Tag Archive: hiking


SONORAN DESERT AND ORGAN PIPE CACTUS NATIONAL MONUMENTS

Filed under: RV. travel, fulltime — 4 Comments
January 31, 2013

Sonoran Desert National Monument–
This fairly new (Since Jan. 2000) National Monument is located just north of I 8 off  route 85.  There are 487,000 protected acres that are part of one of North Americas most  biologically diverse deserts.  It has three mountain ranges contained in the park in addition to multiple wilderness areas, archaeological and historic sites, including rock art sites, rock quarries used to make tools,etc., and remnants of several important historic trails.  There are both hiking and equestrian trails to enjoy in a beautiful quite, peaceful remote environment.  While we were preparing to go hiking we saw folks with their horses preparing to go on a ride on one of the trails.

Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument–
This National Monument is a UNESCO designated International Biosphere Reserve and as you learn about the park you quickly understand why it was selected.  The Organ Pipe Cactus is pretty self explanatory and the name describes its appearance.  It does not grow north of this park and it is interesting to see it growing among the many other types of cactus.  One of the most common cactus is the Saguaro and we are told there is more Saguaro Cactus in Organ Pipe National Monument than are found in Saguaro National Park itself.

Camping–
There are two campgrounds within the park.  One is primitive for tent camping and requires a permit.  The other campground is for tents and RVs.    It is a no reservation, first come-first served campground with a few  amenities.  Each site has a cement pad, a picnic table and a barbecue grill.  Senior discount with a Golden Age Pass/Senior Pass making the cost $6/night to camp for seniors.

Hiking, etc.–
There are numerous hiking trails in the park.   There’s lots of opportunity for photography and due to little light pollution the night-skies are amazing.  Also there are frequent ranger programs at the campground amphitheater and some ranger led walks.  Biking is allowed on all the roads in the park during daylight hours.

Scenic drives—
There are two designated scenic drives in the park:
One is the Ajo Mountain Drive. It is a 21 mile loop on a mostly rough, gravel road usually passable by normal passenger car with the restriction of no vehicle on the road that is over 24 feet.  The park offers a free Ranger-guided van tour of this drive and we registered for and took this tour.  Our guide was a retired professor of geology and was very knowledgeable about the park.  All of us on the tour agreed it was excellent and we learned a lot about the park.  We were all quite glad we were in a park vehicle for this ride as the road was very rough.
The second designated scenic drive is the Puerto Blanco Drive. It is a five mile turn around, self drive that is said to give access to the Pinkley Peak Picnic Area and haa several stops along the way with great views and information on the ecology and culture.  It, too, is a rough, gravel road with vehicle length restrictions.

Safety–
Due to its location on the Mexican boarder the park is frequently traversed by people traveling from Mexico into the US.  The danger and concern comes from the fact that some of the folks are running drugs and are dangerous so awareness of your surroundings is essential.  The major cause of injuries in the park are from car accidents.  Desert heat and dehydration are threats to safety as well especially in the warmer months.  Last but not least is the safety issue of the parks flora and fauna (think rattle snakes, etc.).
Senoran Desert National Monument

Senoran Desert National Monument

Beautiful Organ Pipe National Monument.

Beautiful Organ Pipe National Monument.

Beautiful Organ Pipe National Monument.

Organ Pipe National Monument.

A Saguaro Cactus "forest" in Organ Pipe National Monument. There are more Saguaro Cactus in Organ Pipe National Monument than in the Saguaro National Park.

A Saguaro Cactus “forest” in Organ Pipe National Monument. There are more Saguaro Cactus in Organ Pipe National Monument than in the Saguaro National Park.

The largest Organ Pipe Cactus in Organ Pipe National Monument.

The largest Organ Pipe Cactus in Organ Pipe National Monument.

Organ Pipe National Monument.

Organ Pipe National Monument.

Organ Pipe National Monument.

Organ Pipe National Monument.

Our tour guide. Organ Pipe National Monument.

Our tour guide. Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument

One of many hiking trails.

One of many hiking trails. Organ Pipe National Monument.

