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Kayaking down the West Fork of Choctawhatchee River from CR 59 to Hywy 231


We put in at the CR 59 river access point. The road to the river was unpaved but short any vehicle should have no problem making thier way to the river access point. Kayaks had to be carried a short distance down the hill as there is no boat ramp. I did not check the river height but it had just r ained and you could clearly see that the river was as high as it was going to get this season. It may be impassable during light rain months.
5.76m More

During our trip to Washington, my wife and I went on a sea kayaking tour/whale watching excursion with Sea Quest Expeditions. Unfortunately, the only whales we saw were from shore as we were putting the kayaks in the water, but the trip was still a lot of fun. The coast is beautiful, our guide was fun and knowledgeable, and the weather was great.

I had never paddled in a tandem ka yak before, and had actually never used a kayak with rudder pedals, so it took a few minutes to get accustomed to the craft. The group went at a very leisurely pace, so getting worn out and sore wasn't a concern at all.

We saw bald eagles, touched some jellyfish, and ate some kelp. The wildlife viewing wasn't as spectacular as we had hoped, but it was still well worth it. As I debated between a kayak tour and a motored whale watching boat tour, a friend pointed out, "Even if you don't see any whales, you still got to go kayaking." He was right. More

* We actually started on May 14, 1804, and returned September 23, 1806.

As a deckhand on the Tallship Bounty, we sailed from Puerto Rico to Europe and spent the summer cruising around England, Belgium, Ireland, and into the Baltic. After spending a month in the Baltic we spent another month exploring Norway, and then after a short stop in Falmouth, England we headed back across the Atlantic reaching Virgin Gorda on 11/19 and our final destination St. Thomas on 11/22.

While visiting Mt. Rainier National Park, we hiked the short trails to the Grove of the Patriarchs and to Silver Falls. Both are short trails (about a mile each) so we parked near the Stevens Canyon Entrance Station and hiked to both from there.

The Grove of the Patriarchs is very impressive. There is a small suspension bridge over the Ohanapecosh River just before you get to the grove itself. The loop through the grove is on raised boardwalks, likely to protect the soil and roots from the footsteps of all the visitors.

Silver Falls is beautiful and worth the slightly more challenging hike. You can hear the cascades and see some from the trail long before you reach the falls themselves. There are several places where you can scramble down closer to the river for a better look, but this is not recommended. Not only is it against park rules to leave the trail, it is also dangerous. People have died around these falls. Once you see the water, you will realize that you don't want to be in it. More

5 Men, 2 Canoes, 1 Kayak, and God's Beautiful Creation

On a recent trip to Rainier and Olympic National Parks, my wife and I hiked the Ozette Loop Trail heading first to Sand Point, then to Cape Alava. We camped at Cape Alava for the night. Cape Alava had good campsites and a latrine, and is the only camping area on the loop that allows campfires. Driftwood is plentiful, but you may have to walk far from camp to gather it, as this is a fairly high traffic campground. There is a tiny stream to use as a water source. It is only as deep as a puddle, and was only visible on the beach as a wet spot in the sand that went all the way to the treeline. Backcountry permits are required, and reservations are recommended for camping.

The trail was great. The vast majority of the trail through the forest was on cedar plank boardwalk. The boardwalk was easy walking thanks to good weather, but I have heard that it can become very slippery after rain. There are definitely a few planks that need to be replaced, but I am a big guy and had a decent size pack, and I didn't break through any of them.

The trail along the coast was not a trail, it was the beach. The ground varied a lot here. Some areas were sand, some gravel, and some very rocky. My wife has an old ankle injury that made the slippery rocks difficult for her, but I had no trouble. There are two points along the trail (marked on all the maps I viewed) that are impassable at high tide. The tide was in our favor for both, but my wife thought it would be easier to go up the overland route at the Wedding Rocks anyway, only because of how many slippery rocks she would have to crawl over to stay on the beach. The up and over routes are no walk in the park if you are carrying a pack. The trail is steep enough to need your hands at times. We passed several large trees that had washed up that we had to go over, under, or out in the water to get around. This is obviously a variable condition.

We did not see any seals, or sea lions, but could hear them the entire time we were in camp. They weren't loud enough to keep us up, but we could hear them until we fell asleep.

Overall, it was a great hike. The forest and coast are both beautiful, and the changing scenery is always interesting. My wife is not as much of an outdoor lover as I am, but she enjoyed herself, and really thought the place was gorgeous. More

Possible trip for this summer

My Wife and I backpacked a short section of the AT on our way back to Illinois from Georgia. The original plan was to hike the AT to Charlie's Bunion, turn off and camp at the Kephart Shelter for the night, and loop back to the AT and out the next morning. She ended up having ankle trouble before we even got to the more strenuous terrain, so we ended up eating lunch at Charlie's Bunion and doubl ing back.

Charlie's Bunion is a beautiful spot. The Icewater Spring shelter looked like nice accommodations, and was fairly close to the water source. I am told that the Kephart shelter is in a perfect spot, right next to water, but unfortunately, we didn't make it there.

