Saturday, May 28, 2011

I missed the trees

Big Sitka Spruce
As I mentioned in my previous post, I was getting a bit road-weary at this point in my trip, and I was looking forward to just staying put for a while. My last stop - Olympic National Park in Washington - rejuvenated me somewhat, and of all the places that I'd seen along the way, this is where I wanted to stay the longest. All this despite it being an unplanned stop. Leaving Yellowstone a couple of days early, I had a bit of time to kill before getting to my final destination.

The first thing that entered my mind when I crossed the park's border was, "Oh wow...!" And then I realized what I'd been missing all this time. I've lived near the forests of south and eastern Ontario, and of New York State, northwest New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. As spectacular as Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming were, they just didn't have the same lush green-ness that I'm accustomed to seeing at this time of year. Utah, being mostly desert, had almost no greenery to speak of, and Colorado and Wyoming featured these odd scrubby sage bushes. What a difference I saw when entering Washington State.
Morning dew
Morning Dew

Of all the National Parks I've visited, I've enjoyed my time at Olympic National Park the most. Of course, there's the aforementioned tree-ness of this area, but more than that, the pace of life seemed to be much slower than elsewhere. For one thing, this place is really, really remote - I had no internet or cell phone access for days - and there were far fewer visitors than I saw at the other parks. My campsite in the Mora campground was spectacular, and of the 94 available sites, maybe only 6 or 7 were occupied. No "competitive camping" here! I definitely want to return with more time at my disposal - there's a number of hiking and backpacking trips I want to do, and many, many more waterfalls, seascapes, and mountains to photograph.
Olympic Waterfall
Falls near the Sol Duc River

As always, more pictures are posted on Flickr...

In the land of The Beachcombers

The Persephone
I watched The Beachcombers a long time ago when I was a kid, so I did a double-take when I drove by Gibson's Landing BC, which was the setting for the show. And of course, I had to have dinner at Molly's Reach. Mind you, it was such a long time ago and I remember almost nothing of the show, but I still felt a twinge of nostalgia when I saw the Persephone up on display.

Now to find the set of Danger Bay...

Thursday, May 26, 2011

I was in a vampire town

Bella's truck
Bella's truck too


Vampire love
So I know absolutely nothing about the "Twilight Saga", but apparently the town of Forks, Washington is kind of important, as are these two trucks. I was quite surprised to find a couple of middle-aged women at a Ranger station in Olympic National Park had come all the way from Germany to see this little town, and when I got to the Forks Chamber of Commerce, a couple of minivans had pulled up and these families were eagerly taking pictures of these two trucks, which I had thought to be junk yard refugees. According to the ranger, in previous years an average of 12,000 people had signed the guestbook annually at the Forks Chamber of Commerce; since the Twilight books and the movies came out, that number had jumped up to ~68,000. Huh, go figure...
Vampire info

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Be careful of what you wish for...

Yellowstone Lake
Yellowstone Lake
...Because you may actually get it.

Moab was fun and all, and it's justifiably known as "The Mecca of Mountain Biking", but after a few days I got seriously tired of it. Tired of the desiccating heat, tired of the noisy campground (I swear, the guy two sites down must have been half-chainsaw!), tired of the crowds, and tired of all the red. The intense red of the rocks, cliffs, arches and sand is fantastically and spectacularly scenic and is absolutely breathtaking when you first see it, but I found that after a while I just found it agitating. So three days into my Moab stay, I started looking forward to cool, green, and water, which I hoped to find in Wyoming, my next stop. Oh boy did I ever find it... On my way into Jackson, Wyoming - the main town servicing the Grand Teton National Park and the south end of Yellowstone National Park - I was greeted by road barriers and a helpful sign that said that the highway was closed due to mudslides. Yup, they'd had a bad winter... The snow that was supposed to have melted a month previous was still on the ground, and the torrential rainstorms from the previous week had conspired to send a mountainside into my path. Since night had just fallen when I made this discovery and I didn't feel like wandering around backcountry Wyoming in the dark trying to find the detour, I spent the night in a far-too-expensive motel and continued on my way in the morning. It's a good thing I didn't continue that night - the detour added two hours to the trip, and took me waaaaayyyy up into the mountains, into Teton Pass, which was a bit nerve-wracking to drive in the daylight.