One of many hiking trails. Organ Pipe National Monument.

Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument

Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument

Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument

Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument

Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument Visitor Center

Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument Visitor Center

Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument

Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument

Ready to ride through the Senoran Desert National Monument under beautiful blue skies.

Ready to ride through the Senoran Desert National Monument under beautiful blue skies.

Senoran Desert National Monument

Senoran Desert National Monument

Tags: , , , , ,
Comment

KENAI NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE. SOLDOTNA, ALASKA

Filed under: RV. travel, fulltime — Leave a comment
June 24, 2012

Lottery and bear viewing–
OK. I think it is going to be important that we win the lottery and
very soon. So far we have traveled over 7000 miles in the RV since
leaving San Diego. The price of gas has been fairly high but doing
some of the really exciting touristy things in Alaska can be very pricey.
Have been looking into going to Kodiak Island, Katmai, etc. to see the
brown bear (grizzlies). Yikes, the trip we want to take is well over
$1200 for the two of us for the day. Can’t justify spending that kind
of money for a single day excursion, though the trip sounds absolutely
wonderful. With the cost of fuel for the plane, etc. this is probably a fair price,
it’s just more than we can justify spending. Of course if we hit the lottery big time
then maybe more then $1000 would be just “chump change”. I suppose this means
we’ll have to buy a lottery ticket, something we haven’t done for quite
awhile. I do think if you have a lottery ticket it improves your chances of
winning, but only very slightly. Well, luckily we do have a Plan B.
We’ll be going to Hyder, AK. near the end of the summer and
Hyder is famous for bear viewing. Also, they don’t demand you bring a
Brinks truck with you to Hyder to pay for it.
It’s not that we haven’t seen grizzlies. We saw lots of them when we volunteered for a
summer in Yellowstone and recently while in Denali N P. It is just that we get such a thrill
seeing them just being bears in the wild.

Boondock–
We spent the last two nights at Soldotna Fred Myers in their parking
lot along with quite a few other RVers. This Fred Myers has
designated spots for RV overnighters of up to three nights, a dump
station, and potable water at no charge. So we’re thinking Fred Myers
caught on to something that Walmart has known for years…when RVers
stay overnight in your parking lot, they spend a lot of money in your
store. It’s just a smart business move. We’re here and it’s
convenient so we bought gas, stocked up on a lot of supplies, Jerry
bought a new camera and we’ll buy more “stuff” before we leave. Will
boondock along the way when we leave Soldotna and head south down the
Kenai Peninsula.

Kenai National Wildlife Refuge, Soldotna, Alaska–
This place is huge. The visitor center is just outside Soldotna and
is located at the edge of this “Alaska size” refuge. I love that you
get to the visitor center from Soldotna on “Funny River Road” (The
names of some of the places in Alaska are sooooo interesting).
The rangers in the visitor center are quite knowledgeable and helpful.
The visitor center itself is interesting.
There are some easy loop trails of only a few miles into the refuge that
start next to the visitor center. It rained today but mostly it was
a light rain and it did not deter us from taking this trail.
Foolishly, we went off into the loop trails without applying our Deet
spray. Big mistake! About a quarter of a mile in, a full air force
regiment of mosquitoes descended on us. There had been no mosquitoes
to be seen prior to this so we were lulled into complacency. We
increased our walking speed, put our bare hands into our pockets,
Jerry pulled up his hood to protect his neck and ears, and since my
hair is long I walked along swinging my hair as a switch. Undeterred,
the mosquitoes followed us along all the trails landing on any exposed
skin that stopped moving for more than a second. Somehow, we were
successful in warding off bites but we won’t be caught unprepared
again.Despite the mosquitoes and the rain, the trail into the refuge was beautiful.
It leads to a large lake then around through forested areas. Though
we were warned of bear and moose, we saw only a few birds on this
trail.
There’s lots to learn at the refuge and we spent a considerable amount of time
learning as much as we could about this habitat, it’s history and the
animals protected here.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Tags: , , , , ,
Comment

RESURRECTION RIVER. SEWARD, ALASKA.

