Happy 10th Anniversary to One Day in America!

          One Day in America celebrated its 10th anniversary in March of 2021.  To commemorate the occasion I chose to share ten former posts written about destinations I have visited only once, but long to see again.  

        

Sandhill Cranes take flight at Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge.

         

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          1.  Redwoods State and National Parks, California.  A stroll through California's Redwood forests should be required of every human.  This may sound like hyperbole but I nominate Redwood Trees for the title: 'Earth's Greatest Living Beings'.  I would like nothing more than to walk among the giants again.  Feel small and insignificant—but in the best possible way—by clicking here.

The big trees are calling, and I must go.

Yes, that's the trunk of one redwood tree, to my left.

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          2.  White Sands National Park, New Mexico.  Surely there are other phantasmagorical locales on our planet.  But when you arrive at White Sands—as I did on a March day with few other visitors—and gaze upon the endless folds of white, you can't help but feel as though you're living a dream.  My goal is to return and camp overnight in this ethereal world.  Live the dream here.

A lone hiker in the White Sands.

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         3.   North Captiva Island, Florida.   You know how we're advised to visualize our "happy place" when we're feeling stressed or sad?  Well, North Captiva Island off Florida's Gulf Coast qualifies as one of my happy places.  You can't help but smile when you're watching White Pelicans dip and soar while listening to the ebb and flow of the tide.  Upon arriving home from North Captiva I vowed to go back within a few years.  I regret to admit it's been 24 years and I have yet to return to this happy place.  But, don't worry, be happy... and click here.

White Pelican conference on North Captiva Island.

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         4.  Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, New Mexico.   I have witnessed many a spectacular sunset, but the sunsets—and sunrises too—at Bosque del Apache are beyond spectacular.   Add to it the cacophony of tens of thousands of migratory birds, and you have an "I can't believe I'm alive to witness this" experience.   Share in the magic, by clicking here.

Sunset in Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge.

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              5.  Trail of the Coeur d' Alenes, Idaho.   If you have a road bike and don't want to cycle in traffic, this 72 mile paved rail trail is the way to go.  Spanning Idaho's panhandle, this easy trail is a delight.  You'll ride past marshlands, woodlands and welcoming small towns.  Go along for the ride, by clicking here.

Crossing a lake in Idaho's panhandle on The Trail of the Coeur  d' Alenes.

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        6.  Hovenweep National Monument, on the Colorado/Utah border.  The treasures of Hovenweep inspire reverence for the ancient inhabitants of our continent.  The Puebloan ruins there have stood for an amazing 10,000 years.  Be amazed by the ancients here.

A ruin with a view, in Hovenweep National Monument.

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       7.  Berlin-Ichthyosaur State Park, Nevada.  A gold and silver mine and giant prehistoric fish-lizard bones?   Yes, artifacts of both can be found in this park which was once a great inland sea.  Intrigued?  Satisfy your curiosity here.

A return to this desert campground in Berlin-Ichthyosaur S.P. would be fine with me.

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       8.  Crater Lake National Park, Oregon.  To those who have never been there, your first view of Crater Lake will take your breath away.  When you begin to breathe again you will continually blink your eyes to be sure the vision in front of you is real.  The magnificent blue reflected back to your eyes is the result of the lake's depth and clarity.  To read about another of the lake's wonders, or, if blue is your favorite color (it is mine), click here.

You can stop pinching yourself now.  The color is real.

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       9.  Coyote Buttes, Arizona.   This is a tough one.  Do I wish I could return to this geologic wonderland?  Yes, I do.  But in reality, like too many wondrous places in America, Coyote Buttes has been "discovered".  To protect this fragile area only a certain number of visitation permits are issued per day.   And while it was once easy to secure a permit in the off-season (I was there one January) people now wait years to secure a lottery permit, or wait in long lines at the BLM office to snag one of a handful of first-come-first-served daily permits.  The area is worth a visit, but it will take some effort to do so.  Check out the surreal landscape here, then decide whether or not to get on the waiting list.

The next time you complain about the wind, behold what the wind can do.

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         10.  Medicine Lodge Archeological Site State Historic Park, Wyoming.   When Tim and I drove into this park in July of 2020 I thought:  This could be any old campground in any old place.  We stayed for two nights, but I wished we could have stayed much longer.  Medicine Lodge has an indescribable allure.  It could be the wildlife, the wilderness, the archeology and paleontology, or even the blue-ribbon trout stream.  Whatever it is, the attraction is strong.  And before you realize it, you know you're in one of Wyoming's special places.   Experience the enchantment of this park by clicking here.

Not just any old place.  Medicine Lodge takes hold of you.
 I will return.

All Alone in Yellowstone: Winter Treks and Trails

           All alone in one of our nation's most heavily visited national parks?  Well, technically, no.  But practically, yes.  The section of Yellowstone between the northern entrance in Gardiner, Montana and the northeastern entrance in Cooke City, Montana is lightly visited during winter.

          Trails and byways along the 56 mile road between the two towns are open to cross-country skiing, snowshoeing and hiking.  What they are not open to is snowmobiling, resulting in blissful quiet and solitude. 

          The map below shows the locations of six trails Tim and I accessed on a recent trip to Yellowstone National Park.  (Numbers and arrows in bold black.)

Click on map to enlarge.

