Today, 23 August 2024, is the First International Guanaco Day, Yay!  Guanacos (Lama gunaicoe), while very common in parts of South America where they call home, especially in Chilean Patagonia, in other areas, there is concern.  The images here were taken while I explored Patagonia in 2016, 2017.  The first image was taken in Parque Nacional Patagonia in Chile, one of the Tompkin's parks which is now managed by the Chilean Government.  The second image is from Parque Nacional Torres del Paine.  Iconic. Both are amazing places.  And, you learn to really love guanacos when traveling in Patagonia. Cool Animals.

Today, 22 April, is Earth Day.  Earth Day is celebrated by more than 1 billion people in 192 countries (earthday.org).  So get out there, explore, experience, and protect the wonderful natural world that surrounds us, it is amazing out there.

"Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments and places that take our breath away." Anon

Today, May 19th, 2023, is Endangered Species Day, first initiated by the Endangered Species Coalition.  This year also marks the 50th anniversary of the Endangered Species Act, passed in 1973.  While progress to protect endangered and threatened species has been made, especially in the US, extinction of species as a result of human activity is still a significant global problem.  So today, celebrate the incredible biodiversity on this planet by thinking about what can be done to protect and preserve all species, and especially those threatened with extinction.  Check out the Endangered Species Coalition's web page (endangered.org) for an event near you.
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Celebrate National Park Week, this week, 22 April - 30 April, 2023. As has been said, our national parks are one of our "best ideas", one of our greatest assets, expansive public lands protected ".... for the benefit and enjoyment of all ....".  These public lands are managed by the National Park Service (NPS), and include 424 different areas/sites and over 85 million acres. The areas managed by the NPS include "true" national parks, as well as national monuments, historic sites, lakeshores and seashores, and more.  There are currently 63 national parks, the largest of which is Wrangell - St. Elias National Park in Alaska at 13.2 million acres (53,418 sq. km).  These 63 parks cover a total area of 52.2 million acres (211,000 sq. km).  And as many people know, these parks are popular; there were 88,662,181 visits to our national parks in 2022 (total visits to all NPS sites in 2022 was 311,985,998!).  These parks also contribute significantly to the economy of the United States.  It has been estimated that the total economic value of the NPS to the public is $92 billion per year, including value attributed to visitors, and "non-use" or "existence" value (indirect value) according to a paper by Haefele et al. (2016) in the HKS Faculty Research Working Paper Series.  Our parks are valuable, as well as beautiful.  I have been fortunate enough to visit 40 or our 63 national parks, along with 3 of 3 national lakeshores, 7 of 10 national seashores, and many national monuments and other NPS sites.  These are special places, biodiverse, and most often with spectacular landscapes and awe-inspiring vistas.  Please celebrate these public lands, visit them, and work to protect and hopefully expand these amazing places.  Our national parks are just amazing.

A sample of our National Parks, all images taken by me during different visits to these incredible places.

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The first Earth Day was in 1970.  And currently, Earth Day is ".... recognized as the largest secular observance in the world, marked by more than a billion people every year as a day of action to change human behavior and create global, national and local policy changes."  This year, the theme is "Invest in Our Planet", a focus on developing "... an equitable, prosperous green economy for all."
Today is also a day to celebrate the awesomeness of the natural world, and to think about ways each and everyone of us can live more sustainable lives. So get out there, hike, bike, explore the natural world upon which we rely, and do something good for nature, natural habitats, and for the species which can these amazing places home. 

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I have neglected this blog, for much too long, totally pathetic. Oh well, I hope, and plan to do much better moving forward. Another adventure begins, as I head for the border tomorrow, Canada, then north, to Alaska. Should be a fun adventure. I did get my new camper, much more on that later. I have been on the road pretty much all of 2022, might as well, given the insanity of what is going on in the world these days.  Over the coming weeks, and months, I plan to do a better job, post as much as I can.  Currently in Washington State, Birch Bay, Beach Cat Brewing to be exact. Plan to cross the border tomorrow and start the journey north. Please stay tuned, and be patient. 
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As I have mentioned, I wanted my next adventure vehicle to be more capable.  But, I also wanted a few more amenities (like a refrigerator, something the Peruvians stole from me when I shipped my equipment to Lima).  My van was great, but the build, compared to many out there, was pretty ghetto, functional, but nothing that pretty or innovative.  It worked for me, it was great, but I wanted 4WD, I wanted a more capable vehicle.  My Nissan Frontier is that vehicle.  And while I have built it out on the bed of the truck, contained under the cap, I had plans for something better, much better.  Previously, I mentioned a company called Four Wheel Campers which makes slide-in, pop-up campers.  Well first of all, there are other companies which make these truck campers, and second, I couldn't get a Four Wheel Camper until late 2021, or more likely, early 2022.  I wanted something sooner.  Plus, once I really started looking around, and doing my research, I found that there are other options, better options really, especially in terms of cost, and weight.  My truck is a capable mid-sized pickup truck, but weight is still a concern.  So after doing lots of research, reading lots of reviews, and talking to a couple of folks at various companies, I decided to go with a camper from Outfitter Mfg., in Longmont, Colorado, USA.  I ordered my camper in January, and well, there was still a huge lead-time, but not as bad as for a Four Wheel Camper, at least not when I initially ordered my camper.  I'm real excited.  Note: all the images included in this posted were "borrowed" from the Outfitter Mfg. site, they are not my images.

