Quick link to a photo gallery from time this summer in Montana
 

The drive is a fairly long trek from Tucson, about 3 hours, but well worth the trip. Travelling across the flat Sulpher Springs Valley, one could not possibly know the beauty that awaits nestled in the Galiuros. Seems like this year many folks were anticipating a colorful display. While not crowded, there were far more people and folks camping than I had ever seen in the area. Along the trail, it was quiet and very serene. 

It is always difficult to predict the peak for fall leaves, and this year was no exception. While we seemed to be a week or so past peak, the colors did not disappoint. With warmer temperatures, and fall weather seeming to come later every year, I feel fortunate to have captured the intense yellows, reds, and pinks of the leaves. 

Here is another gallery from a backpack into the area several years ago, which included a trip to the Powers Garden and Powers Cabin area. Some very interesting history surrounding this family. Here's a link to one of the stories written about them. 

A documentary about the Powers family was also produced- here's a link to their site 

The Gila River runs westward across southern Arizona and the portion in the Gila Box Riparian National Conservation Area has year round water and is perfect for canoes and kayaks. Bring your binoculars and camera as this area is home to black bear, mule deer, javelina, bighorn sheep, beaver, bobcat, coatimundi and mountain lion. The 2 day paddle trip starts at the Old Safford Bridge near Clifton, ends 23 miles downriver at Dry Canyon near Safford and the group will camp overnight near the halfway point.

This is one of the most scenic and remote areas in Arizona. Can't wait!

This is a slideshow encompassing the Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument and neighboring Coyote Buttes area. Turn up your speakers and enjoy!

This summer I had the opportunity to travel through a region of the US that I had never visited. Our ultimate destination was Michigan. Without a clear route in mind, we opted to stay off the interstate and look for state highways that provided a somewhat direct route. Our actual route was to be decided in large part by the weather. Early June 2016 saw an unusual number of major storms with torrential rains, flooding, and tornadoes. This trip included pulling a 30' fifth wheel. I did not especially want to test my luck with the weather, so while we started out heading east from Tucson, we quickly headed north. We had a relaxing stop in the small town of Hatch, NM, complete with the obligatory Hatch Green Chile burger from Sparky's restaurant. Pretty tasty! I'll need to stop back for the Chili Festival, held in September each year. Chili Festival

Heading north towards Colorado, we decided to take a detour at Cimmarron, home of the Boy Scouts of America Philmont Camp. Several nights of camping in the cool pines made for a relaxing segue into the upcoming journey. Heading up into Colorado, I was taken aback by the flat plains on the east side of the Rockies. As we neared Denver, storm warnings again became a concern, so we looked for a place to ride out the night's storm activity. 

Continuing north, we wandered the back roads of Colorado and up into Nebraska, where we saw the first of what would become endless miles of corn fields as we continued north and east. Interestingly, I was told while much of the corn was for cattle feed, an equal amount was being grown for bio-diesel fuel. We also were surprised to see the number of wind turbines, but considering the strong winds that blow across the midwest plains, it was evidence of the growing use of sustainable energy sources. 

As the week went along, storm activity only became more intense through the panhandle region, so we continued to head north across Nebraska and into South Dakota. Although not on the original itinerary, Mount Rushmore became our next destination. Finding that campgrounds in the area were already reserved, we began looking for sites further south from Rapid City, and came across a real gem. Angostura State Park, south of Rushmore, is a beautiful reservoir with boating, camping, and fishing. Best of all, it was nearly empty! That's the beauty of an open itinerary- being able to stumble across hidden gems that you would not have otherwise even given a thought. Two days at Angostura served as base camp while we visited Mount Rushmore and nearby Badlands National Park. 

Continuing east, we traveled back through Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, and into Michigan. Corn, corn, and more corn! A pleasant and unexpected surprise occurred as we approached the Iowa/Illlinois border. Situated along the banks of the mighty Mississippi is the town of LaClaire, Iowa, home to Mike Wolfe and Antique Archeology from the American Pickers tv show. LaClaire is a beautiful small touristy town that bustled with tourist activity. The visit to Antique Archeology became a highlight of the journey. 

