Photo and Travel Log

Chiricachua National Monument

2013-03-23T15:22:00.001-05:00

Cave Creek Canyon

2013-03-23T15:21:00.001-05:00

Cave Creek Canyon, a photo by Docking Bay 93 on Flickr.

Cave Creek Canyon

2013-03-23T15:20:00.003-05:00

Cave Creek Canyon, a photo by Docking Bay 93 on Flickr.

South Fork Cave Crek

2013-03-23T15:20:00.001-05:00

IMG_3293, a photo by Bejoba on Flickr.

Glacier National Park

2012-10-04T14:49:00.002-05:00

A day hikers paradise, a place full of hiking adventures. The limited dates that the park is advisable for hiking is an issue for any hiker who is considering a visit to the park. That narrow band of time is from mid-late July through early September. We went on Sept 12, which turned out to be late for one of our hikes -- by just several days. Be prepared for the possibility that some hikes may have high winds and be bone chilling cold.

Sept 12- unpassable Siyeh Pass trail, snowed in

Lodging is plentiful and diverse, but generally expensive. We stayed at Apgar Village, where we rented a cabin that had 5 beds, a full kitchen and 3 baths, for around $300/night. We had dinner one night at the Lake McDonald Lodge restaurant, a fine experience. We had three full days of day hiking - the first day we hiked Siyeh Pass, the 2nd day Kintla Lake trail, and the third day both Hidden Lake and the Granite Park Chalet trail.

Picasa Photo Album of Siyeh Pass trail, Lake Kintla trail, and Granite Chalet trail.

Lake McDonald at Apgar Village

View from 'Going to the Sun Road'

Hiking the Siyeh Pass Trail

What a great hike, this has to be one of the best hikes in the National Parks. The first mile is not unusual, but after that, what scenery! The trailhead is on the Going to the Sun Road. It starts

out pretty easy, meandering through pine groves, with some beautiful meadows as you work your way up.

Once above the tree line the scenery changes dramatically, you are on a giant alluvial fan, and ahead of you, way up ahead of you, near the apex of Siyeh Pass, you can see some hikers. You realize that is where you are going. Looks like loads of fun.

The higher you go, the windier it gets, and the colder it gets. Some of us had winter coats, but I did not, and one of us, one who usually can withstand cold well, finally met his match.

Unfortunately we could not actually hike over the pass, it was snowed over. Other hikers on the trail said it had snowed two days earlier. This was Sept 12. We missed it by two days. We were forced to head back, and were unable to complete the trail. Next time, for sure!

Italy - Civita

2012-04-01T12:27:00.000-05:00

Indian Peaks Trail

2012-04-01T11:56:00.001-05:00

Yosemite

2012-03-24T16:42:00.001-05:00

Zion Kolob Terrace Drive

2012-02-25T08:32:00.002-06:00

Kolob Terrace fields

This drive goes to Lava Point, the trailhead for the West Rim Trail. These photos are from an area approx 10 miles south of Lava Point. It is a good attraction after a day of hiking, and offers unusual views of the Zion bluffs from a higher elevation.

Video from Kolob Terrace, looking east/southeast at Zion's West Rim

Northgate Peaks Trail
The trailhead is just off the highway. This is an incredibly easy hike, nothing to it, it ends at the edge of an ancient Lava flow. Not worth the time it takes to drive to the location unless you are just looking for a short, easy hike, or you just happen to be there.

CA Hwy 395

2012-02-19T09:25:00.001-06:00

Click here for a full screen slideshow An interesting drive along the east side of the High Sierras.
The Alabama Hills is the site of many movies of TV commercials. Lone Pine has hosted many movie stars and productions over the years.
Manzanar is the site of a major WWII Japanese Internment camp, and is run by the National Park Service as a park.
Owens Valley is being reclaimed. This entire area is the site of more than a few famous Ansel Adams photos.

Kings Canyon

2012-02-19T08:09:00.001-06:00

Click here for a full screen slideshow

Ireland

2012-02-17T22:53:00.003-06:00

Happy Hour in Dublin

North Irish coast, near Causeway Head

Quays Bar in Dublin

Zion

2012-02-10T22:43:00.003-06:00

Zion has some of the best day-hiking trails for the recreational hiker. A great two day experience would be to do Angels Landing on one day, the narrows the next. For the more ambitious hiker, there is the Observation Point Trail, the East Rim Trail, and the West Rim Trail.

Death Valley

2012-02-09T20:57:00.002-06:00

Death Valley National Park

2012-02-09T20:56:00.001-06:00

Death Valley National Park, a set on Flickr.

2012-01-15T08:50:00.000-06:00

Ideas for Great Smokey Mountains

The Great Smokey Mountains National Park is is one of the jewels of the park system. It is the most bio-diverse ecosystem in the northern hemisphere anywhere north of the tropics themselves. More than 4,000 species of plants grow there. It has more tree species than found in the whole of Europe. It has 16 trees that are larger than any others of their kind on the earth. The west side of the park is the largest unsegmented area without roads in the eastern U.S. It contains the most remote parts of the Appalachia Trail.

