tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-87778043331788351422023-11-16T00:10:50.250-07:00No Permanent AddressColene J. Lindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00838676925118426149noreply@blogger.comBlogger52125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8777804333178835142.post-80849946355664552802014-06-04T21:23:00.000-06:002014-06-04T21:23:28.809-06:00There's no place like homeTonight, for the first time since March 17, Rex and I will sleep in Kansas. We parked at a sad but perfectly serviceable RV park in Goodland for the evening. The high-plains breeze is pleasantly cool--with a slight hint of cattle yard in the air. Even so, it feels very good to be here. <br />
<br />
By my post title I don't mean to imply that the Sunflower State ranks above all others. But our interstate travels have reminded us that there are remarkable, completely original things here, and Rex and I are resolved to take advantage of them in the coming months. Extended travel works well for us because we like to drink life in big gulps, but we also know that it is healthy to take short, more frequent breaks from everyday life. I also am convinced that curiosity about and connection to the places we live
make for richer people and communities. That's why I love the <a href="http://Exploring, understanding, and being connected to the place one lives makes for richer lives and communities. That's why we so love Marci Penner's work and the Kansas Sampler Foundation. And that's why we are " target="_blank">Kansas Sampler Foundation</a> and its work. <br />
<br />
Ironically, as we took in the amazing scenery in Utah, several people we met from around the country reminded us of a few things that are special about Kansas:<br />
<ul>
<li>A young man behind the desk at a Moab RV park sung the praises of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_36" target="_blank">US Highway 36</a>. Not exclusively a Kansas phenomenon, its long stretch through the state does cover beautiful terrain and important U.S. history with almost no traffic. </li>
<li>Fellow birders Tom and Peggy from the Louisville, KY, metro area spoke fondly of their stops at <a href="http://kdwpt.state.ks.us/news/KDWPT-Info/Locations/Wildlife-Areas/Region-3/Cheyenne-Bottoms" target="_blank">Cheyenne Bottoms </a>and <a href="http://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/psicc/recreation/hiking/recarea/?recid=12404&actid=51" target="_blank">Cimarron National Grassland</a>. Both are important bird habitats that offer unparalleled viewing opportunities--the former for migratory species and the latter for prairie chickens and others that require large stretches of healthy grassland. </li>
<li>A young architect and park service employee told us of her time consulting at the<a href="http://www.kshs.org/portal_william_allen_white" target="_blank"> William Allen White House</a> in Emporia, a site administered by the Kansas Historical Society. Here, the KHS conveys important national history as well as preserving the famous publisher's home. </li>
</ul>
As one septuagenarian said to us, "I've been in 42 states, and I have yet to see one that did not have something beautiful to offer." Well said. Now go see some of it. <br />
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Colene J. Lindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00838676925118426149noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8777804333178835142.post-80618566088007493852014-06-03T11:06:00.001-06:002014-06-03T21:24:13.712-06:00Road Report<br />
Greetings from Gypsum, Colorado! Here are some tidbits from the road back to Kansas:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Photos of Rex's hike to <a href="https://plus.google.com/photos/104045956003946520922/albums/6020534322289157137?authkey=CIrIwMz9zvP1OQ" target="_blank">Angel's Landing</a> in Zion National Park are now up.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>We caught some ZZZs last night at a rest area at the junction of Hwy 191 and Interstate I-70, 30 miles north of Moab.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>We were on the road again today by 6 a.m.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Saw a golden eagle not far down the road.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Found
the Colorado River to be VERY high from at least Fruita to Dotsero,
where the interstate follows the big red river. Photos below.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>The amazing <a href="http://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/whiteriver/recreation/ohv/recarea/?recid=41261&actid=26" target="_blank">Glenwood Springs bike trail</a>
is closed from No Name to Dotsero. We could see that the path is under
at least five feet of water in places. I don't know how much higher the
river must be to warrant closing the equally amazing I-70 in this area,
but it certainly looks like a possibility to my untrained eyes. </li>
</ul>
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new thing or phenomenon, you are more likely to encounter it? Case in point: some friends of ours recently bought a Ford Escape. Now I see the SUV everywhere whereas a few months ago I noticed none. Psychologists probably have a name for this
tendency to notice things that have meaning for us, but I call it RIB, short for Recently Introduced Bird.<br />
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I concocted this moniker based on our experience with the <a href="http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/yellow-breasted_chat/id" target="_blank">yellow-breasted chat</a>. Rex and I have much to learn about birds, but even so we should have identified this large, common warbler long ago. During the summer it resides in almost every state, including Texas and Kansas. And yet it was only this month, on an <a href="http://nopermanentaddress.blogspot.com/2014/05/public-service.html" target="_blank">organized bird walk in Capitol Ree</a>f, that we learned about the secretive chat. On Thursday, we found the bird again--this time along the North Fork of the Virgin River here in Zion National Park, not far from the lodge.</div>
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For your information, three characteristics set the
chat apart: 1) an amazingly bright, almost iridescent yellow breast; 2) very loud and varied vocalizations and 3) elusiveness. Chats almost always move about in dense vegetation at water's edge.
Several times on Thursday we could not have been more than 10 feet away from
the noisy bird, but we could only find it in our glasses when it was 20 yards or more away. Almost as if it was teasing us, the bird seemed to throw its voice within the brush. That's just anthropomorphism, of course. In reality, there were probably several chats in the vicinity who were much more preoccupied with each other than with us.</div>
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In spite of the bird’s stealthy tendencies, it does sometimes sit high on a perch to sing. In both instances when we have seen the bird, we first recognized
its sound then waited as its call moved around within the thick willows. After about ten minutes—perhaps because the birds no
longer were concerned for their safety—a chat took up a very visible positions and
loudly announced its presence. The bird (or birds?) continued to move to different promontories and allowed us excellent views--so good we could see the bird's throat protrude with each vocalization. You can see see the same thing in this <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_l9MrG0YEMs" target="_blank">short video</a>.<br />
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If you did not already know about chats, now you might have a case of RIB, too. Good luck!<br />
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Colene J. Lindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00838676925118426149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8777804333178835142.post-82809527298828331432014-05-30T22:13:00.000-06:002014-05-30T22:13:10.543-06:00House DividedRex and I went separate ways in Zion this morning then met later for some birding and an evening tour. I'll explain our respective adventures below and say more about the ranger-led excursion in another post. <br />
<br />
This morning the king of our castle completed <a href="http://www.americansouthwest.net/utah/zion/angels_landing.html" target="_blank">Angel's Landing</a>, the most infamous and perhaps most popular hike in the park. It's second only to <a href="http://www.americansouthwest.net/slot_canyons/zion_national_park/zion_narrows.html" target="_blank">the Narrows</a>, which Rex walked earlier in the week. Neither of these hikes appeal to me because they are so heavily traveled. In fact, walking in Wal-Mart comes to mind. But Angel's Landing also includes a 1/4-mile of narrow "path" (really a slick rock with some cables) and a 1,400-foot drop on either side. I could have done it, but I would not have enjoyed it so why do it? Rex at least had the right idea: be on Angel's Landing by 7:30 a.m., before 80 percent of Landing hikers are out of bed. Rex promises photos at a later date, and he claims to have been the first one to the top today--save one German half his age. <br />
<br />
Meanwhile, I went for a run then strolled the two miles out and back to the Narrows. The path I took, at the end of Zion Canyon scenic drive, leads hikers to a spot where they must walk in the river to continue--and many, many do so that they can see the cliff walls narrow to about 20 feet apart and nearly 2,000 feet high. The crowds erased any interest I might have had in the Narrows, but only wild horses would keep me from seeing an <a href="http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/american_dipper/id" target="_blank">American dipper</a> and that is why I walked, very slowly, the first paved mile this morning.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3K8hPPFkDk8bu2dEiuQuYMXOs7bKhS4zCoce41BM7uvSB8snRADRmmT4wMZ1UO2-UDtI3HU0_cl5gr-zCEF04exv5uUzIASwYhzjdiY50Amrd1hkfdpEM0vUVe3A0N54WChpKOWCX9JoZ/s1600/IMG_20140530_093853_067.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3K8hPPFkDk8bu2dEiuQuYMXOs7bKhS4zCoce41BM7uvSB8snRADRmmT4wMZ1UO2-UDtI3HU0_cl5gr-zCEF04exv5uUzIASwYhzjdiY50Amrd1hkfdpEM0vUVe3A0N54WChpKOWCX9JoZ/s1600/IMG_20140530_093853_067.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> Beginning of the Narrows hike up Zion Canyon, in the North Fork of the Virgin River</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br />
According to park literature, American dippers are common in Zion. Even so, I've only see them three times in my life and each was thrilling. This morning was no different. Despite assurances from a ranger that the bird frequents the river above the Temple of Sinawava, after 90 minutes of walking and looking I saw none. Finally I spotted one and was rewarded with a long look at a dipper foraging in the middle of the river. Only when a small child ran by on the path, screaming, did the dipper disappear. So much for wilderness.<br />
<br />
Anyway, seeing the bird was euphoria. If you've ever watched this creature, which looks like a chunky robin but is actually a wren, you might understand my excitement. It has the most unusual habit of walking on the stream bed while chasing down insects. In deeper waters it runs along the bank and dives in, disappearing for several seconds at a time. <br />
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I appreciate that Rex loves a scary, challenging hike, and I am thankful that he also gets a kick from waiting out a beautiful bird, as we did yesterday. More on that, the chat, tomorrow. Colene J. Lindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00838676925118426149noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8777804333178835142.post-79100783997896375572014-05-29T20:39:00.002-06:002014-06-04T17:43:24.748-06:00Strange Noises<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwpOS9obaNdOCjsuAmEVkABkzJvWQwNBmYq6KnQMlMhPgvyToFnDbT1-Wf1AQp6uh9JxjZ91cqeScYiGV__ln_QM5bn-K3HDXOzJZ7tvG3kSIo88ztWxYw6e2xb3ljDQ6iUWPu_-uLPchv/s1600/IMG_20140528_120039_860.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwpOS9obaNdOCjsuAmEVkABkzJvWQwNBmYq6KnQMlMhPgvyToFnDbT1-Wf1AQp6uh9JxjZ91cqeScYiGV__ln_QM5bn-K3HDXOzJZ7tvG3kSIo88ztWxYw6e2xb3ljDQ6iUWPu_-uLPchv/s1600/IMG_20140528_120039_860.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cable Mountain along the Observation Point Trail where the route follows Echo Canyon</td></tr>
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CORRECTION: We hiked to Observation <b>Point</b>, not Observation Peak as I incorrectly stated below. FYI.<br />
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Our first serious hike in Zion National Park--<a href="http://www.americansouthwest.net/utah/zion/observation-point.html" target="_blank">Observation Peak</a>--lived up to its billing. At four miles up and four miles back and 2,000 feet of elevation gain in-between, it gave us plenty of challenge. But it offered even <a href="https://plus.google.com/photos/104045956003946520922/albums/6018678089937889009?authkey=CM7xhr_e55j69gE" target="_blank">greater panoramas, majestic sandstone</a>, and enough birding to satisfy. We recorded one new feathered friend, that being the <a href="http://www.larkwire.com/static/content/images/ipad/LBNA1/VirginiasWarbler.jpg" target="_blank">Virginia's warbler.</a> Even more special were the desert bighorn sheep that surprised us about 1.5 miles into the hike. <br />
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But our most bizarre encounter was with something that sounded like a cross between bleating sheep and an underwater jackhammer. We were sitting near the edge of <a href="http://www.americansouthwest.net/slot_canyons/zion_national_park/echo_canyon.html" target="_blank">Echo Canyon</a>, which is a slot about 10 feet deep at this location with several pools in the bottom. We suspected frogs, but the noise sounded unlike any frog we had ever heard. Today, while reading a placard somewhere in the park, we put two and two together: <a href="http://dwrcdc.nr.utah.gov/rsgis2/Search/Display.asp?FlNm=hylaaren" target="_blank">canyon tree frog</a>. Apparently the amphibian thrives in the Southwest, and we were somewhat lucky to hear it since it's usually nocturnal.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg99RiVJrhkYCOEJxL5BkYLVZxzpr9CdE9IK1FNVEOl79f8c6El66-2KWtKqEEglEMk3RPER54pRvQLKhaaLCXr1PFaoKPwzfZn-qivcDyot-EWpxw4gUD6XaHPye4QD-EIcVpefqZnX0fG/s1600/canyon_tree_frog_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg99RiVJrhkYCOEJxL5BkYLVZxzpr9CdE9IK1FNVEOl79f8c6El66-2KWtKqEEglEMk3RPER54pRvQLKhaaLCXr1PFaoKPwzfZn-qivcDyot-EWpxw4gUD6XaHPye4QD-EIcVpefqZnX0fG/s1600/canyon_tree_frog_1.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Canyon tree frog. Photo from the <a href="http://www.nps.gov/zion/naturescience/images/canyon_tree_frog_1.jpg" target="_blank">NPS website.</a></td></tr>
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I recorded of the frogs we heard, but here is a link to a higher-quality recording: <a href="http://www.hitthetrail.com/wp-content/uploads/treefrog.mp3">http://www.hitthetrail.com/wp-content/uploads/treefrog.mp3</a><br />
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For the record, we also encountered singing frogs on a Capitol Reef hike, while coming down from Navajo Knobs, just before the junction with the Hickman Bridge trail. We never thought to ask a ranger what kind of frogs they might have been. I can say with certainty that they were not canyon tree frogs. <br />
<br />Colene J. Lindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00838676925118426149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8777804333178835142.post-17236608372909866652014-05-26T21:25:00.000-06:002014-05-26T21:25:28.582-06:00Best for Last?<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzFGbgEQVgwSdqa32-Al33tZvsqOsRcFkEdc0cQ3ElOiN-xfGsP-mK-JQ3ye-g0InHDx_m3rUiGvNYf_KBVxrbBqdbSm-nGbCF8-DaPiMXeCX6PplAlpUCnsYYRM-Bxc2YfYGIKizHIX2R/s1600/IMG_20140526_105933_651.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzFGbgEQVgwSdqa32-Al33tZvsqOsRcFkEdc0cQ3ElOiN-xfGsP-mK-JQ3ye-g0InHDx_m3rUiGvNYf_KBVxrbBqdbSm-nGbCF8-DaPiMXeCX6PplAlpUCnsYYRM-Bxc2YfYGIKizHIX2R/s1600/IMG_20140526_105933_651.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Watchman, guarding Pa'rus Trail, Zion Canyon National Park.<br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">As we made our way to Zion, the fifth and our last Utah
national park, fellow travelers told us of the canyon’s beauty. You’ll love it,
they encouraged. In spite of the positive reviews I’ve been dreading the crowds and the hikes, which are notoriously crowded, too. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"><br />We have now arrived, and we can say that it is indeed stunning.
