Thursday, September 27, 2012

Mammoth Hot Springs Terraces

@ the top of Mammoth Hot Springs Terraces
Mammoth Hot Springs Terraces trail is one of the best way to experience Mammoth Hot Springs. The trail is a series of walkway and boardwalk loops. The boardwalk climbs 300 ft along marginally steep grades and wooded staircases.

Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Part 2 of Grand Canyon Rim to River Hike Via South Kaibab-Bright Angel Trail

Before continuing to the main content of this post, let me quickly share with you the interview I had with Nature Center Magazine. If you have some time, I invite you to read my thoughts on nature and blogging. Thank you so much - Betchai

Mules Carrying Some of Hiker's Camping Gears
This is the continuation of Grand Canyon Rim to River Hike via the South Kaibab-Bright Angel loop trail Part 1. In part 1, you will find the summary of hike and description of the route. In Part 2, we discuss the other questions frequently asked about this hike.

Grand Canyon Rim to River Hike Via South Kaibab-Bright Angel Trail Part 1

hiker at grand canyon south kaibab trail
Hiker at South Kaibab Trail, Grand Canyon National Park
Mileage: 16 - 17+ miles, depending on your wandering in the trails and at the bottom of the river gorge
Elevation Change: 5000 ft descent/ascent
Best Time to Hike: During cooler months, late October - early April
Best Route: South Kaibab trail- river-Bright Angel trail

Some common questions asked in this hike:

Monday, September 24, 2012

A Lifetime Pass

We recently bought Lifetime Membership for a lifetime pass at Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve. Is it worth it? I must say, it is!
Torrey Pines Cliffs from Flat Rock, San Diego, CA
( both pictures, top and bottom, were taken using the Panorama Feature in the new IOS application of iPhone)
Flat Rock from Torrey Pines Cliffs, San Diego, CA

Where is The Spot for Leaf Peeping in California?

 North Lake, Bishop Creek Canyon, Bishop, CA
California is not best known for its autumnal hues, as most of its forest is evergreen. It is however better known for spring wildflowers, where the otherwise dry barren land would put forth a phantasmagoric show of a million buds of wildflowers fluttering in the breeze.

Tuesday, September 18, 2012

Hidden Lake, Glacier National Park, Montana

Snow Covered Trail to Hidden Lake, Glacier National Park, Montana
Glacier National Park was our last stop during our Wyoming-Montana vacation last summer. One of the must-do hikes I listed in our itinerary was Hidden Lake. When I first saw pictures of the Hidden Lake, with the melting snow causing waterfall, and beautiful wildflowers adorning the majestic rugged peaks, I told myself, "we must go here!" 

Monday, September 17, 2012

Mesa Arch, Canyonlands

Mesa Arch, Islands in the Sky District, Canyonlands National Park, Utah
Canyonlands National Park is another amazing National Park in the Grand Circle of the America's Southwest.   It pretty much looks like an ancient desert ruin, but a marvelously landscaped ruins. The park preserves an awe-inspiring landscape as a result of river erosion by the Colorado River and its tributaries. The rivers divide the park into 4 districts: The Island in the Sky, the Needles, the Maze, and the rivers themselves.

Sunday, September 16, 2012

Crater Lake National Park, OR

Crater Lake National Park, OR ( 1) 
Crater Lake was one of the National Parks we visited in the Klamath Region Circle of Parks of Northern California and Southern Oregon. From Mt. Shasta, CA, where we stayed after our adventures at Burney Falls and Lassen Volcanic, the drive to Crater Lake was approximately 2 hrs and 40 minutes. Though the drive seemed long, but it was very enjoyable for us, taking pictures of Northern California's and Southern Oregon's countryside, where everything was all so green and white (from snow) graced by cows, some horses and some field of wildflowers. When we finally arrived at Crater Lake and taking in our first glimpse, we were filled with awe at this crater on top of the mountain.

Friday, September 14, 2012

The Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone


Lower Fall from Red Rock Point, Grand Canyon of The Yellowstone River
(can you see the people at the brink of the waterfall?)
In my previous post, I shared about Gibbon Falls, which is a beautiful roadside waterfall in Yellowstone National Park. In this post, I will be featuring two of the more popular waterfalls in Yellowstone, the Upper Falls and Lower Falls which sit at the head of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone River.

Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Rediscovering LA, part 2

Grapes @ Gainey Vineyard
In part 1 of Rediscovering LA, I ended my post with Gainey's Vineyard. In this post, I will start with a hike at Malibu.
Because I am not very familiar with hikes in LA, my cousin chose the place to hike. She chose Solstice Canyon Deer Valley Loop Trail with a short side trip to the Robert's Ranch House Ruins. The hike is 6-mile round trip with 1000 ft elevation gain. The trail winds through chaparral, coastal sage, oak woodlands, and grassy meadows. 
Oak Woodland at Solstice Canyon, Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area