Sequoia National Park, California

This last week I spent camping up in Sequoia National Park; lots of big trees, high peaks, and deep canyons. Located in the southern Sierra Nevada range, it has elevations ranging from 1300 ft in the foothills to over 14000 ft at the summit of Mount Whitney.

One night I stayed at Lodgepole Campground and took a hike right from the campground to Tokopah Falls, a 1200 ft. high cascade on the Marble Fork Kaweah River. The trail followed the river nearly all the way with terrific views not only of the falls, but the valley below. Some of the biggest trees in the world are in this park; beautiful, stately giants.
My phone didn't work in the park, so I drove down to Hospital Rock to use the payphone. While I was standing there talking to my sister, it started raining, kind of quiet, soft drops of water, but still raining. After I hung up, I charged down to the river to watch it rage and it only got wetter; but the good news was the rainbow.....a sweet colorful arc of light announcing to the world that God is still faithful and will watch over our weak, pitiful souls.
A bold yellow bellied marmot; curious creatures who are hopelessly addicted to antifreeze and will chew through the hoses of car engines. Each year they damage 30-40 cars up in the Sequoias, mostly in the Mineral King area. Cute little buggers. The Marble Fork Kaweah River runs through the Lodgepole campground. Incredibly beautiful and oh so wonderful.

The night after it rained everything was soaked and it was almost impossible to get my fire started. It took me a full hour even though I had a little lighter fluid, pinecones, Vaseline and cotton balls!

Crescent Meadow, "The Gem of the Sierras" according to John Muir. I took a hike around the meadow and didn't see anybody. When I got way out there the trail kind of turned to a rough rocky trail and I began to wonder if I had wandered off trail. There in the middle of the trail was a huge pile of bear scat; that's when I started to worry. I started making up a song and singing it, something about how I was not good to eat and how much trouble he would be in if he ate me. Luckily I never saw the bear; my singing probably terrified him enough to hit the hills.

In the Sequoias there is an incredible 1/4 mile hike up to Morro Rock, a large granite dome in the Giant Forest area. The trail leads you up nearly 400 stone steps to the top of the barren rock at a 6725 ft elevation. That would be me standing at the top, proud as can be that I made it without any huffing and puffing! Pretty good for an old gal like me.
For my first few days in the Sequoias I camped at Buckeye Flat, a quiet campground right on the Middle Fork of the Kaweah River filled with countless oak trees. Even though there are no Sequoias here, my site overlooked the river and had a bower of oaks shading me from the hot sun. Right outside the campground is a place called Hospital Rock, where I took this photo of Morro Rock.

Torrey Pines State Reserve, California

View from the trail down to the beach at Torrey Pines State Reserve, a beautiful place to hike in the warm California sun!

Even though this is located in busy San Diego county, it is one of the wildest, untouched stretches of land on the Southern California coast.

The reserve is one of my favorite places to hike and is filled with unspoiled coastlines, acres of chaparral, a lagoon that is home to migrating seabirds and the unique Torrey Pine.
The Beach Trail takes you from the tops of the cliffs, down trails lined with sage brush, cactus and pine. As we followed the trail, we stopped at various viewpoints with outstanding views of the ocean. That flat rock you see at the bottom was our destination, where we spent time just sitting and enjoying the beauty surrounding us.
The trail passes through beautiful sandstone canyons filled with unusual formations. On many occasions I have seen dolphins playing in the waves and felt the salty ocean breeze washing against my face. That would be me down at the bottom of the trail, walking along the beach. My sister and I spent a spectacular day enjoying the clear blue skies, warm spring weather and crashing ocean waves.

Mesa Verde National Park, Colorado

After I left Montrose, CO, I started the treacherous drive over the 550 to Mesa Verde. There was snow everywhere, and I stopped to take some pictures. After I stopped the car, I raced across the street to take a picture of this farm. A little deer popped her head up and I thought she had been sleeping until I noticed the blood trail leading from the street. She was still alive but unable to walk, so I drove down to the gas station and asked the lady to call someone to help her. She called someone to come and put her down, which made me sad, but at least she wouldn't suffer anymore. Beautiful icicles on the road to Ouray.
Bear Creek
View from the top of the pass....lots of snow!