Rex said it reminds him of a desert version of Yosemite Valley. That does not
fully capture the place but it is a good comparison. Most to its credit there
are birds everywhere in the park, especially along the river and near our campground.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"><br />By 9 am this morning we had secured a spot in South
Campground. You can find the place on <a href="http://www.nps.gov/zion/planyourvisit/upload/Zion-Canyon-Map-Website.pdf" target="_blank">this map of the canyon area of the park</a>. Close to the river, the visitor’s
center, and the shuttle buses, we could not ask for more in a campsite. Then
again, perhaps we could ask for a few more trees: It was 96 degrees today, and
will be at least that tomorrow and Wednesday. Thankfully, we have a very nifty
fan to pull outside air inside the TI; here’s hoping we can cool it down enough
to sleep well tonight.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"><br />We’re off on another bird walk tomorrow and have
several short and moderate-length hikes planned for later in the week. With the
town of Springdale literally just outside the park gates, we have all the
groceries, beer, and lattes that we could want--way more of the lattes than we
would ever want, actually. But with civilization comes phone service and
internet, so please call or text if you need us. </span><br />
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<br />Colene J. Lindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00838676925118426149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8777804333178835142.post-20121883733126523092014-05-25T22:18:00.000-06:002014-05-25T22:18:37.827-06:00Nice Run<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHX7TKoo_U5E5tFdZo7lIJI3t9v1jp-VRp4rdTFRibhxe2Lue6euX4PdYw7FVZVnHiJeEQOYL69Jt4yjnVrDQ2n1Z8iiwMMpaG1CQsuKxixzwT0KJvvZ-_-sArbIujo0RMZjIcGZn2L7GQ/s1600/IMG_20140525_094911_425.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHX7TKoo_U5E5tFdZo7lIJI3t9v1jp-VRp4rdTFRibhxe2Lue6euX4PdYw7FVZVnHiJeEQOYL69Jt4yjnVrDQ2n1Z8iiwMMpaG1CQsuKxixzwT0KJvvZ-_-sArbIujo0RMZjIcGZn2L7GQ/s1600/IMG_20140525_094911_425.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Last photo I took of Bryce Canyon, taken from Paria View.</td></tr>
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<span style="text-align: center;">Status update: We drove away from Bryce Canyon National Park at 11:00 a.m. today. </span><br />
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Tonight, we are at the corner of Hwys. 9 and 89. The place has a name--Mount Carmel--but it's not an incorporated town. It's really just a junction with several restaurants, a couple hotels, a golf course, and 12 RV spots backed up to the river. Perfect.<br />
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We break for Zion National Park tomorrow. We're now only 13 miles west of the park, but before we come to the campground we must negotiate the 1.1-mile <a href="http://www.nps.gov/zion/planyourvisit/the-zion-mount-carmel-tunnel.htm" target="_blank">Zion-Mount Carmel tunnel. </a>Rigs of our size may only pass through with an escort. Then we must secure a spot in one the busiest parks in the country. Stay tuned for details.<br />
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In the interim, here are two photos taken from my afternoon run. I went up and down <a href="http://goo.gl/maps/3f21P" target="_blank">Muddy Creek Road</a>, and I highly recommend it to other runners. But please know that pedestrians must pass through someone's cow-calf yard as they run the road, so be alert for aggressive stock. I encountered no such animals and only loveliness.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4zULTHfG5MVbqOViSWOps8MAmqMApGcAuW2lQ0tPQGdGAWyHkRhHLFRyykcu1ueh5uOLxDeisLB3NANyIbU1XwoTW3LG9rujDljBeev3Qv8a1t41iefj-t0VZs6FuMJW71rVeWJSCgf2I/s1600/IMG_20140525_152656_277.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4zULTHfG5MVbqOViSWOps8MAmqMApGcAuW2lQ0tPQGdGAWyHkRhHLFRyykcu1ueh5uOLxDeisLB3NANyIbU1XwoTW3LG9rujDljBeev3Qv8a1t41iefj-t0VZs6FuMJW71rVeWJSCgf2I/s1600/IMG_20140525_152656_277.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a><br />
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<br />Colene J. Lindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00838676925118426149noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8777804333178835142.post-34354455895096349702014-05-25T22:00:00.001-06:002014-05-25T22:00:57.903-06:00Public ServiceI'm dedicating today's post to two outstanding park rangers, which is completely unfair because we've met dozens of helpful, knowledgeable, patient, and dedicated rangers. But these two employees distinguished themselves in an important regard--you guessed it: birds.<br />
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On May 17th, Capitol Reef park biologist Sandy Borthwick led a 2-1/2 hour bird walk, held in honor of International Migratory Bird Day. Several park employees came along on this hike, which started at 7:30 a.m. on a Saturday. We're grateful to all who represented the park service and especially young Sidney, who found the elusive yellow-breasted chat for us to see. Overall, the group bird walk was one of the best we have done, largely because of the 20 or so birders who participated. To a person, they were pleasant and helpful companions who shared our love for all things aviary. Great, great hike, Sandy, and thanks for the excellent birthday gift.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ7dnisWDklLkZkSK8vRBCC5paOZm0dLvg0s9bWLpAtS9q2WhkPWCN8uI-wcDsCQ3O6PzI1dYQ1_rOBbiyCnSJeTe3qm46Zbd6s-ovBZ5uxOKVaj8peyf8ANVkSPSddkbLr5EfI7ckg6hv/s1600/20140517_083123.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ7dnisWDklLkZkSK8vRBCC5paOZm0dLvg0s9bWLpAtS9q2WhkPWCN8uI-wcDsCQ3O6PzI1dYQ1_rOBbiyCnSJeTe3qm46Zbd6s-ovBZ5uxOKVaj8peyf8ANVkSPSddkbLr5EfI7ckg6hv/s1600/20140517_083123.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bird nerds doing their thing at Capitol Reef National Park, Fruita.</td></tr>
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On May 23rd, Rex and I attended what turned out to be the best ranger talk we've ever attended. Ranger Kevin Doxstater of Bryce Canyon National Park lectured on bird migration for almost an hour. He was riveting. Even the couple beside us, who showed no special interest in birds, was enthralled.<br />
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I can't begin to properly summarize Ranger Doxstater's talk, but here's an example of the fascinating things we learned: How can the arctic tern, which migrates from the Arctic to Antarctica, possibly achieve this feat? Doesn't it sleep? Yes, but only one hemisphere at a time: The bird has evolved the ability to continue flying while one side of its brain gets the needed rest, then it switches, putting the other half to bed. Gives a whole new dimension to bird brain, no?<br />
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Birding, of course, is not the sole or even the main duty of either of these rangers. You can <a href="http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/news/54553698-78/cacti-cactus-capitol-desert.html.csp" target="_blank">read more here</a> about Ranger Borthwick's work to protect park plants, specifically a rare cactus that is being poached. When we left Ranger Doxstater on Friday night at 9:30, he was still answering questions of the small crowd gathered around him. We saw him again at 7:55 am the next day--a Saturday--opening the Bryce Canyon visitor's center. Rangers must wear many hats, apparently.<br />
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<br />Colene J. Lindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00838676925118426149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8777804333178835142.post-73606151698572168952014-05-24T22:13:00.001-06:002014-05-26T21:26:39.339-06:00LightingHappy news: We were able to squeeze in a second walk in Bryce Canyon in spite of the threat of rain. Today, we hiked a modified version of the "Figure 8," which is what the park calls the combination of three popular trails: <a href="https://plus.google.com/photos/104045956003946520922/albums/6017149820612125041?authkey=CKKEhoO0kMesAg" target="_blank">The Navajo Loop, the Peekaboo Loop, and the Queen's Garden Trail</a>.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1DGGO_-XRRF54eDi5f7O8AW6PreYKoIuBbA_6S2CcNWe8hSJs__K5wG7r1N2wUYDDJCZOlf-ziwT2Y2sdiD65VWaehw4t_920pcSuQjIH_PnbdQnxaja1vo2m7zchWR-FcunQ_m0gaojZ/s1600/Map2D_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1DGGO_-XRRF54eDi5f7O8AW6PreYKoIuBbA_6S2CcNWe8hSJs__K5wG7r1N2wUYDDJCZOlf-ziwT2Y2sdiD65VWaehw4t_920pcSuQjIH_PnbdQnxaja1vo2m7zchWR-FcunQ_m0gaojZ/s1600/Map2D_1.jpg" height="400" width="640" /></a><br />
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UPDATE: Told you I missed the geology talk! The hoodoos are made of limestone, not sandstone as I incorrectly stated below. My apologies for spreading misinformation.<br />
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Those who have visited Bryce Canyon might remember the popular Sunset and Sunrise viewpoints. This hike descends into the canyon from one and returns to the Rim Trail from the other.<br />
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In the linked photos, you can see that we shared the trail with horses. They were actually less onerous than some of the other hikers, of which there were many. But as usual, most folks were great. This is the first time I would have seriously considered taking a guided ride in a national park. The canyon seems to be an ideal place for it. <br />
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<span style="text-align: center;">On Thursday, we followed the </span><a href="https://plus.google.com/photos/104045956003946520922/albums/6017197026511173697?authkey=COTchNCsoK2W9AE" style="text-align: center;" target="_blank">Fairyland Loop</a><span style="text-align: center;"> through the canyon on the northern end of the famous amphitheater.</span><br />
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The hoodoos--the colorful sandstone formations in these photos--steal the show at Bryce Canyon. Unfortunately, I can't report anything about their geology because the ranger talk was rained out.<br />
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I do want to point out the differences in lighting in my photos. Today was overcast, and it's striking how much more vibrantly the colors stand out in today's pictures as compared to Thursday's. Photos from our first hike are more typical: the early shots are hazy and washed-out, with too little morning light for our inexpensive cameras. As the sun gets higher in the sky, the sharpness of the photos increases and the shadows disappear, but especially here at Bryce, the bright sun erases much of the differences in colors. In their literature the park emphasizes that the hoodoos change in appearance as the day progresses. But from my experience, there are only a few times when the canyon is well-captured with the camera. In general, I have a lot more appreciation for talented photographers because it takes a great amount of experience and patience to find and wait for the right lighting.<br />
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In other happy news, we've logged a new bird in Bryce Canyon: the <a href="http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/townsends_solitaire/id" target="_blank">Townsend's solitaire</a>. I've been wanting to see this bird for a long time, and it's quite easy to find in the park. Nor did it disappoint. While a rather drab bird at first blush, its white eye-ring is mesmerizing and the buffy patches on its wings are unique. Plus its song is incredible--reminiscent of a mockingbird, only brighter. You can listen to it <a href="http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/townsends_solitaire/sounds" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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Four days were not enough in this park; shame on the fellow who told us we could do it in one day. Even so, onward.<br />