Filed under: RV. travel, fulltime — 4 Comments
June 19, 2012

Boondock–
The site we’re in along the Resurrection River is beautiful, level and we aren’t bothered so will boondock here another couple of nights. Boondocking along this river is a common practice as it is over much of Alaska. Campgrounds are basically for folks that need/want electrical, etc. hook-ups. The campgrounds certainly meet a need for tourists to Alaska as the campgrounds usually have lots of RVers staying there. Most Alaskans boondock as far as we can tell. We’re lucky enough not to need hook-ups so boondocking works for us.

Resurrection River–
We spent the day relaxing and hiking along the river. Today is another beautiful day. The temp at 6:00 am was 48 degrees F. but by mid-day it was up to 60 degrees F. and warmer in the sun. The river is flowing faster and is somewhat deeper, nowhere near flood stage but we will keep an eye on it. Our hike took us along Resurrection River and into the woods of the Kenai Fjords National Park. It wasn’t a strenuous hike but we didn’t know where we were going and had to be careful to be able to find our way back. We’re thinking, it just wouldn’t do to get lost out there.

Plans–
Tomorrow, we’ll be going on a nine hour Fjord Cruise with “Kenai Fjords Cruises” leaving the harbor at 9:00am. We chose this day and this cruise over others for a few reasons. Their boat carries as many as 150 people and they usually have less than 100 aboard. Wednesday is supposed to have very calm seas. This tour swings the furthest out into the Gulf of Alaska, goes up into the Northwestern Fjord and travels the greatest distance. Hopefully, going out on the water this long will afford us the opportunity to see lots of sea life and perhaps some wildlife along the shores. We will find out tomorrow if our best guess was correct and just how well Dramamine works.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Tags: , , , , , ,
Comment

6/10/12 DENALI NATIONAL PARK

Filed under: RV. travel, fulltime — 2 Comments
June 11, 2012

Hiking along the Teklanika River–
This morning we took a short hike along the Teklanika River. We were told that occasionally you can spot wildlife from the river bed but today was not the day for seeing wildlife on this hike. We weren’t the only ones hiking in that area.  Perhaps there were too many people around. Despite not seeing wildlife it was a beautiful day for a hike.
Leaving Teklanika Campground–
We left Teklanika Campground this afternoon to change campgrounds. We moved to Riley Creek Campground near the entrance to Denali NP. The park has a strong restriction of the direction of travel when leaving Teklanika Campground. They only allow you to drive your vehicle toward the entrance to the park but they don’t restrict how long that will take you to drive. So we spent more than two hours driving slowly and stopping along the way as we headed back toward the Riley Creek Campground.

Riley Creek Campground–
This campground is bigger and much more commercial than Teklanika. There’s a dump site here and potable water. Also, there’s a campground store and though the campgrounds in the park are all run by a private company, they still honor the National Parks senior card so our campsite was only $11.00/night. Since Riley Creek Campground is located within the first 15 miles of the park, they allow private vehicles to drive the roads up to the 15 mile mark where the official entrance into the wilderness area starts. A ranger is stationed at this point in the park.  Today, at the gate where the ranger was stationed, there was a grizzly about 300 yards away in the riverbed area.  Tonight, coming back to the campground, we saw a mama moose and her baby walking down the middle of the road just outside the campground.

Internet and cell phone coverage–
We use Verizon cell phone and Mellenicom(Verizon) for internet and both get signals in the Riley Creek Campground and at the Wilderness Access Center. However the signal is a bit weak. Perhaps others would have better luck connecting than we have had there.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Tags: , , , , , , , ,
Comment

6/6/12 DENALI NATIONAL PARK

Filed under: RV. travel, fulltime — 2 Comments
June 11, 2012

The Wilderness Access Center–
Arrived at the Wilderness Access Center of Denali NP to see what it would be like to be here in July. We have reservations for July 15th at the Teklanika Campground. After some discussion with the young staff at the center, they suggested we might want to change our reservations and stay in the park now since we were already here. We decided this was as good an idea as any so we changed our reservation and will be camped in the park until the morning of June 11th. The Wilderness Center is filled with fit looking folks of various ages planning to hike and camp far into the wilderness areas of the park. Lots of folks fitted with large back packs and many with forms filled out for permits for their planned adventures.

