foxalo
Trail Wise!
Life is infinitely stranger than anything the mind could invent.---Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Posts: 2,359
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Post by foxalo on Dec 1, 2016 13:37:00 GMT -8
@gooniesnvrsaydie I found Craters of the Moon pretty unique. I thought it was worth the trip slightly out of our way. We went into the Buffalo cave. We wanted to go into the Boy Scout cave, but it was so crowded, so we skipped that one. My son wants to go back and see the Boy Scout cave one day though. I definitely want to go back to that area of the country and explore more. I felt rushed.
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markskor
Trail Wise!
Mammoth Lakes & Tuolumne Meadows...living the dream
Posts: 651
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Post by markskor on Dec 1, 2016 13:51:36 GMT -8
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walkswithblackflies
Trail Wise!
Resident terrorist-supporting eco-freak bootlicker
Posts: 6,934
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Post by walkswithblackflies on Dec 1, 2016 14:01:24 GMT -8
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whistlepunk
Trail Wise!
I was an award winning honor student once. I have no idea what happened...
Posts: 1,446
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Post by whistlepunk on Dec 1, 2016 14:43:29 GMT -8
Had to stop and think where I went this year...
Colorado National Monument (OK, it is a NM, not a NP, but still run by NPS), Curecanti NRA (again NPS), Black Canyon NP, Rocky Mountain NP, Lassen NP (I live close enough to walk there, but I am still counting it), Mount Rushmore National Memorial (not a NP, but still NPS), Devils Tower NM, Badlands NP. Probably missed a few. Bunch of Wildlife Refuges, but they are not the topic of this thread. Numerous state parks.
Next year? Our trips last summer ate into the finances, so we may have to take it easier next summer and stay closer to home until the bank account recovers. Plans not firmed up, but maybe back to North Cascades if we can afford it, as we were smoked out and ran off by the fires last visit. I also want to go back to the southern UT Parks, as the last time through was a if-this-is-Tuesday-it-must-be Zion type of trip. Bucket list has Teddy Roosevelt NP, but it is out of the way and not easy to plan into a extended tour of the western U.S. Then again, I have some dandy secluded dispersed camping spots within an hours drive. Nice to just go relax with a fishing pole for a few days and not see another soul.
Snowbirding in AZ right after New Years. There is something singularly refreshing receiving winter storm warning texts for home on a cell phone while hiking in the desert in 75 degree temps...
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balzaccom
Trail Wise!
Waiting for spring...
Posts: 4,534
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Post by balzaccom on Dec 1, 2016 14:46:41 GMT -8
Let's see...
We did a week in Death Valley in March, and loved it.
Also spent time in SEKI and loved that.
Also took trips in Yosemite and loved that.
And did trips in Emigrant, Carson-Iceberg, and Caribou Wildernesses.
Do we have to pick one?
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Post by hikerchick395 on Dec 1, 2016 14:48:34 GMT -8
dang markskor is that a pin? The only one I've seen this year was in Death Valley that included the NPS birthday and the name of the national park. (I did get a t-shirt from Yosemite before the concessionaires switched...now the t-shirts don't say Yosemite National Park...just Yosemite.) I heard that Yosemite was a bit weary from anniversaries...2014, the Yosemite Grant and 2015, the 125th anniversary of the park...so they weren't planning anything much. (At the Grand Canyon, last December, they had centennial stuff, but I was there in 2015 not 2016.) yes davesenesac pm me when you come back to Death Valley
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Post by hikerchick395 on Dec 1, 2016 14:54:01 GMT -8
balzaccom ...I just picked Death Valley because there was so much new (to us) to explore. Including Sidewinder Canyon (that you reported on,) which in the beginning of the year was sort of a hush-hush destination and now it is a suggested hike in the visitor guide.
yes I love me some Yosemite and SEKI...was lucky to get a week's campground rezzies in Yosemite Valley AND a week in Tuolumne plus a backpacking permit in Tuolumne AND a Mount Whitney permit this year.