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<br />Colene J. Lindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00838676925118426149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8777804333178835142.post-56130811821071210882014-05-23T22:45:00.001-06:002014-05-26T21:27:40.997-06:00The Conservative Case for the ParksIt rained most of the day in <a href="http://www.nps.gov/brca/index.htm" target="_blank">Bryce Canyon National Park</a>, where Rex and I have been camping since Wednesday. Thankfully, we went for an excellent walk yesterday on the <a href="http://www.nps.gov/brca/planyourvisit/fairylandloop.htm" target="_blank">Fairyland Loop</a>. But with a 70 percent chance of rain tonight, Saturday, and Saturday night, our planned walk around the “Figure 8” seems doubtful. We shall see.<br />
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While stuck in the TI for most of the day (for which I am grateful—poor tent campers!) I stumbled upon the<a href="http://instagram.com/usinterior" target="_blank"> Department of Interior’s Instagram account. </a>Rex and I have collected many incredible photos while trekking across the West, but none compare to the images found on this feed. Please check them out. As I explained to my friend Soo Hye this week, different things provoke feelings of patrotism in various people. The displays of nationalism at our sporting contests (think of fighter jets flying over the football stadium, for example) leave me cold. But these pictures make me very proud of the United States. <br />
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The only thing more moving than seeing these places is experiencing them, and I feel more committed to our country for having done so. Perhaps those who cannot accept the value of land conservation for the sake of sharing beauty with future generations could support protecting public places for this reason. To my way of thinking, our national parks and monuments are just as important to the health of our civic culture and public values as are the Jefferson Memorial, the Washington Monument, and Independence Hall.<br />
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Happy Memorial Day weekend!Colene J. Lindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00838676925118426149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8777804333178835142.post-39189114686596735942014-05-21T21:43:00.000-06:002014-05-21T21:43:17.591-06:00Capitol Reef<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikl76V2-zNXzkhRgvgU4q4m-mYcsBDCSUVECq2UiB5lfEl4anjqSsZgsCpDa27Aw3_4MYZNvpb6Dhb-o1tAla7XnsOjTcvTZkrcq0Ku6RLuxED65rKpYoBTa14zWR0ka4amsRqob2VBY1X/s1600/IMG_20140513_161033_756.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikl76V2-zNXzkhRgvgU4q4m-mYcsBDCSUVECq2UiB5lfEl4anjqSsZgsCpDa27Aw3_4MYZNvpb6Dhb-o1tAla7XnsOjTcvTZkrcq0Ku6RLuxED65rKpYoBTa14zWR0ka4amsRqob2VBY1X/s1600/IMG_20140513_161033_756.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I admit it: I’ve been procrastinating this blog post. It’s
just that doing <a href="http://www.nps.gov/care/index.htm" target="_blank">Capitol Reef National Park</a> justice will take more than my
words can achieve. So instead, our photographs must do the heavy lifting.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I will say that our love for this park is not necessarily
because of the hiking, although it does offer amazing scenery. The views
to and from <a href="https://plus.google.com/photos/104045956003946520922/albums/6016073283090037729?authkey=CMOoxt7t4cz3VQ">Navajo
Knobs</a>, for example, take second place to nothing else. Our combination of
the <a href="https://plus.google.com/photos/104045956003946520922/albums/6016079189267991201?authkey=CNrJo5LV7c7F3QE">Cohab
Canyon, Frying Pan, and Grand Wash</a> trails made for an excellent day hike,
too. Capitol Reef also gave us our first experience in a <a href="https://plus.google.com/photos/104045956003946520922/albums/6015727588552438001?authkey=CLGDp4yzpIbsXw">slot
canyon</a>, and we found <a href="https://plus.google.com/photos/104045956003946520922/albums/6016078263427586609?authkey=CLHUtK6G47mUag">Pleasant
Creek</a> to be aptly named. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Even so, hiking is not the Reef’s secret ingredient. For us, Fruita sets Capitol Reef apart, and that’s hard to admit because the parks are supposed to be protecting wilderness and
Fruita is not wild. A bucolic Garden of Eden, yes, but not wilderness. This magical
place is nestled in a valley along the western edge
of the Reef at the confluence of Sulphur Creek and the Fremont River. In
addition to protecting the unique geology of the Reef, the park service also
conveys the recent history of Fruita as a Mormon farming community. Hundreds of fruit trees planted by the settlers and maintained by the park service surround the Fruita campground. It’s an idyllic setting and for these two farm
kids, well, I guess you cannot completely remove our cultivating impulse.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I hope to tell more stories here about Fruita and the people we met there—but if not on these pages, then we will share these tales elsewhere. Later, for example, you can ask me about my full-moon hike, or our outdoor viewing of<i> Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, </i>or the singing biologist<i>.</i> For now I’ll let the pictures say how special Capitol Reef is.</span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGjBN-Q5XwG0KRbA_ZoszNYwgCitn5XMHngk6odw-SSQC2MNzG3a__y1XJXPMxaCN0o38P9PdzwAgm7ZO1ml73DSmw0W4kr0MP41SB1Zpgy4P3DrFpiqM1OqmZNCzd7c6K8GcXbqanhZCP/s1600/IMG_20140513_161343_222.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGjBN-Q5XwG0KRbA_ZoszNYwgCitn5XMHngk6odw-SSQC2MNzG3a__y1XJXPMxaCN0o38P9PdzwAgm7ZO1ml73DSmw0W4kr0MP41SB1Zpgy4P3DrFpiqM1OqmZNCzd7c6K8GcXbqanhZCP/s1600/IMG_20140513_161343_222.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Capitol Reef, geology classroom. The Reef is a 100-mile long monocline, or fold in the earth. The fold becomes more obvious the more altitude one gains, as we did on the <a href="https://plus.google.com/photos/104045956003946520922/albums/6016073283090037729?authkey=CMOoxt7t4cz3VQ" target="_blank">Navajo Knobs</a> hike. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDSiCLLxzxRy6vVY8MOP7SdVHjjVbHJxGpgN_AcAbUMAPa9ZFC0BlBbWwqtAAYntA4d6v4LB0yPzpRlh_Gkbzwa0aIfv0VV6t16BzI7Ie1gnbyQ7a5ntTf3gyAOTEQ9CHPDyrgQn1_84ju/s1600/IMG_20140515_175219_894.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDSiCLLxzxRy6vVY8MOP7SdVHjjVbHJxGpgN_AcAbUMAPa9ZFC0BlBbWwqtAAYntA4d6v4LB0yPzpRlh_Gkbzwa0aIfv0VV6t16BzI7Ie1gnbyQ7a5ntTf3gyAOTEQ9CHPDyrgQn1_84ju/s1600/IMG_20140515_175219_894.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View of the Reef, looking north from Fremont River Trail overlook</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig-0X3Od20FbdsH8Hlctl27mpmn-SY7GeZuijlK_66XqvtdSOykQAliQmLLnl-8geLtI91wzpzAPwo4UlMpF2cQjRJ82YFrZkOlNdsu6UBmQzu_N_m7ZTohyAOta-TcjL4OtdrcuNMjdi0/s1600/IMG_20140515_175259_229.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig-0X3Od20FbdsH8Hlctl27mpmn-SY7GeZuijlK_66XqvtdSOykQAliQmLLnl-8geLtI91wzpzAPwo4UlMpF2cQjRJ82YFrZkOlNdsu6UBmQzu_N_m7ZTohyAOta-TcjL4OtdrcuNMjdi0/s1600/IMG_20140515_175259_229.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From the Fremont River Trail overlook</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib4wOPFCBjnqbEoGEME-BjGKGccNRonnVY26QEIpdSrVzedo7XZErosHM2QYrz7xmQFgMqsOzyOj3_WgSHUa2yMPbizBf3wpx1RdaLrtN9me4hmo2xQqiATwoPoN5R73AWPhwW8YwMf0kj/s1600/IMG_20140515_181033_183.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib4wOPFCBjnqbEoGEME-BjGKGccNRonnVY26QEIpdSrVzedo7XZErosHM2QYrz7xmQFgMqsOzyOj3_WgSHUa2yMPbizBf3wpx1RdaLrtN9me4hmo2xQqiATwoPoN5R73AWPhwW8YwMf0kj/s1600/IMG_20140515_181033_183.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Returning to Fruita </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRUld1Mi6Z697LVVDdQZ4LaVEjLDf_CTC-qiXzVJ3vTYCtWb09KP_XmvpQuwxRl25fO1h-9oow_x4lLRy1Jeo6TZTJ4olbi_-Vb97xmFcH2UDCfR9MZvCH8oqTJO0RmYGkB0bT4Xc66IvA/s1600/IMG_20140517_174930_698.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRUld1Mi6Z697LVVDdQZ4LaVEjLDf_CTC-qiXzVJ3vTYCtWb09KP_XmvpQuwxRl25fO1h-9oow_x4lLRy1Jeo6TZTJ4olbi_-Vb97xmFcH2UDCfR9MZvCH8oqTJO0RmYGkB0bT4Xc66IvA/s1600/IMG_20140517_174930_698.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking over the Fremont River from Johnson's Mesa</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3VNFSdJC-uDqf63boy9G7bwevqr16TX0ADZUDJE1Dw9Az1gm6QTFsWqMaqceVTisxDculv1y5Ce5a4McmbpZryYfzP2Qtk2gLVeS76-_dLc-A839bvWHbDddMgBWmgG3NrObdZomBSKfY/s1600/IMG_8541.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3VNFSdJC-uDqf63boy9G7bwevqr16TX0ADZUDJE1Dw9Az1gm6QTFsWqMaqceVTisxDculv1y5Ce5a4McmbpZryYfzP2Qtk2gLVeS76-_dLc-A839bvWHbDddMgBWmgG3NrObdZomBSKfY/s1600/IMG_8541.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New snow on May 11th in the northern reaches of the park</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqQqO8c_BR9xplwXXvae3uPZE8TtVVeYjISEPuzsE2HFMhU7Um32JNZkmy28kYOQnJGBr0-S29o5gsmZv8VBC_i_T6r37nq1MZm4N3VPIi38tUtSIeZb1jryzQVz6SHMz3C5QEEuMFn2yj/s1600/IMG_20140513_112139_472.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqQqO8c_BR9xplwXXvae3uPZE8TtVVeYjISEPuzsE2HFMhU7Um32JNZkmy28kYOQnJGBr0-S29o5gsmZv8VBC_i_T6r37nq1MZm4N3VPIi38tUtSIeZb1jryzQVz6SHMz3C5QEEuMFn2yj/s1600/IMG_20140513_112139_472.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lovely Fruita campground</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />Colene J. Lindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00838676925118426149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8777804333178835142.post-66283021396503236532014-05-20T23:10:00.000-06:002014-05-20T23:10:35.920-06:00Slots<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh61QK2rN4QxFQlRtWrpAKVkwrIkxJWMnfIejuOZPDwR3KCT6NyJmdM2JIt_UCNvxdNnf_SUhyZvyRE3thbmLpJMghyphenhyphenYdK2Xy4rFcloG8f74jrUxiWC35p1Ht4tIf5rAJ0JI1coWtRWF_0F/s1600/IMG_20140520_102949_942.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh61QK2rN4QxFQlRtWrpAKVkwrIkxJWMnfIejuOZPDwR3KCT6NyJmdM2JIt_UCNvxdNnf_SUhyZvyRE3thbmLpJMghyphenhyphenYdK2Xy4rFcloG8f74jrUxiWC35p1Ht4tIf5rAJ0JI1coWtRWF_0F/s1600/IMG_20140520_102949_942.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">It’s a shame that we only have one day for hiking in <a href="http://www.blm.gov/ut/st/en/fo/grand_staircase-escalante/Recreation.html" target="_blank">Grand Staircase-Escalante</a>, the largest national monument in the
country with more than 1.8 million acres in its boundaries. But at least we found a great spot to explore: the slots near <a href="https://www.google.com/maps?q=37%C2%B0+28%E2%80%9953.23%E2%80%9DN,+111%C2%B0+12%E2%80%9959.93%E2%80%9DW&hl=en&ie=UTF8&ll=37.473904,-111.195202&spn=0.077654,0.169086&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=39.592876,86.572266&t=m&z=13" target="_blank">Dry Fork Wash, including Peekaboo and Spooky Gulch</a>. And
today was the day. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">New friends Tom and Peggy, whom we met in Captiol Reef
National Park, <s>suggested</s> insisted that we hike these slot canyons off
Hole in the Rock Road. The road itself—a 50-mile teeth-knocker down to Lake
Powell—deserves mention. We drove only 26 miles before turning on BLM road 252 for Dry Fork Wash; it took us more than 90 minutes and subtracted at least 5 years from our truck’s life. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">But Tom
and Peggy were right: these easy (no ropes required) slot canyons proved to be magnificent.
