I had about an hour before sunset when I pulled into the parking area where the trail to Horseshoe Bend begins. I climb the sandy trail as a cottontail pricks up it’s ears at me before scamping off into the sagebrush. The wind flute of the Navajo echoes below. I feel a great presence…
Tag: outdoor adventures
Mountain biking at Usery
In what seems to be a never ending quest to find new things to do here in Arizona, Usery Mountain Park fit the bill last weekend. My mountain bikes have looked ever so sad just sitting in my garage, and so to alleviate this problem, I go to hit the gnarly trails at Usery….
shuffling through the volcanic ash of Sunset Crater
Just outside of Flagstaff, Arizona, there is a protected area known as Sunset Crater. The ground is covered in soft black volcanic ash, crevasses and fissures can be explored. The Native American Great Spirit is strong here. Start along the boardwalk to get a sense of the area, then head out on a trail…
alone on Ajo Mountain
Across the desolate highway is a dirt road with a faded sign that leads to Ajo Mountain. The wanderer crosses the blacktop like a hurt tortoise, then meanders onto the desert sand, and starts the journey under the mid morning sun. The rain clouds follow. It doesn’t take long before all signs of…
Snowmobiling in the San Juans
As the train slows to a stop in the mountain town of Rockwood, I spot the white van in the sparsely filled parking lot. I exit and start to make my way towards a tall, lanky young gent. “Are you the one that wants to snowmobile?” “Oh yeah. Am I the only one?” It…
along the Deschutes (part 2)
The road heading West was long, unassuming and empty. After a few miles of travel, I pull the car off to the side, strap on my pack, and walk into the wilderness. I’ve no idea where the trail leads. A couple of miles in, I hear the faint sound of rushing water, which I…
Oregon’s Lava River Cave
Created almost 80,000 years ago, the lava tube started to form as the top layer was exposed to the cool air and began to solidify. While the top crust hardens, the lava continued to flow like a river underneath, creating an almost one mile long exploratory tube beneath the Earth’s surface along Oregon’s Deschutes river….
going to church along the Timberline
The morning temperature was slightly above freezing, and the cracking of ice could be heard along the stream’s edge. The trail to my church was just ahead. The initial goal was to climb a peak that would summit above 15,000 feet. The morning rain quickly washed away that plan. I would not let that deter…
the story of how sh*t went down in Death Valley
The fourth of July this year landed on a Monday, giving us 9 to 5 workaday during the week folks a long three day weekend. I took advantage of this time to go back to a place I first visited in December 2011, Death Valley National Park. Why did I want to go in the…
The South Rim
“Is it really one of the seven wonders of the World?” “It depends upon who you ask, but I’ll let you see it with your own eyes, then you can tell me what you think….” As we step off the train from Williams, glimpses of the South Rim can be seen through the brush…
The Incline
Completed in 1907, the Manitou Incline went from being used as a means to complete a hydroelectric plant to a tourist attraction. For years people would ride the sixteen minute tram up to Manitou park to enjoy miles of hiking trails, and stunning views of the Rocky Mountains. Rock slides in the area though made this…
Mirror Lake flashbacks
The frost is covering everything in the early morning as Dad tries to get a fire started. “Stay close you two, as Sasquatch has been spotted up here….” I grabbed my little brothers hand tightly as we look for monsters. I was five years old. I use my last twenty dollars to buy beer…