Recent content by Paul_Bear

We did a day hike up and down Little Coal Creek to Kesugi Ridge. Nice hike with great views of Kesugi ridge and of Denali and the Alaska range (we had a clear day). Effort was similar to many White Mountain 4K day hikes. I think we did it the same day we went flightseeing over Denali from...

Be ready for crowds. Parking / traffic can be an issue even without celestial events, so I imagine it will be worse. The Jackson area and the National Park Service has been planning for some time for this event. NPS says it's planning for the busiest day in park history. I know the tram up...

That's a lot of driving While it's a nice drive from Sedona to the Canyon, it's 2 hours each way. Personally I'd pick one location or the other and spend the time outdoors rather than looking out the windshield. The GC day hikes suggested above are all good ideas. Check out the mileage /...

I agree with the recommendation of the west side for best hikes and also the best cacti. The cactus forest in the eastern part of the part was largely killed by cold weather some years ago ... it's regenerating but isn't nearly as impressive as the west side. Hugh Norris trail was great ...

All of those hikes are really nice. - South Turner has an open summit with great views of Katahdin and the area so it's best on a nice day. A very nice reward for about half the effort of climbing Katahdin. - Sandy Stream is an easy stroll from Roaring Brook with great views and sometimes...

1) I've done 3 trips to Glacier and have done all the hikes on your list, they're all really nice. If you're doing Siyeh pass as an in and out from the Going to the Sun road you can add the branch to Piegan Pass if you want a longer hike to another beautiful pass. Iceberg Lake Trail was...

Garfield Ridge Shelter / Tent Site http://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/whitemountain/recreation/recarea/?recid=74635&actid=34

Reports claim 33" for Nashua, but it didn't seem like that much. I would have guessed 24". Here's the summary from the NWS: http://www.hpc.ncep.noaa.gov/discussions/nfdscc2.html

Contacts are by far the best solution I've found for winter hikes. I wear glasses all the time, except for winter hikes where I use the contacts. I carry a case with spare lens solution for the contacts in a pouch around my neck so it doesn't freeze ... and eyeglasses in the pack as backup in...

I just bring two pairs of prescription glasses. Clear ones for in the forest or cloudy days and a set of medium dark sunglasses for above treeline travel. This also gives you something of a backup in case something happens to the ones you're wearing.

:) Cheap flights and proximity to Death Valley, Southern Sierras, Southern Utah, Grand Canyon, etc. It's my favorite gateway to the West.

A nice shorter hike at Red Rocks is Calico tanks - pretty sandstone and if you follow the path after the tanks for 5 minutes you'll get a view down to the valley and the city. There are also some short hikes and scrambling opportunities in the Calico Hills area. Another option that is more...

I bought Lightroom 4 when it was relatively new, so unless things have changed you don't have to rent it. It used to sell in the $75 to $100 range, so price may be an indicator. One thing to be aware of is that they stopped adding RAW support for newer cameras once Lightroom 5 came out. I...

For a shorter hike, drive to Logan Pass and hike to Hidden Lake Overlook. It's super popular, so get there early or late in the day to avoid the worst of the crowds. Mid day the parking lot is full and the trail is overrun with hundreds of park visitors. The scenery is spectacular and close...

Great shots all. I definitely need to do more photography ... and I really need to get out more at night (love those shots, Tim)! The only good shots I got this year were from a summer trip to Wyoming and Montana. Snowy Range, a calm moment in between the thunderstorms, Wyoming Sunrise at...