Last weekend, we stayed at the Maxey Cabin in Hyalite Canyon. My cousins drove in from Cheyenne the day before to join us. After a quick lunch at Red Tractor Pizza in town, we headed to the trailhead. The ski to the cabin is short—about 0.6 miles—so we used a pulk sled and made a few trips to haul all our gear up.
After settling in and getting the drinks flowing, two skiers arrived at the cabin around 6:30 p.m. That’s when I realized I had marked the wrong dates on the calendar—our reservation was for March, not February. Since February has exactly four weeks, the dates lined up perfectly, leading to the mix-up. The other group had the cabin reserved for the entire weekend, but they kindly offered to return in the morning so we’d have time to pack up. That meant we had two days' worth of food and alcohol to finish in just one night!
The next morning, we woke up to 4–5 inches of fresh snow. I took some time to capture photos of the cabin blanketed in white. The cabin consists of three structures: two for sleeping and one for wood storage. Only one of the sleeping cabins has a wood stove, so if you're staying in the unheated room, you either need a very warm sleeping bag or should limit the group to the four beds in the main cabin
While the girls were making breakfast, the boys made a quick trip to ski the first load of gear back to the car. After breakfast, we cleaned up the cabin, took some photos of the interior, and skied the rest of the gear back to the car.
The views outside the cabin are stunning, especially with a fresh blanket of snow. Most of the ski to the cabin winds through the trees, but a few meadows open up along the way, offering incredible views of the canyon.
After grabbing our day packs from the car, we set out for Palisade Falls. From the Maxey Cabin Trailhead, it’s just under 2.5 miles one way to the base of the falls.
The weather was perfect—until we reached the falls, where the wind suddenly picked up. We only stayed for a short while before retreating into the trees, where we found shelter from the wind and stopped for lunch before skiing back to the car. On the way back, we made one last pass by the cabin to wave goodbye.
Trip Notes: Our trip to Maxey Cabin marked our eighth stay in a cabin within Custer Gallatin National Forest. While the views from the cabin are fantastic, it was our least favorite for a group stay. Compared to other cabins, it felt a bit cramped and lacked many basic supplies, like a cook stove and utensils. That said, the wood "spoons" I carved to eat our chili actually worked pretty well!
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We've had a trip to the Bechler region on our to-do list for a long time, but the best time to go is during Corrie's work crunch time. With the spectacular late-season weather that we've had this year, we were able to sneak in an overnight trip to Union Falls and a two-night trip into Bechler Canyon.
To start, we drove out to the Grassy Lake Reservoir Trailhead. The final drive down to the parking lot is steep and rutted. If you don't have an off-road vehicle, it's probably best to walk it first to see if your car can make it. After a short distance from the parking lot, we were greeted by a Yellowstone boundary sign.
After a mile, we arrived at the Falls River crossing. It's wide and cold. I think crossing this early in the season would be fairly challenging, you definitely want to make sure you have some trekking poles.
Once on the other side of the river, the trail is mostly nondescript and through the trees. There are a few points along the way that open up, but the views in the distance are of more trees.
While this trail may be a destination hike, the final destination is ABSOLUTELY worth the 15+ miles roundtrip. We arrived at the overlook in the afternoon as planned. The light at our back created a nice little rainbow in the spray of the falls.
I noticed that there was a small trail down to the base of the falls. After getting fairly wet from the spray on the hike down, I was able to find a dry spot where I could take a photo.
We hiked back to the junction and took the trail up to Scout Pool. It's not a hot spring, but the water has some thermal influence so it's probably in the 70s. It was a great spot to jump in and wash off the sweat from the day's hike before heading back to camp and hitting the sack.
The following morning our plan was to hike back to the trailhead, then take Grassy Lake Road west until we could hook up with Cave Falls Road and take that into Bechler. We certainly missed the peak of the fall color, but there were still some occasional pockets of color. The other thing we noticed is how incredibly clear the water is. When the sun is overhead and you look with polarized lenses, you can see right through the water like it's barely there.
The hike back out was uneventful, although there's a fairly steady climb out from the campsite on the way out.
Back at the trailhead, we jumped in the car and headed over towards Bechler. It's about 2.5 hours of driving on the dirt road. In some places you need to go very slowly due to the condition of the road. We arrived to the area late afternoon, set up camp, and then drove out to Cave Falls. It's not a huge drop, but it's a wide falls with a decent amount of water, even this late in the year.
The following morning we set off from the Bechler Ranger Station to spend two nights in Bechler Canyon. As with Union Falls, the trail starts off in the trees, but eventually it opens up when you arrive to Bechler Meadows. After crossing the suspension footbridge, it's about three miles to cross the entire meadow.
At the mouth of Bechler Canyon, the vegetation completely changes. It turns into Fern Gully with giant spruce trees and ferns everywhere.
Once in the canyon, you gradually start to climb as you make your way up to Three Rivers Junction. Along the way you hike by another couple beautiful waterfalls. The first, Colonnade Falls, is a two-in-one.
Shortly after Colonnade Falls, you arrive at Iris Falls. There was so much spray coming off this falls, that when I took a photo of it I was almost able to see a full 360º rainbow.
We arrived late afternoon and called it an early night after the big hike in. The following morning, we made breakfast and got an early start on the short hike up to Mr. Bubbles. With the cooler air temps in the morning, we were able to see all the thermal features near the Bechler River that we didn't notice the day before.
The trail through the canyon takes you near some beautiful thermal features. I tried to find the names of features on a map, but I'm not sure if there are official names or not.
As we arrived at Ferris Fork junction, we started seeing signs of more thermal influence in the water.
Once we passed Ragged Falls, we arrived at the spur trail out to our destination.
Hiking in we could see a thermal feature dumping into the river. Upon closer look, there was a boiling hot spring and travertine feature.
At the end of the trail, roughly 16 miles from our starting point, we arrived at our destination. We have plenty of friends that suggested we hike out here, but we didn't really get what all the fuss was about. Now that we were here with the place to ourselves, we could see the allure.
It wasn't until we jumped in that we "got it." The area where you soak, aptly named Mr. Bubbles, is a mixture of hot water from a nearby spring and the cold water from the Ferris Fork. Depending on where you sit in the feature, you can "adjust" the temperature to your liking. During the 2.5 hours we soaked, we couldn't believe we had the place to ourselves. We kept saying that someone was going to show up eventually, but it never happened.
Back at camp, we ate lunch and then took naps in the sun. I went back out to take photos during the sunset before happy hour and dinner.
The weather was clear and we were close to a new moon, so I decided to head out to try and get some photos of the night sky. I scouted a place during my sunset stroll so I knew where I wanted to shoot, but unfortunately I didn't have a tripod. So after creating a janky way to hold my camera with my trekking poles and pack, I was able to capture a keeper.
The next morning we had a long hike and drive ahead of us, so we started early. Even though we were back tracking, it was nice to get to see the same spots in different lighting.
Especially the waterfalls... They were in the shade this time around so I was able to do some longer exposure shots of the cascades and falls.
Back in the meadow, there was some haze in the distance that prevented us from seeing the Tetons with too much definition.
We could even smell the smoke in the air a little bit. We made it back to the trailhead in the early afternoon, tired, but recharged from a spectacular trip in a new part of the park for us.
Trip details: In total we hiked just shy of 50 miles. The roundtrip out to Union Falls and Scout pool is about 17 miles with ~2,000 feet of elevation, and roundtrip out to Mr. Bubbles is about 32 miles and ~1,900 feet of elevation. It seems like the window for this trip is between late-August and when the snow flies. I'd love to hit this in peak fall color, but it seems that we were just on the back end of it, especially with the big winds that were in the area the week before.
It's that time of year, Labor Day Weekend, where we usually head into the mountains for a trip of epic proportions. Last year, we hiked out to Thorofare Ranger Station in Yellowstone. This year we planned to head back into the Absaorka-Beartooth Wilderness in Custer Gallatin National Forest although it would start and end from the Clay Butte Lookout Trailhead in Shoshone National Forest. We planned for five days of backpacking, two of which would mostly be off trail. On day two, two of our friends planned to take an alternative route in so they could hike with us on days 3-5.
The Wx window looked great and the fireweed was already starting to turn red. We stopped in Cooke City for some coffee before setting off from the trailhead around noon.
Day 1: Clay Butte Lookout to Granite Lake
The start of the trail was a lot of downhill to the south shore of Granite Lake. That was welcomed since our packs were especially heavy with five days worth of food. There was a slight tinge of haze in the sky, but Pilot and Index peaks were out in their full glory.
When we made it to the south shore of Granite Lake, we had a small water crossing that was about knee deep. Toklat, who isn't a huge fan of water at times, dove right in after me and crossed with no issue. Near our crossing was a giant group site with a bear box. If it wasn't so close to the road it would probably be a fun place to hang out for the weekend with little effort to get in there.
After the crossing we hiked along the west shore of the lake through some meadows that looked like they would be extremely buggy in the spring and summer. By this time they were mostly dry and easy to cross. Eventually the trail moved away from the lake and up some steep granite terrain.
At the top of the climb we were greeted with another great view of Granite Lake just as the light was starting to get nice. We stopped for snacks before the final push to our first camp spot of the trip.
Since we've never been in this area before, we didn't know exactly where we could camp, but we had good ideas based on studying satellite imagery. So when we walked into Granite Lake we were pumped to find a primo campsite with a hang pole right near a rocky beach.
Day 2: Granite Lake to Jorden Lake
We woke up early to make coffee and breakfast along the lake and enjoy the sunrise. It was a bit chilly, but we didn't get any frost over night.
After breakfast we hiked north along the inlet and up the drainage to Lake Elaine. It was extremely slow going, since the "trail" was steep and overgrown with lots of downed trees.
As we gained the pass, we could look back and see Granite Lake in the distance.
At Lake Elaine we took the time to grab a snack and enjoy the views.
From the foot of the lake, the trail followed the west shore of Lake Elaine until it climbed another pass towards Farley Lake.
It was lunch time when we arrive to Farley Lake. We filtered water and relaxed for a long break. It's a good thing we decided to stop, because we took a wrong turn at the junction. I realized it when we were eating, so we only added like 15-20 minutes to the day.
From Farley Lake there was a final high pass until we arrived at our destination of Jorden Lake.
As we approached Jorden Lake, we dropped down to the outlet and crossed one final hill before we arrive at our campsite.
Again, we didn't really know where we would camp, but we found another spectacular camp spot. This time we had our own private cascade behind our lakefront site.
Our friends were supposed to arrive around 6pm, but by the time we crawled into the tent around 8:30 they still hadn't arrived.
Before we went to bed that night, we discovered a hole in our sleeping pad. We were able to patch it with some duct tape, but it would prove to be an issue for the remainder of the trip. The benefit? Waking up in the middle of the night because you're cold only to realize that the Milky Way is out in its full glory.
Day 3: Jorden Lake to Flat Rock Lake, off-trail
When I woke up the following morning I noticed that we had a new tent next to ours. Turns out that our fiends showed up only a few minutes after we crawled into the tent.
After a nice breakfast along the lake, we poured over our maps one last time before we started our off-trail climb.
When we arrived at the first of many lakes of the day, I couldn't help but just saying "wow!" over and over again. The morning was still cool and the wind had yet to pick up, so the reflections in the water were beautiful.
Our first "reroute" on the day came at Anchor Lake. When you look at a map, sometimes it looks like the route "goes" when it doesn't. All it takes is an 8ft ledge or fallen tree to prevent you from going a certain way. That kind of stuff doesn't show up on a map. But that's the fun of a route versus a trail. On the flip side, route finding can be mentally taxing. Always having to pay attention to each step instead of being able to engage "autopilot" on a trail.
At Big Butte Lake, we stopped for a snack and to scout another reroute. The weather was perfect without a cloud in the sky.
We arrived at our first pass on the day. At the junction we had the option to continue north or east. We wanted to get all of the elevation out of the way first, so we continued north along a series of unnamed paternoster lakes.
As we wrapped around the lake we could look down the east drainage to Gravel and Till lakes.
It was extremely slow going, due to both the terrain and the views. But we took our time and plugged along.
After lunch, we reached the final pass on the day around 3pm. From here we would start our descent towards Flat Rock Lake.
Lots of steep downhill through unstable boulderfields.
After eight or so hours from when we started, we arrived at our final descent to Flat Rock Lake.
Our plan was to camp on the east side of the lake, but since we arrived so late all the flat spots around the lake were already taken. So when we walked past a couple flat spots near the west inlet creek, we made a team decision to set up camp. This was the best decision of the trip. Not only was our view from camp next to another cascade, but our view of the lake from a nearby rock outcrop was spectacular.
Day 4: Flat Rock Lake to Thiel Lake, partially off trail
The following morning we woke up to some slight haze in the air, but it was still gorgeous. We ate breakfast, packed up and headed towards Martin Lake for the night.
The route today looked to be mostly downhill, until we would meet up with the trail near Green Lake. From there we would gain a couple hills before we reached our destination.
The valley just below Flat Rock Lake is spectacular. There's a giant river bar surrounded by tundra at like 9,000' elevation. The water levels were very manageable this time of year, and I'm sure that the water in the spring makes this route much more difficult.
There were a few of those hidden cliffs I mentioned earlier, so the route wasn't super apparent at first. But after a few backtracks we eventually down climbed a steep hill and made our way to Alp Lake.
From here, we planned to meet up a with a social trail that we found on satellite imagery. Here, just like many of the lakes with boulderfields, we had to keep from stepping on all the pika scurrying around.
At the outlet of Alp Lake we found the social trail. It wasn't always super apparent, but it was a little refreshing mentally to know that we wouldn't wander up to a cliff and have to reroute. Once we made it to Castle Lake, we stopped for lunch and our buddy pulled out his rod and reel to see if he could catch some trout.
After a nice break we were back at it. More slow going, but we were following a route at least.
Eventually, we made it back to the trail, where we dropped down into Green Lake. From here we climbed back up a short but steep ridge to Trail and Kidney Lakes. After the climb, we stopped at Trail Lake to filter some water and do some more fishing.
From Trail Lake it was only a short distance to our destination. Since we arrived fairly early in the day, we decided to push onto the next lake which would add another 2-3 miles on the day. But it would also ensure that we would be closer to the car for the following day on the hike out.
As we hiked past Kidney Lake, I kept turning around to check out the views behind us. When we got to the pass I stopped for pictures. When I turned around, BAM! Spectacular mountain views of where we had been hiking the past few days in the distance.
This was our final pass on the day and would be hiking past a few unnamed lakes on the way to Thiel. But before we would arrive, we had hike down one final "hill," as it was described by one of the few hikers we passed on the trip. It turns out it was steep, like the trail down to Brink of the Lower Falls in Yellowstone, but without pavement and with giant rocks.
As we arrived at Thiel, the obvious spots along the lake were already taken. We kept along the trail until we noticed a small social trail into the trees on the south side of the lake. As we followed it into the trees, we were greeted to another camp spot with great views. Of all the lakes, this was the least "user friendly" since there wasn't a rocky beach, but we were able to get water without getting stuck in the mud. We had the best sunset of the trip here to boot, although a bit hazy.
Day 5: Thiel Lake to Clay Butte TH
The final day we woke up and hit the trail early. Before we hiked in on Day 1, we read about the possibility of weather on the afternoon of Monday (today). So after a quick breakfast, we were hiking back to the car. This point of the trip with much lighter packs.
We had a small river crossing and a couple new sections of trail, but eventually we were back on the same route that we hiked in to Granite Lake.
We were cooking at this point, taking full advantage of the flat trail and the fact that we didn't have to stare at our feet.
The last challenge was the short-n-sweet hill that we had to climb back to the car.
Trip details: 5 days, 4 nights. 30 miles, ~5,700' elevation. ~10 miles off-trail
We've done a handful of trips in the Beartooths, and they were all awesome. This trip was the best that we've done so far. Successfully hiking off trail for this trip will open up a bunch of new opportunities for us as we plan for more trips in the future.
We finally made it up to Sportsman Lake and Electric Pass after years of talking about it. During our initial planning, we had always looked at going in from the Glen Creek Trailhead, but after asking around and looking at the maps, we decided that going in from Highway 191 made more sense. It's a mile or two shorter, plus you don't have to hike over the pass both ways.
After we ate second breakfast in West Yellowstone, we drove up to the Fawn Pass Trailhead. While putting the finishing touches on packing we saw another group getting ready to hike in for the night with a few llamas. Since Corrie used to pack llamas in Colorado, I had to make sure and get a photo for her.
Not too far from the road, we arrived at our junction. Apparently we weren't the only "hikers" in the area. It rained the night before so there were lots of tracks on the trail, including a sow grizzly and her cub.
Eventually, we arrived at our first creek crossing. It didn't look very deep so I tried to rock hop across, unsuccessfully. That meant I was hiking with wet feet the rest of the day. This was also the first big trip for us after being sick from COVID for 2 months, so my feet weren't tough yet. Perfect recipe for blisters...
The trail takes you along Fan Creek the entire way up. There are plenty of places to filter water, and the views of the meandering creek are great.
You're slowly gaining elevation the entire way up, but the last couple miles of the trail there's a bit of a climb. Eventually, you're looking down on the bowl where Sportsman Lake sits. After a few switchbacks and a short trail through the trees, you arrive at the lake with great views of Electric Peak in the distance.
The following morning it was a beautiful sunrise. After breakfast, we planned to hike to Electric Pass and back. It's only about three miles to the top, but you gain around 2,500 feet.
So we climbed and climbed.
And climbed a bit more.
At the pass, you have a great view in almost all directions. We topped out just over 10,000 feet.
Electric Peak is only another 1,000 feet higher than the pass, but it's another three miles (six total) and the route goes down and up a few times before you reach the summit.
If we were to come back here and weren't coming off a long illness, it could be fun to attempt a summit from this route.
But it wasn't in the cards for this trip, so we headed back down towards the lake.
That night we were greeted to one of the best sunsets on the year, and without any wind there was a great reflection in the lake.
The following morning we woke up early to beat the heat. We saw a few critters including marmots and whitetail deer.
Trip details: In total, we hiked just shy of 30 miles with 5,000 ft elevation gain. The majority of the trail is well graded so you don't notice the elevation, except from the lake to the pass. You definitely notice that. We didn't see anyone once we got past mile 7ish, which meant that we had the entire lake to ourselves and didn't see another person for almost two days. Overall great trip and I highly recommend the area. Bring a rod if you like to fish!
At the hotel we met up with the rest of our group and went out for an early lunch. After lunch we took naps and met up with Yamil for a tour of historic Cusco. One of the first things we learned about the city and the culture is that Cusco was the capital of the Inca empire. They were amazing planners and engineers. Their architecture and system of trails is a testament to that.
The Spanish also built directly on top of the Inca buildings. Usually they built their churches on the most important Inca sites.
The following morning we visited our first Inca site, Sacsayhuamán. Located on a steep hill that overlooks the city, the fortified complex has a wide view of the valley to the southeast. Archeological studies of surface collections of pottery at Sacsayhuamán indicate that the earliest occupation of the hilltop dates to about 900 CE.
From there we drove to the Inca complex at Písac. Similar to Sacsayhuamán, the complex here is located on a mountain above the town. The big difference here, this is the first site that we saw with extensive terraces.
This site was also the first with active fountains. The engineers built these fountains at the base of the structure. The idea was that it was a place to clean before they entered these holy sites. Directly behind the fountains we saw a bunch of holes in the rock. We were told these were tombs for important people, and the holes were from grave robbers in more recent history.
After leaving Pisác, we made our way to Ollantaytambo. We had to take the long way around to get to our hotel because there was a festival going on. There were bull fights and parades in the town square. One thing is for sure, Peruvians know how to throw a festival. They have some of the coolest clothes.
After the festival, we walked around the town before grabbing dinner and heading back to our hotel.
The following morning was a beautiful sunrise. After breakfast the clouds had burned off and we had our first view of the mountains.
We packed up our bags and headed to explore the Inca site at Ollantaytambo. One of the highlights of this site is that during the Spanish conquest of Peru, it served as a temporary capital for Manco Inca, leader of the native resistance against the conquistadors. He fortified the town and its approaches in the direction of the former Inca capital of Cusco, which had fallen under Spanish domination.
This site also showcases more of the exceptional engineering skills of the Inca. The rocks used to build this site were quarried from about a mile away, on the opposite side of the valley, halfway up the mountain. They had to move them down the mountain, across the river, and back up the other side of the valley, where they were expertly shaped, chiseled, and polished. In some of the larger rocks, they carved indentations to place a metal piece to hold the rocks together as they were stacked, similar to a bowtie inlay in wood working.
Now that we were primed with all our Inca knowledge, we were ready to start the trail. We handed our extra gear over to the porters and headed to the trailhead.
Inca Trail Day 1: KM 82 to Huayllabamba, ~7 miles, +1,700/ -750’
About halfway through the day's hike, we came across the first of the many sites we would see along the route to Machu Picchu, Patallacta. This site was burned by Manco Inca Yupanqui, who destroyed a number of settlements along the Inca road system during his retreat from Cusco in 1536 to discourage Spanish pursuit. In part due to these efforts, the Spanish never discovered the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu or any of its settlements.
Yamil mentioned that the route we were hiking was not the shortest, or easiest route to Machu Picchu. It was a route through the mountains that was designed for royals as a route to take as a pilgrimage. The route was designed to be close to the heavens, as it was considered holy to be near the gods.
As we slowly climbed out of the valley, we started getting some spectacular views of the surrounding mountains.
At camp we had dinner and watched the sunset, followed shortly after by a nearly full moon set over the ridge.
Inca Trail Day 2: Huayllabamba to Pacamayo, ~5 miles, +4,200/-2,100’
The following day was the most difficult of the entire hike. We had to climb out of the valley and over Dead Woman Pass. We had a big breakfast and set off for the day. Everyone was feeling good, but Corrie mentioned that her breakfast wasn't sitting well with her. We were worried she may have eaten some food with gluten, but it turns out that she caught a stomach bug. About a third of the way up the pass, she had to pull over and throw up in the bushes. She said she felt much better, but I still took the gear from her pack and we continued up the trail.
We took our time, stopped frequently, but still made good time. I can't believe how it must have felt doing that section with a stomach bug. Corrie's a beast.
At the pass we hung out and had snacks and watched the clouds blow over the mountains.
After the steep climb up, the trail ahead looked like a steep climb down to camp.
On the way down, looking back, you could see the profile of the "dead woman," the namesake feature for the pass.
We went down...
And down...
And down some more.
We arrived at camp, had some freshly made popcorn, and grabbed one of the worst showers I've ever had. Not only was it ice cold, but when I turned it on it was a powerful stream of water that hit me right in the plums. It hurt, a lot.
Corrie still wasn't feeling well, so I went for a short walk to check out the area and look for birds. The clouds in the valley were blowing through and it was awesome to the see the peaks and ridges pop out from above.
Inca Trail Day 3: Pacamayo to Phuyupatamarca, ~5 miles +1,900/-1,700’
The following morning we woke up early and hit the trail to beat the heat. The trail from this point and beyond was the original trail and the actual stones laid by the Incas. Until this point, the trail was rehabilitated by the Peruvian government sometime in the 1940s. The trail and stonework is simply amazing. It's unbelievable where they were able to put the trail in some places they did and that it has withstood the test of time. In some places it's literally through a jungle. Without maintenance, the trail would become completely grown over in a year.
We grabbed second breakfast and enjoyed the views at the pass.
We could see the Vilcabamba Mountains and the cloud forest below.
As we dropped off the ridge down into the forest we saw the only mammal of the trip, a little buck feeding in the bushes.
Just before lunch we arrived at Sayacmarca. At the base of the stairs to enter the site, there was another fountain for cleansing.
The cool thing about this site, is that it wasn't built near a spring. The engineers of this site built an intricate system of canals that ran along the ridge of the mountains to the site, and through the site.
As we explored the site, the clouds rolled in and obscured the surrounding mountains.
I also noticed some new interesting design features in this site, including water drains and some kind of rock rings. My guess is they were used to partition rooms with rope or something.
From this site you could also look down valley to the next site we would visit, Qunchamarka.
Just beyond the site we stopped for lunch. After we were done eating I took a nap because I was starting to feel a little off.
Along this section of the trail, Yamil pointed out the best examples of how the trail was designed for people to run it, even while going downhill. The small curves allowed someone to run while maintaining control, like making turns while skiing down a hill. The trail system and the Incas who used it, could run over the mountains between Cusco and the sea in a single day. This allowed the king in Cusco, or Sapa Inca, to eat fresh fish from the ocean, hundreds of miles away.
About an hour after lunch I could feel my stomach starting to turn a little. I didn't think much of it at first, but eventually I realized that I needed to hit the restroom ASAP. The last mile before camp, I pulled ahead of the group and started a slow jog. I made it to the restroom with almost no time to spare. My stomach felt better for about 10 minutes, but then it got worse from there.
While resting at the top of the hill in Phuyupatamarca camp, we hung out at watched the clouds roll by. Eventually I had to head to the tent and lay down because my stomach was hurting so bad. Corrie gave me a couple Pepto pills to help, and 90 seconds later, just like her, I was puking my toenails off.
Inca Trail Day 4: Phuyupatamarca to Machu Picchu, ~7 miles, +700/-4,700’
After a night of shivering and sweating, I woke up before sunrise and was greeted to one of the best views of the trip. The clouds had cleared and we were staring at the second highest mountain in the area, Salcantay. Apparently my "offering" to the gods in the bushes would provide us with great weather for the last day of the trip.
At breakfast, the group showed me photos and videos from dinner the night before, including bananas foster. I picked the worst night to get sick, but I suppose it was better than having to hike Dead Woman Pass, like Corrie.
This would also be the last time that we would see our support team. So we grabbed a photo in front of Salcantay. While we were setting up for the group photo, all the guys were pulling out their cell phones and taking photos of the mountain. When the local guys are taking photos, you know that you're witnessing something awesome.
This trip wouldn't have been what it was without our support team. Our chef Daniel, prepared an amazing menu and the rest of the team carried all our food and equipment over some serious terrain. It was awesome to see these guys in action. Our two veteran porters, Mario and Bautista, have been hiking this trail for over three decades. We can't say enough great things about them.
From our group picture spot we could also see Intipata below us, a site that we would be walking through later in the day.
We would be dropping nearly a vertical mile in total today, and as soon as we left camp we started going down.
And down...
And down...
And down..
We eventually made it to Intipata. This is the first place where I saw a good example of the stairs in the terraces up close. They were long flat rocks built into the walls that protruded out.
Did I mention we hiked down?
Shortly after Intipata, we arrived at Wiñya Wayna. This was the first site that I made the realization that most of these places had great views. Yamil pointed out to us that the Incas worshipped the mountains. The snow capped peaks were called apus. So, if we were living during the time of the Incas, we would not be too concerned about the beauty of the buildings, but rather the buildings were built in such a way and in such a location that allowed you to take in the beautiful views of the mountains and Mother Earth, or pachamama.
Literally after each site, I left saying, "This was my new favorite site." And after Wiñya Wayna, there was only one left to see...
We climbed up the steepest steps of the trail, called the "Monkey Steps."
And followed the trail a short while until we reached the Sun Gate.
It was still far away, but after four days of hiking we had our first views of Machu Picchu.
As we continued along the trail, the anticipation was building and I caught a second wind. We walked past more sites along the way including an altar. On the winter solstice, this altar is the first place where the sun hits during sunrise.
Just as we arrived the light started to get nice and the clouds started building.
After four days of seeing minimal people on the trail, arriving at Machu Picchu was a bit overwhelming, but we were PUMPED to be there.
As we stood there, the light kept changing as the clouds moved over the mountains. After we took a few photos, we headed to the bus stop to take a ride down to Aguas Calientes and check into our hotel.
Day 5: Exploring Machu Picchu
The following morning, we woke up early and caught a bus back to Machu Picchu to explore the complex. After five days of exploring Inca sites, this place was amazing and lived up to all the hype. The architecture was spectacular, and the terraforming that took place that allowed them to build in such a precarious place was astounding.
While the granite used to build the site was quarried from a location adjacent to the site, all of the dirt and sand that was used to fill in the terraces was hauled up from the river. The more we learned, the more incomprehensible it all became.
After exploring the site for a few hours, we took the bus back to town, grabbed lunch and hit the train station back to Ollantaytambo.
Diego picked us up at the station and we drove back to Cusco. We ordered takeout and hung out in the courtyard of the hotel the last night, drank wine, and recapped the highs and lows from the last five days of the trip. Overall it was one of the best trips I've ever done, even with the puking and nearly shitting myself.
In addition to all the sites, we saw a bunch of beautiful birds and wildflowers.
If you'd like to do a trip like this, you need to book a guide and secure your permits in October. I'd absolutely recommend Yamil and Apumayo!
This is our first winter cabin trip on the year. We had another one planned a couple weekend ago but I got sick and had to cancel. This is the third of the three cabins in the area, we skied to the other two, Crandall Creek Cabin and Ibex Cabin, last winter.
We parked at the winter trailhead and set off to ski the short two miles into the cabin. It was a sunny. bluebird afternoon.
We arrived at the cabin late afternoon and got a fire going to warm up the cabin. We made dinner and drinks and then waited for the sunset, which turned out to be pretty nice.
The next day we ate some homemade coffee cake for first breakfast and washed it down with a few cups of coffee. The weather hadn't rolled in yet, so we decided to try to get a short ski in for the day. Since we were on the front end of the storm, the temps were too warm for our skis, so we ditched them and headed into the forest for a hike instead.
We got back to the cabin in time for lunch and DRT (designated rest time). After our nap, we woke up to a HUGE snowstorm. We made some hot apple cider and watched the storm blow out the window.
Before dinner we got a break in the storm, but we were surrounded by clouds. It was like being in a giant white bubble. Not long after the wind and snow picked back up, so we spent the rest of the evening in the cabin relaxing.
The next morning, we woke up to 8" of powder and fog, but after an hour or so it started to burn off. We skied over to the woodshed to chop and haul wood.
Once we cleaned up and restocked the cabin with wood, we grabbed a group photo before skiing back to the trailhead.
The stoke was high with the downhill and fresh powder.
Trip notes: Porcupine Cabin is HUGE and sleeps eight people. Most of the cabins we visit are a single room, but this one has two bedrooms in addition to the living space. The snowpack and weather kept us from exploring too far from the cabin on our layover day, so it would be nice to go back another year with better conditions. Overall it was a great trip and I'd definitely recommend it!
From Mud Lake we continued up to Round Lake, which has great views of Sheep Mountain. We took the opportunity to finally open up the throttle a bit, to see what these new sleds can do. They are REAL fast.
Once we got a feel for the sleds our guide, Cole, took us up the Goose Lake Jeep Trail where we had some great views of the Spires, the same mountain we saw this past summer backpacking to Aero Lakes.
Eventually we made it to Long Lake, which had some smaller hills we were able to climb.
