On the road again

Pebble Beach, San mateo county coast

2009-08-29T12:37:00.000-07:00

A few miles south of Pescadero on hwy 1, or near a third of the ways from Half Moon Bay to Santa Cruz, this is a great little spot to stop and stretch, have a picnic and explore the beach and rock. It is not well marked and just a cul de sac pull out. There is a picnic table and a grille, a pit toilet and no water.

Once parked, you can explore the little cove with pebbles to the right, or check out the unique sculpturing of the sandstone right in front of the parking spot. With it knobs, waves and crests, the landscape looks like the moon or something. There are reefs further to the ocean, and tidepools to the south. Local fishermen like to fish off the rocks in this area too. Bluff trails lead out in either direction.

There is a geocache here, Coburn's Folly http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?guid=efd25a26-407a-4858-a6f7-93a2fa6eff97, marking the site of a failed resort hotel. Coords to the cache are N 37° 14.290 W 122° 24.978. These coords can also be helpful in locating the pullout. There is also a plaque in the parking lot detailing the interesting history of this failure. a few other caches are within a mile radius of the beach.

Pebble Beach is actually a part of Bean Hollow SB, another worthwhile stop. I think that this stretch of the coast is some of the nicest and lesser used in this part of the state.

And now to the important stuff. It is posted NOT to remove the pebbles. And so, if you have this swag, my hope is that you do plan a visit to Pebble Beach, and that you will return these pebbles to their rightful location. Or, if you are not going to visit or have bookmarked the info, keep the swag out there

The Oregon Coast- Lincoln City, Taft, Boiler Bay to Depoe Bay

2008-01-04T21:20:00.000-08:00

The central Oregon Coast has a lot of unique qualities that I enjoyed. Starting with Lincoln City and "The Worlds SHORTEST River". 440 feet in length, it connects Devils Lake to the Pacific Ocean. I caught it at low tide, and it hardly qualified as a creek in my book... Still, the site is a state recreation area and home to two of the worlds LARGEST kite festivals (go figure ;). There are "drive on" beaches in the general area, to add to the allure.

At the south end of town is the historic Taft district, bordering the Siletz river. I enjoyed wandering around the district, stopping in to watch some glass blowing, exploring the beaches, and grabbing a couple of unique geocaches. I had a good chuckle to myself, thinking of Morgan, as I saw her restaurant, and then a great window decal on a parked element :).

Always balancing the cons of "Boondocking" against the pros, I spent the night at Chinook Winds Casino. Some yahoo parked a few spots down was feeling no pain, and was literally howling at the full moon for the most of the night. None of us fellow campers had the nerve to confront him...cause, as far as I'm aware, nobody had any silver bullets (can't be too careful ;)! Funny thing was, he was off by one night, and there would be a (possibly rare?) lunar eclipse on the full moon, the next night (8/27/07). Never a dull moment on the road, I like to think.

After a poor nights sleep, I made my way to Boiler Bay, and then to Depoe Bay. Whales! I mean, LOTS of whales. I had not realized that Oregon had "resident" Gray whales! They do migrate south to Baja, but drop out of the northerly migration, spending the summers here. It so happened that the whale watching society had set up docents at Depoe Bay, and as I stood with them talking, several whales up within the outer bay, sometimes as close as 50 feet of the seawall! Incredible! I just had to retrieve the geocache "Yarr, there be whale" (gc11mho) which was within 100 feet of the docent's table. We (one of the docents and I) called a biologist who had a Zodiac tour going, and directed her to the closest whales within the bay. I have since lost her card, so cannot post her name or boat, but she is evidently legend around here, so wouldn't be hard to locate.. She runs a 16 or 18 foot zodiac out and encourages her groups to beat on the boat to interact with the whales when they come up (they are evidently attracted to the vibations). I had the docent ask her to schedule me on her next trip out, but it ended up that the wind kicked up and I was the only client scheduled. I had to argue with her to NOT go out with just me, since the $20 fare wouldn't even pay for her fuel. While I was at the harbor waiting for her to come in, I witnessed a harbor seal performing to a fisherman who was cleaning his catch, trying to entice him into a handout. It was hilarious to watch, the seal would roll onto its back and slap the water with its flippers, splashing up a storm and sometimes nearly clapping for the fishermans attention. The fisherman would have nothing to do with the seal though. A bit later I did see a couple of kids who had been around that were teasing it into its act with a fish carcass.

Oh, BTW, Depoe Bay is billed as the SMALLEST Harbor in the world.

The Oregon Coast- Seaside to Tillamook, and "The Capes"

2007-12-18T19:21:00.000-08:00

I made my way out to the Oregon coast for a southwards journey, the last week of August. With summer vacations coming to an end, it proved to be a bit crowded, at least through labor day. I made the best of it, but the beaches of Seaside to Tillimook were pretty much overrun. The cheese factory was definitely worth a stop, and I was intrigued by the packaging techniques. I ended up with an audience of employees on the floor, wondering why this fool in the window was staring at their work so much... :)

As hwy 1 moves inland a bit, you can sidetrip along the coast on the "Three Capes Scenic Route" (Kiwanda, Meares and Lookout), which definitely should not dissapoint...At the point of Cape Lookout, which extends some two miles out into the pacific, I was surprised to spot a Sunfish down below. I would have never believed I would see one of these from a land vantage.

On the hike out to the point, I was scouting the waters with binocs for sealife, and guess I came close to doing a header off the cape at 500'! At least that was the perspective of the hiker that grabbed my arm. He was shaken enough that I had to take his word for it. I had been standing at the edge looking down through the binocs, and heard him come up. As I dropped the binocs and went to move out of his way, I suffered a bit of vertigo from having been behind the binocs for so long, and tripped on a root as I moved. He was white as a ghost afterwards, so it must have appeared closer than it seemed to me. Ah, just another adventure ;

Silver Falls State Park, Oregon

2007-12-18T18:03:00.000-08:00

Having given up on Mount Hood, and with iffy weather for touring the Oregon side of the Columbia, I made my way to Portland. Once the weather cleared, I made a side trip to Silver Falls, which is about a 70 mile drive out of Portland.