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            1.  Mammoth Upper Terrace Loop Trail.  This trail, just south of the town on Mammoth Hot Springs, leads to views of hot springs, travertine terraces, and the surrounding mountains.  

            What are travertine terraces?  The following definition is from Wikipedia:  "In Yellowstone, travertine results from a simple interaction of hot water, limestone, and a fault zone. The mineral-rich water then travels to the surface along a fault zone.  Travertine terraces are some of the most bizarre-looking geological formations on Earth. The rock that makes up these unique formations is a type of limestone commonly deposited by mineral springs through a process of rapid precipitation of carbonate minerals.”

            And there you have it, the reason we ski the travertine terraces loop every time we're in the park—to view these bizarre and beautiful formations without the crowds.  We encountered six other people while skiing this loop.

The Upper Terraces Loop Trail winds around this travertine terrace formation.

                       

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            2.  Blacktail Plateau Ski/Snowshoe Trail.  This groomed 8 mile trail follows open meadows and then descends into a spruce-fir forest.

We traveled only a short distance in the open meadow.  
Tim snowshoed along the edge while I skied.


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              3.   Tower Fall Trail.   This trail ascends a gradual slope to Tower Fall and Campground.

Skiing the Tower Fall Trail.  Notice two bison grazing in the distance
to the left of the trail.  The Park Service requires visitors to remain 25 yards 
from Bison and other large animals, and 100 yards from wolves and bears.

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            4.  Trout Lake Trail.  This trail is more easily snowshoed than skied.  During the summer season a steady stream of tourists crowds this trail on their way to the lake—renowned for its trout fishing.  On a January afternoon—save for a lone bison grazing in the forest—we had this trail to ourselves.

View from the Trout Lake Trail.

Tim crosses a bridge at the west end of Trout Lake.

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            5.  Pebble Creek Box Canyon.  This very short trail leads from Pebble Creek Campground (closed in winter) into a stunning box canyon.  

We snowshoed into the canyon until a tangle of deadfall blocked our path.

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            6.  Barronette Trail.   This trail, in the northeastern-most section of the park, is a 3.5 mile section of the Old Cooke City road.  The trail lies mostly in conifer forests beneath Barronette Peak.

Orange blazes (tree on the right) mark this trail.

View from the Barronette Trail.

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            Do tourists visit Yellowstone in winter?  Yes, they do.  Snowmobilers and wildlife photographers "crowd" some sections of the park.  Less popular are the trails through meadows and forests.  Perhaps this post will inspire others to experience solitude while exploring Yellowstone's winter wonders.   

A Snowshoe Outing in Southeast Utah's Ashley National Forest

         One advantage to living in Price, Utah is the ability to find snow—somewhere—all winter long.  No snow in town?  Hop in the car and drive to the top of the nearest mountain. 

         Last week Tim, Annie and I snowshoed Gray Head Peak Trail at Indian Canyon Summit in the Ashley National Forest, half an hour from our house.  To reach the summit—at 9100 feet elevation—a long, winding, and sometimes treacherous drive is required.  But it’s all worth it to arrive at this winter wonderland destination.

     Annie is a happy dog who loves all sorts of adventures.  

But I think she’s at her happiest when dashing through the snow.

Gray Head Summit (center) is straight ahead.  

From this point it’s another 3.5 miles to the summit.  

I’ve never made it that far but this trail is a rewarding one—no matter how far you go.

         Trail magic is the name for those unexpected delights you discover while walking in the wilds.  In the Ashley National Forest on Indian Canyon Summit trail magic is supplied by a couple of old-time "Mountain Men" named Steve Fischer and John McCurdy.  

         Steve and John have been hiking and cross-country skiing the mountain top for decades and long ago they decided the trails could use rest stops along the way—sheltered places to set up camp, or simply to build an afternoon campfire, rest on a large log, and revel in quiet and solitude.

       While hiking Gray Head Peak trail last summer I discovered one of these hiker's havens set off the trail in a small group of trees.  

       "Who built this?"  I asked my hiking companions.

       "That would be McCurdy," they replied.  "He's old-school, a real mountain man, skis on wooden skis, carries a bota bag of wine, builds campfires in the woods."

        Last week, as Tim and I prepared to snowshoe Gray Head trail a beat-up pickup truck pulled in to the trailhead and a lean, white-haired gentleman emerged.  He retrieved a pair of old wooden skis from the bed of his truck. 

       Seeing the wooden skis (but no leather bag of wine) I had to ask: "Are you John McCurdy?  I heard you built the fire pit up on the mountain."

       "No, I'm Steve Fischer,"  was the reply.  "John and I are friends and he's the more flamboyant of us, the one people remember.  But yeah, I'm the one who mostly built that fire pit, and several others in the mountains around here.  John and I have skied almost every square foot of these mountains and we never tire of the fresh air and the views."

      "So then you're the original mountain man," I said.

      "Well, I don't know about that, but I sure would have loved to have been alive in 1850 and explored this area back then."

       "Did you cut the logs for benches?"  I said.

       "Yep, and every year—after the hunters have gone—I haul a load of firewood up here for the pits."

       "Thanks for taking care of these mountains."

        "Oh, sure," said Steve.  "Hey, you should come up here sometime to snowshoe or ski when the moon is full.  It's magical.  Well, have a good time out there today."

We did have a good time out there.  And maybe we'll take Steve's advice and return on a full-moon night, to snowshoe this mountain top by magical moonlight.