Outfitter Mfg. has "60 years of RV manufacturing pride and tradition", starting with Mr. Hubert Ward in 1959.  After a couple of iterations, Hubert's son and grandson started Outfitter Manufacturing, specializing in truck campers.  Then in 2019, Monarch Crest Capital, Inc., a group led by Scott Mavis, acquired Outfitter Mfg., and Scott still runs the company today (at least he is the one I've talked to).  My camper is the Caribou Lite 6.5.  This is a light-weight, economical, slide-in, pop-up truck camper.  The camper weighs over 900 lbs, which is light compared to many other pop-up campers out there, and is well equipped.  The camper includes a three-way frig (12v, 110v, and propane), a stove (propane), hot and cold running water, a powered roof vent, lights, a table with bench seats and a cabover bed.  When closed, cabover section is only 10" above the cab of the truck, and "pops up" to an interior height of 77.5"  There was a near infinite selection of fabrics for the seats and pads for the bed from Charlotte Fabrics, Minneapolis, MN.  I chose Hunter (green), outdoorsy color.  I also "downsized" from the standard 3-burner stove to a 2-burner stove, stainless-steel and recessed, looks nicer than the standard option, plus offers more counter space.  I added an outdoor shower, which will be sweet, and their Lagun table system which has a swing-away support.  In addition, I added a ladder at the rear of the camper, mostly just to haul my mountain bike, which goes everywhere with me.  I have a bike rack with fits on a ladder, carries the bike vertically, works well.  I will continue  to use my Dometic cassette toilet which has been traveling with me for years.  There were other choices in terms of floors and kitchen table-tops, but otherwise, I kept things pretty standard, and basic.  I'm constantly worried about weight, and I haven't even got the camper on my truck yet.  I did already upgrade the suspension on my truck (additional rear leaf springs, plus beefier coils), and plan to upgrade the shocks and tires as well.  Plan to go with E-rated tires (10-ply) to handle the additional weight, without compromising traction and handling.  This will be a capable adventure vehicle carrying a camper which will meet all my needs.  Why not be comfortable?  I cannot wait.  More adventures await.  Again, all images included in this post are courtesy of Outfitter Mfg.
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Since I bought my truck, I made one addition (a cap) and a few modifications to turn the bed space into a temporary "camper".  This is only temporary, more on the future in subsequent posts. For now, me and my Nissan Frontier are ready for mellow adventures.  It is nice to not worry about setting up a tent when camping, though do miss the head-space of my Sprinter van.  I did reuse the memory foam mattress from my van, but otherwise, just a mellow build to let me sleep comfortably in the bed of my truck, and have room to store some camping equipment.  It works, even if I hit my head pretty much every time I get into, and out of my bed.  Oh well.

Yes, new adventures await, in my new adventure vehicle.  As I mentioned earlier, I needed something more capable in a true adventure vehicle, something which could get me places where I couldn't get to in my Sprinter van, and get me back.  So, I bought a Nissan Frontier mid-sized pickup truck, SV 4x4, with a V6 engine and a 6 foot bed. I got the King Cab configuration so I could bet the bigger bed.  So far, great.  I had a Nissan Xterra in the past, so I know and like Nissan trucks, plus, a Frontier was less expensive than a Toyota Tacoma.  I also added a used cap to enclose the bed of the pickup.  In the short run, I built out the inside for camping/sleeping, and while I've hit my head on the roof the cap a bunch, it is working out pretty well.  So far, short adventures have been fun, but longer (much longer) adventures await, and I can't wait.  Nothing beats being on the road, visiting new and beautiful places, continuing to explore this amazing planet we all call home.

As summer approaches, the weather improves, and the pandemic subsides as more people get vaccinated, many are planning to get outside this summer, including visits to our national parks and other public lands.  Unfortunately, it appears that many who ventured outdoors last year, and early this year, had little experience camping, hiking, paddling, etc.  This has created a serious problem due to lack of knowledge: many of our public lands are getting trashed!  Many "new" visitors to our parks and other public lands have little experience, little knowledge of acceptable behavior, of trail etiquette, of how to experience the outdoors while still protecting our wild places and the many species who call these habitats home.  We used to be "loving our parks to death", but now, we're just trashing them.  Human waste and trash is everywhere, people are cutting down live trees, starting campfires in unacceptable places and at unacceptable times, adding graffiti to rocks and structures, even bolting sport climbing routes on sacred rock faces covered with petroglyphs, just generally behaving like idiots.  This all has to stop.  Fortunately, there is hope, in part as a result of the efforts of Leave No Trace, Center for Outdoor Ethics (lnt.org).  The Leave No Trace Mission states: 
"The Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics protects the outdoors by teaching and inspiring people to enjoy it responsibly.  The Center accomplishes this mission by delivering cutting-edge education and research to millions of people every year."

Leave No Trace has established 7 principles which should help those less experienced in the outdoors to navigate our public lands in a way that does not cause damage, pollute, or otherwise degrade these habitats.
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Leave No Trace Seven Principles
1. Plan ahead and prepare.
2. Travel and camp on durable surfaces.
3. Dispose of waste properly.
4. Leave what you find.
5. Minimize campfire impacts.
6. Respect wildlife.
7. Be considerate of other visitors.

"Enjoy your world.  Leave No Trace."
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 Today is a day to celebrate the diversity and majesty of Planet Earth, even though now is a very tenuous time in Earth's long history.  We're in bad shape, having misused and abused natural habitats and species for decades, really centuries.  But today is not about the past, it is a day to think about the future, about what we can and need to do to protect species and wild habitats.  As has been said, "Nature doesn't need us, but we need nature."  Nature does need us to do more to protect these special places and species, many of which I have had the pleasure to visit and explore.  We need to act, now, before it is too late.  So today, think about our Mother Earth, celebrate this amazing planet, while at the same time think about what you can do to protect this amazing place we all call home. Happy Earth Day!

Oh, and this week is National Park Week as well, so it is time to celebrate these amazing places we call national parks. 