I had hoped that the rain would have replentished the falls, but it proved not be by a significant amount. Still, I had a great hike around on "Trail of 10 falls", followed by a bike ride of the inner trail system. The falls are of varying size and height, and must really be spectacular in the springtime. Several allow the trail to pass behind them, which can be quite dramatic. I highly recommend this park, but plan your visit for spring time.

Over the rivers and through the woods...Columbia River Gorge

2007-12-17T14:49:00.000-08:00

There are some pretty awesome National Forest lands in southern Washington along the Columbia corridor. I hiked out to Falls Creek Falls in the wind river area, did a little exploring of ice caves, unsuccessfully hunted huckleberries and checked out lava beds in the Gifford Pinchot NF and had a real funny encounter while pursuing a geocache :).

The cache was hidden near a shelter and info kiosk out in the forest near a campgrounds. I had the whole place to myself (I thought), so I searched without regard to being muggled (caught in the search by a non-geocacher). As I entered the shelter, I heard the most unusual animal call ever! It took me by surprise and stopped me in my tracks. I started peering under benches and over walls for the source, while my brain slowly analyzed the sounds I had heard. Where had I heard this noise before. Ahah...Teenage girl giggles? What the hey! Just then, there it was again. Looking up, sure enough. They broke up at this point, having succeeded in scaring the dickens out of a stranger by hanging out in the rafters of the shelter and awaiting prey :). I guess you had to have been there, but it was immensely funny, and drusged up memories of some of the rotten things I had done during my teenage years. Mom showed up and was apologizing for the actions of her kids. I told her she had to be kidding, that was the funniest thing that had happened to me in days...

The absolute best part of exporing on the Washington side of the Columbia was rafting the White Salmon river. A nine mile run of perpetual 3's and 4's (rapids), culminating in a 8-10 foot plunge over Husum falls! The river is spring fed, so even a late season (late august) run is full of thrills. No pictures on the river (you gotta be kidding!), but some pics of others going over the falls. This was actually my first white water rafting, and I could not have picked a more exciting ride. The outfitters were trying to convince me I could do the run in my kayak, but I have no death wish...

I also scaled Beacon Rock, which stands 850' above the river and offers some pretty great views of the gorge. Crossing into Oregon, I decided to head up to Mt Hood first, but all I got there was two days of rain, and never even a glance of the mountain. Oh well, maybe next time around...

Mt St Helens

2007-12-17T12:38:00.000-08:00

After leaving Mt Ranier, I made my way south into the NE entryway to Mt St Helens. A nice stop at Iron Creek Falls, Bear meadows and then out to the Windy Ridge Viewpoint. The view into the crater, and the spirit lake overlook were awesome! The lake still holds the tens of thousands of trees that were blown down by the eruption, and the dome inside the crater reminded me of the belly of a woman nine months pregnant! "Watch out, she's gonna blow" ;)

Plumes are visible, and I even saw a waterfall within the dome, either from the steam or late season snow melt.

You can hike up to the crater rim, but the details of the hike were not inticing to me. The bulk of the 4.5 mile, 4500' climb is above treeline. The cascades are inherently made up of scarp, and in conversation with a women who had made the climb, she described literally being on her hands and knees at times, working through the loose rocks...

Mt Rainier-part 3

2007-12-16T16:59:00.000-08:00

Parting shots on the way out through Stevens Canyon and a stop at Box Canyon...

Mt Rainier-part 2

2007-12-16T14:59:00.000-08:00

Pictorial of Paradise, Nisqually Glacier, Skyline trail, relection lake and "the crags".

Mt Rainier- part 1

2007-10-24T15:18:00.000-07:00

It was 36 hrs in the park before I actually got sight of the mountain, due to inclement weather. I took advantage of this to explore the waterfalls and lower areas. Due to the November '06 storms, you have to detour a hundred miles if you want to complete the loop around the mountain. I came in the Nisqually entrance, explored east up to Paradise (Henry Jackson Visitor cntr), and exited out through Stevens Canyon and the Ohanapecosh visitors center. I took 12 west to FS rd 25, which led me into the northeast (Windy Ridge) viewpoint of Mt St Helens. There is certainly a whole lot more to Rainier than I explored, and I spent a whole lot of time talking with climbers who had summited for their first significant climb. I don't think I am ready to tackle that yet, but it was fun to hear the experience firsthand, while their adrealine was flowing from the acheivement. This is just a beautiful mountain, and it is understandable why the native tribes held, and still do hold it, in such high regard. The glaciers are certainly suffering losses, but still are magnificant. I made it to the foot of Nisqually, while doing the Skyline trail (not be missed!). Another fascinating stop is Box Canyon, at the east end of Stevens Canyon. The Cowlitz River has carved a very narrow slot up to 180' deep (to the river surface).

I certainly hold Rainier as one of my favorite mountains explored, and do expect that I will spend time here again soon.

Cascades Loop, Washington-part 2

2007-10-24T10:18:00.001-07:00

Cascades Loop, Washington-part 1

2007-10-23T14:14:00.000-07:00

The entire loop drive is near 400 miles in length, encompassing puget sound, san juans region east through North Cascades National Park, through National Forests, desert regions, Along a portion of the columbia river, through the apple growing region, and through several passes back to the Seattle area.

A good sidetrip would be ( I did not make it) up to Mt Baker. Lake Chelan, along the loop, is considered a world class resort area. Most of my time spent was in the NP and NF's.

Whidbey, Anacortes and San Juan Islands

2007-10-23T13:15:00.000-07:00

It was peak "peak season" during my visit. I was unable to secure camping or lodging on the islands, so made base camp on Anacortes and day tripped over via ferry. No kayaking from San Juan, although I had some high anxiety adventures paddling from Anacortes (gotta watch the tides and currents around the islands). The best way to do the San Juan's would be to charter a sailboat, for sure. A huge bummer was not sightings of Orca :(

Olympic Peninsula-part 4

2007-10-23T11:34:00.000-07:00

Olympic Peninsula-part 3

2007-10-22T17:18:00.001-07:00

Olympic Peninsula- part 2

2007-10-21T14:53:00.000-07:00

Second installment of pics from my time on the peninsula in June and July...

