Warren Lake (Nevada County, California)

Though mid-October is a little late in the season for an overnight backpacking trip, with the warm weather we’ve had, my friend Brent and I decided to take one final trip into the wilds this year. After getting a fire permit from the Truckee, CA ranger station, we headed for the trail head just a couple of miles west of Donner Lake. The trail starts off easy enough, sharing a path with the Pacific Crest Trail for the first mile or so. Though the trail is easy at this point, a 35 lbs. pack on my back adds some difficulty. Perhaps I over packed?

After passing through a pair of long, narrow tunnels to go under I-80, the two trails split and the sign indicates 7 more miles to our destination, Warren Lake. At first, we travel through a fairly heavily forested area, but soon reach some warm sunny hillsides overlooking the lush Paradise Valley. We begin to see Castle Peak in the distance. Its well defined towers and walls leave no doubt as to how it got its name.

As we continue over the small valleys and ridges, we circle about 270 degrees around Castle Peak. The trail is tough, but manageable.

Another sign: “Warren Lake 1 mile”. And so, we reach the rough part of the hike. The lake itself sits in a tiny valley about a quarter of a mile down steep cliffs from where we are. Steep descents like this kill the knees, but we eventually make it down.

All along the way, we had intended to get a campfire going once we made camp. Just at the point we reached the lake, we find a beautifully crafted stone fireplace with loungers scattered around it formed from local stones. Ah – what luck! Getting a fire going, though, proves far more challenging. Heavy rains early this week make finding decent firewood near impossible. We singe a bunch of pine needles intended as kindling, but can’t seem to get the wood to catch. After about 45 minutes of effort we submit. We abandon hope of a fire and cook dinner over our portable stoves. While relaxing after a good meal, the abandoned fire seems to come to life again without our assistance. It smolders through the night, but never reaches what one could call a true campfire.

After a good night’s sleep in the open air, we rise to find an enchanting mist over the small lake at our doorstep. It makes for a spectacular sunrise. We break camp and begin the agonizing climb out of this little valley. After about six hours and a few blisters, we return to Brent’s truck ready for a big mac and a soda.

Taylor Creek Kokanee Salmon Run (El Dorado County, California)

Late every September, the land-locked kokanee salmon living in Lake Tahoe begin to feel the primal urge to mate. As their bodies change shape and color, they make their way upstream against the current and over small waterfalls to the place they themselves were spawned.

Seeing the droves of them in the thousands paddling in the shallow, clear water of Taylor Creek is a pungent reminder of one of those undeniable drives that pushes all of us – to mate.

Alcatraz (San Francisco County, California)

Setting out in San Francisco Bay, the Rock or Alcatraz Island is an impressive remainder of our system of law and justice. For it was here that some of the most horrible criminals in our nation’s history were incarcerated.

The ferry ride across the bay to the Rock is a short 12 minutes, but the cold, sharp wind gives one some minor sense of what awaited prisoners even if they managed to reach the shoreline of the island during an escape attempt. Once we dock, we begin making our way up the crumbling walkways past the collapsing ruins of this once renowned maximum security prison to the cell house at the top of the island. 

Once inside, each visitor is given a digital recorder and headphones to being the self-guided tour of the prison. Former guards and inmates narrate tales of escape attempts, daily life, and sieges as they direct you through the cell blocks.

Having one of the most beautiful cities on Earth a mere couple of miles distant, but well within site must have been true torture for these inmates.

Sunset Crater (Coconino County, Arizona)

Unlike its neighboring crater, Sunset Crater is actually volcanic in its origin. A short drive from the visitor center gives a terrific view of what is left of this angry mountain that blew its side out. Volcanic rock and ash cover the ground like sand covers a beach.

With our last stop visited we make our way for Las Vegas and tomorrow home to Reno. We will have traveled 2200 miles in only four and a half days, but the sites we’ve seen made it all worthwhile.

Meteor Crater (Coconino County, Arizona)

Approximately 50,000 years ago, a meteor probably about the size of a cargo van came crashing down into the desert (though not a desert then) of Arizona. The result? A circular crater over a mile in diameter now marks well the point of impact. While a very basic example of physics in action, the crater itself seems enormous while standing on the edge.

Monument Valley (Navajo Nation, Arizona & Utah)

The next stop along our road trip was drive through the picturesque valley featured in so many Westerns and also in “Forrest Gump”. The valley is truly impressive with its gargantuan sandstone monuments spread out over the desert like towering skyscrapers in a metropolis, though much less densely packed. This valley truly represents the majesty of the Western United States.