Having arrived at our destination in Michigan, we spent the next two weeks enjoying the serenity of small town USA. Staying with family in Smyrna, Michigan (about 1 hour out of Grand Rapids) we enjoyed a host of activities including kayaking the Flat River, viewing lighthouses along Lake Michigan, watching a water works show in Grand Haven, and sneaking in a round of golf- first time in 20 years! We also took a long day trip to the Upper Peninsula, visiting Sault Ste Marie and the Soo locks. Amazing to see the huge cargo ships as they traverse the 21 foot drop between Lake Michigan and Lake Huron through the locks. Soo Locks  Thanks to Roy and Margaret for your incredible hospitality!

Running out of time, we opted to forgo the beautiful back roads of America and follow the interstates back west. Much of our route paralleled or was on the old Route 66, which ran over 2000 miles from Chicago to Los Angeles. Remnants of the historic route were still evident along the way. Although most of my journeys have been in the Southwest, I can honestly say that the open road and wanderer lifestyle kind of appeals to me! Just gotta win the lottery........

View the full gallery here

Heading northwest on US 89 just past Page, AZ, Lake Powell borders the Escalante NM. Over the next few days, we spent time day hiking in some of the best canyon areas in the world. The first day of the trip was spent around  Lake Powell and the Glen Canyon Dam, spending the night at the nearby Pariah Outpost in Big Water- our friends Steve and Susan Dodson are the best tour guides for Coyote Buttes area! Be sure to connect with them if you plan a trip to this region. They are extremely knowledgeable, and some of the best folks you will ever meet! 

Glen Canyon Dam Lone Rock Beach Lone Rock Beach

The next day, we headed north past the small town of Escalante, Utah, stopping over for the night at Lower Calf Creek Falls campground. The trail to the falls runs about 6 miles round trip, and is an easy day hike. Along the way are spectacular pictographs from the Fremont Indians who inhabited the area long ago. Unfortunately, some of the pictographs have been damaged by the thoughtless acts of modern man. The 120 foot falls are the highlight of the hike, especially on a hot day.

Fremont Pictographs Fremont pictographs Lower Calf CreekLower Calf Creek

On day 3, we headed down Hole in the Rock road, taking time to do some day hiking and explore several of the more spectacular slot canyons found in the area. Peek-a-Boo and Spooky are two of the best, although not for the claustrophobic or those with limited climbing/scrambing abilities. We were fortunate to have one of the most knowledgeable guides possible - Rudi Lambrechtse, who has spent over 40 years exploring the Escalante area. If you plan to visit the area, be prepared with topo maps and a good guide. Rudi has written one of the best- Hiking the Escalante, available from Amazon.com. After an exhilarating day exploring the slot canyons and getting our legs ready for the upcoming backpack, we camped near the 50 Mile Bench junction, enjoying the distant storms as they passed over the Lake Powell and Vermillion Cliffs. 

The following morning, we headed toward our true destination- Coyote Gulch. Traveling further south on Hole in the Rock road, we left vehicles at the Hurricane Wash trailhead, where we would exit the canyon several days later. Continuing several miles further, we began the journey at the end of Forty Mile Ridge road, a long, sandy 4 wheel drive side road east of Hole in the Rock road. 

Our entry point to the canyon was Crack in the Wall, which necessitated lowering our packs about 20 feet over the ledge, then squeezing through the massive piece of sandstone that had broken away from the main canyon wall, forming a somewhat narrow crack to squeeze through in order to enter the Coyote Gulch. Our first night was spent on an immense sandy shelf undercutting the tall canyon walls. Several in the group made an extended day hike to Stevens Arch, located just beyond the confluence with the Escalante River.

