The Gipper's Guide to America
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On my recent trip to Wyoming I again visited some "old friends" i.e. National Park Units that I had been to before.
Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area. Though this time I visited the southern section, whereas before I had been to the northern section.
Yellowstone National Park. I had previously been to most areas of Yellowstone, but this time I hit a few spots that I had not stopped in before. And it is always nice to go back. This was my 3rd time there. For my travel companion, it was his 10th time!
Grand Teton NP. My previous time here was somewhat cursory being just a "passing through" situation, so this time, staying in Jackson, just 5 miles away, I was able to do a much more in depth visit to this park.
So, my count stays put. I have been to 368 of the 419 units. Though I did do a check....I have only 33 park units left on the Continental US to visit. Nineteen of those are in only 3 states: 9 in Northern New Mexico, 5 in Washington and 5 in California. In no other state are there more than 2. (not currently scheduled to visit any of those states....though I am considering a winter So. Calif. visit)
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I found this on the internet for those who enjoy seeing starry skies unencumbered by air and light pollution.
https://www.theparkcatalog.com/blog/certified-dark-sky-parks-in-the-united-states/
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I found this on the internet for those who enjoy seeing starry skies unencumbered by air and light pollution.
https://www.theparkcatalog.com/blog/certified-dark-sky-parks-in-the-united-states/
I found this on the internet for those who enjoy seeing starry skies unencumbered by air and light pollution.
https://www.theparkcatalog.com/blog/certified-dark-sky-parks-in-the-united-states/
Interesting that neither Yellowstone nor Grand Teton are on that list, considering how remote they are from any major cities. I have done some stargazing at several of these parks. Most recently Big Bend earlier in like February. (but I did not really think to do stargazing in the Tetons. I was literally going to bed at like 9:00 pm.
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I found this on the internet for those who enjoy seeing starry skies unencumbered by air and light pollution.
https://www.theparkcatalog.com/blog/certified-dark-sky-parks-in-the-united-states/
Interesting that neither Yellowstone nor Grand Teton are on that list, considering how remote they are from any major cities. I have done some stargazing at several of these parks. Most recently Big Bend earlier in like February. (but I did not really think to do stargazing in the Tetons. I was literally going to bed at like 9:00 pm.
Interesting that neither Yellowstone nor Grand Teton are on that list, considering how remote they are from any major cities. I have done some stargazing at several of these parks. Most recently Big Bend earlier in like February. (but I did not really think to do stargazing in the Tetons. I was literally going to bed at like 9:00 pm.
The back side of Rocky Mountain National Park is phenomenal during the summer when prevailing winds of W to E are in play and any afternoon cloudiness has cleared with those winds. And it really isn't bad either from the Estes Park side under those conditions when looking West away from any lights of Denver. My brother's back porch is set so you sit facing that direction and anything from Denver has his house between us and the light source. Spectacular star counting (well estimation in millions anyway). And the longer you stay out there the more you realize you're on a little ball that is rotating in relation to those stars. In August you get to experience the meteor showers. ?
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Interesting article on National Park System:
https://cosmosmagazine.com/society/national-parks-estimated-to-save-trillions-in-mental-health-costs
Obviously needs a lot more viable research.
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Interesting article on National Park System:
https://cosmosmagazine.com/society/national-parks-estimated-to-save-trillions-in-mental-health-costs
Obviously needs a lot more viable research.
Interesting article on National Park System:
https://cosmosmagazine.com/society/national-parks-estimated-to-save-trillions-in-mental-health-costs
Obviously needs a lot more viable research.
I agree, it helps. Not sure how they can come up with some kind of dollar figure however.
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I found this on the internet for those who enjoy seeing starry skies unencumbered by air and light pollution.
https://www.theparkcatalog.com/blog/certified-dark-sky-parks-in-the-united-states/
Interesting that neither Yellowstone nor Grand Teton are on that list, considering how remote they are from any major cities. I have done some stargazing at several of these parks. Most recently Big Bend earlier in like February. (but I did not really think to do stargazing in the Tetons. I was literally going to bed at like 9:00 pm.
Interesting that neither Yellowstone nor Grand Teton are on that list, considering how remote they are from any major cities.