Traveling to the Teklanika Campground–
The only time you can drive in the park passed mile 15 is on your way to Teklanika campground and on your way out of the wilderness area beyond mile 15. Teklanika Campground is 29 miles into the park making it the furthest campground for RVs in the park and camping in the wilderness of the park sounded most appealing. Transportation within the park is done by “hop on, hop off” shuttle buses that run every half hour in the morning and every hour from noon on. The shuttle bus is not free, tickets must be purchased. A fellow Lazy Daze RVer, Ed, suggested we take our time on our drive to the campground and see as much as we could during the drive. That was a great suggestion, thanks Ed! It took us about three hours to drive to the campground at our very slow pace plus multiple stops for hiking, looking at views, to observe some wildlife and even ate lunch while stopped at one of the larger pull outs in the park. The road in the park is paved until mile 15, after that is a very good dirt road. It was a beautiful drive and rather than speed up when another vehicle came up behind us we just pulled over and let them pass.

Teklanika Campground–
This national park campground is similar to other national park campgrounds. No hook-ups, sites treed and have a fire pit and picnic table, sites are in loops and fairly close together. There is a volunteer campground host here but she is only here until the third week in June. There is no volunteer campground host to replace her so if anyone is interested, contact the rangers. Don’t know what the campground host duties are but she said it was her first time here and was enjoying herself. The Teklanika campground is fairly small with approximately 50 sites. We did attend an evening ranger presentation in the campground amphitheater. It was a good presentation about birds in the park plus bear, moose and wolf safety. We both wore deet and had not one mosquitoes bite despite the fact there were lots of mosquitoes in the air. Hate using deet but it works.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Tags: , , , , , ,
Comment

OLYMPIC NATIONAL PARK SIDETRIP#2 DAY13 ON OUR ROADTRIP TO ALASKA

Filed under: RV. travel, fulltime — Leave a comment
April 28, 2012

Hoh Rain Forest, Olympic National Park, Washington

Today was our first full day in Hoh Rain Forest in the Olympic National park. Our campsite is backed up the the Hoh River that is flowing faster today than yesterday but far from causing us a problem. You can hear the water rushing by and the a few river rocks tumbling by but the loudest in the morning is the bird sounds. Clearly the birds know it is Spring and they sound like they are discussing it. The temp this morning was 45 degrees F, warmer than it has been most mornings.
After a leisurely breakfast, we walked to the Hoh visitor center. As we came to the parking lot there was a fine array or Masda Miatas in many colors and all from Washington State. We asked around at the visitor center and found that the gathering of Miatas was a car club that was touring the Hoh Rain Forest.  They’re all staying at a nearby resort. The Ranger at the visitor center suggested a number of hikes so we were set for today and tomorrow. Today we only hiked about three miles but got a feel for the ecosystem here. Tomorrow we will try a six mile round trip hike that is supposed to take us to a waterfall. The hikes for today were beautiful and easy and we did see some elk along the trails.
Since our campsite backs up to the river and has quite a bit of open sky, we have fairly good solar. There has been a fine drizzle all day but rarely did it actually rain today. Our open campsite must “see” a cell tower or a repeater because we have a good internet connection.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Tags: , , , , , ,
Comment