Overall, it was a great hike. More

Arrive in L.A. 17th.
Stay in L.A. 17-20.
Leave L.A. to Carmel on the 20th.
Stay in Carmel 20-21.
Leave Carmel to Yosemite on the 21st.
Stay in Yosemite 21-23.
Leave Yosemite to Reno/Lake Tahoe on the 23rd.
Stay in Reno/Lake Tahoe 23-24.
Leave for San Francisco on the 24th.
Stay in San Francisco 24-27.
Leave San Francisco to H ouston on the 27th.

We got a late start, and only had about 1.5 hours to hike before we needed to take off. We decided to hike the orange trail due to our time constraints. It took exactly 1.5 hours at a leisurely pace, but we didn't have much time to explore along the way.

Due to the soil composition (hence the name) compounded with erosion from vehicles and horses, walking on the trails was identic al to walking on the beach. It got a little tedious at times, but was definitely a unique experience in an Illinois forest.

We saw more horseback riders than hikers, and had to keep an eye out for road apples (horse manure) both old and fresh.

The oaks and hickories hadn't leafed out yet, so the forest was pretty drab, but it's probably quite pretty in the summer and fall. More

Enjoyed a nice river side walk on one of the first warm days of the year! We only mapped part of it... wanted to test the GPX file import! Looks good!

From nps.gov

"7.2 miles/11.6 km round-trip
6 to 8 hours
2,700 ft/823 m elevation gain

Begin at the Upper Yosemite Fall Trailhead, Camp 4 (shuttle stop #7)

One of Yosemite's oldest historic trails (built 1873 to 1877), the Upper Yosemite Fall trail leads to the top of North America’s tallest waterfall 2,425 feet (739 m) above the Valley floor. Do not stray off the marked path, as you will find steep drops adjacent to the trail. Enjoy spectacular views from Columbia Rock located one mile (and dozens of switchbacks) from the trailhead." More

Unfortunately, the USGS Topo maps do not line up exactly on the TerraServer. The beginning of the trail is accurate on the 'topo' view, while the Half Dome Trail portion only matches the 'terrain' view.

From nps.gov:

"Permit required Fridays-Sundays & holidays

(cables typically up from late May to early October)

via Mist Trail 14 mi/ 22.5 km round-trip; via Mist and John Muir Trails 15.2 mi/24.4 km round-trip

10 to 12 hours; 4,800 ft./1,463 m. elevation gain.

Begin at Happy Isles (shuttle stop #16)

DO NOT BEGIN THIS ASCENT IF: 1) the cables are down, 2) there is any chance of rain (moisture makes the granite too slick for safety), or 3) there is any chance of lightning.

Follow the Mist Trail or John Muir Trail to Nevada Fall. Continue on the trail, following the signs to Half Dome. The last 900 feet (275 m) of trail is a very steep climb up the east side of Half Dome. Cables assist hikers on the final 400 feet (122 m). They consist of two steel cables, about 3 feet apart and suspended at arm’s height from pipes set in the rock. The top of Half Dome is a fairly large and level open surface. Camping is not permitted on top of Half Dome." More

From nps.gov:

"This trail passes along the lush, marshy Big Meadow, and through forests of lodgepole pine, quaking aspen, subalpine fir, and Engelmann spruce. Watch for moose and elk foraging in the meadow and explore the cabin ruins of early settlers. This hike is 7.6 miles long and should take about 3.5 - 4 hours. (1100' gain)"

From nps.gov:

"This is a 4.8 mile hike to picturesque Timber Lake. The trail climbs through a number of short switchbacks leading to a meadow where subalpine flowers bloom. After a second set of switchbacks, Timber Lake comes into view. allow 5-6 hours for this steep hike. (2060' gain)"

From nps.gov:

"Photogenic Cascade Falls is 3.4 miles into the North Inlet Trail. This easy hike passes through an open meadow where marmots are often found and by a river that winds through a lodgepole pine forest. Fishing is good for small brook trout and an occasional brown trout. Allow about 3-4 hours for hiking this trail. (300' gain)"

Flattop Mountain on the North Inlet Trail from the North Inlet Trailhead.

I sailed as crew on Tallship Bounty for six months of their 2010 season. I got on board in Bath, Maine and ended the trip in Boothbay Harbor Maine, after spending the summer sailing through all five great lakes to Duluth Minnesota.

Friend Phil Middleton and myself paddled 1,905 miles from the headwaters of the Nameakagen River in northern Wisconsin to "Moon Walk" landing in downtown New Orleans. The trip took a total of 66 days to complete.

Possible summer trip for June of July

Out and back on the Lost Palms Oasis at Joshua Tree National Park with a side hike to the Mastadon Peak (\m/). Great hike with gorgeous views, so happy I was able to do this.

Backpacked 35 miles south to the southern terminus of the Laurel Highlands Hiking Trail