Olympic Peninsula-part 1

2007-10-12T14:45:00.000-07:00

If I had to chose a general area to hunker down for a lengthy period right now, this would be it. What's not to like?

Miles of Pacific beaches; rain forests; glaciers; glacier melt rivers and streams; alpine quality lakes (some near sea level!); hot springs; waterfalls; old growth forests; the strait of Juan De Fuca & the Hood canal; quaint sea ports and fishing villages. I could go on and on. Outdoor recreationists paradise for sure. I guess this is why I spent three weeks out here, and still did not get enough! Bald Eagles are so numerous that sightings were an everyday occurence, and I saw the largest concentration of them I will likely see in my life, at Neah Bay.

It was a boondockers paradise, and I spent my nights either sleeping in the toybox on drive-on beaches; on bluffs overlooking the ocean; even tent camping on beaches, sometimes nestled in amongst the driftwood trees for protection from the wind. When not on the coastal side, I chose locations such as in pull-outs at the foot of waterfalls; deep into NF lands, amongst old growth forests or rain forests; at waters edge on some of the lakes, or in the seaports and fishing villages. As I like to say: Every day is a new adventure... and the nights can be so too :)

Misc. Seattle pics

2007-10-12T14:22:00.001-07:00

I REALLY, REALLY, REALLY like Seattle :)

Artopia. Georgetown, Seattle Washington

2007-10-12T11:58:00.000-07:00

Georgetown gets no respect from it's mother city, as the bumper sticker indicates. It is an industrial neighborhood converted to artist lofts, brew pubs, tattoo parlors and other "undesirables". The weekly paper put together Artopia to honor the weirdness ;'). Power tool races http://hazardfactory.org/toolrace.html were bizzarre!

Out of Wyoming

2007-10-12T11:50:00.000-07:00

Trying to get the blog updated, and the pics will have to tell the story of the last few months. These are a collection from Grand Teton (Phelps Lake/Death Canyon) and Yellowstone.

Spalding Bay, Grand Teton NP

2007-06-17T14:24:00.000-07:00

You really have to be looking to find Spalding Bay. The gravel road in is not signed, and it is pretty obscure on the park map. I had a ranger visit while here, and he acknowledged this, indicating that sometimes it's better that way. I agree. The bulk of those that visit are locals, and I guess they appreciate the seclusion.

I made this basecamp for 3 nights, paddling Jackson lake a number of times from here. I found a very nice little inlet while paddling, and on this inlet I saw the bulk of wildlife that I did view. While I was floating and watching some waterfowl, an immature (molted) bald eagle roosted in a nearby tree to watch me with curiosity. An elk wandered the nearby hilltop, he too, stopping for a gander. As I paddled out, an adult Bald Eagle lit in a tree to survey the open lake.

There was a family of river otter who would come out late in the evening just offshore from the launch. I watched one as it played and cruised a kayaker who fishing just off-shore. While it must of have been entertaining to watch, sure didn't do anything for the fishing...I had a new deer who would come around the cmap. This was a teenage buck with velvety stubs for antlers.

I did find Boulder City on a driver over to Jenny Lake. I parked at the Cathedral View pullout and took the first trail into the woods. I had finally purchased bear spray before in Jackson and this provides a little peace of mind as I go deeper in and off the beaten path. As the trail went through the first tree line, I noticed the ground had been "tilled" just beyond. This caught my eye, as I had observed the Grizzly family at Oxbow Bend rooting the ground and leaving it looking this way. As I approached the morraine, I saw another tilled area, this being fresher and larger. I decided to backtrack out to the parking lot. As I was approaching a second trail that led a ways west before entering the forest, a tourist who had watched me come out approached and informed me that a man was attacked by a grizzly nearby the day before. As he hgave me details, it become obvious that this was the one and same grizzly family! Come to find out later, the victim was out jogging on a trail at 6 am, stumbled right on top of the bears, and there was a fresh elk kill in the area. Pretty much everything you do not want when being in Grizzly country, especially the time of morning and jogging... The man suffered only minor injuries. Anyways, this gave me more to think about as I made my in through the new trail, and final discovery of boulder city. And they are not kidding in the name. On the north side of the morraine, boulders stretch forever! Everytime I would find a patch to scramble and get a higher viewpoint, I would discover more through nearby trees. I ventured a mile or so out on this trail, and have no idea how large an area the boulders are concentrated in. Definitely had a fun afternoon in here :)

I took the long route, from Lupine Meadows, out to Bradley lake, the next day. I definitely had my wildlife radar turned off today! This is a nice hike, starting along the meadows, and then cutting its way through a lodgepine forest, before starting quite a climb up. I had initially giving thought to taking this trail up to Surprise Lake, but a 3,000' climb just was not in the cards today. As it was, I probably climbed close to 1,000' over the 6 mile hike. So, as I crossed a cascading creek, I stopped on the footbridge to get a picture. I heard footsteps on the other end of the bridge, and as I looked up to acknowledge the hiker, I was surprised to see that it was a deer! It was coming at me at a pretty good pace, and the fact it would do so was a bit unsettling. The bridge was less than 3 feet wide, and I was 10 feet or so out from the end, and I did not want to have this deer pass me in such close quarters. I called out to it in a harsh voice, and it stopped momentarily, but then reproceeded to come at me. I repeated this a couple of times, as I backed off of the bridge and stepped far enough off trail to allow it some room. It then trotted by and down the trail. Sheesh! I've heard of "sharing the trail" and all...

Bradley is another nice lake in the park. There appears to be two backpacking camps here. I have yet to commit to a night on the trail, as it still is a bit uncomfortable, lone camper in the sticks in high bear areas. We shall see. On the way back, I nearly stepped on a grouse that blended in with trail! It was nice enough to not stray too far away, allowing me to get a couple of good pics of it. Later on, I spooked a marmot that was on the trail, and it returned the favor as it high tailed it down the hill :).