Jackson Lake Beach
Jackson Lake

Yellowstone Bison
Cloudy skies and cold pretty much summed up my Wyoming experience. Tried to do a hike in the Tetons but was thwarted by the snow cover. Renting snowshoes wouldn't have done any good because the trails weren't marked, and it didn't appear that any hardy souls had blazed the way. The one good thing about all the snow is that it concentrated all the wildlife down by the roads; I saw more elk and bison and moose than I'd ever thought to see in my lifetime, and I even saw a bear. There were hawks and eagles aplenty, and I caught a glimpse of an owl on a telephone pole as I drove by the highway.


Yellowstone Tourists
What really ended the Wyoming segment of my journey for me was the poop. The sheer number of elk and bison made it almost impossible to take a step without putting your foot in something. Well, truth be told, the cold and the wet and the generally poor weather played a role in my decision to leave a day earlier than I had scheduled - without even seeing many of the hot springs and geysers - but the poop put me over the edge.

At this point, I was ready to stop traveling and just stay put for a while.

Friday, May 20, 2011

The problem with Moab...

Park Avenue
Park Avenue, Arches National Park
...Is that there's just so much scenery to look at! At first there's a real risk of developing whiplash and causing an accident as you drive by and strain to look at one spectacular vista after another. After a few days you become more accustomed to it and start to pay attention to only the really, really good stuff. After leaving, you go up to lookouts in other places that are supposed to highlight a special view, and wonder, "what's the big deal?" With five national parks and 45 state parks in Utah featuring mountain ranges, canyons, rivers, rock formations and forests all set against a red rock backdrop, the people in and around Moab are certainly spoiled when it comes to gorgeous landscapes.
Delicate Landscape
Delicate Arch, Arches National Park

Crazy photographers
I visited two National Parks: Arches National Park, and Canyonlands National Park, both of which are near Moab. In Arches I did what about a hundred other people did that night: hike out to the Delicate Arch and take pictures as the sun sets, highlighting the red and orange in the sandstone. Some of those people are serious! You should've heard them rip into this one hapless American guy who was posing in front of the arch for a photo. But I see their point - some of these photographers had traveled halfway around the world to get a picture of the Delicate Arch at sunset and they didn't need some dumb jock ruining their shot.

Landscape Arch
Landscape Arch, Arches National Park
The next day I went back to Arches National Park and  hiked the Devil's Garden primitive loop, saw tons of lizards and more arches. Out on the loop (~8 miles round trip) I passed by a group of what looked and sounded like French cowboys who didn't appear to have anywhere near enough water to last them through a desert trek. I was a bit concerned for them, but I saw them again at the parking lot at the end of the hike, so I guess they were ok. Still, walking in the desert is definitely no joke - you get dehydrated in a hurry!


I finished off my Moab stay by driving through Canyonlands National Park on the way out. I'd been hoping to do some hikes in Canyonlands (specifically in the Maze District) but four days into my Moab stay I was getting tired of the heat and the dryness.

Things to do next time I'm in Moab (and there will be a next time!):
  • Hike the Canyonlands Maze
  • Bike Porcupine Rim (or better yet, the Whole Enchilada)
  • Camp in one of the BLM-managed campsites by the Colorado River

    Green River Overlook
    Green River Overlook, Canyonlands National Park
Pictures are worth a thousand words, so I'll let the photos do the talking. Check them out on my Flickr page!

Thursday, May 19, 2011

Moab: Where Adventure Begins

Getting a bit behind in my posts - a combination of not having internet access and attempting to have more adventures are conspiring against me!

Well, I didn't make it to the desert arches near the Colorado National Monument. The weather was a bit unsettled (this will be a theme!) and I didn't feel like sticking around Fruita until it improved. So, I made my way to Moab, Utah. I'd been looking forward to going to Moab for quite a while; its billing as the "Mecca of Mountain Biking" has certainly been a draw, and on arriving there, it appeared that everyone had taken that to heart. As expected there were bikes and bike shops everywhere, but there were also ATVs, jeeps, whitewater rafts, and guide services galore. Apparently there's more to Moab than bikes...