Even more amazing to me was that 2 Florida parks were listed. Trust me, with our humidity it doesn't matter how dark the sky is, Viewing the night sky is terrible most of the year regardless of the lack of light pollution
Our musical works to date http://www.arielsatticmusic.com/ -
Interesting that neither Yellowstone nor Grand Teton are on that list, considering how remote they are from any major cities.
Even more amazing to me was that 2 Florida parks were listed. Trust me, with our humidity it doesn't matter how dark the sky is, Viewing the night sky is terrible most of the year regardless of the lack of light pollution
Even more amazing to me was that 2 Florida parks were listed. Trust me, with our humidity it doesn't matter how dark the sky is, Viewing the night sky is terrible most of the year regardless of the lack of light pollution
And one of the main reasons it is so starry in Estes Park is that you are already 8000 ft into the atmosphere from where you sit. The heavier atmosphere is well below that level. Same reason that many observatories are built as high as possible. The multiple telescope complex on the Hawaii Big Island is above 13,000 ft.
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Next trip is in Jan/Feb. to Sedona and Las Vegas...and for a day or two to a place called Deep Springs Cal. Just north of Death Valley. I don't think you will find it on any regular map, though your Google gps should bring it up. It is where my brother lives and works at a college/cattle ranch. Closest semi size town there is Bishop Cal.
I suspect the stars at night are big and bright...dun, dun, dun, dun deep in that part of the country. We shall see.
I do plan to visit a couple of new NP units: Castle Mtns...In Cal...out sort of Laughlin way. Plus the Tule Fossil Beds...just outside of Vegas. Plus, I will certainly re-visit a couple of major parks. The aforementioned Death Valley, plus the Grand Canyon, and maybe a couple of others that are somewhat close to Sedona.
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Love Sedona, Been there a few times and was even scouting out real estate there at one time..
If you get a chance and haven't seen it yet, Canyon De Chelly.. I can't recommend it highly enough!
Our musical works to date http://www.arielsatticmusic.com/ -
Love Sedona, Been there a few times and was even scouting out real estate there at one time..
If you get a chance and haven't seen it yet, Canyon De Chelly.. I can't recommend it highly enough!
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Been there, done that a couple of times.
Were you required to go with a Navajo guide and if so what was the cost? It's on my bucket list, but "basically I'm on my way to Australia"-James Garner in Support Your Local Sheriff ?
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Been there, done that a couple of times.
Were you required to go with a Navajo guide and if so what was the cost? It's on my bucket list, but "basically I'm on my way to Australia"-James Garner in Support Your Local Sheriff ?
Were you required to go with a Navajo guide and if so what was the cost? It's on my bucket list, but "basically I'm on my way to Australia"-James Garner in Support Your Local Sheriff ?
More or less to go fully into the Canyon. You jump on a truck and they take you in and around. But that is only for IN the Canyon. For all views above the Canyon rim, you just drive yourself and stop as you please. I was there I think in 1999 and again in like 2005....so I don't recall the costs. But it was perfectly affordable. Tip your guide.
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Word to the wise. Do not ever take the Epcot Mission Space training trip to Mars. It is a centrifuge based ride that takes you to 2.5 Gs which is more than you get in a simple space shot up to the spacelab. When you're an old fart you get close to passout level. Made several people use the barfbags. I went on multiple roller coasters but none hit that level of g-force for sustained periods of up to 1/2 min. like this one did. Anyway we celebrated our upcoming 50th with all our children and grandchildren plus siblings and some of their families (19 in all). Had a good time all week if you like standing in long lives. Favorites were "Sourin'" in Epcot and "Skull Island King Kong" in Universal Studios.
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Stars are numerous and shining bright off my brother's back porch in Estes Park. Just got in tonight and all the weather cleared out just in time. No smog or ozone at all up here at 8,000 ft. And listening to a big ole hoot owl out there somewhere in the distance.
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Stars are numerous and shining bright off my brother's back porch in Estes Park. Just got in tonight and all the weather cleared out just in time. No smog or ozone at all up here at 8,000 ft. And listening to a big ole hoot owl out there somewhere in the distance.
Stars are numerous and shining bright off my brother's back porch in Estes Park. Just got in tonight and all the weather cleared out just in time. No smog or ozone at all up here at 8,000 ft. And listening to a big ole hoot owl out there somewhere in the distance.