Funky little town of Ouray, where I stopped for the most delicious Mocha at a Belgian Chocolate Coffee House and got stuck in the snow because I parked sideways....mmmmmm.
In Durango, there is an incredible BBQ place swarming with locals, where I got a pulled pork sandwich that was to die for. Can you tell I love to eat?
Mesa Verde at last.....cold, burnt, dry and filled with Native American influences.
Over half of the trees at Mesa Verde have burned down in the last five major fires. It is sad to drive through acres and acres of charred trees, knowing how many little lives were lost and how terribly long it is going to take to replenish.
The Ancestral Puebloans, formerly know as the Anasazi, built Cliff Palace over 800 years ago. It is the largest cliff dwelling in North America.
It is very cool to walk close to the building and peer inside to see the artwork painted on the walls. Very old, very well built and very amazing.

Looking down into a ceremonial Kiva, a place where they may have held important ceremonies.

Cliff Palace was built with over 150 rooms, living rooms, storage rooms and rooms we don't know what they did it them, plus some open areas for hanging out with their friends.

Looking up into the window of one of the little rooms....

That would be me, all bundled up in the cold, looking like a plump tourist in the Indian house.

Another dwelling called Spruce Tree House, has about 114 rooms and 8 Kivas. It is built into a natural cave with a spring at the head of the canyon.

I wonder what it was like to look through the windows and see your friends and neighbors grinding corn, preparing dinner, bathing, and just outright living here in the cave dwelling.

After I left Mesa Verde, I drove down to Gallup, kind of a long boring drive but did have some awesome views like this one.

Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, Colorado

After I left Alamosa, I drove up the 114 to the Gunnison. The scenery was so beautiful it made my heart ache. It is so hard to describe but sometimes my heart nearly explodes with gratitude that the God who created all this has given me the means and the will to come out and explore his creation.

It is rather cold up here as you can see. On my way up to the Black Canyon, I passed Blue Mesa Reservoir, which was frozen over and fabulous.

You can see just a part of the lake starting to melt, with some water showing through the surface.

Here I am standing in front of the Black Canyon of the Gunnison, a huge deep gorge with a river at the bottom. It is hard to describe how you feel when you look down into the gorge. You definitely get dizzy.

There is a 7 mile drive along the top where you can pull out and take short hikes out to viewpoints like this one. By the time the day was done, I was tired.

Looking down into the gorge, you can see the river churning below. Each time I looked down it looked green, cold and awesome. If you want to backpack at the bottom, you must obtain a permit. Right now no one is going in because of the snow.

On one of the short hikes I found this beautiful ice fall of icicles.

On the trails I found quite a bit of evidence for elk; lots of scat and large tracks in the snow. I never did see one but did see quite a few deer down below.

View from the top, looking down into the water.

Frozen icicles slowly melting.....I'm melting, I'm melting........

Its still winter up in the Gunnison, even though it is definitely spring in Southern California where I am from. The last remnant of Gambel Oak leaves are leaving the trees, and I am sure that soon new leaves will be sprouting.

The river from up above.

It was so refreshing to sit at the top, eat my lunch, drink my tea and just listen. So peaceful. The whole time I was in the Park, I only encountered one other couple, and that was only for a few minutes. Definitely a wonderful alone time for me.

Great Sand Dunes National Park, Colorado

It has been snowing in Colorado, and I wasn't even sure I would make it up here; but indeed I did. A beautiful, yet small park, that is full of contrasts.

My first view of the sand dunes that back up to the mountains.

The sand dunes are open for anyone to walk into, sort of like "Walking into the wild" as there is no trail of any kind, you just get up and go and start walking up and down, up and down.

As I started walking in the dunes, I got a closer view of the snow covered mountains behind them. Totally awesome.
If you look closely in the picture above and below, you can see people walking up the dunes, and get some idea of how huge the dunes are. Yes those tiny little specks in the photo below are people! Apparently these dunes are the largest sand dunes in North America.