</span><a href="https://plus.google.com/photos/104045956003946520922/albums/6015730338578563617?authkey=CIj5zsDCveCyQw" target="_blank">Please click through to see some of what we saw</a>, and I will upload more when Rex unloads the photos from
his camera. </span>Colene J. Lindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00838676925118426149noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8777804333178835142.post-33792709877573019112014-05-19T18:53:00.001-06:002014-05-19T18:53:45.502-06:00Moab<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Earlier, I promised to say something about Moab. Now would
be a good time to do so, before I move on to Capitol Reef.</div>
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Please know that my observations are tentative, incomplete, and pretty superficial. We stayed in town only two nights and shopped in Moab a few more
times. Any other visitor, including myself, might have a completely different
experience on another visit. </div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2SJeAhzRO3WS4rw4oxsr_IJGbvMQA64wYAnT6HDzRYMF9_TqOZ3x2ByllXt5nWyS7EOLJiIoCI28h2ogNougwNvUBotaeOkFyXT2DdOowGhU3Tbm0sObuHyllBMJsnF8konR1PjCp1pkl/s1600/IMG_20140509_112322_755.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2SJeAhzRO3WS4rw4oxsr_IJGbvMQA64wYAnT6HDzRYMF9_TqOZ3x2ByllXt5nWyS7EOLJiIoCI28h2ogNougwNvUBotaeOkFyXT2DdOowGhU3Tbm0sObuHyllBMJsnF8konR1PjCp1pkl/s1600/IMG_20140509_112322_755.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Downtown Moab</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Moab made a poor first impression on me. We arrived
on a Saturday in the middle of classic car show that consumed the town. We were
lucky to find a RV spot thought by my estimate there were at least 750 sites within
the city limits plus all the BLM campgrounds and dispersed camping close by. The
crush of people and cars and dirt-crawling machines subsided on Monday, but
locals assured us that the next weekend would be just as crazy. So long as the
weather stays mild, the people come. And when the heat slows outdoor
activities, then the tour buses arrive. </div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmhT9Txu4HxQf7DBXqYc92KIM-IqSWfOzHfFuccSFXgJjZXEJL5euLKv4UrxXhIebNB9Gmk4LusPsvj9PUEhayFl8GJQo4pRKAxHJL3nyZK3lgspKBeEZOFG25DYup4uJoFnIa7fI2YN7D/s1600/IMG_20140509_111959_410.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmhT9Txu4HxQf7DBXqYc92KIM-IqSWfOzHfFuccSFXgJjZXEJL5euLKv4UrxXhIebNB9Gmk4LusPsvj9PUEhayFl8GJQo4pRKAxHJL3nyZK3lgspKBeEZOFG25DYup4uJoFnIa7fI2YN7D/s1600/IMG_20140509_111959_410.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Moab's main thoroughfare, Utah Highway 191</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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After the crush and congestion, the next thing that
impressed me was all the stuff: Mountain bicycles and road bicycles; off-road
vehicles and Jeeps; motorcycles of every kind; dune buggies and all manner of
ATVs. Throw in a few huge, Frankenstein-like, camping/rock-crawling/desert-rat
rigs. And don’t forget the whitewater rafts, kayaks, and canoes. Plus more
Jeeps. And hundreds of motor homes, toy-hauling fifth wheels, truck campers,
and tents. Rock climbers don’t have an official vehicle, but I did spot their
ropes, harnesses, and slipper-like shoes later in the week. There were
backpackers with boots and day hikers with trekking poles and view-point pedestrians
with long camera lens protruding from their bellies. The only thing missing from
Moab is the sedan: <i>Everyone</i> drives a
SUV or truck. </div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiR9ai98DAxVzZ562Y2xGumTAfzxML1kweMXIlr03xkzkGCfr_4MTUTIkDzCGN4ZytUcIcDont6DIxpubxu1hyI5uX7c-lhevtwm6N41bGyrBUTkjxj-w7RAyhNMEELJGNNH7mZ1Z1SS7L/s1600/IMG_20140509_112255_424.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiR9ai98DAxVzZ562Y2xGumTAfzxML1kweMXIlr03xkzkGCfr_4MTUTIkDzCGN4ZytUcIcDont6DIxpubxu1hyI5uX7c-lhevtwm6N41bGyrBUTkjxj-w7RAyhNMEELJGNNH7mZ1Z1SS7L/s1600/IMG_20140509_112255_424.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More downtown Moab</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Except for the dune buggies and monster crawlers, none of
this equipment by itself seems bizarre. What is strange is that it can be found <i>all together </i>in one little town—often in
the same parking lot. The only the label “outdoor adventure” can capture it
all.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Over time, Moab grew on me. We struggled to find good beer; disappointingly,
its not at the Moab Brewery. Later in the week we found a pizza place that served
a good selection of craft beers. The state liquor store stocked a fair
selection of microbrews, too. We also found a local coffee roaster and had a
great meal at a new Mediterranean place. This eatery was quiet, and I overheard
half of the diners order vegetarian. Earlier in the week, I would not
have guessed that there were ten vegetarians in the county. Apparently, Moab’s
diversity goes beyond the cacophony of outdoors activities.</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrVMx5BcoRRW8hIyss9LFlkwT71MhchROHfu27I-kULxk2aY54qbFAPnYxEiFJFY5D71IGmnx7M-7-MWOi0Msb2JU4vQQVKvBqfNbu5wU7VYB_1A8Q9R2BFH4ZhUphguBMLHp-g8LR8yNn/s1600/IMG_20140509_105735_880.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrVMx5BcoRRW8hIyss9LFlkwT71MhchROHfu27I-kULxk2aY54qbFAPnYxEiFJFY5D71IGmnx7M-7-MWOi0Msb2JU4vQQVKvBqfNbu5wU7VYB_1A8Q9R2BFH4ZhUphguBMLHp-g8LR8yNn/s1600/IMG_20140509_105735_880.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The supermarket parking lot on a Friday morning. See any sedans? I saw one.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br /></div>
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And this impressed me the most about Moab: it all seems to
hang together. Maybe it can be explained by the live-and-let live ethic of the
American West. Or perhaps the capitalistic drive keeps a lid on the cultural divisions.