On my way out of spalding bay, I saw my my first marten. It did not stay out long enough to get a picture though. It made me realize that there is still a lot of wildlife here that I have not seen. I'd love to come across a minx... On the way out of the park, I saw my first "Bullwinkle" Moose. Big guy, with velveted antlers coming back in. Saw him just across the bridge from the "MOOSE" visitor center. He had attracted quite a crowd, and I wonder whther the visitor center did not entice him to pick this spot to lounge out :)

Anyways, back to Jackson, and a waste of the better part of the day with Dell, over problems related with my Axim. If someone out there has actually experienced satisfactory technical service from them, I'd love to hear from you as to how you accomplished it. It scares me that they are rated as the best in their industry...

Up to Curtis Canyon for the night, and another awesome Teton sunset.

Misc. Jackson Hole

2007-06-13T12:34:00.001-07:00

This post starts out in Grant Teton again, as I just cannot stay away :) Coulter Bay could be referred to as the resort area of Jackson Lake. It has a marina wit docking, cabins and the largest camping grounds in the area. It also has some great hiking and scenery. I spent the better part of a day out here, taking the heron pond/swan lake trail south, and some lesser trails around the marina. A quick grille set-up and late lunch, just before a nastly little storm blew through.

I got a primitive camp site at Spalding bay on the lake. I intended to launch and kayak from here, but had one of those "lazy day" episodes, and did very little outside of camp. Early in the day, a group driving through told me of a bear sighting a half mile back. They were exilerated with describing the encounter, and from the details and location, I had to assume that this was the trouble-maker from Leigh Lake that the rangers had gone on about. The visitors told me to be wary of a visit, as it had crossed the road down towards the lake. Within an hour, I had zoned out form the outside world and become consumed woth catching up on crosswords. Sitting in the drivers seat, hard at thought, Something finally alerted me to movement on the road in front of camp. Just taking a quick glance up, thinking it would be a car, I was surprised to see "the bear" meandering in front of me! Funny thing, I don't think he noticed me either :) He just mosied by and made mischief at the garbage can posted at the roadside. Finally having my camera at the ready, he crossed the road and headed over towards the latrine (?). Now, FULLY in the moment, I got out of the van and wandered out onto the road to try to catch sight of him. He heard me and sprinted up the hillside to the west, away from camp. That was the last I saw of him. Funny that he did not even come into my camp, hearing what a trouble maker he is. (today, 6/13, I just reserved the site for a 3 night stay, so maybe I will see him again...). That afternoon, I had a deer visit camp, hanging around for a numbe rof minutes. In the evening, I built a roaring campfire, and it reappeared, and seemed to get comfortable with my presense, hanging out in or near camp til well after dark. I would talk to it in a calming manner, and i think it found security from predators with me and the campfire there. It was a bit uncomfortable at times, because it would go to the bushes directly behind me, and no matter how friendly it acted, it is still a wild animal, and I did not want to lose track of it.

I made my way back to Jackson by taking the sw road out of the park, Teton-Wilson rd. Very nice drive with some great side trips available. I had hoped to take a hike out to Phelps lake and into death canyon, but a nasty thunderstorm passing overhead made me think better of it.

I celelbrated my birthday by going over to Tteon Village at the Jackson Hole ski resort. The Mangy Moose Sallon :). They had a local band on saturday night, Boondocks, which seemed appropiate. They jammed and the "moose" really rocked!

To finish, I will identify the location of the other misc pics on this posting: Frosted Hills are at Cliff creek, Bridger-Teton NF south of Jackson. Had had a pretty good late evening storm.

Sunrise and sunset on the Tetons. This is fom my camp up in the NF, Curtis Canyon area. Has proven to be one of my favorite camp areas, due to its roximty to Jackson and, oh yeah, the views! It does take a 1200' climb off of the valley floor above the elk refuge to get here though. The squirrels that keep showing up in my pics are Unita Ground Squirrels, although I have heard them refered to as "grinders". They definitely are social, and reminiscent of prairie dogs...

A car show in Jackson. Busy w/e here. Also had a film festival, run and other activities going.

Elk had just crossed the road and jumped the fence into a pasture. The male was prodding a youngster, and had just finished chasing it around in circles. Spring Gulch rd.

More Grand Teton

2007-06-12T15:23:00.000-07:00

Can't get enough of this park. I took the historical loop through the community of Moose, where a lot of the early settling of Jackson Hole took place. The park has recreated Menor's Ferry, which was the only way across the snake at the time. Maude Noble took over the ferry, and it was at her cabin that the push for GT as a NP took place. Some interesting photos and memorabilia in the cabin.

