I took two road trips in the 2016 spring season before withdrawing to the Boise scene, avoiding the summer crowds in the parks and wilderness areas. The two road trips were very different, but both were satisfying in their own way. On Saturday, April 23, I drove from Boise to Moab, Utah, intending to grab … More Local Color: Rocking in Utah and Idaho
The last leg of this journey included parts of Arizona, New Mexico and Utah. The name Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument sounded pretty interesting and I’d always wanted to photograph the giant saguaro cactus and whatever wildlife I could find nearby. I drove south from Phoenix and arrived at about 3:30 PM, in time to find a … More The Southwest: Giants, Hoodoos, Alien Eggs, Flying Dinosaurs, etc.
The only thing about California that I ever thought was extreme is Los Angeles traffic (and now San Francisco area traffic, as I discovered in June 2014 and was reminded last week). But in the first week of November I learned a wider range of extremes that give me a new understanding and appreciation of … More California, Land of Extremes
“All it does around here is rain. Rain, rain, rain.” — A local Starbucks patron overheard in Crescent City, CA. “Rain.” — National Park Service Ranger at the Redwoods National Park Information Center in Crescent City, when asked about the forecast. He was clearly on autopilot, knowing the answer would be right sooner rather than … More Pacific Northwest
I thought I’d take a moment and reflect on my Rocky Mountain hiking experience so far. At least in Glacier (I haven’t hiked in the Tetons or in Yellowstone), it’s especially notable to a transplanted Easterner how quiet the woods are compared to those in the East. I’ve hiked for long stretches without hearing a … More East to West in Glacier National Park
Sept. 28, 2015: Beartooth Pass to Glacier via Mammoth Hot Springs. For the first time I slept with the roof down, using my self-made single bed platform, which was plenty comfortable. I thought it was prudent considering the signs around Beartooth Highway campsites that say, “Grizzlies may use this area.” The Yellowstone park map also … More Yellowstone to Glacier
Sept. 26, 2015: Boise to Teton National Park. First, I notice the extra weight on the roof (new solar panel) raises the center of gravity and somewhat affects cornering on mountain roads, but it’s not much harder to pop up the roof. The new pressurized struts handle the thirty extra pounds up there quite well. … More Tetons to Yellowstone
Sept. 21, 2015: Twelve days after our previous visit (me, Frank and Clair) I served again as a tour host to the Sawtooth Mountains, this time with John, who drove to Boise from Durango, CO, on his vacation. We headed for Wild Horse Campground, since I found it on a good map this time. We … More Sawtooths Revisited
Sept. 7, 2015: We left Boise for our first Idaho camping trip together, bound for primitive Wildhorse Campground on the southeastern edge of the newly designated wilderness of Boulder-White Clouds (B-WhiteClouds). As we had planned for Labor Day, we saw many RVs coming towards us, whereas none were going our direction, so we were optimistic we’d … More Sampling the Sawtooths
Preface: Unless otherwise noted, the shots in this post are only those taken with my digital camera. The photos made with my film camera will be displayed in my “Gallery” pages after I have them developed and scanned in the Colorado lab. Wednesday, August 26, 2015: You and Me and Rain on the Roof It’s … More Capitol Reef and Great Basin
Travels with Amos 