Saturday, August 28, 2010
Bear Down Chicago Bears
On Saturday evening we went to our annual preseason Bears game. They played the Arizona Cardinals. They lost to the Cardinals. Good thing its just practice and doesn't count. Sure hope they are good this year. It will be fun if the Bears can generate some excitement for Chicago this year.
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Strait wind update
On June 24 the neighborhood got pounded with a 100 mph strait wind. Its mostly cleaned up. I found recent satellite shot taken after the storm. You can tell by the blue tarps on many of the roofs in the neighborhood. Anyway on the left is the old shot with all of our beautiful trees. On the right after the storm and cleanup. Our house is in the center. WOW! What a difference in the arial view. You can see so much more of our yard. Before the storm it was almost completely covered in trees.
Sunday, August 15, 2010
Something Stinks
Our neighborhood is a bit of a zoo with abundant wildlife. Deer, coyote, raccoons, woodchucks, possum, and a bazillion squirrels and chipmunks. This summer there is a bumper crop of skunks. Here is a picture taken out of a widow of one of the little stinkers enjoying some mulberries that fell onto our driveway.
Natural Wonders and National Parks of the Southwest
This year, for a much needed break, we were going on a road trip to the Southwest with a focus on the National Parks of Southern Utah. We had gotten a small taste three years before on a trip that centered around the Grand Canyon (see July 2007 posts). It was the end of July and we knew it would be hot. What we didn't know was that this part of the year also featured the monsoon season. We were going to the high desert. Who would expect rain. And conditions were such that it would be raining and storming in abundance. We were rained on or saw rain in the distance almost every day. Don't get me wrong. We like to get wet. But prefer to get wet when white water rafting.
The tone was set when we got hammered by a hail storm in Colorado. It was so bad that all traffic pulled over for the worst of it. Check out a few seconds below.
This is what that storm looked like as we looked back during a stop at a rest area, after we cleared out of the rain
We saw daily storms in Arches and around Moab, UT. This is one we saw during our rafting trip.
This is the storm that flash flooded us during a great hike in Bryce.
Here is some rain in the valley where we stayed near Bryce.
Rain coming into Zion.
Rain over the Grand Canyon.
Rain at Monument Valley
Funky Clouds in Colorado.
But there were benefits. It made the temperature cooler at times. It also cleared out the area a couple times providing serenity.
It also made for some great sunsets. This one is at Arches.
This is also Arches.
This one is at Zion.
And rain gives you rainbows. We got to enjoy quite a few. Here is one in central Colorado.
The tone was set when we got hammered by a hail storm in Colorado. It was so bad that all traffic pulled over for the worst of it. Check out a few seconds below.
This is what that storm looked like as we looked back during a stop at a rest area, after we cleared out of the rain
We saw daily storms in Arches and around Moab, UT. This is one we saw during our rafting trip.
This is the storm that flash flooded us during a great hike in Bryce.
Here is some rain in the valley where we stayed near Bryce.
Rain coming into Zion.
Rain over the Grand Canyon.
Rain at Monument Valley
Funky Clouds in Colorado.
But there were benefits. It made the temperature cooler at times. It also cleared out the area a couple times providing serenity.
It also made for some great sunsets. This one is at Arches.
This is also Arches.
This one is at Zion.
And rain gives you rainbows. We got to enjoy quite a few. Here is one in central Colorado.
The Drive to Arches National Park and Moab
Rocky Mountain National Park (Park #1), our first reward after 15 hours of driving. None of us had ever been here before. Nice mountains with great views. And it has one of the highest altitude roads in the US. Its a beautiful Park. But not our goal of southern Utah.
We took the Old Fall River Road up to the alpine region of the park. We were above 12,000 feet. There was still plenty of snow as you can see.
We saw a bunch of Elk. The Drive through Rocky Mountains National Park was a nice appetizer for the wonders formed by erosion that lay ahead.
The first long stop was in Moab, UT. Its a great southwest town with a nice feel. There are lots of interesting sights to see. Moab is located right next to Arches National Park (Park #2). Arches is definitely one of my favorites!
This is Landscape Arch. It was once believed to have the largest natural span in the world, 290 feet. There may be a bigger one in China. Its only 6 feet thick at the obvious thin point. It is feared to be among the most fragile arches in the park. A big chunk came off it in 1991.
Walking up to the North Window. Its a short walk in the Windows section of Arches National Park to see a few big arches.
Bart and Alex in the North WIndow. Its a monster.
Here are the North and South Windows in the alpine glow. I thought the red color here was extraordinary. Red alpine glow illuminating the red rock of a fin of sandstone that forms this pair of arches.
We had spectacular sunsets every night.
We took the hike up to Delicate Arch. It is quite spectacular and the symbol of the park (and on the Utah license plate). Its a 1.5 mile hike up slickrock. The trail is marked by cairns (little piles of rocks). The last stretch is quite dramatic with a long ledge. DIane, Bart, and Alex are near the top. In another 100 yards it opens up to a great view of the Delicate Arch. A classic short day hike.
Walking up to the arch is very cool. You really get a feel for how big it is. Looking up from under the arch makes me dizzy. Not a good place to lose your ballance.
