We have watched a steady progression of rain squalls come through central Tennessee this week. We have been in some really nice state parks, one named after Davy Crockett near Lawrenceburg and now at Henry Horton State Park, near Lewisburg. This one is named after a Governor, (Henry H. Horton, Governor from 1927-1933).

We sit inside and watch the weather radar on the computer. When we see a break in the rain we throw on all of our layers and take off tromping through the damp woods. This park has a really nice nature loop, the Hickory Ridge Loop that wends its way through the limestone sink holes and mixed forest. We got to identify Sugar Maple, Post Oak, Spanish Oak, Eastern Red Cedar, (actually a Juniper), Dog Wood, Hackwood and Persimmon. I will post a couple photos on the web site of one of the sink holes and a gnarly old Maple that has been struck by lightning many times.

The literature indicated that this whole area was a series of subsistence farms after the original plantation and mills were broken up. After walking around the area all I can say is they must have been pretty stubborn people. This area is nothing but layers of limestone rock with a thin skiff of soil over it.

It is really fun exploring the nooks and crannies of this great nation. When we go to Nashville this weekend we will surely visit the “Grand Ole Opry,” a well known tourist destination. But I think I can honestly say that we enjoy a quiet walk in the woods even more. In the last few days we have seen a flock of wild turkeys and many deer including a three point buck. It is fun to watch their white flags dancing through the trees. Then they stop and freeze. They literally disappear right before our eyes. We have also seen hunters cruising the back roads, so we always wear our neon bright yellow-green jackets.

So don’t let the winter weather slow you down. Follow our example and get out and walk every day.

Merry Christmas to all of our friends and relatives where ever you are.

Love from Gary and Judy in Tennessee.

Judy with the Gnarly Oak Tree in Henry Horton State Park

Sink Hole in Henry Horton State Park

Answer: To visit Denali – the National Park; the Mountain; the wildlife: And see them we did. Wow!

Judy and I were commenting that in 2004 we visited Zion Park in the middle of a torrential rain storm and saw waterfalls they had not seen for eight years. (See our blog for October 25, 2004, (under construction, check back later) Then in 2005 we went to Death Valley and were privileged to see the 100 year wildflower bloom. (See our blog for March 6, 2004, (under construction, check back later) This year we spent almost a week in Denali National Park and Preserve looking at banks of clouds. Finally, June 28th arrived and our Shuttle Bus reservations gave us one last chance to see Mt. Denali. By the luck of the draw we did get to see Mt. Denali from top to toe. In addition we made a grand slam on the five large mammals in Denali Park, Moose, Caribou, Grisly bear, Wolf and Doll Sheep. Now I admit the Wolf and the Sheep were small specks that you had to view through the binoculars, but the Moose, both a cow and a bull were close up, and I got great photos of the cow. One of five Grisly bears was also very close to the bus and I got several close up photos. One of the Caribou, a big buck, lead us down the road for probably a quarter mile before he finally decided to exit into the tundra. This fellow had a fine set of antlers still in the velvet. The photos are all stern on, but they are all clear and close up.

Lee, our wild Irishman bus driver, told us that only about ten percent of the visitors to Denali Park get to see “The Mountain.” Many of you in the “Lower 48″ probably know “The Mountain,” as we did, by its other name, Mt. McKinley. Up here in Alaska it is officially known by its original name, Mt. Denali. This is from the native Athabaskans’ word for “Great One.” We saw this “Great One” for over half of our twelve hour trip. It grew and grew until at about 30 miles away, it was simply awe inspiring. It just totally dominates the landscape and the air is so clear you could almost see the 200 some climbers on the mountain. (Actually they probably are all on the other side of the mountain.) Many of you also know that it is the highest mountain on the North American Continent at 20,320 ft. What surprised me was that Mt. Denali is not a volcano like our favorite mountains in Washington, Oregon and California. Mt. Denali is made up of granite and slate.

As usual our web site will have some of our best photos, (see below.)

We are now headed for the southern part of Alaska. We did get another peek at Mt. Denali today from 75 miles away, but the clouds came back to shroud the mountain once again.

Good bye from Alaska, Gary, Judy, Sonja and Jack.

Mount Denali from About 30 Miles

Mz. Moose Stands for a Portrait

A Grisley Bear Out for a Walk

Mr. Caribou, Out for a Jog

The day was warm and nice. A little overcast until late in the afternoon. We all had our digital cameras and we were just clicking away at everything we saw. I put some of the better shots below.
I think my favorite was Bridal Veil Falls. For some reason we have never hiked into this falls before. You can see it plainly from I-84, but when you take the scenic route the road is above the falls and you are past it and gone before you realize it. We have even bicycled this route a couple times and missed it then also. It is an easy hike of about a third of a mile to the viewing platform. Today the sun had finally emerged from the overcast and the falls were perfectly highlighted when we arrived.