Next, a hike around Taggart Lake, which was formed by the Morraines of the teton glaciers. Beautiful country up here and a great place for a picnic. On the way back, I got read the riot act from a woodpecker in a tree, trailside. Closer inspection explained why. A beakful of morsel for it's young, which was safely inside a knothole on the other side of the tree. Sorry mama.
Springtime in the moutains, and nature is running its course with all of the wildlife offspring. Later in the trip, I would come across a moose with a new (colt?). The youngun was so shy, I could not get a clear picture. It was funny to watch, as mama was feasting on the willow shoots, and youngun just wanted to feast on mom :).
I planned a day of kayaking String Lake and a portage to Leigh Lake. On the way there from camp, I ran into some old friends, the grizzlies... They were rooting in a meadow just to the side of the road, and really tilling the soil! A much more comfortable up-close view than the first encounter. I really give the rangers a lot of credit for balancing the protection of the wildlife with allowing visitors a chance to experience it. The ranger on scene here was really cool in his multi tasking of monitoring the bears and crowd control. Everyone followed his requests, and it was kind of fun to watch him move the throng of people and cars, first a hundred yards that way, and no, back over to this side, as the bears mosied through the meadow. All the time, he was approachable and chatty. Hats off to him. After the bears moved deeper into the brush, I headed out for the lakes. Just around the corner from the bears (same spot as my first sighting), I caught sight of movement through a meadow. I knew it wasn't the bears, so I slowed up to get a better look. Out of the meadow trots the mangiest looking wolf you could imagine! It was so brown in color, I was not believing that was what it was. It came out to the roadside behind me, and I just threw the van into park and got out to see it as it mosied across the road. Did not grab the camera, and by the time I retrieved it, the wolf was well out into the next meadow. The picture I posted was just to confirm the sighting. Funny thing was that there was an elk in this meadow. I expected it to flee, or maybe see some type of interaction, but other than a wary look, it never fled and the wolf was indifferent to it! Hmmm.
So, I finally made it to the lakes, way later in the morning than I had hoped. Still, great day so far...String lake is very shallow, and most of the kayakers and canoes just use it as a passage to the portage to Leigh lake. I, on the other hand, chose to explore the farther shore. Very pristine, with log strewn bottom, aquatic plants, exposed logs with soil and flowering plants. Glad that I did that loop. The portage is a real hoot. A few hundred feet up and over a morraine. The trailhead is posted as being a high traffic bear area. Wonderful. Just what I would want, toting the kayak through the woods and having to deal with a bear encounter :'). They have bear lockers at either end of the portage, so that you can stow your food during portage. Whew!, that was a long tote!
Immediately onto Leigh lake is Boulder Island. Very impressive 60' or higher boulder as its landmark, I was surprised not to see any climbers out there. Perhaps bears swim to it? This area is experiencing high bear activity, with the eastern side of the lake being closed to camping due to an overly aggressive, camp raiding black bear. The rangers chuckle about it when queried, and I guess that a lot of campers have had high adventure with it, returning minus many goods or with tents and gear in disrepair. I would later have a mild encounter with this guy, to note in another posting... Leigh lake is a couple of miles end to end, a mile and more across with arm that goes back another mile and a half. I went up to and out that arm, which has most of the creels that supply the lake entering here. I could hear the water from a mile away and was sure there had to be waterfalls up here. On the way in, I saw a moose wigging out on the shoreline. It was a good half mile away so I could not figure out exactly what it was doing, but it was splashing and romping up a storm! A very nice setting up in here, with a number of paddle in camps. I did find a waterfall, but it was barely visible, several hundred yards into the brush, and I could not find a devloped path to it. It did not seem wise to try bushwhacking in through bear country, so I had to pass on it. Some rangers later told me that, even with bear spray, that would not have been a good idea to do...

So, about 8 miles of paddling and over a quarter mile of portages, and I was pretty much done for the day...

Jackson Hole, Wy

2007-06-11T15:23:00.000-07:00

Just some misc. notes from the greater Jackson/ JH and Teton area...

The Gros Ventre (pronounced "grow vant") river and slide area of Teton-Bridger NF. http://ultimatewyoming.com/sectionpages/sec1/extras/grosventreslide.html

Fascinating story on the slide and the dam giving way. Very nice area to explore. I found my first "Cache Across America" geocache, which are placed in each of the states and give clues to the final cache in DC. Hmmmmm, how long would it take to complete this series? I also saw some of the strangest behavior I have ever saw from an osprey. It may have been an adolescent in practice for fishing for all I know. Instead of the typical talons down, wings back contact with the water for its prey, ths one was going in beak first, kind of like a jet landing, and it would splash and flutter on the water after making contact. Almost as if it were trying to do the breast stroke!

Another shootout in Jackson :). This time I was able to get on the front line and take some better pics. Every day at 6 pm, all summer long. Must get old for the actors...Afterwards, I took a hike UP the Snow King ski slope. Isn't that backwards? Probably easier to ski down than climb up for most, but then you've never seen me on skis!

And finally, it was an awesome evening at Curtis Canyon in the NF above Jackson to take in the blue moon rising...

Idaho Falls

2007-06-09T14:51:00.000-07:00

After a grueling climb of Teton Pass, which climbs 2200' at 10% (not VW friendly!), it was smooth sailing. I made an inadvertent turn outside IF, and was rewarded with a night's camping along the snake river at Heise Hot Springs. Very nice side trip indeed :)

Idaho Falls are not a true falls. A 1200' diversion dam creates a secondary channel to supply a hydro-electric plant. Still, it is a stunning sight, and as the water makes it way down to the secondary channel, many cascades and micro channels are formed. The greenbelt along this stretch of river in downtown was built by WW2 pows! The area is all lava rock, and they filled it all in and it makes a nice park and walk/bike way. This is where I spent the bulk of my holiday w/e. Think I pretty much walked and biked the whole nine yards. IF has a unique setup. They have a "Tourist Park" out of town on the river. Nice parklike setting with several campsites, and plenty of overnight parking spots. Dump station, rest rooms, no showers though. No charge, just a way to welcome visitors and hope they spend a day and patronize the merchants. Good idea. I chose a riverside spot. As a bonus, there is a drive-in just adjacent, and with their fm broadcast audio, I pulled out my lawnchair and mp3, and watched the latest pirates movie :). This is where all the local teens come to spend their w/e evenings. I have to believe the theatre operator is aware...

Business completed, I headed back into Wyoming, taking an alternate route that did not include teton pass...

Old West Days- Jackson, Wy

2007-06-09T13:30:00.000-07:00

Memorial day weekend is here already! What to do with myself, while staying out of the thick of the crowds?

I decided to take in some of the activities here in Jackson, then head over to Idaho Falls, where I had to attend to some business on Tuesday.

Friday night, after I took in the seasons 1st downtown shootout, I joined a group of climbers around the campfire at Curtis creek in the NF. Very interesting evening, and I got a bit of "inside" info for places to recreate in the area... Saturday was the old west parade, which was definitely westerny in theme. Very nice parade, and the rain pretty much held off until it was finished. I visited the fairgrounds in hopes of seeing the Mountan Men Rendezvous, but all I could find was the antler fest, which was merchants selling them along with pelts and other items. Not in the market, nor am I fascinated with this sort of thing. I spent some time at the plaza, listening to some western folk, and then headed out for Idaho...

