Tag Archives: national park

A Death Valley Visit

informational, nature, personal, photograph, recreation, travel, , , , , , , , , , ,


<br /> Death Valley Visit<br />

After the 2023 Floods


A scenic two hour drive from the bustling streets of Las Vegas takes you to this expansive desert area. The place is called Death Valley and is the nation’s largest national park.

I’ve visited Death Valley many times before. On this trip I spent only a few hours there specifically to catch a glimpse of something special as you’ll soon find out.



My first stop was at Zabriskie Point



…especially noted for its alluvial runoffs.


 



They date back millions of years



…and form some amazing landscapes.


 



Twenty miles down the road is Badwater Basin, the lowest point in North America. It sits some 280 feet below sea level.



Badwater is a salt flat that spans the width of the valley. It’s basically a dried sea bed from millions of years ago.


 



Here’s a closeup of the terrain at Badwater. Normally the entire basin is covered with salt similar to this. You can walk on some of the terrain but other parts are thin and considered dangerous to traverse.



Something drastic happened this past August. Unprecedented torrential rains caused extreme road and terrain damage. The basin was in part turned into “Lake Manly”. While only a few inches deep in remains there as of January 2024.


As you can see here, many visitors trekked to Death Valley to view the lake in the Badwater basin



As I was driving I couldn’t help but spot large patches of yellow off to the side of the road.



While these flowers are not one of Death Valley’s infrequent superblooms, these patches may be a byproduct of last August’s downpours and flooding. Regardless, these dandelions were a bright spot that stand out against the park’s vast desert terrain .

 

My drive to Death Valley was to see the “lake” that was formed by last summer’s rains. Once again I’m amazed to be a witness to mother nature’s way of creating scenes that I can thoroughly enjoy.

Written by:

Arnie Lee

 

 


National Parks on the Fly

equipment, informational, nature, personal, photograph, recreation, travel, , , , , , , , , ,

When Your Free Time is Limited

 
The May calendar had only a few days left to fit in a visit to two of my favorite places – Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks so it had to be a quick trip. I initially thought about flying to nearby Jackson and renting a car but instead I decided to drive the 3000+ miles lugging a small satchel of clothes and a bunch of camera equipment.

While the drive is long, I totally enjoy the fast changing vistas traversing our impressive interstate highway system and then the spectacular mountains and landscapes of rural Wyoming.

You can read about my six day cross country drive from Grand Rapids by clicking here. Otherwise continue on for the small scrapbook of my visit to the parks.

After 1500 relaxing miles on the lightly traveled highway I arrived at Jackson Hole and the Tetons. I immediately went into visitor mode and armed myself with a couple of cameras to record this quick visit. Following are some of the highlights.

Grand Teton National Park

This is an area of the Tetons settled in the 1890s by Mormans from Utah

The iconic T.A. Moulton barn with low clouds obscuring the Tetons

Here you can see the low water level in Jackson Lake

The water flows from Jackson Lake Dam into the Snake River

This is the Snake River at Oxbow Bend with Mt. Moran in the background

I tried to duplicate this familiar view at Snake River Overlook made famous by Ansel Adams

Another picture of the T.A. Moulton barn after the clouds have lifted

This furry marmot is a resident of Mormon Row

Chapel of the Transfiguration is an Episcopal church in the Tetons

This is the picturesque interior of the church

From a distance the Tetons remain an impressive backdrop to the valley

The popular Jenny Lake is still covered with ice in early May

Yellowstone National Park

This is the iconic Old Faithful Inn

The interior of the Old Faithful Inn is simply breathtaking

A huge crowd of visitors are awaiting the eruption of Old Faithful Geyser

As expected the Old Faithful eruption happens right on time

The Grand Prismatic Spring one of Yellowstone’s most colorful thermal features

Here is some of the hot runoff streaming from the Grand Prismatic Spring

This bison is strolling along the pathway at one of the geysers

I was surprised to find sandhill cranes in Lamar Valley

This herd of bison is relaxing in the Lamar Valley

Here is a lone bighorn sheep near Slough Creek

This is a newborn bison calf

This Yellowstone tour bus is easily identifiable

The Roosevelt Arch marks the North Entrance to Yellowstone

This is the roaring Upper Yosemite Falls in the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone

The Yellowstone River is pouring over the Upper Falls

 

 
You can see that I packed quite a few activities into a few short days in these two national parks.

Can you tell that I thoroughly enjoyed the mini-vacation?

 
 
Written by Arnie Lee
 
 

Road Trip – Part 1

personal, travel, , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

I just returned from another road trip, or should I say half of one. I was delivering an older van that’s been sitting in the driveway for a few years to my son and daughter-in-law who live in Reno, Nevada. In a straight shot, it’s just over 2000 miles from our home in Grand Rapids, Michigan. But I saw the drive as a chance to stop off and enjoy a couple of our magnificent national parks. Anyway, this was only a half of a road trip since I flew home after delivering the van.

I’ve taken to the road cross country dozens of times before so I know the routine. Waking at 4am, I leave Grand Rapids, point the van towards the West and go. Indiana, Illinois and Iowa are a breeze. And while I don’t mean to disparage any part of the trip, Interstate 80 through Nebraska is one of the least interesting 450 miles unless you like seeing corn and wheat fields galore. Afterwards, the slowly rising mountains of Wyoming are a welcome sight. By about 9pm, I pull into Rawlins, Wyoming for a late dinner and some sleep.

I’m up early the next morning and leave the interstate for the northern trek towards Moran Junction – the Tetons and Yellowstone. What a lovely part of the world with vast cattle ranches, scenic buttes, craggy overhangs, deep cut gorges, abundant wildlife. Without having to leave the vehicle, I’m thrilled to view the scenery.

My first order of business is to visit the Tetons where the mountains just pop up from the earth without any intervening foothills. This range across the valley known as Jackson Hole is simply breathtaking.

After driving 1600 miles, I’m more than ready for a hike and head for the trailhead at Taggert Lake. It’s early September and there are many other outdoor lovers enjoying the same sights along the trail.

Next on my agenda is a hop over to South Jenny Lake. Having visited this area several times before with my family, I have an emotional attachment to the lake and its energizing surroundings.

Then on to Oxbow Bend where the Snake River winds through the tree-lined valley. You’ll recognize the view from this iconic location – there’s a myriad of Oxbow Bend photographs that adorn walls and calendars everywhere. From this spot, just point your camera at the mountains, click and you’ll capture an unforgettable view for yourself.

Over to the Jackson Lake Dam. Here the water from the various rivers in Yellowstone collect and feed the Snake River. After the water passes through the dam, it serves the farms and citizens of Wyoming, Idaho, Oregon and Washington. And by the way, the white water rafting downstream is very exciting!

My last stop in the Tetons is at Colter Bay. This is not only a popular camping area, but its large marina handles water craft for the crowd that enjoys the amazing Jackson Lake surroundings and vistas.

At this point, I head north along the John D Rockefeller Jr Memorial Parkway which connects Grand Teton National Park with Yellowstone National Park.

If you’re still with me, you can continue with my visit to Yellowstone National Park in Part 2 of the road trip.