Doesn't this look like the pot of gold for a dirt bike rider? I just pictured my friend Jeff charging up the dunes like a madman, going wild and crazy and taking jumps like he was in outer space.

You could wander around for days, or maybe I could as I am directionally challenged, but anyway, you probably should make sure you can find your way back before going too far.

The view from the parking lot of the Great Sand Dunes; beautiful layers of texture that I found very appealing.

View from near the top, looking back down the dunes. I charged down with the best of them, my camera flapping in my face as I ran.

After the Sand Dunes I took a walk in the forest along this little creek of melting snow. The pine trees smelled so fabulous and the air was nice and cold due to the snow.

The snow covered trail going up into the mountains. I must admit my shoes did get a bit soggy and muddy on this trail.

Guadalupe National Park, Texas

Now tell me the truth, would you camp here?

Nobody messes with this bull....

"Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me." Revelation 3:20

The wind began to blow on the way up to Guadalupe. Huge open fields of dry grasses rippled in the breeze along with clouds of dust swirling around me.

It seemed like these windmills were everywhere.

Sunset in my campground in Guadalupe National Park. It was extremely windy from the moment I arrived, and I actually had to hold onto my stove while I cooked my steak, completely helpless as I watched the wind grab my bowls, sponges and knock down my chair while I was trying to keep a forest fire from starting.

I went to bed early as it was so cold and windy. When I woke up it was still dark, but the sun was starting to rise. I jumped out and tried to take some pictures and had to lie down on the ground to keep from blowing over. I quickly threw everything in the back and took off while it was still dark, stopping at the visitor center to see if I could clean up a bit. Thankfully the bathroom had been left open and I was able to wash my hair and clean up before getting on the road!

On the way out, I stopped at the Frijoles Ranch, originally built in the 1870's, and throughout the years has served as a home, farm, community center and post office. It was named by the locals because of their abundant diet of beans!

Big Bend National Park, Texas....

On my way to Big Bend, I stopped in El Paso, Texas, the Lone Star State. The strangest part of the whole visit was driving along the street and looking through the border fence into the crumbling, dirty city of Juarez, Mexico, separated only by the Rio Grande River and the tall, imposing fence.

The world famous Rosa's Cantina, forever immortalized by Marty Robbins in his dreadfully sad cowboy song. Great food, good atmosphere, fun, fun, fun......

Funky old El Paso, sort of like stepping into the Twilight Zone....

I actually took this picture when I was in El Paso in 2005, but it looked so pretty I wanted to include it here. David and Lindsay's house backed up to this incredible view. Totally amazing.

The Hilary Cafe in the old semi-ghost town of Valentine on the road to Big Bend. You won't be served any 7-up at this cafe, or not much of anything else either.

I camped in the Chisos Mountain District, and had the most incredible view of the Chisos Mountains. While I was there three javelinas walked right through my site, just liked they owned the place. I kept saying, "O my gosh," and hitting my chest. It was definitely a moment. This is the view from my campsite....pretty nice, don't you think? Make you want to go there? Just a little?

The trail down to the Window was located in the campground, so one morning I packed my backpack and took off. A beautiful hike through mountains, desert, forest, a small creek, pools of water and the end result, The Window. Very, very nice.

Water originating from a spring above, flowing through the canyon; shallow, cold, clear and beautiful.

That would be me, sitting in front of the Window. It is a long drop off if you get closer to the edge. Something I don't tend to do....

A hike up the Lost Mine Trail; difficult as it was straight up, but fun and rewarding at the top. The only embarrassing thing was my alarm that I carry to scare away wild men, bears or mountain lions, started going off at the most inappropriate time; lets just say I understand where the word embarrassed comes from. I must have pulled the cord while I was pulling my pants on or off, I cant remember now....it is all a bad blur I want to forget. Needless to say I announced to the world that I was here in the woods with my pants down!

Beautiful Cactus Rose......

The Window, as seen from the Big Bend Lodge.

Below, the mighty Rio Grande River, the fifth longest river in North America.

