The Moondance mission statement reads, “With courage, belief in one’s self, and a sense of purpose, a person can accomplish anything.” Focusing on this mission, Moondance instructors work diligently to establish a nurturing, non-competitive environment in which every young person is pushed beyond his or her “comfort zone” to a place where preconceived limits are challenged and significant personal growth can occur.

Who goes on these trips? The bottom line is that the groups are comprised of great kids from all over the country. Moondance students are bright, motivated, ambitious and adventurous. They want to be there to share in the experience with other like minded kids. Our groups are never larger than 13 students and always at least two adult leaders. Keeping our groups small allows us to do more, see more all while allowing individual attention and ensuring the best supervision.

For more information on Moondance Adventures, please check out their Web Site

Scott Janz

Feel free to contact me at any time. Started Backpacking in 2003 and have never looked back. My all time favorite hike was last April when I hiked the Sycamore Wilderness Canyon. No trails, no signs, just wilderness and a 3,000 foot steep drop into the Canyon. I ran out of water my third day. Why? There was no water in the Canyon. You can check out my video on the “backpacker.tv” page. Thanks for dropping by.

 

Across The Andes from Gregg Treinish on Vimeo.

Our goal was to backpack the length of the Andes Mountain Range, in the mountains. Combining a number of trekking methods including but not limited to, cross-country point-the-compass-and-go trekking, following foot and horse trails that have been used for centuries by local farmers and tradesmen, skipping down the Capaq Ñan (the original Incan Trail), and ever so occasionally braving the train lines, we accomplished our goal on April 17th, 2008. Our desire was to experience the culture and environment of the Andes first-hand in a manner that we feel only the pace of walking accommodates. Our intent was to learn as much as possible about the sustainable means of living that the people of South America have used for centuries, in order that we may teach what we have learned upon our return to the U.S. To the best of our knowledge, having successfully completed the trek, after covering 56 degrees of the globe, trekking more than 7800 miles, we became the first two people to backpack the Andes Mountain Range, the first two to walk it through the mountains without relying on roads, and Deia became the first woman to have walked South America.

For more information about this video or the trek itself, go to www.acrosstheandes.com

Admin

I created TheBackpackerTV because of my passion for the outdoors and seeing nature up close and personal. To share my experiences, and the experiences of others for everyone to enjoy. We go watch hundreds of videos each month picking the very best for you. Enjoy!

   

Founded in 1965 by legendary mountaineer Paul Petzoldt, NOLS–a 501(c)(3) not for profit educational institution–takes people of all ages on remote wilderness expeditions, teaching technical outdoor skills, leadership, and environmental ethics in some of the world’s wildest and most awe-inspiring classrooms. What NOLS teaches cannot be learned in a classroom or on a city street. It takes practice to learn outdoor skills and time to develop leadership. The wilderness provides the ideal setting for this unique education.

With courses ranging from 10 days to a full academic year, we attract highly motivated students who want to learn how to lead. Our hands on, learn-by-doing approach means that our graduates get the skills they need to be competent, responsible wilderness travelers long after their course is over.

The Expedition features footage from many different NOLS course areas, student and instructor testimonials, and a behind-the-scenes look at what a NOLS wilderness expedition is all about.

Visit their YouTube Site

Photo credit: Deborah Sussex/NOLS
For caption information, please contact jeanne_obrien@nols.edu

Scott Janz

Feel free to contact me at any time. Started Backpacking in 2003 and have never looked back. My all time favorite hike was last April when I hiked the Sycamore Wilderness Canyon. No trails, no signs, just wilderness and a 3,000 foot steep drop into the Canyon. I ran out of water my third day. Why? There was no water in the Canyon. You can check out my video on the “backpacker.tv” page. Thanks for dropping by.

 

One of the things I hate the most is when I see a empty water bottle on the trial. This video should be mandatory for some.

The Great Smoky Mountains is the most popular National Park in the US. Visitors to these areas don’t always know the best way to recreate responsibly in such a delicate and fragile wilderness.

