cathedral gorge

 

CATHEDRAL GORGE STATE PARK

 

Close to 2000 acres of land that was once home to the Fremont, Anasazi and Southern Paiutes, is now a Nevada State Park preserved for visitors to experience and enjoy.  Cathedral Gorge became one of Nevada's first four state parks in 1935.

 

The spires and buff-colored cliffs are the result of geologic processes occurring over tens of millions of years.  The beauty enjoyed today had a violent beginnings, starting with explosive volcanic activity that, with each eruption, deposited layers of ash hundreds of feet thick.

During our stay, we were on the lookout for black-tailed rabbits, cottontail rabbits, packrats, kangaroo rats, mice and gophers.  We did manage to see lots of rabbits, of all types.  They were everywhere it seemed.  The animals we did not see but do visit the park are mule deer, coyotes, kit foxes and skunks.  The park also enjoys is home to several species of nonpoisonous lizards and snakes.  Rattlesnakes are seen here in spring through fall.

 





 

We did have some motorhome problems while we were at this park and we stayed a few days more than planned.  It is a beautiful park with some real nice hiking trails.  We also met some very nice folks who helped us get our rig running so we could take it and get it fixed.  Great park and a nice campground.

 

PAHRUMP NEVADA

 

We once again spent some time in Pahrump, Nevada.  Its a good size city with plenty to offer, in the way of hiking, day trips, bingo and shopping.  The hiking is what I liked about our month in Pahrump.  We managed to hike with Keith and Charlotte at the China Date Ranch and on the BLM land that surrounds Pahrump.  John Halverson and I had some good adventures on the BLM.  We hiked in the snow on the days we could and explored several canyons where we thought the wild horses would be.

We did see some of the different animals, birds and reptiles that inhabit this area.  The coyote we encountered was a pair that had been feed along the road that runs through Death Valley.  Its a shame, they tell you to not feed them because they will become a pest and have to be destroyed.  The reptiles were everywhere on the warm days but no snakes were seen.

I enjoyed my first DATE SHAKE at the China Date Ranch with Keith and Charlotte, it was as good as the Date Ranch  promised.  If you ever get to this area I recommend you try one for yourself.















When were here before we visited the Dublin Gulch caves, it was fun visit them again.  They are dug from volcanic ash from a Lava Creek eruption in Yellow Stone National Park, over 600 thousand years ago.  It is unknown when the caves were dug out and first inhabited, however they estimate that it was likely in the late 1870's.  The caves remained occupied at some extent well into the 1970's.

 

 Anytime you visit this area, and you are looking for a good hike, I recommend hiking the Wallace Canyon, its located out on the BLM land.  Keith and Charlotte hiked it with Linda and I, its was one great day.  Part of the hiking experience is navigating the snow when you go to 9000 feet.  We managed to get as far as anyone could go.  After the hike ended at the parking area, we enjoyed our picnic lunch while looking at some wonderful vista's.

 

We spent a long day at Death Valley National Park.  It is a land of extremes, it's characterized at the hottest, driest, lowest national park.  Extremes in temperature and elevation create scenic vistas and ecological niches that host startling biological diversity.  We hiked Mosaic Canyon as far as we could go.  It will always be one of my favorite canyons.  It is a popular hiking trail up a narrow polished marble-walled canyon.  The first half mile  is narrowest section.  Some slickrock scrambling is necessary.  "Mosaics " of fragments or rocks cemented together can be seen in canyon walls.  Bighorn sheep are frequently sighted in the canyon.

We did the tourist thing and drove around and viewed everything that is Death Valley.  The very floor of the valley is not what one would expect.  Badwater Basin is the lowest point in North America, its a surreal landscape of vast salt flats.

 



 

TONOPAH ARIZONA

PART 2

 

One day Linda, Gina and I decided that we would all hike out and see the desert tortoise.  The tortoise was just basking in the sun and didn't offer us much in the way of entertainment.  We took the usual amount of touristy pictures of him and then started hiking back to the truck.  Gina, ever on the lookout, noticed a round object lying in the sand up ahead.  It turned out to be a bowling ball, cracked by the sun but still intact.  We have since wondered how it came to be in the middle of nowhere?  (You may insert the bowling ball joke of your choice here)

On another day, Linda and I were driving on a gravel desert road when she suddenly yelled at me to stop the truck.  She had noticed a basketball out in the desert.  Now I gotta ask anyone who might know, whats up with the Indians?  Was there a secret bowling league for Indians, somewhere around area 51?  I don't think I have ever seen an Indian in the NBA?

 

 

 

We did manage to find the petroglyphs out at Saddle Mountain.  Chuck commented that he had read somewhere, "petroglyphs may be taken home but only one per customer". 

 

Tonopah is a special place, and its the people you meet there that make that a true statement!