Colorado River at Lee's Ferry

Yellowstone Natl Park thermal poool

Longhorn Steer

Snow Capped Grand Tetons, Wyoming

Grand Falls of the Yellowstone River

Olympic National Park

Fishing Trawler in Port Angeles, WA

Olympic National Park

Hay Barn- Sedro Wooley Valley, WA

Port Angeles sunset

Oregon Coastline

Sunset on the Pacific Ocean

Reach for the Sky

Horsetail Ferns in Olympic National Park

Ferns

Crater Lake National Park, Oregon

Crater Lake Castle

Wild Turkey- Central Oregon

Babbling Brook

Mono Lake, CA sunset

Sierra Nevada Range

London Bridge- Havasu City, AZ

Payson, AZ Summer

Woods Canyon Lake, AZ

Woods Canyon Lake, AZ

Butterfly Flight

Mountain Trail

Fall Leaves

Sabino Lake

Tucson Mountain Petroglyphs

Saguaro Skeleton

Sabino Creek

Sabino Canyon Dam

Thimble Peak- Santa Catalina Mountains

Gila river runs adjacent to a nice, large city park in the mining town of Winkleman. Gila river runs adjacent to a nice, large city park in the mining town of Winkleman.

Unfortunately, in Winkleman, like many of the Arizona mining towns, the boom/bust economy of copper has taken a serious toll on the town. Only the hardy few remain today.

In nearby Superior, the scene is much the same, although the town has had some success promoting the area as an eco-tourism location. Mining, however, remains the primary vision of the area.

Remnants of mining equipment remain in Superior.

Nearby Ray Mine is several miles wide, still a major producer of copper for the area.

Continuing up the road toward Roosevelt Lake is a great camping area along the Gila river. Numerous free camp sites sit alongside the Gila, and invite campers to cool off in the shallow waters of the creek.

At Roosevelt lake, I was drawn to the dam, which was constructed along the Salt river in 1906, and enlarged in 1989. The dam was built primarily as an irrigation supply to the Phoenix area, and to control flooding, although the dam does have a hydroelectric generating capacity of 36 megawatts.

Before dam modifications could begin, a bridge needed to be constructed to route traffic, which until then had driven across the dam. The new bridge, build in 1990, spans 1080 feet across Roosevelt lake.

Roosevelt dam seen from the west side

Looking across the lake at sunset

On a previous trip to Roosevelt, I ventured onto the east side of the lake to a beautiful area called Salome Jug. This drainage from Salome creek, which originates in the White Mountains, is a spectacular hike/float into the narrow walls of the canyon.

Looking down into Salome Jug.

Entrance to Salome.

Narrow canyon walls lead deeper into the Salome Jug area.

Waterfall area deeper into Salome Jug. This is a popular area for those adventurous souls willing to hike several miles, swim/float into the canyon, and in places rappel through the cliff areas.

Arizona never ceases to amaze me. Dry as a bone in some areas, but water is plentiful if you know where to look.

Taken from Mount Lemmon at sunset,  looking down upon Thimble Peak in Sabino Canyon.

Thimble Peak sunset

I discovered a new "favorite place" this year in Central Arizona, near Payson. Not far out of town, the highway climbs onto the Mogollon Rim, where one is treated to magnificent views of the forest. Woods Canyon Lake, a small but beautiful area 4 hours north of Tucson, provided all the amenities I look forward to..... fishing, mountain biking, hiking, kayaking, and watching wildlife.

View from the Mogollon Rim near Payson

In March, Sunny and I made our first ever visit to Hawaii. It sure was hard to identify several favorites from this trip. Everything was so beautiful! Beaches, tropical rain forest, historical monument, tropical flowers, plants, and of course the luau! Great memories.......

Waterfall in the tropical rain forest near Honolulu.

My other favorites can be seen in the following slide show. For best viewing, click on the link at the bottom to see full resolution images.

For best viewing of slideshow images in full screen format click here   http://www.doranphotographicworks.com/myfavoritesof2014

The areas of Southern Colorado, Utah, and Northern Arizona have got to be some of the most spectacular places on earth!

Here are some photos taken before the snow melted away......

After a few days, I wanted something a little bit more remote. Just a few miles up the road was an at-large camping area, right on the edge of the Mogollon Rim! What a view-

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Once I settled in, it was hard to think about leaving. The view was endless, and geology was so colorful!

