~ Early Web Links ~

The Degree Confluence Project is a collaborative, all-volunteer effort to photograph and document every integer latitude/longitude intersection on Earth, with over 6,700 successful visits across 196 countries. Visitors submit photos, coordinates, and trip reports from their journeys to these precise geographic points, creating a fascinating global atlas of places most people would never seek out.

Frank Bültge's German-language blog covers long-distance cycling adventures including bikepacking events like Thüringen Erfahren, LEL, and Transcimbrica, alongside web development and WordPress topics. The cycling content dominates, with detailed race reports, route maps, and personal reflections on endurance riding across Europe.

Founded in 1996 by retired Alaska Department of Fish and Game biologist David Johnson, this comprehensive outdoor sports resource covers hunting, fishing, camping, and hiking throughout Alaska's diverse regions. Visitors can explore detailed guides organized by geographic area, gear reviews, survival instruction, and archived forums filled with years of discussions from serious Alaska outdoors enthusiasts.

Varmint Al's sprawling personal site covers coyote and deer hunting, rifle reloading and barrel dynamics, finite element analysis of firearms, and even ham radio packet networking. The depth of engineering content applied to hunting and shooting topics makes this a uniquely technical resource for outdoor sportsmen and rifle enthusiasts.

Bike Washington is a comprehensive recreational bicycling guide to the Baltimore and Washington DC metropolitan area, covering local trails, bike routes, rail-trails, and tips for riding Metrorail with your bike. Visitors can explore iconic routes like the C&O Towpath, Mt Vernon Trail, and W&OD Trail, along with a weekend planner and visitor guide for newcomers to the region.

Oliver Beckstein's personal non-work page showcases his mountaineering expeditions, rock climbing adventures, and travel photography from destinations like the Wind River Range, the Alps, and Thailand. The site features a rich collection of landscape and climbing photos, panoramic images, and trip accounts from some of the world's most scenic wilderness areas.

TopoQuest, created by Ryan Niemi, is a free online viewer and download hub for USGS topographic maps covering the entire United States at multiple scales, plus Canadian topo maps and 1-meter satellite imagery. Hikers, campers, anglers, prospectors, and GIS enthusiasts will find it an invaluable replacement for the old TopoZone, offering free DRG GeoTIFF downloads and a searchable place-name database.

The Degree Confluence Project is a collaborative geographic endeavor where volunteers visit and document every integer latitude/longitude intersection on Earth. This particular page covers the 20°S 45°E confluence point in Madagascar, near Bemarivo in Toliara province, which has yet to be visited and logged.

Hiking Dude is a long-running personal hiking resource and blog where an avid hiker shares trip journals, gear reviews, safety tips, and multi-week adventures on trails like the PCT, Kungsleden, and Alpine Lakes Wilderness. With sections covering everything from starting out to overnight backpacking and a published tips book, it offers substantial practical content alongside engaging first-person adventure narratives.

Randy Small's hiking blog chronicles his mission to walk every trail in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, tracking cumulative mileage toward his 900-mile goal. Posts include detailed trip reports, shelter stays, shuttle tips, and seasonal observations from one of America's most popular national parks.