Four Corners (Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona)

To list this place as being in Utah would only be partially correct. The monument built here on Navajo lands represents the meeting of the borders of four states: Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, and Arizona.

In all honesty, the meeting of some imaginary lines on a map is not all that exciting to me, but as it was near our path on this multi-day road trip, it was worth a look.

Mesa Verde National Park (Mesa Verde National Park, Colorado)

Perhaps even more amazing than our last stop, Mesa Verde is an archaeological trip into the world of some astounding Native American builders, the Anasazi or Cliff-dwellers. This entire park is centered around the construction of this awe-inspiring people who literally built many dozens of dwellings in and among the cliffs of this beautiful mesa.

After the fifteen mile drive to the tour office, we decide to buy tour tickets to both Balcony House and Cliff Palace House. The ranger-lead tour through the first is quite amazing as we must climb down ladders, through tunnels (very, very narrow tunnels), and then back up the hand and toe holds carved by the original builders. It’s almost hard to believe that this people lived here in these precarious dwellings between 1200 & 1300 b.c.e. The masonry work is top notch.

Continuing on to our second tour, Cliff Palace, we find the largest cliff dwelling every built. With some 150 separate rooms, this truly is a palace. It is believed to have served as some type of social center for the entire region. With its round spires, perfectly square towers, and submerged “keves”, it’s quite obvious this was a structure of some importance. Quite a spectacle to behold.

Next, we tackle Spruce Tree House, which is a self-guided tour below the museum. Much like the other two, the ancient architecture is quite skilled. On the way back up, we discover a 2.4 mile trail along the mesa wall to some petroglyphs from the same era. We decide to the detour is worth it and head out.

The trail itself is actually rather treacherous with some minor boulder scrambling and several sets of very steep stone-carved steps. Upon reaching the Petroglyphs, we nearly walk right past them, as the signage is somewhat hidden and the drawings appear on a wall 8-10 feet above the trail. Still the rock art is quite beautiful, making the hike well worth the time.

Nick and I both feel a little drained and decide to view the remaining visible sites on the drive out of the park. We do find a few more cave dwellings on the way out, but none as impressive as those we toured through. Overall, this was an amazing day of hiking and site-seeing.

Arches National Park (Arches National Park, Utah)

After a night of camping an Angel Lake near Elko, NV, a very long drive through the great salt desert, and several hours south of Salt Lake City, my friend Nick and I arrived at Moab, UT and Arches National Park. Based on our time allotted for this first of many stops on this long road trip, we agree that a drive through the park will be our best bet to take in the most scenery before dark.

We begin the drive up a series of steep switchbacks until we reach the top of the plateau. Almost immediately, we are in awe of the mighty sandstone pillars and other formations confronting us. It is very reminiscent of the pictures I have seen of Monument Valley, which of course we will also see on this trip.

Continuing through the park we see a few massive arches in the distance as we approach the famous Balanced Rock formation. It’s quite stunning to see a boulder the size of a house so neatly balanced on a thin pillar, some 75-100 feet in the air.

Further into the park, we stop at the amazing Double Arch and hike up a short distance for a close-up. In fact, I even climb up a somewhat challenging rock face to the area directly beneath the two connected arches. The formation is mind-boggling. It’s difficult to even imagine how the stone could have eroded into these shapes, but it’s spectacular to see and climb around on.

Finally as the day begins to wind down, we make our way out to the upper viewpoint of Delicate Arch, which has become a symbol for the state of Utah. After a short hike over some rolling sandstone slabs we reach a point where the landmark becomes fully visible in all its glory. Amazingly, this tall picturesque arch sits atop a large cliff, alongside of four or five other formations that may become arches in the centuries yet to come. 

While we didn’t have a huge amount of time to spend, seeing these amazing natural wonders was well worth the stop. Tomorrow we head for Mesa Verde!

National Mall (Washington D.C.)

After many years of wanting to visit our nation’s capital, I’m finally here. Though it is only a small detour on an infinitely more important journey, I try to make the most of my time here. Knowing the Smithsonian Museums don’t open until 10 am, I take the opportunity to walk around our nation’s capitol building. It is a magnificent site, both visually and in the role it plays to our foundation of government.

As I make my way around to the east side, I see the Supreme Court and have to go take a look. The sky is dark and it’s starting to mist. I continue on around and head for the Smithsonian Museum of American Indians.