I told Cole I'd be happy to take some photos of him if we wanted to tear it up. So he did.
The views weren't too shabby either.
From there we headed up to Star Lake at the edge of the Wilderness Boundary where we were able to get in some first tracks.
Even though snow levels were significantly lower than normal, we were still able to explore a lot of the terrain up there no issues.
After everyone getting stuck multiple times, wallowing in powder, and digging ourselves out, we figured it was time to head back to town. Instead of backtracking, we headed northwest from Long Lake around Sheep Mountain to hook up with the Lulu Pass Trail again. The views along the backside of Sheep Mountain were expansive.
Once we made it to Lulu Pass it was smooth sailing the rest of the way home. Back in town we hit up the Miners Saloon for a celebratory pint before we headed back home.
Trip notes: It's not cheap to rent sleds and hire a guide. Especially when you compare it to backpacking. But it was worth it. You work a lot harder than you'd think, especially if you're a new rider. Even if you don't fall, which you most likely will, you have to jump around on the sled and really use your body to stay upright. When you do fall, you're trying to dig your sled out in waist-deep powder for at least a few minutes, sometimes longer. We rented through Beartooth Mountain Adventures and I'd definitely recommend them. Our guide Cole was great and was worth his weight in gold. Not only did he take us where we needed to go, but we'd still be stuck up there without him. Definitely a team sport.
After years of talking about it, and then six months of planning it, the week finally arrived. The weather looked clear but windy for the first few days, then starting to deteriorate after that. Our plan was to catch a shuttle across the lake to Terrace Point, then hike south into the Thorofare and back to our car at the South Entrance via the South Boundary Trail. Here's how it went.
Day 1: 12.5 miles, 1,415 ft elevation gain
We loaded up our gear on the boat and set off from Bridge Bay Marina. After about 30 min on the water, that "clear but windy" weather made it clear to us that we weren't getting across the lake today. So after turning around we debated our options back on shore. We decided that we wanted to take shuttles/hitchhiking out of the equation, so we changed our itinerary and would hike in and out via the South Boundary Trail. That means our 55-mile trip would now be closer to 80.
By the time we made it back to the South Entrance and set off, it was 1pm. We forded a clear Snake River and hiked through a mostly nondescript landscape for the first 6 miles. Eventually we reached an open meadow where we met up with the Snake River again and Snake Hot Springs.
Eventually we came across our second and last river crossing for the day. We took a break along the river before hiking the final two miles to our camp.
Day 2: 12.25 miles, 3,001 ft elevation gain
With our late arrival in camp the night before, we didn't get hiking until about 9am. Today was supposed to be the most challenging day of the trip. The hike over Big Game Ridge takes you in and out of the park and offers views all directions when you're over 10,000 ft elevation. The weather was perfect, not a cloud in the sky, which also meant that we were exposed.
Eventually we gained enough elevation where we could see the Tetons to the south starting to rise up from the hills.
Once we gained the ridge, the views of the Grand and the entire Teton Range were spectacular.
We continued along the ridge with more spectacular views to the north and east, including Heart and Yellowstone lakes, the Absaroka Range, and even Electric Peak.
Just before we started to descend, we decided to grab lunch with a good view.
Eventually we made it off Big Game Ridge and were back to another crossing of the Snake River, just before we reached our spot for the night.
Day 3: 14.25 miles, 2,202 ft elevation gain
I woke up with a sore hip flexor, which isn't uncommon for me when backpacking. When we set off it took a little adjusting to get my pack in a comfortable spot. After walking for about 5 minutes, my hip/leg muscles were tighter than I thought. I stretched for 10 minutes, and I realized that my hip felt fine as long as I didn't have my pack's hip belt on tight. It was great I figured that out, but not great to realize that I was going to have to hike the day with a pack without using my hip belt.
We gained our way through the woods and eventually to Mariposa Lake.
As we continued east, we started to descend along Lynx Creek. There were many small water and bog crossings. In the mud we started seeing lots of bear tracks, both big and small, black and grizzly. At one point along the trail while making noise, we both were hit with the smell of a rotting carcass. We both immediately picked up the pace until we were out of the area and could no longer see any tracks. (More on this during the following day)
After about mile nine we could finally see the mountains to the east of the Thorofare Valley.
At mile 10 we made our way to the valley floor and stopped to rest before we had to ford the Yellowstone.
After scouting a few options, we found a good spot to ford that was only over our knees.
After a few more miles we finally made it to our destination, the Thorofare Ranger Station. We had seen photos of it, but it was pretty cool to see in person. We also explored the barn and the most remote outhouse.
We hung out on the porch, reading the visitor log of those who made the trek before us, waiting for the sun to set.
Day 4: 14.25 miles, 2,340 ft elevation gain
Now that we had hike the 39 miles to get out here, we were only half way. In our initial plan we were supposed to have a layover day in the Thorofare, but with the new itinerary we would be hiking every day. So we woke up early so we could take in the sunrise before starting our 14 mile day. This morning I noticed that in addition to my hip, my achilles was swollen and it was hard to get my boot on. No biggie, we only had 39 miles to go. Corrie offered to take extra weight and put me on the "mountain skittles" (ibuprofen) regimen to keep the swelling down.
We hiked back across the valley taking in the views, which were spectacular.
On our way back across the Yellowstone, the wind had died down from the previous afternoon so much that we were greeted to a nice reflection.
I mentioned earlier that the previous day we had hiked near a carcass on the trail. On our way back through we were expecting to come across the same smell but didn't. So our guess is that it wasn't a carcass, but more likely a bear that we hiked past. Bears, especially grizzlies, can be very smelly. Since we were seeing lots of tracks and scat in the area where the smell was, and there was no smell the following day, we think there was probably a bear in the area. Eventually we made the climb back out of Lynx Creek to our camp, where we could see tomorrow's objective, Big Game Ridge, rising above the trees in front of us.
Day 5: 12.25 miles, 2,438 ft elevation gain
We had another early morning and took in the sunrise again. Achilles still swollen, we set out.
We crossed back over the Snake River and made our way up Big Game Ridge as the clouds slowly started to build.
This time our views at the top were obscured from a low cloud ceiling. We could see Yellowstone Lake but not the Teton Range. Just as we were finished eating lunch, we heard our first roll of thunder. We packed up and kept heading west.
Just as we got off the ridge the rain started...and it didn't really stop until we made it back to the car the following day.
Day 6: 12.5 miles, 698 ft elevation gain
This day I only took one photo since it was raining all day. But as we made it back to Snake Hot Springs, it was too pretty to not take my camera out. The cold temps had caused the hot spring to steam.
The last six miles of the trip was through a flooded trail and deep mud. We called it the "swamp of sorrow" and occasionally felt the need to yell "Artax!!!" After getting home and googling it, I realize that it's actually the "swamp of sadness." When we finally made it to the final crossing of the Snake, we didn't even bother changing shoes. We were covered in mud up to our knees, so we took the opportunity to use the crossing to wash all the mud off.
The trip was a lot of type-2 fun, but now that we are on the couch eating homemade muffins and looking at photos, we can look back on the tip and say it was a good time!
We started from the Lady of the Lakes upper TH and set off for a camp spot at Upper Aero Lake. The trail was mostly through the forest with occasional views along the Zimmer River.
Once we crossed the river, the trail gains about 1,000 feet in a mile as you approach Lower Aero Lake.
Near the foot of the lake, the trail turns into more of a route as you navigate around the lake.
Our plan was to camp at the upper lake, but we were starting to get tired and it was nearing dinner time. So once we made it to the head of the lower lake, we decided to see if we could find a nice camp spot, which we did. The spot came with views of two waterfalls and a reflection pond with a backdrop of Mount Villard.
Once the tent was up, we cracked our beers and went for a swim, then made dinner as the sun dipped below the horizon.
The next morning I woke up to some spectacular scenery. The wind had died down and the sun was just starting to come up.
After taking in the sunrise, we ate breakfast and headed out for our layover day. The plan was to head to the upper lake, and both saddles between Rough and Sky Top lakes.
Once we made it to the pass above Sky Top Lakes, we decided to eat lunch and take in the views of Montana’s tallest mountain, Granite Peak. The wind picked up and the clouds started to build, so we decided to head back to camp.
The hike out was a little windy, but our packs were lighter and the views were incredible with blue skies.
We really enjoyed this area and it seems that there is a ton to explore. We were happy with our camp spot and we could stay in the same location for a whole week and do different day hikes each day. Here is the profile from the trip in one direction to our highest point.
Thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed the photos!
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The Black Butte Trail eventually hooks up with the Sky Rim Trail, where we would be on the boundary of Yellowstone and Custer Gallatin National Forest for the next 5+ miles. We decided to hike the ridge over to Wickiup (or Bighorn Peak depending on which map you look at) to take in the views and drink our summit sodas at just a bit under 10K ft. The flanks of the peak offer dramatic views with interesting geology. This area of the park and forest is also where many petrified trees are found. From the peak we were able to check out views into Paradise Valley and Gallatin River Canyon.
After our snacks and refreshments, we headed back to the Black Butte Trail junction to continue the hike. We assumed that once you gained all of the elevation by hiking in the direction we did, that the remaining portion of the trail would be relatively downhill and/or flat. That assumption was a bad one! There was a significant amount of downhill, but it was immediately followed by more uphill. With all the ups and downs, we climbed nearly a vertical mile in addition to the huge distance we traveled.
In between the steep ups and downs, there was the occasional flat sections of trail with expansive views off the trail in both directions.
The day was hot and the trail is exposed, so we decided to take a break in the shade and grab some snacks. As we ate we realized that we sat in the middle of an archaeological site full of lithic scatter. It's likely that the same reason we rested here, is the same reason that American Indians did also: shelter from the wind and sun and spectacular views in all directions. It appears they sat here crafting their stone tools, presumably watching for wildlife.
About the midway on the trail between the Daly Creek and Black Butte, directly above Tom Miner Basin, we started hiking my favorite section of the trail. The ridge walk was relatively flat and the views are spectacular.
As the day went on we started running low on water and regulating our temps were getting challenging without any shade. So when we found a small patch of snow we took full advantage to cool off before continuing along.
Eventually we came across the Daly Creek Trail junction and started our descent. This is also about the time that we ran out of water.
Eventually we made it back to the creek where we filtered water and cooled off in the shade. The bugs were fierce, and we weren't the only ones who thought hanging by the water was a good idea on this hot day.
Here is the profile of the hike. It was a haul, but I think it would be much more enjoyable if we did it again in the fall when the temps are cooler and the bugs are gone. Overall, the Sky Rim is probably my favorite trail in Yellowstone to date. Our to-do list of trails is still long, but if you're into mountains and big views, I would highly recommend this trail. Make sure to bring a filter and lots of bottles to hold water. Thanks for reading, cheers!
We started off early to beat the heat since it was going to be uphill the entire 8 miles to the lake. There was plenty of water for the dogs along the way which was great.
Once we started to climb out of the forest, the views of the valley keep getting better and better. The wildflowers were great, but I think we missed the peak of the balsam root by a few days.
With breaks and lunch, it took us about 6 hours to climb the 3,400 ft and 8 miles with full packs. When we arrived, we were the only people at the lake. We picked a spot to throw up our tents, made dinner, and watched the sunset while enjoying hot apple cider and bourbon.
The following morning we woke up at sunrise to a completely still lake. We made coffee and breakfast along the shore and watched the light slowly creep down the face of the giant granite walls. There are a few lakes in the basins above Elbow Lake, and our plan for our layover day was to explore the basin to the east of Cowen.
We started to pick our way up through the boulders and along the creek between the two lakes.
After taking in the views along the upper lake, we decided to hike up to the ridge for our turnaround spot.
It was a spectacular day in the mountains. The weather held out all day and we were able to swim back at Elbow Lake before the sun dipped behind the ridge. Around that same time another group of friends showed up in time to eat dinner with us. At sunset we started a fire and passed around the bourbon until it was gone. A great end to an even better day.
The next morning we were treated to another great sunrise. We ate breakfast while our gear dried out in the morning sun. Eventually we packed up and headed back to the car.
Overall we had a blast, and it's likely that this will turn into a yearly visit. There are a ton of areas to explore above the lake, so each visit can be a little different. I think a push for the Cowen summit is also likely in the future. Here's the profile of our trip including the layover day, from the trailhead to the highest point we reached.
Thanks for dropping in, Cheers!
Jake
]]>Lava Beds National Monument
We arrived just in time to grab one of the last remaining campsites. We shared it with a nesting Bullock's oriole pair and a few other new birds for us. After dinner we went out for sunset. We had beautiful views of Mount Shasta and learned about the Modoc Indians of the area.
The next morning, I woke up early with the sunrise and went for a little walk from the campground. We made coffee and we set out early to hike to the off-trail caves. We explored the lava tubes and pictographs, found new birds, and explored our favorite cave of the park, Golden Dome. It has a bacteria that shines gold with a headlamp. We spent the heat of the day underground until our tent received shade from the nearby tree in our camp spot.
Back at camp we took naps, made dinner, and set out again for sunset. This time we planned to hit nearby wildlife refuges for birding and also catch the sunset at Petroglyph Point. The Tule Lake area used to be completely underwater and was drained for farming. This rock was once surrounded by water and Modoc Indians would float out to it and leave their mark. It's one of the highest concentration of petroglyphs in the US. The refuges are now in place to make up for the lost aquatic habitat lost when the lake was drained. On the way out we came across a rattlesnake in the road, saw tons of nighthawks, and had it essentially all to ourselves. We were able to stop in the road for photos whenever we saw a bird or other wildlife.
Tule Lake National Monument
Before heading back to the airport, we took a tour at the new Tule Lake National Monument. They have a brand new visitor center that gives tours of the only building left of the Tule Lake Segregation Center, the prison. We were both fairly unfamiliar with the story of the relocation centers, and the tour did a great job of exposing us to another harrowing story of the history of America.
I enjoyed visiting all the parks, but I have to say that Lava Beds and Tule Lake were the standouts for their natural and cultural resources, respectively. Carlsbad Caverns really got me interested in cave parks, especially those with off-trail caves, and Tule Lake has such a powerful story.
If you made it this far, thanks for taking the time and I'll be sure to share more blogs this summer as we have some cool upcoming trips planned!
]]>Oregon Caves National Monument
We hit the road the following morning and stopped at the visitor center in Cave Junction so I could pick up a junior ranger booklet and map of the park. We tried to do some reading as we drove up to the park, but the road is scenic and winding. We arrived early for our cave tour, so we walked around and checkout out the exterior of their historic lodge, which was unfortunately closed for renovations.
We made our way through the cave in about 90 minutes on a guided ranger tour. The cave is made of marble, apparently only one of three in the US. The other two caves are in Sequoia and Great Basin national parks. There are a few grand rooms, but a majority of the cave is tight quarters, and the secondary formations are not as intricate as other limestone caves like Carlsbad Caverns. We hiked a short trail to warm up after the cave tour and headed on to Redwoods. We would have stayed longer, but the off-trail cave tours had yet to start for the season. A reason to return!
Once we got out of the cave we hike up to check out the view from the Cliff Trail.
Redwoods National and State Parks
We camped in Jed Smith Campground for three nights. The first day we kayaked the Smith River where we saw a family of river otters eating a lamprey, plus lots of new birds for us, including a black-crowned night heron eating a salamander. Our goal was to kayak the river to the ocean, but as we neared the estuary, the tide started coming in and the wind started howling. If we stopped paddling full speed, we started moving upriver. We tried to get out of the wind on the other side of the river, but the waves were cresting over our bows, so we bailed back to the other side of the river and let the wind blow us on shore. We used our map to find an alternate take out and had the shuttle meet us there. Once we were out of the water, I was able to confirm that there was a hole in my boat, which was causing me to drag. Needless to say, we were excited to be out of the water after that adventure.
Back on dry land we headed to the campground where the park was hosting a Tribal (Tolowa) event on the shore of the Smith River. They roasted salmon by fire on redwood spears and made sand bread in the pebbles heated from a fire. The Tribe was also shaping a kayak from a redwood log and teaching the public about the cultural significance. After a short speech and prayer from a Tribal leader, we all ate together on the shore of the Smith River. It was a pretty spectacular event.
After the event we explored the groves, Stout and Titan. The Stout Grove is one of the most iconic groves, where Star Wars was filmed.
The Titan Grove is accessed by a brand-new trail and boardwalk system.
The Following day we headed south to hike the James Irvine / Fern Canyon / Gold Bluffs loop. The hike is about 12 miles and leads you through multiple ecosystems as you make your way through the forest to the coast and back. Near the coast is the popular Fern Canyon, which is basically the only place we encountered any people, other than a few groups hiking the whole trail with us.
Our final morning, we got up early for sunrise because it was our only opportunity for tide pooling. We drove out and hiked down to Endert's Beach where we explored sea arches, sea stars, anemone, birds, and a dead seal being scavenged by a turkey vulture. This was my first time exploring tide pools, it was a lot of fun to try and find interesting shots while dodging the incoming tide.
After the tide pools we headed back to camp to pack up and head to Lava Beds National Monument.
]]>After the long drive to the trailhead, we got an even later start when our car got stuck in a snow bank. Fortunately, there were some locals who were sledding for the day and threw us the keys to their truck so we could use it to get ourselves out. "Just park it and put the keys in the center console." This is the kinda stuff why I love living out west. We threw a couple beers in the snow near their truck as a thanks before we set out on the six or so miles to the cabin.
The views were SPECTACULAR and since it was so late in the season, we had some great conditions to crust cruise. We stopped for lunch after a while, and eventually dropped down to the meadow where the cabin was located.
We unloaded all of our supplies and relaxed for the evening. Since it was St. Patrick's Day weekend, we skied in a corned beef, some Guinness, and supplies to make green mimosas. We were pretty excited.
That night I got up to hit the head and noticed that the Milky Way had just risen over the horizon. I didn't bring a tripod with me, but I was able to figure out how to stack a bunch of logs in a way that I could take a few snaps of the stars from the front porch.
The next morning was another cold, bluebird day so we made coffee and breakfast to let it warm up a bit before we set out for the day to explore.
There are a few hiking trails from the cabin so we picked one and headed out. Hiking trails aren't the best for skiing always, but we were able to make it work until we got a point where the trail was too steep to follow.
We turned around, skied back to the cabin and decided to explore the trail on the ridge above the cabin. The views up there are pretty awesome. You can basically see all the way to the Beartooths.
Back at the cabin, we hung out for the rest of the evening, relaxed, and played games. The next morning we had another great sunrise. We made breakfast and started packing.
We chopped and hauled wood, did chores, and hit the trail back to the car. But not before we grabbed a group photo on the porch.
The ski out was great. You have to do the initial climb out of the meadow, but once you're back on the ridge, it's mostly downhill. It was a fun, fast ski back to the car.
Trip notes: This cabin was about the same size as Trail Creek Cabin, but with the best views of the cabins in the area that we had be to so far. We skied about 16 miles total, 12 of them being in and out from the cabin. I would definitely go back to this cabin again. We aren't big backcountry skiers, but we did see a lot of people in this area with snowmobiles. So if that's you're thing, I think this is a popular spot.
The winter trail is an oversaw road that is well traveled by snowmobiles. This meant the ski was fairly fast without having to break trail.
We learned that there is a pretty extensive road system to get to the cabin, which is probably pretty fun if you have a snowmobile to explore the area.
After winding and climbing through the forest, we arrived at the cabin in an open meadow. We used to small cabins that sleep four people max, so when we opened this cabin we were pleasantly surprised at the size and cleanliness.
After unpacking we got a fire going to melt some water and make some drinks. One drink turned into two, and two into six.
The next morning we were all a little slow to stir, but we made coffee and breakfast and headed out to ski out the rest of the booze in our system.
The roads around the cabin were great for skiing since they are better graded than most hiking trails. We founds some nice views of the cabin and surrounding mountains.
It eventually started snowing on us, which made the skiing a little sticky. So we headed back to the cabin for some DRT (designated rest time). Once we all woke up from our naps, we spent the rest of the evening hanging out at relaxing.
The following morning we woke up to some beautiful morning light.
We packed up the cabin, chopped wood, and grabbed our group photo before heading back to the cars.
Since most of the ski was downhill back to the car, we made great time even though we made frequent stops to take in the morning views.
Trip notes: Overall we skied just shy of 19 miles over the three days, with 12 of them being to and from the cabin. The cabin sleeps 6 people with three bunks, and there is a Hugh dining room table with plenty of space for everyone. This is the first of the three cabins in the area that we plan to visit and we would definitely come back here again. Maybe just drink less on day one.
The road in Lamar Valley was also washed out, so we drove through Billings to get to the Trailhead. We spent the night in Red Lodge to get an early start, but also to financially support the town in our small way. On this trip it was myself, Corrie, Toklat, our friend Chris, and his girlfriend Brielle. This trip was her first backpacking experience! The first section of the trail was mostly nondescript, until we got closer to Broadwater Lake. We stopped for lunch and to take in the views.
As we continued up the trail we crossed the Lake Fork before we started our ascent to September Morn Lake, where we planned to camp for the evening.
After the steep climb we made it to the lake and found a nice spot on the east shore of the lake to pitch our tents. Once we were settled we grabbed our food and headed to the lake to watch the sunset, make dinner, and have some cocktails.
That night I woke up to use the facilitrees, and noticed that the stars were out. I didn't think to bring my tripod on this trip, so I made do with a stack of rocks.
The following morning we woke up with the sun to check out the views and make breakfast. The plan for the day was to hike to the pass and then see where to go from there.
Once we climbed out of the trees it was spectacular alpine scenery on a perfect bluebird day. Eventually the tundra was replaced with bare rock as the trail switchbacked its way to the pass.
At the pass we stopped for snacks, looked at the map, and decided to hike north along the ridge towards Silver Run Peak.
Occasionally we would walk to the edge to look into West Fork drainage. If it weren't for the flood and impacts to the trail, this would have been the route we would have taken.
As we got higher, we started to see familiar mountains, including features like the Bears Tooth. It's always fun exploring a new area but still recognizing features even though you're seeing them from a new vantage point.
After boulder hopping our way up the ridge we found a great place to relax, crack our beers, and take in the views. We pulled out the map again and decided that instead of backtracking, we could probably make our way down the draining directly north of September Morn Lake to get back to our campsite. On the climb up we got a good look at the drainage and noticed that it was mostly tundra and "green means it goes."
After some route finding and slow going we made it back to camp after a full day of exploring. And since most of the day was off trail, we were all ready to grab our camp chairs, jump in the lake, and relax for another sunset.
The next day we packed up and hiked back out to the car. On our way out we did a little scouting of the next drainage over, with First and Second Rock lakes.
Trip totals: We did about 24 miles with just under 6,000' of elevation in three days. It was definitely one of those trips that allows you to check one thing off your to-do list, but then you add three more. Highly recommended!
The following day we decided to hike up to the pass and check out the views. There's a small pond at the top of the pass, where Fawn Creek originates. From there we followed the trail a little further until the views opened up to the west. We were overlooking the Big Game Pass Trail and the Upper Gallatin River drainage.
After a nice lunch and rest at the pass, we turned back to head back to camp. We were a little past peak wildflowers, but there were still plenty of late-season blooms.
That night there was a HUGE storm that blew over Mammoth and glanced us, but we could hear the thunder roaring up the valley all night. The following day on the hike out, it was a little wet, which made it somewhat humid once the sun came out.
We stopped for a snack in the trees in the same place we did on the way out. This time bull #24 walked pretty close to where we snacking to get some food of his own. On the hike out, he actually caught up to us and we had to move off the trail to give him space to pass. Side note: this is the dominant bull in Mammoth during the rut, and he showed up the following week to start the rut. Kinda cool to see him in his summer range.
We made short work of the last part of the trail and were back at the car around lunch.
Trip notes: We hiked around 26 miles in 3 days with just shy of 3200' of elevation gain. With very few campsites, and the pass about 12 miles away, there's not a ton of people out there. The trailhead is close to the North Entrance too, which means the drive to the trailhead is only like 20 minutes. One of these days we will have to hike it through to 191.
Since it was only a couple miles in, we decided to drop our packs and explore around the area. There seemed to be a few trails and roads to choose from, so we decided to head north west from the cabin on a trail, so that we could save the longer ski along the road for tomorrow. The trail climbed out of the forest and for a short while we had some great views back towards the Absarokas and Paradise Valley.
The next morning we woke up, ate breakfast, and headed out to explore.
This time we skied along the road to the northeast of the cabin. When you first leave the cabin there is a short descent before you steadily climb for a few miles.
Once we got to what appeared to be the top, we decided to ski back to the cabin because our friends could only stay one night. Best thing about skiing uphill all day usually means that you have to ski back downhill. It was a lot of fun to see Toklat get after it.
Back at the cabin we grabbed a group shot, and then hung out on the porch the rest of the afternoon having drinks in the sun.
The next morning we enjoyed the peachy sunrise before taking care of cabin chores and then heading back to the trailhead.
The trail was in a little better shape on the ski out since it was still early and we were able to crust cruise.
Trip notes: This cabin was very similar to many of the other cabins that we have stayed. Small, one room, decent for two people and cramped for four. I also think the forest is planning some work on the cabin so they will be taking it offline for a bit. Hopefully once they are done with the rehab, the cabin will be in better shape than when we visited. It wasn't terrible, but it definitely needed some TLC. Overall fun trip any time you go to a cabin!
We moved to the area in November of 2016. Our first few summers were spent mostly hiking in Yellowstone. It's crazy that it took us FIVE summers to finally get into the Beartooths. We figured that we would start with a fan favorite, "The Beaten Path." It's aptly named for the high amount of traffic it receives. We planned to do the trip in four days, which meant that we would likely have a day head start on all the people doing it over the holiday weekend in three days. Our friend Chris joined us. This trip was the first overnight in the AB Wilderness for all of us. Also, we can't forget that this would be our new pup Toklat's first backcountry trip also.
We shuttled our cars to East Rosebud the night before and stayed in Red Lodge for the evening. When we woke up we drove over the Beartooth Highway to get to our trailhead, the Clark's Fork Picnic area. Once we made it, we packed up and hiked towards Kersey Lake. The trail was in great shape and the fall colors were looking nice.
We stopped for lunch at the base of a large granite wall and found what appeared to be a scent tree for bears. We continued along the trail until we hooked up with Russell Creek and followed the trail to the lake, our stopping point for the evening.
Once we made it to Russell Lake, we found a spot to pitch our tents, grabbed camp chairs, and headed to the lake to relax. We made dinner and drinks and took in a beautiful sunset over the lake.
The next morning we woke up with the sun and set out early. Our final destination was Fossil Lake, and we read that it could be difficult to find a good camp spot if it was busy.
This section of the trail led us above tree line and near a handful of lakes, including one of my favorites, Skull Lake.
Eventually we made it to the pass, which meant that the majority of the climbing for the trip was done. We could see Fossil Lake in the distance, but still needed to hike a couple more miles to get to the area we planned to camp.
Since we arrived early, we set up tents and decided to take a nap in the warm sun. After our naps we explored around the area a bit and looked for a good place to watch the sunset and have drinks.
The next morning we woke up to a beautiful sunrise, my favorite moment of the trip. Watching a sunrise from high elevation is always beautiful, the light pops in a way that's hard to explain.
Once we were all packed, we set out into the East Rosebud drainage. When we told some friends that we were doing this trip, they recommended that we do it from south to north for two reasons: 1) it's less elevation this direction, and 2) save the best views for last. That turned out to be solid advice.
As we descended into East Rosebud we made it to the first big lake, Dewey, where we stopped for lunch. The views along the lake were spectacular.
We heard there was a cool waterfall, Inpasse Falls, but we didn't know how big it was supposed to be. So every little fall or cascade we saw, we debated if that was it or not. Eventually we made it to the actual falls, and we immediately knew that this was the correct falls. The trail takes you right to the brink of the falls where you can overlook Duggan Lake and the entire drainage. Even though we had just stopped not too long ago, we decided that this was well worth another stop. We took a few photos from the brink and then stopped for snacks at the lake below.
The last section of trail between us and our destination of Rainbow Lake took us along Lake at Falls. From there we would descend the many switchbacks until we made it to the camping area for Rainbow Lake.
Now I fully realize that this was Labor Day weekend, but HOLY MOLY was this place crowded. Not exaggerating, there had to be at least 30 groups of people hiking around the lake ranging in size from 2-10 people. It was like spring break at some of the camps with coolers and people grilling out. The ranger working the site said that the site was so heavily used that they were starting to see coliform bacteria in water samples in Rainbow Lake. He actually recommended that we filter water from the inlet creek versus the lake. So it's safe to say that we were ok with getting out of there ASAP. The following morning we woke up early and hit the trail. Again, the views were spectacular and we could see why the trail was so popular.
Eventually we made it past Rainbow Lake and were greeted to more views of the valley and Rimrock Lake below.
Once we passed Rimrock Lake, the last stretch of the trail would descend through towering granite walls on both sides.
Eventually we would make it to the last lake along the trail, Elk, where we stopped for a brief bit to water the dog and take in the views.
On the final stretch of the trip, we neared East Rosebud Lake. More granite, small waterfalls, and mountain vistas.
When we made it to East Rosebud Lake it was early afternoon. We still needed to drive back around to the trailhead and pick up our shuttle vehicle so we didn't waste much time at the trailhead. Also, this area is a popular day hike trailhead so there were lots of people. Just another reason to boogie.
Trip notes: In total we hiked just shy of 27 trail miles and climbed about 3,600'. As long as you plan to arrive early, Russel and Fossil lakes are both great camp spots. You'll need a bear can for Fossil since it's above tree line. If you're looking for a Wilderness experience, I would avoid Rainbow Lake if possible. There are a few spots along Rimrock Lake, but there are less of them. The trip was awesome, but since it's so busy and there are lots of cool places to explore in the Beartooths, this might be the only time we do it. Definitely worth a visit if you've never been.
We dropped a car at Lamar River TH and shuttled around to Sunlight Basin. We were able to get within a mile of the Wilderness boundary. There seemed to be a trail crew who had come through recently, but there must have been a recent wind storm after that effort because there were downed trees everywhere! It took us about three hours to go two miles. In places we would have to climb stacked jackstraw that would be 8-10' high with full packs. It was fun but challenging.
Eventually we reached our Sunlight Creek crossing, the last water on the route for the day, so we stopped for lunch and filtered water before we started our climb to the park boundary.
Once we climbed out of the trees, the views were spectacular. It was a little hazy that day from fires to the west of us, but it wasn't so bad that it totally obscured views or made it hard to breathe.
At the boundary we decided to take a break and enjoy the views in all directions.
The next day our plan was to hike from the eastern boundary of the park to Miller Creek. This section would also take us through Hoodoo Basin, which is the area we were most excited to visit. The only issue was that there was a low cloud ceiling, and since we were at 10K feet elevation, we were hiking in the clouds.