We are staying in the Ainsworth State Park. It is in the western part of the gorge before you get to Bonneville Dam. It is a real nice park and handles our 53 foot rig with no problems. We have full hookups. If you are coming through the Columbia Gorge on a summer weekday and you can get here by early afternoon it is a good chance you will find a good spot to stay. The scenic highway is truly a nationl treasure.

Time to say good bye again. We send our love to all our friends and relations.

Gary and Judy with Cher and Holly.

Bridal Veil Falls in the Columbia Gorge

Judy and Holly at Latourell Falls

Photo of Cher Taking a Photo of Gary Taking a Photo of Cher at Multnoma Falls

Chers Photo of Gary Taking a Photo of Cher Taking a Photo of Us on the Multnoma Falls Bridge

Before I go further let me introduce you to our latest member of “family and friends.” We met this family at Kinbrook Island Provincial Park. Howard and Ruth and their two boys live in Calgary Alberta. They all ride bicycles and enjoy the great outdoors. Howard is a pilot. I never did ask which airline, but he flies Dash 8′s, and sometimes files into Portland. We know they are great people. Anyone that praises my funny-looking bicycle has got to be great people.

We just had lightning strike one second from flash to bang just off the front of the coach. There goes a second close one; wow, fireworks! We are “dry camping,” so we are not worried about some big power surge. Glad we did our major hiking today. These bad-lands are made from mud stone and it will be slick as ice after getting soaked again. They have been getting record rain this year. Isn’t this getting to be a bit monotonous? What ever happened to years with record sunshine? Oh. Oh, now it is turning to hail the size of peas and the campsites are turning to slush. It is almost deafening inside our little box. Now the hail has stopped but it is still a down-pour. The road in front of our camp-site is running two inches deep in muddy water. We are eyeing the skylights and sliders for leaks, but so far we are snug and warm and dry. There are several campers in tents though, and Judy and I remember a couple of those nights in the tent with the lightning dancing and the thunder clapping all around.

Well if you have received this you will know we made it back to civilization and found another cyber-café. Judy and I send our love to all.

Remember to check out our web site from time to time. I have all the back issues of these blogs there and usually there is a photo or two of the region we are traversing. The address is dinsmore-enterprises.com.

Badlands in Dinosaur Provincial Park, Alberta Canada

This is going to be a series of short takes about our stay in Death Valley because we have no internet here at the bottom of the North American Continent.

Thursday, March 3, 2005: We are camped in Sunset Campground at Furnace Creek in the middle of Death Valley. We are 190 feet below sea level. It is warm and sunny, Wahoo!
So far we have explored three canyons, the Harmony Borax Works and Scotty’s Castle. The wildflowers are blooming their hundred year best, and half of the roads are washed out. We just returned from the 7:00 pm ranger talk at the Furnace Creek Visitor Center and Ranger Dale Housley is a wonderful, enthusiastic fountain of knowledge and lore about Death Valley. We first met him at the Harmony Borax Works, and then again tonight. Dale has his roots in St. Helens Oregon, and yes indeed he is related to the Housley’s and Nickelson’s that we ourselves know. What an incredibly small world it is.

Our favorite canyon so far is Mosaic Canyon near Stovepipe Wells. We were able to walk a little over a mile into the canyon, crawling up and over sand/water polished marble. It was indeed much easier coming back down. Many of the chutes were as polished and slick as a slide in the park. You just sit down and scoot down the chute. Boy are we sleeping well at night. While in the canyon we were treated to an air show. Two military jets, (I think they were F-14′s), came roaring over the canyon at a middle altitude, about 10,000 feet. They started doing simulated combat right over our heads. Twisting and turning, looping and chasing each other for perhaps five minutes. The thunder was reverberating off the walls of the canyon. Suddenly one of them tucked his wings back in and punched it and the second jet followed. As quickly as it started it was all over.

We spent part of the day Friday on a Wildflower, nature walk. The volunteer showed us about twenty species of wildflowers in the space of a one hour walk. I will include some of our favorites below.

Saturday was another heavy duty bicycle ride and a walk up into a canyon again. This time we rode thirteen miles out to Natural Bridge Canyon. The problem with this canyon is the road into the canyon trail parking lot works its way up the alluvial fan deposit from the canyon for a mile and a half. Think about what it would be like to ride up the side of a gigantic gravel pile. We went from minus 200 feet to plus 600 feet. That is an average grade of 10 percent and the first half was more gentle than the upper half. We finally ditched the bicycle about half way up and packed in from there. Cars and trucks were spinning tires in the washboard gravel. The natural bridge was impressive enough, but Mosaic Canyon is still our favorite. The forecast of 20% chance of rain didn’t materialize and the temperature was just above 80 when we got back to the coach. We finally have had our touch of warm sunshine.

A warm greeting to all our friends and relations back home from Gary and Judy.

Judy in the Wildflower Patch, Death Valley CA

Two Desert Five Spots and a Rock, Death Valley CA

Desert Chicory, Death Valley CA

Natures Bouquet on a Gravel Bar, Death Valley CA