In 8 days, one of the most significant elections in our lifetime will take place.  What is at stake? So much, I can't begin to address all the issues, except to say, that in some ways, our very survival, as a nation, a democracy, and even as a species is at stake.  So, please vote on November 3rd.
Vote for clean, green and sustainable energy.
Vote for wild places, special places without roads, development, logging, and mining.
Vote to protect, and expand public lands, a special legacy that we will hopefully leave for the next generation.
Vote for national parks, national forest, national monuments, and more.
Vote for the protection of Tongass National Forest in Alaska, roadless and wild, true wilderness.
Vote for the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in Minnesota, over 2000 lakes, a truly special place.
Vote for the preservation of the Bristol Bay region, and the Alaska National Wildlife Refuge, both in Alaska, and both threatened with development.
Vote for clean air, clean water, and especially for the protection of small streams.
Vote for birds and bears, snakes and turtles, wildflowers and trees, tall, majestic and often old.
Vote for mountain bike and hiking trails which wind through natural landscapes, filled with the wonders which only nature can offer.
Vote for mayfly emergence and the wild trout and salmon rising for a meal, or a dry fly on the end of a tippet. 
Vote for the the protection of biodiversity, of all living things, invertebrates, plants, fungi, animals, and even us, Homo sapiens.

We cannot screw this up. Please vote, and do so to protect all that is so wonderful, so special about the natural world.  If we don't act now, it might be too late.

This fall, this November 3rd in the U.S., there is much more at stake than simply who will reside in the White House in Washington for the next four years.  It is about the soul of the nation, about the future of public lands, wild and beautiful landscapes, our lands.  A new film by Patagonia Films premiers on the 25th of September, 2020, @ 5 pm PDT on YouTube.  With Executive Producers Robert Redford and Yvon Chouinard, Public Trust. The Fight for America's Public Lands, presents an authentic, factual and passionate plea for the protection of public lands.  The film considers three environmental conflicts, including the proposed mine in the watershed of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wildness (BWCA) in Northern Minnesota, a very special place.  I have been of fan of public lands in the U.S., including the BWCA, for many, many years, having visited at least 22 national parks, at least 53 national forests, plus countless other protected areas, including national seashores and lakeshores, state parks and recreation areas, anywhere where I could camp, explore, and experience the natural world.  So please watch and support the fight to protect public lands.  These are special landscapes, and they are at risk, under extreme threat and we must act now.  If we do not, then in the blink of eye, they will be gone.

Is a sad time, though really not that sad, considering what is going on in the world, but sad for me.  I am selling my van, the Big Nandu is up for sale.  I listed it last week on Facebook Marketplace, free posting, up to 20 photos, hard to beat.  And after only one week, there have been 2,767 listing views, 56 listing saves, 37 listing shares, just a ton of interest.  I am currently in Pennsylvania where my van is located, and I'm gotten messages of interest from people as far away as West Texas and Reno, Nevada, plus more regional folks (e.g., WV, OH, NY, MD, and of course PA).  I had always planned to sell my van after I got back from South America in 2017, buy another 4WD vehicle, get another job, and continue on with life.  Well, it has taken me longer than planned, but the time is now, my van is up for sell, and I'm sure it will be sold in the near future.  I spent many a night sleeping in my van, and drove almost 70,000 miles, in almost 40 states in the US, and in four countries outside of the US.  I only technically broke down twice, both in the US (and both times the same problem, tension arm pulley went, threw the belt, bad news but easy fix).  I did replace the alternator in Bryce Canyon City outside of Bryce Canyon National Park, got "stranded" in Cabo in Baja California Sur for 8 days getting my bearings replaced in the rear differential, and had a flat tire (not really flat, but a leak serious enough to demand my attention) and a visit to a gomeria in Argentina.  My van has been very, very good to me, and I'm sad to sell her, but it is time to say chao, and move on, to another adventure  vehicle.

Many who have expressed interest in my van have asked why I'm selling it.  Well, for me, there is one simple answer to this question: I just can't get to some of the places which I would like to visit, I need something more capable, I need 4WD.  My van is RWD, and I can't count the number of times I had to turn around, in South America, in the Western US, Florida, the Baja.  I traveled alone, and I just couldn't afford to get stuck.  I need something which will allow me to explore more deeply into the wildlands of the US, and the world, plus I'm hoping to get up to Alaska next summer, assuming the Covid subsides, and I can drive into Canada.  So, after lots of research, talking to others, thinking about what I want, and need in another adventure vehicle, I opted for a 4WD pickup truck, a Nissan Frontier (King cab, so 2-door, but with a 6 foot bed).  The idea is to add a slide-in, pop-up camper such as those sold by Four Wheel Campers out of Woodland, CA.  These are well-designed and engineered, offer reasonable accommodations, a low profile, often light weight, and while a bit expensive, they seem to be a great way to go when mounted on a 4WD truck.  I want to be quick and nimble, and capable of off-road travel, though true overlanding is likely not in my future.  I already miss my van, but it is time, it was always part of the plan, it is now time to sell.  I hope to post much in the future, me and my new adventure vehicle, exploring more of this incredible planet, more outdoor adventure.  But now is time to say good-bye, I will miss my old friend, my trusted, and dependable companion on many an outdoor adventure.
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Last week, August 12th, was World Elephant Day.  Elephants are in trouble primarily due to poaching and habitat loss.  We cannot afford to let these magnificent species go extinct.  There are three species of elephants (with a number of different populations scattered across Africa and parts of Asia), the largest of which is the African elephant, weighing up to 8 tons.  A century ago, it has been estimated that there were as many as 12 million African elephants roaming the continent, but today, there are maybe 400,000 individuals left according to the World Wildlife Fund.  And in recent years, up to 20,000 elephants, or more, are killed in African each year. Something needs to be done.

And in some parts of Africa, something is being done, especially to address the problem of poaching.  To learn more, specifically, you have to check out a new film by National Geographic, and Executive Producer James Cameron (of 'Avatar' and deep ocean exploration fame), Akashinga: The Brave Ones.  This movie looks amazing, and these women, total bad-asses, focused on one mission: stop poaching by any means necessary.  I think this film is a must-see.  We cannot lose such impressive animals, and to see what is being done, to understand the Akashinga, we must witness their efforts, efforts should not go unnoticed. 