While I had really hoped for a celebration of a defeated, yet forever-surviving people, what I found was more of a history book on the struggle between Native Americans and the white man. I feel shame for what my ancestors did to these honorable people, and I yet I am disappointed at the exhibits here.

Moving on to the Museum of Air and Space, I am excited to see several aircraft hanging from the rafters, one of which I hear incorrectly described as the SR-71 Blackbird. The facility is full of models and real aircraft. For me the highlights are the original Wright Flyer, a replica of the Hubble Space Telescope (actual size), and a Mars rover. Far better than the last museum, this one celebrates its subject matter.

A quick walk to the other side of the mall puts me in front of the Museum of Natural History. This may be the mother of all the Smithsonian Museums. Fossils, dinosaur skeletons, amazing mineral formations, “Lucy”, Roman mosaics, and the Hope Diamond are but a few of the amazing exhibits here. After a couple of hours, I've seen a good chunk of the content and decide to move on.

Next Stop, the Museum of American History. First thing to see inside (though pictures aren't allowed) is the one, the only, the flag that inspired the Star Spangled Banner – breathtaking. I remove my hat as a sign of respect. Continuing through the museum, I discover it is aimed the history of the American people, more than the American nation. One of President Lincoln’s top hats and the recovered gunship, Philadelphia, from 1776 are a couple of the highlights.

As I step outside, it seems relatively clear and so I decide to continue my hike of the National Mall. Reaching the hill, atop which sits the monument to the great man, the reluctant leader, and in the words of King George of England “the greatest man living”, President and General of the Continental Armies George Washington, I can see the capitol building, the White House, and the Lincoln Memorial at their respective ends of the Mall.

Making my way through the WWII Memorial and along the great mirrored pond, I head for the Lincoln Memorial. Walking up those steps to the massive temple-covered statue of our 16th president, one cannot help but be in awe. His great oratories appear on the inner walls, flanking the man that fought the final battle of the American Revolution. I turn to leave . . . humbled.

Before heading back to the hotel to rest my aching back, I stroll through the Vietnam War Memorial and suddenly feel obligated to remove my hat again in honor of the thousands of men whose names are forever remembered on these cold, black plates for sacrificing their lives for the ideas of this great nation.

Devil's Kitchen (Lassen Volcanic National Park, California)

In order to reach this trail, one must leave the main area of the park and re-enter from the southeast corner of Lassen. After a scenic drive and a small area of off-roading (glad I have this jeep), I finally reach the trail head  In fact, there are a number of trails starting at his one spot. As it is getting late in the day, I’ll have to settle for just one on this visit to the park.

The early parts of the trail are marked by horse droppings and planked walkways over marshy areas, as the trail weaves between forest and grassy meadows. At one point about three-quarters of a mile in, a stone and earth stairway makes a descent a bit easier. Leaving the woods for a short time, it’s finally time to cross the last section of grassy meadow before the final push to Devil’s Kitchen.

Another mile or so and a hint of sulfur is picked up by my nose, while I admire some young sequoias. Of course by “young”, I mean their trunks are less than ten feet in diameter. As I reach the top of a small rise and cross a wooden bridge over a small creek, sulfur again fills the air and I can see a number of steam vents in the distance.

The trail meanders among a number of hot springs; some active, some not – and steam vents. To take all of it in is truly amazing. The geothermal heat just below the surface must be extraordinary to create an area of activity this large.

As I reach a sort of hot spring valley on the western end of the area, I notice a small stream of super-heated mud, which looks like liquid silver, breaking towards and eventually joining with the creek. Truly an amazing site to behold.

After thoroughly exploring the area, I decide to make my way back to the jeep. Along the way, I hear some clawing sounds in the distance. Looking over my left shoulder, I see a young bear, by its size and coloration, a grizzly, tearing into the trunk of a fallen tree. With events unfolding in my personal life, I wonder if this might be my spirit guide. If so, her message to me must be “determination”, as she barely notices me while working at her tree trunk. I take a couple of snapshots and turn to go, pondering the meaning of my chance encounter.

Columns of the Giants (Tuolumne County, California)

Sonora Pass must be the most beautiful path across the Sierra Nevadas. Although steep and narrow, the landscape is amazing. After a short drive through this incredible landscape, I reach the trail head and can already see the columns in the distance.

I disembark, first crossing a beautiful and fast-moving mountain stream, and make my way a short distance to the piles of hexagonal boulders making up the remnants of collapsed columns. The near symmetry is amazing. The precision of nature’s hand to make such a thing leaves one in awe.