Even though we were in the alpine, it was still extremely slow going because the trail was only marked with cairns and blazes every so often. We tried a handful of strategies to navigate, including one person standing at the last known trail marker while the other three people wandered into the clouds to look for the next one. This did work, but since we had such a long day of travel, we ultimately decided to break out our GPS to get us through the clouds until the trail was more well worn again.
After a little while longer, hiking through trees and still more clouds, we decided to take a break in what appeared to be a small clearing. As we hydrated, the clouds parted slowly revealing that we were actually sitting in Hoodoo Basin. We decided to take advantage of this serendipitous moment and explore the area a little more closely.
As we were getting ready to leave the clouds started rolling back in. As we hiked out of the basin the hoodoos were once again completely obscured. It was one of those Yellowstone magic moments. Had we been there any earlier or later, we may have walked right through the area without realizing it. As we walked through the pass near Parker Peak we noticed lithic scatter everywhere, which makes sense that people would sit there and lookout for wildlife to hunt.
After the pass the trail was mostly flat or downhill, which finally took us out of the clouds.
Eventually we could see Miller Creek below us, we just had to hike down the switchbacks on the feature colloquially known as "Parachute Hill." It was a little muddy so we had to take our time. We rolled into camp, made dinner, and hit the sack not long after.
The plan for this day was to hike out of the Miller drainage to the confluence with Lamar River. It was overcast, but at least it wasn't raining. The views along Miller Creek were mostly in the trees but occasionally we did get some views of the creek, and to our surprise a HUGE petrified redwood tree stump. We also came across some fairly fresh bear tracks.
Eventually we made it to the confluence and both Miller Creek and Lamar River were extremely turbid from all the rain. The sliver lining is that it knocked any smoke out of the air we had the couple days before.
We made it to camp, set up tents, and shortly after we were visited by this bison. We were able to watch him from our camp as he used this tree as a scratching post. We were also treated to a nice sunset along the river.
The last morning of the trip we woke up to clear skies along the river. We packed up early and hit the trail, headed back to our car at Lamar River TH.
We made it to our final creek crossing of the trip, Cache Creek, and it was basically a bison highway. The trail through the trees was like 12' wide. Once we were on the other side we found ourselves in Lamar Valley proper with the thousands of bison in the valley for the rut. It was a pretty awesome way to end the trip, watching the bulls chase cows throughout the valley as the sound of their bellows filled the air.
Trip notes: the total trip was just over 36 miles and 6,200' of elevation gain. This is a really cool route because of the diversity of ecosystems you get to walk through. Hiking the eastern boundary in the alpine and Hoodoo Basin were my two favorite parts of the trip. If we had better weather, it would have been fun to explore more in the alpine. Even though we were hiking on "trail," I'm glad we had backup navigation tools for when the weather didn't cooperate. Some of the longer days hiking through the mud, we did encounter some type-2 fun, but overall this was a great trip and is now one of our favorites that we have done in Yellowstone.
After talking about it for a few years, we finally made the plan to hike out to Heart Lake and Mount Sheridan. We drove the two hours to the trailhead from the North Entrance and got on trail about 10am. The first few miles of the trail are fairly boring, since it's a sandy trail and through thick lodgepole forest. Eventually we popped out of the trees and we could see the lake in the distance. We also started to see some of the many thermal features in the area.
Once we made it off the ridge, we descended down to Witch Creek and followed it out to the lake the rest of the way.
Once we arrived at the lake, we hung out at camp for a little bit until it cooled off. We took the opportunity to explore around the lake and check out the Heart Lake Ranger Station.
The next morning I got up for sunrise to get some photos of first light on Mount Sheridan, which we planned to hike that day.
Unfortunately, a little haze from fires in California had drifted into the area. It wasn't so bad that you could feel it while hiking, but it did affect our long-distance views.
At the top, we also got to meet a little pika friend living under the Fire Lookout. He was nervous at first, but after a while he came out to grab some food.
We did the same. We cracked the beers we packed in, sat in the shade of the fire lookout, and ate our snacks taking in the views.
On the way down, we decided to take a different route. Instead of taking the trail the entire way, we cut off just before we got back to the campground so we would have the opportunity to look down on the Heart Lake Geyser Basin.
Back at camp it was crazy hot, so we jumped in the lake to cool off. As we were drying off, a 10" leech swam by. Glad we didn't have a Stand By Me moment. The next day we hiked out the same way and stopped in the Grant Village area to get some ice cream. Best way to end a trip in the backcountry!
Trip notes: We hiked around 24 miles over the three days, about eight miles each day. We have some friends that did it in two, but that sounds more like a suffer fest to me. It would be cool to go back and spend more time exploring the Heart Lake Geyser Basin.
The following morning we drive up to Bear Lake so we could hike up Flattop Mountain. I've done this hike in the summer a few times, and I knew it was fairly safe from avalanche danger.
Eventually we started to climb out of the trees and got some nice views of the mountains, including Longs Peak. Unfortunately, climbing out of the trees also meant the wind picked up. Substantially.
As we climbed out of the Krummholz and into the alpine, we were completely exposed. It was straight wind in the face as we climbed up the mountain. Occasionally the wind would gust and completely obscure the views.
It was slow going with the wind and the snow. As we neared the top the weather came in and we decided ti find a spot to crack our beers and have some snacks.
On the way down we came across a few groups of ptarmigan in winter plumage. It's crazy how close we got to them before we noticed them.
We made it back to the trailhead in one piece and hit Ed's for some killer Mexican food and margaritas. We had one more day to explore around but we were a little sore from the day before. So we headed back to Bear Lake but instead of climbing, we hiked out to Nymph, Dream, and Emerald lakes.
On the way back to town we had to stop and get a nice photo of Longs Peak and the Diamond. Overall, it was a short but great boys birthday trip!
After hiking in the morning and relaxing during the afternoon heat, we decided to do a picnic dinner up in the iSky district of Canyonlands. Once we made it out to the end of the road, we cracked open the wine and charcuterie and took turns staying in the parking lot with Toklat since pets weren’t allowed on the overlook or trail. When it was my turn, I saw someone on the paved overlook with a dog who walked right past the “no pet” sign. I thought to myself, “whatever, it’s just along the sidewalk portion of the overlook.”
I shrugged it off and set out down the trail to snap a few photos. When I was hiking back up the trail the dog owner I saw earlier was coming down the trail with his dog so I politely said, “you might have missed the sign (he didn’t), but pets aren’t allowed on the trails.” He responded, “sorry I didn’t want to leave my FAMILY member at the trailhead.” For whatever reason that really rubbed me the wrong way. As a new pet owner I’m just now starting to notice how limiting parks are when it comes to pets, but we don’t get to pick and choose what rules to follow in parks. And while I’m on my soapbox, people who falsely claim their pets as service animals is also crap. I’m curious if anyone else out there feels the same way or if I’m the only one.
The following morning we headed out to Fisher Towers for sunrise. This was a new hike for all of us. It's super fun, but there are a few ladders that might be tough for bigger dogs since you have to lower them up and down the ladders.
At the end of the trail we found a nice spot overlooking the canyon and cracked some breakfast beers.
The rest of the day we spent along the river to keep cool, and then went out for our anniversary dinner. The next day we drove over to Escalante and checked into our campsite.
After our quick stop in Moab, we headed west to Escalante where we camped for the week. The first day we decided to drive around the area and pop into a few places, including Bryce Canyon since my buddy Chris had never been. No matter how many times you see the Amphitheater, it never gets old. We didn’t hike this time because we had Toklat with us, but it was nice to soak in the views from the rim.
On the drive back to camp we saw a sign for the Toadstool Hoodoos Trail. We were sick of being in the car so we decided to hike the short distance even though it was a little hot outside. We around plenty of water to make sure everyone stayed cool.
The following day was a trip to Zebra Canyon. Chris' cousin Brian met up with us and its was a new hike for everyone. This place had been on my list since I lived in Moab, eight years ago. We set out early and were the only people on the trail.
We didn't know what to expect, but when we got to the canyon there was about three feet of standing water. We all took our shoes off and made our way though. We also took turns passing Mr. T through obstacles so he didn't get stuck of have to get wet. Lucky boy.
Eventually you get to the back part of the slot where you can tell how the canyon got its name. It's not very big, so if it were crowded I could see that being an issue, but it was cool to have it to ourselves.
On the hike out we came across a few groups so it seems like we planned it perfectly. From there we headed over to Devils Garden to check out Metate Arch.
Back at camp we grabbed showers and relaxed before heading out to watch the sunset.
Another day and another hike, this time to Lower Calf Creek Falls. The cool morning air filled the canyon and the cottonwood trees were just starting to change color.
There was a good amount of people at the falls, but it didn't feel crowded. We chilled our beers in the water and took a swim to cool off. It's pretty crazy how lush this canyon is compared to a lot of the surround areas. Gotta love water in the desert.
Chris had to peel off this day, so it was just the three of us again. This time we planned to hike the Willis Creek Narrows. The road to get to the trailhead was too much for our Subaru to handle, it was only jeeps and trucks at the trailhead. That didn't stop us though, we just had to walk the road for a mile or so. And we were glad we did because this canyon was freaking AWESOME! It's not as narrow as Zebra, but it's like three miles long. It's a great place to escaped the heat and plus there was water for the dog the entire time. I would definitely go back here again.
Back at camp we hung out, drank beers, made a fire, and relaxed.
Today's adventure we planned to hike "The Box." There are a few ways to do this hike, the most popular being a shuttle and hike it all downhill. Since we didn't have two cars and we were limited on mileage with the pup, we decided to just hike it from the lower trailhead.
It was a lot of creek crossings and neither of us wanted wet feet so we stopped a lot. Eventually you climb out away from Pine Creek and get cool views of the canyon.
Once we figured we were far enough, we found a spot in the shade to crack beers and have lunch before turning around. It would be nice to do this hike again with the shuttle.
Our last day in the area we decided to hike out to Escalante Natural Bridge. Fall colors were looking nice and this time we hiked in our Chacos because we knew we were doing a lot of river crossings.
Eventually we made it out to the natural bridge, which was cool, but we also unexpectedly came across a petroglyph panel. I think this was my favorite part of the hike.
There was also some ruins next to the panel, not sure how people got up there to build a dwelling.
After the hike we drove over the Burr Trail Road to Singing Canyon, a nice walkable canyon right off the road. All the way at the back we heard some voices and as we got back there we saw some people canyoneering. The dude was coming off a HUGE rappel.
After the hike we drove back to camp and made a few pit stops to take photos from the overlooks.
We were bummed that we weren't able to do the France trip, but this was a nice consolation prize. I really love the Colorado plateau and I hope to spend even more time there in the future!
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After a couple hours on the Hellroaring Trail, we made it to the northern boundary and it was heavily forested. We were a little worried about finding a spot, but it turns out there is a hardened site with hang pole and all. We were pleasantly surprised. AND it even had a nice swimming hole to jump in for a swim and cool off.
The next morning we woke up early to beat the heat and started our climb. The wildflowers were blooming and the scary beautiful. Not a ton of shade so the day started getting hot as the sun rose higher.
Eventually we made it to our first trail junction and bridge crossing. There was a gigantic log jam at the base of the bridge. We couldn't help but think that was an accident waiting to happen if there was a flood.
We also stopped by the Historic Hellroaring Station, built in 1925, for a snack break and photo.
From here we would cross over Hellroaring Creek again and start our climb up and around Bull Mountain. By this time in the day we are starting to drag a little bit, the wind died down, and the temps were warm. As soon as we started our climb we entered into a forested and swampy area that was FULL of mosquitoes. It was too hot for rain gear, and the bug spray only did so much. The only thing we could think to do was to hike as fast as we could to get out of the trees and find a breeze.
Just as we were about to bonk, we gained the saddle around Bull and were greeted by a glorious wind in our face. We took the time to sit in the shade to cool off and refuel. While we were sitting we saw two people ride by on horseback in the distance; the only people we saw for the entire three days of the trip.
Our goal was to camp as close to the boundary as possible, near reliable water. Since we were kind of winging it, when we came across a flat spot under some big trees, we figured that would work as good as any other spot. We dropped our packs and set up camp.
The following morning the wind died completely and we could hear the mosquitoes buzzing outside our tent, waiting for their next meal. We decided that having a leisurely breakfast was a bad idea, so we ate breakfast as we walked in circles in rain gear attempting to keep bugs out of our face. Then we packed up and headed back towards the park along Coyote Creek. We reached the boundary after a mile or so and it was mostly smooth sailing back to the trailhead. As we neared some of the park camp sites, it started raining on us a bit, but nothing torrential.
Right before we crossed the Hellroaring Bridge over the Yellowstone River, a black bear sauntered down the trail forcing us to jump off the trail to keep a safe distance. On the climb out back to the car we saw another black bear and cub. Apparently it's a very berry area!
Trip notes: Other than the bugs, the 22 miles and 3,300' elevation gain was a real treat. I think my favorite part of the trip was the section along the Hellroaring where we camped and got to swim. We also hiked by the Buffalo Plateau area and I think we need to explore in that area a little more. Overall, fun trip and great to see a new area!
Along the river we had excellent views of all the spring birds including bald eagles and osprey fishing along the river. We even got to see some baby mergansers floating with mom.
Even though it was a little chilly, the sun came out and Paradise Valley was living up to its name.
About halfway on the run, we found some islands where we planned to camp for the evening. We unloaded the boats, gathered firewood, made dinner and drinks, watched the sunset, and relaxed by the fire.
The following morning was a beautiful sunrise and a beaver swam by camp for a visit. After breakfast and mimosas, we shoved off for another beautiful day on the river.
It was a perfect bluebird day, so we just sat back and let the world drift by.
Once we reached Livingston, we unloaded the boats and headed home. A great trip in our backyard to kick off the summer season adventures!
Notes: The trip was around 40 miles in length and it took us about 8 hours on the river to float the entire stretch. You don't need permits to float this section, but it is a popular day use area, especially in the summer.
Eventually we made it to the boundary and the Lake, and that was the last of people we would see for the day.
We were surprised with the fall colors in the high country, the weather was still still warm. It made for a hot day of hiking without any exposure.
At around 10 miles we made it to the Slough Creek Valley, but the miscommunication was that it was about 3 miles between the two valleys. So instead of stopping, we kept hiking along looking for our trail junction. After hiking an hour longer than we should have, we all started bonking and decided to stop and refuel. After a brief rest to ee rolled into our camp spot just before sunset.
I had read that there was a chance for northern lights so I decided to set an alarm for the evening. I'm glad I did, the stars were gorgeous and we did get a small glimmer of aurora looking up Slough Valley.
The following morning we got an early start because we knew it was going to be a difficult climb out along Wolverine Creek.
It was another blue sky day and again, not much shade. So when we took breaks, we took advantage of the shade we could find. This section of the trail didn't have as much fall color, but the views of the mountains were better in my opinion. Along the trail all we could talk about was hitting the gas station in Cooke City and getting an ice cold gatorade with a bag of chips.
We made it back to the car early afternoon, plenty of time to hit the store and take our time driving home through the park. As we were driving back to US212, we were first on scene for an ATV rollover accident. Since Corrie is an EMT, we stopped and offered the person medical attention while their son drove into cell service to call 9-1-1. Meanwhile, while all this happening we are sitting out in the hot sun, exhausted, without water, waiting for EMS to airlift the patient to the hospital and move the crashed vehicle from the road so we could drive home. The lady who crashed ended up being ok, just some bangs and bruises. Crazy end to the trip.
Trip notes: We hiked just shy of 23 miles with 3,300' of elevation in two days. In an area that doesn't have a ton of loop routes, it was fun to be able to start and end in the same place without backtracking.
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The following morning we woke up, broke camp at 6 am and headed to the trailhead. Once we had a parking spot secured we could make breakfast and pack for the trip. Good thing we did because the entire trailhead parking was full by 7 am. We housed our breakfast burritos and set off.
We made short work of the 1900', 3 mile climb and found a great spot to set up camp. The flowers were OFF THE RAILS. They were the biggest, densest, and tallest patches of wildflowers I think I've ever seen.
We explored the lower basin, and enjoyed the sun while it was around. We grabbed naps, then dinner, and decided to hike to the upper basin to scout plans for sunrise. The upper basin was gorgeous, but the weather wasn't great. We had some beers and whiskey for the sunset and then headed back to camp for the evening.
The next morning we woke up for sunrise and headed back to the upper basin where we would meet up with our day hike folks.
We made out way back up to Ice Lake and holy moly was it a SPECTACULAR sunrise up there. As soon as we crested the high point of the trail and the lake came into view, we were greeted to a COMPLETELY different view from the night before. Cerulean blue lake, surrounded by the colorful San Juan mountains.
After about an hour of relaxing and swimming, the beer team showed up. As they pulled all the beer out of their backpacks, they revealed that they had carried about 25 beers up! It was only 8 am in the morning but we all cracked one to celebrate how lucky we felt to all be in this beautiful spot together.
From Ice Lake we continued to Island Lake, where we planned to spend the day relaxing and drinking beers.
When they initially pulled out 25 beers I was a little worried that we weren't going to be able to finish them all. But by 11 am we were already running low. After going back and forth with each other, I was dared to try and swim out to the island. Being a fan of cold water and a few beers deep I decided to try. I'm pretty sure I only made it about 1/3 of the way before I could feel the blood draining from my arms causing them to cramp. Next time I need to bring up a little boat or something.
After a bit of swimming the clouds started rolling in and since the beer was mostly gone we figured that was our cue to head back to the tents anyway. About halfway back to camp the sky opened up with a mix of hail and rain, but no lightning. We said bye to the half of our group that wasn't overnight camping and laid down for a nap. The rest of the day was non-stop rain. I took advantage of being extra relaxed from the multiple IPA's at 12K feet elevation to lay down and listed to the sounds of the rain on the tent. It was such an awesome day.
The next morning we broke camp and the sun came out enough for us to dry out before packing up. In no time we were back at the trailhead where fresh clothes and cold beers awaited us. After loading up the trucks we headed to lodge, it was wedding time!
Trip notes: You can easily do the hike as a day hike, but we thought it would be nice to wake up in the backcountry. If we have a chance to go back, I think I would probably climb up Grant Peak and check out the views. If you have a 4x4, there are also some sweet trails in the area like up to Clear Lake and Ophir Pass.
During the 11 years that followed I slowly picked up more outdoor skills as I traveled the US: hiking, backpacking, climbing, and caving. Then last winter my buddy Chris got into mountaineering and asked if I’d be interested in joining him on an expedition. "Hell no... but I have always wanted to climb the Grand.” So, over [one too many] beers @cmferrante, @andyustinphoto, and I agreed that we would make a run at it this summer.
The day had finally arrived. The plan had us hiking to the Lower Saddle to camp, summit, and then hike out. The advice we got for the approach was to start early, hike slowly, and enjoy the views. So the night before we packed our bags, divided up my extra weight I couldn’t carry (I HAD A DOCTOR”S NOTE GUYS), and loaded up the POWERWAGON!!! We arrived at the trailhead, moved the coolers into the cab of the truck, and vowed to return a few days later to consume the contents in celebration. We were off.
We slowly made our way through the meadow, up the foothills, stopping often to drink water and eat snacks. A few weeks earlier, when I found out I needed surgery, I called the team and gave them the opportunity to back out. Both said as long as I felt good enough to hike that they were in to carry the extra weight. Since my pack was only supposed to be 25 lbs, that meant Chris and Andy were carrying close to 60-65, even though I was over my limit. So it was definitely slow going.
Eventually we made it into Garnett Canyon where the trees and grasses were replaced with granite walls. The trail also petered out and became more uneven. We made our way through boulders, over moraines, across snowfields, along waterfalls, and up scree, until we reached the crux of the hike known as the “headwall.”
Once we all made it safely up we felt a single drop of rain, so I suggested we duck under a nearby glacial erratic to let the storm pass. Our timing couldn’t have been better. For the next 30 or so minutes it hailed nearly 2”, then rained, then hailed some more. It was a perfect opportunity to grab more snacks and watch and listen to the lightning and thunder roll over our heads. Once the storm passed we were greeted with a spectacular double rainbow.
The last 10 minute push and we arrived at the Lower Saddle. We filtered water, made dinner, drank whiskey, watched the sunset, and studied the route we planned to tackle in the morning.
I went to bed nervous, doubts were flowing through my head. I wasn’t sure if I was healthy enough to climb. It’s the first time in a long time that I thought I may have been in over my head. The next day we woke up to strong winds and rain. Since our permit allowed us more time, we decided to take a layover day and not push for the summit. We checked the weather for the following day and it called for clear skies. So we just hung out in camp for the day and took in the windy views.
Eventually the clouds parted and we were greeted to a spectacular sunset. I took the time to get Chris a new Tinder photo.
The next day my alarm went off at 3:30 am. Coffee and breakfast by headlamps. My nerves were on edge as we watched the guided teams leave one by one ahead of us. We filtered water, loaded up our gear, and I made sure we each had our summit soda for the top. As we picked our way through the route it was slow going. I read the route enough times that everything was memorized, but doing it in the dark was challenging. Black Dyke, check. Chockstone chimney, check. Eye of the Needle, check. Just as we made it to the Central Rib I looked back to check on the guys. The beautiful pink light that hits the mountains first thing in the morning was here, and it wasn’t thousands of feet above us, but below us, enveloping the Middle Teton.
Once we gained the Upper Saddle Chris took over. He had been training for weeks for this moment: his first lead climb. Pitch after pitch, Chris led us through icy chimneys until we arrived at the final slabs.
As we gained the summit ridge I was overwhelmed with emotions I haven’t felt many times in my life: the first time I saw Denali or Halema’uma’u under the Milky Way, flying over Glacier, and watching my wife walk down the aisle. As we took in the cloudless views from the 13,770’ peak, I was covered in goosebumps.
As we cracked our beers and toasted the accomplishment, our celebration turned back to focus: we were only halfway.
We picked our way down, rappelled, and scrambled our way back to camp.
We arrived just in time for the best sunset of the trip.
The following morning we slept in til 8, packed up camp, and hit the trail. I'd like to say our packs felt lighter, but the food weight we carried in was replaced by our crap-filled wag bags. At least the weather was spectacular.
Looking back, I still can’t believed it all happened. Teamwork definitely makes the dream work! Here's to the next adventure!
Trip notes: Getting to the Lower Saddle is fairly straightforward, but a difficult hike. The Owen Spalding Route is also very doable for novice climbers, like myself, if you study the route and have the right gear. We were fortunate with a good weather window and that's likely the only reason we were able to summit on this trip. Guided trips the day before us turned back due to fog and snow.
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Koala climbing a tree
When we stopped for a coffee and a bathroom break, there were crazy birds we've never seen before. You'll notice a lot of bird photos throughout this blog.
Masked Lapwing - Vanellus miles
Galah Cockatoo - Eolophus roseicapilla
Silver Gulls - Chroicocephalus novaehollandiae
White-faced heron - Egretta novaehollandiae
Eventually we made it to our destination for the day: Twelve Apostles Marine National Park. It was a beautiful sunny day when we arrived. We explored the boardwalks and trails until we saw a big storm cell coming in off the ocean.
Afternoon sunshine at Twelve Apostles (wide)
Afternoon sunshine at Twelve Apostles
Waves crashing into the Twelve Apostles
Our next big exploration day we headed out to Dandenong Ranges National Park. As soon as we got our of the car we were surrounded by exotic birds. Super colorful birds that you only see as pets in the states were all around us. We spent the day hiking through the forest, looking for birds, kangaroos, and wombats. Sadly, we never saw a wombat, only the square poops they left behind.
The sun shines through the Dandenongs
Crimson Rosella Parrot - Platycercus elegans
Sulphur-crested cockatoo (Cacatua galerita) in flight
Grey Fantail - Rhipidura albiscapa
Australian King Parrot - Alisterus scapularis
Superb lyrebird - Menura novaehollandiae
Laughing Kookaburra - Dacelo novaeguineae
Sulphur-crested cockatoo - Cacatua galerita
Yellow wattlebird - Anthochaera paradoxa
Pied Currawong (2) - Strepera graculina
Eastern Yellow Robin - Eopsaltria australis
Long-billed Corellas - Cacatua tenuirostris
When we were't doing trips our of the city, we would hit up the city parks. A super cool spot was the Royal Botanic Gardens. Lots of cool plants and birds to check out including my favorite bird of the trip, the Rainbow Lorikeet.
Rainbow Lorikeet - Trichoglossus moluccanus
Nymphaea Lily
South Australia state flower - Sturt's Desert Pea - Swainsona formosa
Another great day in the city day we jumped on the tram and headed to St. Kilda Pier. We were hoping to get a glance at the smallest penguin species in the world: the fairy penguin. We found out that during the day they head out into the open water to hunt so we didn't have much luck. But after looking in the jetti rocks we found one hanging out in the shade. As we were walking back from the pier we did catch a glimpse of one fishing. They are awesome swimmers and extremely hard to get photos of them. The other cool species we saw was the arctic tern. We had previously seen this bird in Alaska and Iceland, but always cool to see it in an entirely different place.
Fairy penguin - Eudyptula minor
Fishing Fairy Penguin - Eudyptula minor
Arctic Tern (Sterna paradisaea) with Melbourne Skyline
The Australian Grand Prix was happening while we were in Melbourne, so we couldn't explore Albert Park until after the race. We hit a couple jogs around the lake and saw so many birds that we grabbed our cameras and went back just to take some photos. It's so cool that in such a big city there is so much green space for wildlife. Our friends are big birders, but by the end of the trip we had them sending us cool bird spottings.
White-faced heron hunting - Egretta novaehollandiae
Australasian swamphen - Porphyrio melanotus
Blue-billed duck on Albert Park Lake - Oxyura australis
Crested Pigeons - Ocyphaps lophotes
Black Swan on Albert Park Lake - Cygnus atratus
Black Swan - Cygnus atratus
Pied Stilt reflections - Himantopus leucocephalus
Red-rumped parrot - Psephotus haematonotus
The last of the things we saw around Melboure was heading out to Fort Nepean. We explored the fort and saw an echidna. What cool little critters.
Short-beaked Echidna - Tachyglossus aculeatus aculeatus
We spent two weeks in Oz, and for the middle weekend we decided to fly out to Adilaide and take the boat to Kangaroo Island.
Gohana on the side of the road
Jewel Spider and web
Black swans, Australian Shelducks, banded stilts, and eurasian coots at Murray Lake
When we are on the island we headed out to Seal Bay Conservation Park and took a tour out to the beach to see the Australian Sea Lions.
Australian sea lion yawning
Australian sea lions napping
Australian sea lions
Males sea lions sparring at Seal Beach
Seal Beach, Kangaroo Island panorama
Whale bones on the beach
The other day on the island we headed out to Flinder's Chase National Park and hit a few trails. The first was out to Admiral's Arch where we saw a few New Zealand Fur Seals.
Cape du Couedic lighthouse
Souther Ocean from Flinders Chase National Park
Southern Ocean tidal zone in Flinders Chase National Park
Admiral's Arch in Flinders Chase National Park
New Zealand fur seal on the rocks in Flinders Chase National Park
New Zealand fur seal pup
Then we explored Remarkable Rocks.
Overlooking Remarkable Rocks
Remarkable Rocks indeed.
Remarkable Rocks indeed (2)
Remarkable Rocks indeed (3)
Remarkable Rocks indeed (4)
After grabbing a snack we headed out on the Platypus Waterholes Walk. Since it was the dry season, the chances of seeing a platypus were extremely low but we rolled the dice anyway. No platypi, but we did see a goanna and cool birds.
Goanna in Flinders Chase National Park
Since the weather was still nice we decided to hit a short walk along the Heritage Walk Trail. We wouldn't have picked this hike as a top pick since it's was only about a mile long, but we hit the motherlode of animals. On this short trail we saw wallabies, koalas, kangaroos, more birds, and an extended interaction with an echidna looking for food. It was definitely the highlight of the trip.
Wallaby blep
Wallaby sitting under a tree
Splendid Fairywren - Malurus splendens
Kangaroo Island Short-beaked Echidna walking through duff - Tachyglossus aculeatus multiaculeatus
Koala in Flinders Chase National Park
Scarlet Robin - Petroica boodang
Australian Magpie Portrait - Cracticus tibicen
Grey Kangaroo on Kangaroo Island
Cape Barren Geese - Cereopsis novaehollandiae
Moon through the gum trees
Not pictured in the blog were all the great restaurants, dessert shops, bars, cafes, night tours, and DRT (designated rest time) naps we had. It was really awesome to visit a city with personal tour guides. City traveling is not usually what we set out to do, but it was a great change of pace. It was also great spending time with friends and catching up. What I also learned about OZ is that it's big: about the size of the US. So that means there's much more to see and do. We have some other places we want to visit in the short-run while we can still hike and backpack, but I definitely think we will be back in the area again. We also have to hit New Zealand and Tasmania. Standard: cross one thing off your travel list and then add two more.
I hope y'all are doing well, we're getting ready for winter here in Montana.
-Jake
]]>The off-road bus picked us up in downtown Reykjavik and we were off to Landmannalaugar. The route turned from highway, to dirt road, to what resembled a dirt road, to braided rivers, and riverbed. We arrived to Landmannalaugar, this remote location was a bustling hiker city. I was surprised at the amount of people. When we hiked in Hornstrandir Nature Reserve, the few people that we did run into mentioned they noticed a huge difference in the amount of the people between the two locations. We were stoked to get there, but decided to go for a hike and have dinner away from the crowds. When we were eating a group of Icelandic horses rode by. I had a feeling we were in for a great trip.
Our planned itinerary was as follows:
Day 1: Landmannalaugar to Hrafntinnusker
Day 2: Hrafntinnusker to Álftavatn
Day 3: Álftavatn to Emstrur
Day 4: Emstrur to Þórsmörk
It averaged a little less than 9 miles per day which would allow us to arrive at camp early, drop gear, and explore the surrounding area by day hiking.
Landmannalaugar to Hrafntinnusker
Day 1 arrived, which happened to be my birthday, and we woke up to spectacular weather. We wanted to get ahead of the crowds so we got up with the light and were one of the first groups on the trail.
Immediately we were greeted with spectacular views. Colorful geology and hydrothermal features dotted the landscape. It was a hybrid of Yellowstone and Denali: two of my favorite places.
Around each new bend in the trail was another photo op. Since we only had to do about 9 miles, we were in no hurry. The trail to Hrafntinnusker was uphill and eventually we hit snow fields.
Seeing the contrast of white snow and black volcanic sand was pretty awesome.
We arrived to Hrafntinnusker around noon and spirits were high.
I went to the warden hut to check in and pay for the night. Just then a winter storm warning came in over the radio. The storm was headed our way on what would be the morning of our third day. The warden recommended pushing on to the next spot because strong winds were expected to arrive before the storm and there was no cover in this location. I went outside and talked it over with Corrie. After some deliberation about our ability to do 18 miles with a full pack in a day, we decided that it was probably best to keep hiking since the days were long and the weather was good. So we ate lunch strapped on our packs and continued along the trail.