These are strange and difficult times, but it is still summer, time to get out there and explore.  Many more people than usual are heading outside these days, to hike, bike and camp, and avoid those areas and activities which are unsafe right now, where and when it is difficult to maintain proper social distance, and stay safe.  Outdoor activities, including camping, can be done safely.  But summer outdoors, camping and hiking, is always accompanied by those pesky little and often extremely annoying bugs, those mosquitoes.  And things are being made worse by climate change, with warming temperatures providing more degree days for mosquito development and allowing for range expansion for these and many other insects.  As the climate continues to warm, and some areas become wetter, mosquito populations continue to flourish and expand.  Since mosquitoes are disease vectors for a number of diseases which affect us, including malaria, yellow fever, West Nile fever, dengue fever, Zika, and others, more mosquitoes is not good for us.

There are about 3,500 species of mosquitoes world-wide, with about 176 different species in North America, and their distribution is 'cosmopolitan', meaning that they are found almost everywhere, except Antarctica, and some Subantarctic islands, and islands in more polar regions such as Iceland.  Taxonomically, mosquitoes are in the Family Culicidae, and Order Diptera, which includes all the 'true flies' (excludes other 'flies' such as mayflies, stoneflies, dragonflies, etc.).  The origin of the name, 'mosquito' is Spanish, which means "little fly".   They carry disease, they can be extremely annoying, they can be incredibly numerous, and generally, they are bad.  What can be done to deal with this one of many summer scourges?

I generally am not bothered by mosquitoes, just dress properly, use aerosol repellent when necessary (I only spray my hat, and prefer not to apply any insect repellent directly to my skin), and look to ways to keep them at bay, especially at camp.  What works, at least for me? I'm a total fan of mosquito coils, and have been for many years.  This stuff really seems to work.

I have been using mosquito coils for years, and years, and I firmly believe that this stuff effective in repelling mosquitoes.  You might need to deploy more than one coil, and they don't work if it is windy.  But if it is windy, there will be fewer mosquitoes anyway, so no problem.  A good campfire also works to drive mosquitoes away, but sometimes this is not an option.  When I was out West exploring our national parks in 2017, it was a dry summer and most states had burn bans, campfires were not allowed.  So I relied on mosquito coils as I have for years.

I prefer Off! brand coils, though their are others which seem effective as well.  Most coils produced today are made of a dried paste of pyrethrum, a natural powdered material originally isolated from chrysanthemums.  Some of the older coils (which might be still in circulation) contain metofluthrin as the active ingredient, but the EPA has classified this substance as a neurotoxin and a potential carcinogen.  Today, most coils, including Off!, contain active ingredients dl-allethrolone and d-trans chrysanthemate, both still types of pyrethroids.  The Material Safety Data Sheets suggest these compounds are very safe, and they appear to be very effective.  I have also played around with Thermacell (Portable Mosquito Repeller), which uses allethrin, a synthetic version of the pyrethroid repellents found in chrysanthemum flowers.  I can't say I have experimented extensively with my Thermacell Repeller, though it does appear to work.  But it is kind of expensive, and bulky, and I simply prefer mosquito  coils.  They seem to work well for me, I don't go camping without them.  As I mentioned above, you sometimes have to deploy more than one, but they generally last up to 4 hours or more, and as long as it is not too windy, they work great.

So, while it is still summer, get out there, explore our wonderful public lands, camp, hike, and play.  But don't forget those mosquito coils, cause the bugs love summer as well.
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I realize that there are hundreds of blogs dealing with outdoor equipment, especially reviews, and I guess my blog is no exception.  But this is not a review, though I am impressed with the product mentioned here.  This is a shout-out for Big Agnes, and their customer service.  First let me explain, I have long been a Therm-a-Rest guy, going way back (though my first sleeping pad for backpacking was made by my Mom, a Frost Line kit, stuffed with a piece of foam, worked great for years).  But as I got older, I wanted a big more in my sleeping pad, needed a bit more cushion, so I went with a Big Agnes Q-Core SLX insulated, full-length pad, and I loved it.  It was a big narrow, but worked great for me, and with 3.5 inches of air, with a layer of insulation, I loved this pad, until it started to slowly lose air every night I slept on it.  This included when I was sleeping along Laguna Capri, looking up at the famous Fitzroy skyline in Parque Nacional Los Glaciares in Argentina.  Exhausted after a long day of hiking, exploring, and photographing Cerro Fitzroy and the surrounding peaks and habitats, I twice had to add air during the night, very annoying.  When I got back to the US, I tried in vain to find the leak, immersing the pad a few times in a kiddie pool to look for bubbles, nothing.  So I contacted Big Agnes, sent in my pad for assessment and/or repair.  I think it was less than 2 weeks, and a package arrived (contents pictured above), with my new Q-Core SLX insulated sleeping pad (20x72").  They quickly assessed my old pad, and just sent me another one, a new one.  I have used it a dozen times or more since, and still really like this pad.  And you can't beat their customer service.  I'm a Big Agnes fan for life now, great products, with excellent customer service, what more could you ask.  Thank you Big Agnes. 