I snap a few photos and follow the trail back to my starting point. This has been an extremely short trail, but well worth the drive.

Lexington Arch (Great Basin National Park, Nevada)

To get to this natural wonder, I must first drive down the mountain where I camped. The views offered by this steep descent are breathtaking. Finally, I reach the bottom and continue on into Utah until I reach the off-road trail with the sign marking my destination. The jeep earns its keep here, as I must travel this rough trail for about 15 miles before I reach the trail head.

Once there, I park and exchange greetings with a family preparing to hike to the arch. The trail begins through an area of pinion pines. I’m surprised to learn that the NPS allows the pine nuts to be harvested here in the fall. I may have to return for that.

The trail continues up a grassy hillside covered with wildflowers in a rainbow of variations, and of course a brigade of honey bees harvesting the pollen, though they pay little attention to me. To the north is a sheer limestone face and near the top, I can make out what looks like an arch, but it is so far up the peak itself seems unreachable. I continue on.

Finally, I reach a small clearing with a bench. As I look to my immediate left, I’m somewhat flabbergasted to see the true Lexington Arch. The object playing tricks on my eyes in the shadow is nothing compared to the real thing. It is massive. So much so that a thirty foot tall tree growing from the top if it appears almost like a sapling. As this arch is limestone, unlike the far more prevalent sandstone arches of Utah, geologists suspect that it may have been carved by a stream of running water before the valley below became so deep. However it formed, it is quite a sight to behold.

Bristlecone-Glacier Trail (Great Basin National Park, Nevada)

Great Basin National Park lies about six hours east of my home in Reno. I took the opportunity granted by this long drive to travel with the top down on my new jeep. Traveling through some of the most desolate land this country has to offer, in 90+ degree heat, and no shelter from the relentless sun was quite an experience. The sense of freedom granted by the open air is amazing.

After the long drive, I arrived at the park in the late afternoon. I decided to make camp at Wheeler Campground, which sits at about 10k feet, alongside the peak of the same name. I put up my tent, prepared some dinner, and got to bed early.

While m sleeping bag kept me nice and warm, crawling out of it at 4:30 am at this elevation is quite the wake up call, even in June. It’s about twenty degrees as I prepare to break camp and start my first trail. I drive over to the trail head, a short distance away and start my first hike.

First on my list is to hike to the Wheeler-Rock Glacier, which is the only permanent body of ice in the state of Nevada. The trail starts out well-defined, though fairly steep. At this early hour, I’m all alone on the trail. There is still a fair amount of snow here, as I surpass the 11k elevation marker.

Soon, I encounter a connected trail, which diverts through a bristlecone pine grove, and I decide to follow it. While not as dense as the Methuselah Grove I visited last year, the ancient trees are still a site to behold. I lay my hand on the tree that is about 3200 years old, and it is as if I can feel the echoes of my ancestors calling to me. I have such reverence for these landmarks of time.

The diversion through the grove was short, but well worth it. I continue on now to the glacier. Snow and Ice become more prevalent as I make my way up a giant-sized version of the gravel pits I played in as a child, all the while under the protective shelter of Wheeler Peak. The trail left by the glacier is quite obvious, as piles of boulders stream down the landscape. Finally, the glacier enters my field of vision. Although not visually imposing, I understand the enormous land-carving power it has from my visits to Yosemite Valley. Crossing a slippery snowfield, I approach the glacier. It seems especially cold here in this land of eternal shadow. 

Having seen the focus of my hike, I turn back and make the two or so mile hike back to my jeep.

New Hance Trail (Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona)

There are trails and then there are things that are not trails. New Hance is much closer to the later. While my backpacking friends and I had read a great deal about the challenges this particular descent into the Grand Canyon held for us, I don’t think it has fully sit-in until the park rangers had to pull out some old maps and call upon a trail specialist to show us the trail head. Still we whispered amongst ourselves “How bad could seven miles be?” The next morning, we would learn!

We awoke early to a brisk twenty degrees and immediately began breaking camp and getting our packs ready to go. The twenty-five pounds of my pack seems light now. What a difference a few hours a can make. We load Jason’s truck and drive a few short miles to the trailhead, which of course, does not provide any parking. We stop at Moran Point a mile further down the road. We put on our packs and make our way back to the starting point.

After a short distance through the woods, we see the sign marking the start of this unmaintained and treacherous path into the canyon. Down we go!

