I sometimes imagine that it must be hard for explorers to come up with original names for the features they discover. How many Beacon Rocks, Twin Peaks, Old Baldies, Haystack Mountains, Sugarloaf Peaks, and Flat Top Mountains are there in…
Official off-trail Views from the Blue Forest Route
After the Wilderness Route, the Blue Forest Route was my favorite hike in Petrified Forest National Park during my visit last fall. The good news? It’s much shorter and much, much easier to follow than the Wilderness Route. So as…
Courthouse Wash to Forget-Me-Not Canyon
The hike from Courthouse Wash to Forget-Me-Not Canyon isn’t exactly a route I’d recommend. It’s filled with rock scrambles, delicate Leave No Trace areas (yes, you can do it; I’ll tell you how), zero official trails, sketchy slickrock, and a…
Yellowstone Lake Overlook at West Thumb
Yellowstone Lake Overlook at West Thumb is possibly the best viewpoint I’ve found of Yellowstone Lake. (The other contenders are Elephant Back Mountain (too many trees), Storm Point and Gull Point (very nice but on level with the lake), an…
Agate Bridge – Easy to See
Agate Bridge sounds a lot more exciting than the reality in southern Petrified Forest National Park. If you’re into hiking, you’d be better off spending your time in the Crystal Forest or hiking the Blue Forest Route (or if you’d…
Photos from Rochester’s Lilac Festival
It’s almost time for the annual Lilac Festival in Rochester, New York! The 2024 dates are May 10-May 19, and at least at this point, it seems like the forecasters have been about right for the lilac blooms. If you…
Views from the Sand Bench View Area on I-70
So you’re traveling along I-70 Eastbound in central/western Utah. The desert is pretty cool, even if there are big yellow signs warning you to stay alert and to pull over if you get drowsy. You see a sign for a…
The Endless Wall Trail
The Endless Wall Trail is the premier hike in New River Gorge National Park. I personally didn’t find it to be the most scenic trail (that award goes to Long Point), but it does have several advantages: It’s near the…
Mud Volcano Area & Sulphur Caldron
The Mud Volcano Area of Yellowstone National Park has one of my favorite non-colorful hot spring, non-geyser geothermal features in the park. It also has some other cool geothermal things to see, most of which are more violent than pretty…
Photos from Near the Nautilus
A few weeks ago, I posted a trip report for hiking to the Nautilus in Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. In that post, I couldn’t possibly include all of the amazing photographs that I took, not of the Nautilus itself, but…