Last week was National Forest Week, and I missed posting something to both to celebrate these wonderful public lands, and to express concern for the future.  I am a real fan of national forests, having conducted field research for many years in the White Mountains National Forest in New Hampshire and Maine, USA, and having visited at least 53 of our national forests, about 1/3 of all national forest units in the US.  There are currently 154 National Forests, and 20 National Grasslands, totally over 193 million acres (781,043 square km), or about 8% of the total area of the United States.  These forests also typically record over 170 million visitors per year, involved in various forms of outdoor recreation, and hunting and fishing.  The first chief of the Forest Service, which manages our national forests, was Gifford Pinchot, named when the Forest Service was established in 1905.  Unlike the National Park Service, which is housed in the Department of the Interior, the Forest Service is part of the Department of Agriculture, and this in part explains how these lands have been managed over the years,  "Land of Many Uses".  Gifford Pinchot was in some ways one of the first to really talk about sustainability, and the sustainable use of our national resources.
"Unless we practice conservation, those who come after us will have to pay the price of misery, degradation and failure for the progress and prosperity of our day." (G. Pinchot)
Pinchot believed that we must manage our forest in such a way to insure, "... the greatest good to the greatest number of people for the longest time."  This is sustainability.
Unfortunately, some suggest (including me), that this mantra has been lost, and that our national forests are not just lands of many uses, but also of many abuses.  While logging has always been practiced in our national forests, today there is also mining, oil extraction, grazing, and  hydrofracking.  And with climate change, increased risk of wild fires in some forests, the introduction of invasive exotic species, mis-management, lack of adequate monitoring, antiquated infrastructure, and other threats, our national forests are at risk.  These issues are being made much worse by the current administration in Washington, DC, and on 12 June 2020, Sonny Purdue, Secretary of the Department of Agriculture issued a secretarial memorandum to the Chief of the Forest Service which opened the door, wide open, to further abuses due to increases in resource extraction from our national forests without any regard for recreational uses, forest ecosystem health, and biodiversity.  "This is a roadmap to national forest destruction and it's painful to read." (Randi Spivak, Director of the Center for Biological Diversity's public lands program).  The continued assault on our public lands by the current administration is nothing short of criminal.  These are public lands, owned by all of us, and yet all they seem to care about are the loggers, frackers, miners and ranchers.  This is yet another sad day for the US, for habitats and ecosystems, for species throughout the US.  I love our national forests, I have camped, hiked and biked in so many I can't name them all, from Allegheny NF in Pennsylvania, to Pisgah, Nantahala, Uwharrie, and Croatan in North Carolina, south to Talladega NF in Alabama and Appalachicola NF in Florida, north to the UP of Michigan and Superior NF in Minnesota (home to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness), and west to the many national forest in Colorado (Arapaho and Roosevelt, Pike, Rio Grande, Gunnison, Uncompahgre, Routt NFs), South Dakota (Black Hills NF), Montana (Lewis and Clark, Bitterroot, Custer-Gallatan and Lolo NFs), Utah (Dixie and Manti-La Sal NFs), Wyoming (Bridger-Teton and Shoshone NFs), Idaho (Kooteni NF), Arizona (Kaibab NF), Oregon (Rogue River - Siskiyou NF), New Mexico (Cibola and Santa Fe NFs), California (Sequoia NF), and even Alaska (Chugach NF).  But again, these special places are under threat, from our own government.  All of our public lands are under threat, and especially our national forests, from activities which threaten the often unique nature of these wild lands, forest lands which support an incredible amount of plant and animal diversity, a diversity of habitats including many streams and rivers, and which house physical landscapes which can often take your breath away.  Without public land, there is no outdoor recreation, there is no outdoor adventure. Please do what you can to really celebrate National Forest Week, and work hard to protect these valuable, public resources.  So much to explore, experience, and enjoy.

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I have been fortunate to have visited many of our amazing national parks, from Acadia National Park in Maine, USA, in the East, down to Everglades National Park in Florida, and across the country to Joshua Tree in southern California, and Redwoods National Park in northern California.  But of all the national parks I have visited, few match the incredible raw beauty of Yosemite National Park in the Western Sierra Nevada of central California.  In Yosemite, you can find amazing vistas, wonderful hikes, six waterfalls of over 300 m or 1000 ft (including the tallest in the country, Yosemite Falls), and massive walls of granite rising over 900 m (3000 ft) from the valley floor.  I had traveled to Sacramento, CA for a scientific meeting, but managed to squeeze a few days in California after the meeting to explore Yosemite, and Sequoia National Parks.  As so often seems to be the case, I did not have enough time, but even a few days wandering around these very special landscapes is better than nothing.

Yosemite was first established as a protected area by Abraham Lincoln when he signed the Yosemite Grant in 1864.  John Muir, along with others, helped lobby for a much larger protected area, which was finally created in 1890, though the State of California retained control of Yosemite Valley and the Mariposa Grove (of giant sequoia trees) until 1906.  Today, the Yosemite includes over 3,000 square km (almost 1,200 sq. mi) of incredible scenery, a complex and diverse landscape of mountains, steep cliffs and granite walls, lakes, rivers, waterfalls, and, the Maripose Grove of giant sequoias. Almost 95% of the park is designated as wilderness.  Yosemite National Park is also a very busy place.  In 2019, Yosemite was the 5th most visited national park with about 4.5 million visitors.  Fortunately, most visitors spend most of their time in the 18 sq. km (7 sq. mi) of Yosemite Valley, where there are shuttles, shops, a hotel, etc.  I tried to spend my time hiking and taking photographs.  I was unable to get reservations for a campsite at one of the campgrounds in the Valley, which includes Camp 4, made famous by the rock climbers who often spend weeks camping here and climbing the incredible granite walls which really make Yosemite special (check out movie "Valley Uprising" for a history of rock climbing in Yosemite).  I camped in Wawona Campground near the South Entrance to the park, though I spent most of my time in the Valley.  The hiking is amazing in the Park, with over 1,300 km (800 mi) of trails, just be ready to do some climbing.  One day I hiked the Yosemite Falls Trail all the way to the top, 11.6 km (7.2 mi) of mostly switchbacks, climbing 825 m (2700 ft) from the valley floor near Camp 4.  The hike was a challenge, but the views, even some along the hike, were amazing.  In addition, I wandered around the Valley, hiked a lot more, took a spin on my mountain bike, and even had a beer at the iconic hotel, The Ahwahee.  I did not get to see the Mariposa Grove, which is actually very near the South Entrance, as the area was closed for a large-scale restoration project during my visit in 2016.