Yellowstone in snow :)

2007-06-09T11:37:00.000-07:00

I ended up staying put in Norris for a day, as the weather had deteriorated. More snow in the forecast, so I decided it was time to head back to Teton and Jackson Hole. Decent weather most of the way, but I did get into some pretty impressive snow a couple of times. A great sight on the way was a golden eagle feeding on something. It had a half dozen ravens at its party, and occasionally it would flap its wings in an attempt to shoo them off. Finally, it seemed to give up and left the meal for the birds...

There were some beautiful stops on the way out with the fresh snow. Moving into the Tetons was just as nice, with the peaks sporting fresh powder. I enjoyed the scenery in Grand Teton for a day before heading back into Jackson.

Yellowstone-Tower Junction and the Grand Canyon

2007-06-08T13:26:00.000-07:00

From Mammoth, I did a day trip over to Tower Junction, since the road southward from the jct is closed. Nice waterfalls on the way, and also an interesting petrified tree. Interesting in that it is a Redwood! There had been two other trees here, but they have been chisled away for souvineers over the years. The last one has been protected with a steer bar fence. An interesting change to the terrain as you head east also. Open rolling hills here until the junction. The hike I'd have liked to done at the falls and river has been closed due to storm damage the previous year. Seems to be the story of my life (closed trails). Still, a very nice day capped with a bbq at a creekside picnic area on the way back, complete with a couple of elk with velveted antlers.

The Grand Canyon is awesome. "Painted" canyon walls, falls and a very powerful Yellowstone river. I tried to cover every viewpoint, from Inspiration Point through Artist Point. I took Uncle Tom's trail down to a viewpoint of the lower falls, but I could not say that the view was worth the climb. It must have been an incredible adventure "back in the day", based on the description of the old trail. It was a good thing that I got over here today, as there is a major change in the forecast. Snow :) I bet that the canyon area looks good in a fresh layer, but getting to those views would be a bit tricky...By the time I was headed back, rain showers were occuring.

Yellowstone- Geothermal regions

2007-06-08T09:22:00.000-07:00

After making my way through bison-jams, I took the Firehole canyon scenic drive, which takes you through an extensive geothermal area, by cascades and waterfalls. A very nice drive :). The bison just take over the roadway, aren't going to move for anybody or anything, and move along at their own slow and deliberate pace. They tease you by starting to move off the roadway, changing their mind and coming back out before you have a chance to get by. With calves in the group, I gave the males who were taking up the rear plenty of room, lest they felt threatened. I saw a couple of them cross the river this morning, and would see this a couple of more times in my visit. I'm sure they would use a bridge if one were available :)
After a stop at Fountain Paint Pot and seeing Fountain Geyser erupt, I made it back to Old Faithful just in time to see it go off again. I did the loop trail through all of the geothermals here, and was lucky enough on my drive out to see Beehive geyser go off. There is so much more here than just geysers. The pools are spectacular in the coloration or hues of the water and the Thermophiles (microorganisms) add sharp contrasts to the pools and surrounding terrain. This would be evident in all the basins that I visited.
In backtracking towards Madison, I walked the boardwalks at Biscuit (mystic falls trail closed to bear management) and Midway geyser basins. Midway features Excelsior Geyser pouring thousands of gallons of steaming water into the firehole river, and Grand Prismatic Spring, the largest within the park. There were a couple of eagles flying at midway which added to the thrill. To top things off, there was a sandhill crane at work out on Whiskey Flats.
Intentionally making camp early, I took a walk along the river and explored the general area. Back at camp, the day went sour :( I will not go into all the details of the evening here, mainly because I am embarrassed by my actions in response to... a women walking her dog smack dab through the middle of my camp, and allowing it to pee on my firewood. Good grief! Gotta love developed camping...Anyways, by far my worst experience since being out on the road.

As I made my way up to Mammoth Hot Springs the next day, I had to deal with iffy weather all day. Still, I managed to take in Gibbons Falls and then to Norris Geyser Basin. I have read accounts that this is the most interesting geothermal area of the park. Rain forced me to cut short my walk, and I will probably do the whole thing when I come back through. Roaring Mountain is a steaming hillside just off the road that had erupted in the past. I looked hard for the significance of Obsidian Cliff, but, sorry, I was just not impressed. Now Sheepeater Cliffs struck me as far more interesting. Columns of basalt have sheared from the cliffs, and it is similiar in appearance to Devils Postpile (at least from the pics I have seen). The Golden Gate is a narrow canyon that the road follows and features Rustic Falls. Both the pioneers and modern road buiders had to be creative in creating the route through the gate :).

Once into the mammoth area, I explored but the upper and lower terraces. Fascinating, but I could not duplicate the photo quality that you usually see of the terraces...

Yellowstone- Lewis Lake, Old Faithful to West Yellowstone, Montana

2007-06-06T18:47:00.000-07:00

My strategy was to go into Yellowstone before the Memorial Day crunch. Smart, huh? Well, not exactly. What I found was that everything gears towards that weekend, and even the bears aren't cooperatove before then :') That being that most services, campgrounds, ranger stations and whatnot are closed, and most of the backway roads and trails are closed for "bear management". I managed, focusing my time on road touring and the shorter and open walks and trails. No complaints really, although I got really frustrated over not being able to obtain a boat permit. On my way out, I ran into the ranger who managed the waterways, and she graciously gave me permission to kayak w/o permit. Ah well, I will be back soon...