Hrafntinnusker to Álftavatn
In the 8 or so miles we hiked to get here, the landscape had completely changed. Even though it was late season, there was green vegetation near the melting snowfields. The section was mostly high plateau hiking with views in all directions. I still couldn't believe that there was this much snow in late August. I'm curious what it's like doing this hike early season.
Eventually we reached the highpoint where we could see our destination: Álftavatn. From here it was all downhill or flat.
As we descended from the pass, the miles started to take their toll. We needed to stop more frequently for breaks and food.
We made it and were one of the first groups to arrive for the day. We found a nice flat spot to set up our tent and then headed over to the warden hut to celebrate. As we were enjoying our freeze dried dinners, a local guide came over to say hello. He had just finished making Icelandic meat soup (lamb stew) for his guests. He said they had too much and asked if we would like some. I offered him a trade: meat soup for some of the bourbon we brought on the trip. He was more than happy to help lighten our load. As we sat there having second dinner, drinking bourbon, enjoying the birthday Oreos that Corrie packed, it began to lightly rain. We had timed our day perfectly. It was time to hit the sack after 18 miles. We decided that we should get up early, hike to Emstrur, recheck the weather, see how we felt, and make a decision to stay put or to push all the way to Þórsmörk.
Álftavatn to Emstrur
We woke up around 6 am and the wind had picked up. It had stopped raining so we took advantage of packing our gear when it was still dry. We moved over to the hut, ate breakfast, and the rain began to fall. The low clouds and rain had brought out the vibrant color in the vegetation. Bright green on black soil. This particular stretch would be the longest of the 4 we were covering so we made sure to keep a good pace.
After a couple miles the rain stopped and the sun started to poke through the clouds on occasion. Again, this section of the trip was drastically different from the previous two. Black volcanic rocks with green vegetation patches on the steeper hillsides. This section of the trail was also lower in elevation and the rivers were much larger. This allowed us to filter more often so we didn't need to carry as much water.
Eventually the clouds raised enough that we were able to see Eyjafjallajökull in the distance.
Just as we were debating whether to stop and each lunch or try to push on to Emstrur, the warden hut came into view in the distance.
Upon arrival we checked in with the warden and the storm was supposed to hit around 10 the following morning. We were pretty exhausted at this point. We figured we should make the call to stay or go after lunch. After going back and forth and chatting with some other hikers, we decided to make some coffee and push on. Again, the weather was on our side at the moment and the days were long. We figured it was better to do the hike tired in good weather versus rested in snow.
Emstrur to Þórsmörk
Not too long after leaving Emstrur, the landscape changed again. Giant glaciers backdropped the trail and rivers roared through canyons.
The weather continued to stay dry until we hit mile 15 for the day. We could see the rain in the direction we were headed although it hadn't reached us yet.
When it did reach us, we decided it was a good time to stop and take a break. We were about 34 miles into the hike with a few more to go, but we were toast. Since we were carrying 4 days worth of food with us and didn't want to carry the food for no reason, we decided to sit there and start housing it. It was really hard getting up after that break. Tired legs, sore feet, and full bellies made the last few miles extremely slow going.
Ahead of schedule and nearly 40 miles later, we made it to Þórsmörk. The rain cleared up for the rest of the day and we celebrated with more Oreos and bourbon. It had been a long time since we had hiked that hard. The bonus is that we made it ahead of most of the other groups, so we were first on the waitlist to catch the shuttle out 2 days early.
The following morning, as we got on the off-road bus, the storm finally arrived. We were lucky to be off the trail only having to deal with slight rain.
Trip notes: The section of trail we completed is about 33 miles long with 4,600' elevation gain. If we had the opportunity to do it again, it would have been nice to do it in four days versus two, so we could explore around camp once we arrived. But overall it was a diverse and exciting trail, and I highly recommend!
This week was planned to be more relaxing and to see the sights near the roads. Some days the weather didn't cooperate so I wont give a day-by-day, but rather a general overview of the things we saw during the week.
We picked up the car and headed out of town to the Snæfellsnes peninsula. Corrie was navigating and we had no planned route.
This house was featured in the Secret Life of Walter Mitty. We didn't realize it until we came back and rewatched the movie. That's kinda neat.
I was pretty excited to see Kirkjufell, but when we got there it's literally off the side of the road. I was pretty surprised how that was the case for many things in Iceland. Because of that, you have multiple tour busses full of people sharing the view with you. I definitely fell victim to how people portray these places on Social. Still a cool spot though for sure.
From there we hit more waterfalls and headed out to Snæfellsjökull National Park. It was socked in and raining that day, but we did enjoy the views of the beach.
After the peninsula we headed back towards Reykjavík on our way out to the southern coast. Þingvellir National Park is beautiful and holds some pretty awesome history of the country. It's essentially where the first courts of the country were held. Before the times when written word was common. They would read the laws out loud for everyone to hear and would hold courts. In fact one of the rivers was used to carry out the death sentences. It's also where two continents meet: known as Silfra. This is visible throughout the country, but in this park you can actually dive down between the continental plates. Þingvellir is definately worth the trip if you go.
From Þingvellir we headed out to Gullfoss, one of the larger waterfalls we saw on the trip. The water coming off this thing was nuts.
And living so close to Yellowstone we couldn't pass up the opportunity to see some sights that reminded us of home...
After we hit Reykjanesfólkvangur we headed out to the coast to take in some views that we weren't familiar with.
After crashing in the worst place on earth, Selfoss (its a long story I'll get into later), we started to make our way east along the southern coast. The further away we got from Reykjavik the more amazing the sights got. We saw some pretty kick-ass waterfalls.
With all the glacial melt, there were tons of braided rivers that reminded us of Alaska, but with smaller mountains.
But Iceland has horses...good looking ones.
That night we soaked at our BnB during the sunset. I got up that night to see about the aurora. It was out a little, but too cloudy for any decent views.
The next morning we continued further east. We arrived in Vik pretty early in the morning and explored the beaches and watched lots of puffins fishing along the coast.
From Vik we continued on to Skaftafell for some hiking and more waterfalls and glaciers.
Since the days were so long we weren't ready to call it quits. One of the highlights we were excited to see was Jökulsárlón, a glacial lagoon. This place was amazing. The wildlife and scenery was top notch.
In addition to the lagoon with giant glacier background, you could walk across the street to the black sand beach known as diamond beach. Huge chunks of ice would wash up on shore as the tide came in and out. We could have spent more time in that area for sure.
But it was time to head back to Reykjavik to get ready for another backpacking trip. We also had planned to splurge and do a fixed wing flight to take in some of the sights from the air.
On our way back through Selfoss our rental car broke down. They told us that a rock had hit the radiator and we would need to pay for it. So after cancelling our overflight, we waited for the tow truck to take us the rest of the way back to Reykjavik. I guess it was a good thing we didn't take the flight, because the bill for the tow and the radiator was like $1,700. But we weren't going to let it ruin our good time. We eventually made it to our AirBnB where we would relax and prep for the Laugavegur Trail. Little did we know it was going to be the highlight of the trip, even though we were about to unknowingly hike 36 miles in 2 days. Once we completed that trip, the remainder of the trip we would be at Blue Lagoon. Since we were staying at the hotel we had a private pool to soak in. We spent the following days soaking, eating, and drinking. We still had a bottle of vodka that we needed to finish and nothing to do. Well, except our appointments for our in water massages!
It was the perfect ending to a spectacular honeymoon in Iceland.
It's been a LONG time since I've put together a blog post. I've had a bunch of people asking for photos from our recent honeymoon so I figured it was a good time to dust off the keyboard. We've been home for a few weeks now, but trying to edit 3 weeks worth of photos and video has taken the back seat to other work trips and projects. Since there are so many photos to share I am going to break it up into 3 parts. Hover over the photos for more info on them. Here goes...
After a long trip to Iceland we landed in Reykjavik. From there we jumped on a bus, transferred to a bus, and then caught a domestic flight to Isafjourder. We grabbed pizza and beers, packed our bags, and hit the sack. The following morning we woke up and headed to the docks to catch our boat to Hornstrandir.
It was a beautiful morning and we were excited to get our first glimpses of the country after so much travel and poor weather. Spirits were high especially after we finally got a good night's rest.
After an hour or so of boating and soaking up the scenery, we arrived at our first stop. Our boat was equipped with boat-on-boat technology so the captain unloaded the zodiac and the dayhikers all jumped on.
After the first drop, we headed to Veiðileysufjörður where we would start out hike. When the boat finally left, Corrie and I just sat on the shore and started laughing. It had taken us over two days of traveling by car, planes, trains, busses, taxis, and boats to get here, and we were finally able to enjoy it. After shedding layers and grabbing some snacks we set off for the pass. The plan for the day was to hike from one fjord to another by going up and over a pass.
After a few hours on the trail we finally made it to the pass. The weather was so nice and I was still jet-lagged so I dropped my pack and took a nap. We knew that today's weather was going to be the nicest of this leg of the trip so we weren't in a hurry. Eventually we decided to move on so we could set up camp. As we made it to the other side of the pass we could see the Horn, the destination of the following day's hike.
As we dropped into the Hornvik area the entire valley was ringed with waterfalls. As we were nearing camp we were discussing how much we hoped we would see an arctic fox. It's an animal that neither of had seen before. Just as we made it to camp I said, "hey look at that!" as an arctic fox ran past us. It wasn't close enough for a photo so we were a little bummed, but we didn't know that we'd be seeing many more up close.
The next morning we woke up to a low ceiling. We had the advantage of long days on our side so we slept in hoping that the weather would improve. That cool feature that we planned to hike out to today, the Horn,
was completely hidden in clouds. We decided that we should hike out there anyway and hopefully the weather would improve. Since it was high tide we decided to hike out and cross the river where it was wider instead of near the ocean.
Once we made it to the river we took off our shoes and started across the chilly water. On the other side the trail took us past some spectacular waterfalls and black cobble beaches.
As we pushed further out to the Horn the weather started to improve behind us. The trail ahead was still in the clouds, but we were finally able to see our camp and where we had come from.
As we made it to the Horn you could barely see the Arctic Ocean below or the views ahead. So we decided to sit and see if the weather would improve. Lucky for us, it did.
The trail took us along a beautiful, lush ridgeline that looked down on the Arctic Ocean. As we made it to the pass we could see all of Hornvik and the sea of clouds rolling in from the north. It was such an awesome view to take in.
I was slightly behind Corrie on the way up and once she hit the ridge where she could see into the next valley all I heard from her was "Oh fuck yea!" When I made it there a few seconds later I shouted something similar. We were staring at this awesome knife-edged geologic feature with clouds rolling up and over below them. This view was one of the main reasons that we wanted to visit this area and we knew that we had lucked out with the weather. So I pulled out our bottle of Woodford Reserve and we just sat there by ourselves and enjoyed the view.
We knew that we were going to get hungry for dinner eventually so we decided to push on. The trail was along some of the craziest terrain. It was awesome.
We stopped often to take photos of the scenery, flowers and foxes playing. There was still plenty of sunlight but we were running out of snacks for the day so we looped back around the ridge and backtracked our way to camp.
On the way back it was low tide so we decided to cross the river at the ocean this time. The day was still warm enough that I decided to go for a swim. After that the last couple miles home was along a black sand beach, no shoes needed.
After dinner we had a visitor.
Needless to say it was a long but amazing day.
The next day we woke up to rain. That would be our reality for the rest of the trip. Every once in a while the weather would quit long enough for me to break out the camera and take a few shots, but overall it was extremely cold and wet.
We weren't the only ones that were cold and wet. I'm sure a lot of what we hiked through was awesome looking, but at points the visibility was so bad that we had to split up to find the next cairns. All part of the adventure I guess.
Day 4 we woke up to more rain. My sleeping bag had finally dried out from my body heat but I was not looking forward to putting wet clothes and shoes back on. We made breakfast in the tent, a luxury not afforded to us normally because we camp in bear country, and then continued on through rivers and marshes and over more mountain passes.
At one point I was so cold and tired that I started to get the "umbles." All of my gear was soaked. Either from sweat or rain. It was so wet and windy that the only gear that would have kept us completely dry would have been like rubber fisherman slickers. So when we finally made it to the pass where we could see our final destination we were both extremely happy.
We made it to camp, set up our tent, and magically the rain stopped long enough for us to have dinner and hang our stuff out to dry. We also found out that there was a small coffee shop where we could grab some coffee and sweets and get out of the elements for a short bit.
Hornstrandir was an awesome trip. We got to see the area at it's best and it's not-so-best. When the weather is good it's mostly easy hiking if you're in good shape and have some navigational skills. When the weather is bad you better have lots of high-calorie food, good rain gear, and excellent navigational skills.
When the boat came the following day to pick us up were weren't too sad to leave, only because we were ready for hot showers and non-dehydrated food. We grabbed dinner and beers back in Isafjourder, hit the sack, grabbed a taxi the following morning, and took the plane back to Reykjavik. From there we planned to rent a car and explore The Golden Circle and southern coast.
Trip notes: We hiked a total of 31 miles with 7,700' of elevation gain. Spectacular area and I would love to go back. The logistics are complicated to get there, but it's worth it!
I just got back from a week in Minnesota and Michigan where I visited Isle Royale National Park for the first time. We took a boat from Grand Portage across the lake. We base camped out of Windigo for the entire trip, but we did explore around the southern permitter of the island. Here are my favorites from the trip.
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When I lived in Columbia Falls, MT, one of my favorite things to do in Glacier was bike the Going-to-the-Sun Road to Logan Pass. The benefit of living there, is that each week you can bike as far as the road is open. As the plows get higher and higher, you get stronger and stronger. Well, this time we only had a long weekend so we were biking to the top straight off the couch, with no training. Turns out that's much harder to do.
From Avalanche Campground, the first few miles are fairly flat. Eventually you start to climb and it doesn't stop until you get to the top.
One of the popular turnaround spots is The Loop, the only switchback in the entire 50-mile road.
But if you keep going, the views only get better and better.
Then higher we climbed, the closer and snowier it got. Eventually we we made it to the waterfalls along the road. The most popular being the Weeping Wall. We pulled over and put on rain gear to protect us from the wind and water.
One of my favorite things about riding up the road early season, is that the guard rails aren't installed yet.
After 16 miles and about 3,000 feet of climbing, we made it to Logan Pass. It was cold and CRAZY windy, so we only stayed long enough to drink our beers and eat snacks.
The benefit of all uphill on the way up, means it's all downhill on the way back. We only stopped a few times for more photos.
It takes us about 4 hours to climb to the top and like 40 minutes to get back to the car. That whole 40 minutes you're basically flying. It's the greatest. If you have the chance to do it, go for it. I'd recommend waiting until the afternoon once the traffic dies down a little bit. Plus if you leave in the afternoon, you can watch the sunset from the top and then ride down before it gets dark.
We started out at the Mountain Vista Trailhead and started walking up the Savage River. As predicted, lots of bushwhacking, but the views of Fang Mountain in the distance were pretty sweet.
Eventually we jumped out of the river corridor and picked up a game trail on a bench to the west. The views on the bench looking up valley were gorgeous.
We started seeing signs of wildlife with lots of moose sheds. We also found some grizzly tracks and what appeared to be an old cache site.
Eventually we had to drop back into the river corridor and vegetation was double overhead. We made sure to make lots of noise because we couldn't see far at all.
After about 6 miles the river bar opened up and we found a nice place for out tents that didn't appear to be directly on a game trail. We made dinner, had beers, and enjoyed the sunset before heading to bed.
The following morning we walked around camp to check out the views before packing up and heading back to the road. The weather was nicer the day before, so we didn't stop much for photos.
Once back at the road we stopped for a few photos of the fall colors, which seemed like they were peaking. We also had a pretty great view of the area we just hiked to.
Unrelated to the backcountry, that night the aurora came out. It was a bit cloudy, but I was able to get some decent shots as the clouds passed overhead.
Trip notes: We did just over 12 miles with 600' of elevation gain. Not a huge fan of bushwhacking, especially with an overnight pack. Since it was the only permit we could get, I'm glad we went. But I much prefer backpacking at higher elevations in the tundra. With so much wildlife, it's nice to be able to see in the distance and not worry that you're going to walk up on a bear or worse, a cow moose with a calf. Overall, another successful trip to my favorite national park!
Disclaimer: Denali is a trail-less Wilderness. These maps are approximations of our routes. Please don't take this blog and map to the Denali Backcountry Information Center and say, "I wan't to do this exact trip." They will take good care of you like they did for us. Thanks!
The following morning I drove out early for sunrise and hiked up the Inferno Cone. I was fortunate to be the only person up there and had a great 360 degree view.
After sunrise, I hiked explored around the Spatter Cones area and eventually the Wilderness Trail for a few miles to bird before it got too hot.
Once the heat picked up, we headed to the caves to explore and find some shade.
After a few hours in the cave we headed back to camp to take a nap and relax. Once it cooled off again we headed back out to explore more trails and take sunset photos.
The next day was the big day for the eclipse. We did another sunrise hike before driving a few miles from the park into the path of totality.
I wasn't really sure what to expect. I have seen a handful of partial eclipses so I thought I knew what I was in for, but I was wrong. Once we were in the shadow of the moon and I was able to take my sunglasses off it was so surreal. There was a 360 degree sunset. Bats and nighthawks started flying around and the temperature dropped by at least 20 degrees, almost instantly. I tried my best to take photos but at the same time watch with my eyes because I knew it might be something that I never see again.
After a couple short minutes, the sun started to reappear behind the moon and it was time to put our glasses back on. We were literally yelling and high fiving each other with all the excitement. I can still feel the goosebumps I had as I am typing this up.
Overall, our trip to Craters was spectacular and I would love to go back with more time to spare. The fact that we also had the opportunity to see this rare celestial event made it that much more special.
]]>After a successful summit of Mount Siyeh, I still had a few more days in Glacier. The weather wasn't really cooperating, so I was mostly road based taking photos of the clouds.
After a couple days of rain, the smoke cleared out and the evening's sunset looked to be promising. I called a few friends and asked if they wanted to climb Reynolds with me for sunset. We left from Logan Pass around 5pm once most of the cars cleared out. We slowly made our way up the glacial horn, and had another goat sighing.
The climb is mostly a trail, until the last part where you hike up a big scree field until you reach a set up benches. There is one 10-foot class-3 pitch that's easy to climb, but it's in a no-fall zone.
After that it's an easy walk to the summit, which is a rounded ridge with a big flat top.
The views from the top are stunning, especially for sunset.
We cracked our beers and hung out and waited for the sunset. The light kept getting better and better.
We didn't feel like hiking down in the dark in case something happened, so we started down after the light was mostly faded.
The next day, a big lightning storm sparked the Sprague Fire and smoke started to pick back up. I figured that was a sign that it was time to leave. Just had to hit my final favorite spot before making the long drive home. Overall great trip in the old hood!
You may remember that I moved from Columbia Falls, MT, last fall. I still had a few to-do's on my list for Glacier, so when I had a week off I decided to head back to my old stomping grounds. The further north I went, the smokier it got, but it was a beautiful drive anyway. Most of the crops were in bloom including a huge field of sunflowers.
We drove up the North Fork for the night to camp. We found a nice spot to take in the smoky sunset. One of the things I wanted to do while up here was to summit one of Glacier's 10K foot peaks, Mount Siyeh. But if it was going to be super hazy, I was starting to second guess the idea of climbing into a haze. Both seeing and breathing are high on my list for things I like to do when hiking, and smoke doesn't help with either of those.
The next morning I made my way to Lake McDonald before sunrise, up to Logan Pass, and parked at the trailhead. The weather looked like it was better than the day before, so we packed up beers and made our way for the summit.
Once we made it to Floral Park the sun just started to peak over the ridge.
We could finally see our target, Mount Siyeh, and its summit just above 10K.
We slowly picked our way up the talus chute, walking back and forth along the ledges. The down valley views just kept getting better and better. We even had some decent wildlife encounters on the way up.
After a break or two, and an hour or two of route finding, we gained the ridge. From there we just needed to follow it to the top. Looking behind us, we saw that we weren't the only ones climbing that day.
At the top we were greeted to new views of one of the most iconic lakes in the park, Cracker Lake. I've hiked and backpacked to the lake a couple times, but this was a whole new level of awesome. From the summit, it's a nearly vertical 4,000-foot drop down to the lake, and you can sit on the edge. I've heard of horror stories about the wind, but there was ZERO wind on our summit day AND the views were better than we had hoped.
We cracked our beers, sat on the edge and soaked in the views. Which are basically 360 degrees.
After a while, the other group made it to the top. Always fun to share a summit with cool people!
This summit had been on my list since 2010, when I first visited Glacier. I had tried a few other times but got weathered out every time. It was nice to finally reach the summit and the stoke was high!
After a while we decided that we should probably head down so we could drive to East Glacier. No summit day is complete without some margaritas and loaded nachos at Serrano's. Overall spectacular day. Wildflowers were popping to boot!
We just got back from a week in California. Corrie's cousin got married and we decided to visit some friends in the area and hit a couple parks while we were there, Alcatraz Island being one of them. I visited once about 15 years ago, but I didn't really appreciate where I was. This time we took a ranger tour and got to see some behind the scenes areas of the island.
The first of the areas was the original entrance and sign of the island, dating back to 1857.
Then we explored some of the courtyards and buildings. Apparently there is a volunteer botanical club that manages the grounds. The flowers and grounds were beautiful.
Then we had the opportunity to head up into the lighthouse. The views of the bay were beautiful.
After the lighthouse we walked around the island checking out the views of the city and all the birds that roost on the island.
We headed back inside for the final tour of the jail. We got to also see some rooms of the facility that are used for temporary exhibit spaces. It would be an awesome place to play capture the flag at night.
Every time we go to a new park, I'm always blown at all the interesting stories they tell. Alcatraz is no different. If you get the chance to go, I recommend!
]]>Here are a few of the highlights of Glacier from 2016. I hope you enjoy!
Lake McDonald Lodge Sunset
Sunset over Apgar Mountains
Historic Boat Dock Beach
Lake McDonald Sunset 2.22.16
Lake McDonald at Dusk 2.23.16
Mallards Flying Towards Stanton
Crashing Waves on Lake McDonald 3.17.16
Lake McDonald Public Dock Sunrise 3.19.16 (2)
Lake McDonald 4.12.16
Lake McDonald Layers at Sunrise
Lake McDonald 4.26.16
Bowman Lake Shoreline
Alpenglow at Bowman Lake (3)
St. Mary Falls
Osprey in Flight - Pandion haliaetus
East Glacier Black Bear
Cristos at Running Eagle Falls
Lina By Weeping Wall
Lina at Big Bend (2)
Lina and Livingston Range Sunset
Lina at Warp Speed
McDonald Valley Sunset Upvalley
Bo Riding Past the Weeping Wall
Bikers Near the Weeping Wall
Bo Riding Over Triple Arches
Approaching Oberlin Bend 5.14.16
Chief Mountain
James on the Belly Suspension Bridge
Gable Mountain and Belly Ranger Station (2)
Cosley Lake Sunrise Panorama
James at the Belly River Ranger Station
Calm Pray Lake and Sinopah
Overlooking Two Medicine Valley (2)
Arrowleaf Balsamroot - Balsamorhiza sagittata (2)
Views of McDonald Valley From Oberlin
Garden Wall From Oberlin
Sunset over Mount Reynolds and Jackson
Cloud Shadows
Colorful Clouds
Middle Fork Reflections
Wildflowers along the Many Galcier Road (2) 7.2.16
Wildflowers along the Many Galcier Road (4) 7.2.16
First View of Cracker Lake
Cracker Lake at Sunrise
Cracker Lake at Sunrise (4)
Mount Siyeh and Beargrass
Evening Light on the Avalanche Lake Trail
Avalanche Lake Hike with Off-road Wheelchair 13
Avalanche Lake 7.15.16
Clements and Oberlin from the Highline
Lake McDonald and Historic DeSmet from Highline Trail
Swiftcurrent Lookout Sunset
Granite Park Chalet Sunset
Heavens Peak (2) 7.19.16
Tent View from Granite Park Trails Cabin
Grinnell Glacier Overlook
Sunset at Swiftcurrent Lake 7.23.16
Grinnell Point Reflections
Swiftcurrent Creek Sunrise
Wynn Mountain and Swiftcurrent Creek Sunrise
Quinn Dropping in Iceberg Lake
Beargrass in Iceberg Valley (2)
Grinnel Lake and Angel Wing
Grinnel Glacier Trail Flowers
Upper Grinnell Lake
Upper Grinnell Lake Reflections Tight
Quinn, Brittany, and Lex Crossing the Outlet
Wildflowers and Grinnell Glacier
Looking Down on Grinnell Lake From Angel Wing
Grinnell Lake, Allen Mountain, and Angel Wing
Sunrise over Logan Pass 7.30.16
First Light on Heavens Peak 7.30.16
Hidden Lake 7.30.16
Hidden Lake Panorama
Dan Climbing Reynolds
Hiker on the Summit of Reynolds
Saint Mary Lake From Reynolds
Seth Walking on the Reynolds Summit
Reynolds Summit View Panorama
Hikers at Cutbank Pass Panorama
Pitamakan Lake From the Pass (2)
Oldman Lake, Flinch Peak, and Mt. Morgan
Hikers on Tinkham Mountain Ridge (5)
Shawn and Lauren on Tinkham Mountain Ridge (7)
Saint Mary Lake Sunset Panorama 8.13.16
Backcountry Beers and Kayak Toast at Hidden Lake
Rowing on Swiftcurrent Lake
Rainbow at Lake McDonald for Centennial InstaMeet (2)
Alpine Sunset over Mount Cannon
Alpine Sunset From Oberlin
Alpine Sunset over Heavens Peak (3)
Fall Drive Along Lake McDonald 10.21.16
North Fork RIver Driving
Self-portrait Bowmand Lake Road
Bowman Lake Sunrise 10.22.16
Thunderbird Flank Through the Clouds
Rainbow Peak Sunrise
Bowman Lake Campground Sunrise Hiker
Larch Trees at Bowman
Lina, Forrest, and Quinn
There was one small snow patch we had to cross, before we gained the saddle between McClintock Peak and Mount Morgan. The views from the ridge looking into Walton area were stunning.
From there we started hiking out towards Tinkham. We weren't sure if the rout went or not, but there did seem to be a climbers route or game trail along the ridge.
Eventually we climbed to a point where we didn't feel comfortable without some protection, so we hung out, ate lunch, and enjoyed the views.
From there we backtracked our way to the pass and towards our camp.
The fog from the morning had burned off and we had great views into the Cutbank drainage.
We made it back to the lake in time for a swim, dinner, and to catch the sunset over a still lake.
In the morning, we made some coffee and took the time to catch a few trout before we hiked back to the car. Overall a short but fun trip. Love this area!
Trip notes: We hiked just shy of 20 miles and 5,000' of elevation gain in the two days we were in the area. Since it's in the park, it does require a permit. This area, and a few others, only allows for a single night stay. A popular trip is to stay at Oldman and No Name Lakes in either direction as you do the loop. If you have a chance to do it I highly recommend!
We arrived to camp just in time for sunset, dinner, and whiskey all before the clouds came in and started raining.
The plan the following morning was to hike up the spur trail early am for sunrise, but when the alarm went off at 5:30 it was still raining. When we woke up the second time the clouds hard parted and the sun came out. It was a pretty awesome view to wake up to. Just before we headed out to the spur trail the packers arrived to the chalet so I had to chat and take a few snaps. On days like these the packers have one of the coolest jobs in the park, no doubt.
We got up the Grinnell Glacier overlook and hung our for lunch. Just as we were coming down the day hikers were arriving from Logan Pass. We headed back to the chalet, grabbed our packs, and started heading over to Many Glacier. I had never heard anything about Swiftcurrent Pass before, so needless to say we were blown away by the view and the trail coming off the pass in the valley. Waterfalls, headwalls, Swiftcurrent Glacier, and blue-green lakes. It was another picture perfect day, apart from the 40-50 mph gusts.
After we got off the switchbacks it seemed to take forever to make it back to the road. By the time we arrived we were ready for some beers and some food. Good thing the Motor Inn has the perfect cure for what we needed, pizza and beer. Perfect end to an awesome overnight.
As we headed out the next morning we had to stop and smell the flowers.
Trip notes: We hiked a little over 18 miles with 3,200' of elevation gain. The weather was perfect. If you like to Granite Park, I recommend doing the super trail to the Grinnell Glacier Overlook. This is one of the best trails in the park, and it was great to be able to watch the sunrise and sunset versus your normal day hike views.
Once we got on trail it's a pretty boring hike for the first 4 miles or so minus a few open spots. Then eventually you get into the basin and you are greeted with this spectacular view.
The lake itself is the most unique color of blue. It looks fake even in real life.
Eventually we made it to camp had some beers and whiskey, made dinner, and then explored the area during the last hour of daylight.
The next morning at 5:38 am we work up to an amazing sunrise. This was the entire reason that I wanted to come out to Cracker Lake and it didn't disappoint.
After breakfast half our group left and the rest of us stayed to explore more of the area and relax. We started our way up Allen Mountain but again, it was SUPER windy so we decided to just chill in an awesome patch of beargrass where we watched a moose browse along the lake and the clouds float by.
After a few hours of chilling we were supposed to meet another group of friends back near the campground so we headed back to make lunch, finish our whiskey and catch some more sun. They never showed because the went on a different hike so we ended up taking a nap before waking up and deciding to head back to the trailhead. Needless to say it was a blast of a trip.
Trip notes: The hike to the lake is straightforward: about 6 miles to the foot of the lake with 1,300' of elevation gain. The majority of the trail is fairly boring, it's mostly in the trees. Also, there are a lot of horses on the trail with means a lot of horse shit. On a hot summer day the smell can be pretty strong. Since the headwall of the lake faces east, watching a sunrise there is definitely worth it on a clear day.
The plan was to head into Cosley Lake for two nights. The first night we planned to get on trail by 4pm so we could make camp by sunset. The drive out to the trailhead was spectacular. We also ran into Daniel aka Mammoth, who walked to Glacier National Park from New York and has been walking for 2 years. He just crossed the 16K mile mark! We ended up speaking with him for a little while and he said he was about to begin his hike of the CDT from Canada to Mexico. Such a cool spot to run into him.
Eventually we made it on trail, and it was glorious. It was my first time in the Belly River and I don't know what took me so long to get there.
We made it to camp just in time for for dinner, some whiskey, and to set up camp before the the wind started to pick up and the rain to start. The next morning we woke up to fresh snow and a quiet serene morning. I walked around the lake while the others stayed in the tents. Then the reflection on the lake started to fade so I headed back to camp to wake the others and make breakfast.
After the morning we decided to chill around camp. We saw a bear, pine marten, moose, beaver, deer, as well as some crazy clouds that kept forming and breaking up over the mountains.
The rain picked up again in the evening so we called it a night. The next morning we woke up to some of the best backcountry views I have had in a while.
