Hello, hello!

Just back from a hot paddle trip on the South Sasksatchewan River in Southern Alberta, where we hiked desert coulees keeping a lookout for Prairie Rattlesnakes and laughing at the bounding antics of the Pronghorn Antelope.

Now gearing up for a 4-day backpack into Kootenay National Park, we're switching gears and will keep a watch for Grizzly Bears and chuckle at the pikas. I love the diversity of life that hiking allows us to see -- and it's more than just the wildlife, as you'll read in the latest article from the Hiking & Backpacking site at BellaOnline.com.

Taking a Likin' to Lichens
Hikers and backpackers are known to take the slow road, travelling green through the forest and taking time to stop and see the… lichens? Want to know why you should like lichens as a hiker? Read on!

http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art35639.asp

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I hope to hear from you sometime soon, either in the forum or in response to this email message. I thrive on your feedback!

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Cheers,
Megan

Megan Kopp, Hiking & Backpacking Editor
http://hiking.bellaonline.com

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