Quality footwear is important

When my feet hurt it send pain through the whole body.  Uncomfortable shoes can turn a potentially great day into a miserable experience.  I learned those things early in my adult life when I tried to save money and ended up regretting the purchases, although I had to live with my decision since I could not afford to replace my poor choices.

A few years ago I decided to save up and buy higher quality shoes, especially for hiking, walking, and/or camping.  I also had learned that if you want good outdoor equipment or gear I should go to a good outdoor store.  I was directed to REI.

After a lot of looking and testing (and a lot of anguish over the price - I had never spent that much on a pair of shoes) I purchased a pair of Merrell Moab Ventilator.  (At the time I was not blogging so this first picture is of the current Moab Ventilator model but, it has changed very little if any.)

Merrell Moab Ventilator - photo from shoebuy.com

The Moab Ventilator fit is superb.  The insole provides great support and comfort.  I found the shoe, without a doubt, the most comfortable shoe I had ever owned and I still feel that way.  At first I was wearing the Moab for outdoor activities like hiking and camping.  Soon I was wearing it on a daily basis.  I decided I would just wear them out and then get some more.  Well I am still trying to wear them out!  They are extremely durable.

 Photo taken 1/26/2011 at the office.

 Not too bad for 6+ year old shoes that get worn a lot, almost daily.

The Vibram rubber sole is possible the best on the market.  The Vibram sole is used by numerous shoe manufacturers including Red Wing Shoes, Rockport,  North Face, and of course Merrell.  The sole is very durable.  It took a long time to notice much wear in the sole and even today there is a good amount of tread left except on the heels were they get extra wear when I am driving and due to the way I walk.

I am trying to wear them out so I can justify getting a new pair.

The Merrell Moabs took me to Osprey Falls in Yellowstone 

 The Moabs took me to the Biscuit Basin Overlook and Mystic Falls

The shoes kept me comfortable all through Yellowstone.

I am very pleased with the performance, look, and durability of the Merrell Moab Ventilators.  The finishing touches and workmanship are top notch.  I will most likely purchase the waterproof Moab Ventilator soon.  I would also consider any shoe with the Vibram rubber sole.  One thing for sure is that quality shoes are worth the price.

Happy hiking!

Zipping Along

My son and I are planning on doing a zip line this coming summer during our motorcycle trip to the Smoky Mountains.  We have discussed it and some of the other guys going on the trip will join us for the zip line.  Well my son and I were surprised when my mother-in-law gave us and her other son-in-law passes to the Zoomair Adventure Park at the Central Florida Zoo at Christmas.  We had flown out to Orlando for the holidays but, we had never discussed our plans about the zip line with her.  She saw an advertisement for Zoomair and thought of us.

 Photograph from http://www.orlandotourism.us/tag/orlando/ - I deleted the one my son took.

The day after Christmas was unseasonable cool and it was raining.  We wanted to go since Bo would have to head home the next day.  By afternoon the rain had left but, it was still cold.  We called Zoomair and they were open and operating so we head to the zoo.

The three of us ready to go.

The Central Florida Zoo is north of Orlando in the city of Sanford. It is a nice zoo that we had visited in the past (before Zoomair joined them). The zoo sets in a forest and has a great “natural surroundings” for the animals.

When we arrived we were directed to the equipment house where we received an enthusiastic welcome. After being fitted with a harness and gloves our "guide" proceeded to instruct us and educate us on proper technique and safety procedures. After we passed the zip line "test" we were taken to the starting point and then released on the self-guided zip line tour.

My son on one of the early bridges

The first "games", obstacles, or air bridges (whatever you want to call them) were not too hard or very long. We moved from tree to tree at about eight to ten feet above the ground. The first zip was only about 45 feet long and started at a height of about 12 feet and went to the ground. As we continued the obstacles became more challenging and the zips were longer and from greater heights and ended at above ground tree platforms.

 Tightrope with two hand cables 

Slow going on the tightrope

Each bridge was different.  It might have fewer planks, looser ropes, step farther apart...  Each provided its own challenge and flair.

Glad he is had that red security cable

Over, up, and back over

Tree to tree zip

Across the road and fountain - 512 feet of fun!

The highlight came in the last 1/3 of the course with the 512 foot zip that started around 50 feet above the ground. Wind gusts were common that day and a big gust came when I was at the top of the tree trying to hook up to the zip line. The tree swayed, it was pretty wild! Once hooked up I shoved off. It was great. The other two followed.

Bo coming across the long zip

The second to the last zip is a 300+ zip that was about 25 feet above the ground. There were a total of 9 zips and over 40 obstacles/air bridges. We spent about 2.5 hours on the course. It was well worth facing the colder temperatures, especially since after a little while you get warmed up from all the activity.

If you get the chance I suggest you try a zip line and if you are in Central Florida check out Zoomair Adventure Park.