After spending about 2 hours shooting, we decided it was time to head back to the car. On the trail we saw some fresh tracks.
We stopped at the Ranger Station for lunch and to take in the views.
After all the rain, the trail was muddy on the way back. The hill back up to the car was a little tough because of it. We were slipping around all over the place. Once we made it back to the car we had a cooler waiting for us with ice cold beers. We sat in the parking lot for an hour, stretched, and enjoyed the sun. As we passed back through East Glacier we made sure to stop at Serrano's and grabbed some food and margaritas. It was an awesome trip with some good company.
Trip notes:We hiked just shy of 18 miles with 2,000' of elevation gain. Since it's in the park you do need a permit. Other than the mud, this area seems to be a good early season trip because of the lower elevation.
The Hilina Pali Trail drops you down over 2,000' to the coast. The trail is over lava and through high brush until you reach the palm tree oasis of Halapē.
The day we arrived all the shaded campsites were taken. Fortunately, the people staying in the best spot left early the following morning so we moved all our stuff, explored the area, then hung out in the shade. We also had our pick of swimming spots, there was a protected cove where you could snorkel and also a brackish pond that you could bathe in to rise off the salt.
Our camp had a private trail to the beach with a spectacular view to watch the sunset.
The second morning we packed up and headed towards 'Apua Point. There wouldn't be any water the rest of the trip, so we loaded up as much as we could carry and set off early to beat the head of the day.
Since we arrived so early, we hung our tent fly between some trees to make shade and took a nap in the breeze. If was a fairly windy day and the waves were picking up. We got a little afternoon shower, which cooled things off a bit. We hiked out to the ocean to watch the waves crash over the rocks as the sun set.
The warm breeze and the full moon made it nice to walk around that evening too.
The last day of travel was mostly across pahoehoe and we were running low on water. We packed up at sunrise and headed for the car. The views along the coast we gorgeous, which included a couple sea arches and petroglyphs.
Trip notes: We hiked just over 19 miles with just shy of 1,300' of elevation gain. Since this hike is in the park, it does require a permit. Also, most of the backcountry sites have water tanks that fill with rainwater. The winter isn't the rainy season and the rangers warned us there might not be any water to filter.
If you get the chance to stay at Halapē, make sure to bring a mask and snorkel. Seems like a weird thing to backpack with, but you'll be able to snorkel in the bay. Overall great trip, definitely recommend!
Fern Fiddlehead
Fushias
IMG_1398
Nastercium
Banana Poke Weed
Native Begonia
Angel's Trumpets
Glory Bush
Hydrangea
Self Portrait -Nu'alolo Lookout
Kalalau Overlook
First Look at Waimea Canyon
Waipo'o Falls
Kalalau Overlook
Two Dimension Portrait
Kalalau Overlook Portrait
Kalalau Overlook (2)
Lehua Sunrise
Sunrise from Wai'ale'ale
Hazy View from Wai'ale'ale
Views from the Pihea Trail
Views from Wai'ale'ale
Kauai Elepaio - Chasiempis sclateri
Morning Fog Rays
Morning Fog Rays (2)
Forest Trail Koke'e Trees
Pacific golden plover - Pluvialis fulva
Golden Plover
Waimea Canyon and Waipo'o Falls
Vog Sunrise from Waimea Canyon Lookout
Vog Sunrise in Waimea Canyon
Waimea Canyon Voggy Sunrise Panorama
Vog Sunrise from Waimea Canyon Lookout (2)
Vog Sunrise from Waimea Canyon Lookout (3)
Vog Sunrise from Waimea Canyon Lookout (4)
Vog Sunrise in Waimea Canyon (2)
Views from the Canyon Rim Trail
Arches on the Fins of Waimea Canyon
Brink of Waipo'o Falls
Waipo'o Falls Brink and Waimea Canyon
Waipo'o Creek
Waipo'o Creek and Waimea Canyon
Waipo'o Creek and Waimea Canyon (2)
Waimea Canyon From Canyon Trailhead
Waimean Canyon Colors
Waimea Canyon Sunset from Canyon Trailhead
Waimea Canyon Colors Portrait
Waimea Canyon Rim Trail Portrait
Waimea Canyon Rim Trail
Waimean Canyon Sunrise at Canyon Overlook
IMG_7257
IMG_7265
Mergansers over Lake McDonald
Lake McDonald Sunset
Crashing Waves on Lake McDonald
Lake McDonald Shoreline Sunset
Lake McDonald Shoreline
Afternoon Light Along North Fork Road
Eagle with Coot Sunset
Morning Reflections at Lake McDonald
Harlequin Duck (Long exposure)
Lake McDonald Dock and Aurora
Aurora Arc on Lake McDonald
Aurora Reflections on Lake McDonald Panorama
Red-necked Grebe and Mount Brown Alpenglow
Red-necked Grebe - Podiceps grisegena
Avalanche Lake Sunset
Lake McDonald Sunrise 4-29-15
Mule Deer and Lake McDonald Sunset
Moonrise over Camas Road
Lead Image Many Glacier Hotel
Lake Sherburne
Lake McDonald Sunset - 5:26:15
Foggy Lake McDonald
Dark-eyed Junco Nest
Bald Eagle and Chick
Avalanche Gorge
Birdwoman Falls (2)
Haystack Creek Falls from GTSR
Ali on Numa Fire Lookout Trail
Bald Eagle near Lake McDonald
Two Medicine Lake
Chipmunk eating Flowerhead
Rufous Hummingbird Female on Nest (2)
Hikers on Oberline Summit
Alpine Avens on Oberlin
Backlight Gnats
Swiftcurrent Lake Sunrise
Baring Falls Still
Virginia Falls
Shooting Stars at Virginia Falls
Wild Goos Island Overlook
Smokey Wild Goose Island OVerlook Panorama
Lake McDonald - August 6, 2015
Bighorn Sheep at Logan (2)
Lewis Monkey Flowers and Reynolds Alpenglow
Going-to-the-Sun Alpenglow and WIldflowers
Hiker Under Milky Way
Flowers and Milky Way
Tree Pose at Lake McDonald
Upper Lake McDonald Valley Sunset
Haze over Lake McDonald
Milky Way and Aurora
Portrait of a Kid
Marmot on a Rock
Early Afternoon at Hidden Lake
Evening Light at Hidden Lake
Evening at Hidden Lake
Hidden Lake Panorama
Hidden Creek Valley Sunset
DeSmet Profile
Lake McDonald Lodge Lobby
Blood Moon over Snyder Ridge
Split Level near first Pullout
Sunrise up the Saint Mary Valley
Reynolds Creek Sunrise
Saint Mary Lake Shoreline
Wild Goose Island
Aspen Grove Sunburst
Fall in Lake McDonald Valley Panorama
Heavens Peak Sunset
Heavens Peak Red Sky Sunset
Sunset at the Remnants of Clements Glacier
Going-to-the-Sun Mountain and Blood Moon Double-exposure
Blood Supermoon - Milky Way Double Exposure 9.27.15
Lake McDonald Fall Shoreline
Sunrise over Glacier National Park
Golden Layers
Mount Brown and Mount Brown Fire Lookout
Looking Down on Grinnell Glacier
Grinnell Glacier, The Garden Wall, and Heavens Peak in the Distance
Swiftcurrent Lookout From the Air
Grinnell, Salamander, and Gem Glaciers
Mount Reynolds and Logan Pass Area
Mount Jackson and Harrison Glacier
Mount Stimpson and Mount St. Nicholas
Saint Mary Lake (2)
Logan, Pumpelly, Blakfoot, and Harrison Glaciers
Flinsch Peak in Two Medicine
Little Dog and Summit Mountain
Mount St. Nicholas
Lake McDonald Homecoming
Avalanche Lake 11-15-15
Lake McDonald Fall Sunset 11.16.15
Driftwood Sunset Panorama
Lake McDonald Morning 11.20.15
Lake McDonald Sunset Wide Angle 11.20.15
Alpenglow at Lake McDonald 11.20.15
Sunset on Vaught, Cannon, and Brown
Alpenglow Over Lake McDonald Valley
Stanton, Vaught, and McPartland from Lake McDonald Lodge
Self-portrait - Relaxing on the Dock
We took off before sunrise and just as we made our way to the park, the sun came up over the inversion. We spent the next 90 minutes flying, photographing the mountains and glaciers. It was so cool to see the park from the air. Here are my favorite shots from the trip. Enjoy!
Sunrise and the Great Northerner
Golden Layers
Smoke Filled Valley Sunrise
Mount Brown and Mount Brown Fire Lookout
Western Front with Mount St. Nicholas in the Distance
Mount Brown and Sperry Glacier
Sperry Glacier
Logan Pass area at Sunrise
Looking Down on Grinnell Glacier
Grinnell Glacier, The Garden Wall, and Heavens Peak in the Distance
Mount Merritt and Old Sun Glacier
Ipasha Peak and Ahern Glacier
Swiftcurrent Lookout From the Air
Grinnell, Salamander, and Gem Glaciers
Mount Gould and Glaciers
Overlooking Logan Pass Area
Pollock Mountain and Garden Wall
Mount Reynolds and Logan Pass Area
Mount Jackson and Harrison Glacier
Mount Stimpson and Mount St. Nicholas
Saint Mary Lake
Saint Mary Lake (2)
Mount Jackson and Jackson Glacier
Logan, Pumpelly, Blakfoot, and Harrison Glaciers
Flinsch Peak in Two Medicine
Mount Stimpson
Little Dog and Summit Mountain Portrait
Little Dog and Summit Mountain
Mount St. Nicholas
Mount St. Nicholas (2)
Update: A few months later, the issue came out and I picked up a copy. It was pretty awesome to see two full photo spreads with shots from the flight.
After landing and grabbing lunch we headed back up in the air and out towards Tebay Lakes, the Bremner River, Fan Glacier, then north past the Chitina River to Hidden Creek and the Kennicott Glacier. This flight was about 185 air miles.
After this flight, we headed into the backcountry for our Bremner Mining Camp trip. Also, great trip and weather. After that trip, the weather made a turn for the worse and we were worried that if we did another air-supported backcountry trip, we might get stuck and not make our flight back home from Anchorage. So we called an audible and decided to hang around McCarthy and do one last scenic flight. The weather was a little iffy, but since we didn’t have a particular agenda for this flight we were able to seek out the good weather. We went up the Nizina River to the Nizina, Federika, and Russel Glaciers via Skolai pass and then over to the Bonanza Ridge area including the Stairway Icefall, Root/Gates/Kennicott glaciers. The lighting wasn’t as spectacular as the other flights, but it was still a good opportunity to shoot some other areas of the park we had yet to see. It was also about 185 air miles.
I mentioned earlier that we were also supposed to hit Skolai Pass area for backpacking. I didn’t really know what I was missing until this flight. If you go to Wrangell for a fly-in trip, Skolai is like a mini Switzerland. If I get the chance to go back I hope that I can get a few days in that area.
After that flight our trip was pretty much over. We headed back to Anchorage to drop off the car. Then we headed out for some celebratory drinks. On my 3rd beer I felt REALLY tipsy, even sitting down. I looked at my drink and thought to myself, I better slow down here a little. Then I looked up and realized that I wasn’t the only one feeling this way. It wasn’t the alcohol making me feel tipsy, but rather we were in the middle of a 6.3 magnitude earthquake. The ENTIRE building was shaking and people started standing up. Apparently that is a thing? After that we headed out to dinner and had a few more drinks before calling it a night to make our early flights the next morning.
Overall I shot around 6500 photos in 10 days pairing that down to about 500. The majority of those shots came during the scenic flights. It was totally amazing to see this park from the air. You lose all sense of scale when you are up there. Mountains that look close enough to crash into are a quarter mile away. Icebergs the size of houses are just dots in the bay. It’s the only way to really “see” the majority of the park. It’s a wild and untamed place. You could take any individual feature from this park whether it’s a mountain, waterfall, glacier, lake, etc. and place it in the lower 48 and it would be its own National Park. But here, it’s just another unnamed feature. Alaska really is the last frontier. It’s so freaking big and majestic that you can’t help but be humbled by it.
Cheers and happy travels!
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The next day we woke up and explored around camp for a short while before heading up to the Bremner bunkhouse and checking out all the historic garbage. When I say garbage I mean artifacts including buildings, a powerhouse, cars, tractors, stoves, tools, etc. All very cool, very heavy stuff. It’s crazy they were able to get everything out to this remote spot. The stuff is so cool in fact that they hire volunteers to live on site and make sure people don’t steal anything. We met the volunteers, and their dog companion, and had a great time chatting about their experiences so far. The wildflowers were also still blooming despite a rather dry summer so I was excited to see all the familiar faces.
From the mining camp we headed up to one of the area tarns that was used as an aqueduct for the area water. Along the way we saw some nice waterfalls, cool animals like ptarmigan, pika, and marmots, and some great views of the mountains. Once we were done we headed back to the bunkhouse and made a plan to hike with the volunteer couple the following day.
The next day we woke up to the entire valley covered in fog. We took the old mining road up to another site where they used to mine for gold. As we went up in elevation we hike out of the fog and the sun was burning off what remained. Immediately when we made it into the cirque basin I noticed more pika, ptarmigan, and marmots. The ptarmigan were everywhere in fact. We noticed that the rock ptarmigan at higher elevations were not as skittish as the willow ptarmigan at lower elevations. In fact they seemed to like us. We even had a few chicks walk right up to us and scope us out.
After a beautiful day of hiking we headed back to camp and waited for the plane to pick us up. Once we were back in McCarthy we headed out for dinner to celebrate another great backcountry trip!
Trip notes: We didn't really have an agenda for this area, so we mostly meandered. We still ended up hiking around nine miles total. This was also my first "backcountry" trip being flown in. It was really nice to be able to camp heavy and still have the backcountry feel. Obviously this method is cost-prohibitive, but if you get the chance to do it, this was a cool trip, and I also hear that Skolai Pass area is beautiful. Thanks for reading!
If you’ve never been to the park, Wrangell is 13.2 million acres, the largest national park in the United States, roughly the size of Switzerland. Access is limited. There is only one main road into the center of the park, which dead ends in the town of Kennicott, a historic copper mining area. This is where we would be based out of for the next 10 days. We spent the first night in the Lodge and then packed for our backpack trip out to Donoho Basin.
In order to get the Donoho basin you need to traverse the Root glacier using crampons, roughly 1 mile wide. Once on the west side of the glacier, there is a route towards series of unnamed lakes. This is where we planned to camp because there are bear boxes. We had a bit of a late start but weren’t too worried since the sun wasn’t setting until 11pm. Hiking across the Root Glacier was a very unique experience. I have traveled next to glaciers and under glaciers, but never on a glacier. It felt exactly as I thought it would, walking on a giant piece of ice. It was fairly slow going because of the difficulty of the terrain, but also because of how scenic it was.
We walked over rivers, along lakes, navigated through crevasses, and over moraines (all on the glacier) until we finally reached the other side. From there we needed to make a decision whether to camp or to continue to push on to the next campsite. Since it was only 5 o’clock and the map said we had 3 miles to go, we made the decision to continue. For those of you who have hiked off-trail bushwhacking in Alaska, you know that 3 miles is no easy task. We hiked, and hiked, and hiked some more, and it seemed that we were barely moving. When one of our team members fell ill from food poisoning the night before, we decided that we would not make it to the bear boxes that we hoped to camp at and found trees to tie our food up into instead. Once camp was set up and we made dinner it was about 10:30 PM. I can honestly say that it was one of the most difficult hikes that I’ve ever done, not because of the elevation or distance, but rather the difficulty in pushing through the bush with a significantly large and heavy pack. It seemed all the branches were reaching out to touch me and say, “Slow down, take it all in. There is no need to go so fast.” Ughh.
When I woke up the next day and stuck my head out of the tent it was apparent that had made the right decision to push on. It was a beautiful sunrise with the perfectly still lake. It looked as if it were going to be great weather all day. We grabbed breakfast, packed our daypacks, and headed further up valley towards Gates Glacier. As we made it past the second lake and eventually to the third lake we were directly alongside the Kennicott glacier. The 16K ft foot mountain Mt. Blackburn rose in the distance behind a sea of ice.
After a few hours of day hiking we decided to turn around, pack up camp, and head to our next camp spot alongside the Root Glacier. This time we knew where we were going and we still managed to lose the route and ended up bushwhacking in 10+ ft tall alder. Gotta love AK.
Once we made back to the Root Glacier it was time for a cocktail or two and a little time to soak in the scenery. The next morning we woke to another bluebird day. After grabbing some breakfast we only had to traverse the glacier once more, this time deciding to take an alternate route. Walking on a glacier is like being on a maze of ice. You never know when your route will dead-end. Sometimes you can find a work-around; sometimes you just have to backtrack. It makes for fun, but tiring hiking.
Along the way we found some spectacular scenery and the weather was perfect. So much so that I thought I could catch a tan for a little bit.
Trip Notes: We ended up hiking a little more than 16 miles, off-trail, in three days. We never did find the bear boxes we were told about, so it's probably best to just bring bear cans. That will open up more options for camping. We were fortunate with good weather, but if it's raining I would make sure to have full rain gear because of the amount of brush you have to hike through, it was overhead at times. I would also recommend a pack size that allows you to fit all your gear inside your pack, versus attaching things to the outside, since the brush has a way of pick pocketing things from your pack. Overall great trip!
Well it came and went pretty fast, and I'm not really sure I would call it a winter. It resembled winter at times, but most of February was over 50ºF everyday. It even rained so hard one day that I thought I had been transplanted back to Florida. Regardless, living near Yellowstone was a very cool experience and I got to see and do some pretty spectacular things. The first and most obvious is the wildlife. I saw loads of bison, elk, deer, coyotes, wolves, pronghorn, a few foxes, some new birds, a even a few weasels. This area is the only place where I have ever been able to use the old, "Sorry I'm late. I couldn't leave my house because there was a bison in the way" line and people don't even bat an eyelash. The park receives over 3.5 Million people per year and only about 120,000 visit in the winter. I have now spent so much more time in the park during the winter that I don't even remember what it looks like in the summer. If you've never been in the winter, I would say this is a pretty accurate representation what you could see in a few days, or in a few hours if you are the lucky type.
I arrived the first week of November and I was very excited about the fact that I was going to be near the park all winter. I had visited the previous winter and had a spectacular time. It was already fairly cold, about -10ºF, but not very much snow on the ground. Our first foray into the park was a drive with some friends down to Norris Geyser Basin just before the road closed to wheeled traffic for the winter. It was awesome to say the least.
Most of my free time was spent trying to get further in the park. When we did go we usually saw some pretty awesome things.
My first attempt to find some wolves came one morning after a coworker told me they found a wolf kill in the Gardner River. By the time I had got off work it was already too dark to try and see it so I decided to wake up before sunrise and head down the the river. I was greeted with a pretty spectacular sunrise. You can also notice the lack of snow.
When I eventually found the kill site it was almost completely stripped clean. We arrived to ravens and magpies feasting and a lone eagle soaring overhead.
Then we finally started to get some snow. Not heaps, but enough that the park was able to open up the road for oversnow travel for the season. One of the days I was able to travel to the interior on a coach trip it was it was -35ºF in West Yellowstone, which is where we were heading for the day. But when it's cold in Yellowstone, I think it's the most beautiful. Especially near the thermals.
On the way out to West Yellowstone the weather was SPECTACULAR. The Madison was teeming with waterfowl and even though it was extremely cold, the sun kept you just warm enough that you weren't uncomfortable.
As the sun started to set, we stopped to get some photos of the views on the ride back to Mammoth.
Then the new year rolled around and we got the first real snow of the winter season. A few dumps that totaled over 2 feet over the course of the week and it was starting to look like winter. Also, I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to spend a few days out in Lamar Valley at the Buffalo Ranch for a program on Wolves. The coolest thing I learned was about the history and reintroduction of wolves into the park. Only a week before this program was the 20th anniversary of the reintroduction and little did I know I would be snowshoeing out to the original pen site where the wolves were kept back in 1995. On the trip it was obvious that we were in wolf territory because of all the recent tracks just behind my cabin.
The next morning we woke up before the sun and headed deeper into the park to look for wolves. We heard howls at a distance and eventually found wolves, but they were extremely far away. Even though I couldn't see wolves close enough to shoot them (with a camera), it was still a beautiful morning in the valley at -15ºF.
And one even came down a little bit closer to say good morning.
The day eventually turned out to be a spectacular day for scenery. Especially near Soda Butte, which is one of my favorite places in the northern part of the park.
Winter light in Yellowstone is pretty awesome, especially in Lamar. The light changes so quickly and you shot can change from minute to minute. These two shots were only takes about 15 minutes apart.
It was a great ending to a great day. The next morning we got up early again and headed out to look for wolves. We heard there had been a kill overnight and the wolves were spotted heading south of the road. When we arrived to the scene, we had missed the wolves again but got to see some very cool birds and coyotes pick at the scraps. The pecking order is that the wolves kill, the coyotes scavenge, followed by eagles, ravens, and magpies. We missed the wolves but got to see the rest.
After leaving the kill site we hiked out to a historic den site where we were able to get a first hand view of what a wolf den site looked like. When we arrived back at the road a passing visitor informed us that there was a "wolf" on the side of the road a few miles back. Now it's not that I don't believe people when they say they see wolves, but because they said it so nonchalantly, I assumed that it must have been a coyote. The person informed us that they had a photo and was happy to show us. Sure enough it was a wolf, so we all piled back into the vehicle and made our way in that direction.
When we arrived we were greeted with this lone wolf that hung out for a minute or two before deciding he was bored and leaving the scene. I think it was probably my wildlife highlight of the winter.
After that weekend the weather started to change. We stopped getting snow, but it also started to warm drastically. It was getting above freezing as a high everyday so if you wanted to ski, you needed to go early before the snow turned to mashed potatoes. So the best day of skiing we had came on a trip out to Tower Fall. We headed into the park and into the inversion.
My next big trip into the park was getting the opportunity to head over to Hayden Valley. It was another beautiful day outside and even though the snow in Mammoth was mostly gone, Canyon and Hayden receive much more snow and are usually much colder temps also. So when we started out on our trip the snow conditions were pretty bad, but got better by the time we were halfway to Norris.
Not long after our trip down to Hayden, I visited Old Faithful for the day. Even though we were inside most of the day, we had a great ride down in the morning and a beautiful sunset on the way back in the evening.
My last snowshoe hike of the season we decided to go find a cave I had heard about. We did end up finding it and we were not disappointed.
The last weekend I was in the park before moving would be the full moon. So as a goodbye trip we decided to grab some beers, drive out into Lamar Valley, and look for a good place to watch the moon rise. We weren't really sure where it was going to happen but right as we made our way past Pebble Creek campground the moon popped over the ridge. We had to wait a few minutes for the clouds to clear, but when they did we were able to grab some great shots.
As a cherry on top we got some nice color at sunset as well.
There were things about the winter that could have definitely been better, but most of those things were out of my control. The weather being the main one. I was really hoping for a chance to get out and ski often, but it seemed to snow during the week when I was working, and melt by the time the weekend rolled around. Despite all that, it was an overall great experience and reminded me how spectacular a place Yellowstone is. I really need to get back to the park again during the summer so I can see the park away from the road corridors.
As for now, I am getting excited about the possibility of what this summer brings now that I live in the Glacier area.
Once I find a place to live and settle down I hope to be able to send regular updates. But until then I will keep getting out and shooting whenever I can. I hope this finds you all well and hope to hear from you soon!
-Jake
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We just got back from a trip to D.C. where I was presenting at Main Interior. The presentation was to highlight my work that was part of an exhibit in the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History. While we were there, we checked out the other museums and I couldn't pass up the chance to explore the US Botanic Garden. It's free to visit, and it's wonderful. Here are a few of my favorite flowers I saw while we were there.
Venus Slipper Orchid - Paphiopedilum De Witt Smith
Pacific Parfait Orchid - Oncidium Ron's Rippling Delight
Zygopetalum maculatum
Paphiopedilum victoria-regina
Phragmipedium Sedenii
Phragmipedium Sedenii Close-up
Bird of Paradise - Strelitzia reginae
Rhyncholaeliocattleya Gladys Oumae
Satin Ribbon Class 13 - Chrysanthemum sp.
Saffina Class 10 - Chrysanthemum sp.
Red Wing Class 9 - Chrysanthemum sp.
St. Tropez Class 5 - Chrysanthemum sp.
Wang's Holcoglossum - Holcoglossum wangii
Bowring's Cattleya - Cattleya bowringiana
Rhyncholaeliocattleya Walhalla
Paphiopedilum sp
Dendrobium (2) sp.
Sun-kissed Orchid - Laeliocattleya Over Easy
Paphiopedilum primulinum
Sierra Peaks Orchid - Odontocidiumsp.
Grass Leafed Hoya - Hoya retusa
Nepenthes Pitcher Plant - Nepenthes sanguinea
White Pitcher Plant - Sarracenia leucophylla
Brassidium sp.
Cymbidium sp.
Dendrobium phalaenopsis ssp. bigibbum
The Horned Dendrobia - Dendrobium ceraula
Miltonia sp.
Vanda coerulea
Venus Slipper Orchid - Papiopedilum insigne
We arrived in DC, picked up our rental car, and drove towards Shenandoah National Park that night. The drive through Shenandoah was really nice. Even though the fall color in the park was mostly gone, we did find a few spots that still held their leaves. We got a chance to watch the sunrise, get out on a short hike to a couple waterfalls, and check out the new exhibits in the visitor center.
I was surprised to learn that both Shenandoah and Great Smoky Mountains National Parks were created using eminent domain. The history of both parks include some deep-seated resentment for the government, and rightly so. People in Shenandoah were told that they would be able to stay on their land in the newly created park, then that decision was reversed by the next administration. I was also surprised to learn that Shenandoah was also home to a campground that was only for "negroes." I'm glad that the national park doesn't shy away from topics that may be uncomfortable to discuss because it is a reminder that segregation is not in our too distant past and that racism was an institutional part of our government. From there we headed to Pigeon Forge to stay for the night.
Now I won't get into it too much, but WTF is Pigeon Forge?!? It's like a honkey-tonk Vegas in the middle of nowhere. As we were driving through the city to find a place to eat we were driving through a never-ending gauntlet of amusement rides, dinner theaters, and flashing signs. The entire town is a tourist-trap. I have no idea how that town exists or why people go there.
The next morning we woke up early again, this time it was cold and foggy. We made our way into the park and started driving on the one-way road out to Cades Cove. Just as we came out of the trees we were greeted to an iconic misty-morning sunrise of Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
Once we made it to the Cades Cove ranger station we watched live demonstrations at the Cable Mill and Blacksmith shop. Both the guy in the mill and blacksmith shop were descendants of the people who settled the area. It was really cool to talk to the people who had a strong connection to the land that is now the national park.
After leaving Cades Cove we drove south towards Cherokee and stopped to see the sights along the way.
We eventually made it to Charleston and took the next day to relax and hang with family. After catching up on some much needed sleep we hit the road again for Congaree National Park. This park was initially created as a national monument and later upgraded to a national park in 2003. I had heard great things about it so I had been wanting to go for sometime now, but when I looked on the website it mentioned that the best way to see the park was on one of their kayak tours. I looked to sign up for one but they weren't being offered when we were there so I reached out to the park and asked if they were in need of some photos in exchange for a "guided tour" on the water. They were happy to oblige and Ranger Lindsey was our guide for the day. She was very knowledgeable and friendly and gave us a great tour. We were even lucky enough to see four river otters. Lindsey told us that in two years of working for the park she has only previously seen three otters before that day. So definitely a big sighting!
After our paddle we got back on terra firma and decided to go for a short hike to check out the park on foot. We saw a cardinal, a young white-tailed buck, rat snake, and some champion trees. I believe we saw the champion loblolly pine tree. It was a huge freaking tree.
From Charleston we headed back to DC and dropped the car off at the airport and met up with my family at the hotel. The next day was supposed to be the nicest while we were there so we decided to do the mall that day. We went up in the Washington Monument and visited the Lincoln Memorial, Arlington National Cemetery, and the U.S Marine Corps Memorial. It was a day full of patriotic sight-seeing and some real-world reminders about what this country has gone through to get where we are today.
The rest of the trip we spent wandering around the museums including Ford's Theater, Smithsonian Museum of Natural History, and the U.S Botanical Gardens. It was pretty awesome to see me and my photos hangin in the museum!
The trip to DC was a great. I was humbled to get to see my work in the Smithsonian and it was a blast to see new parks, make new friends, and see friends and family.
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Eventually we made it our way to the Mill Creek drainage and were greeted with great mountain views. We hiked along the trail, taking in more views, past the Odessa Lake Trail cutoff, until we made it to Fern Lake.
Once we arrived at camp, we tossed some beers in the lake and relaxed the rest of the evening, taking in the views. That night was clear, so I took the opportunity to take some photos of the stars, just shortly after dark.
That night we made a plan to hike to Odessa Lake for sunrise the following day. We set off in the dark and rolled up just in time for first light on the Little Matterhorn. It was our first time to the area, so we explored around the lake before heading back to camp.
Back at camp we made breakfast, went for a swim, and got ready for a hike up to Loomis Lake, just above Spruce Lake. We headed up to the patrol cabin on the way to check it out.v While I was trying my shoes on the front steps, a short-tailed weasel stuck his head out from around the corner and I was able to grab a shot of him before he ran back into the woods. Quick little bugger!
On the way up to Loomis we found a really cool little waterfall and a small pond. We hung out at the lake for a little while, jumped in and swam, and then headed back to camp to meet up with friends hiking in for the night.
Back in camp we found out our friends resupplied us with more beer and a bottle of Tequila. We all hung out at the lake to take in the sunset. A great day of relaxing in the mountains.
The last morning was another beautiful one. We slept in a bit, so by the time we work up the morning light was gone, but it was still enough for some nice reflection photos.
We packed up and hiked back to the car at Fern Lake. Once we dropped back down in elevation we hit some more aspen groves in fall color. A great bookend to an even better trip!
Trip notes: We hiked around 14 miles with 2700' elevation gain in 3 days. A really nice relaxing trip. Since we did two nights, we were able to hike light and fast on the layover day. I'm not a big fisherman, but our friends that fish were able to catch a bunch. So if you're into fishing this is a great spot. Since the lakes aren't that far in, we also did see a lot of day hikers, which isn't my favorite in the backcountry. But this park is fairly small and most every backcountry spot is also within day hiking distance. Overall, it was a fun trip and I'd visit again!
After a long and steady climb, we made it to Thunder just as the sun was setting behind the ridge. We made dinner and watched the sun set.
We had a fairly full moon during our trip so I took the opportunity to take some night photos of the lake. The following morning we had a spectacular sunrise so I spent a while exploring around the lake and the outlet.
After breakfast we set out to explore towards Lion and Snowbank Lakes.