Click for Large format PDF map of hiking trails

Click below for flights into Knoxville TN
From Msp
From PHX
From Cedar Rapids
From Rapid City

Gatlinburg TN (38 miles from Knoxvillle) offers quite a bit of lodging facilities. My only experience with Gatlinburg was driving through it in 1982, it was memorable as the most touristy place I have ever seen. Of course I was only 27 years old. Highway 441 from Sevierville to Gatlinburg follows an ancient Cherokee trail. Sevierville was a well known location along the major Native American trails that spanned the eastern states.

View Larger Map

Tripadvisor Link to Gatlinburg hotels
Click here for the Wikipedia page about Gatlinburg
Gatlinburg tourism web site

View Larger Map

Travel from the airport to lodging is very manageable. 38 miles from the airport to lodging in Gatlinburg. An alternative to Gatlinburg is Townsend, which is closer to the Knoxville airport and is closer to the southern part of the park and areas such as Cades Cove.
From the Gatlinburg area park entrance it is approximately another 9 miles to the trailheads for the hikes described below.

Now to the Park itself...

Trail idea #1
Trails.com says the 'must hike' (not really a hike) is from Newfound Gap to the Observation Tower on Clingmans Dome. The observation tower provides great views of the park. It is a .5 mile hike, but it is at the end of a seven mile spur. Be prepared for traffic.
Click here for Wikipedia page about Clingmans Dome

Trail idea #2
Hike To:
Mt. LeConte via Alum Cave Trail

There are two parking lots at the trailhead, but you must arrive early in the morning to get a parking spot. It is located 8.7 miles from the Natl Parks Sugarlands Visitor Center

At 6200 feet, Mt Lonte is the third highest mountain in Tennessee.
The most scenic, shortest and steepest trail to Mt LeConte is the Alum Cave Trail.

Round-Trip Length: 10.1 miles
Elevation Change: +2,728' net gain
Skill Level: Moderately Strenuous

Links for Mt. LeConte: Alum Cave Trail:
www.gsmnp.com
www.leconte-lodge.com
wikipedia
localhikes.com
romanticasheville.com
The trail is often in mist

View from near to the top of the mountain.

Taken from Alum Cave

Taken from Cliff Tops

Trail Idea #3
Newfound Gap to Charlies Bunion (Appalachian Trail)
"Wow....only the perfect hike for the novice hiker and the weathered outdoorsman
From Backpacker.com

Perhaps one of the most scenic hikes in the Smokies

Roundtrip Length:  8.1 miles     
Total Elevation Gain:  1640 feet     
Skill Level: strenuous

Myrtle Point Panaromic video:

Click here for a good photograph with an impressive view of the trail close to the Bunion

View Larger Map

View of Charlies Bunion viewing towards the northwest

Trail Idea #4
Clingmans Dome to Silers Bald

A 10 mile out-and-back easy hike along the Appalachian Trail with views of both Tennessee and North Carolina all along the way.

Roundtrip Length: 9.88 miles     
Total Elevation Gain: 21 feet     
Skill Level: 5 (medium)

Trail Idea #5
Cucumber Gap Loop

A 5 mile out-and-back easy easy hike through an area with a mountain stream that tumbles over large boulders surrounded by hardwoods, followed by thick woods, in spring this trail is popular for its wildflowers. This trail gets its name from the cucumber Magnolia's in this area. Click here for the Wikipedia link for the "cucumber tree".

Roundtrip Length: 5.6 Miles 
Total Elevation Gain: 830 Feet 
Skill Level: 7.26 (moderate)

Mojave National Monument

2012-01-07T08:26:00.002-06:00

View Larger Map

Mojave Trail Road
National Park service hiking page
LA Times photos
Mojave Preserve Conservancy

Daily

2011-11-06T15:20:00.001-06:00

CanyonLands; North

2011-11-02T22:25:00.001-05:00

Slideshow An area of canyons and few people, miles and miles of canyons.

Zion -- Taylors Creek Trail

2011-11-02T20:10:00.000-05:00

Slideshow

Minneapolis / St Paul

2011-11-02T19:54:00.000-05:00

Slideshow

Sky Pond Trail

2011-10-31T22:06:00.002-05:00

Slideshow

Tuscany

2011-10-30T19:30:00.002-05:00

Full screen Slideshow

Tioga Pass

2011-10-30T09:55:00.002-05:00

Slideshow

Yosemite Falls trail

2011-10-30T09:52:00.002-05:00

Slideshow

Photo and Travel Log

Chiricachua National Monument

Cave Creek Canyon

Cave Creek Canyon

South Fork Cave Crek

Glacier National Park

Italy - Civita

Indian Peaks Trail

Yosemite

Zion Kolob Terrace Drive

Northgate Peaks Trail The trailhead is just off the highway. This is an incredibly easy hike, nothing to it, it ends at the edge of an ancient Lava flow. Not worth the time it takes to drive to the location unless you are just looking for a short, easy hike, or you just happen to be there.

CA Hwy 395

Kings Canyon

Ireland

Zion

Death Valley

Death Valley National Park

Mojave National Monument

Daily

CanyonLands; North

Zion -- Taylors Creek Trail

Minneapolis / St Paul

Sky Pond Trail

Tuscany

Tioga Pass

Yosemite Falls trail

Northgate Peaks Trail
The trailhead is just off the highway. This is an incredibly easy hike, nothing to it, it ends at the edge of an ancient Lava flow. Not worth the time it takes to drive to the location unless you are just looking for a short, easy hike, or you just happen to be there.