I was hoping to get a campsite by the Colorado River, but you've gotta be quick to snag one of those, and I arrived too late in the day; driving by some of those I couldn't help but imagine what it would be like waking up in the midst of the glorious scenery comprised of the red canyon walls and the rolling river. Instead I settled for a commercial campground in town, which was just ok. What was not ok was the guy two sites down from me who - judging from his snoring - must have been part chainsaw. Ear plugs to the rescue!

Manny
Matt
The first ride I did was on Amasa Back, one of the "Classic" Moab trails, at the suggestion of the nice folks at the Poison Spider bike shop. And yes, it really does deserve that "Classic" label. About halfway up, I joined a very nice quartet of riders from Beacon, New York. We just happened to be going at the same speed so we struck up a conversation and just kept on riding. They were keen on taking on a couple of the more adventurous (i.e. more freeride-ish) options and since we were riding at about the same level, I was game! (I had initially been dissuaded by the descriptions in my trail guide.) The trails themselves were mostly fine - with the exception of some gnarly moves with lots of "exposure" but Moab had a surprise for us at the very end. We were riding in a desert, for cryin' out loud! Nobody was expecting the small ravine at the end to turn into a massive hike-a-bike and portage through *chilly* waist-deep water.


Alta
Frank

Another "Classic" trail - Slickrock - and a milder-but-still-fun-singletrack trail known as "Baby Steps" rounded out my Moab mountain biking adventure.
Slickrock Lookout
Lookout from the Slickrock trail

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Colorado Rocks!

"There's a line down there - all you have to do is not hit the rock! You do it right and you don't have to go to the hospital." So said Brandon (names have been changed to protect the innocent) as he mounted his bike and confidently rode towards the edge... And into the rock... And over his handlebars. Thankfully he hurt nothing more than his pride and no hospital trip was necessary. Believe me, if he'd really screwed up it could've been really bad. The bike trails here in Fruita, CO have this thing called "exposure" that is lacking in most of the east coast riding I've done. Basically, many trails run along canyon rims and cliff edges and in some cases there's only a foot or so of leeway before you go down - way, way down. The scenery is breathtaking and the trails are fun if you can just get past the "consequences".

Incidentally, I cleaned the section without any drama. In all other respects though, Brandon pretty much kicked my ass. Between a winter of doing no cardio work and the 4000-5000 feet of elevation that I'm not used to, I'm finding the climbs to be a serious challenge here.

P1040709.jpg
Mountain view from Crested Butte, CO
The altitude was brought home a few days ago as I drove into Gunnison, CO from Denver. My little car barely wheezed up Monarch Pass - 11,312 feet above sea level. I later learned that cars in Colorado have their engine computers programmed to deal with the thinner air at altitude - tuning that my car unfortunately didn't have. So, air conditioning off and in third gear my Vibe and I plodded along Highway 50, taking in the dramatic vistas along the way.
Rocky Mountains 2
View overlooking Gunnison State Forest

The only reason I went to Gunnison is that I'd discovered a few days prior that my original stopping point - Crested Butte, one of the great mountain biking destinations of North America - was still covered in snow, and neither biking nor hiking was to be had there.

P1040738.jpg
Blue Mesa Lake near Gunnison, CO
In Gunnison I stayed at the Wanderlust Hostel, a warm and friendly little place run by Amy, a fellow mountain biker. (If you're ever in the area and are looking for cost-effective accommodations, I highly recommend this place.) Pretty much as soon as I got to the hostel, Amy and I were poring over the trail map of the Hartman Rocks Recreation Area as she recommended a series of trails. Her recommendations were spot-on; if only I'd followed them. I ended up riding "Rattlesnake" in the direction opposite to which it's intended to be ridden, and all the while I was saying to myself, "this can't be right..." as I carried my bike up over ledges and rocks. At the end of the trail I turned around and rode down it, and confirmed my suspicions - it was much better going the other way.  When I got back to the hostel I told Amy this, and the next time she gave me a route recommendation, she not only highlighted it on the map, but wrote the trails down in the order in which they were intended to be ridden.  Amy's awesome.  Still didn't stop me from botching things and missing what was supposed to be the best trail in the area...