In this natural sound package that I produced for UNC-TV, we hear from Park Ranger KK Stewart, Visitors Bruce and Marilyn Robinson, Author Randy Johnson, and the Leave No Trace Traveling Trainers North Moench and Ella Goodbrod.

The Leave No Trace Center For Outdoor Ethics Recommends 7 principles to help visitors to parks and other outdoor areas do everything they can to preserve and protect these places.

-Plan Ahead and Prepare
-Travel and Camp on Durable Surfaces
-Dispose of Waste -Properly
-Leave What You Find
-Minimize Campfire Impacts
-Respect Wildlife
-Be Considerate of Other Visitors

The Great Smoky Mtns National Park celebrated its 75th anniversary in 2009. The Appalachian Mountains date back nearly 500 million years! For more information on Leave no Trace, please visit their web site.

Joe Piraino

What can I say? I love being out in the Backcountry. I am the crazy guy that likes hiking and camping in bad weather. One of my all time favorite hikes is the Appalachian Trail. If you have an Article, Video or story you would like to share on thebackpacker.tv send me an email at joe@thebackpacker.tv

Hundred Mile Wilderness from Allegra Hyde on Vimeo.

The Hundred-Mile Wilderness is the section of the Appalachian Trail running between Abol Bridge just south of Baxter State Park and Monson, Maine, USA. It is generally considered the wildest section of the Appalachian Trail. This section of the A.T. is crossed by several logging roads and is maintained by the Maine Appalachian Trail Club. It consists of a small corridor of protected wilderness surrounded by large tracts of public and private land controlled by paper companies. An increasing amount of the adjoining lands are being protected by groups like the Appalachian Mountain Club and the Nature Conservancy.

Most of the Appalachian Trail in Maine is not recommended for novice hikers; Maine’s 281 miles are generally considered the most difficult of all fourteen states. Even the strongest hikers may average only one mile an hour in some parts. Other parts require grabbing onto tree roots and limbs to climb or descend, and are especially slippery and hazardous in wet weather.

Lakes, streams, and bogs abound. While that makes moose and loons common sights, it also makes for muddy treadway and many fords of mountain streams. Some of these fords—notably the Kennebec River—can be difficult and potentially life-threatening when water is high. When streams run high in the spring or after heavy rains, often the only options are waiting for them to subside or back-tracking and finding a road to follow—if one exists!

The 281 miles in Maine can be roughly divided into three segments:

One of the segments is the eastern section, sometimes called “the Hundred Miles” between Katahdin and Monson, comprises disconnected mountains, lakes, ponds, streams, and forest. While the eastern section has a flatter profile than other parts of Maine, it has special challenges. The mountains are relatively low, but present some very rugged climbs. Stream crossings here can be tricky—even life-threatening—in high water. Resupply is scarce in this isolated but heavily used area.

Scott Janz

Feel free to contact me at any time. Started Backpacking in 2003 and have never looked back. My all time favorite hike was last April when I hiked the Sycamore Wilderness Canyon. No trails, no signs, just wilderness and a 3,000 foot steep drop into the Canyon. I ran out of water my third day. Why? There was no water in the Canyon. You can check out my video on the “backpacker.tv” page. Thanks for dropping by.

 

Photographer and writer Tom Murphy reveals the supplies and gear that are necessary to survive winter in Yellowstone. Join NATURE for a breathtaking look at wintertime deep within America’s first national park.

Christmas in Yellowstone airs on PBS Sunday, December 20, 2009 at 8pm (check local listings) and is part of the 28th season of the Peabody and Emmy award-winning series produced by Thirteen in association with WNET.ORG for PBS. Major support provided by Canon U.S.A. Inc. For more information, visit the PBS Web site and watch the preview

About twenty miles southwest of Bozeman, Montana lies the summit of Garnet Mountain. On top sits a beautiful fire lookout – the most popular cabin rental in the Gallatin National Forest’s inventory. The two-story cabin was built in the 1960s to replace a worn-down original built in the 1930s.

