Category: US National Parks
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Hike Hickman Bridge in Capitol Reef National Park
July 7, 2022 The Hickman Bridge hike is a 2-mile out-and-back trail to a 133 foot natural bridge with views of the canyon. We had a beautiful day to hike after setting up camp in the Fruita Campground beside the Freemont River. Deer frequent the grassy campground. The hike is a good one, with good…
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Canyonlands National Park 2
Sunday, July 3, 2022 Revisiting Canyonlands was fun. Sitting up on a high mesa, it is 10-15 degrees cooler than Moab. We walked the Rim Trail, and Karen was able to take a 3-mile run. It is a pleasant park divided into three parts by the Colorado and Green Rivers. Some parts are only accessible…
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Hike to Delicate Arch in Arches National Park
Friday, July 1, 2022 Karen, Josh and Melissa flew into Grand Junction, Colorado, about an hour and a half from Moab. Their flights were on time and without a hitch. We stopped for lunch at Qdoba, which was very good. First driving west on I70, we turned SW on 129, which follows the great Colorado…
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Canyonlands National Park
Thursday, June 30, 2022 To avoid the heat, we drove 40 minutes to Canyonlands National Park, up a big mountain and onto a giant Mesa that is divided into three sections by two rivers, the Colorado and the Green River. Like the Grand Canyons, the mesa sits above the rivers, carved away by a giant…
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Arches National Park
We were up early, so we grabbed some things and drove north 10 minutes to Arches National Park. The park is so busy, you have to reserve an entrance time between 6:00 am. and 5:00 pm. We got there at 5:30, showed our National Parks Senior Pass and drove right in. There were others in…
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Mosca Pass Trail
June 26, 2022 50 degrees at dawn with a high of 61, probable rain. The Mosca Pass Trail is an out-and-back hike of 6.4 miles with moderate difficulty, rated 4.5. Since the elevation is already over 8,000’ and the hike gains 1,459’, we took it very slow with frequent stops to catch our breath. A…
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Great Sand Dunes National Park and Reserve
Saturday, June 25, 2022 Saturday, June 25, 2022 50 degrees as dawn. Maybe a high of 65. I didn’t know what to expect when I booked Great Sand Dunes other than there were massive sand dunes with a stream running along the edge. But we are here to see national parks and monuments and this…
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Dodge City to Great Sand Dunes National Park
Friday, June 24, 2022 There are three routes to Great Sand Dunes National Park. We took 56 southwest to 160 because I had never traveled it. This was the last big travel day getting to the southwest for our extended tour. As we drove through working communities of Ensign, Montezuma, Hickok and Ulysses, we drove…
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Museum of the Cherokee Indian
Thursday, September 30, 2021 53° at 6:00, batteries at 45%, fresh water tank 0% I went to the Museum of The Cherokee Indian. The town of Cherokee is in the middle of the Cherokee Indian Reservation, 57,000 acres of land, known as the Qualla Boundary. Their land covered large parts of North Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia…
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Kephart Prong
Wednesday, September 29, 2021 50° at 4:00 Batteries at 51% Charlie Roberts, the fly tier I met at Chasteen Creek, told me to try Kephart Prong and to start fishing where the stream makes a big turn away from the trail. My plan was to fish this all day. I’ve been distracted by other things,…