Saguaro National Park, Arizona

I am out on the road again, making a trip through the Southwest and if the weather holds, Colorado. Saguaro National Park is just outside of Tuscon, Arizona. The eastern section of the park where I took this picture, is called the mountain section, which was breathtakingly beautiful. Mountains, desert, ocotillo, saguaro, and flowers blooming throughout the land.

Saguaro Cactus fill the western section of the park; literally forests of cactus surrounded me. Within minutes I was poked and stabbed by various desert cactus, but didn't let that stop me.

Cactus bones....

Saguaros are the epitomy of character. Adversity and positive forces shape their bodies, creating interesting shapes, colors and an indescribable beauty than comes with graceful aging. No plastic surgery here, just life's journey written upon their skin. Lots to learn from the saguaro.

Ocotillo were in bloom all over the park, thier long spindly branches blooming in green, with a spry little red bloom topping them off.

Beautiful cactus at Javelina Rocks, where by the way I saw no javelina.

When frost freezes the tissues in the saguaro's limbs, the weight of the branch causes the damaged limb to grow downward. If it survives and heals, the branches start growing upward again. I am growing upward now......reaching to the sky and living my life to the fullest.

Southern California Coast......

Ocean jewels.....

Encinitas in southern California; a funky place where the town is almost as strange as the people. Lots of new age stores, an old theater, beautiful beaches, eclectic coffee shops and ancient cafes that have been around forever.

An Encinitas Icon.....

View from the top; a most enjoyable place to live here in Southern California....the sand, the surf, the salty spray as the waves break, the seagulls and pelicans storming the beaches....all very nice.

A very hot spot for surfing and watching the sun set.

Quiet, peaceful and getting colder.
Color and light, playing together, strengthening and loving each other. Serene sunset....I often take walks along the beach to watch the sunset.

Moonlight Beach natural art....better to me than gold or silver or precious gems.
Shimmering water, rocky coastline, need I say more?One lone surfer, standing on the shore....but what you dont see are the crowds of surfers just out of view of the camera! Great surf spot.

Seaweed and sand....... sounds like the name of an old folk group

that should have given up. Moonlight beach locals.....sometimes they can get nasty. Why just the other day I was walking on the beach and one let loose and bombed the top of my head....a rather sticky, stinky mess. I had to wash my hair in the ocean and walk around with the leftover fragrance of fish emanating from my person.

Ocean dreams.... this has got to be one of my favorite pictures. Don't you just love it? It is actually the beach in Carlsbad, which is inbetween Encinitas and Oceanside. Someone should paint this picture.

Oceanside Harbor....where the seals play with the boats as they go in and out of the harbor.

The jetty, where lonely rivers flow to the sea, to the sea; to the open arms of the sea......

One day I was sitting here at the harbor drinking a very good cup of coffee when an Osprey landed on top of one of the light posts with a fish caught in his talons. He calmly proceeded to savagely devour the fish right in front of me, ripping its flesh with his sharp beak. I saw him again the other day in the same general area, flying and looking for his supper.

The Oceanside Harbor has a nice little shopping area overlooking the boats where you can get plenty to eat and buy some funky tourist trap stuff.

View from the jetty looking out over the Pier and coastline.

Sand art by my very favorite artist....Jesus Christ.

Oceanside Pier; a great place to fish, people watch and get splinters in your feet if you forget to wear your shoes.

Cold, colder and coldest.....

I went to the desert on a horse with no name...well actually it was in my Subaru, and I got there late Sunday night. It was so very cold! I slept in my car encased in my down sleeping bag and woke up early in the morning to the sound of rain on my windshield. It was still dark as I got dressed and thankfully the rain stopped. By the time I got out of the car, the ground was white. Curious, I reached down and touched it, and lo and behold it was snow, covering the ground and furiously coming down through the sky.After I got back in my car, I tried to get down off the mountain, but it was still dark and I couldn't see as it was snowing so hard. I summoned all my strength, prayed for help and made it safely down the mountain, right into the Starbucks parking lot. I stayed there all day and watched it snow through the windows. Finally after a break in the weather, I got back in my car and tried to go back into the Park, only to encounter another storm. After several hours I was still freezing and sadly admitted defeat, climbing back in my car and making my way home.
Passing through the land of the windmill......