As I made my way into the park, I visited Moose Falls, Lewis Canyon and Cascades, Lewis Falls and finally Lewis Lake. My initial plan was to kayak the lake, that being before I found the boating permits had not yet been distributed. Still, it made a nice stop for lunch.
After a side trip over to Yellowstone Lake, Grant Village and West Thumb, I made my way west in the general direction of Old Faithful. My second pass over the Continental Divide warranted a stop to do a virtual cache at Lake Isa. An interesting aspect to this lake which is perched on the divide: There are two outlets to the lake, but contrary to what you would expect, the eastern outlet flows towards the Pacific, while the western one flows towards the gulf! How can this be?!?! Well, the lake sits on a section of the divide that is situated midway through a "swithback" or s-curve...Another great stop on the way was at Kepler Cascades. Wow, that is a lot of water!, which has carved a deep canyon here.
I made it to Old Faithful five minutes before it erupted :). Timing is everything. After taking a look around, I headed over to Black Sand Basin just in time to witness the Cliff Geyser erupting. This area is just southwest of Old Faithful, and although it does not get much fanfare, I found it to be a worthwhile stop.

It was getting late in the day and I decided I'd go up to Madison to try for a campsite, and spend the next day taking in the geothermal basins in and around Old Faithful. Unfortunately, Madison was full, so I had to head out to West Yellowstone, Montana to find a place for the night : On the way out of the park, a pair of Bald Eagles have built a nest in a tree just a couple of hundred feet from the road. In an effort to protect the birds during their nesting, Wildlife management has posted big signs indicating no stopping or entry, "Bald Eagle management area" ! Well, guess what that does? Yep :') I at least respected the boundaries posted, when I stopped for pictures. More on these birds later...I also got to watch some Bison sparring. Lots of cool wildlife...

So, I ended up a few miles north of West Yellowstone, at Baker's Hole NF campground. Camping was right off of the Madison River, so it was definitely a nice enough spot. A large number of Bison have made their way out of the park, and some have taken up residence in camp! Calving has just taken place, and I was able to observe these little guys (from a safe distance) as they acclimated into the world. I cut short a morning hike cause one of the adult males kept giving me the stank-eye, even though I was over a hundred yards away. To date, these are the critters that I am most wary of around here.

A sidenote on these particular Buffalo: The Yellowstone herd carries brucellosis, which can cause miscarriage in cattle. Montana has an agreement allowing them to slaughter any bison that will not allow themselves to be herded back into park grounds. This was about to happen with the 300 wayward bison, but public outcry over the inclusion of many week old calves held things up and allowed one more hazing effort which seems to have worked. At least for the moment. This is an ongoing story.

On the way back into Yellowstone, I drove the "river drive" a short spur that runs along the Madison. Amazingly, I got to watch as both the Bald Eagles from the nearby nest flew over, with, get this, an Osprey (?) and a hawk harrasing them! This I had never seen before. Usually those two species are being harassed by ravens or crows. That both adult eagles had left the nest meant that this was some serious business! Later I would see one of them dutifuly perched on the nest, so I guess things worked out ok. This was a spectacular sight to watch!

I stopped by Madison and was able to secure a campsite for the night (regretably!), and made my way back towards the geothermal basins...

Grand Teton National Park

2007-05-30T11:50:00.000-07:00

After a brief stop at the Moose park entrance, I made my way to Jenny Lake and picked up a season boat permit. Kayaking my way around the shoreline of the lake, I made my way to the landing at Cascade canyon. A short ways up the trail were a pair of Yellow Bellied Marmot playing hide and seek with passer bys... The trail soon comes creekside and follows it as it cascades down out of the canyon. About a mile up is Hidden Falls, which is definitely so. Very nice. Another 1/4 or 1/2 mile brings the hiker to an overlook over the landscape of the park and Jackson Hole. I could have cntinued up canyon, but saved that part for another trek. Returning to the kayak, a Bald Eagle came into view, cruising the tree line. it was immediately met by a raven who was harassing it as it flew. I would later inquire about this repeated scene, and it is indeed about protecting territory and nests.

The Tetons are as awesome in person as pictures would lead you to believe. I slowly made my way through the park, as I had to stop and take in the various perspectives of the range as I moved along. A number of alpine lakes, forests, sage and willow terrains. (The park is another unfinished chapter for me, as I will be heading back in for more kayaking, hikes and camping, and to explore "boulder city" a rock scrambling paradise that some climbers told me about.).

I saw Elk and Pronghorn Antelope as I made my north through the sage terrain. After a tour of Jackson lake resrvoir, its dam, and a stop at Oxbow Bend where in addition to so many waterfowl, there were a number of otter at play. I made way out into the NF at Pacific Creek, to camp for the night. Being at the continental divide, pacific creek carries a lot of meaning, as does two ocean creek (splits at a junction and leads to both oceans) and a lake of alike name. The crrek splintered into a variety of waterways as it made its way around a bend, and I happened upon a half dozen beaver at work and play here. A magnificent dam sat in on pond, while another sat out in a stream. A passerby said one of the beaver had been up at the roadway earlier... Further up the road were a dozen elk. Wow, what a day for wildlife viewing. Oh, but wait, there's another Moose :).

On my way out of camp in the morning, I had a quick glimpse of a black bear, a couple of more moose, some sandhill cranes and a redtail (?) hawk taking it all in. A drive out to Two Ocean lake very early in the morning, and I was rewarded with the bellows of trumpter swans from the far side of the lake. Wow, now I know why their name :) The lake had a nice trail around it, which was inviting, but it also was posted as a high traffic grizzly habitat, which it indeed looked. I chose not to wander too far in...

Back into Grand Teton. I'd been told of a grizzly bear group (mom and 3 yearling cubs) in the oxbow bend area, and as I passed through, there was a group of cars on the side of the road. I asked what they were watching and was told the bears had been in the area, but were now gone. I went down around the corner so that I could park and watch the backside of the willow line for them, and sure enough they showed up. As they dissapeared into the thicket, I went back to the other side to look for them from there. They weaved in and out and it was hard to get a good view of them. I decided they were moving towards the meadow near the other road, so I drove there and climbed on the roof of the van for a better view. And here they came :). It turned into a "Yellowstone moment", with a traffic jam of cars in the roadway to get a view. And here I was perched up on top of the toybox with the best (and safest) view. As my bear luck would have it, Momma decided the grass was greener on the other side of the road, so she led the way across and just behind the van! I was durn glad to be on the roof at this point. I do not know about the folks in the outback that the group walked right up beside to make the crossing. I assume they did not have heart attacks. Hope they had a video camera... Momma looked up at me as they passed, kinda of a look of "what the heck you doing up there", although I swear that I heard her murmur "Chicken"! :).
After a trip back into Jackson for provisioning, I made a quick pass back through Teton, watched a silly moose buried in the willows, nibbling the sprouts off branches, and then up through the Rockafeller prkwy to Flagg Ranch for the night, with Yellowstone planned for the morning...