Once we got above the trees we pulled out the map to see if we could get a better lay of the land. We had seen a lot of these peaks before, but from the northern side looking south. We continued on along a creek uphill until we found more lakes and streams.
Once we started heading back towards camp, we decided it was time to crack our beers and eat lunch. We found a nice rock in the sun and laid out like marmots.
In addition to the named lakes, there are also a bunch of small patches of shallow water, which allows for things to stay green fairly late into the year.
The next day we hike out the same way we came in, and stopped at Ouzel Falls again. Solid end to a great trip.
Trip notes: We hiked just shy of 19 miles with 3800' elevation gain. As I mentioned, the best part of the hike is at the Lake and beyond. That means it's very nice to have at least one layover day to explore the alpine area. You could probably spend more than one day up there if you wanted. It also looks like you can hike to Thunder and continue on over the pass to Grand Lake. Seems like a crazy long day, but would be cool to hike from one end of the park to the other in a day.
It was slow going, but the views were nice. Especially once we made it above tree line.
After slogging it uphill for a few hours we made it to camp and set up our tents. The weather moved in and the wind picked up. But we didn't let that ruin our spirits. We hung out in the clouds after dinner, enjoyed a few beers and called it an early night so we could wake up for a sunrise summit.
That night the wind picked up and holy moly was it hard to sleep. Even with the wind break, the tent was folding down and smacking us in the face all night. I'd be surprised if I was able to get a solid 2 hours that night. The next morning the wind had calmed down a bit and Corrie woke me up and told me I needed to get out of the tent. It was one of the best sunrises I've ever seen. We were so high it was like watching the sunrise from a plane.
Unfortunately, it also snowed overnight and the Keyhole Route that we planned to do was fairly icy according to the climbing ranger. He also said it was unlikely to improve according to the forecast. We had a couple friends that planned to meet up for the morning, so we explored the views around camp before they arrived and we had to break the news.
It's crazy how fast the weather was changing being in the clouds. If you sat in one place, the weather would go from sunny to cloudy and back in 60 seconds.
Once the rest of our group arrived we made the decision to pack up camp and head back to the trailhead. Even though it was breakfast time, we thought it would be silly to carry all the beer back to the trailhead. So at 9 in the morning we started shotgunning beers at nearly 13K feet elevation. It was simultaneously the best and worst idea. The hike out was interesting!
Trip notes: Doing Longs Peak as a day hike is about 14 miles and 5K feet gain. Ideally you're supposed to summit late morning so you can be heading down before the typical afternoon thunderstorms. Our plan to stay in the Boulderfield was sound. It would give us the maximum amount of time in the mountains, but ultimately you can't control the weather. Doing it as a day hike does provide more flexibility since you don't need a permit. So take that info as you will. Even though we didn't summit, we did have a blast and everyone was glad we did the trip. Sometimes the curveballs make for a better story in the end. We did get some great views from Chasm Overlook and Mount Lady Washington, so we didn't get skunked completely.
Then just as we started to come out of the trees we were greeted with Timberline falls. This is a great waterfall and you actually have to climb through a small portion of the falls in order to continue on to Lake of Glass, Sky Pond, and Taylor Glacier. I was very surprised that this is an NPS trail because of the class 3 scramble required. If you were to fall there could be some serious injuries. But as I would soon find out, there was a reason that people of all ages and skill levels make the trek.
Once we got past the falls we made it to Lake of Glass. A few of us decided to jump in for a swim to cool off and completely get rid of the morning hangover. From there we suited back up and made for Sky Pond.
Once we got past Lake of Glass and into the krummholtz, the flowers were everywhere. Columbines, gentians, bistort, primrose, louseworts, and more. It was really spectacular to see all the varieties with an amazing backdrop.
Columbines near Lake of Glass
Once we mad it to Sky Pond we stopped and had lunch. It was only 8:30 in the morning and the weather was looking great so Jon and I decided to push on up valley to explore more of the area. In the distance we could see what looked like a terminal moraine and the promise of an unnamed tarn so we headed around the right-hand side of the lake and made our way up.
Once we made it to the top of the moraine we were a little disappointed to find that there was no tarn, just ice and rock. The disappointment soon faded as we turned around and had this view from around 11.5K ft. Once we were at the top we were able to look over the entire valley and we decided to make our way back along a different route to explore the lush meadow on the other side of the lake.
Just as we made it to the falls we looked behind us and the clouds started to roll in. We headed back to the car only stopping for a short snack and to filter water. When we were about 2 miles away from the trailhead we heard our first thunder so we started hiking at maximum speed. We were surprised to see how many people were STARTING their hikes when lightning and thunder were rolling in. We made an effort to to inform people that we were seeing lightning, but no one seemed to care. Then as we were crossing the bridge we also saw a group of people drinking directly out of the stream that flows out of Bear Lake. We kindly told him that doing that wasn't the best idea because of the potential for giardia and cryptosporidium but he replied, "Don't knock it 'til you try it." So it seems that no matter how hard you try to help people make good choices you just gotta let them do their own thing. Just as we made it back to the Bear Lake parking lot the sky opened up and lighting was crashing directly overhead. We lucked out and only had to run about 50 yards in the rain before making it safely back to the car.
This hike was one of the best day hikes I have done in Rocky to date. If you have the chance to make it up there I highly recommend it. To make it past Sky Pond you will need some route-finding and scrambling skills but it is totally doable if you take your time. I think next week I plan on hiking either Meeker or the Shark's Tooth. If anyone out there has done either I would love some input if you have any. Looking forward to getting back out there soon and I'll be sure to share the photos!
Lastly I added a slideshow of the flowers that we saw along the hike as well as some video of the trail.
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I later came to find out that the mountains were Chapin (12,454 ft), Chiquita (13,069 ft), and Ypsilon (13,520 ft). It is a popular hike that starts along the Old Fall River Road. The problem is that last year that road was washed out from the flood and is closed this year. So I kinda put that out of my mind until I started looking at the map a little closer and realized that with the road being out, it would only add about 3 miles and 800ft of climbing if I hiked from the Alpine Visitor Center. So after thinking about it for a couple days I decided to give it a shot. The goal was to at least summit Chiquita so that I could get break my PR of 12.5 and get over 13K to see how the altitude would affect me. The other issue is that the weather was calling for lightning in the afternoon so we would have limited time. The previous day there was a lightning strike on the Ute trail at 11.5K ft injuring seven and killing one so we weren't going to push our luck. We decided to start our hike at 5:30 am right at daybreak from the Alpine Visitor Center and headed down the Old Fall River Road.
From there we walked the 1.5 mile social trail through the woods until we got to the Chapin pass trail and the start of the official trail to the summits.
The plan for the day was to hit the summits of Chiquita and Ypsilon first and if time/weather allowed to then hit Chapin on the way down.
We had been hiking all day and had not seen a single soul. As my hiking buddies were eating I headed over to the ridge to scope out the views and I started to hear voices from below the ridge. I thought I was going crazy at first but then two dudes popped up on the ridge in front of me and I was able to grab a shot of them. Apparently they had hiked up from Lawn Lake trailhead which is a silly-long hike.
As we started our descent the afternoon clouds started to roll in on us so we headed straight for tree line but I was able to grab a couple of shots on the way down.
We made it back to treeline and eventually the road for the last 1.5 miles. This really sucked because after you just did this bomber hike you now have to climb another ~800ft to get back to the visitor center. The weather continued to clear and then cloud until we reached the visitor center and then it started to rain. We planned it just right. We did around 11.5 miles with 3,500 ft of climbing in 7.5 hours. We were able to take in some great views, explore a new part of the park, and also summit my first and second 13K ft peaks. We made it back home just in time for the sky to open up and then we heard sirens racing into the park where we would later find out that a second person died of lightning in 2 days. That shit is no joke.
Trip Notes: I highly recommend this hike if you get the chance, the only problem is that they will be closing the road to all traffic in the near future so they can begin construction to repair it. If nothing else, keep it on the list for future visits to the park once the road is open for business.
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Back Yard Alpenglow
Pink Trees
Ypsilon, Chiquita, and Chapin Sunset
Ute Trail Alpine
Ute Trail Hiker in the Apline
Honeymoon Over Bear Lake
Meeker and Longs from Estes Cone
Morning in Moraine Park
Sprague Lake Reflections
Sunset and Lava Cliffs From 12K ft
Sunset on CCY
Sunset over Deer Mountain
Meeker and Longs Peak
View from Sundance Mountain
Hallet Mountain and Tyndal Glacier Panorama
Hazy Sunset From Sundance Mountain (2)
Hazy Sunset Panorama
Milky Way and Sky Glow Over Bear Lake
Field of Dreams
Evening Beers
South Ute Trail Ridge Sunset (2)
Pond Near Lake Hiyaha
Elk Calf in the Alpine
Moose Cow in the Field
Pika in the Boulder Field
Pika with Avens
Chipmunk Profile
Backyard Coyote
Wood Lily with Lady Bug - Lilium philadelphicum
Brownie Lady's Slipper - Cypripedium fasciculatum
Plains Pricklypear - Opuntia polyacantha
Ball Cactus - Escobaria vivipara
Snow Buttercup - Ranunculus adoneus
Great-horned Owl
Violet Green Swallow - Tachycineta thalassina
Broad-tailed Hummingbird - Selasphorus platycercus
Broad-tailed Hummingbird (4) - Selasphorus platycercus
Broad-tailed Hummingbird Feeding on Golden Banner
Clark's Nutcracker - Nucifraga columbiana
Mountain Bluebird with Feather - Sialia currucoides
American Pipit Ground Nest
Wilson's Warbler - Cardellina pusilla
Ill be sure to keep posting as I get more. I hope everyone is doing well, and enjoying their summers. Life is certainly good here. No update on any job prospects here yet. I'll let you know when I know! Thanks and I'll talk you to all soon.
]]>To give you a little background on The Yampa, it is roughly 46 miles long, its waters come from Steamboat Springs, and it is the last large free-flowing tributary of the Colorado River System. Every year without a dam to stop it, the Yampa dumps huge amounts of woody matter into the Green, which is the starting point for all life in river systems. This woody matter feeds microorganisms and up the chain it goes to fish, fish to birds, etc. To put it another way, the Yampa is the lifeline of the Green River now that the Green is dammed. Yampa Canyon has been inhabited for more than 8,000 years and is evident in the form of rock art, prehistoric ruins, as well as historic ruins from late 19th century settlers.
These days, Dinosaur sees only about 12K boaters on the Yampa and the Green combined each year. To summarize, this park is an under-utilized and under-appreciated resource. Each time I visit I find out more about this amazing place and its spectacular diversity. So here is my attempt to convey how special a place Yampa Canyon is and how awesome of a time I had on my trip.
Arrival: I arrived to Dinosaur on the Quarry side and organized all my gear and food for the trip. I finished early and had a few hours to kill so I decided to go out for a walk to see what sort of wildlife was in the area. I was surprised to find lots of birds including barn swallows, chipping sparrows, say’s phoebes, western meadowlarks, spotted towhees, and even a few new species for me: bullock’s oriole, lark sparrow, and a western kingbird. I also found out that the park has marmots, which is totally crazy to me because I am used to seeing them in alpine ecosystems, not in the desert. I hadn’t even started my trip yet and I was already finding lots of cool stuff to photograph.
Day 1: We all met up at Park HQ made introductions, loaded the boats, and made for Deer Lodge. The two boatmen, Peter and Chris, have a combined 30+ years of experience in Dinosaur so I knew I was in for a great trip. The main purpose of the trip was to float me down and take photos of the Yampa for the park. In addition to the photos, the support team was keeping an eye out for leafy spurge, an invasive plant, so that they could pick it along the way.
As we shoved off from Deer Lodge, the first stops we made were at the Henry Shank Cabin and “Fin” Chapman Dugout and 2-holer. They are both along the Yampa River before you enter the Canyon. I have seen some pretty great outdoor toilets in my life, and the 2-holer’s view is up there among the greats, but it is really special because it allows for a friend to join you.
Once we entered the Canyon, high canyon walls immediately surrounded us. Our camp for the evening was at Anderson Hole and we arrived in time to go on a short hike up one of the drainages. Along the way we were finding lots of fossils including crinoids, brachiopods, and ammonites. After the crew finished picking spurge, we headed back to camp just in time for a great sunset with rainbow along the river. We were even joined by a western grebe, which is also a new bird for me.
Day 2: The next day we got up and it was spitting rain, but cleared up by late morning. From Anderson Hole Campground there is a small Cabin in disrepair called Stubbs Cabin. If you stick your head in you can see the original stove and cabinets etc. It even had biological soil crusts growing on the roof, which means its pretty freaking old. From there we hit the river and we made our first stop after Teepee Rapid and hiked to the Matt Rash Cabin. Along the way there were lots of cool wildflowers and great views of the shape of the Canyon.
Then we headed to Big Joe where we would grab lunch, scout the rapid and hike up the side canyon. As we made our way up the canyon we were greeted with great views of the river and some pretty impressive geology. After Big Joe we stopped and hiked up to Signature Cave, whose name is obvious once you make it in. The walls are covered in signatures and pictographs of all the people who had made their way to the cave before us. The cave also doubles as a hanging garden and we found some shooting stars, which are one of my favorite flowers. If you ever see one be sure to take a smell. One of my coworkers in Denali told me they smell like grape kool-aid and I was surprised to find out that they indeed do.
We pulled into Mathers Hole campground where it was my turn to make dinner. As we were sitting under the Box elders eating delicious dinner, we were surround by little yellow birds singing and darting from tree to tree. I was able to grab a nice shot and figured out that they were Yellow Warblers, which is another new bird for me. By the time I made it up to the campsite it was already dark so I didn’t have an opportunity to see how cool of a spot we were in, but I would find out soon enough.
Day 3: My personal philosophy when shooting is that you only need to get one “keeper” any day that you shoot. Once I get that photo, the pressure is off for the remainder of the day and any additional keepers I get are icing on the cake. One of my favorite things is to wake up and immediately get that shot out of the way, and this was one of those days. I awoke to the sounds of birds and the sight of an awesome sunrise about to happen. Adrenaline kicked in and I jumped out of my bag and grabbed my camera. It was so awesome to watch the sun slowly creep down this massive overhang, continually changing the scene. After taking a few shots up by the place we slept I ran down to the river just in time for me to take my favorite shot of the trip.
After the great sunrise we jumped on the river. The next stop was for lunch and a quick hike up to Pat Lynch’ Cave. Then we jumped on the boat, floated to the other side and hiked to Mantle Cave where we found some great Fremont ruins and granaries. Our last stop before entering Outlaw Park was to some pictographs overlooking the river.
Once we made it into Lower Yampa the Canyon the light was just amazing. We were greeted with amazing canyon views around each corner and as the water grew still I knew that we were nearing the rapids. We were now on Warm Springs “lake.” It was the calm before the storm.
Eventually we made it to the rapids where we got out to scout. After a good 20 minutes Pete and Chris had their lines scouted and we made our game plan. Both boats made near perfect lines past Godzilla, over Ledge, and past Maytag. It was the crux of our trip and we were out of it barely even wet. It was a huge relief since a few boats had already flipped there earlier in the season. Once we were out of the rapids we pulled over at our campsite and were greeted with amazing afternoon light. After a nice dinner it was off to bed so we could take an early morning to hike at the Confluence (Green and Yampa), now only a few miles away.
Day 4: We hit the river early and made it to the confluence around 9 am. We decided that we were going to hike the Outlaw Trail to the ridgeline where we would be able to look down on Lodore Canyon and the confluence. This is when having experienced people like Pete and Chris with us REALLY started to show. Pete is also a photographer and a history buff. One of the cool projects that he has taken upon himself is to do repeat photos of early explorers that came to Dinosaur. This hike was to one of those spots. Needless to say it was breathtaking, in more than one way.
After the hike we stopped at the confluence to eat lunch and then went for a short hike in Lower Echo Park. On the way to find some rock art we came across some huge elk sheds that appeared to be from the year before, 8 in total. After getting back on the river we came across a family of Canada Geese, a Desert Bighorn ewe and lamb, and another new bird for me, the lazuli bunting.
Then the wind started to pick up so we pulled into camp and hunkered down for the remainder of the night. Since this was the last night, I was really interested in getting some night photos. All the other nights had been somewhat of a bust. So I woke up at about 2 am to clouds and rain, but I decided to wait it out a little and I am glad that I did.
Day 5: This was the day that we would be taking out. It was a cold and rainy morning and I was not looking forward to sitting on the boat. We pushed on and wouldn’t you know it, the sun decided to make an appearance and it turned out to be the hottest day of the trip, which was great because we had a few rapids in Split Mountain to go through.
Along the way we stopped to see the bison petroglyph and to look at a bald eagle’s nest in Island Park. It is actually the first documented nest in the area. We made pretty good time through Island Park and geared up for the last rapids of the trip. With the water running pretty high it made for some fun splashy rapids and some great photo ops.
Trip notes: After getting to do Lodore last year and Yampa this year, I would say that this place is quickly creeping up the list of my favorite parks. It has world-class geology, amazing human history, amazing rivers, opportunities for wilderness experiences and solitude, diverse wildlife, amazing hiking, oh, and dinosaur fossils. If you get the chance to visit I can’t recommend it enough. Even if you can't get on the river, just get away from the paved roads. I guarantee you won’t be sorry.
Our first camp was on a beach, with great views of the Wingate. We even got in a few games of bocce after dinner.
The next morning we went on a hike near Turks Head to check out these cool petroglyph panels.
After floating all day and drinking, we pulled into camp with another great view. This time we were slightly up a hill on a beach overlooking the river.
Once we got to the confluence and dropped the canoe, we got a sweet camp spot where we would have our layover day. We woke up with a spectacular sunrise, packed up, and started our hike up the “trail.” It turned out to be the most spectacular hike I've done in Canyonlands to date.
The hike was challenging, there were flowers everywhere, spectacular views of the canyon and river, and the weather warm in the sun and cool in the shade. Once we made it up the backside of the canyon we were greeted to the view of Surprise Valley which is a Hoarst and Gräben type valley. It was lush and hidden from view until you walked into it, hence the name I guess. From Surprise Valley we hiked up another route towards the Doll House. On this route we went over more spectacular terrain, through some joints, and eventually popped out in the Cedar Mesa Formation. It was like being back over in the Needles.
Once we made it to the top we had a spectacular view of the entire park. From the Maze we could see Chesler Park, iSky, the La Sals, and the Abajos. We hung out at the top for an hour or so, soaked in the views, then headed back down towards camp just in time for cocktail hour. It was by far my favorite day of the trip.
The following day was the big rapid day. We geared up to get wet and rigged the boats to flip. The first few rapids we went through were only class 2 and 3 and I was able to keep my camera out.
Then I was told that I might want to put it away because we were about to go through our first big wave. As soon as I clipped my dry bag shut the river swallowed our boat momentarily. I was caught so off guard when the wave hit that I had my mouth open from laughing and got a mouth full of dirty-ass river water. Then we had a few more smaller rapids before we got out to scout Big Drop #2 and #3.
Once the boatmen had their line we jumped in the boats and went for it. HOLY SHIT! A big wave train followed by a huge rapid that smashed our boat, almost ejecting our boatman. The other passenger and I high-sided and kept the boat from getting too vertical and flipping. After we made it through the rapid I looked upstream to watch the other boat go through and it was like a mirror image of our boat. They went through the wave train and then were thrashed as they hit Big Drop #2 spinning the boat and forcing the boatman to drop the oars and highside to keep the boat from flipping. Needless to say, once we made it through we were all happy and celebrated with a bottle of champagne.
For the rest of the day it was a smooth float with towering canyon walls, and a nice current. Now that the lake is so low, the river is taking over again and slowing washing all of the sediment further downstream. The last day on the river was a cold one right from the start. We woke up to a windstorm rolling through the canyon and eventually the rain rolled in as well. We shared rowing duties to keep warm in the wind and rain and pulled into Hite around 11 am.
Trip notes: Overall, we floated around 100 miles. It was a great trip and it made me like Canyonlands even more than I already did. Layover days on the river are awesome, it's like backpacking and waking up in the backcountry but with less work. When we made it to camp each night, we were treated to some of the best food I've eaten in a long time. One of the couples on the trip used to guide in the area. It was a treat to be able to float down the river with such great company who knew the area so well. It’s gonna be hard to beat this last trip, but rest assured I will certainly try.
Full Moon Sunset from Yavapai Point
The following day we packed and then started down the South Kaibab trail for a night at Bright Angel Campground and Havasupai Gardens. I really wasn’t sure what to expect from the trail but damn is that thing steep. We had the trail to ourselves for the most part. The trail work is pretty cool to see, lots and lots of switchbacks.
Hiking down the South Kaibab Trail
Hiking Down the South Kaibab Panorama
After a few miles and few thousand feet down, we got our first views of the Colorado River. There were plenty of amazing views, but it was definitely a relief to see the campground. All the downhill with a heavy pack takes a toll on your joints.
Overlooking Phantom Ranch
The lack of shade, increasing temperature, dust, and the constant downhill was starting to wear on my knees and ankles. But on we went.
Hiking the Final Stretch of the South Kaibab
Hermit Shale Colored Boots
Blooming Prickly Pear Cactus Along the South Kaibab
Exploring Near Boat Beach
Bright Angel Creek Looking Upstream
But once we made it down to Phantom Ranch we headed to the canteen for some lemonade and cheap beer. We changed shoes and headed to the river to cool off, explore around, and watch the sunset.
Bright Angel Creek Looking Downsream
Sunset Along the Colorado
The next morning we were pretty beat so we didn't get up early. We only had a few miles to get to our next spot, so we weren't too worried about it. We finally saw some wildlife on this stretch.
The Colorado Near Pipe Springs Creek
Yellow-backed Spiny Lizard
Male Queen Butterfly
We rolled into camp that afternoon and took the time to relax in the shade. We hiked out to Plateau Point for sunset and decided to make our dinner out there versus staying in camp. Turned out to be a solid move.
Bolting Agave
Plateau Point
Pleateau Point Evening Light
20180324-jwf-5516-panoNPS / Jacob W. Frank
20180324-jwf-5557-panoNPS / Jacob W. Frank
When we made it back to camp it was mostly dark, but we could hear frogs calling. After a little exploring we found this little canyon tree frog.
Canyon Tree Frog
We enjoyed our sunset from the night before we thought we should do it again for sunrise. Again, didn't disappoint.
20180325-jwf-5629NPS / Jacob W. Frank
20180325-jwf-5637NPS / Jacob W. Frank
We headed back to camp, packed up and started making our way back up to the rim. We had 3K more feet to climb in about 5 miles. It was an overcast day but I still was sweating like a beast. Again, we had the trail mostly to ourselves until we got within a mile of the rim. We started seeing people in flip flops who smelled good, we knew we weren't far from the top! The hike out of the canyon isn’t terrible in the spring, but I can’t imagine doing it in the summer when it’s hot outside. We made it out just in time for the bad weather to roll in, grabbed some beers, and then grilled out before crashing early.
Morning Hike on Bright Angel
Morning Light Overlooking Indian Gardens
Trip notes: We hiked a little over 20 miles with the trips out to Plateau Point with a vertical mile in elevation gain. The thing I'm not a fan of about canyon hiking is that it's all down, or all up. Your muscles rarely get a break with varied terrain. Starting early was also a good move, it's usually much hotter in the canyon even if it feels nice on the rim. Usually less breeze and 3 degrees warmer for every thousand feet. Then add the radiant heat of the rocks in the afternoon as they have been baking in the sun all day. I had a blast and I would do it again. If you plan way ahead you can order dinner at the ranch instead of just buying drinks like we did.
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Bonus: We stayed an extra couple days on the rim and figured I could share some other sunrise/set pics. Enjoy!
20180320-jwf-4982NPS / Jacob W. Frank
20180323-jwf-5349NPS / Jacob W. Frank
20180320-jwf-4990NPS / Jacob W. Frank
20180321-jwf-5032NPS / Jacob W. Frank
20180323-jwf-5235NPS / Jacob W. Frank
20180329-jwf-6023-panoNPS / Jacob W. Frank
20180329-jwf-6046NPS / Jacob W. Frank
20180329-jwf-6093NPS / Jacob W. Frank
20180329-jwf-6139NPS / Jacob W. Frank
Once we left the Grand Canyon, we head to the "Land of Canyons" for a six-day river trip on the Green River.
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Since being in the Four Corners area for the past year I have seen lots of cool Ancestral Puebloan archeological sites like Mesa Verde National Park, but Bandelier was a refreshing and new experience. The site itself is totally different because of the type of rock that they were surrounded by. Instead of the typical sandstone, it’s a compressed volcanic ash that has lots of solution pockets that looks like Swiss cheese. In addition to building freestanding houses, they also took advantage of these naturally occurring caves/pockets in the rock and further dug into the hillsides. It is a very unique canyon and was well worth the trip. In addition to the dwellings, the park also has terrain above 10K feet. In fact, it has the southernmost population of pika in North America. We climbed Cerro Grande, 10,199 ft to look for them but were unsuccessful because we were unaware that we needed to go off trail in order to find them. The park is very beautiful but had recently been hammered by a flash flood in the canyon followed by a bad fire, so they are in the process of rebuilding areas of the park. Still, it’s worth a few-day visit if you like to hike.
Pecos National Historic Site
On the way to Grand Canyon we found a couple smaller parks, Pecos National Historic Site and Petroglyph National Monument. We decided to do a half-day for each. Pecos is the crossroads for so many historical things its ridiculous. Ancestral Puebloan, Spanish, Missionaries, Santa Fe Trail, Civil War Battle and prospectors all made their way to Pecos at some point. If I got to do it all over again I would spend a full day there because there was so much to take in. They have great exhibits and a museum with lots of pieces found on site including intact puebloan pots, Spanish swords, bullets from the Civil War battle etc.
Petroglyph National Monument
After Pecos we hit the road we made it to Petroglyph with enough time to hike in Boca Negra Canyon where there are some really great petroglyphs. The thing that surprised me most about this monument is that it is basically in Albuquerque. When you're hiking through these great rock fields, you're essentially in someone’s backyard. The development backs right up to the monument. All the more reason that I really dig the NPS because they protect sites like this from going away forever.
As we started our drive to Grand Canyon we were planning on camping until we drove right into a dust storm. It was the first time that I checked the weather on my iPhone and it said “Dust.” So we pulled over and grabbed a hotel in Holbrook, AZ for the night. When we checked in I gave the guy my zip code for my credit card and it turns out that that he used to live right down the street from where I grew up in Florida, small world.
When we finally made it to Grand Canyon we grabbed a permit for a couple nights in the Canyon, one at Phantom Ranch, and one at Indian Gardens.
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We found some interesting looking plants and pedestals along the way.
Once we had camp set up, we decided to wander further west into the dunes.
Eventually the sky exploded with color over the white gypsum dunes.
The moon was pretty bright out once the sun first set. We sat out in our camp chairs and enjoyed the breeze. Eventually the moon set, and the stars came out for us. We spent a little while looking for shooting stars before we hit the sack.
The following morning we were greeted to a beautiful sunrise. We ate breakfast and hiked back to the car.
Trip notes:I recommend camping out overnight in the backcountry because you basically get the park to yourself, get to watch the sunset, get deep into the untouched dunes, and then you get to be in the park at night. It’s a super beautiful place but the surrounding towns are starting to kill the dark night sky with all the light pollution.
From there we headed to Santa Fe for the night to grab much-needed showers and then head up to Bandelier National Monument for a few nights.
After about a month on the road of hiking, backpacking, and rafting, I have TON of photos to share. So I'm going to start at the top and write a few blogs for all of the parks we visited.
This was the ultimate go with the flow, little/last minute planning roadtrip. Most of the time it worked out well, but there were definitely a few hiccups where some good buddies saved the day by bailing us out. Because we were going to be backpacking in a few of the parks we first had to roll through Cortez, CO and visit the good people at Osprey Packs to get some TLC on both of our packs. Not to pitch it too hard, but I can’t say enough good things about Osprey. Their gear is top notch and in the rare instance that it breaks on you, they will bend over backward to get you back on the trail. We showed up with two packs and the repair office had fixed both in about an hour. Now that we had our gear we hit the road south for the Land of Enchantment.
We pulled into El Malpais just in time to hit the visitor center, get the lay of the land, and get a free caving permit. Then we got a free campsite for a few nights at El Morro Campground so that we would have the chance to hike and explore the lava tubes in El Malpais and explore the trails in El Morro. I want to preface with the fact that I didn’t know anything about either monument upon arrival. I'm so glad that I had the chance to explore both of them. I would consider them “sleeper parks” because they fly under the radar for most people. After talking with the ranger at the El Malpais Visitor Center, we decided to check out Big Skylight, Junction, and Giant Ice caves. It was like being transported to Hawaii. Dormant cinder cone, shield, splatter cone, etc. type volcanoes were everywhere. And if you have ever been to landscape that has had lava flows you know how rugged it is. But somehow life finds a way. Trees, shrubs, and flowers all grow directly out of the ‘a’a lava flows. The first cave we got to was Big Skylight Cave, which was very cool. It’s a giant lava tube that is slowly collapsing in on itself, forming lava skylights and bridges. We hiked all the way to the back of the cave and as we got further and further away from the entrance the light slowly faded until we were in complete darkness. After exploring that cave we hiked to Giant Ice Cave, and then Junction Cave. Junction cave was great for photography because it was a little smaller than either of the other two caves and was long and fairly straight. We had a few bats flying around inside the cave, also very cool.
The next day we packed up and hiked around in El Morro. There is only about 2.5 miles of trail in the monument but it is a very unique place. It is the only guaranteed water source in the area for miles and has attracted people for hundreds of years including ancestral puebloans, the Spanish, surveyors etc. indicated through sandstone inscriptions. It’s a very small monument but if you are in the area it’s definitely worth a stop.
After hiking the loop we got back on the road headed for Carlsbad Caverns National Park. I've done some extensive exploring there so I'll just link to an old blog if you're interested in seeing photos. But while we were there we hit the Natural Entrance, Big Room, King's Palace, Hall of the White Giant, Lower Cave, and Spider Cave.
After Carlsbad Caverns we headed to White Sands National Monument to backpack in the dunes for the evening.
]]>We headed out over Elephant hill in my buddy’s 4x4 vehicle out to the Joint Trail just in time for the sunset and full moonrise. From there we hiked up Chesler Wash under the full moon where we camped out in the wash. The next morning we woke up and scouted a route up a Chesler Wash tributary that would hopefully take us into Butler Wash. As we made our way up the canyon we were making good time until we found a difficult obstacle to climb with our overnight packs on. My buddy had a climbing rope on him so we decided to scramble up the feature and pull our packs up via the rope. Once we made it over that obstacle we were greeted with a spectacular view of Chesler Wash.
As we continued up Butler Wash we found some cool stuff along the way including some deer antlers and a fossil.