Delicate Arch is one of the most spectacular structures in the park. Its listed as a strenuous hike, and it is, But getting to interact with this landmark is well worth the effort.
Here is a nice image of Balanced Rock.
We took the morning ranger led tour of the Firey Furnace area of Arches. Its a maze of sandstone fins. You can only enter as part of an organized tour or after you pass a test showing you can navigate the maze of trails. In some areas you have to work your way through cracks and ledges. The kids had a blast.
This is spectacle arch, one of a number of interesting arches that could be seen along the trail.
There were a number of challenging stretches of the trail as you can see.
It was quite a maze to work through. We had to duck walk with one foot on each side of a crack through this section.
We really enjoyed the the ranger led hike in the Firey Furnace of Arches National Park. Don't miss it.
We did river rafting on the Colorado River through Westwater Canyon. Its on the eastern edge of Utah, just north of Moab. The family had a blast!
We took the Old Fall River Road up to the alpine region of the park. We were above 12,000 feet. There was still plenty of snow as you can see.
We saw a bunch of Elk. The Drive through Rocky Mountains National Park was a nice appetizer for the wonders formed by erosion that lay ahead.
The first long stop was in Moab, UT. Its a great southwest town with a nice feel. There are lots of interesting sights to see. Moab is located right next to Arches National Park (Park #2). Arches is definitely one of my favorites!
This is Landscape Arch. It was once believed to have the largest natural span in the world, 290 feet. There may be a bigger one in China. Its only 6 feet thick at the obvious thin point. It is feared to be among the most fragile arches in the park. A big chunk came off it in 1991.
Walking up to the North Window. Its a short walk in the Windows section of Arches National Park to see a few big arches.
Bart and Alex in the North WIndow. Its a monster.
Here are the North and South Windows in the alpine glow. I thought the red color here was extraordinary. Red alpine glow illuminating the red rock of a fin of sandstone that forms this pair of arches.
We had spectacular sunsets every night.
We took the hike up to Delicate Arch. It is quite spectacular and the symbol of the park (and on the Utah license plate). Its a 1.5 mile hike up slickrock. The trail is marked by cairns (little piles of rocks). The last stretch is quite dramatic with a long ledge. DIane, Bart, and Alex are near the top. In another 100 yards it opens up to a great view of the Delicate Arch. A classic short day hike.
Walking up to the arch is very cool. You really get a feel for how big it is. Looking up from under the arch makes me dizzy. Not a good place to lose your ballance.
Delicate Arch is one of the most spectacular structures in the park. Its listed as a strenuous hike, and it is, But getting to interact with this landmark is well worth the effort.
Here is a nice image of Balanced Rock.
We took the morning ranger led tour of the Firey Furnace area of Arches. Its a maze of sandstone fins. You can only enter as part of an organized tour or after you pass a test showing you can navigate the maze of trails. In some areas you have to work your way through cracks and ledges. The kids had a blast.
This is spectacle arch, one of a number of interesting arches that could be seen along the trail.
There were a number of challenging stretches of the trail as you can see.
It was quite a maze to work through. We had to duck walk with one foot on each side of a crack through this section.
We really enjoyed the the ranger led hike in the Firey Furnace of Arches National Park. Don't miss it.
We did river rafting on the Colorado River through Westwater Canyon. Its on the eastern edge of Utah, just north of Moab. The family had a blast!
Bryce Canyon National Park and Friends
We took a slight detour on our way to Bryce to visit Cedar Breaks National Monument (Park #3). Big climb ascending the mountains outside of Cedar City led to the park. It was a beautiful and great warmup for Bryce. The Boys scored another Junior Ranger Badge. The second of the trip.
The Cedar Breaks are elaborate sink holes in the high altitude cedar forest in southwestern Utah. The erosion reveals the underlying colorful layers of rock.
At over 10,000 ft. the Cedar Breaks are a very unique and beautiful environment. I love the way that the creek in the canyon shines in the evening sun.
Red Canyon National Forest (Park #4). This is a sample of Red Canyon National Forest. The color of the rock is intense. Makes me feel like we are in Bedrock as part of a Flinstone's episode.
Bryce Canyon National Park (Park #5). A remarkable little park with amazing rock formations. Hoo Doos and spires. All formed by the erosion caused by daily freezing and thawing. There are no rivers to form a canyon. Its really an elaborate sink hole. The colors are simply amazing. Lots of things to do in the area. Some great day hikes!
A rainbow over Bryce. How delightful.
A look down Wall Street. A deep and accessible slot in Bryce. We were lucky the park service had just cleared out a large rockslide that happened in April. The trail had just opened up that week.
The trail drops steeply into the canyon.
A big series of switchbacks.
As you can see the Wall Street passage gets very narrow.
Looking back up the canyon from where the slot begins. You can see the trail because of the visible hikers.
Diane and the boys have reached the end of Wall Street.
There are some big pines growing at the end of the canyon. They are reaching for the sun in the slot of these narrow passages.
Alex with some very orange rocks at the base of wall street. I like the way that his hat matches the colors.