Woods Canyon Lake is one of several lakes in the area between Payson and Heber. I tried my hand at fishing, and thanks to the generosity of some folks camping next to me, tried out kayaking (first time- and I must say a kayak is now in my future purchase plans).

I even had the good fortune to come across a bald eagle nest with 2 young chicks. One afternoon while fishing, the eagle settled into the branches of a pine just above me. I think it was hoping to snag any fish I caught- I did see it grab someone's catch out on the lake!

While mom was gone, one of the chicks was testing out it's wings- won't be long at all before it is cruising the lake! There were also several osprey that made Woods Canyon Lake their home- beautiful birds.........

A short 15 mile drive (and about a mile long hike) down the road is Chevelon Lake. This beautiful lake is at the base of a deep canyon, and sees very few people because of the steep hike at the end of the road. It was very well worth the walk!

Back near the campsite, I scouted out several incredible hiking, or in my case, mountain biking trails. Great single-track with no crowds. I never saw another person! Thankfully, I never saw a bear either. From what I'm told, they are abundant in the area. I also saw numerous elk, although I was not fortunate enough to have the camera ready to get any shots.

Several weeks before the trip to Aspen Campground, several folks staying at the camp were caught with a campfire in their site. The entire state and National Forests have been in Stage II, and in some areas, Stage III Fire Restrictions because of the extreme drought and heat. These folks did not like being told not to have a fire. They left the campground, hiked around to the back side of Woods Canyon Lake, and set up another site, complete with campfire. Guess they didn't get the message the first time. The fire got away from them, and ended up burning about 150 acres before firefighters were able to bring it under control. It is a miracle they did not set off a huge fire. Driving through Heber/Overgaard, there was still ample evidence of the Rodeo Chedeski fire that raged in 2002, burning nearly 500 thousand acres.

I do believe that I have found my new favorite camping location- Now back home, I am counting the days until the rains come; or until my next trip to the mountains!

Enjoy the following slideshow from the trip-

Enjoy!

On a road trip this week to do a bit of camping and taking photos. I was a bit worried about the continuous posts from the National Weather Service regarding a major winter storm moving into Southern Arizona. Text messages indicated a major blizzard moving into the area. Really, in Southern Arizona?  Not to worry, it was pretty but not overwhelmingly dangerous. We received about 5 inches of snow, while Tucson got about 3 inches as well.

Spent several days at Whitewater Draw, a wildlife reserve south of Willcox, AZ. Thousands of Sandhill cranes spend the winter in the valley surrounding the reserve. In addition to the cranes, we saw an Egret, Snow Geese, Bittern, Hawks and lots of Ducks. Probably the coldest spot we stayed at during the trip; strong winds and being next to the lake did not help things. But, sure was beautiful!

Later headed to Cochise Stronghold, a mountainous area where Cochise and his Apache band lived. Great part was that we almost had the entire campground to ourselves. We met a great couple who were traveling from Alaska- they had been on the road since October, and were headed back to return by April. Their travels had taken them as far as Florida. Sounds like my kind of vacation!

After leaving Cochise, we headed Patagonia Lake and relaxed before heading back home. Spent the remainder of the weekend with friends from work, and had a wonderful time. Hate to go back home, but all good things must come to an end!

                                                                                              Cochise Stronghold

Whitewater Draw, AZ Sandhill Cranes at Whitewater Draw Whitewater Draw, AZ

                                                            Sunrise at Whitewater Draw

Cochise Stronghold, AZ

                     Manzanita in Cochise Stronghold Cochise Stronghold, AZ

            Rare February Snowfall in Arizona at the Cochise Stronghold

If you are in the Phoenix vicinity Friday, stop by and take a look!

http://artlinkphoenix.com/first-fridays/

http://www.dailygrindphoenix.com/

I did not take my camera today. These shots and video were done with an iphone, and came out pretty darn good, if I do say so myself! Don't have the pixel resolution of the Canon, but overall I was happy with the results. The background music was selected more for the titles than anything, so some of the lyrics seem a bit out of place. I did go way back in the time machine to get a few 70's classics.  http://youtu.be/BzxqcZiTDVQ