OLYMPIC NATIONAL PARK SIDETRIP#2 DAY11 ON OUR ROADTRIP TO ALASKA

Filed under: RV. travel, fulltime — 2 Comments
April 26, 2012

Camping and Hiking in Olympic National Park, Washington

We’re in Sol Duc campground for one more day ($7 dollars with the NP senior pass). Will leave tomorrow some time in the morning. It is beautiful, green and very wet here.
Yesterday we hiked from the Sol Duc campgrounds and headed for Sol Duc Falls. We’d heard the Sol Duc Falls were beautiful. We never made it there. The trail from the camp ground was filled with water in many places but when we were only .3 miles from the falls we encountered water so deep and the pool expansive across the trail. In order to cross we would have had to either wade in ice water about a foot deep or climb on surrounding elevated areas that looked too treacherous. So we turned around and headed back. Even though we had hiked a total of five miles it felt like and unsuccessful hike. So, today we decided to see the Sol Duc Falls and took the easy way. The road passed the campground and further into the park ends at an easy, passable trail to the Falls. While hiking we met a fellow camper on the trail. Jason is a serious hiker and told us to see the Sol Duc Falls but to continue hiking on the “Lovers Trail” and that we would come to another spectacular falls. Oh, he was so right! The second falls were not as huge but it was equally spectacular. So our hike today came to three miles total and really it was an easy “walk in the park”. We met quite a few folks on this hike, both young and older like us. There was a couple from Japan, a family from Virginia, Jason from Michigan and folks from various other places.
When we started the hike. It was pouring rain and there was snow still on the ground so we knew we (mainly me) would be cold if we didn’t dress for the weather on this hike. So I had on my long johns, a couple of sweaters, a down jacket and a rain jacket over everything and I was still cold! The rain stopped as soon as we got a little down the trail and did not start again until we were almost done with our hike so that was helpful. By the time we got inside the Lazy Daze, it was pouring again. It has been raining hard off and on all afternoon. Temp this morning was 41 degrees F. and now the outside temp has jumped right up to 45 degrees F

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

.

Tags: , , , , , ,
Comment

HIKING/CAMPING OLYMPIC NP SIDETRIP #2 DAY 7 ON OUR ROADTRIP TO ALASKA

Filed under: RV. travel, fulltime — Leave a comment
April 22, 2012

Olympic National Park —  Elwha Campground

Decided to continue our stay in the Elwha Campground.  It’s so lovely here and there’s another hike we want to take from this area.  The folks responsible for putting out envelopes campers are to fill out and stuff with appropriate payment for their stay are falling down on the job.  We will have to check back later so the NP service can get their money.  For $6/night with our Senior Park Pass this is a good deal.  When we volunteered in Yellowstone many years ago, we learned that boondocking on most National Park land outside of the authorized campgrounds would likely get you an expensive ticket from the Rangers.
Hiking in Olympic National Park
There are a number of hiking paths adjacent to the Elwha Campground.  So, today, we took one and off for a hike we went.  Just a half hour into the hike we came upon a huge tree and root ball blocking the path.  The path was narrow and had a severe drop off on one side.  We contemplated turning back (oh, that would have been smart) but opted to risk life and limb and climb over it.  While climbing over this we asked ourselves “what on earth are two old people doing trying to climb over this and risk their lives?”.    Our adventurous spirit got in the way of good sense is the only thing I can say in our defense.  The first downed tree across the path was the worst one of many as we walked along the path.  It had become a beautiful day.   We woke to a temp this morning of 44 degrees F.  but it warmed up during the day to the low 70′s.  We wore our new hiking shoes and mostly they were perfect.  I found though, new hiking shoes don’t make you look more graceful when you fall into the middle of some downed pine branches.  Oh, I didn’t get hurt but I was not going to let Jerry take a picture of me on my butt with both feet in the air.  So much for pride, I was just embarrassed and glad there were no witnesses except my husband and he know better than to laugh at me.  Though he couldn’t hide his smile while he helped me up.  We hiked for a little more than two hours each way and since we were ascending the mountainside for the first two hours plus, that was long enough.  It turned out to be a beautiful day to hike but , I admit, we took a nap and Ibuprofen when we got back to the Lazy Daze.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Tags: , , , , , ,
Comment

Olympic National Park, Sidetrip 2, Day 6, ON OUR ROAD TRIP TO ALASKA

Filed under: RV. travel, fulltime — 2 Comments
April 21, 2012
From Hurricane Ridge area to The Elwha Valley of the Olympic National Park

Spent a nice morning today at Heart O’ the Hills campground.  Just had to find out the name of the yellow plant we saw yesterday so we returned to the Visitor Center for Olympic NP, Port Angeles to ask the Ranger.  Showed them the picture and they declared it Skunk Cabbage.  Skunk Cabbage!?!  I saw a lot of Skunk Cabbage in the woods behind my house growing up outside of Boston.  Our Skunk Cabbage back East didn’t look anything like the Pacific Northwest Skunk Cabbage.  Turns out the Skunk Cabbage back East and the Skunk Cabbage in the West are related but don’t look alike.  Ah Ha !   Learn something new every day.  We took a hike just outside the Olympic NP Ranger Station of Port Angeles, beautiful.