For many, Yosemite is best known for its massive granite walls, including El Capitan, with 914 m (3,000 ft) of near vertical granite.  Yosemite is one of the most famous rock climbing destinations in the world.  El Capitan, The Nose route, was first climbed in 1946 by Warren Harding, Wayne Merry and George Whitmore.  It took them 47 days.  The first free ascent of a major route on El Capitan was not The Nose, but the Salathe Wall, which was free climbed by Todd Skinner and Paul Piana in 1988.  The Nose was first free climbed by Lynn Hill in 1993.  Then on the 3rd of June, 2017, Alex Honnold completed the first free solo climb of El Capitan, the Freerider line, in 3 hours and 56 minutes, documented in the award-winning movie, Free Solo.  Honnold again made history, this time with a partner, Tommy Caldwell, when they set the speed climbing record on El Capitan, The Nose, on June 6, 2018, 1:58:07.  I climbed a bit in my youth, so I can at least appreciate, and marvel at these accomplishments, and the impressiveness of El Capitan, simply a massive wall of beautiful granite.  The beauty and grandeur of this place really has no rival, at least not from what I have seen and experienced.  Yellowstone is amazing, so is Glacier and Rocky Mountains National Parks, and many other parks and protected areas scattered around the US.  But there is something about Yosemite, especially the iconic Tunnel Views when first arrive in the Valley from the South, which is simply amazing, I need to go back.

There are 62 national parks administered by the National Park Service (NPS), the parks we are celebrating this week, amazing places for outdoor adventure.  But in addition to the parks, there are national seashores (10 of them) which are also administered by the NPS, including one of my most favorite places in the US, Cape Lookout National Seashore.  Cape Lookout National Seashore, 56 miles of mostly deserted barrier islands along the coast of North Carolina in the US, is really an extension of the Outer Banks, which includes another national seashore, Cape Hatteras National Seashore.  Cape Lookout was designated a National Seashore, administered by the Park Service, in 1966, though it had been visited by locals for decades.  Cape Lookout is separated from the mainland by Core Sound, and is made up of three barrier islands, North Core Banks, which includes Portsmouth Village (which is now essentially a separate island), South Core Banks, and Shackleford Banks.  The last inhabitants of Portsmouth Village departed in 1971, but many of the buildings which made up the village have been preserved; daily ferry service provides access.  Shackleford Banks is best known because of the presence of a herd of wild horses called Banker horses, a breed of wild horse found on a few barrier islands of North Carolina's Outer Banks.  Shackleford Banks also supports the only true maritime forests on the Seashore, and is easily accessible by daily ferry service from either Beaufort, or Harkers Island.  Or, you can take your own power boat out, beach it on the shore, get stuck for hours, like we did one year.

I have spent most of my time on South Core Banks, accessible by kayak, as I did one year, or by ferry out of Davis, NC.  While both North and South Core Banks are undeveloped and uninhabited, both have a small clusters of primitive cabins for rent, maintained by the Park Service.  Camping on the beach is free, though the ferry will cost you.  And since you can drive on the beach, finding a nice place to pitch your tent or park your 4WD camper is easy, just have to watch for turtle nests and nesting birds.  Beach camping can be tough, it can be hot, windy, and you get sand everywhere, in your tent, in your coffee, in your hair, and in every human orifice.  But it it so worth it, waking up on what often seem like a desolate beach, looking out at the Atlantic Ocean, waves crashing on the shore, and often birds, everywhere.  The ferry out of Davis brings you to a dock at the Great Island Cabin Area, where you will find a small park office, which only sells ice, gas and non-highway diesel, and a cluster of 26 primitive cabins.  You then simply have to deflate the tires on your truck down to about 18 psi, lock in the 4WD, and head for the beach.  There simply is nothing like camping on a beach, especially one with so few people.  I always went during the summer, and while it can get busy on weekends, I always felt almost alone, especially late afternoon and evening when the beach traffic subsides.  The real busy season is during the fall, when the red drum are running.  Cape Lookout, while popular with folks like me, is best known as a fishing destination, and during the fall, the red drum are running and every cabin is booked.  It is not uncommon for fishermen to haul 40 lb drum out of the surf.  But, late summer and fall is hurricane season.  The islands are frequently hit by hurricanes, including Hurricane Dorian which struck in September 2019; cabins at Long Point on North Core Banks are still closed due to damage caused by Dorian.

I have been to Cape Lookout many times, camping mostly though I have stayed in a cabin for one night before catching an early ferry off the island a couple of years (cabin #24 is wonderful).  While the cabins do not have any electricity, there is a stove and hot showers (oh boy!) powered by small propane tanks.  I prefer to camp, drift off to sleep with the sound of waves crashing on the shore, and wake to brilliant sunrises over the Atlantic.  Summer storms can be scary, especially when in a small tent, sand is everywhere, and it is always windy.  But, it is challenge that makes for a more meaningful experience, a more meaningful adventure.  I love Cape Lookout, a very special place.

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I first became interested in the Grand Canyon long before I was finally able to visit in the summer of 2017, after reading a book by Colin Fletcher.  Colin Fletcher is probably best known as the author of the Complete Walker, the first comprehensive "backpacker's bible" which I used as my guide to life in the wilds for many years.  But it was after reading Fletcher's The Man Who Walked Through Time (1963), about his solo, unsupported hike of the entire length of the canyon through the park, mostly in the canyon, that I longed to visit the Grand Canyon, "The Big Ditch", really see for myself what Colin Fletcher experienced during his hike.  And, once I was finally there, able to peer over the edge into this monstrous canyon, I not only more fully appreciated the insanity of what Colin Fletcher did, but also appreciated the true awesomeness of this spectacle.  The canyon, created by the Colorado River, and almost 70 million years of erosion, is 446 km (277 river mi) long, up to 29 km (18 mi) wide, and 1.6 km (1 mi) deep.  This is a impressive place, just the scale of which takes your breath away, an awesome product of nature. 