The sun was setting and it looked so pretty.....
Adios, amigos!

Joshua Tree National Park, 2008

Sky Writing over White Tank Arch in Joshua Tree National Park.
At the top of Intersection Rock you can see rock climbers celebrating their victory. As I sat at the campsite, I could see the rock and watch more and more climbers ascending. As it started getting dark, I realized that they were having a party up there. The climbers stayed up at the top until after 10 pm, and I was very concerned that someone would fall as they came down. But no one did, and it was so cool to see their headlamps shining in the darkness as they ascended and descended the mountain. It reminded me of the ski resort I worked at in Deer Valley, when they skied in the dark and everything looked so magical with the lights lighting up the ski runs.

The desert is always calling me, so after my October trip, I took another trip up to Joshua in early November. Out exploring one day, I came across this huge boulder which was actually split in half.

This would be me at the top of Ryan Mountain in Joshua Tree National Park. It was quite a view at the top, and not that bad of a climb.

Climbing around at the base of Ryan Mountain, these unusual rock formations caught my eye. Hidden Valley, my favorite place in Joshua.

After a hike up to Ryan Mt., I went exploring in the rocks below the mountain. One of the little caves formed by the rocks falling on each other was lit up so appealingly that I just had to snap the picture.

The desert in Joshua Tree is outstanding. I was very fortunate to get away for five days and soak in the sun and see so many unique granite formations that almost make you feel like you are on another planet. I got up early one morning and found this sweet little tree, growing up in the shelter of these two huge boulders. She actually has taken on the form of the boulders and here she stands basking in the morning light as happy as can be.
This would be me, sitting on a rock just outside the White Tank Arch.
The old Keys ranch still stands here in the desert and is open for viewing. One of the sons who grew up on this ranch was actually here telling us all about his life growing up in the desert. It was a pleasure to see his love for the land and hear firsthand what it was like to live out in the desert as a homesteader and miner.

Doesn't this just shout Merry Christmas?

White Tank Arch, Joshua Tree

That would be me on the Keys Ranch. I would have loved to have grown up here on the ranch, but instead I grew up in Southern California, with sunny beaches, 70 degree weather and sons who surf. Tons of old cool stuff out on the ranch.

Idllywild, CA

Last weekend my mind was going crazy and needed some time to unwind and rid myself of a fierce headache, so I took a weekend trip up to Idllywild, a quaint little mountain town not far from where I live. These Acorn Woodpeckers were taking turns drinking water from the spigot in my campsite. It was a real treat to just sit back and watch them.

"Now who you calling Bird Brain?"

Zion in September

Late in the afternoon after a delicious soft serve Ice Cream at the lodge, I walked up to Hidden Canyon to escape the 95 degree heat. After a series of difficult switchbacks and chains, I reached the opening to a sheltered canyon, where the cool air washed over me immediately.

The Virgin River runs continuously throughout the Park and is usually clear and cold, except when it receives a lot of runoff from a rainstorm.
Orange on Orange

Zion is all about light, color, shape and form. An artists dream.


Incredible canyon on the trail up to Observation Pt.
Frail beauty reveals the harshness of desert living. My skin looks kind of like this leaf right about now after 10 days of desert exposure!
I find such strength in these canyon walls.
Scarlet Gillia in the midst of ferns in one of the many hanging gardens along the riverside walk.

Zion is wonderful in all seasons, but especially in the Fall when it cools down a bit. The campsite I stay in is right on the Virgin River, and this photo is taken a few feet from the river in the early morning light.
After doing some hiking, I stopped at Canyon Junction to take a swim. Much to my surprise the Blue Heron was hogging all the space, and didn't seem to want to move so I could jump in.
Ghost flowers are blooming all over the canyon emitting their sweet fragrance into the air; very fragile flowers which close up in the hottest part of the day and are actually called Sacred Datura. The flower has hallucinogenic properties that the ancient Indians used in male puberty rites of passage, so don't go chomping down on any of these!

Deer roam freely through the park creating a sense of kinship with the wild things.
Hanging gardens along the Virgin River.
Shadows and light mysteriously weave in and out of the canyon.