Petit Jean State Park, Arkansas

Arkansas is known as "The Natural State" and after spending some time in the state I would have to agree.  Arkansas has 52 state parks and acres and acres of undeveloped natural beauty.  Arkansas is a great place to ride motorcycles, camp, hike, and enjoy the great outdoors.

Valley as seen from Petit Jean Mountain

Petit Jean State Park is one of the state parks where I have camped and hiked is found northwest of Little Rock near the Arkansas River.  State Highway 154 runs through the park which sits high on a ridge south of the Arkansas River.  The mountain and state park takes their name from Adrienne Dumont who posed as a young man calling herself Petit Jean.  Click here for more on the Legend of Petit Jean.

The mighty Arkansas River

Accommodations include the 24 room Mather Lodge overlooking Cedar Creek Canyon, 21 fully equipped cabins, 12 overnight cabins, and 125 individual campsites.  Petit Jean also boast as being the only Arkansas state park with its own airport.

Another view from the Petit Jean Overlook

In July 2010 a friend and I reserved a tent campsite.  The campsite was well shaded in the late afternoon, had a nice level areas for a tent, and a picnic table.  We arrived around 5:00 P.M., sat up our tent, and then proceeded to investigate the park before dinner at Mather Lodge Restaurant.

Most campsites at Petit Jean SP are shaded.

We rode to the Petit Jean Mountain Overlook.  The overlook provides a great location to view the Arkansas River and the valley below.  The overlook is also the location of the Petit Jean grave and legend says her ghost still hangs around the mountain.

Site of Petit Jean's grave

After spending some time at the overlook we decided to get some dinner at Mather Lodge.  The restaurant is small and cozy with a great view of Cedar Creek Canyon.  While eating dinner we watched a raccoon climb on the back porch and roam around for a while.

Our dinner guest

View from the porch of Mather Lodge

After a relaxing dinner we sat and watched the sunset and walked around the lodge.  After a good night rest we packed up and decided to hike down to Cedar Falls.  The trail is 2 miles and starts at Mather Lodge.  The trail descends 200+ feet with a series of switchbacks and steps.  It is a out and back trail so hikers have to hike back up the canyon.  The 90 foot waterfall depends alot on the rainfall.  During raining seasons the fall can be very spectacular.  When we were there it had not rained a lot so the falls was very light but, still pretty.

Cedar Falls seen from the trail

There are numerous trails in the park.  One could spend many days at the park and enjoys some great sights. If you are looking for a good place for camping and hiking check out Petit Jean State Park in Arkansas.

Mystic Falls Trail in YNP

According to Yellowstone.net there are over 1,100 miles of hiking trails in Yellowstone National Park.  Considering that YNP encompasses 2.2 million acres I have no trouble believing the claim.  I was fortunate enough to hike a little over 12 miles of those trails in July 2010 - only 1,088 miles to go!

The longest hike was to see Osprey Falls near Mammoth Hot Springs. - See earlier post for review of the trail.

The second hike was the Mystic Falls Loop.  The trail begins at Biscuit Basin which sit on the northern edge of Upper Geyser Basin, which is home to the iconic Old Faithful Geyser.

Probably the most recognizable geyser in the world.

We parked our motorcycles at the Biscuit Basin parking lot and viewed the numerous geysers and springs that the boardwalks surround before hitting the trail to visit Mystic Falls and Biscuit Basin Overlook.  We saw Sapphire Pool which looks so inviting, but at 200+ degrees Fahrenheit is not the place for swimming.

Sapphire Pool is so clear, looks like a natural swimming pool. 

After looking at the other geysers and springs we started the trail on the west side of the boardwalk loop and quickly entered the pine forest.  We passed an information board that the trails from that area including the much longer Fairy Falls Trail and Summit Lake Trail.

The trail forks about 1/8 mile after leaving the boardwalk.  We choose to go right (counter-clockwise), but afterwards I wish we would have taken the trail clockwise.  The sloping is not as steep on the way up and the views descending would have been better in my opinion.

Map of some trails in the Biscuit Basin.

We encountered a series of switchbacks and ascended about 1,000 feet to reach the Biscuit Basin Overlook. From the overlook we watch Old Faithful erupt as well as some other geysers that also erupted.  We could see the features in Biscuit Basin, the Firehole River and most of the Upper Geyser Basin.  The view was spectacular.

Upper Geyser Basin as seen from the Biscuit Basin Overlook.

The Biscuit Basin Loop boardwalk.  Sapphire Pool can be seen.

We continued west on the trail as it ran on top of the ridge and through the forest still trying to recover from a fire many years ago.  After about 1/2 mile the trail has another fork.  To the right/west the trail goes to Fairy Falls.  We took the left fork and turned south towards Mystic Falls.

The trail continued on the ridge.  The effects of the fire is still visible.