If any of you have ever hiked in the desert you know how important and difficult it is to find water. A friend of ours had told us a general area where he found water once in the past so that was our immediate goal. We were told that we would see a petroglyph panel and that water would be in drainage near the panel. So as we got to the area where we were supposed to find the panel I ran out of water, and we only had a few liters between the 3 of us. So if we weren’t able to find water, we would have to turn around and bail on the trip. So you can imagine the joy we felt when we saw this in the distance.
In addition to the panel, we also found potsherds, hand pictographs, lithics, and WATER!! Finding a good source of water in the desert is always a reason for celebration. Now that we were good to push on, we headed into Starvation Pocket where we would find some elk and mountain lion tracks. We then setup camp just in time to enjoy a nice sunset and moonrise.
The last day we decided to take a different route to avoid having to down climb the feature the day before. We made it up butler wash very easily but had a difficult time finding a way down into Chesler Wash. Our route kept getting cliffed or pinched out so we just kept probing until we found a way through where we were greeted with another great view of Chesler Wash.
Eventually we made our way back to the wash and then the car. We started our drive back home and decided to take a side trip to the confluence overlook, which is the confluence of the Green and Colorado Rivers. This is the also the river that we hope to float later in April. So all in all is was a blast of a trip. Utah in March is pretty amazing and I am looking forward to getting back here next month.
Trip notes: We ended up hiking around 15 miles total, mostly flat. This area can be very difficult to overnight unless you are willing to carry all your water, or, have some good intel on where to find water like we did. Every trip I do in Canyonlands is awesome and it seems to keep moving up on my list of favorite parks.
Arches National Park
Antelope Canyon
Bears Ears National Monument
Black Canyon of the Gunnison
Bryce Canyon National Monument
Canyonlands National Park
Capitol Reef National Park
Crack Canyon Wilderness
Great Sand Dunes National Park
Hovenweep National Monument
Mesa Verde National Park
Natural Bridges National Monument
Saguaro National Park
San Juan River
Ute Mountain Ute Tribal Park
Kiva Entrance
Moonrise in Mesa Verde
Spruce Tree House
Petroglyph Trail
Petroglyph Trail Viewpoint
Lizard Profile
Collared Lizard
Horny Toad - The Grandfather
New Growth Panorama
Long-eared Owl
Black-headed Grosbeak
Spotted Towhee
Swainson's Thrush
Western Tanager
Black-chinned Hummingbird
Female Rufous Hummingbird
South Loop Prater Ridge
Sunset Along the Park Road
Square Tower Group
Cliff Palace Tower Sunset
Camouflaged Grasshopper
Cotton-tail Rabbit
Foraging Deer Closeup
Mule Deer Bucks in Velvet
Nursing Fawn and Doe
Mesa Verde Coyote
Balcony House Kiva
Soda Canyon Overlook
Spruce Tree House Kiva Entrance
Hazy Shiprock from Park Point
Park Point View
Point Lookout Sunset
Park Entrance Sunset
Sleeping Ute and Abajo Sunset
Lightning From Balcony House
Mesa Verde Milky Way
Point Lookout and Milky Way
Balcony House Star Trails
Glowing Kivas in Blacony House
Shrouded Point Lookout
Mug House
View From Mug House
View From Long House
Long House Kiva
Long House Alcolve
Back in 2010, I went on a 30-day road trip where we visited 14 national parks. Capital Reef was one of them, but by accident. On our drive west from Natural Bridges, we just happened to drive through the park without knowing that there was a national park there. It was one of the best accidents that could have happened, because it's such a gem of a place. I knew I wanted to come back for a visit during September when the orchards were fruiting.
So, when I moved to Monticello, UT, a return trip was high on the list and it was finally time. We arrived in Fruita and could see many of the trees were ripe and ready for picking.
We stocked up on a few bags of peaches and pears. We ate a bunch and also picked a bunch to take home to make a pie or two.
After the orchards, we headed out to Panorama Point to scout some locations for the night sky. Chimney Rock was a suggestion high on the list.
After taking in the sunset, we headed back to camp to grab some dinner and rest before out night hike to view the stars. We had a few visitors to our camp, including a fawn mule deer and a northern flicker.
That night we hiked out to the spot we scouted and I set up my tripod. After a few exposures, I finally lined my composition up the way I wanted.
One thing I didn't account for was that my spot was perpendicular to the highway. So when an eastbound car started lighting up Chimney Rock and surround cliffs, I thought my shot was ruined. But to my surprise, it was the perfect amount of light to give a proper exposure of the cliffs and the sky. What another great happy accident!
Then next morning we made our way down scenic drive to hike Capital Gorge Trail to Pioneer Register and the Tanks. The Pioneer Register has a ton of names, dates, and places carved, painted, and in one case, shot, into the sandstone. Prospectors, explorers, surveyors, cowboys, area settlers, and early visitors would often stand on their wagons to carve their names into the canyon wall. It's high on the wall, out of the flood high-water mark, but still pretty cool to see.
Beyond the Pioneer Register, we kept hiking through the canyons and up the wash until we arrived at The Tanks.
They're giant potholes that hold rainwater and snowmelt, which support life in the desert when it it's normally hot and dry. They also have small critters living in them, like tadpole shrimp.
After our hike we headed back to Fruita to get in the shade of the trees and beat the heat. We also explored more orchards and some petroglyphs.
Once it cooled a bit, we headed back out for more exploring. We hiked the short distance out to the Goosenecks Overlook, which overlooks Sulphur Creek. It's supposed to be a fun off-trail route, but it was a little long for us this trip.
Instead, we hiked from the visitor center up the wash behind The Castle. The geology back there was super interesting with a lot of various geologic layers and cool erosion features.
The next day we moved camp from Fruita down to Cedar Mesa, a primitive campground. The park is long and skinny, and this campground is better located for the more rugged activities of the park. It's also where you get to explore the geologic feature the Waterpocket Fold.
The Waterpocket Fold is the parks main feature and it's almost 100-miles long. It formed between 50 and 70 million years ago and erosion of the tilted rock layers continues today forming colorful cliffs, massive domes, soaring spires, stark monoliths, twisting canyons, and graceful arches. Simply put, it's freaking awesome. The first thing we did is drive up Burr Canyon, through Upper Muley Twist Canyon, and hiked out to the Strike Valley Overlook. One of the cool features along the way is Saddle Arch.
When we saw the view, we realized it was gonna be a great place to watch the sunset, so we hiked back to the car to grab food and beers.
The hike through Upper Muley Twist Canyon is short, but scenic.
Back at the overlook we soaked in it. The views are stunning and nearly endless. And our beers were cold. Win-win.
It was a sunset for the books. Back at camp we built a fire to keep warm and take in the stars.
The next morning we headed back to Strike Valley Overlook for one last view, this time with the morning light.
From there we headed south to Surprise Canyon, one of the two accessible slot canyons you can hike. The other is Headquarters Canyon.
In the canyon, the walls towered above us. The further in we went, the higher they got. Eventually there is too much breakdown to keep going, so we found a nice ledge that gave us a nice view before turning around.
Back at the car we had great views of the Henry Mountains in the distance. They are one of the most remote areas in the lower 48 and I heard there's a buffalo herd out there too.
The last thing on the list for the day was to scout out the road to Halls Creek Overlook. For the final day we wanted to hike out to Brimhall Bridge, but we needed to see if our car could make it to the trailhead. Wow, another spectacular view of the Waterpocket Fold, maybe even my favorite view so far.
The next day we came back early and hiked down into the valley, across the wash, and into canyon.
It was much more scrambley than we anticipated, but we were able to make it to the crux. It's a giant tank that you have to swim across, and then pull yourself up and out the other side. Unfortunately, the water was about 3 feet lower than it needed to be for us to climb out. It's probably easier to do in the spring or during the monsoon when the water is higher. So we just turned around and headed back to the car. Still a cool hike.
The hike out was exposed and HOT. Plus we ran out of water. But back at the car we had a cooler full of ice cold water, Tecate, and fresh limes. We hung out for a solid two hours in the shade, drinking and cooling off. Once we were ready to head out, we drove back to Fruita and out along Scenic Drive for sunset. A great end to a great trip.
It's also good that we were planning to leave, because that night the government shut down and the park closed. They let us stay the night in the campground, but the following morning, everyone was asked to leave and they started putting up closure signs.
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I woke up early the following morning, checked out the views of Split Mountain near the campground and saw a couple critters.
After breakfast, we jumped in the car to explore by car. We drive around to the northern parts of the park via Island Park Road. The first stop was at Rainbow Park where we checked out the views along the river and hiked out to some petroglyphs
The next stops along the road was McKee Springs Petroglyphs, Island Park Overlook, and out to the end of the road until it dead ends at the river.
Then we backtracked all the way back around and drove out to Harpers Corner Road to overlook the Canyon. The canyon views are spectacular and we even saw some elk and a moose.
Echo Park 4x4 Road was in decent shape, so we drove down to the confluence to explore around. We would be back here in a few days as part of the river trip.
The last thing we did to round out the whirlwind of a day was to pop in the Quarry Exhibit Hall and nearby trails to check out the dinosaur fossils.
The next day was the start of our river trip. We drove out to the put in at Gates of Lodore and shoved off with a few other larger groups.
The biggest rapids on this section of the river was Disaster Falls, Triplet Falls, and Hells Half Mile. Nothing crazy, but some fun splashy rapids. I took the opportunity to pull over and shoot some groups navigating the rapids.
Our first camp was at Kolb Beach. It was right on the water with some nice canyon views.
In addition to to beautiful canyon views, we had some great wildlife sightings including desert bighorn sheep.
Our next camp was on a beach along near flat water. We has two fishers run through camp briefly, but I wasn't able to get a good photo, just enough for a positive identification.
We set off early and did a quick pitstop at Echo Park. It was pretty busy there so we didn't stay long.
We pulled over at the Jones Hole Campground to stretch our legs and hike up to see some pictographs.
That night our camp along the river was finally out of the canyon so we could see the stars. I hung out for a while after dark to take in the views before calling it a night.
The next day we traveled through Rainbow Park and the final stretch through Split Mountain. The rapids through there were pretty splashy so I kept my camera in the case.
Trip notes: I was blown away by Dinosaur National Monument. It's hard to believe that this place isn't a designated national park. It was great to explore the park by roads, but I feel that I really go to see the park by doing the river trip. This trip was a little over 45 river miles total. I was invited back to do a trip on the Yampa if I can time it correctly, so finger crossed. I definitely want to come back and explore this place even more.
Corrie and I just got back from an afternoon exploring Upper Antelope Canyon on the Navajo Reservation. It's a fairly short slot canyon, but it's extremely popular because you can drive to it and it's beautiful. You need to go with a guide and we had the option to go with a larger group of people or on a photo tour. We opted for the cheaper route, which made it difficult to compose some shots, but they did try to make sure people could get the photos they wanted. Overall, it was a worthwhile visit to see it once, but we probably won't make it back. Here are my favorite shots from our visit!
We just got back from a long weekend of camping and hiking in Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park. It was the first time visiting for both of us. We left after work and arrived to the south rim of the park just as it was getting dark. Turns out there was a star party that night, and we were able to check out a bunch of cool constellations through some huge telescopes.
The next morning we woke up early to take some photos of the viewpoints of the canyon from the road.
Once the visitor center opened, we headed in to get a Wilderness permit so we could "hike" down into the canyon. We were able to secure a permit for the Gunnison Route. It's only 1.5 miles long, but you drop 1,800. In the steepest section, there are chains installed to help you up and down the route.
Once we made it down to the river, we carefully made our way around the bushes of poison ivy and found a nice rock to sit on and have lunch.
Since the weather was calling for high temps, we decided to bring our water filter. I ended up drinking nine liters of water: two on the way down, four at the river, and three on the way up. I would've drank more, but my pack only held three and I ran out on the way up. Turns out you can drink too much water... Just as we made it out of the canyon and back to relatively flat ground, I started getting serious cramps. I would stretch them out, walk for a minute and they would come back. Corrie is an EMT and realized that I was out of salt. She had a packet of Gatorade powder in her pack, but we didn't have water so I just ate it. It was like doing the cracker challenge. Trying to swallow powder without any saliva is, interesting. After I choked it down, my cramps were gone in like ten minutes. Lesson learned, but crazy stuff.
Back at the campground, we made dinner and then went out to the canyon for sunset. Not great light but some cool views of the pegmatite.
The next day we woke up and getting out of the tent was HARD. We had the serious canyon shuffle going on. We ate breakfast and enjoyed the sunrise near camp.
The weather was looking good, so we decided to go on a longer, flatter hike out to Exclamation Point. This turned out to be my favorite view of the canyon. From this angle you get a spectacular view for how steep the canyon walls are.
That evening we explored the viewpoints along the north rim. They are beautiful in a different way. The views on the south rim have grand panoramic views of big, steep walls, which is what the canyon is famous for. On the north side, the canyon seems more weathered and less steep, but it has lots of spires.
The next day we had to drive home, but we decided to go for a short birding hike at sunrise to stretch our legs. We saw a handful of birds and critters, including a curious coyote.
After the hike we headed back to the canyon for one last look before we headed out.
Apart from the loads of poison ivy in the canyon, this was such a fun park to explore. Definitely "hike" into the canyon if you can get a permit and explore the north rim. It was much less developed and crowded, which we preferred. Another awesome trip to a great park!
]]>Back in March, I went on my first San Juan River trip. Recently, I had the opportunity to run the same stretch back-to-back, this time in June and July. The logistics were essentially the same with a few different hiking spots. Here are the highlights from the combined trips!
The most obvious change from these trips and March was the weather. The river was a much lower CFS, warmer, and way clearer. We put on and floated to our first stop: Butler Wash Petroglyphs. You can't do the San Juan without stopping at Butler Wash Panel and the River House.
Back on the river we floated to camp to hang out in the shade/water for the rest of the day to escape the heat.
The next morning, since our group had a permit, we hiked on the Navajo Indian Reservation up Chinle Creek to some archaeological sites.
We got to see the "Baseball Man," which is one of the cooler pictographs I've seen.
We hiked back to the boats and made our way towards the canyon. Just after we shoved off, we floated past this group of wild horses on the reservation.
When we made it to camp it was so hot in the canyon. The hot sun bakes the rock all day long and even after the sun sets, the heat radiates off the rocks into the night. We decided to sleep on the beach instead of pitching a tent. It turned out to be a smart move.
The next morning we shoved off early to beat the heat. We spent a lot of time in the water swimming vs. being in the boat. During the hottest part of the day, literally everyone was out of the boats and in the water. Even though the water was around 80 degrees, it felt much cooler than the 110 degrees air temperature.
We pulled over for a geologic stop to check out some crinoid stems and nautiloid casts. It was my first time learning about those, which were cool to see. Also found a cool spider and some damselflys on a log.
The last time of the river we saw a desert bighorn ewe and lamb, but this time around we saw a couple rams.
There were a surprising amount of birds, too. My favorites we saw were a sandpiper, evening grosbeak, peregrine falcon, spotted towhee, and yellow breasted chat. It's crazy to me that we're in this hot desert, but as long as there's water, there's wildlife.
Also there were lizards this time around. Apparently it was too cold for them in March.
When we made it to Mexican Hat, Corrie had the same epiphany as me about the name of the town.
Even with long sleeves and sunscreen, I'm starting to get a nice desert tan with all these days on the river. Feels good and I can't wait for my next trip!
The following morning we picked up our permit and headed to the Glacier Gorge Trailhead. Our camp spot was only a few miles in, so we dropped our gear and decided to hike up to Andrews Tarn.
The mountain views on the way up to the lake were spectacular. Jagged spires in all directions, lots of wildflowers, and sounds of marmots and pikas echoed around us.
Once we were up at the lake we grabbed some lunch and enjoyed the views.
Once we sat down, we started noticing all the little critters around us. Pika gathering grass for the winter, marmots sunning on the rocks, and even a baby marmot hiding in the rocks.
It's fairly common for afternoon thunderstorms in the CO mountains, so we slowly started making our way back to camp as the clouds started to build.
Back in camp we headed into our tents as the skies opened up. We listened to the rain on the tent and the thunder echo around us. The rest of the evening we hung out in camp and relaxed. The following morning we woke up early and made our way back to the car. We had beautiful weather on the hike out.
Once back at the car we had to head back home, but mad a short detour to take our photo at the sign before we left. A very short, but fun trip to a new national park for me!
Trip notes: even though we only hiked 9 miles, it was tough backpacking at that elevation for the first time. I REALLY felt the altitude at the top of the road just walking around. I made sure to drink a bunch of water and take my time hiking which seemed to help. Looking forward to returning for more trips!
Self Portrait - North Window
Self Portrait - Double Arch
Hiking in the Fiery Furnace
Tafoni
Skull Arch
Tight Squeeze
Delicate Arch
Cloudy Sunset at Delicate Arch
Landscape Arch and LaSal Mountain
Arches Petroglyphs
Map Lichen
Wave of Rock
![Self Portrait - Delicate Arch at Night [Explored 4-15-13]](https://www.jwfrank.com/img/s/v-10/p482613681-5.jpg)
Self Portrait - Delicate Arch at Night [Explored 4-15-13]
Sunrise in Arches
Sunrise at Delicate Arch
The Windows
![Point and Shoot [Explore 6-23-13]](https://www.jwfrank.com/img/s/v-10/p617460036-5.jpg)
Point and Shoot [Explore 6-23-13]
Super Moon and Turret Arch
Dark Angel Sunset
Arches Sunset
Sunset Storm
Courthouse Wash Pictographs
Firey Furnace hiker
Milky Way and Turret Arch
Neal and Kait in the North Window
Morning Light at Landscape Arch
Shades of Red
Walking on Air
Hypnotized by Fire
Tower of Babel and Pipe Organ
Broken Arch Panorama
Tinaja and La Sals
The Windows and La Sals
Eye of the Whale Hikers Silhouette
Eye of the Whale Arch
Pine Tree Arch Hiker
Corrie in Saddle Arch
Dead Piñon Pine and Fins
Self Portrait - Hiking the Fins
Dark Angel
Grazing Deer
The Celebration
IMG_0252
La Sal Sunset
Sand Dune Arch Hiker
![Fresh Snow at Delicate Arch [Explore 2013-12-10]](https://www.jwfrank.com/img/s/v-10/p527021405-5.jpg)
Fresh Snow at Delicate Arch [Explore 2013-12-10]
Delicate Arch and Alpenglow
Wingate Moon
Moonrise over the La Sals
Hoar Frost
The Organ and Icicles
Turret Arch and La Sals
Full Moon at Balanced Rock
The Organ from Park Avenue
Utah Juniper
Taking in the Balanced Rock Sunset
Follow the Yellow Brick Road
Waiting for the Sunset
Evening Light Near the Windows
Cold Silhouettes
Loggerhead Shrike
Good Morning from Delicate Arch
North Window Sky
Arch Icefall Landscape
Arch Icefall Portrait
Glowing Lichen
Stormy La Sals
Balanced Rock and Petrified Dunes
Crimson Cliffs
Tunnel Arch
Last Warmth of the Day
Winter Sunset Through the Windows
Jean Lachance
The Quiet Cold
Dunefield Formations
Fresh Snow in Devils Garden
Pine Tree Arch
Snowy Double O Arch
Snowy Fins and Canyons
Fiery Fins
La Sal Overlook Panorama Wide
Petrified Dunes Panorama
Polychromatic Sunset
Park Avenue
Puzzle Pieces on Wall Street
The Klondike Bluffs
The Marching Men
Tower Arch View
Bluebird Day at Tower Arch
Skyline Arch from Salt Valley
Bobcat Track
Hiker Overlooking Salt Valley
Eagle Park Formations
Moises Martinez 2/3/1924
Hiker in the Knockdown Zoom
Looking down on Park Avenue
Dune Field and Lasals
Juniper Sunset
Sunset Near Turret Arch
Magic Hour in the Windows
Magic Hour Milky Way at the Windows
Silhouetted Giants
Sunrise Throught the North Window
Sunrise at the Windows
Morning Light on the North and South Window
Fisher Towers Silhouette
Lindsey on Sand Dune Arch Trail
First Light Over the Fins
Chris above Landscape Arch
Lindsey Enjoying the Sunset at Delicate Arch
Delicate Arch Sunset Spectators
Delicate Arch Sunset
Milky Way over Turret Arch
MilkyWay Rising Above Juniper
Milky Way, Juniper, and Turret Arch
I had the opportunity to visit Natural Bridges National Monument for the second time. But before I get into this trip, I wanted to share about my visit from the first trip. It's one of my more memorable stories of what NOT to do.
Back in 2010, a friend and I went on a 30-day road trip and one of our stops was Natural Bridges. We arrived later in the evening and the campground was already full. There are lots of BLM primitive camping spots in the area so we drove out of the park and found a spot for the night. The next day we packed up camp, headed back to the park to hike. The full loop is 12-miles and passes all three natural bridges as it winds through the canyons and over the mesa top. This trail is "primitive" and strenuous.
We popped into the visitor center to ask about maps and trail conditions. The volunteer behind the desk told us the trail is "easy to follow" and there were signs at the junctions. We were in good hiking shape, so for 12 miles we planned to take about 6 hours with lunch and photo stops. We left the visitor center about 9:30am and were on trail by 10. That meant we should be leaving by 4pm, at the latest.
We dropped our car off at Sipapu Bridge Trailhead and hiked down into the canyon. After a quick descent, we arrived at Sipapu and took some photos. We continued on for a couple miles until we came across Horse Collar Ruins. We popped in to check out the rock art and ruins and then continued along the route. Not long after we arrived at Kachina Bridge and stopped for lunch, on schedule.
As we started hiking again, the route came to a dead end at a pour spout. We looked around for a way out, then backtracked to Kachina Bridge and looked at our park brochure "map." We agreed that the route on the map looked like it went that way, but we couldn't figure it out. Back at the lunch spot we found a set of footprints. Even though they were going a different direction than what we thought was correct, maybe these people knew where they were going. Off we went.
This section of the route was more challenging than the other sections we had done to this point, but it was still doable and the trail description was "strenuous." After winding through the canyon for an a couple hours, still no bridge. "Maybe it's just around this next corner," we said to ourselves. The day was so nice and it was early so we didn't really think too much of it. Fast forward another hour and we started getting a little worried. We made a plan, if we don't see the bridge in another 15 minutes, we would turnaround and hike back to Kachina. Just as we're discussing our plan, we heard voices in the canyon. It was the people whose footprints we had been following. I yell out to get their attention. They call back and I look up and see two tents on a bench. Shit.
Tents are a bad thing to see because there's no backcountry camping in Natural Bridges. That means we're probably not in Natural Bridges. I climb up to the group and explain our situation. The camper holds up a map (the one we were told not to buy in the visitor center) and uses it as a prop to illustrate that we're off the map by about two inches. After some quick calculating, we determined that we had hiked about seven miles in the wrong direction. So our 12 mile day just turned into a marathon, because the only way out, was the way back. The group offered to fill up our water and we started hiking as fast as we could.
About five miles later it started drizzling on us. Which wasn't terrible since we were hot and tired. When it started pouring, it was less fun. Especially since I didn't bring a rain jacket. The weather wasn't calling for rain until later in the day and we would be off trail by then. When we made it back to Kachina Bridge it was dusk, but the storm made it darker than normal. The silver lining is that there were more footprints this late in the day and it turns out that the trail climbed out of the canyon. For whatever reason we didn't see the trail and it wasn't marked very well. More on that later.
As we climbed out of the canyon, there were occasional cairns marking the route across the sandstone. Unfortunately, I also forgot my headlamp, because we were only planning on hiking until late-afternoon. My friend had hers, so when we found a cairn, I would stay next to it while she walked around in the dark and pouring rain looking for the next one. After doing this for about an hour we finally made it to the Kachina Bridge Trailhead where we walked back to my car along the road.
Right around 10pm, we made it back to my car and the rain to let up a little bit. We changed our clothes, made dinner, then drove back to the BLM campground from the night before to set up camp. We were able to get our same spot again, but this time it was a little muddy. Once our tent was setup and we were in our bags, the rain picked up again, harder than before. Unfortunately, we set up our tent in what appeared to be a runoff channel or something because our tent started to flood with water and red mud. So we jump out of the tent, grabbed the trowels, and started to dig a moat. After a while of that we were able to channel the water and mud away enough that it stopped going into the tent.
The next morning we got up at first light to break camp. With little to no sleep, we headed back to the park to use the restrooms to dry our stuff and make breakfast. We decided to stay until the visitor center opened again to see if we could chat with the guy from the day before. Sure enough, he was there and we filled him in on our exploits from the previous day. He said with the rain the previous two day, there was some flooding in the canyon that washed away some of the cairns and trail signs. Cool. If only we had a map...
That trip I learned a lot about what you should bring hiking no matter what. And I learned that I could hike a marathon through canyons and rain in the dark if I needed to.
Enough with the horror story...
I was back and looking for redemption. We planned to do the full loop, this time in reverse so I could see if the Kachina section was easier to navigate going the other way. And, I could finally see the last of the three bridges, Owachomo. We arrived from Monticello late that evening and set up camp. Now that I'm into night photography, I figured Owachomo had the best alignment for Milky Way photos. We hiked out in the dark and we weren't disappointed. I think it was one of the darkest skies I had ever seen. Once our eyes adjusted, you could see your shadow agains the slickrock from the light of the stars. After an hour or so we headed back to camp to catch some sleep for the hike the following morning.
We hiked back to Owachomo to take in the views during the day. It's the "oldest" of the three bridges, meaning that it's further along in its life of erosion. Kachina is the youngest and Sipapu is between the two.
After exploring around and taking in all the angles, we started hiking towards Kachina. The other cool thing about this trip versus the last, is that the wildflowers were in bloom this time. It's always cool to see flowers in the desert.
The trail from Owachomo to Kachina is though Armstrong Canyon. Not super steep walls, but beautiful scenery to keep your attention while you hike.
We also found some interesting things along the way, including a giant clump of tree sap and a tree full of debris from the last flash flood. It's crazy to see how high the water can get, even in a canyon that doesn't slot out.
And we saw more wildflowers.
Eventually we made it to the spot in the trail we got turned around last time. Just as I remembered, there was a giant pour spout without any apparent way down, or up. This time, there were cairns and signs marking the way. This time the trail was "easy to follow."
We hiked up to Kachina and like last time, we decided to sit in the shade of the bridge and have lunch. I was able to give Corrie the play-by-play from the previous trip, where she pretended to understand how we could have gotten so lost on this "easy to follow" trail.
After lunch we continued up canyon, headed towards Horse Collar Ruins. We saw more flowers and a cool old crooked cottonwood tree that had fallen over.
The views in White Canyon are gorgeous as the walls get steeper and steeper. Eventually we arrived at Horse Collar and we climbed up to check out the rock art and ruins. And more wildflowers!
We finally arrived at the last bridge just as the light started to get really nice. Between the breaking storm and the time of day, it made for ideal photo conditions.
As we climbed out of the canyon, we kept stopping for photos from the different viewpoints.
Just before we got back to the trailhead we came across a rock with some really interesting ripple patterns in the rock. I was never really into geology until I got into caving, but now anytime I see a cool rock with interesting patterns I can't help but take photos and think about the fact that the area used to be a giant inland sea.
Just before we got back to the top I saw one last wildflower. After all the shit that happened to us on the first trip, I sorta felt like this was the park's way of making amends with me. It's a great park and totally worth your time if you're in the area and like to hike. If you made it this far in the blog, thanks for sticking with me!
We just got back from a couple nights in the Needles District of Canyonlands. We started out at the Peekaboo Campground and explored the pictograph panel. This is one of the more popular panels in the park and it's a fun day hike to do the Peekaboo Loop.
We also found what appeared to be some frog eggs and tadpoles. Kinda crazy to find this stuff in desert environments.
From the campground, we hiked off trail up the canyon just east of the campground. There are a few potholes that hold water late into the spring. Our plan was to find one, set up basecamp, and then day hike into Horse Canyon.
We found a feature that looked promising, so we dropped our packs to scout it out. Success! We found water, now we just needed to find a flat spot to set up camp, ideally out of the sand. We climbed just above the pool and found a nice flat slick rock ledge to set up camp. Time to go grab the packs.
We also noticed just above camp that there were some pictographs in the distance. We climbed up to them and found a granary, including this ancient little corn cob. So freaking cool!
Back at camp, it seems that we weren't the only ones that thought this was a cool place to stay. As we looked around we found all kinds of pot sherds scattered on the ground.
Since we were near water, we also saw a handful of wildflower species too. Always a treat to see flowers in the desert.
For sunset, we carried our dinner up a little higher to take in the views of the canyon and scout our route into Horse Canyon for the next day. This place is gorgeous.
The next morning we had a beautiful sunrise and bluebird sky. We spent the early morning taking photos when the light was best, then headed back to camp to eat and head out for the day.
From our camp, we picked our way through the layers of rock as we climbed higher and higher. It's not always clear on a map what goes and doesn't, so it's like a huge puzzle you have to solve. It's super fun to explore your way through the maze.
Eventually we found a break in the wall and were able to pass into Horse Canyon. There are so many nooks and crannies to explore, you could be out here forever and never get bored. As long as you have water, that is.
We made our way down in the the canyon and across the wash. From there we walked over to explore Paul Bunyan's Potty Arch. Kind of a weird name, but a super cool feature to explore.
The views looking out into the canyon are beautiful from under the arch. Also super nice spot to hang out in the shade during the heat of the day.
As we made our way back towards camp, we kept coming across other arc sites. We found another granary with a door and a structure of some kind with an old ladder leading to it high up in the cliffs. No idea how to get over there, but it seems these people had some serious climbing skills.
The following morning we had another beautiful sunrise. We ate and packed up early to beat the heat.
On the hike out we came across some mountain lion tracks in the wash. One day I'll get the chance to see one of these guys in the wild.
Overall great trip to a spectacular park. I look forward to exploring more in this place. Every time I do, I'm blown away!
]]>I just got back from a three-day trip on the San Juan River. I've been whitewater rafting a handful of times, but this was my first overnight trip. Since it's spring, the water was very cold and muddy, but it was warm in the sun.
We loaded up the boats and shoved off at Sand Island Campground.
After a few miles of floating, we got the Butler Wash Petroglyph Panel. The first thing I noticed were a bunch of holes carved into the rocks, called Moki steps. Then there were HUGE panels that you could see from the river. We pulled over for a quick stop.
Just below the Butler Wash panels, we stopped again at the River House. It's estimated these dwellings were occupied by the Ancestral Puebloans sometime between 900 and the late 1200s. At the site there are pictographs, petroglyphs, and multiple rooms to explore.
On the way back to the boat I noticed some beaver prints. We shoved off from the site and set up camp at Lime Ridge, a short way down for the evening.
I've been wanting to learn how to do night photography, so I recently bought a new wide angle lens. I woke up that night to play around with it and I was able to get a shot I'm pretty proud of for the first go around.
The next morning we hiked a short bit up to Comb Ridge. Along the way we found lots of cool bit of historic and prehistoric garbage including pot sherds and an old Shasta can.