Panoramic views of the Gallatin, Bridger, Tobacco Root, and Spanish Peak mountain ranges reward the 2,000- to 3,000-foot hill climb. On September 25, 2009, after the school bell rang, my friend Steve and our kids piled into the Jeep and drove to Rat Lake to start our hike and another 24-hour adventure. Be sure to check out the whole story that includes a photo essay and gear list published at backpackinglight.com on October 21, 2009.

This video was shot by YouTube User: bigskyry

“Nine Months Til Summer”. Join Ryan Connelly and Ryan Jordan on a quick trip crossing the the Hyalite-Cottonwood divide.

Ryan writes for Backpackinglight.com and writes this article: His video series of “24 Hours” can be seen on thebackpacker.tv or his YouTube Site:

Snow comes to the mountains of Montana intermittently throughout the summer. I usually see more serious snow arrive in September, but even those storms are usually pretty short and kept to the higher elevations. October is where it’s at if you’re a snow junkie, but in some years, even October in Montana can make you feel like you’ve been erroneously displaced. In other words, until the snow really comes to the Rockies (usually in December!), all bets are off and any reliability in snow forecasting is sketchy at best.

That’s why I was pretty excited to watch our first big snow of the year come across the radar in late September.

To read the rest of this article, including Ryans Gear, go to Backpackinglight.com and register.

The photo Featured on this article was taken by Ryan Connelly

Scott Janz

Feel free to contact me at any time. Started Backpacking in 2003 and have never looked back. My all time favorite hike was last April when I hiked the Sycamore Wilderness Canyon. No trails, no signs, just wilderness and a 3,000 foot steep drop into the Canyon. I ran out of water my third day. Why? There was no water in the Canyon. You can check out my video on the “backpacker.tv” page. Thanks for dropping by.

 

Much of the Appalachian Trail is close to major populations – so how wild can it be? We will travel from South to North and explore the remotest corners of the A.T. and meet the scientists fighting to keep this wilderness wild. Join National Geographic on a rollercoaster ride of agonizing ascents and rewarding vistas — all courtesy of mountains roughly 480 million years in the making.. Well explore this 5 million step journey through the five distinct regions of the AT landscape and learn what it takes to keep this ribbon of green safe, healthy, and totally wild.

TUE NOV 10 7P

Read more: http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/episode/appalachian-trail-3591/Overview#tab-Overview#ixzz0WTPC92NZ

Some Facts:

Around four million people hike some segment of the trail each year. Whether or not you’ve made tracks there, you can still get an inside look at this American Treasure.

* There are around 260 trail shelters on the Appalachian Trail.
* The longest footbridge on the Appalachian Trail is the James River Foot Bridge located in Virginia. The total length is 623 feet.
* The Appalachian Trail is the longest marked trail in the country, at around 2,175 miles.
* The lowest point on the trail is 124 feet and the highest point is 6,625 feet.
* Over 10,000 people have hiked the trail in its entirety.
* The Appalachian Trail is marked by over one hundred and sixty thousand signature white blazes.
* Over 6,000 volunteers put in some 200,000 hours of time into maintaining the Appalachian Trail each year.
* Katahdin comes from a Native American word meaning “Main Mountain.”
* The Appalachian Mountains are amongst the world’s oldest mountains.
* Emma “Grandma” Gatewood was the first woman to complete a continuous hike of the entire trail in 1955.
* Earl Shaffer was the first to hike the trail in one trek.

Sequoia National Park is a national park in the southern Sierra Nevada, east of Visalia, California, in the United States of America. It was established in 1890 as the second U.S. national park, after Yellowstone National Park. The park spans 404,051 acres. Encompassing a vertical relief of nearly 13,000 feet, the park contains among its natural resources the highest point in the contiguous 48 United States, Mount Whitney, at 14,505 feet above sea level. The park is south of and contiguous with Kings Canyon National Park; the two are administered by the National Park Service as one unit, called Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks.