Grand Canyon National Park was created in 1919, and is huge, containing 4,926.08 square km (1,217,262 acres), diverse biologically and geologically, and busy, very busy.  In 2019, the Park was again the second busiest (after the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Tennessee and North Carolina), with 5.97 million visitors.  The park is divided into the South and the North Rims, and there are big differences between the two areas.  The South Rim is more accessible, and much busier, and has a much drier environment.  The North Rim is higher in elevation, wetter, colder (with much more snow during the winter), and with more vegetation.  The North Rim is also not nearly as busy as the South Rim, but still with plenty to do.  I visited both, but only camped along the South Rim at Desert View Campground, a great campground with 50 first-come, first-served campsites (I stayed at site 24, wonderful!), about 40 km (25 mi) east of the Visitor's Center.  This drive is actually great, lots of pull-offs, vistas and short hikes.  While I stayed along the South Rim, I biked out to Hermit's Point from the Visitor's Center, hiked part of the Rim Trail, and spent most of an afternoon exploring the rim of the canyon not far from the campground, including a visit to the Watchtower at sunset.  The North Rim was much more chill, and the campground was full, but I found a fantastic little campsite in the Kaibab National Forest just north of the Park, quiet, and free.  We (me and my van) camped there two nights.  I spent a whole day exploring the North Rim,  I hiked out to Bright Angel Point, and hiked the loop made up of the Transept and Bridle Path Trails.  I also drove out to Point Imperial, and even out to Cape Royal, hiked around a bit, took a lot of photos, absolutely gorgeous views.  I definitely did not spend enough time in this park, and did not get anywhere near the river, the hike down would probably kill me, so then to have to hike back up, nope, no way.  I guess I could have hopped on a mule for the ride down, and back up, but that just felt like cheating.  Next time.  I really enjoyed my time here, though as is most often the case, I did not have enough time to really explore what Grand Canyon National Park has to offer, you probably need a week, if not more.  But I was always on the move, other places to visit and explore, and always too much time behind the wheel of my van. 

​And while you're in the area, and especially when you drive from the South Rim up around to the North Rim, be sure to stop at the Navajo Bridge on the Colorado River, before the river heads into the Canyon.  The river is beautiful there, and I was fortunate to see a couple of California condors, one of the rarest birds in the world, flying over the canyon not far from the bridge.  Apparently there is a condor nest in the cliffs above the river.  Also, if you happen to be heading into Page, AZ, maybe on your way to the parks in southern Utah, be sure to stop at Horseshoe Bend, a beautiful, though very busy spot along the Colorado River, beautiful.

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Today is the 50th Anniversary of Earth Day, with the first Earth Day being celebrated on this date in 1970.  Even in these challenging and difficult times, it is always important to never forget about our Mother Earth, she of spectacular beauty and splendor, supporting us, and millions of other species, and containing natural wonders just waiting to be explored, to be experienced.  I have been very fortunate over the years to visit some amazing places, awesome places filled with amazing landscapes, breathtaking beauty, and incredible biodiversity.  But I am worried, very worried, about the future of the natural world.  We are in trouble, and the coronavirus is only one problem we face today.

On this day, I am reminded of a quote by David Orr, part of which I often included in my lectures in classes such as Environmental Science and Conservation Biology. 
David Orr (1991, part of an essay adapted from a commencement address): "If today is a typical day on planet Earth, we will lose 116 square miles of rainforest, or about an acre a second.  We will lose another 72 square miles to encroaching deserts, as a result of human mismanagement and overpopulation.  We will lose 40 to 100 species and no one knows whether the number is 40 or 100.  Today, the human population will increase by 250,000.  And today we will add 2,700 tons of chloroflourocarbons to the atmosphere and 15 million tons of carbon.  Tonight, the Earth will be a little hotter, its waters more acidic, and the fabric of life more threadbare."

It has been 50 years since the first Earth Day, and 30 years since David Orr uttered the words above as part of a commencement address to  the graduating class of 1990 at Arkansas College.  Where do we stand today? How much progress have we made in reducing pollution, protecting biodiversity and habitats, and limiting human population growth?  While some progress has been made, the answer to this question is that we are not doing well, and the situation is actually much worse, even dire, when you look at data.

• According to the World Wildlife Fund, we are currently losing 18.7 million acres of forest annually, or 51,000 acres per day.  In the Amazon basin of South America, 17% of the most diverse forest habitats on the planet have been destroyed since the first Earth Day 50 years ago.
• We are also losing habitats to desertification. According to the UN Convention to Combat Desertification, 12 million hectares (46,332 square mi) of arable land is lost to drought and desertification each year.
• Since 1900, the mean abundance of native species in terrestrial habitats has declined by at least 20%, and the situation for aquatic species is even worse.  By 2019, approximately 1 million animal and plant species are now threatened with extinction in the near future according to a recent report by the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES).
• Globally, the human population is adding 220,000 people per day, over 150 people per minute.
• We have made progress in terms of the emissions of CFCs, thanks to the Montreal Protocol, an international treaty signed in 1987, designed to phase out emissions of CFCs.  And while emissions have decreased significantly for years, until 2013, when emissions began to grow.  And we are not doing well at all when it comes to carbon dioxide emissions and climate change.
• As combustion of fossil fuels continues at an alarming rate, 2016 was the warmest year on record (according to NASA and NOAA), 2019 was the second warmest on record, and 17 of the 18 warmest years on record have occurred since 2000.  February 2020 was the second warmest February on record, and the same for March.  And so far, 2020 to date (January through March) is the second hottest year on record.  Global energy-related emissions of carbon dioxide in 2019 was estimated to be approximately 33 gigatons, or 9.041 tons per day.
• In summary, we are not doing very well, and some might argue, that we have made very little progress in protecting natural habitats and all the species which call these habitats home since David Orr spoke the words above, and maybe in some ways, even since the first Earth Day 50 years ago today.