Elwha Valley, Olympic National Park, Wa.
Drove from Port Angeles area to the Elwha Valley and took a very short hike into the woods to see Madison Falls.  Only 60′ high but very nice.  Along the way into the Falls was a young family with three little kids.  They asked where we were from and we said we were fulltime RVers.  Ah well, no explanation needed.  They knew all about RV fulltiming as one of the Grandpas’ of the little ones is a fulltime RVer AND he winters in the Yuma area of Arizona.  I tell you, it is a small world.
Further up the road from Madison Falls is the Olympic NP Elwha Campground and we decided to go for a hike and camp there for the night in the practically empty campground.  There are some tenters a few sites away from us but they are quiet neighbors.  The hike we took was not as long as it was rapidly ascending up the mountain side.  The path was so steep the NP service made it switch back I guess to keep from having to rescue fallen hikers.  The reward was trails end and the views.  What can anyone say to really describe such a beautiful, lush, diverse Forest with huge snow covered peaks towering above.  Best things about going to Olympic National Park in early Spring; you have the place pretty much to yourselves, you see the beginnings of renewed life after a long winter, no insects bothering you, and a hike such as we took is best done in cool weather.   We would have driven further into the Elwha Valley but the road was closed as the Olympic NP is taking Down a dam and they are going to let the water run free as it had done up until the dam was built.  Sometimes progress is a step backwards.
Now, with nightfall it is very dark and the only sound is the sounds of the frogs calling.
Fulltime RVing–
Just a word about fulltime RVing.  When we became fulltime RVers we got lots of folks responding with encouraging words and, of course, some nay sayers.  So when we say we live in our RV and just travel fulltime we brace for the varied reactions.  Our eldest daughter, living in Santa Monica, tells the story of having a New Years Day gathering this year of lots of upwardly mobile young people. One couple, from France, soon to be moving to the Washington, DC area for an important scientific post asked “So what do your parents do?”  Everyone stopped to listen.  Our daughter explained that we were fulltime RVers and we were travelling the country.  Then she, just as we do, braced for the reaction.  ”This is my dream when we retire!” the man exclaimed to my daughter.  We all got a laugh, it seems travel translates well into any language or culture.
Hope you enjoy the pictures

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Comment

(Continued) ANOTHER BEAUTIFUL DAY IN CHICO, CA.

Filed under: RV. travel, fulltime — 4 Comments
April 9, 2012

Afternoon Hike in Upper Bidwell Park

This afternoon we hiked the Yahi Trail in Upper Bidwell Park to Bear Hole about three miles each way.  This city park is huge and is divided into “Lower Park” that we walked part of yesterday (see pictures in the “Happy Easter” 4/8/12 post) and the “Upper Park” section that we hiked into this afternoon.  There are many trails in Upper Park used by walkers, runners, hikers, bike riders, and horses.  We’ve hiked most of the trails in Upper Park in the past but the Yahi Trail is along the water and leads to an area know as “Bear Hole”.  There’s interesting basalt rock formations at Bear Hole and Big Chico Creek runs through this rocky area and the length of Upper Park.  Chico has a University in town and Bear Hole as well as some of the other swimming areas in the park are very popular with students during the summer.  During late spring/early summer you can sometimes see kids riding inner tubes down the creek.  Horseshoe Lake is near the beginning of Upper Park and is located accross the road from the Chico Municipal Golf Course.  To say this is a beautiful park is to understate the case with the pictures below only capturing a small area and only some of the beauty in this city park.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Dinner with family was the capper for an active day.  Our last full day in Chico, Ca.   Tomorrow we hit the road again.

Tags: , , , , ,
Comment
Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

Join 126 other followers