Either way, it’s an impressive feat, because what is best for nature
lovers is not necessarily what makes for great four-wheeling, and it can be
hard to square land preservation with outdoor tourism, and I’ve seen mountain
bikers and hikers nearly come to blows. Perhaps these clicks avoid confrontation by doing their things in different places around Moab. But surely the diverse peoples who converge on this town, with their different
hobbies, tastes, styles, politics, and values, do sometimes collide.</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTBsgzWChWotfrQJDMoDfVcJ88VL777f24U2NvnRsaawTiVFdlm8OMTE0suCifGSbGcmwZeITszOG_lPvkMIbcZ7LYmbtXbIDp-1_pwzQ1BVVKq4j_z2wvUTob5ffG_cOP3ArrH3Pj204b/s1600/IMG_20140509_112247_030.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTBsgzWChWotfrQJDMoDfVcJ88VL777f24U2NvnRsaawTiVFdlm8OMTE0suCifGSbGcmwZeITszOG_lPvkMIbcZ7LYmbtXbIDp-1_pwzQ1BVVKq4j_z2wvUTob5ffG_cOP3ArrH3Pj204b/s1600/IMG_20140509_112247_030.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">We didn't make it to this place.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In the end, Moab intrigues me. At a time when the media tell
us that political and social divisions have reached a breaking point in the
United States, how has this town managed to transform itself into a Mecca for
outdoor enthusiasts of all stripes and hold them together—at least on
the surface? What tensions might be seen by a more faithful Moab observer, and how
are theses conflicts resolved? Maybe someday I’ll get to hang around longer and listen
for answers. </div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihHOBhexTQq_jyxz0KO2mILRoMRF2RzMdXfi2fLL8CwxgarXJYDhiuVIGcEAf0lozc9jeiGIID7doHJFoqmiAFOfBAjmmqv36ppsnIT8sRQOJ-DUEzThi5k1eUwTdwzw0b-JvvpXKvJeD8/s1600/IMG_20140509_091938_599.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihHOBhexTQq_jyxz0KO2mILRoMRF2RzMdXfi2fLL8CwxgarXJYDhiuVIGcEAf0lozc9jeiGIID7doHJFoqmiAFOfBAjmmqv36ppsnIT8sRQOJ-DUEzThi5k1eUwTdwzw0b-JvvpXKvJeD8/s1600/IMG_20140509_091938_599.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Moab, like many other towns, has new subdivisions, a brand new medical complex, and a thriving downtown. But not many <i>rural </i>communities have theses things.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKokPVzuzxOfFHd8QyzUcpw51zQQe8EKCBbinejHhCBMu-ngSgLG9tvM2u-P2V4LvW03w6pmNCzF1AHB3j4i1xT-Ce4e0YFC274qskDyMCPdD02PtgsAB4-QJaWnV3q8QN7_DEHa7a59zN/s1600/IMG_20140509_092033_071.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKokPVzuzxOfFHd8QyzUcpw51zQQe8EKCBbinejHhCBMu-ngSgLG9tvM2u-P2V4LvW03w6pmNCzF1AHB3j4i1xT-Ce4e0YFC274qskDyMCPdD02PtgsAB4-QJaWnV3q8QN7_DEHa7a59zN/s1600/IMG_20140509_092033_071.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Moab, like many other towns, also has trailer homes.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitB6ghx6Cs_STQmOcHPOXGehfSUTmM0G4ZuM5Q22lqawV7wlt86JTx-yUcic4hVvDUgAXmFqumzIsKjZHbmq6WH0yCK2XK92cmlExB8Wq_fCQmGuWJdQU0QlW5qcoHRYTPeMeKRm1uqPzq/s1600/IMG_20140509_092056_452.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitB6ghx6Cs_STQmOcHPOXGehfSUTmM0G4ZuM5Q22lqawV7wlt86JTx-yUcic4hVvDUgAXmFqumzIsKjZHbmq6WH0yCK2XK92cmlExB8Wq_fCQmGuWJdQU0QlW5qcoHRYTPeMeKRm1uqPzq/s1600/IMG_20140509_092056_452.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">But how many have parks?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCJ-Y50iSM0DvnFSJQjRs5BGfADSHaKIWcuVtjw-pVXCOQVPWb3-zMQFC9hG6bIlOukqtlsKfLvWMp1bN4h10pReob5JvzpDK9oW1czYrMcfaGMZqZtRbUipsxrnoQfgBna6QSJmGNiqgm/s1600/IMG_20140509_092243_179.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCJ-Y50iSM0DvnFSJQjRs5BGfADSHaKIWcuVtjw-pVXCOQVPWb3-zMQFC9hG6bIlOukqtlsKfLvWMp1bN4h10pReob5JvzpDK9oW1czYrMcfaGMZqZtRbUipsxrnoQfgBna6QSJmGNiqgm/s1600/IMG_20140509_092243_179.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There's no shortage of green fescue in Moab. Which is interesting, because I know there's a water shortage in the West. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br />Colene J. Lindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00838676925118426149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8777804333178835142.post-3079208109259568582014-05-18T19:29:00.001-06:002014-05-18T22:15:56.340-06:00Canyonlands Wrap-Up<div class="MsoNormal">
Dear Readers, </div>
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I had to take a break from blogging due to our
wonderful eight-night stay in Capitol Reef National Park, where we had no cell
phone or Internet access. Today we left
Capitol Reef and are now restocking groceries, cleaning the TI, and doing
our laundry in Escalante, Utah.</div>
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We really, really enjoyed our time in Capitol Reef. But before I try to explain this special place, I
need to quickly re-cap our time in Island in the Sky district of
Canyonlands National Park. We spent six days in the park unit south and west of Moab. If photos interest you more than does my blah, blah, blah, then click on the hotlinks below to see additional photos. Otherwise, here's the bullet points:</div>
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<ul>
<li>We walked the <a href="https://plus.google.com/photos/104045956003946520922/albums/6014845653941140641?authkey=CJ-H2-bFvfb4hQE" target="_blank">Syncline Loop</a>, a fantastic trail. Rex and I agree that it ranks in our top ten hikes
ever, and Rex puts it even higher. The trail circles Upheaval Dome, which causes geological controversy: Some hypothesize that a meteorite created this
syncline, or circular fold in the rock strata, while others argue that a
“bubble” rose and collapsed in the layer of Paradox Salt deep beneath the dome. Either way, the Syncline is popular yet we saw only six other people in nine hours on the
trail, as well as 25 different birds--which might be a record for us while day hiking.</li>
</ul>
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<ul>
<li>We also walked the <a href="https://plus.google.com/photos/104045956003946520922/albums/6014850270351310961?authkey=CMulx8ml69yLCA" target="_blank">Neck Spring</a> loop, a shorter but very lovely trail that rewarded us with
fantastic views of Shafer Canyon and the La Sals.</li>
</ul>
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<ul>
<li>We drove a few terrifying yards down the <a href="https://plus.google.com/photos/104045956003946520922/albums/6014797075608949697?authkey=CJj1it3TzLzjNw" target="_blank">ShaferTrail road toward the White Rim</a> road. I don't know when the Shafer Trail
was created, but I suspect that, like the White Rim road, it was built during
the uranium boom of the late 1940s and 1950s. Before Canyonlands was a national
park, the Atomic Energy Commission encouraged prospecting by building roads
like the White Rim. Now the 100-mile White Rim, a remnant of the Cold War, draws dirt bikers and four-wheelers.</li>
</ul>
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<ul>
<li>We took a half-day trip to <a href="https://plus.google.com/photos/104045956003946520922/albums/6014863039345284161?authkey=CO3lne20zKi16wE" target="_blank">Dead Horse Point State Park</a>, situated just to the northeast of the Island in
the Sky. The view from Dead Horse Point is famous, but we found the rim walk to
be more interesting than the drive-up view. On the west, one can look into the
national park’s Shafer Canyon from the east. On the west side of Dead Horse
Point the Moab <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intrepid_Potash">potash mine</a>
stands out and so do the La Sal mountains.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>We went to several ranger talks, as we always do. Consequently,
I now know two grown men who go by Robby. Robby the park ranger has a very goofy
sense of humor but represents the park exceptionally well. He serves as an interpretive guide by day and an on-call EMT by night. We greatly enjoyed our
extended conversation with him.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>We took several shorter hikes and went to all the must-see view points and overlooks, including Grand View, Green River Overlook, Mesa Arch, and Whale Rock. And we were birding the entire time, of course. Three
highlights include the <a href="http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/western_tanager/id" target="_blank">Western tanager</a>, the <a href="http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Green-tailed_Towhee/id" target="_blank">green-tailed towhee</a>, and the <a href="http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Lark_Sparrow/id" target="_blank">lark sparrow</a>.</li>
</ul>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3uZnp3HsO9mTG4utbmPNJsm9EeE7iyCAtiFjWBcUfNojYe9rqkiUPzpO1K4RiWho1woSCu7VMBGfm0rrGoib-0RIKZHWeTikTw5jZAxg2OILXeR3_scxa1D_ioCp52CvjqVt6FBRIA9ug/s1600/20140506_153853.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3uZnp3HsO9mTG4utbmPNJsm9EeE7iyCAtiFjWBcUfNojYe9rqkiUPzpO1K4RiWho1woSCu7VMBGfm0rrGoib-0RIKZHWeTikTw5jZAxg2OILXeR3_scxa1D_ioCp52CvjqVt6FBRIA9ug/s1600/20140506_153853.jpg" height="480" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">
Ranger Robby talks geology in a 40-mph gale near Grand View Point. We forgive him for removing his hat. We trust his employer will, too.</div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Even so, we only scratched the surface, which is an appropriate cliche when speaking of a former mining patch. For example, we
missed the Murphy Loop Trail and the Aztec Butte Trail. If we had the right
bikes, we would have ridden the Shafer Trail into Moab. We
would have loved to have taken a float trip on the river, but that takes a
minimum of three days. We missed the ranger talk on bighorn sheep! You get the
idea: There’s never enough time.<br />
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Colene J. Lindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00838676925118426149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8777804333178835142.post-56444197695961381852014-05-08T22:06:00.000-06:002014-05-18T22:18:46.948-06:00Confusion<div class="MsoNormal">
Two weeks ago, we were in <a href="http://www.nps.gov/cany" target="_blank">Canyonlands National Park</a>. We
spent last week in the town of Moab as well as <a href="http://www.nps.gov/arch">Arches
National Park</a>. This week, we’re back in Canyonlands National Park, but not
the same park we were in two weeks ago. </div>
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Here’s where I might have lost you: Canyonlands consists of three
districts and one unit. When we first came to Utah, we spent six days in the
Needles District. This week, we stayed in the Island in the Sky District. Only
four-wheel-drive, high-clearance vehicles can reach the Maze, the third
district.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_Ze1D7W-Ec5A-Js80RyK3LNXtX3ETYAeinLzr2SPWTbf0OHx0KcPQGtDHVifjD9Mrw7EFaWC3xKbn1RnRi1v0gy-XPVtVFSzpAcnaQsILTUNNO9Zba8Wxa8lKyCDTP0o9ZVnXqscyyFUb/s1600/Canyonlands.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_Ze1D7W-Ec5A-Js80RyK3LNXtX3ETYAeinLzr2SPWTbf0OHx0KcPQGtDHVifjD9Mrw7EFaWC3xKbn1RnRi1v0gy-XPVtVFSzpAcnaQsILTUNNO9Zba8Wxa8lKyCDTP0o9ZVnXqscyyFUb/s1600/Canyonlands.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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<o:p> </o:p>Each section resembles a park within a park. Thanks to the
very rough terrain and two major rivers of the American West—the Green
and the Colorado—none of the districts can be reached directly from the other—unless
one is willing to swim or paddle. In fact, we drove 104 miles from the Needles
entrance to the Island in the Sky entrance.</div>
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Island in the Sky is aptly named. It consists of the thin,
high sliver of land between the rivers. One can drive to the very southern tip
of the Island, Grand View Point, and see glimpses of the Colorado on the left
and the Green on the right more than 2,400 feet below. </div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4L6ca6v5PEQCU-tm3Q45kAeo9gsh1KRTMeyGzWFUDUNN_-E_0eSYjWD4MtSlbr9xIQS9FNsE_mxb7Liu25BuGPIQ7u80L7XuznLldt34_6qVG3VfmlwivFBKcWc1t2YmSMPNmLmj4ACrh/s1600/IMG_20140508_145737_062.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4L6ca6v5PEQCU-tm3Q45kAeo9gsh1KRTMeyGzWFUDUNN_-E_0eSYjWD4MtSlbr9xIQS9FNsE_mxb7Liu25BuGPIQ7u80L7XuznLldt34_6qVG3VfmlwivFBKcWc1t2YmSMPNmLmj4ACrh/s1600/IMG_20140508_145737_062.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Green River, looking west from the Green River overlook, just south of our campsite</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiteLXzDqf1efKzv4MT3il6gx4CHH6-yO-PmCqIS_BhKWByLA34Bi6sImF7nwP0A-JusigWzNzQSU7j5-4p0w1vAtTSB6bp4KolveFpqCmXl7NNAHtOmvKAdWIN6VIZBD6DpiIpKcgUnR2F/s1600/IMG_20140503_182439_445.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiteLXzDqf1efKzv4MT3il6gx4CHH6-yO-PmCqIS_BhKWByLA34Bi6sImF7nwP0A-JusigWzNzQSU7j5-4p0w1vAtTSB6bp4KolveFpqCmXl7NNAHtOmvKAdWIN6VIZBD6DpiIpKcgUnR2F/s1600/IMG_20140503_182439_445.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; text-align: center;">The end of the Green River Basin, taken from Murphy Point looking southwest. Note Junction Butte on the left and the Maze District in the distance.</td></tr>
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From Grand View, one could also see the confluence of the
rivers—if only the canyon wasn’t so deep. It is much easier to pick out the Needles, which are the unique sandstone formations for which the district
is named. Different erosion rates in the Needles' sedimentary rock, plus uplift
and collapse on the Colorado Plateau, created these oddly elegant structures. </div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWa-jhpAEhhJG-155ic26hto4ip6LWOaGhszPar6YxxAZPFsT8zZaGurOMbbEjRjCJ9Uhm0DP0rSlkeZhRaHFcA9NEXKurLo5lL1hyEeUKT4XGHBFpHtUHBGy9WwhAWB-xqEOmfJFmvs6p/s1600/IMG_20140508_180131_117.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWa-jhpAEhhJG-155ic26hto4ip6LWOaGhszPar6YxxAZPFsT8zZaGurOMbbEjRjCJ9Uhm0DP0rSlkeZhRaHFcA9NEXKurLo5lL1hyEeUKT4XGHBFpHtUHBGy9WwhAWB-xqEOmfJFmvs6p/s1600/IMG_20140508_180131_117.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Colorado River basin just before it meets the Green; taken from Grand View Point, looking south/southeast; note Monument Basin in the foreground and the Needles District in the distance on the right</td></tr>
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In addition to the three districts, there is also a small
unit—Horseshoe Canyon—that is completely disconnected from the rest of the
park. It protects one of the largest and best examples of Native American rock
art in the world.</div>
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To add to the confusion, park employees consider the Green
and Colorado Rivers to be a fourth, unofficial district. The Green is very calm
as it nears its end while the Colorado is as white as
it gets south of the confluence. Both sections are popular rafting trips.