Jackson, Wyoming

2007-05-30T11:28:00.000-07:00

Jackson has become home base for my time in the two NP's (Grand Tetons and Yellowstone) and the region. Jackson has suffered the same fate as so many small towns that have been "discovered", too many people moving in for the infrastructure and ambience to support. I hear the median home price is at a million, and they have gone through the argument as to whether or not to expand the roadways (do so and more people come). It is, of course, a catch 22 for them. "Come and visit, and leave us your $$$, but then please go home..." :) They do seem to have one thing going for them, which is that the town is surrounded on three sides by NF, NP and the Elk refuge. Other nearby communities seem to be getting the brunt of development. Anyways, a nice town to explore from, with just enough services and ammenities to be comfortable. I will post more on Jackson, including an array of pics of town and surrounding areas as I go along. I expect I will be in the area for at another week. I did take in a bit of "old west days" over the memorial day w/e...

Granite Creek, Bridger-Teton NF

2007-05-26T11:48:00.000-07:00

Just south of Jackson Hole is where I spent my first night in Wyoming, along the Hoback river. It was getting dark and I wanted a chance to take in some of the view before calling it a day. Beautiful spot, even though it was within a few hundred feet of the hwy. Things quieted down early, and it proved not to be an inconvenience.

In the morning, I drove in on the gravel road along the creek. Beautiful! It did not take long to start spotting wildlife. My first sighting was Marmot, a family up in the rocks above the road. They posed for me very nicely : ). After watching a deer bound across the creek, and awaiting something to come across chasing it, I entered into a wooded area and quickly came across my first Moose :). One of the two also posed for me, but did seem a bit nervous with my presence, so I moved along to let them be. After watching two more moose on the hillside, I spotted a pair of Sandhill Crane down on a tributary to the creek. Wow! Still to come was a deer and fawn, before I arrived at the waterfalls. Afterwards, I moved to the end of the road and the hotsprings. They have built a full sized pool for the springs to fill, and in the late spring it opens to the paying public. I cheated and had the place to myself for an hour...

There is a very nice NF camp nearby, not yet open, and I chose a site with a nice overlook of the creek to stop and have lunch. A very nice and scenic drive in here :).

From here, I made my way into the center of Jackson Hole, the town of Jackson...

To Yellowstone or bust

2007-05-25T14:49:00.000-07:00

So I made my great escape from Moab, before becoming one of those "just passing through" folks who have been there for months... I'd been fretting about getting caught up in the Memorial day crunch @ Yellowstone, so was fast-tracking my way in that general direction. Into Colorado I rolled, and made the mistake of stopping at the welcome center and eyeing the brochures of all the fantastic places and adventures that awaited me here. NOoooooooooo! I stuck to the plan, but started thinking that I might have to backtrack here in the fall and let winter chase me out:) I did make a couple of stops, but managed to be out of the state in a days time.

Dinosaur National Monument-After spending some time taking in petroglyths (have no idea why they put a cable across "Kokopelli!) on hwy 139, I rolled into the town of Dinosaur, Co. Just the name was enough to get me to make a quick stop at the welcome center...RIGHT! An hour and a half of chatting with Brenda, explaining my voyage and geocaching and so on, and after she donated a molded toy dinosaur and a couple of collectiong cards on state bird and other into my swag bag, and after some time of trying to convince me that not spending time in the state was one of the worst calls I could make...I finally got back on the road and up to the Dino NM visitor center and Harpers Corner Auto tour. This was a nice scenic drive out to canyons and a green river overlook, just as Brenda had promised. Unfortunately, I wiled away the afternoon out here, stopping for lunch, hiking out to the point for the best view, and whatnot. I say unfortunately because by the time I got to the Utah side of the park and out to the visitor center there, it was closed for the day. I was unaware that Dinosaur trail would close when the visitor center did. The trail is along the cliff face, and dinosaur bones are scattered within the facing. it looked like it would be a fascinating display, but I was unwilling to stay over another day for it :(.

On my way to the Utah visitor center, I happened upon a huge stretch of road where there were oodles of Prairie Dog colonies :). I had wondered when I might get a real look at some of them. After a quick drive thru of Vernal, Utah, I headed north into BLM land and camp. This route was along "Dinosaur Circle" and there were plaques along the way explaining finds or geologic formations. Now I find out that you can pick up a pamphlet explaining these points in detail...back in Vernal! One that I found most intriguing stated "fossilized crocodile teeth found here". OK, I bite... In the morning I went back to this spot, but the road was so rutted that I could not drive it, and besides, I did not know how far in to go or where to start a search. Oh well. After hiking a mile on "Dinosaur Track" loop trail, I saw nothing but numbered signs and nothing obvious, certainly no dino prints, and called it quits and headed towards...

FLAMING GORGE- So named by John Wesley Powell as his expedition made its way along the green river. Today, it is dammed and a recreation area. Still a very nice place though. I slowly made my way through, but chose the less scenic route up to expedite my way into Wyoming. There were certainly some nice kayak opportunities here if I so chose.

After a quick pass thru Rock Springs, Wy, I made my way up to just south of Jackson, arriving at camp just at sunset. This would be my jumping off point for Jackson Hole, the Tetons and Yellowstone. Now, the question will be, when will I ever leave this area ;')

Pictures. General Moab, Utah area

2007-05-24T17:37:00.001-07:00

Pictures. Negro Bill Canyon trail

2007-05-24T17:31:00.000-07:00

Pictures. Klondike Bluffs

2007-05-24T17:27:00.000-07:00