The situation is made even worse when you look at what the Trump administration is doing to roll back environmental protections in the US.  For example, according to the New York Times, the Trump administration has rolled back 95 environmental rules and regulations since he took office.  They are attempting to withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement, they have lifted the ban on drilling in the Arctic Wildlife Refuge in Alaska, they have changed the way the Endangered Species Act is applied to protect threatened species, and they have rolled back if not totally eliminated pollution protections for freshwater including many wetlands and temporary streams.  We are moving in the wrong direction in this country, and some of the damage inflicted on natural habitats will be permanent.  This assault on our natural habitats and biodiversity cannot continue, must not be allowed to continue.  What is bad for the environment is bad for us, and we have known this for years.

The time is now for bold, decisive action to protect the Earth, and all those who call this planet home, including us.  "Nature does not need us, but we need nature."   The clock is ticking, now is the time for action, innovation, inspiration, and significant change.  The world is now suffering through a brutal viral outbreak, one which has already killed almost 180,000 people worldwide.  And the more we learn about the virus, its origins, the more we understand how our impacts on the natural world, on other species, is in part to blame.  We are living in difficult and scary times, but now is not the time to get distracted, complacent.  The next environmental disaster is already here, climate change, and the global impacts of the damage which will result will make our current problem seem almost trivial.  Please, today, don't forget our "Spaceship Earth", our Mother Earth, who supports us, sustains us, and gives so much awe-inspiring beauty and joy.  Please celebrate Earth Day, in any way that you can.  Let us work together to not only keep one another safe and healthy, but also do the same for planet Earth as well.

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I threw these three parks together in one post as, well, I visited one after the other, all of which are in southern Utah.  I started at Capital Reef National Park, before moving due west as the crow flies (but not as the Sprinter travels) to Canyonlands, which is only 16 to 24 km (~10 to 15 miles) southwest of Arches National Park.  Arches is just up the road from Moab, Utah, hot place when I arrived in the summer of 2017.  I mountain biked late one morning just north of town, air temperature was just over 40 degrees C (105 degrees F), brutal but fun.  These are three national parks all within an easy days ride of one another, different but the same, beautiful, majestic, and raw.  All three parks are on at least part of the Colorado Plateau, "high desert", so not much rain, but lots of mesas, buttes, canyons and rocks.  Oh, I do miss the desert.

Like many national parks, Capital Reef was first designated as a national monument, in 1937.  And while it took quite a few years, Capital Reef became a national park in 1971.  While not a huge park at 978.95 square km (241,904 acres), the combination of canyons, domes, towers, cliffs and arches offer much to explore.  Much of the park is dominated by the Waterpocket Fold, a huge geologic feature, a rocky spine 160 km (nearly 100 mi) long, part of which is preserved in the park.  The rocks of the Fold are over 65 million years old, the result of a chunk of the earth's crust being thrust up by tectonic activity.  I camped here one night, in the Fruita Historic District along the Fremont River, biked the Scenic Drive until I ran out of pavement, hiked, explored, and thoroughly enjoyed Capital Reef.  This was a park which was never really on my "must see" list, but I really had fun here, though hot and dusty, Capital Reef is a hidden gem.

Canyonland National Park, .... I did not spend enough time in, and round, this beautiful park.  The park is actually pretty large, 1,366.2 square km (337,598 acres), and is divided into four districts, The Island in the Sky, The Needles, The Maze, and the rivers, the Colorado and Green Rivers which join together in the park, the Confluence.  The rivers are what makes this park, as they carved out a complex landscape of canyons, mesas and buttes, and the rivers provide life-giving water to the diverse flora and fauna of yet another desert park.  I camped only one night in the park, the Island in the Sky (Willow Flat) Campground, a small campground with only 12, first-come, first-served campsites.  And, the campground is within walking distance of the Green River Overlook, spectacular in the late afternoon sun.  I also hiked out to Murphy Point, it was hot, and I was glad that I had plenty of water.  Oh, and potable water is only available at the Visitor Center.  I would definitely like to get back to Canyonlands one day, maybe during the off-season, fall or winter, get into the backcountry and really explore.

And finally, I got to visit Arches National Park, a very busy place with over 1.6 million visitors a year (2018).  The park is actually pretty small (310.3 square km, 76,679 acres), at least compared to Canyonlands, and is very accessible to most people.  The only campground in the park, in the Devil's Garden area was closed when I visited, as were many pull-offs.  But I still was able to hike and explore the many rock and sandstone arches for which the park gets its name.  There are over 2000 natural stone arches in the park, along with all kinds of other rock formations.  Devil's Garden has a campground (51 primitive sites), and lots of hiking trails, most of which take you to a diverse array of beautiful arches, from the longest, Landscape Arch (light opening 93.3 m, ~306 ft), to the smaller, ground-level Pine Tree Arch, at the end of a side trail.  The park was very busy when I was there, traffic was actually bad, but again, I saw, and photographed lots, even if I was never really alone anywhere in the park.  Again, Arches is worthy of another visit, but definitely in the off-season.

John Muir, considered by many to be the "Father of the National Parks", was born on the 21st of April, 1838.  It is important during National Park Week to celebrate his life and legacy.  John Muir co-founded the Sierra Club in 1892, and was instrumental in the creation of Yosemite as a national park in 1890.  Muir fell in love with Yosemite, and it is easy to understand why.  John Muir, writer, activist, environmentalist, philosopher, and explorer died in California in 1914 at the age of 76.  His legacy lives on, in the Sierra Club, and in Yosemite National Park, a very special place.  These are unsettled and difficult times, but maybe also a good time to think about the words of John Muir.
"Come to the woods, for here is rest. There is no repose like that of the deep green woods. Here grow the wallflower and violet. The squirrel will come and sit upon your knee, the logcock will wake you in the morning. Sleep in forgetfulness of all ill. Of all the upness accessible to mortals, there is no upness comparable to the mountains." ("John of the Mountains: The Unpublished Journals of John Muir", 1938) 

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