A short way up Comb Ridge, you can get a good view of the river and surrounding geology.
One of the prominent features is the Mules Eat diatreme. Apparently you can find garnet in the area if you're looking in the right spot.
Back at camp we packed up and put back on the river. Not too long after, we entered the San Juan Canyon.
The beautiful orange and cream colors of the canyon walls set against the blue sky was spectacular. Since the river was running pretty high we could mostly sit and watch the scenery move by us. Around each bend were more and more beautiful views.
We pulled over for the night to camp at Lower Eight Foot. The afternoon light on the walls was awesome. It acted like a giant reflector. It made the whole canyon and everything in it glow like it does during a sunrise or sunset. It was something I hadn't ever seen before. We also got to see a pretty cool moon set.
That night I woke up again to take a few night shots. It was a little cloudy, so not as good as the night before, but still fun to try some long exposure stuff with the river.
The area we camped was just above a desert bighorn habitat area so I was keeping my fingers crossed for a sighting. I've seen plenty of sheep, both Dall and Rocky Mountain, just not desert bighorn. We shoved off and we were all keeping an eye out. Sure enough, a ewe and a lamb made an appearance for us near the river that morning.
Slowly, the canyon walls got lower and lower as we floating towards the takeout at Mexican Hat.
Once we were out of the canyon, the wind picked up a bit so I took my turn rowing to make sure we didn't float back up river.
I was kind of curious how the area got the name of Mexican Hat, but when I saw the feature, I got it.
Trip Notes: It was too cold for swimming and the water had so much dirt in it that my hands were constantly chapped, but it was a great first trip. We had a good combination of hiking and floating, and there is so much to see. Geology, views, fossils, history and prehistory, etc. I'll have a couple more chances to flat the same stretch later this year in June and July so it will be fun to see the difference the time of year makes. Over all great trip!
We made it to camp and the views were great. We set up camp, ate some snacks, and then made our way south to Druid Arch.
"Trails" in the Needles are usually in a wash or on slickrock. The sand an be slow going, so it's actually nice when it's a little wet. But if you like to scramble, the hiking here is super fun.
After a while of hiking up the drainage, we climbed up into the bowl with Druid Arch. I had only seen photos of the arch, and man, it's HUGE! It's like 450 feet tall.
The following morning I woke up with the sun and watched the sunrise before we started our hike to hook up with the Joint Trail.
Eventually we hooked up with the Chesler Park Trail where we were able to overlook the terrain we hiked through the previous day. Amazing geology! We took a break at the overlooks to grab snacks and watch the clouds float by. Amazing place and I was excited that this was going to be my backyard for the next year or so!
Trip notes: spring hiking here seems to be nice weather and reliable water. We hiked just shy of 13 miles in two days which was a nice easy trip to knock the dust off the hiking boots for the year. I'm not kidding, this place has so much terrain with all the cracks and joints. There is so much opportunity to hike off trail, if you know how to avoid biological soil crusts. Looking forward to more trips in the future!
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Bell Heather - Cassiope tetragona
Rock Jasmine - Androsace chamaejasme
Frigid Coltsfoot - Petasites frigidus
Labrador Tea - Ledum groenlandicum
Brook Saxifrage - Saxifraga nelsoniana
Lapland Diapensia - Diapensia lapponica
False Asphodel - Tofieldia coccinea
Arctic Catchfly - Silene involucrata
Yellow Spotted Saxifrage - Saxifraga bronchialis
Alpine Meadow Bistort -Polygonum viviparum
Alp Lily - Lloydia serotina
Reflexed Saxifrage - Saxifraga reflexa
Capitae Valerian - Valeriana capitata
Star Flower - Trientalis europea ssp. arctica
Alaska Spiraea - Spiraea stevenii
Sitka Burnet - Sanguisorba stipulata
Alaska Jasmine - Androsace alaskana
Entire-leaf Aven - Dryas integrifolia
Whitish gentian - Gentiana algida
Red Bearberry - Arctostaphylos rubra
Cnidium Cnidifolium - Cnidium cnidifolium
Bear Saxifrage - Boykinia richardsonii
Canadian Dogwood - Cornus canadensis
Small Grass of Parnassus - Parnassia kotzebuei
Shy Maiden - Moneses uniflora
Alaska Starwort - Stellaria sp
Red-stemmed Saxifrage - Saxifraga lyallii
Bulblet Saxifrage - Saxifraga cernua
Northern Bedstraw - Galium boreale
Monkshood (albino) - Aconitum delphinifolium ssp. delphinifolium
Twin Flower - Linnaea borealis
Wooly Lousewort - Pedicularis lanata
Alpine Azalea - Loiseleuria procumbens
Pink Plumes - Polygonum bistorta
Bog Rosemary - Andromeda polifolia
Pale Corydalis - Corydalis sempervirens
Pink Pyrola - Pyrola asarifolia
Arctic Lousewort - Pedicularis langsdorfii
Low-bush Cranberry - Vaccinium vitis-idaea
Small-flowered pyrola - Pyrola minor
Tall Fireweed - Chamerion angustifolium
Scammann's Spring Beauty - Claytonia scammaniana
Elegant Paintbrush - Castilleja elegans
Fern leaf Lousewort - Pedicularis interior
Rosewort - Rhodiola integrifolia
Marsh Cinquefoil - Potentilla palustris
Red Burnet - Sanguisorba officinalis
Alaska Saxifrage - Saxifraga razshivinii (davurica)
Pink Dandelion - Taraxacum carneocoloratum
Twice Hairy Butterweed - Senecio fuscatus
Creeping Buttercup - Ranunculus hyperboreus
Two-flowered Cinquefoil - Potentilla biflora
Lessings Arnica - Arnica lessingii
Northern Goldenrod - Solidago multiradiata
Dwarf Arctic Butterweed - Senecio resedifolius
Thyme-leaf Saxifrage - Saxifraga serpyllifolia
Wright's Saxifrage - Chrysosplenium wrightii
Alpine Hawk's Beard - Crepis nana
Alaska Draba - Draba stenoloba
Yellow Anemone - Anemone richardsonii
Oeder's Lousewort - Pedicularis oederi
Marsh Marigold - Caltha palustris ssp. arctica
Capitae Lousewort - Pedicularis capitata
Small Yellow Violet - Viola biflora
Cushion Saxifrage - Saxifraga eschscholtzii
Alpine Draba - Draba alpina
Alaska Poppy - Papaver mcconnellii
Spider Plant - Saxifraga flagellaris
Golden Graba - Draba aurea
Labrador Lousewort - Pedicularis labradorica
Bog Saxifrage - Saxifraga hirculus
Frigid Arnica - Arnica frigida
Black-tipped Groundsel - Senecio lugens
Anadyr Draba - Draba stenopetala
Large-leaf Avens - Geum macrophyllum ssp. perincisum
Soapberry - Shepherdia canadensis
Maydell's Oxytrope - Oxytropis maydelliana
Alpine Bearberry - Arctostaphylos alpina
Yellow Paintbrush - Castilleja caudata
One-leaf Rein Orchid (zoom) - Platanthera obtusata
Elegant Stitchwort - Minuartia elegans
Death Camas - Zygadenus elegans
Sidebells Pyrola - Orthilia secunda
Frog Orchid - Coeloglossum viride ssp. bracteatum
Stiff Stem Saxifrage - Saxifraga hieracifolia
Alpine Forget-me-not - Myosotis alpestris
Glacous Gentian - Gentiana glauca
Mountain Harebell - Campanula lasiocarpa
Blue Bells - Mertensia paniculata
Mountain Forget-me-not - Eritrichium aretioides
Moss Gentian - Gentiana prostrata
Wild Geranium - Geranium erianthum
Kitten Tails - Synthyris borealis
Dane's Dwarf Gentian - Gentianella tenella
Purple Oxytrope - Oxytropis nigrescens
Alpine Veronica - Veronica wormskjoldii
Tall Jacob's Ladder - Polemonium acutiflorum
Pallas Wallflower - Erysimum pallasii
Parry's Wallflower - Parrya nudicaulis ssp. interior
Fleabane Daisy - Erigeron acris
Alaska Violet - Viola langsdorfii
Purple Cress - Cardamine purpurea
Four-parted Gentian - Gentianella propinqua
Shortray Fleabane - Erigeron lonchophyllus
Large-flowered Fleabane - Erigeron grandiflora
Northern Jacob's Ladder - Polemonium boreale ssp. villosissimum
Sticky Oxytrope - Oxytropis viscida
Alpine Milk Vetch - Astragalus alpinus
Cuckoo Flower - Cardamine pratensis
Alaska Spring Beauty - Claytonia sarmentosa
Bladder Campion - Silene uralensis ssp. uralensis
False Candytuft - Smelowskia borealis
Sticky Saw-wort - Saussurea viscida
Larkspur - Delphinium glaucum
Common Butterwort - Pinguicula vulgaris
Weasel Snout - Lagotis glauca ssp. minor
Few-Flowered Corydalis - Corydalis pauciflora
Pasque - Pulsatilla patens
Arctic Primrose - Primula eximia
Gorman's Douglasia - Douglasia gormanii
Purple Mountain Saxifrage - Saxifraga oppositifolia
Lapland Rosebay - Rhododendron lapponicum
Nagoonberry - Rubus arcticus
Frigid Shooting Star - Dodecatheon frigidum
Calypso Orchid - Calypso bulbosa
Whorled leaf Lousewort - Pedicularis verticillata
Dwarf Fireweed - Chamerion latifolium
After the summer, I thought it would be fun to design an ID poster so here it is!
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We could see the end of the valley but no matter how long we hiked it didn't seem to get any closer. So we just kept hiking...
A few hours later we found a nice spot to pitch our tents. We all laid down for a bit to rest, then made dinner and explored around camp. We found a cool little drainage and decided to follow it up.
Eventually we popped out above the valley floor and had a great view to the north where we had started. Some of us found quicker ways down than others.
We all went to bed around 10, but an hour later we hear people from the other tents telling us to pop our head out to check out the light. So I got back up and went out for photos. As I was exploring around I found a call sheep skull laying in the rocks. Around midnight the color really started to pop and everyone crawled out of their tents to take photos.
The following morning our group split up, half headed back to the road while we would stay another night and head further south into the mountains. Eventually we hooked up with the terminus of the unnamed glacier. We followed a lateral moraine up until we were on a medial moraine, now standing on the glacier.
We decided that was probably far enough for the day and sat down for lunch. Before heading back to camp I set up the tripod to take a group photo and captured my funniest selfie on accident. Right as the timer went off, a huge gust of wind blew my camera over and snapped this shot of me trying to save it. The best part is Corrie and Emily with their "oh shit" faces. The camera landed on its side and only my UV filter broke. If I didn't have the filter on, it's likely that I would have just broken my lens. I'm glad I was given the advice to keep a filter on for exactly this reason.
The hike back to camp was GORGEOUS. Beautiful jagged mountains with fresh snow are one of my top favorite things.
Back at camp there was a band of Dall sheep on the mountain just above where we found the skull the night before. The next day the weather rolled in and started raining on us so we hiked as fast as possible back to the road without stopping at all. Unfortunately, my achilles swelled up and I'm now on the DL until my foot feels better. Hopefully not too long!
Trip notes: we hiked just shy of 31 miles in 3 days which is pretty far considering it's all off trail. I think this is now my most favorite trip in the park. The area was awesome, but I think the biggest thing is that I was able to get so far away from the road. Hiking along river bars for hours can get sorta boring, but hard to complain when you have the mountain views to keep you company.
Disclaimer: Denali is a trail-less Wilderness. These maps are approximations of our routes. Please don't take this blog and map to the Denali Backcountry Information Center and say, "I wan't to do this exact trip." They will take good care of you like they did for us. Thanks!
Snowshoe Hare
Lynx in the Road
Lynx in the Road (2)
Willow Ptarmigan
Nap Time
Polychrome Drainage
Hiking the Toklat River Bar
Rams in the Road
Self-portrait Plains of Murie Glacial Erratic
Purple Mountain Saxifrage on Divide Mountain
Denali From Eielson Bluffs in Spring
Side View Mirror in Denali
Self Portrait - Geode Mountain
Geode
Cloudy Toklat Riverbar
Toklat Riverbar Reflections
IMG_1095
IMG_0387
Self-portrait Atop a Glacial Erratic
View of the Muldrow from Intermittent Creek
Wolf Spider and Egg Sac
Hiking in Denali
Hiking the Ridge
Self-portrait Overlloking Toklate Valley
Evening at Stony Overlook
IMG_2354
White-crowned Sparrow Nest and Eggs
Lynx on the Move
Lynx in the Bushes (3)
Self-portrait - View from West Polycrome Peak
Southwest Polychrome Drainage
Polychrome Glaciers- July 5, 2011
Polychrome Hiker
Denali and Arctic Ground Squirrel
View from Thoroughfare Mountain
Super Squirrel
Southern View of Denali
Afternoon Sun Over Denali State Park
Afternoon Sun over Denali State Park Portrait
Denali and Thoroughfare Riverbar in Bloom Portrait
Traffic in Denali
Denali and Thoroughfare Riverbar in Bloom
Stony Overlook July 20, 2011
Denali in the Afternoon Mile 70
Midnight at the Causeway
Bull Moose in the Flats
Wonder Lake Reflections from Blueberry Hill
Evening Light on Highway Pass
IMG_9349-Pano
Hand-picked Fall Color
The Dark has Returned
Kettle Pond
Denali, Stony Hill, and Road in Fall
Denali and Stony Hill
Sunrise On Denali From Wonder Lake
Crossing Moose Creek
Morning light on Denali at Reflection Pond
Sunset at Reflection Pond
Morning at Reclection Pond
Picking Blueberries
What About You?
I Like Blueberries!
Self-portrait Scree Ski Jump
Self-portrait My First Moose Antler
Grizzly Bear - Fabio
My First Aurora
My First Aurora (2)
Eielson Vistor Center Map
Eielson Visitor Center View
On the Wagon
Ptarmigan Siblings
Eielson Antler Panorama
Stony Overlook in the Fall
Unit 10 Monochromatic Panoramic
Unit 10 Monochromatic
Fresh Snowstorm
Near Hines Creek
Moonrise over Musher's Monument
Pyramid Mountain
Sundog at -20ºF
Riley Creek Winter Scene
Braided Aurora
C-camp Aurora
North to Alaska
Aurora Whiplash
Aurora from Rock Creek Bridge
Snowshoe Hare Tracks Isometric
C-Camp in the Winter
Evening Ski in Denali
Self-Portrait at -35ºF
Winter Delight - Denali Sunrise
Morning at Triple Lakes Trail
Skiing the Savage River
Trees Aflame
IMG_5792
Aurora Starburst
Aurora Starburst (2)
Aurora Streaks
Aurora 2:18:12
As part of our five weeks in Hawai'i, we spent a week on Maui. When first booking our flights and cars, Maui was by far the most expensive. Our rental car alone for the week was supposed to be like $1400. So I took to Craigslist and found a local who was renting their car for $300 instead. It wasn't fancy, but the old Chevy Blazer did the job. That is, once you filled the radiator with water, used a stick to prop open the read gate, and didn't drive over 55 m.p.h. or else it would start shaking violently.
Maui is also home to a park that we really wanted to visit, Haleakalā National Park. Two big things we wanted to do was to watch a sunrise from the summit and camp in the crater. The campsite we wanted, Palikū, was reserved for the time were were there, so we settled for the closer spot at Hōlua for a night.
We drove up to the front country campground at Homer Grove and set up for the evening. Once we were all set up, we drove up to the summit to get a view from where we would be hiking the following day. It basically looked like Mars.
The following morning, we drove back up to the summit in the dark to catch the sunrise. There was a large group of people who had gathered already, most people wearing cotton sweatshirts and socks on their hands. I think we were the only people there who had proper layers for the 10K ft chilly sunrise. It was very cool looking down on a sunrise and watch the clouds move over the island.
Back at camp we made breakfast and packed for our overnight trip. During breakfast, two endemic Hawaiian endemic birds, the I'iwi and the 'Alauahio stopped by. Very cool that we were able to see these birds that are only in Hawaii.
Back at the summit we started our hike down the Sliding Sands Trail. It was a mix of rock and sand, which meant that we were going to be hiking slowly. Probably a good thing since we were also at elevation. From a big view, the crater looks dead, and void of life. On a closer look, you notice that there are many plants that are highly adapted to the landscape, like the silversword. It's likely the one you'll notice too because of it's color and the fact there are signs everywhere telling you about it since it's a threatened plant.
We continued down the trail, but no matter how far we walked, the features didn't seem to get any closer. The crater is deceptively large and hiking in it, exposed to the sun at elevation, is a good way to learn that first hand.
Eventually we made it to some of the features within in the crater, which meant that we were near the junction to our campsite.
We wandered our way through the cones, taking in the views.
Once we were at the junction to Hõlua, we found a place in the shade to take a snack break and enjoy the views.
Our camp spot at Hõlua was sheltered enough if the wind picked up, but still had views of the sky, which was spectacular.
The next morning the wind had picked up, so once the frost on our tent melted, we packed up and hiked back to the car. We even had a nice ground-level rainbow that appeared from a cloud that wasn't raining. Not sure how that works, but it was cool to see.
Back at the car we grabbed a photo at the sign and headed back into town for a night before driving the Road to Hana and the Kīpahulu district of the park.
One of the first popular spots on that side of the Island is 'Ohe'O Gulch, or the Seven Sacred Pools. We hiked around the pools checking out the different waterfalls from the base and the brink of each.
Next on the list was to hike out to Waimoku, a 400-ft waterfall. Along the way, we got to climb in some trees and hike through a forest of bamboo.
At the falls, the sun hit the water just right that we got to see a nice little rainbow. On the way back through the bamboo forest, the light started poking through which created some nice sunbeams.
Back at the car, while snacking a drinking, we saw one of the islands more elusive nonnative critters, the mongoose. First time seeing one, so even though it isn't supposed to be on the island, still pretty cool to see it.
Bonus pic: our trusty steed.
Backpacking trip notes: Overall it was a fun trip, but there are a couple things that would have made it better. If we were able to secure a night at one or both of the cabins, that would have been ideal. Camping at the back of the crater means that you have to hike through more of the features, too. I guess that just means there is something for us to do the next time we visit!
We just got back from a few nights along the Kalalau Trail in Nā Pali Coast State Park. Having never been out to the beach, and it being the rainy season, we decided to break up the hike by staying a night at Hanakoa before and after Kalalau Beach. We set off late morning and made our way to Hanakapi'ai Beach. It was the first of many beautiful viewpoints we would see along the trail.
We crossed the steam, grabbed lunch at the beach, and then started our climb further along the trail. Coming from AK, we were certainly out of our element. We had heavy boots and gear designed for backpacking in Alaska. There were many waterfalls along the trail, which meant it was a bog at times. Lots of slow going with the muddy trail.
The humidity was also pretty brutal. So when we had a spot along the trail with a breeze, we would take the opportunity to drop our packs and cool off. It's crazy how fast the weather changes with the cloud cover.
Eventually we made it to Hanakoa Campground and we were the only ones there. It was in terrible shape with lots of garbage strewn all over the place. The one nice thing about the campground is that there was a short hike up to the falls which was gorgeous. We took the opportunity to swim at the base of the 1,000 ft waterfall.
The following morning we set off early so we could have as much time as possible at Kalalau. The closer we got, the more the views opened up.
We arrived in the early afternoon and set up camp. It was still pretty hot out, so we explored around in the forest looking for wildflowers and birds.
Once things cooled off a bit, we explored around the beach and found a big cave on the east end of the beach.
After grabbing a "shower" in the beach waterfall, we grabbed naps before heading back out to the beach for sunset. We weren't sure if it was going to pop off or not, but it didn't disappoint. It was probably one of the most rewarding sunsets I've ever seen.
As much as we wanted to stay longer, we only had a permit for the one night. We probably could have poached, because there was an entire illegal commune of people living out there. I chatted with one of the folks and they were nice enough. So we made our way back to Hanakoa and the trailhead the following day. The trail dried up a little bit without any big rains which was nice.
Trip Notes: We probably hiked around 22 miles with 8,600' of elevation gain. The trail goes up and down, a LOT. It doesn't seem like the elevation should be that much, but it's sneaky. It's a tough trail and breaking it up was a good idea for us. Many people can go light and fast, but with the mud that was also very unlikely. If we were to do this trip again, I would just add another night at Kalalau to have a full layover day. Overall awesome time!
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We were told where to look and sure enough we were able to find them. Pretty cool to see dinosaur footprints in the wild.
We kept climbing and made our way to the pass on the northeast side of Sable Mountain. The view looking down into the Big Creek drainage was pretty awesome.
The following morning we woke up to rain and snow but explored the area a little bit. The geology in Big Creek was really cool and the color of the rock really popped with the colorful tundra. Once we made it back to our camp we packed up and made the hike back to the road over the pass. We were in our rain gear all day, but it was still a great day in the Wilderness.
Trip notes: You had to drop pretty far down off the ridge before we were able to find some water to filter. The back side of Sable was very pretty and there's a ton to explore with more time. I'd love to get back there again with a couple more days on the itinerary.
Disclaimer: Denali is a trail-less Wilderness. These maps are approximations of our routes. Please don't take this blog and map to the Denali Backcountry Information Center and say, "I wan't to do this exact trip." They will take good care of you like they did for us. Thanks!
My mom flew in for a visit and while she was here, we drove down to Seward to go fishing and explore Kenai Fjords National Park. The drive down was fairly uneventful, but we did have some nice light from the Denali State Park lookout and full rainbow on the side of the road.
The first day exploring the park, we took a boat from Seward out to Aialik Glacier. As we made our way into the bay, there were lots of little islands dotting the coastlines that were full of vegetation.
As we got closer, we could see all kinds of birds resting on cliffs, including puffins! I've been wanting to see these birds in the wild for some time, and they didn't disappoint.
We also saw a sea otter, whales in the distance, and a pod of orcas.
As we made our way up the bay, the glacier came into view in the distance. It looked huge from a distance, but it was hard to comprehend the size of it until we got closer. We stopped about a quarter mile away from the terminus of the glacier, where we hung out for an hour watching gigantic sections calve off into the ocean. It was mesmerizing.
The entire foot of the glacier measured about a half mile across and a few hundred feet thick. I could have stayed there all day just taking photos of the ice. The sounds it made were also amazing.
Eventually we had to start heading back. On the way out we swung by some rocks that were full of Stellar sea lions. Also a new species for me.
It was an awesome day on the boat and I would love the opportunity to do more exploring along the coast.
The next day we headed inland to the park visitor center and to Exit Glacier. The glacier descends from the Harding Icefield and there is a small trail that takes you along the lateral moraine for better views. You can hike all the way to the icefield lookout, but we didn't have enough time to go the entire way up.
In addition to the amazing views of the glacier, we also saw some new species of wildflowers.
It was too short of a trip, but now we know we need to come back and stay longer. It seems like a kayaking backcountry trip would be worthwhile. Add it to the list!
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At the pass we had a great view of the drainage and the glacier below. The toe of the Muldrow is covered in debris and even tundra in place. This glacier is also a surging glacier, and when it surges it can move up to dozen of feet in a single day. You can actually see and hear it moving in real time.
That night the weather came in and it snowed on us. We had a low cloud ceiling so the views were gone, but it was still fun to hike through the colorful hills.
From the pass on the backside of Mt. Eielson, we hooked up with Contact Creek and made out way to Sunset Valley, where we saw a grizzly laying down in the distance. We found a way around without having to get close and the bear didn't even seem to notice us. Win-win!
Trip notes: this was a quick and dirty trip. We hiked around 14 miles with 2700' of elevation gain in two days. With the weather, bus shuttles, and our work schedules we didn't have a ton of time to explore. Sunset Glacier looks like it would be really cool to explore, also the toe of the Muldrow Glacier.
Disclaimer: Denali is a trail-less Wilderness. These maps are approximations of our routes. Please don't take this blog and map to the Denali Backcountry Information Center and say, "I wan't to do this exact trip." They will take good care of you like they did for us. Thanks!
We caught an evening bus after dinner and started our hike around 8pm. We headed out along the creek north of the road.
After a few miles the valley opened up and we found a great place to pitch our tents for the weekend. It even came with a decent view of Denali.
The next day we woke up and explored around the area. We found a giant glacial erratic, took a tundra nap, saw some harlequins, and then climbed a small hill to get some views of the valley. Not a bad first trip!
Trip notes: this was the first time I backcountry camped without a designated camp spot. It comes with pros and cons. Having a smaller group makes it easier to find spots, but not knowing how far you have to travel to find a spot can be a challenge if you have a long travel day. We also had great weather. If it's pouring, it's a another problem you have to solve. Anyway, I had a blast and I can't wait for the next trip!
Disclaimer: Denali is a trail-less Wilderness. These maps are approximations of our routes. Please don't take this blog and map to the Denali Backcountry Information Center and say, "I wan't to do this exact trip." They will take good care of you like they did for us. Thanks!
I went to Mesa Verde National Park for the first time about four months ago. When I told a mutual friend how much I enjoyed it, she was all too eager to tell me that Chaco was even better. So when I went to Albuquerque to visit my cousin, I suggested that we head there to check it out for a weekend of camping and hiking.
After a few hours on the highway and then washboarded dirt road, we arrived to the campground and grabbed a spot. From there we headed over to the visitor center to grab a map and get the lay of the land.
For the first afternoon we stuck to the loop road and decided to hike the Pueblo Alto Loop Trail.
At Pueblo Alto, we saw our first arc site of the area and also a bunch of cool pot sherds. This is why my friend mentioned Chaco as being cooler than Mesa Verde. In addition to Chaco being the apparent center of the Ancestral Puebloan culture, it was also less visited and less reconstructed. That also means it's still possible to find random artifacts.
On the hike back to the car we got our first view of the main arc site, Pueblo Bonito. Even though we were up high, it still looked HUGE. According to the signs, it was planned and constructed in stages between 850-1150. That world eventually covered a vast area of the present-day Southwest, including the San Juan Basin of New Mexico, and portions of Colorado, Utah, and Arizona. For over 300 years, Chacoan Culture united many diverse peoples within its sphere of influence.
We also got a great view of the Kin Kletso arc site.
Back in the Valley, we walked over to Pueblo del Arroyo. Unlike other great houses in the canyon, it was built away from cliff walls, in the open near the arroyo. Another unusual feature is the tri-wall kiva. Only ten tri-wall kivas have been found in the Southwest – three of those are at Aztec Ruins National Monument. The one found at Pueblo del Arroyo is the only one in Chaco Canyon.
The last place we hit for the day was Casa Rinconada. There are other small dwellings in the area, but the Great Kiva is the big highlight.
The next day we woke up and decided to hike the South Mesa Trail. There's not a ton of arc sites on the trail, but it's a great trail to give you grand views of the area and Chaco Canyon.
Back in the valley it was time to explore Pueblo Bonito. The first thing I noticed was all the stone work in the walls. In addition to the bigger stones that made up the wall, there were loads of smaller stones between them. It was such cool craftsmanship.
On the inside, there were so many cool hallways and doors between the rooms. Again, amazing craftsmanship with sharp corners.
For sunset, we drove out to one of the outliers, Kin Klizhin. It was a haul to get out there, but a great view of the surrounding area.
The next day we woke up to fresh snow on the ground. For sunrise, we hiked out to the Una Vida petroglyph panel.
At the panel we also had great views of Fajada Butte.
Back at the car we decided to make one last trip through the loop road with the fresh snow on the sites. Pueblo Bonito looked completely different in the snow.
Overall we had a great trip. I can't believe I never learned about any of this in school. I'm looking forward to exploring the Colorado plateau and sites like this in the future!
]]>The Natural Entrance
Amphitheater
Natural Entrance
The Twilight Zone
Descending Switchbacks
Self Portrait - Admiring the Heart
Green Lake Room
The Big Room
Chandelier Panorama
Chandelier
National Geographic Pit Ladder
Pool Reflections
Devil's Spring
The Dollhouse
The Chinese Theater
Self Portrait - Longfellow's Bathtub
Self Portrait - The Zoo
Looking into the Hall of Giants
Hall of Giants
Temple of the Sun
Big Room Shortcut
Breast of Venus
Self Portrait - Big Room
Top of the Cross
The Ghost Room
The King's Palace
King's Palace
Green Lake Room Formations
The Royal Court
Papoose Room
Witches Broom
Viewing Queens Draparies
Self Portrait - Queens Chamber
Slaughter Canyon Cave
Monarch
Christmas Tree
The Grim Reaper
Chimney Cave
Self-portrait Chimney Cave Rappel
Shadow Puppets
Spider Cave
Near Cactus Springs
After the travel logistics were all done we set off late morning. The hiking along the lake is long and fairly nondescript. We finally got some views of Long Knife Peak as we hiked between the two lakes.
Just as the sun was setting, we reached the foot of Upper Kintla Lake. Even though we needed to keep hiking to make it to camp before dark, the light on Kinnerly Peak was too good to not stop for a photo.
With less than a half mile from camp we ran into a black bear on the trail. It seemed surprised to see us. It stood up and then bolted into the trees all within a few seconds. I suppose if you're going to run into a bear on foot, that's the idea scenario. Once in camp we dropped our packs and ran out to check out the sunset over the head of the lake. We made dinner by headlamp, had some whiskey, took a dip in the lake and then hit the sack.
Normally I'm a "morning poop" kinda guy, but I had heard that the Boulder Pass Campground "low rider" was the best toilet view in the entire park. The following day we would hike right by it, so my plan was to hang on until we got to the campground. We woke up early, ate a small breakfast and started our climb to Boulder Pass. I also learned about larch trees and their beautiful color in the fall. Now I'm a huge fan.
Just as we rolled into the campground I dropped everything and RAN to the bathroom. I was probably a few minutes out from needed to dig a whole and ruining my entire plan. After a successful mission, I went back and grabbed my camera, tripod, and book to pose for a photo to remember the experience.
We continued along the trail on our way to our Hole-in-the-Wall campground for the evening. The trail takes you along some jaw-dropping scenery, including Thunderbird Mountain and Bowman Valley.
We could almost see Bowman Lake from this stretch of trail, but we had great views for the route the following day.
The next day we planned to hike from our campground back to our car. We started early and didn't stop for much until we made it back. The sun finally came out, we swam and relaxed on the beach while our friends went to pick up the car at Kintla Lake.
On the drive back to town the sunset along the North Fork Road blew up. Even though we were tired, we had to pull over for a photo. A great end to a great trip!
Trip notes: We did just shy of 35 miles and 5500' elevation gain in three days. The stretches along Kintla and Bowman Lakes are LONG. You get occasionally views, but it's mostly in the trees. I bet having a boat would be nice. The views in the high country on this trip are some of the best I have seen in Glacier. I would love to continue on to Brown Pass and explore further in those mountains. I'd love to do this trip again, highly recommend!