One must navigate a separate permitting system to camp on or near the river, and
rangers patrol the waterways by boat.</div>
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For the record, we unexpectedly found a wonderful
campsite, #10, here in Island in the Sky in the Willow Flat Campground. It’s the
only drive-in camping in the park, with 12 first-come sites. We’ve been
enjoying Aztec Butte in our backyard since Saturday night. Thought there are
only half as many sites in Island in the Sky, we found it easier to secure
a spot here, perhaps because most Island visitors stay in Moab while Needles
hikers have few options. Even so, all spots were always gone by noon. </div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkz1qygMqTHlHkegfOlbTPHtDN_SBuE7_QVuq9EIqO2hx1rPME9DvZ0UnZNUWOAmaQgZEP9xWPZWsI3QAG8U4FkjmsdbJR3t-Sg7uBXlggKb7GGNFJRx4qFoTqRwGfJcOq8B0sLlfOPKCH/s1600/IMG_20140503_144756_708.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkz1qygMqTHlHkegfOlbTPHtDN_SBuE7_QVuq9EIqO2hx1rPME9DvZ0UnZNUWOAmaQgZEP9xWPZWsI3QAG8U4FkjmsdbJR3t-Sg7uBXlggKb7GGNFJRx4qFoTqRwGfJcOq8B0sLlfOPKCH/s1600/IMG_20140503_144756_708.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our backyard; Aztec Butte in the Distance</td></tr>
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Colene J. Lindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00838676925118426149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8777804333178835142.post-25886337078429091212014-05-06T21:29:00.001-06:002014-05-08T07:19:54.571-06:00Science<div class="MsoNormal">
Over and over, I’ve been impressed with the opportunities
for science education provided by our national park service. Today, Rex and I met a
young person <i>doing</i> science in the
parks. Allison, a master’s student in geophysics at the University of Utah, is
camping next to us here in <a href="http://www.nps.gov/cany/index.htm" target="_blank">Canyonlands</a>. She’s collecting data on several arches in the
area, including the very popular Mesa Arch. </div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwIC6jTD04V1nS3i4o3d7RkJgBrEBLSHiqupX1ChI9J7RcLEv06GXqt39QHzBoH0QoTt311vJ-ZvYT6o4VtW_D5lozWM9EKJwMTlRCBoG2bAGyPdZeTAYro7KtKXTBxzmw_o6Vb5ixALMP/s1600/004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwIC6jTD04V1nS3i4o3d7RkJgBrEBLSHiqupX1ChI9J7RcLEv06GXqt39QHzBoH0QoTt311vJ-ZvYT6o4VtW_D5lozWM9EKJwMTlRCBoG2bAGyPdZeTAYro7KtKXTBxzmw_o6Vb5ixALMP/s1600/004.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mesa Arch, Canyonlands National Park, Island in the Sky District</td></tr>
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Applying the same techniques that engineers use to detect cracks
in buildings after earthquakes, she analyzes the natural resonances in the arches, noting changes
that indicate a structural weakness. It’s a new use of the technology, and she
hopes to indicate which arches might soon collapse. <br />
<br />
All of the sandstone arches will eventually give way, but with
so many people visiting Arches National Park and Canyonlands each day, Allison’s research could
save lives. In 2008, <a href="http://www.nps.gov/arch/parknews/news080808.htm">Wall
Arch </a>collapsed during the night. If it had fallen during the day, it surely would have taken people with it, as visitors regularly picnicked beneath
its span. </div>
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I am sharing Allison’s research because I want the park
service to accommodate projects like hers—and even studies that do not offer direct
potential benefits to the parks. As always, a balance must be found: Allison’s
equipment must be placed near the arches, which arguably detracts from the aesthetics,
but only for a few days at a time. And honestly, what could be uglier than all
the humans who invariable crawl over, on, and through the arches? Even so, I recognize
that scientific research is not the primary mission of the park service, but it just makes sense that visitors be slightly
inconvenienced for research’s sake.<br />
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 16px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 16px;">And if you’re wondering, Allison is still collecting and analyzing data, but she's finding some interesting things. So word to the wise: Do not climb on the arches, and find another spot to eat your lunch!</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMJgwmzyuCzQOS5WNDrvyfB13Vy4LKcKP5rWG4i15qGtdCchRpKH5_ujkLYub5UzYkDamwG73ovagsPriSPDb4aZxCQXO1-ba48GoYcZMEs0XzdEmUOk5CuHhk6mwYtfp1fFgueIurIsKG/s1600/033.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMJgwmzyuCzQOS5WNDrvyfB13Vy4LKcKP5rWG4i15qGtdCchRpKH5_ujkLYub5UzYkDamwG73ovagsPriSPDb4aZxCQXO1-ba48GoYcZMEs0XzdEmUOk5CuHhk6mwYtfp1fFgueIurIsKG/s1600/033.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Double O Arch, Arches National Park, on the Devil's Garden Loop Hike</td></tr>
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<br />Colene J. Lindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00838676925118426149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8777804333178835142.post-47173181242495978862014-05-05T20:10:00.001-06:002014-05-05T20:10:33.792-06:00Fiery Furnace<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihIoUVR9Bg4xbhZJq2jf5Xx696TVXNv0JobUScBkMIDVVxneLV3aHeg_PpXwk6s7TGQ90rc_TvqvINTnHaKzM8aB1aWJ26Mjlru8dJkw24gPARg8NP0meiDef9K4dXsMH2jKzkwGRC2MR2/s1600/20140501_151849.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihIoUVR9Bg4xbhZJq2jf5Xx696TVXNv0JobUScBkMIDVVxneLV3aHeg_PpXwk6s7TGQ90rc_TvqvINTnHaKzM8aB1aWJ26Mjlru8dJkw24gPARg8NP0meiDef9K4dXsMH2jKzkwGRC2MR2/s1600/20140501_151849.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a>We spent last Tuesday and Thursday at <a href="http://www.nps.gov/arch/index.htm">Arches National Park</a>. This very
busy, small preserve lies close to Interstate 70
and Moab, which probably explains the bulk of the visitors. But the sandstone arches
and other striking rock formations found in the park surely draw people, too. We
drove around the main attractions—Double Arch, north and south Window
Arches, Balanced Rock, Delicate Arch, and so on—but you can see stunning photos
of these features all over the web. We also took a very nice walk through Devil’s
Garden, a 7-mile loop on the park’s north end. It was a great hike, and<a href="https://plus.google.com/photos/104045956003946520922/albums/6010121573153145265?authkey=CNzhltuwqbb5Yw" target="_blank"> I’ve posted some photos from that walk here.</a><br />
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But our highlight from Arches was Fiery Furnace. It wasn’t
necessarily the amazing scenery that put this hike at the top of our list. It is
beautiful, but it’s not that much different than what you can see elsewhere in
the park and Red Rock country. The same geologic forces created this place and
the <a href="https://plus.google.com/photos/104045956003946520922/albums/6007065149224596897?authkey=CKCHxJvz5-OIbA" target="_blank">Needles</a> in the southern unit of Canyonlands National Park. Nor did we
experience any great physical challenge or go to great lengths to find this place:
We walked only 2 miles over 3 hours, and, as the park ranger told us, we were never more than ½ mile from the parking lot.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwMxEeeqgaNy0cu7_vcJ8LbTb5u3EqOsplcZzQWmmb_O5JdQ8uyOEaa9PDtrK61m7EZDdMuvw5dnozn55vjKZoiyHWjjI786eyoR6UzHCmPRHQVrgmA2OzMkOe-ah_Jeu047mVoBzf528k/s1600/20140501_145116.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwMxEeeqgaNy0cu7_vcJ8LbTb5u3EqOsplcZzQWmmb_O5JdQ8uyOEaa9PDtrK61m7EZDdMuvw5dnozn55vjKZoiyHWjjI786eyoR6UzHCmPRHQVrgmA2OzMkOe-ah_Jeu047mVoBzf528k/s1600/20140501_145116.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ranger Jon Classen, an educator wise beyond his years, second from right.</td></tr>
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Only those with a ranger or a special permit are allowed
into the Furnace for fear that people will get lost, and that’s not far-fetched
from what we experienced. Being at the bottom of these joints completely
disorients. Most visitors make reservations months in advance because of the unique experience, and rightful so. One must squeeze through tight cervices, shinny down
steep ledges, and otherwise contort one’s body in some awkward ways to navigate the Fiery Furnace. Most any able-bodied person can do it, and it
was a lot of fun. </div>
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But for me it was the tour that made the experience
well worth it. Never have three hours passed faster in my life. I thought plodding
along at a snail’s pace with 20 strangers would be torture, but of course
everyone was pleasant and interesting. Apparently the park service weeds out the jerks when they take reservations.