A Thunder Storm came up and pounded the area with a driving rain. Luckily we found a big rock overhang for shelter, which kept us dry. The water just runs off the rocks so soon a wash next to the trail became a fast flowing creek. It pushed rocks the size of a cantalope down stream. It was extraordinary to witness a small flash flood.
The trail cleared out during the thunderstorm. We had The Queens Garden to ourselves. A rare treat. Sweet!
Diane in the Queens Garden. The colors of the wet rocks are great after the rain.
Bart and Alex show how big the fist formation is.
A look back at the fist as we hike out of the canyon.
From a viewpoint on another part of the canyon its possible to get a look at the entire area covered by the trail from Wall Steet to Queen Victoria's garden and the Fist. Great hike! One of the best in the park system.
Thor's Hammer. One of the most famous formations in the park.
We visited a nearby petrified forest near Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument (Park #5). Got hit by a big storm. We saw the forest in the rain. Hung out in the car for half hour and gave up on taking a short hike. It looked like it would rain for awhile and the trail was surely a muddy mess. We did go to the Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument visitor center. The boys earned a Junior Ranger Badge (#3) as we waited for the rain to pass.
Kodachrome Basin (park #6) is a neat little State Park located as short distance from Bryce Canyon. Grovsner Arch is located nearby, but the roads (if you want to call them that) were not recommended because to all the rain. The boys earned a Junior Ranger badge (#4).
The park has a number of interesting structures and features. The most interesting are are structures that are the remnants of the plumbing system of ancient geysers or hot springs. You can see them as the column of grey rock rising from the red sandstone.
Very unique and beautiful little park.
At the bottom of Bryce Canyon there is a short hike to Mossy Canyon, Bryce"s version of a weeping rock. Great short, easy hike.
There is also a neat little waterfall near Mossy Cave. Beautiful in the desert like environment.
We really like Bryce Canyon National Park.
The Cedar Breaks are elaborate sink holes in the high altitude cedar forest in southwestern Utah. The erosion reveals the underlying colorful layers of rock.
At over 10,000 ft. the Cedar Breaks are a very unique and beautiful environment. I love the way that the creek in the canyon shines in the evening sun.
Red Canyon National Forest (Park #4). This is a sample of Red Canyon National Forest. The color of the rock is intense. Makes me feel like we are in Bedrock as part of a Flinstone's episode.
Bryce Canyon National Park (Park #5). A remarkable little park with amazing rock formations. Hoo Doos and spires. All formed by the erosion caused by daily freezing and thawing. There are no rivers to form a canyon. Its really an elaborate sink hole. The colors are simply amazing. Lots of things to do in the area. Some great day hikes!
A rainbow over Bryce. How delightful.
A look down Wall Street. A deep and accessible slot in Bryce. We were lucky the park service had just cleared out a large rockslide that happened in April. The trail had just opened up that week.
The trail drops steeply into the canyon.
A big series of switchbacks.
As you can see the Wall Street passage gets very narrow.
Looking back up the canyon from where the slot begins. You can see the trail because of the visible hikers.
Diane and the boys have reached the end of Wall Street.
There are some big pines growing at the end of the canyon. They are reaching for the sun in the slot of these narrow passages.
Alex with some very orange rocks at the base of wall street. I like the way that his hat matches the colors.
A Thunder Storm came up and pounded the area with a driving rain. Luckily we found a big rock overhang for shelter, which kept us dry. The water just runs off the rocks so soon a wash next to the trail became a fast flowing creek. It pushed rocks the size of a cantalope down stream. It was extraordinary to witness a small flash flood.
The trail cleared out during the thunderstorm. We had The Queens Garden to ourselves. A rare treat. Sweet!
Diane in the Queens Garden. The colors of the wet rocks are great after the rain.
Bart and Alex show how big the fist formation is.
A look back at the fist as we hike out of the canyon.
From a viewpoint on another part of the canyon its possible to get a look at the entire area covered by the trail from Wall Steet to Queen Victoria's garden and the Fist. Great hike! One of the best in the park system.
Thor's Hammer. One of the most famous formations in the park.
We visited a nearby petrified forest near Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument (Park #5). Got hit by a big storm. We saw the forest in the rain. Hung out in the car for half hour and gave up on taking a short hike. It looked like it would rain for awhile and the trail was surely a muddy mess. We did go to the Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument visitor center. The boys earned a Junior Ranger Badge (#3) as we waited for the rain to pass.
Kodachrome Basin (park #6) is a neat little State Park located as short distance from Bryce Canyon. Grovsner Arch is located nearby, but the roads (if you want to call them that) were not recommended because to all the rain. The boys earned a Junior Ranger badge (#4).
The park has a number of interesting structures and features. The most interesting are are structures that are the remnants of the plumbing system of ancient geysers or hot springs. You can see them as the column of grey rock rising from the red sandstone.
Very unique and beautiful little park.
At the bottom of Bryce Canyon there is a short hike to Mossy Canyon, Bryce"s version of a weeping rock. Great short, easy hike.
There is also a neat little waterfall near Mossy Cave. Beautiful in the desert like environment.
We really like Bryce Canyon National Park.
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