The Gipper's Guide to America
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I've been taking several short hikes a day in the Estes Park area to get used to 8,000 ft. before going on longer hikes starting tomorrow in the Wild Basin area in the southern part of RMNP. Have to go really early and return early as the weather outlook is for thunderstorms early pm.
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Ended up with only two really decent 6 mile plus hikes due to way too many rainy days and several snows added to a high snow season that has not melted yet. That cut off most of the really long hikes. They even had to re-close Trail Ridge Road over the divide a couple of times since Friday night due to heavy snows requiring heavy machine removal again. And one really good hiking day I had to squander on going with family over the divide for lunch at Grand Lake Lodge. On the way back we got to see two very large Bighorn Sheep rams with huge sets of horns and full winter coats up above treeline. Great views on a really sunny day. Oh well, at least I got some great pictures of Cascade Falls and Ouzal Falls in the Great Basin Hike in the southern part of RMNP yesterday. Had an encounter with a mama moose whom I had to wait to move off the path to join her yearling. She barely paid me any mind while munching water grasses on the side of he path from about 15 feet away. They get kind of used to people. But it helps to get on the trails by sunup so you get to see the wildlife before too many hikers move them back from the hiking paths. Got to see a coyote marking his domain as well that morning. And the wildflowers are just starting to make their appearance at lower elevations. Taking a trip on the scenic highway to Blackhawk for the casinos with my wife, brother and sister-in-law today before heading home tomorrow. Been a good trip overall despite not getting as many long hikes as I wanted. A lot of elk with new babies all around the area where my brother lives. And a lot of big males with velvety antlers as well before they head for the alpines as the snow melts. We may fly back for a week in Oct. to go to the largest Monet exhibit in decades that will be only in Denver and a place in Germany afterwards. I'm trying to talk my wife into waiting until Jan. so I can go snowshoeing in the Park.
https://denverartmuseum.org/exhibitions/claude-monet
EDIT: And a week in Jan. it will be with tickets by air and Monet exhibit time/date with headphone guide purchased. 125 total pieces in the exhibit.
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Just spent the last two weeks in Maine and New Hampshire. Did a full tour of Acadia NP as we stayed at a timeshare right in the middle of the park practically.
Did visit one other national park unit: Katahdin Woods and Waters.
This park is in the middle of the state. It is exactly what it says it is: lakes/rivers/trees that sit in the shadow of Mt. Katahdin. That mountain is not in the park per se, but is close next door in a state park. Recreational activities can be done there, camping, fishing, canoeing/kayaking. Not sure about hunting. I just came to see the sights. Just a note of warning if you were to ever plan to go: take a high clearance vehicle. All the roads to and in the park are hard scrabble gravel.
This now makes park number 354 out of 419 that I have visited.
On my next trip at the end of this month I expect to hit about a dozen NP units that I have not been to before....NYC/Long Island areas.
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I went to the Rutherford B Hayes home and the library earlier today. One of the other things I concentrate on going to when I travel are presidential homes. I have been to the homes of about 35 of the presidents. When I go to New York City in about 10 days I hope to visit the homes of three other presidents: TheodoreRoosevelts birthplace And his home out on Long Island. Chester Arthur’s home on Lexington Avenue which is now in Indian food market East Indian. And also I want to try to get into Trump Tower as I understand there is a public portion of it that can be visited. Well you obviously cannot visit his home in the penthouse there you can at least apparently get into the building itself To look at the public areas. Does anyone have any experience with this situation?
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Trip to New York City. New National Park units I had visited:
St. Paul's Church, Mt. Vernon NY
Hamilton Grange National Memorial
General Grant National Memorial (Grant's tomb)
African Burial Ground National Memorial
Theodore Roosevelt Birthplace National Historic site.
East Side Tenement National Historic Site
Stonewall National Historic site
Federal Hall National Memorial
Castle Clinton National Monument
The Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island National Monument
Governor's Island National Monument
Sagamore Hill National Monument (T. Roosevelt's home on Long Island)
Fire Island National Seashore
Also revisited the Upper Delaware National Scenic River
This now gives me a total of 368 out 419 that I have visited.
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that is amazing, Gip. btw, we were watching some tv show about disappearances in national parks.
have you ever heard of those? I'm sure most of them just get lost after going on a false trail...
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that is amazing, Gip. btw, we were watching some tv show about disappearances in national parks.
have you ever heard of those? I'm sure most of them just get lost after going on a false trail...
that is amazing, Gip. btw, we were watching some tv show about disappearances in national parks.
have you ever heard of those? I'm sure most of them just get lost after going on a false trail...
Some...but I do know that there also have been some abductions from out of the national Parks. But more likely the ones you are thinking of are people getting lost, and probably dying of exposure.
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I also just came back from Missouri where I visited some other National Park units....but I had been to each of these at some point in time before:
The Gateway Arch National Park (recently redesignated as such from a National Monument)
Ozark National Scenic Riverway
Lincoln Home National Historic Park
So...these don't add to my count. And while in a months time, I will be making a trip to Wyoming and seeing a few parks, they will also be repeat visits. (Grand Teton, Yellowstone, Bighorn Canyon)
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Greetings from Wyoming. Currently in Cody will be in Jackson for a week and will hope to hit Yellowstone in grand Teton if this big major snowstorm doesn’t put a damper on thing s
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I hope we get a chance to get out there next year. Our NC friends can't do it til then...
other friends want us to go on a camping trip out there - but we camp in a tent, and have heard
that some camping parks don't allow any tents or hybrid popup campers because of bears.
I don't know - I would just hang a bug zapper lit up out near the tent front door, that should keep em away....lol
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I hope we get a chance to get out there next year. Our NC friends can't do it til then...
other friends want us to go on a camping trip out there - but we camp in a tent, and have heard
that some camping parks don't allow any tents or hybrid popup campers because of bears.
I don't know - I would just hang a bug zapper lit up out near the tent front door, that should keep em away....lol
.....but we camp in a tent, and have heard that some camping parks don't allow any tents or hybrid popup campers because of bears.
I don't know - I would just hang a bug zapper lit up out near the tent front door, that should keep em away....lol
If you hang out a sign under the lit up bug zapper that points to the camper on wheels that says "Honey Inside", they will leave you alone.???
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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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