P1040920.jpg
View from one of the lookouts at Colorado National Monument
From Gunnison I went to Fruita, CO - another one of those "must-ride" mountain biking destinations. Of course, on my first day there my weather luck broke.  Pretty much thunderstorms all day, so no mountain biking or hiking. What to do?  I went to the Colorado National Monument and took pictures - lots of them. The "interesting" weather added drama to the sky, the water saturated the red rocks of the canyons, and the overcast conditions muted the typically harsh Colorado noon light, really bringing out the colour. Pretty much a landscape photographer's paradise. Check out some of them on my Flickr page.

I finally did get to mountain bike in Fruita, and let me tell you - this is an experience not to be missed. In the cards for the next day or so: more mountain biking, hopefully a hike to get in to see some of the famous desert arches (second only to Arches National Park in Utah), and then on to Moab.

Monday, May 9, 2011

It's raining in Fruita

According to the waitress in a local cafe, apparently it rains "3 days a year" in Fruita, CO, and one of those three days is when I happen to be here. Water turns what passes for soil here into this slick red mud, making even walking on the trails a challenge. So, no biking and no hiking... *But* the thunderstorms made the sky really interesting and saturated the colours of the landscape, making for *fantastic* photo conditions!  I took lots and lots of them; so many that it may take me years to process them all. Keep your eye on this space! But until then, here's a teaser...

Friday, May 6, 2011

Random traveling thoughts

World's Largest Truckstop
Some random thoughts and observations:
  • Illinois is very flat
  • Crossed the Mississippi.  Don't know why, but for some reason it felt like a milestone.
  • The Weather Channel wasn't kidding - the Mississippi is running really, really high!
  • Roads in Michigan are brutal!  Had to drive really, really slowly so as to not to lose my suspension or damage my wheels.
  • A construction worker in Illinois is evidently worth a bit more ($10000 fine if you hit one) than one in Michigan ($7500 fine)
  • Des Moines, Iowa looks like a nice city.   
  • Omaha's Old Market District is quite charming!  I should've spent more time there...
  • I went to the Henry Doorly Zoo in Omaha, more in homage to the Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom - my favourite TV show in my mis-spent youth - than anything else.  It was really rather small and disappointing.  I just wish the lemur exhibit had been open!  That would've made the whole thing worthwhile.
  • There one heck of a lot of nothing to see in the Nebraska countryside except for cornfield after cornfield.  Even then, in early May, those cornfields are just brown dirt with just the barest hint of green on some of them.
  • Should've checked the conditions in Crested Butte earlier.  Found out the other day that they're still covered in snow, and there's no mountain biking or hiking to be had there.  Went to Boulder as an alternate plan, only to discover that it was graduation week at the local collage and every available accommodation under $150 was booked.  Got stuck in rush hour traffic making my way back to Denver; not pleasant.  Oops.
Omaha lemur
Omaha zoo lemur

    Tuesday, May 3, 2011

    Toronto traffic sucks

    Toronto Skyline
    Toronto skyline
    I haven't spent significant time in Toronto (typical local pronunciation: "Toronno") in over a decade, and in my wanderings I discovered an almost completely unfamiliar landscape, especially in the Harbourfront area, where numerous condos and apartments have sprouted up.

    My stay in Toronto reinforced that there's no way in heaven or hell that I'd live in a big city.  For me the sheer aggravation of driving in traffic and the amount of time it takes to get to and from "fun" destinations far outweigh any advantages of the big-city life.

    Mount Nemo Climbing
    Climbing at Mount Nemo Conservation Area
    My intention had been to go to the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) and the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO), but I ended up spending an inordinate amount of time fighting traffic while trying to replace all the stuff that had been stolen the other day.  Just as well; I wasn't really in a cultural kind of mood anyways.  Leisure time was largely spent climbing with my brother: first at the Rock Oasis - where the 60-foot walls were an endurance test to this New Jersey climber, who had rarely ventured onto walls higher than 30 feet - and later outdoors at Mount Nemo Conservation Area in Milton, and then finally in a gym in Burlington when inclement weather forced us back indoors.

    We also managed to escape to Hardwood Hills near Barrie for some mountain biking on Saturday, the one and only day of really good weather.  Weaving through the trees on the buff Southern Ontario trails was a blast, and was also a ride down memory lane - I'd spent a few long nights on these same trails many years ago on 24-hour mountain bike relay races.

    Looking out at Toronto from the Niagara Escarpment
    Now my task is to charge across the Midwestern states; Colorado, here I come!