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Post by hikerchick395 on Dec 1, 2016 15:09:14 GMT -8
whistlepunk...it's amazing how you can get away from folks in busy national parks. In Death Valley it's sort of easy, but managed to go on a couple of hikes in Yosemite without seeing people past a mile or so from the trailhead. Timing is everything in some cases.
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mk
Trail Wise!
North Texas
Posts: 1,217
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Post by mk on Dec 1, 2016 15:39:56 GMT -8
This is me green with envy for all you lucky travelers ...
The only NP I made it to this year was Guadalupe just a couple of weeks ago. It was my second time there, but I was able to see the fall colors and a different part of the park, which was very cool. Our youngest graduates from college in 2 1/2 weeks and we are taking her to a NP in the summer to celebrate. She is torn between Yellowstone (because she's never been there and wants to see it) and Glacier (because she knows she loves it there). Looking forward to whichever she chooses ...
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whistlepunk
Trail Wise!
I was an award winning honor student once. I have no idea what happened...
Posts: 1,446
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Post by whistlepunk on Dec 1, 2016 15:58:05 GMT -8
it's amazing how you can get away from folks in busy national parks... Sometimes it is hard and we are not often completely successful. You really have to seek out the lesser known trails or head off trail. This may mean not seeing the premier post card sights. My avatar photo is at RMNP, and it was hard just getting that picture with no photobombers. Made up for it the next day with some off trail up a side canyon.
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driftwoody
Trail Wise!
Take the path closer to the edge, especially if less traveled
Posts: 15,004
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Post by driftwoody on Dec 1, 2016 17:46:12 GMT -8
I live in Chicagoland, and have rarely gone anywhere I can't drive in a day (as far as RMNP to the west and the Adirondacks to the east). Mostly I've headed southeast to the Appalachians or north to the U.P. In 2014 my senior softball team (55+) started going to the World Masters National Championship tournament the last weekend in September. I decided to take my first two week vacation in more than two decades and a hiking/softball buddy on an epic road trip (4,334 miles) to hike in Southern Utah on the way to and from Las Vegas where the tourney was held. In order, we visited: - Canyonlands
- Zion
(softball tournament)
- Zion again
- Grand Canyon North Rim
- Bryce Canyon
- Capitol Reef
- Arches
Plus some other great places in between. 525 pics for anyone with time to spare.
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Post by Kevin Palmer on Dec 1, 2016 17:47:59 GMT -8
Since buying my national park pass in September it's already paid for itself. In the last 3 months I've visited Yellowstone, Grand Teton, Badlands, Theodore Roosevelt, Wind Cave, Petrified Forest, and Death Valley. Also Devil's Tower, Mount Rushmore, and Bighorn Canyon but those aren't official national parks. Most of the visits were short and none of them were backpacking, although I have some ideas for the future. Just last week I went camping at Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area for Thanksgiving. Like my first visit, I was surprised by the lack of people. It's become a favorite place of mine since it's only 2.5 hours away, although a winter highway closure now makes it take longer. I'm thankful to finally live near so many national parks. When I lived in Illinois, not only did it not have any national parks, but only 1 of the neighboring states did.
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Post by snowman626 on Dec 1, 2016 20:36:00 GMT -8
My family and I spent a wonderful week in Glacier back in June and had an amazing time. I'm a big fan of national parks. I don't find the crowds to be an issue at all when I'm not driving. I think I saw a statistic that said that 90+% of all national park visitors don't leave roadside attractions or parking areas with nice views. I've always been able to find trails where I don't see another hiker the entire time.
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Post by swimswithtrout on Dec 1, 2016 20:57:09 GMT -8
RMNP is 45 minutes away from me. I visit it maybe once every 2-3 years.
There are too many places equally as "beautiful" or better just 45min to 2 hrs away without the crowds and permits. A 4 hr drive gets me to the Wind's, a place that has no equals in the NP realm.
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Post by bradmacmt on Dec 1, 2016 22:18:47 GMT -8
National Parks suck...
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