Expanding My Horizons Through Reading

When I was younger, I did a lot of hiking that was a bit beyond my comfort zone. There was Precipice Trail in Acadia National Park. Parts of the trail involve ascending via metal ladder rungs pounded into rock, and the drop (if one looks down) can be frightening. There were other hikes on moderately difficult trails to mountain tops. And then there was Mount Washington in the White Mountains. Even though I was a somewhat experienced hiker, that one took 8 hours up and back. These days (many years later) I stick to easy to moderately easy hikes. My mountain hiking isn't over, but I always take the less challenging routes.

Suffice it to say that even in my younger years I never contemplated thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail. But because I know people who would like to, I've been looking at books on the topic. And of course, I ate up Bill Bryson's A Walk in the Woods many years ago (haven't seen the movie yet. I worry that I'll be disappointed). While I'll never hike the AT, I like reading about people who take to the trail.

So I'm currently enjoying a book (volume 1 of 2) called Stumbling Thru: Hike Your Own Hike by A. Digger Stolz. Although the author has thru-hiked the trail, these books are fiction. With an entertaining cast of characters, the book is proving to be a fast and enjoyable read.

I love reading fictional works (non-fiction, too) about topics where I have limited or no knowledge. This one fits the bill perfectly. I highly recommend it.

Have a great day!

Myrna

A Visit to the Park

When my children were younger, we occasionally visited this little park in Downers Grove, Illinois called Patriots Park. It had a pond stocked for fishing, a shore path, picnic tables and a playground. Perfect for a short family outing. But although I've driven past there any number of times in recent years, I haven't stopped there in at least a decade. Today we decided that it was time for a picnic a bit farther afield, so off to Patriot Park we went. They've made some improvements, including plantings and a better path.

The flowers were in bloom:

 It was a nice trip down memory lane.

I hope that your day was fun, too!

Myrna

Hiking The Wave (in Arizona)

I read about The Wave (in Arizona near the Arizona-Utah border) some time last year, but I had forgotten until I saw a When On Earth article via The Presurfer. It looks like an amazing rock formation and very beautiful, but I'll never get to see it in person. It's a protected area (you can see why) and only 20 access permits are given out each day (10 of those are issued in an on-line lottery 4 months before the date of the visit; the other 10 are given out in a lottery the day of the visit).

  

Source: Frank Kovalchek

The hike from the trail head is only 3 miles, but to protect the landscape there is no marked trail, and apparently people frequently get lost and never find The Wave (it can also be extremely hot in the summer, and there is no shade. Water must be carried). There is apparently a guide sheet which can be used with a compass, a GPS or using visual landmarks. 

This video shows part of the trail and, eventually, The Wave (around 2:09 if you're short on time and don't want to watch the whole video).

If you ever get there, take lots of photos (and videos). It promises to be a unique experience. But please don't go if you are inexperienced or take a risk in high summer when the weather is too hot (or without enough water). This can be a dangerous hike for the unprepared.  (If like me, you're happy with just viewing the lovely images, they're on Flickr, and there are numerous videos on YouTube).

Fun in Bar Harbor, Maine - Part 1

I'm sure I've mentioned that I love Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park in Maine. In part that's sentimental. I first visited there many years ago as a young, footloose camper/adventurer, and the place won my heart. But it's also truly a beautiful piece of America, perched on the coast of Maine (according to Acadia Magic, Cadillac Mountain--1,530 feet tall--is the first place to view sunrise in the United States October 7th through March 6th when the sun rises farther to the south). There's something for everyone here. You don't have to love seafood, although there's plenty of that if you enjoy it. And you don't have to enjoy sailing or cruising, although you can do that, too (whale watch tours and dinner cruises are among some of the choices).

The air is clean; the rugged, rocky shoreline and the mountains are beautiful. There are lighthouses and lobster fisherman, hiking, biking, gardens, history, museums, and 57 miles of carriage trails where no cars are allowed but walkers, runners, bikers, horseback riders and carriages are. If none of that suits you, there's always shopping in Bar Harbor (if you like shopping--not much of a shopper myself) and looking at the stars. You can climb mountains the easy way (driving, walking up the smaller ones) or the hard way (several of the trails, especially Precipice Trail, access the summits via a series of ladders pounded into the face of the rock). And despite the fact that it's a very popular place, there are plenty of secluded spots where a person can just sit back and enjoy the glorious view.

Here are a few images from the trip:

Just enjoying my view of the shoreline

Trying not to get my feet wet crossing over the rocks

Jordan Pond - you can hike around it, or climb the bubbles (the two peaks visible at the end of the lake) or enjoy scones and tea on the lawn. We've done the hiking and climbing but haven't had tea there yet. 

We hiked a trail around a smaller pond (this was supposed to be a short hike of just over a mile, but most of the trail was heavily covered in roots, so it took a bit longer than anticipated. At the end, we were rewarded with this lovely little waterfall, and the way back was over these split rail planks).

We had a nice view of Frenchman's Bay from our balcony where we could watch the cruise ships come in.

As always, I loved it there. And early September when things begin to wind down before winter is a great time to visit.

Beautiful Alaska

Devin Supertramp, with the help of North Fork Outdoors (who provided guides, equipment and a ticket to Alaska), created this beautiful film of outdoor Alaska. Music by Stephen Anderson.

It's "Take a Hike" Day

Admittedly, when I first saw this, I couldn't decide if it was a suggestion ("get lost"), or if literally meant get out and walk. I vote for get out and take a walk. Because that is, in fact, what the day is about and also because it's a much nicer sentiment. So enjoy the outdoors and an invigorating walk!

Some People Really Like to Barbecue

Like this man in Sweden, cooking away while it's raining like crazy. Looks a bit unsafe.

If You Ever Visit Yellowstone...

Born on this day: Rachel Carson, Chris Colfer, Joseph Fiennes, Harlan Ellison, Lou Gossett, Jr., Dashiell Hammett, Tony Hillerman, Vincent Price


One of my favorite quotes: A journey is a person in itself, no two are alike. We find after years of struggle that we do not take a trip, a trip takes us. - John Steinbeck


Now that we're at the time of year when many people are heading out on vacations, I want to talk a bit about Yellowstone National Park. I've recently spoken to several people who are visiting there for the first time, and having been there many times myself, I wanted to share some of the best about Yellowstone (and yes, these are images from our vacation. That's me looking at the sign in the fifth image).  

It's truly one of the most amazing places I've ever been. That's why we keep going back. In Yellowstone, there are forests and mountains, lakes and streams.

You'll see waterfalls, thermal pools, geysers and bubbling mud pots.

The sulfurous smell of the thermal areas may take some getting used to, but I tend to like it. Maybe because I've been there so often and I'm fascinated by the fact that the ongoing thermal activity means that the landscape and geyser activity changes every time I'm there. Geysers that were once active become less active, others begin to bubble more. Trails have to be moved to accommodate the changes. Plus, there's something very beautiful in all this raw activity and the fact that Yellowstone is home to so much wildlife.

It's a good place to relax, to kayak or canoe, to stay at the lodge or in a campground, even to visit a nice restaurant or take a tour with a guide in a yellow touring car. 

(My apologies for the dates on the photos. These were from a vacation we took and I didn't want to crop the images).

Here's a video (not mine) that depicts even more of the majesty of the this unusual place:

So, what's on your vacation wish list?

Best Wishes,