The Little Firehole River seen from the trail on the ridge.

The trail soon begins a gradual descent. We could see Old Faithful again.  After another 1/2 mile or so we could see the crest of Mystic Falls.  We continued the trail and were able to get a great view of the entire 70 foot waterfall.  It was a great view.

The crest of Mystic Falls.

Mystic Falls

The trail descent a little farther and then flattened out as it continued to skirt the Little Firehole River.  The trail slows works it way slightly northward and away from the river, back into the forest and intersects the Summit Lake Trail.  We turned left and hiked past the first fork that we took to begin the hike.  Through the forest we hiked until we emerged back at the Biscuit Basin Loop boardwalk.

The hike is roughly a 3 mile loop from the parking lot and is easy to moderately strenuous.  The views are great and you will leave the crowd behind.  I am glad we took the hike.  It was really nice to see Yellowstone from areas that were not crowded and were very peaceful.

You're all wet! So am I.

For the second summer in a row my son and I (along with some friends) decided to do some rafting while on our  motorcycle trip.  Last summer we rafted out of Pagosa Springs, CO.  During our trip to Yellowstone National Park we decided to raft out of Gardiner, MT on the Yellowstone River.

Gardiner is right outside the famed north gateway to the Yellowstone National Park known as the Roosevelt Arch that was dedicated by President Theodore Roosevelt on April 24, 1903.

We stopped for pictures at the famous arch on our way back to camp.

There were four rafting companies each offering full and half day trips.  After doing some research and reading different reviews I chose the Yellowstone Raft Company.  We opted for the 1/2 day trip.  Four of us, including my son and I, got up early and got in a great hike to Osprey Falls prior to our afternoon rafting experience.

We met the rest of our group at the Yellowstone Raft Company store in the afternoon.  We changed into appropriate clothes, picked up our life jackets, and were briefed about the trip.  We loaded up in the vans and rode to the launching locations only about a 1/4 mile from the store.  We carried the rafts to the river and began the wet and wild adventure.  Since there were eight of us in our group and another couple we split up with five in each raft along with our guides.

Raft #1 had five from our group and a guide.

Raft #2 - my son is manning the front right of the raft and getting really wet!

Both of our guides were friendly, funny, and knowledgeable.  They pointed out different mountains, plants, and geological features, including Devil's Slide.  Our guide had a great sense of humor and kept us laughing.  He would skillfully steer the raft toward the biggest waves ensuring maximum splashes.

Preparing for a big wave.

The other group also had some big splashes.

During one stretch of the river the water was pretty calm, but still flowing at a good rate.  Anyone that wanted to was welcome to go swimming or float along side the raft.  That mountain water is a little chilly so I stayed in the raft, but some jumped in.

To the south we could see Joseph Peak and Gray Peak of the Gallatin Range in YNP.  The views were awesome.  We saw birds, but no mammals.  The river was flowing at a good rate so there was plenty of excitement.  Overall it was a much "wetter" adventure than our rafting trip in 2009.

If you are visiting YNP or that area and you want to do some rafting I would check out the Yellowstone Rafting Company.  They did a great job - we had fun, got wet, learned about the area, and we were kept safe.  What more could you want?

Not as famous but awesome!

When this Texan was planning our trip to Yellowstone National Park a friend insisted in visiting an area outside the park that I had never heard of.  Reluctantly the side trip was included in our plans and I am so glad it was!  The Upper Mesa Falls and Lower Mesa Falls in Idaho do not have the name recognition that Yellowstone has, but they are beautiful and well worth visiting.

The falls are located on the west side of ID 47 a.k.a The Mesa Falls Scenic Byway.  From the west entrance to Yellowstone NP to the parking lot at the Upper Falls is about 50 miles.  If you are coming from the south part of Idaho you will take US 20 from Idaho Springs to Ashton and then turn east on ID 47/Mesa Falls Scenic Byway.  About 14 miles later the entrance will be on the left side of the road.  If you are coming from West Yellowstone you will travel US 20 to Island Park and then south for about 8 miles out of Island Park to the junction with ID 47.  Travel about 13 miles to the entrance to the Upper Falls.

Upper Falls in the morning light

The road to and the parking lot at the falls are well paved.  You will find restrooms, visitor center with exhibits, and a gift shop at the Upper Falls parking lot.  Access fee is $5/car or $1/motorcycle.  There are 9 campsites at $12/night with tables, fire rings, restrooms, and water available. Camping, hiking, backpacking, picnicking, and winter sports are allowed. More info and even more info.

A walkway from the parking lot/visitor center will take you to the overlook of the Upper Falls.  Upper Falls is 300 feet wide and plunges 114 feet creating a thunderous roar and a far reaching spray.  It is very impressive and is actually higher than the Yellowstone Upper Falls by 5 feet.  The spray keeps the sides of the canyon moist which produces a small ecosystem of its own. We saw numerous species of wildflowers and birds including osprey.  Eagles, deer and bear are known to frequent the area.