Desert varnish artfully covering the canyon walls.
I woke up early one morning and peeked out my window to see this little Warbling Vireo diligently looking for bugs for breakfast. I hung out of the back of my car in the underclothes I slept in, snapping pictures in the early morning light, hoping no one was watching me.
The Watchman, my favorite mountain in Zion, always watching over me, always keeping me safe.
Water Shadows

Fall Getaway

I had the pleasure of getting away for 10 days and stopped in Big Bear, CA to visit some wonderful friends who took me up to this unique little hill of solid quartz near their home. Surrounding the hill, white quartz rocks lay all over the ground like diamonds in a quarry, leaving me no choice but to pick up as much as I could carry and try to bring it home with me.
On the way up to Big Bear I stopped at the river and took a dip in the sweetest little swimming hole. The night before I stayed in Lake Perris and needed a shower, so I was thankful to have an ice cold bath instead!
After I left Big Bear I started driving to Zion and stopped for the night in the Virgin River Gorge. To get to Zion you have to drive through four states, CA, AZ, NV, and UT. The Gorge is actually in AZ, and a wonderful place to spend the night. The Gorge at sunset.
Out of over 70 campsites, I was the only one there other than one other camper. It was very quiet and very windy, so windy I almost blew over a few times. But I desperately needed to hear the quiet and loved every minute. I kept the back open on my Subaru through the night as it was so hot and at one point the wind blew it shut. It startled me and I was so glad my feet weren't hanging over the edge or they would have been promptly chopped off! I have safely made it to Zion and loving life at the river under the careful eye of the Watchman!

Kings Canyon National Park, CA

Kings Canyon is a fabulous place to visit, situated deep in the valley of the Kings River, with the huge canyon walls rising high above the floor, lush green meadows and forests of giant Sequoias, cottonwoods and incense cedars. I decided to take my two grandsons up with me this last week to see some of my favorite places that I have enjoyed over the years.
We camped in the Cedar Grove area where the Kings River flows right through the campsites. Our site was actually away from the river on a tiny creek, just right for two boys to play in to their hearts content.
Roaring River Falls, whose crystal clear waters eventually flow into the Kings River. There is so much power in the water that it generates energy into the atmosphere. As soon as we arrived, the boys went crazy, running and jumping and climbing all over the huge rocks lining the river.
Wyatt Little
Ethan Little

We took a hike up to Zumwalt meadows and stopped to view this gigantic granite monolith, the Grand Sentinel. A huge mountain of stone rising above the river marking its territory and sending out good vibrations.
Ethan took this picture of me at Roaring River Falls.
We stopped to play in the water when the boys found this funky little water bug, and couldn't decide if it was a bug or a dead fish. They contemplated this oddity of nature for several minutes, then continued playing.
The view from the bridge on the way to Zumwalt meadows. After we crossed the bridge, I noticed some old bear scat on the ground and was a little concerned that we might encounter a bear. We continued the walk when a Hispanic family approached us as they returned from the meadow and said a real live bear was in the meadow and that a Ranger was there monitoring the situation. It was so funny to hear her try to explain the fresh bear scat she saw, and try to warn us in her broken English. I decided it was not meant to be, so we turned around, much to Wyatt's disappointment, as he wanted to see a "real BEAR!"

Mammoth Lakes, CA

The last few days I have been camping in the Mammoth area, and spent some time here at Devils Postpile, a columnar basalt formation, a result of cooling lava. I arrived at sundown, after the crowds had left and enjoyed the peace and quiet as I wandered around.
View of the San Joaquin River from the Postpile. I nearly crashed down the cliff trying to take this picture!
A new friend I met on the road, a good listener and eager to please.
A hike up to Crystal Lake gave me this view of Lake George. The lakes are never ending in this area, and you sort of lose track after a while.

Crystal Lake
After a refreshing swim here in Lake George, I went back to my campsite with all of my mosquito repellent washed off. As soon as I got out of my car I was swarmed by mosquitoes and had to swat and spray all at the same time. By the time I was finished, I was toxic and almost made myself sick from the odor. But it worked and I was able to take a rest in my car without being bitten.

