John Sides

Sloss Furnace is a historic industrial site in downtown Birmingham. For nearly a hundred years, this blast furnace produced iron for the “Steel City.” The site is now designated as a National Historic Landmark, and is a fun place to explore, wandering throughout the plant and past old machinery. Along the way, you can read about the significance of Sloss Furnace in Birmingham’s history, as well...

Yushan National Park is located in south central Taiwan, and is home to many of the island’s tallest mountains, with peaks from the Yushan and Central Mountain Ranges. Over 30 peaks within the park stand above 3,000 meters, the pinnacle being Jade Mountain (Yushan), which is Taiwan’s tallest mountain at an impressive 3,952m (12,966 ft).To climb Jade Mountain, you will first need to secure two p...

The Baiyang Waterfall trailhead is located near Tianxiang village in Taroko National Park. From Tianxiang village, head north on the cross-island highway. After just a couple of winding turns, you’ll drive under a covered section of road. The trailhead actually begins here, in a tunnel that will be on your left. In order to park, you’ll need to drive through the covered section of road and imme...

Wenshan Hot Spring is accessible via a short hike that branches off the Central Cross Island Highway (Highway 8) in Taroko National Park. Coming from Tianxiang village, you will come to a small parking lot along the road just before you enter a tunnel. Park here and walk along the road towards the tunnel and the trailhead will be on the right, just before the tunnel entrance. This pathway will ...

For an awesome 2-3 day trip, start hiking at the Massie Gap trailhead, which can be reached from Grayson Highlands State Park. Take the Rhododendron Trail up the ridge to connect with the AT, keeping an eye out for wild ponies in the Massie Gap area as they like to hang out here. Some of these ponies may approach close enough to get a great photo, but please help keep them wild by resisting the...

From the park entrance there are several ways to get to Skyhy Tree House, and the trail system allows for loops of varying distances and difficulty. There’s a large map about a quarter mile down the main trail from the park entrance, and paper trail maps are usually available at this sign. The trail system has numerous intersections so it’s a good idea to have a map if you aren’t already famili...

Marion Lake is one of Grand Teton National Park’s many spectacular high altitude lakes. The lake sits above Granite Canyon, and next to sweeping meadows that are loaded with colorful wildflowers during July and August. Campsites at the lake may be available by obtaining a backcountry permit from a ranger station or online. Other nearby camping options also requiring a backcountry permit include...

Start hiking at Cheaha Trailhead, located at the far end of a parking area just before you get to Cheaha State Park on Highway 281. Follow the Cave Creek Trail until you reach the Pinhoti connector, and hang a right to take the Pinhoti Trail northbound. Look for a sign that points to McDill overlook, and follow a side trail for the last quarter mile. Along this side trail you’ll pass the wrecka...

For those who find themselves in the beautiful country of Nepal without the time to devote to a lengthier trek like the Annapurna Base Camp (7-10 days) or Everest Base Camp (12-14 days) treks, the Ghorepani - Ghandruk trek is an excellent option. Probably most known for its panoramic sunrise views from Poon Hill, this trek packs in some of the best that the Annapurna range has to offer in the s...

Jemison Park is a 54-acre green space located in historic Mountain Brook. The main stretch of trail runs alongside Mountain Brook Parkway on one side and Shades Creek on the other, for a total of about 2 miles when connected with the Nature Trail and the Watkins Trace Trail. The park includes a few picnic tables and numerous benches spaced throughout the area. The trail is typically run as an ...

Eluanbi lighthouse is located on Eluanbi Cape, within Kenting National Park at the southernmost tip of Taiwan. The lighthouse was originally built in 1883 as a result of frequent shipwrecks, caused by hidden reefs, typhoons, and strong southerly winds from Taiwan’s impressive mountains. It has been restored twice, after being damaged during the First Sino-Japanese War and during World War II. T...

Boulder Field is a high alpine backcountry site on Longs Peak, and is a popular camp for backpackers attempting to summit Longs Peak via the Keyhole route. At an impressive elevation of 12,760 feet, Boulder Field is a vast wasteland of rocks that sits 500 feet below the famous Keyhole feature, and 1,500 feet below the summit. At this altitude, you are well above the tree line, so you’ll enjoy e...

This route to Clingmans Dome is available throughout the year. But during the winter months from December 1 through March 31, the 7-mile Clingman’s Dome Road that branches off Highway 441 at Newfound Gap, stays closed. This means the usual drive to the parking area located just a half mile below the tower is inaccessible, and the journey now requires a 15-mile round-trip hike on the AT, startin...

Start your hike at Anthony Creek Trailhead (elevation 1,800 ft), in the Cade’s Cove area. The trailhead is located at the far end of the day-use picnic area near Cade’s Cove campground. There are a few parking spots right at the trailhead, but note that the picnic area closes at dusk (a gate closes the road), so be prepared to park .5 miles away at the main campground parking lot if you arrive ...

The 2.3 mile Lake Trail runs more than two-thirds of the way around Double Oak Lake, from the South Trailhead to the marina and can easily be made into a 3 mile loop by connecting onto the paved road, Terrace Drive. In comparison to many other hiking trails throughout the park, the Lake Trail generally keeps a gentler grade, though there are some rolling hills with slight elevation gain to keep...

This hike can be started at the Alum Cave trailhead or the Boulevard Trailhead. For this particular adventure, the starting point is Alum Cave. If you're lucky enough to stay the night at the backcountry shelter on top of Mt. LeConte, (add 0.2 miles if coming from the Lodge), head east on the Boulevard Trail and follow signs to Myrtle Point, 1 mile away. The trail first ascends about 200 feet t...

In many ways, Railroad Park has become a symbol for the revitalization of downtown Birmingham, and it’s helping to ignite a new excitement for the city. Opened in 2010, Railroad Park makes reference to the Steel City’s industrial past, and runs parallel to rail lines that are still used today. The park includes 19 acres of green space, several trails, scenic waterways, bridges, an amphitheater ...

When talking about high mountains, Taiwan probably isn’t the first place that comes to mind for most people. Yet this beautiful island is covered from north to south by prominent mountain ranges. In north central Taiwan, Shei-Pa National Park alone boasts an impressive 51 peaks over 3,000 meters, including Snow Mountain (3886m), Taiwan’s second highest peak.From the capital city of Taipei head ...

The hike to the Golden Grotto begins at San Zhan (三棧) township, the next river valley to the south of Taroko Gorge. San Zhan is a small town where three rivers converge before emptying into the Pacific, on Taiwan’s east coast in Hualien County. There is a parking area to the northwestern side of the town. From the parking area, head down a small path that descends to the waterfront and start hi...

If you can snag a permit to camp at Death Canyon Shelf, consider yourself lucky. This backcountry camping zone holds some of the best sites in Grand Teton National Park. The shelf is a 3-mile stretch of the Teton Crest trail between Fox Creek Pass and Mount Meek Pass, and runs parallel to Death Canyon, with 300-foot cliffs on one side of the trail, and the floor of Death Canyon a thousand feet ...