The only bear we saw was the rock below the falls that we thought looked like a bear

There is a mile hiking trail from the Upper Falls to the Lower Falls that takes hikers lower into the canyon and closer to the Lower Falls.  It runs adjacent to the Henrys Fork River and through some trees.  It is an easy hike.  You can view the Lower Falls from the Grandview Campground and Overlook or from the trail.  The Lower Falls plunges 85 feet creating a fantastic scene.

Lower Falls.  Notice the hiking trail in the canyon.

The two falls and area are pristine.  These two falls are the last two major falls in Idaho that have not be disturbed for irrigation or hydroelectric projects.  The low number of visitors make this an ideal location for hikers/campers wanting some time away from the masses.  The air is clean, the sound of the falls is relaxing, the surroundings are beautiful, and the neighbors are far away!

Henrys Fork River rolling toward the Lower Falls

It may not be Yellowstone, but that is a good thing and it is a beautiful area.  If you are in that area of Idaho I highly recommend you stop by the Mesa Falls and stay a while.

Osprey Falls in Yellowstone National Park

While on my July 2010 motorcycle trip to Yellowstone National Park (YNP) I could see a lot of geothermal features, wildlife, and natural features from the bike and I was able to park and take short walks to many of the famous sites such as Old Faithful, Grand Prismatic, the Upper and Lower Fall, and the Morning Glory Pool, but I wanted to see and experience YNP from less crowded vantage points.

 The pools have such vivid color.

One of the most famous sites in America - Old Faithful Geyser.

At nearly 370 in diameter the Grand Prismatic is the largest hot spring

in the USA and third in the world.

I wanted to get away from the crowds to see some of the more remote sites and two other men in our group were willing to do some hiking with me and my son.  One of the hikes we decided to go on was to Osprey Falls.  Our research indicated that the trail was "moderate," although at least one site designated the hike as difficult.

We left the West Yellowstone KOA early that morning grabbing breakfast at Ernie's Bakery (more about Ernie's later) and then road to the Old Bunsen Peak Road Trail trailhead - 5 miles south of Mammoth.

On the ride to the trailhead we saw two different coyotes (including one crossing the road near the trailhead), bison, elk, and a swan. Of course we saw steam from numerous geothermal features that are otherwise hidden behind trees and hills far away from the areas were visitors are allowed.  The ride was great - so little traffic and crisp cold air (approx 45 - 55 degrees - July 19, 2010).

Coyote near the trailhead early in the morning.

Peaks to the west of the trail.

We started on the hike around 8:50 A.M..  Once on the trail we were totally alone, just four of us.  It was quite peaceful and well worth the early ride.  We headed southeast along the Old Bunsen Peak Road past burnt forest, through grassland, and past Sheepeaters Cliffs.  The trail follows the set of vehicle tracks so for about 3.5 miles hikers have side by side trails.

Sheepeaters Cliffs were named after a sub-band of Shoshone Indians.

The trail skirts around Bunsen Peak and beside Sheepeaters Canyon.  The views of the canyon are awesome and at times dizzying.  At 800 foot deep the canyon is second only to the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone (in regards to canyons in YNP).  The column of basalt are clearly visible from the trail.

Wow - that is a deep canyon! 

After passing the Sheepeaters Cliffs and Bunsen Peak we turned south on the Osprey Falls Trail and entered the forest (still recovering from a fire years ago).  The trail quickly begins descending through a series of switchbacks.  We could hear the roar of the falls and see Gardner River long before we could see Osprey Falls.  The last 1/4 mile is a series of 14 switchbacks, often less than a foot wide, that descends 800 feet into the Sheepeaters Canyon and ends about 30 feet from Osprey Falls.

My son heading down the series of switchbacks as the trail nears the falls.

Osprey Falls and the trail - we are nearly there.

Osprey Falls - 150 foot falls.

The vertical cliffs rise straight up and the Gardner River crashes down 150 feet causing mist and spray several feet away from the base of the falls.  The area offers shade, solitude, and a relaxing chorus. 

A great seat to the spectacular site.

Our round trip distance was 9.1 miles (round trip).  I had been working out prior to the trip and felt ready for the hike, but I will tell you the hike back up those 14 switchbacks was tough.   We were in a hurry to meet the rest of the group for a 1/2 day river rafting trip in Gardiner, Montana so we had to push it.

It was well worth it.  I highly recommend the hike to Osprey Falls whenever you get to visit YNP.  You will see so much more when you get away from the crowds.  Be prepared and take water & snacks as well as other hiking type supplies.  Make sure you have comfortable shoes. Now go take a hike! 

Check out various video Taking It Outside including videos from YNP