Or maybe we were all well-behaved because the twenty-something ranger commanded our attention in the most fun-hearted yet serious manner. He
proved to be an model educator. </div>
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And that's what I thought about most as we moved along: My own impending gig as an educator. Ranger Jon admitted that
he had led more than 300 groups through the Furnace. Even so, I was amazed
at his clear and simple explanations, his use of a consistent theme and
repetition, his ability to capture his listeners' attention, and, most importantly,
the way he met his audience where they were--rather than where he was or where he wished
his audience to be. I found it inspiring.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh6eG0maDPxLVxBujZA6r-WtAvynbJI5Hjx5Z6v_b94kBtFwJoBACHSlOfIp5ULG-ZSZRIjLt2GTw7bnS6dXZwURIT6EMmogtXLTPYa5FoC_YVeNItQcORH7WfYubjmHRV4FEyNoXVSEST/s1600/20140501_153410.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh6eG0maDPxLVxBujZA6r-WtAvynbJI5Hjx5Z6v_b94kBtFwJoBACHSlOfIp5ULG-ZSZRIjLt2GTw7bnS6dXZwURIT6EMmogtXLTPYa5FoC_YVeNItQcORH7WfYubjmHRV4FEyNoXVSEST/s1600/20140501_153410.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
But then again, he did have great material to work
with<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The "waddling" maneuver.</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs8iueqYKofi4uKfWV1tKgBufyXKDye1rzhgGPlHA5VjqwRzeVorpL2vVuUywtVS5DpxIfhY7FYUC3yw-lBoH5fyRpdtb7lQNHt59Ix5pFmlX9W8OdAwPyqtW_2oyri5FnP6NuYzIVJTM7/s1600/IMG_8313.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs8iueqYKofi4uKfWV1tKgBufyXKDye1rzhgGPlHA5VjqwRzeVorpL2vVuUywtVS5DpxIfhY7FYUC3yw-lBoH5fyRpdtb7lQNHt59Ix5pFmlX9W8OdAwPyqtW_2oyri5FnP6NuYzIVJTM7/s1600/IMG_8313.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Surprise Arch</td></tr>
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<br />Colene J. Lindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00838676925118426149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8777804333178835142.post-56327115535659226302014-04-28T19:54:00.000-06:002014-04-28T19:54:41.903-06:00Next Stop: Horsethief Campground<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHeNuFfrNlwwCrT7HWPuIGRswkyyJhjqtp36mB5Sk-HwT0mhr_GatAEE-L9ftryQKaMDvJCDbNcRSVnYOY5gfBO9asqKLB_yjFbwvW_mRzpH2mGQoCebXt6WJ_57v4kmcakpwbA__tOioY/s1600/20140427_171142.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHeNuFfrNlwwCrT7HWPuIGRswkyyJhjqtp36mB5Sk-HwT0mhr_GatAEE-L9ftryQKaMDvJCDbNcRSVnYOY5gfBO9asqKLB_yjFbwvW_mRzpH2mGQoCebXt6WJ_57v4kmcakpwbA__tOioY/s1600/20140427_171142.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Colorado River just west of Moab, UT</td></tr>
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Friends and family, here’s a quick update from Utah. </div>
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We left Moab this morning, looking for a campsite. We struck out along the Colorado River just outside of town--no sites available. We settled instead for a BLM campground off UT-313. Called Horsethief, it sits at 5759 feet and is halfway between Arches National Park and the Island in the Sky District of Canyonlands National Park. It’s a really swell place, picturesque and peaceful, even if the wind is gusting up to 50 mph right now. We’re very happy here and plan to stay here as long as we explore these two national parks. </div>
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Again, we only have a modicum of internet access, but enough to check email and blog. Even better, we have very good cell-phone service, so please call or text. If we don’t answer right away, we’re probably hiking somewhere. </div>
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Forecast tonight: Freeze warning, low of 29, wind gusts to 45. Thank goodness for propane!</div>
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Colene J. Lindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00838676925118426149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8777804333178835142.post-37284051916646914872014-04-27T19:07:00.000-06:002014-04-27T19:14:39.044-06:00Canyonlands KodachromeFriends and family, we left the Needles District of Cayonlands National Park yesterday. We hated to leave, but at the same time, after six days and 30 miles of hiking we felt it was time. Plus, we know there is more to see in Utah.<br />
<br />
I've put 30 of our best Needles District photos on Picasa. You can view them <a href="https://plus.google.com/photos/104045956003946520922/albums/6007065149224596897?authkey=CKCHxJvz5-OIbA" target="_blank">here.</a> We of course have lots of stories from Canyonlands, but we wanted you to see the photos right away. More postings to come.<br />
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Meanwhile, we're now in Moab, restocking the fridge, cleaning our clothes, and planning our next move. Moab is an interesting place--not at all what we thought it would be, though we tried to keep our preconceived notions at bay. Nevertheless, we did have expectations, shaped mostly, I think, by Colorado mountain towns. And that Moab isn't, in good and bad ways. More about that later.<br />
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Tomorrow, we hope to find a BLM campsite just outside of town. Once again we'll need some Fowles luck--these sites are close to both Arches NP and Canyonlands Island in the Sky District, plus they are on a scenic stretch of the Colorado River. We'll let you know how it turns out. Missing you all.Colene J. Lindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00838676925118426149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8777804333178835142.post-48452532562778889172014-04-22T13:21:00.000-06:002014-04-22T13:21:31.514-06:00Made it to Utah<div class="MsoNormal">
For the record, Rex and I drove into Utah on Easter Sunday.
April 20<sup>th</sup> also happened to be Rex’s birthday, and he was given a
very fine gift: an open campsite in the Needles District of Canyonlands
National Park. We knew we were lucky to secure one of only 26 sites--which are available
solely on a first-come, first-served basis. But as we set up camp and watched dozens
of people driving by, looking for a site, we realized how fortunate we in fact were.
We plan to stay here through Friday night. </div>
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We could not be happier with our campsite, #2 in Squaw
Flats, Loop A. It’s near all of the main trailheads and affords an unbelievable
360-degree panorama of the surrounding mountains and bluffs. Unfortunately, we
cannot now show you the view. We happen to be camped in one of the few places within
the park with a modicum of cell-phone access, but we are unable make phone
calls, upload photos, or surf the Web. Emails and simple text uploads seem to max
out the available bandwidth. </div>
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On Monday, we walked to the confluence of the Green and
Colorado Rivers--the first of what we hope will be three epic day hikes in the Needles
District. This first walk certainly lived up to its billing. The overlook
offered a striking view, but frankly, the hike itself, not the destination, was
the best reward. It is very hard to describe the abstract sandstone forms that
populate this place, let alone the full palette of colors, vibrant desert
plants, living soils, etc. Again, please stay tuned for the photos. </div>
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I’ll close for now with a unfairly brief summary of our trek
across New Mexico, which deserves more exploring, too. We chose a rather circuitous
route, following the last-minute advice of a U.S. Forest Service officer in
Carlsbad. From Carlsbad, we went north to Artesia, then mostly west into the
Lincoln National Forest. We stayed one night in Mayhill, then drove NM 130 into
Cloudcroft. At 8,779 feet elevation, this village deserves further exploring.
Unlike most Colorado mountain towns, Cloudcroft does not feel lousy with urban money
and retains its Western edge. We then looped back north and west to Ruidoso
Downs and Hondo, took an (awful!) US 380 to Captain, made a surprisingly
worthwhile stop at the Smokey Bear Historical Museum, and found better road and
an excellent BLM campground on the way to Carrizzo. The next day we made a
final, hard push for the Four Corners, driving 410 miles to Socorro, Grants,
Gallup, and Shiprock, crossing into Colorado not long before the sunset and
making camp in Cortez. Phew! Not the way we prefer to travel, but we saw enough
to want to go back to the Enchanted State. </div>
Colene J. Lindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00838676925118426149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8777804333178835142.post-52172371534579286952014-04-17T18:13:00.001-06:002014-04-17T18:20:30.487-06:00Hike to Hunter PeakWe stopped at <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CCsQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nps.gov%2Fgumo%2F&ei=XWRQU--4D9ihyAS684CoDQ&usg=AFQjCNEOUZgdoknesOenIuz_ZSKlJLuXhQ&sig2=JUdv8_wheiKc_ag2n1OIZw&bvm=bv.65058239,d.aWw" target="_blank">Guadalupe Mountains National Park</a> with the specific intention of hiking to the top of Texas. We had been to the national park before, loved it, and wanted to climb Mount Guadalupe, the tallest peak in Texas. We are not peak baggers, but we knew it would be a challenging hike with amazing views.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhWHLESxX8dxXbP1X9ZJOhv78-_eJdWN06I1bP1XYSz4ck5__FasBvBlMi6GKMdygQ72_E3K0BzZ4ZgoyGW0Y6kvtKjEmwtnpvDnLD2U9Q7S7alIDybjVS3Ar11yZ1L0Z9mKUg4xw1qRO_/s1600/IMG_20140416_135922_500.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhWHLESxX8dxXbP1X9ZJOhv78-_eJdWN06I1bP1XYSz4ck5__FasBvBlMi6GKMdygQ72_E3K0BzZ4ZgoyGW0Y6kvtKjEmwtnpvDnLD2U9Q7S7alIDybjVS3Ar11yZ1L0Z9mKUg4xw1qRO_/s1600/IMG_20140416_135922_500.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></div>
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But once we arrived at the park, a different mood struck us. Maybe it was the forecast for high wind. Or perhaps we sensed that the road less traveled might be the better option. For whatever reason, we decided to forgo Guadalupe Peak and instead walk a different loop--same distance, almost the same elevation gain, but more of an unknown.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPqAwYGSsuikUVfNInuUfVg4XVsaow5Mqx_mgZ_CsR4Q0_3KAKyxxGMdOGdJ-da7c62nPJi997UJ6qit2MqD2RO5xjln7b6JuSRKKXtJfXz1rF6NQ3zGcvO8ygKumpIgTv0YNFyshNfvsn/s1600/Hunter+Peak.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPqAwYGSsuikUVfNInuUfVg4XVsaow5Mqx_mgZ_CsR4Q0_3KAKyxxGMdOGdJ-da7c62nPJi997UJ6qit2MqD2RO5xjln7b6JuSRKKXtJfXz1rF6NQ3zGcvO8ygKumpIgTv0YNFyshNfvsn/s1600/Hunter+Peak.jpg" height="394" width="640" /></a>We don't know what we missed on Guadalupe Peak, but we absolutely loved our chosen route. First, it led us into a high-elevation forest of pines and firs--completely different than the desert environment at lower elevations. Second, the hike took us down Bear Canyon, which at the time did not seem like a plus. But after completing our two-hour descent, we felt incredibly accomplished. It is hands-down the steepest, rockiest, most challenging trail we have ever traversed. The canyon is so sharp and narrow that, from the bottom, it's very hard to imagine that humans could walk down it. Third--and this is the most amazing part--we saw exactly zero other hikers while on the trail. More than 8.5 miles and almost eight hours of hiking, and not a soul.<br />
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The birds were a little scarce, too, but we did greatly enjoy the acrobatics of violet-green swallows, as well as rock wrens, canyon wrens, and black-chinned sparrows.<br />
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<a href="https://plus.google.com/photos/104045956003946520922/albums/6003405121153644129?authkey=CK-4yO7mnsDr6gE" target="_blank">More photos here</a>, which, as always, cannot do justice to the place. Go see for yourself.<br />
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<br />Colene J. Lindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00838676925118426149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8777804333178835142.post-12001997161541298082014-04-14T20:20:00.000-06:002014-04-14T20:20:42.504-06:00Predictable<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Have you ever heard of a West Texas hurricane? Me neither, but
apparently they exist. We have yet to experience one because we stayed in Davis
Mountains State Park last night rather than fight the predicted 75-mile-an-hour
gusts in Guadalupe Mountains National Park today. We asked several locals in
Fort Davis if such straight-line winds were even possible outside of a
blizzard, tornado, or other associated storm. They all shrugged and said sure. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But an extra day in the Davis Mountains was no sacrifice,
really. It gave Rex the opportunity to visit <a href="http://mcdonaldobservatory.org/" target="_blank">McDonald Observatory</a> while I
researched and attempted a little trail running. We also were happy to keep the
best campsite in the park: We’re in the equine lot, referred to as “horse camp”
in most public areas. There’s a locked gate at the top of the drive, and we
cannot see the road from our campsite. There’s no water or electricity, but we
need neither because we have our own. What we don’t have is neighbors save for
the occasional birder, and we love to chat up these folks.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The birders are drawn to a short trail that
leaves from our parking area and travels to a water seep about ¼ mile
away. Birds are drawn to the water and so
are flying insects. Two evenings in a row, in exactly the same spot, we watched
a <a href="http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Hooded_Warbler/id" target="_blank">hooded warbler</a> dance for as it feasted. Of course, the bird was not really
dancing for us, and it seemed obviously to our presence as we sat mesmerized
for at least 20 minutes each night, leaving each time only because of increasing
chill and darkness. Nothing in nature is perfectly predictable, but I’m fairly
certain that bird can be found there every evening—at least until it’s brood is
out of the nest. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Rex and I, on the other hand, will be leaving the Davis Mountains tomorrow. I predict there will be wind. It is West Texas, mind you. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAThLGTOpDpFaRsWWpI5PX4n4P_85kIwbakROzK5zaoAHHAM-d4CmP_qiglw4icjfJvirSKhe03tRe4DWCmphzOC26IXolnWp4j5UoFsdg4bvLjn1OrQh_qMElEQyWbIYU6QlBHFRBUEtx/s1600/IMG_20140413_202813_232.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAThLGTOpDpFaRsWWpI5PX4n4P_85kIwbakROzK5zaoAHHAM-d4CmP_qiglw4icjfJvirSKhe03tRe4DWCmphzOC26IXolnWp4j5UoFsdg4bvLjn1OrQh_qMElEQyWbIYU6QlBHFRBUEtx/s1600/IMG_20140413_202813_232.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Whitey, TI, and Rex in the primitive equestrian camping area, Davis Mountains State Park</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span>Colene J. Lindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00838676925118426149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8777804333178835142.post-52262974578969056412014-04-12T11:50:00.000-06:002014-04-12T11:50:12.472-06:00Little Gems<div class="MsoNormal">
State parks are little gems. We especially recommend Seminole
Canyon State Park, our latest discovery. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnWyL241kJFL-wqHPMl9QjSnuyDq6u9niLI0pd5tsd8B8oZje67lFe3DV1sgBF4Y9GXEOsCPu5j2kJ2PTkCvlMkvE_tWt5DET0aoe9iJwkiGPN4a_MMYulaQ5s7F-S9CzELmvqAgXLz_Wk/s1600/20140410_100636.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnWyL241kJFL-wqHPMl9QjSnuyDq6u9niLI0pd5tsd8B8oZje67lFe3DV1sgBF4Y9GXEOsCPu5j2kJ2PTkCvlMkvE_tWt5DET0aoe9iJwkiGPN4a_MMYulaQ5s7F-S9CzELmvqAgXLz_Wk/s1600/20140410_100636.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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A state historical park, Seminole Canyon protects and shares
archaeological resources, most notably a series of canyon-wall paintings that
are about 4,000 years old. Most of the drawings can only be seen on a $5-per
person guided tour of the canyon. We found it to be well worth the hour and
half. Our knowledgeable guide told fascinating stories and could answer almost
any question. I’d do the tour again just to be able to bird in the canyon.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT6LdJX5OT2NvskvmCqtM57rjum3p24ACsZEvPSCCcGhKWzlBwC-EoDAb_nW8HC_kp_hdJVy_32EsO4lQS5FxZZoq0EYm6N2hYCGfU0f5NoujjImJkBgCXkGK2mCLw019C3blEmrXjSJ12/s1600/20140410_101529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT6LdJX5OT2NvskvmCqtM57rjum3p24ACsZEvPSCCcGhKWzlBwC-EoDAb_nW8HC_kp_hdJVy_32EsO4lQS5FxZZoq0EYm6N2hYCGfU0f5NoujjImJkBgCXkGK2mCLw019C3blEmrXjSJ12/s1600/20140410_101529.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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Speaking of birds, the flora and fauna of the park deserves
closer inspection, too. You can do so on about 10 miles of trails, most of
which are perfect for fat-tire biking, with no hard-tail experience required.