 

TONOPAH ARIZONA

 

Tonopah, Arizona is one of our favorite places, it offers so much to do and see.  The main attraction is the Saddle Mountain area.  It is located on BLM land and that means it is government land and can be used by the public for various reasons.  Linda and I hiked as much of it as we could while we were there, we did manage to hike all the way around it.  The cactus where starting to bloom on the back side of the mountain.

Linda and I hiked with several different couples while exploring the area.  While hiking one day I came upon a desert tortoise.  The next afternoon I took Linda and Gina back out to the mountain to show them what I had found.  The tortoise was suning himself when  we arrived and we didn't want to bother him as they are protected.



One of our day trips was a 4-wheel drive ride up Harquahala Mountain Trail.  Harquahala Peak Observatory was constructed in 1920 by the Smithsonian Institute to monitor solar activity.  The ride to the top is great but the views of the area mountains is spectacular.  On the way up Keith thought he had run over a snake so we all got out to check it out.  Charlotte was concerned that it might get hurt if we left it in the road, I got a stick and tried to move the snake to the side but instead I flipped it between her legs.  In case you are wondering the snake is fine?




 

 



Lucky for me that Chuck and Gena were willing to share their dog with me.  Rio usually stopped by daily for some good pet'n or just to pick up a treat.  He always gave more than he got.



 







TUCSON, ARIZONA  2013

Tucson is one of the best places to spend a few months, it offers plenty of hiking and sightseeing.  Linda and I have been here on several occasions.  We always like to stay at Desert Trails, as you can just hike out the back of the park and enter Tucson Mountain State Park.  It is a short ride in the truck to Saguaro National Park, making this stop a hikers paradise.

 

We took a day trip to Kitt Peak for a look around.  Bill and Cindy Linscott  had never been there before so it was nice to help them see it for the first time.  Its always an adventure when you do a day trip.  As we started up the Kitt Peak we encountered a dog that I thought was a coyote.  We all agreed that is was just a regular dog but we don't know how it got halfway up Kitt Peak? 

 

Bill and I went to a GUN SHOW, at the Tucson Fair Grounds.  It was my first show and I thought is was amazing.  Guns of all types were available.  The thing I noticed the most were the characters of all types, who may or may not have been available.  I did buy some ammo and enjoyed talking with the man who worked the booth.

 

Linda and I now know a little about Geo caching.  Bill and Cindy have done it for several years and offered to show Linda and I about it.  We did manage to find a  couple of caches on the BLM Land behind the  RV park.

 

 

 

CORALVILLE IOWA

CORALVILLE IOWA

We have visited Coralville several times over the years and always enjoyed exploring the gorge for different fossils. 

 

Historic floods during the summer of 1993 poured over the emergency spillway at Coralville Lake and eroded a deep channel into the underlying bedrock deposits.  It is now possible to walk across acres of Devonian-age sea floors and get a first-hand look at features normally hidden from view or glimpsed only in vertical cuts along roadsides or in quarries.

 

Excellent fossil remains of marine life that inhabited the clear, warm, shallow Devonian seas can be observed.  Some of the coral masses are upside-down, overturned by ancient storm surge.  The sedimentary rock originated as lime-rick deposits accumulating on sea floors during the Devonian period of geologic time, some 375 million years ago.

 

Its a great place to spend a day or two.  They also have some great hiking trails that run along Coralville Lake.  The campground is a Corps of Engineers so its a good place spend some time.  They also offer 11 full hook ups sites.

 

GULF ISLAND

NATIONAL SEASHORE

MISSISSIPPI

Gulf Islands National Seashore offers recreation opportunities and preserves natural and historic resources along the Gulf of Mexico barrier islands of Florida and Mississippi.  The protected regions include mainland areas and parts of 7 islands.  The Mississippi District of the seashore features natural beaches, historic sites, wildlife sanctuaries, islands accessible only by boat, bayous, nature trails, picnic areas, and campgrounds.  The Davis Bayou Area is the only portion of the National Seashore in Mississippi that is accessible by automobile.

 

 
 
 
 
 
 

 

 

 

 

Linda and I really liked the Gulf Island National Seashore, the Davis Bayou.  We managed to hike all the trails that they offered.  We bumped into a man that had found a baby squirrel.  He said that he thought it was sick so he took it to a vet.  It turned out the little thing was fine and he was told to turn it loose.  We found a large alligator that hangs out in the bayou, they say he hangs out there everyday.  We talked to a ranger and was told that the Civilian Conservation Corp built most of the park.  It has been destroyed by several hurricanes but always manages to be rebuilt.

 

We did manage a day trip over to the Mississippi Sandhill Crane Refuge.  The ranger there took a bunch of us on a tour of the refuge, in search of the Sandhill Cranes.  We did manage to see a few cranes and also an eagle.  The Mississippi Sandhill Cranes don't migrate and were just about extinct.  They have been brought back from the edge and are now about 110 strong.  In order to get to where we went you have to sign up to take a tour, when they are offered.  Linda and I were just lucky to get to go, we took the last 2 seats available, the cranes are starting to nest and there won't be anymore tours for awhile.