Eastern Sierra Nevada Mountains

For the last several weeks I have been camping and backpacking in the Eastern Sierras, very tiring but fun! When I first arrived in Lone Pine, smoke from the recent fires filled the air, later to be followed by thunderstorms which caused tremendous flooding and loss of homes. It later cleared and I got up early one morning and took this shot of Mt. Whitney, beautiful beyond belief. Wild roses covered my campsite and released a fragrant aroma into the air.

Each day I dunked into the ice cold water and sat on this rock until the sun dried my skin.
Wildflowers on the way up to Cottonwood Lakes trail head.
The Alabama Hills, just below Mt. Whitney.
View from my campsite in Lower Grays Meadow just outside of Independence. Isn't this too cool!
One day while I was hiking alone through some old apple orchards at Manzanar, which is actually a remnant of a Japanese relocation camp, I came across a real live bear. It must have been startled by my presence as it immediately jumped into one of the trees. I was so shook up I just stood there watching. After about a minute, the bear promptly crashed down out of the tree and landed behind a berm so I could not see him. Neither one of us moved and I decided to call it a day and slowly backed away and returned the way I came. I couldn't get a picture of the bear so all you have is this little wildflower!
Independence Creek

My Backpacking group from North Coast Calvary Chapel. We spent five days together hiking up to Cottonwood Lakes and beyond. We ate together, hiked together, built fires in the rain, heard each other burp and fart, moan and groan, and watched out for each other on trail. A finer group of people, I will not find!
We encountered quite a bit of rain on the trip and spent one whole day huddled up under a makeshift tarp keeping warm by the fire. I shot this photo at Chicken Springs Lake, and all the while we stayed htere, we were all wondering where in the world was the fried chicken.

Incredible views on the trail made up for aching feet and sore backs.

Yours truly with my pack on my back and heading out on the trail!
It was at this point I thought I was lost, as all of a sudden it seemed like I was in the desert and no one was around me. I sat down and ate a candy bar and felt much better and soon my friends came along.

Reflections in Cottonwood Lake
A gorgeous meadow outside of our second stop, Soldier Lake. We had just completed a huge hike up New Army Pass and I thought I was going to die. I didn't die and here I am to tell about it. It was hard, very hard. The End.
I hiked one evening by myself down to this meadow and a very small lake. Very quiet, very peaceful. Very nice.
Towards the end of our trip we came down off of New Army Pass and hiked through this valley. Interesting rocks were lying all over the ground and I couldn't resist picking up some beautiful pieces of snow white quartz, which did tend to weigh my pack down a bit!

After we got off the mountain we all went our separate ways, and I came back to Lone Pine and stayed in a hostel, in a room with 3 other unknown people. A different experience to say the least! Then I took a trip up to Devils Postpile where I am now, enjoying the beauty of God's creation. Rainbow Falls is one of the highlights here as you can see, falling over volcanic rock for 101 feet into the pool below.
The San Joaquin River which flows into Rainbow Falls.
Beautiful sweet Lupen in my campsite at Reds Meadow.

The Red Dirt Tour

Beauty in the desert, Capitol Reef National Park, UT

The Red Dirt Tour encompassed Capitol Reef, Canyonlands, Arches, Monument Valley and Sedona, almost a 2000 mile trip I took last week. It was great fun, met lots of people, stayed in a Walmart parking lot overnight and camped like crazy. Hickman Bridge is a graceful curve of stone found in Capitol Reef National Park. Even though it was a relatively short hike, I managed to get lost and almost had to call for help!
Beautiful formations on the way up to Hickman Bridge.
My friend the crow, posing for a dime and a smile.
Flowering fruit orchards surrounded my campsite which was situated at the base of these gorgeous, red canyon walls in Capitol Reef National Park. I camped right next to the Fremont River which flows through the campsite.
An old restored farmhouse and log cabin, where they sold homemade ice cream and fresh baked fruit pies sat a stones throw away from my campsite. The Gifford Farmhouse was originally part of an old Mormon settlement in Fruita which is now part of the Park.
On the Chimney Rock trail, I hiked way out in the canyon and got very scared that I was lost. I never saw one other soul during the entire hike, so I could never ask for directions. Panic set in and I planned to backtrack and try to find my way back, when I finally just relaxed, gave myself an hour turn around time, and thankfully found my way out. It's crazy when the trails are washed away, or the signs aren't clear or there are no signs. Old age doesn't help any either! But by the grace of God I survive, that and lots of angels.