If I was a native flower expert, I would name more than a dozen for you that
are blooming now. The lime-green cast of the newly leafed mesquites is exquisite
as well. I can tell you that we saw more than a dozen different bird species in
just over 28 hours in the park, including lark buntings, black-tailed gnatcatchers,
black-throated sparrows, road runners, and wood ducks. </div>
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For those who love desert environments, Seminole offers a
smaller, more accessible version of Big Bend National Park. Seminole is two
hours closer to Austin, for example. And if you don’t like Seminole, well, you
probably shouldn’t waste your time trekking to Big Bend. </div>
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Note that we took I-35 to San Antonio, then drove west on
US-90 through Uvalde and Del Rio. We’re heading for the Davis Mountains and Guadalupe
Mountains National Park, so taking US-90 rather than I-10 is out of our way.
But we have no regrets: We would have missed Seminole Canyon, and US-90 offers
no traffic and amazing views. Plus it’s a pretty good road. On the other hand, I
don’t have any good advice on getting through San Antonio during rush hour. We took
the outer loop—FM 1604—and we would not do that again. </div>
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<a href="https://plus.google.com/photos/104045956003946520922/albums/6001419191784258353?authkey=CJz4k6HwoMSI-wE" target="_blank">More photos here.</a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGSQazDnAgkgHJNEF4362E3uWRUUK-Uu7wmQfHWbrouczvIdqrMqSyLGiOi7Ze_UWnC-NuMeUITUtQqnfjA6COlHoZdh7n7Jgb3H4E50w88G6fTWvvSpgY97lRl8tK6NQQraZVOrNmJyGI/s1600/20140410_102129.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGSQazDnAgkgHJNEF4362E3uWRUUK-Uu7wmQfHWbrouczvIdqrMqSyLGiOi7Ze_UWnC-NuMeUITUtQqnfjA6COlHoZdh7n7Jgb3H4E50w88G6fTWvvSpgY97lRl8tK6NQQraZVOrNmJyGI/s1600/20140410_102129.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMwc8Km9korcidVgJ8BXg1ix1w26L29Fq8b821cmflALHDfy9xZr1aZK7rmcQHlw-wvdwi0MJstW_zFe4mi2LigCk3SP2L0uogqfI8AKae9uG2Xx8HtEEh6SPQThT47ClIXQJJxNjVEsXV/s1600/IMG_20140410_194352_642.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMwc8Km9korcidVgJ8BXg1ix1w26L29Fq8b821cmflALHDfy9xZr1aZK7rmcQHlw-wvdwi0MJstW_zFe4mi2LigCk3SP2L0uogqfI8AKae9uG2Xx8HtEEh6SPQThT47ClIXQJJxNjVEsXV/s1600/IMG_20140410_194352_642.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></div>
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Colene J. Lindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00838676925118426149noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8777804333178835142.post-46074377633039486302014-04-01T12:38:00.000-06:002014-04-01T12:38:57.839-06:00Back at it<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiFSDEyJbdKF6F-YTOOnJMpSDluOTz1qBaiNUS5SPAI7GMTFMNav_TS-zkd-LolUIcRuPAATvvGFGTYhrXYvlTmuzua1a3X0vecwbISgL6BcciyA_mh_8Zjim9XxclM-nUQze4Y7ugOTou/s1600/IMG_20140322_172540_674.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiFSDEyJbdKF6F-YTOOnJMpSDluOTz1qBaiNUS5SPAI7GMTFMNav_TS-zkd-LolUIcRuPAATvvGFGTYhrXYvlTmuzua1a3X0vecwbISgL6BcciyA_mh_8Zjim9XxclM-nUQze4Y7ugOTou/s1600/IMG_20140322_172540_674.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></div>
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Greeting friends, family, and the otherwise curious. Rex and I went into hibernation for several
months, but the lengthening days brought us out of our den. We currently are in Central Texas and will be
for several more days. </div>
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Sometime in early April we will point our truck and fifth
wheel west, heading toward the Four Corners. Our goal is to hike and bike Utah before the summer heat becomes too
intense, then return to our new home in Kansas for the summer. </div>
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And yes, “home in Kansas” does mean that “no permanent
address” is a misnomer. We closed on a
house in Manhattan on February 14 and moved in that same day. More on that later. </div>
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But while we can no longer claim to be living exclusively in
a 300-square-foot trailer, we decided to continue this blog for the remainder
of our travels. After living without a
stable address for almost a year, we discovered that transitory living promotes
some helpful habits. I intend to
highlighting these benefits as we also keep you posted on the places we
visit. </div>
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For now, h<a href="https://plus.google.com/photos/104045956003946520922/albums/5996409359189195185?authkey=CK-h3peS4N6K3wE">ere's some photos of springtime Austin</a>, hands down the most
wonderful time to be here. </div>
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Colene J. Lindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00838676925118426149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8777804333178835142.post-22449400580831163662013-10-01T21:56:00.002-06:002013-10-01T21:56:10.749-06:00City by the Bay<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlt_9O7lz6sXJQo8IHUG9ia67ZNCLyavFe-S1oPiYK71RNM83ogmi178MZIV_1rqRKlQI486lbwt87hX_TMnLJn24lDeGZHwEM7PHdxUXrJAmU4AURiwJKTmWySe4v3XzDzRKs_tBJYEA/s1600/20130816_200946.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlt_9O7lz6sXJQo8IHUG9ia67ZNCLyavFe-S1oPiYK71RNM83ogmi178MZIV_1rqRKlQI486lbwt87hX_TMnLJn24lDeGZHwEM7PHdxUXrJAmU4AURiwJKTmWySe4v3XzDzRKs_tBJYEA/s640/20130816_200946.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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While Colene flew to Austin to defend her dissertation in August, I got to stay in San Francisco with my niece Faith Bolliger and her fiancé, Dan Ross. They were gracious hosts, letting me have my space so I could bum around all week. I promised Colene that I would work on our 2012 taxes while we were apart, but I later realized our extension wasn’t up until October--so what was the rush?<br />
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So one day I biked downtown and up the hill to Coit Tower. Yes, I had to push my bike up the last hill. It was so steep I wouldn’t have trusted my bike brakes to ride down it!<br />
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I didn’t go to the top of
Coit Tower, but I did enjoy the murals around the base as well as the view from
Telegraph Hill. As an added bonus, I watched a dozen
pygmy nuthatches playing in the trees on the hill. I had never before seen pygmy nuthatches, and so far, I have only seen them in San Francisco.<br />
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<span style="text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;">One of the big events in San Francisco this year was the America’s Cup. Because the United States won the last race in 2010, the U.S. got to pick the location of this year’s race, and they chose San Francisco. I admittedly do not know much about it, but the location seems ideal to me. On many race days the wind was at or over the racing limit, meaning the boats would be very fast. And isn’t that what spectators want--speed and lots of potential danger? Overall, this is a wild,</span><span style="text-align: left; text-indent: 48px;"> precarious sport. </span><span style="text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;">As I heard someone say, if the boats don't fall apart after the last race, they were built too strong and heavy. </span></div>
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While I was in town the teams were still competing for the Louis Vuitton Cup, which is the series of races that determines who will challenge the defending champion. This year, the New Zealand team won the Vuitton Cup rather handily. </div>
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Here are some things I learn about the America's Cup after a few days of watching and talking
to volunteers:</div>
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<ul>
<li>The boats are a lot bigger than I imagined. At 72’ long and
46’ wide, they are about the size of a junior-high basketball court.
In addition, the mast are 131’ tall.</li>
<li>It takes a tall crane to assemble the boats. First they raise the sail and set it on the
hull. Then they lift the sail and hull so that the rudders can be installed,
then finally lift the complete boat into the water.</li>
<li>One Saturday morning I visited with a father and son from
New Zealand while fewer than 100 other people watched the race. The Kiwis said that if the race had been taking
place in New Zealand, 10,000 spectators would have been at the dock.</li>
<li>The race doesn’t take place every year; race participants
negotiate when the next race will happen. There was once a 20-year span between
races.</li>
<li>The wind can’t be over a certain speed or the race will be
postponed or cancelled.</li>
<li>The competition was started in 1851, making it the oldest
active trophy in international sport. </li>
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Once the competition for the America's Cup began between New Zealand and the United States, I was mostly out of touch--no cell phone or internet. I was shocked to learn, after the fact, that the U.S. team came from behind to win it again. The Kiwis must have been bitterly disappointed. </div>
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