The park is most famous for its Giant Sequoia trees, including the General Sherman tree, one of the largest trees on Earth.

This short clip of the beautiful Sequoia National Park throughout the Sierra Nevada mountains in California. The park is home to a wonderful assortment of plant life, including General Sherman; the largest tree by volume in the world, and animal life, such as black bears, mule deer, mountain lions, trout, hawks, and more. Filmed by giordanoMEDIA © 2009

This movie documents a summer season at Deer Hill Expeditions, a wilderness and service summer program for teenagers. The film includes interviews with participants, footage of wilderness expeditions (whitewater rafting, canoeing, mountain backpacking, rock climbing, and mountain biking) and documentation of community service projects in the Navajo and Hopi Native American Nations. Video directed by Richard Malcolm, with cinematography and editing by George Knowles.

Montana Yellowstone Expeditions-Documentary from Phil Eastman on Vimeo.

Montana Yellowstone Expeditions (MYE) is an experiential education program for motivated youth aged 15-18 from southern California, south west Montana and other select locations in the US.

MYE’s vision is to enrich and expand the lives and vision of young people, and to develop the next generation of leaders through adventure, service, personal challenge, teamwork, and access to higher education.

Each course typically includes six-eight days of wilderness backpacking, a four day canoeing trip; three days of service learning and active service projects; work with horses on the Grizzly Creek Ranch; development of leadership and teamwork skills; and personal challenges that will stretch your understanding of who you are and what is possible. Underpinning all our program components are the concepts and practice of sustainability and ‘Leave No Trace’ ethics.

Each year the staff comes from a variety of backgrounds and experiences, offering a diversity that makes MYE what it is – a dynamic setting where both staff and students are able to develop their skills and talents in a supportive, challenging environment.

For more information about the Montana Wilderness Expedition. Go to their web site.

From the collection of award-winning films produced by DigiNovations (www.diginovations.com) of Boston and Concord, Massachusetts.
Winner of the 2009 Bronze TELLY Award for Nature and Wildlife Productions Winner of the 2009 Bronze TELLY Award for Videography/Cinematograpy Winner of the 2009 Bronze TELLY Award for Charitable/Non-Profit Productions

Produced for the Appalachian Mountain Club by DigiNovations, this film is one of a series of films that takes viewers to the 100-Mile-Wilderness — the final 100 miles of the Appalachian Trail leading to Mount Katahdin in Maine. It premiered at the Annual Meeting of the AMC in early 2009.

Scott Janz

Feel free to contact me at any time. Started Backpacking in 2003 and have never looked back. My all time favorite hike was last April when I hiked the Sycamore Wilderness Canyon. No trails, no signs, just wilderness and a 3,000 foot steep drop into the Canyon. I ran out of water my third day. Why? There was no water in the Canyon. You can check out my video on the “backpacker.tv” page. Thanks for dropping by.

 

A summer-long solo journey across northern Alaska. Includes footage of grizzly bears, wolves, caribou, Dall sheep, musk oxen, caribou and moose, as well as spectacular scenery.

My maximum pack weight was about 43 pounds, starting on the first day of the trip. After the first couple of days, I don’t think it ever got over 40 lbs, with the possible exception of when I left Anaktuvuk Pass. It got down to about 20 pounds as I neared my caches, I planned for somewhat more food than I needed. I ended up actually packing about 2 pounds of food per day. I carried food such as dried fruit, dried vegetables, jerky, granola, margarine, instant rice and instant potatoes, oatmeal, cheese, crackers, grits, nuts, chocolate, peanut butter, breakfast bars, etc. Starting at the end of July, I began eating ripe blueberries. On the Noatak, I ate several meals of char and grayling.

You can purchase the entire DVD on his website

Joe Piraino

What can I say? I love being out in the Backcountry. I am the crazy guy that likes hiking and camping in bad weather. One of my all time favorite hikes is the Appalachian Trail. If you have an Article, Video or story you would like to share on thebackpacker.tv send me an email at joe@thebackpacker.tv