I assume you saw my son's photo of a Snowy Owl I posted on here. Speaking of brothers and stars.....I plan to go up to my brother's place for a day or two when I am in Vegas. He lives out past the north end of Death Valley....and there is absolutely nothing up that way. Highly remote. The stars should be crazy from there.
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Stars are numerous and shining bright off my brother's back porch in Estes Park. Just got in tonight and all the weather cleared out just in time. No smog or ozone at all up here at 8,000 ft. And listening to a big ole hoot owl out there somewhere in the distance.
I assume you saw my son's photo of a Snowy Owl I posted on here. Speaking of brothers and stars.....I plan to go up to my brother's place for a day or two when I am in Vegas. He lives out past the north end of Death Valley....and there is absolutely nothing up that way. Highly remote. The stars should be crazy from there.
I assume you saw my son's photo of a Snowy Owl I posted on here. Speaking of brothers and stars.....I plan to go up to my brother's place for a day or two when I am in Vegas. He lives out past the north end of Death Valley....and there is absolutely nothing up that way. Highly remote. The stars should be crazy from there.
Yes I saw the picture-impressive. This morning I was looking through clear air above Estes west into the mountains past the Sheep Lakes area in RMNP. There was a very thick cloud in between the peaks snowing thickly like cotton and already fallen snow blowing off the side peaks so much so that it appeared like the two sources were converging into a river of snow flowing down the valley towards the lakes. Too bad I had no camera with me.
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Just bringing this up to date. I took the Deer Mountain Trail in Rocky M. N.P. yesterday which starts just under 9000 ft. and gains just over 1400 ft. in elevation in just over 3 miles. Then you have to walk the 3 miles back. The switchbacks and and then the stairsteps to the top the last 100m + are coronary killers. At nearing 74 I would not do this, but having done well on both thallium stress test and coronary aneurysm scans in recent years since retirement gave me confidence the MDs knew what they were doing. Otherwise I would not be showing you this video I found ? that actually matched snowy & sunny conditions I found all the way up and back. Beautiful no wind day with not a cloud anywhere.
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Now that you revived this thread, I will do some catching up with it myself from the past year:
In January and February I spent a week in Sedona AZ courtesy of a Getaway into the Hyatt Pinon Pointe, plus another week in Las Vegas via AC at the Club de Soleil.
While in Vegas, I was able to visit two new National Park Units that I had not been to before:
Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument. This is a fairly new park unit that covers a huge swath of land that borders the north to northwest of Las Vegas. Some portions of it are "badlands" type topography which is adjacent to the Las Vegas Shooting range. And part of it takes in some of the "Big Dig" that happened there. The problem is, there is nothing to see. Except for those badlands which have no designated trails, most of the park is just scrub desert. There is no visitor center and no museum that houses the fossils like there are in other fossil oriented NP units. There is just a sign and a story board that you can read. This is one of my pet peeves about the NPS....they create a park, but do no development of it for years. This park has been in existence since 2014, and nothing of note has been done to make a visit there informative in the 5-6 years it has existed.
Castle Mountains National Monument. The same situation exists regarding this NP Unit. Nothing much has been developed. This unit is surround on like 3 and a half sides by the Mojave National Preserve (also a NP unit). I am not sure why this has been made a separate unit to be honest. Out of Searchlight Nevada you go down a fairly well maintained dirt road for like 17 miles along and through the park. You see the mountains there, but not much else besides tons of Joshua Tree. Don't get me wrong, it is very scenic and worth the drive down that road. But, again...nothing there. Just a sign...and not even a story board. It does look like they are working on an old ghost town that is there, which takes a 4 wheel drive vehicle to get to.
During my two weeks, I did re-visit a number of NP units that I had been to before, including:
Lake Mead National Recreation Area
Grand Canyon National Park
Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument
Wupatki National Monument
Tuzigoot National Monument
Mojave National Preserve
Death Valley National Park
Manzanar National Historic Site
I need to double check but I believe that puts me at visiting 367 of the 419 NP units.
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Checking in on the National Parks. On my last two trips I did not hit on any new ones that I had not been to before. But on my way back from Texas in July my wife and I did stop at Hot Springs National Park. I had been there a couple of times before (even stayed a week there on an II trade) but she had not. Also, just this past week I return visited up and down the Upper Delaware National Scenic River there in the Catskills area.
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