Chimney Rock in Capitol Reef. Quite a contrast from the red rock walls of Chimney Rock! It is such a pleasure to explore a place that has such diversity! This section reminded me of the moon.

My next stop on the Red Dirt Tour was Canyonlands National Park, a vast area with many different canyons and places to explore.
More of Canyonlands.

Towards the end of my trip I camped along the Colorado river right outside of Moab. At sunset, I drove up to the Windows section of Arches National Park to snap some pictures. It was glorious to watch the shadows and colors change over the red rock.
Wall Street, a section in Arches that has these absolutely huge rock formations. As I was racing against time to catch the last rays of the sun, I realized there were other crazy people just like myself running about in a half dazed manner with camera and tripod in hand trying to do the same thing. We all laughed at each other and managed to get a few great shots.
Balancing Rock, in Arches National Park.

Road Trip, Christmas 2007

"Dance as though no one is watching you,
love as though you have never been hurt before.
Sing as though no one can hear you,
live as though heaven is on earth." Souza

Final day of my road trip. Sad, but time to go home. I woke up this morning in Refugio State Beach, right outside Santa Barbara. I woke up early enough to capture this sunrise, fresh out of my sleeping bag, with hair uncombed and sleep still in my eyes. Lucky for me no one else was up to see me in all my morning glory!

Enjoying the sunset on this quiet Danish night.

After I left Montana de Oro, spent the day in San Luis Obispo, and revisited old stomping grounds. I have always loved San Luis, and appreciate its old town feel.
I guess they serve anybody here at Peets coffee shop! Great coffee, great atmosphere, and great fun watching the world go by. San Luis Creek, which runs right through the city. Its full of interesting nooks and crannies and unusual people tucked away in the strangest places.

"Yes I am safe!" I am here at Monana de Oro State Park, just outside of San Luis Obispo Ca. Although I am hungry, tired, excited, amazed, desperate for chocolate and looking forward to a huge New Years Eve Bonfire at my campsite, and celebrating with a bottle of sparkling Apple Grape Cider. Happy New Year to you and yours!


View of Morro Bay from the park.



After I left Mendocino, I traveled south. I stopped in San Francisco, and went hiking in Golden Gate Nat Recreation area. It was breathtaking, and a welcome relief from the San Francisco traffic.
Lone surfer making his way to shore. Thought of my sons, and how much fun they would have had here.

Twisting, turning, squirming, winding, over, under and inside-outside, thoughts, roaming through my brain, trying to crawl out, and express themselves so others can see the beauty I see, in simple everyday things like seaweed on the shore. When I woke up this morning it was still pitch black. I was in a campground in the midst of the redwoods, dripping with rain, and not another soul in sight. Quietly I packed my stuff, and slowly drove out, searching for my way in the dark. As I traveled east on the 128, the sun begin to show itself, and the colors began shining, and the mist of the morning began weaving in and out between the trees and the mountains. It was a glorious morning, and I wouldn't trade it for anything.





While I was visiting family in Mendocino, we stopped at the Botanical Gardens and walked through the trees, flowers, beaches and cliffs.



The ocean has a way of stirring up something deep and primitive within the soul. It awakens you to breathe in and experience life and appreciate beauty that is deeper than the eye can see.

Can she do it?

I know I can do this. I just have to squeeze this air mattress down and roll it up. Help I can't breathe!
Maybe if I use my whole body I will be able to get it down small enough to fit in the bag.



I think I can, I think I can. I'll get my neck involved
and also my belly, it certainly is big enough! Ouch this hurts!


Holy Cow, I can not do this! Are you sure it fits back in that tiny little bag it came in? Call for the dinosaur man, he can fix anything!