Almost immediately we found ourselves scrambling over boulders and questioning our path-finding skills, as we lose elevation extremely rapidly. Lowering myself down a 4-5 foot drop, made all the more difficult by my pack, I note a huge, thin limestone rock ready to slice anyone unlucky enough to lose their balance in half. I dub it the “Guillotine Blade”, for it appears to be such an instrument. A short distance further and we push our way across an amazing ledge with a 50-75 ft fall awaiting any clumsy travelers. Barely started and already this trail is earning its reputation.

For the next mile or two we lose and then partially regain elevation. My knees and feet are starting to feel it. At about this time, I see the first of many century plants we will encounter. This bizarre and dangerous-looking plant has a head of a few dozen 15” razor-sharp and dagger-like leaves projecting from it. The entire plant is about the size of a large Thanksgiving Turkey. Even stranger, many of the plants have a large, flowering stalk growing from their center to a height of 12-15 feet, almost like a giant phallus. It seems these plants live 15-25 years and grow this stalk shortly before dying – amazing plants.

We continue on, but looking back over where we came from can find no possible way to understand how we descended down such a steep and rugged cliff side; Amazing that John Hance ever found this trail.

Four hours in and all of us are in pain. Water breaks become more frequent, though they are less for water and more for muscle relaxation. Soon we reach the creek bed. Heaved from a seemingly solid sheet of red stone, the creek is not much more than a dribble at present.

Another mile or so and we hear the rush of the mighty Colorado River, forger of this majestic canyon. Upon reaching the chilling and fast-flowing river, we collapse on its banks and praise stillness. After six and a half hours, we have reached our destination.

After a short rest and water-splashing, we start to set up camp on a nearby sandy beach over-looking the Colorado. We fix some dinner over the portable camp stoves, tell tales of great adventures, and lost loves, and finally retire to our tents for some well-earned sleep. And this is somewhat beyond sleep. Maybe it’s the exhaustion. Maybe it’s the constant ambient sounds of the rapids. Or maybe it’s the crispness of the warm air in this place, practically untouched by man. Whatever it is, this night of sleep is one of the best of my life. 

The next morning, we again rise early and break camp. If we thought the journey down was hard, we hadn't seen anything yet. Retracing our steps of the previous day, we toil for almost eleven hours to finally reach the South Rim once more. Sore, dehydrated, and exhausted we feel a great sense of accomplishment. We have just backpacked into and out of the one of the grandest of the world’s natural wonders on the most difficult trail of the South Rim, and we did it in two days instead of the recommended three. I hurt, but I’ll heal. I’m tired, but I can rest. I’ve conquered the worst the Grand Canyon had to offer, and that I won’t soon forget!

Grand Canyon Rim Trail (Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona)

My friends, Jason, Nick, and Brent and I, drove through the night from Reno to arrive at Grand Canyon National Park shortly before 8:00 am. After pitching our tents and taking a short nap in the open air, we awoke to find three elk near our campsite. Obviously used to being around people, the elk pretty much ignored us as we snapped a few photos. A quick bite to eat and we were off to see the grandest canyon in all the world.

With our big hike tomorrow, we decided to stroll along the leisurely Grand Canyon Rim Trail and take in all the sightseeing we could handle. Upon first glance, I realized no words could accurately describe what my eyes now gazed out upon. Falling from the rim in majestic shades of red, green, yellow, and even purple opened up what can only be described as the negative-space of the Olympian Mountain Range. Not negative in any way describing the unbelievable beauty, but only in that it is a great canyon opening from the Earth instead of rising above it as a mountain range. The chasm is vast beyond all sense of scale and one can imagine spending a lifetime exploring it, yet only seeing a small fraction of this natural wonder.

We followed the trail, drinking in all of this amazement, to a ranger station. Seeing that a guided tour was about to begin, we decided to wait. Emily, the park ranger, was friendly and extremely knowledgeable of the park’s unique geology. However, no sooner had we begun, than the small procession was buzzed by three gigantic California Condors. If course, everyone being in awe of these endangered birds, the ranger had to talk about their appearance. She explained that 75 of the birds had been released into the park in an effort to begin repopulating the species in the wild. As she continued, the birds, with their 9-foot wingspan, flew nearby as if listening in. Truly amazing. . .

Returning to our campsite, we got a fire going and roasted some brats over it. Not much beats a brat and a beer when you’re camping. Jason pulled out a bottle of whisky he had purchased on the drive down and after a few shots we knew we would remain warm, even with the forecasted twenty degree chill.