New Members
Most active members
Sponsored links
Hiking
Sharing friendly discussion, advice about trails and equipment, experiences and photos of day hikes near home or backpacking treks in mountains, forests, deserts and along beaches
Latest Group Announcement
Welcome, hikers!
Glad to have you join us here in the Hiking group! Knock the mud off your boots and find a seat in here. Enjoy the photos and message and post some yourself. Let's keep the discussions going. Tell us about hikes you've been on (include enough info to help us find the trails), things you've seen, equipment you've used, books or other resources you've read. We're all in this together and can become friends--respond to others when they post and this will become an even more socially interactive group.
10 days ago
Recent Messages
Hello Everyone,.........
Wishing and hoping you all are enjoying fun and safe outdoor adventures.........Remember to always protect yourselves from heat prostration.......Take care all....
Hidden Lake - August 5
This was a 9-mile roundtrip up Powerline Pass next to Anchorage, and then up into a side valley to a lake that you can see only when you get within 50 feet of it. In this picture, the location of the lake is just under the group of snow patches in the middle:
More pictures in the reply...
More pictures in the reply...
Wild Horses,.........
On the way home today I saw the wild horses west of the highway where I have observed them for the last twenty years. Some years there are more then other years. I love it in the early summer when I start to see the new foals appearing, usually near their mares suckling or doing their first grazing. It is always so amazing see them fresh, only hours old, and beginning to stand on their long skinny wobbly legs for the first times. They are always so beautiful, and promising of fresh new lifes that will hopefully be full of adventure.
It is also sad, and something an old timer like myself has to accept and recognize, that so many(often as much as fifty per cent) that will die from the harshness of the high desert environment, or the hand of hateful ranchers that can run cattle for almost free on BLM lands, or the deer hunters that will kill them out of spite because they aren't any good at truly hunting for the Mulies.
I wish I was a millionaire, and could buy that big piece of land in northern Nevada and give sanctuary to the Mustangs, I believe they are so important to our history and civilization, I don't think we would have ever achieved what we call civilization without horses. I see them as practically sacred, and should truly be protected as a lasting symbol of both our growth to civilization as the human race, and as a symbol of freedom to us Americans. LET THEM RUN FREE!!!..............
It is also sad, and something an old timer like myself has to accept and recognize, that so many(often as much as fifty per cent) that will die from the harshness of the high desert environment, or the hand of hateful ranchers that can run cattle for almost free on BLM lands, or the deer hunters that will kill them out of spite because they aren't any good at truly hunting for the Mulies.
I wish I was a millionaire, and could buy that big piece of land in northern Nevada and give sanctuary to the Mustangs, I believe they are so important to our history and civilization, I don't think we would have ever achieved what we call civilization without horses. I see them as practically sacred, and should truly be protected as a lasting symbol of both our growth to civilization as the human race, and as a symbol of freedom to us Americans. LET THEM RUN FREE!!!..............
The Wild Horses Again: A Picturesque Opportunity..
......I love the opportunity of seeing the wild horses whenever I see them. I had the wonderful opportunity Sunday morning bright and early(6:30 AM)as the sun had just risen on the eastern horizon, and I was heading north towards Fernley on highway 95A. They were all there in their magnificent splendor, still fresh for the early morn, and not yet showing the distress to their health that will show in a month or two as winter approaches, and wild graze is much more diminished. Right now they are eating mostly the remains of the rice grass, and sweet grass, and scant naturel Buffalo (Bunch) grass; they are mostly eating the still tender bracs of soft and green TumbleWeeds.
There were about twenty five of them over about a mile stretch. There were four little herd groups of two to five mares with several foals suckling or grazing near their mares, or laying down soaking up the morning sun for warmth. There were stallions watching each of his harems and families. Off a short but safe distance was two different batchelor groups of three and four each, the batchelors being the males usually after they are two years old and in competion for the mares with the older stallions. I believe the stallions begin competing for mares at four years old mostly when experienced enough and understanding of how they got to find mares they aren't directly related to, to breed with. Inbreeding does occur, but in ample herd groups, younger stallions that are sucessful at winning a mare over to him, usually aren't closer then nephews or second cousins. Study shows that usually sons will never take their mothers or sisters, but after that extended family bloodlines seem to do alright most of the time.
This year the over all herd numbering maybe twenty seven right now with a total of eight new foals that I could see. You can see the connections of who goes with what mare or stallion pretty easily with one older white stallion(looking kind of like Lone Ranger's Silver). It didn't look like he had any foals that looked just like him. And there was one real nice and big healthy looking Buckskin, with a buckskin mare nearby, and a much smaller buckskin foal a short distant off. There was one large midnight Black mare with a small dark chestnut foal next to her, there were many roans and other chestnuts here and there, and all the other foals various roans and chestnuts. They all looked so beautiful when I approached them a short distant from off the highway. They were all facing north at the moment except for a few foals near their mares or laying down. As soon as I stopped at the shoulder of the highway, a alighted from my car the stallions all mostly flicked up their ears and turned to face me, ready to alert their families and protect them. It is so awesome a sight, and truly makes one appreciate our freedoms and wide open spaces. We are truly blest this opportunity of protecting and being guardians to our wild lands and wild life. All the wonderful creatures great and small, makes it easy to see our place in the universe, and be thankful for what we have if we continue to protect them all and all the great places of nature.
Thats when I realized I was out of film and could take no more photo shots this great morn.
By late October when the growing seasons is long over, and the grasses, and sages, and Tumbles are long dried out and mostly gone, and the cold nights and mornings have set in; we will see and observe that they begin to suffer and many will decline in health, and then we will begin to see their numbers decrease as parasites, illness, and injuries, and accidents will take their toll. I believe after twenty years of observation, that usually only a third will remain by the next early season, after the winter toll. It exacts a heavy price on their little herds. The amazing thing is to see how they make a pretty good come back year after year, though few ever lasting much more then seven or eight years of age. And of course there are those that actually hate the wild horses, believing them to be just domestics recently gone ferrel, where the Federal Government thus refuses to afford them any protection as under the protection of the Wild Horse and Burro Protection Act. So angry cattle ranchers that get use of public lands for grazing often kill them off in often consideral numbers, since most of the slaughter houses can't get away with processing horses for meat anymore. I hear the plant in Pocatello Idaho that slaughtered them for Alpo for dog food has been shut down, but am not totally convinced of this yet. Also there is a rather weird attitude among many mule deer hunters that the horses compete for the graze that should go to the deer, and so reduce the competeing deer populations; but I feel if every one hurlting down highways in this region in their high speed automobiles, there would be far more deer available for trigger happy so called sportsmens. I myself lost the will to kill wildlife with high-power rifles after Vietnam, except for the need of survival and feeding my family when they were growing up, and I lived in the game rich Mt. Hood area of Oregon. The only time I felt there was sport to hunting anything with a rifle, was when in Vietnam, and the hunted was always and armed hunter coming for me too. That was the only time it seemed fair sport. Now at fifty nine years old however, the only thing I wish to shoot is with my camera, whether it be wild or my children and friends and families..........
Thank you, preserve life and enjoy it all. I love you all too, and never need to even know you........Nam
There were about twenty five of them over about a mile stretch. There were four little herd groups of two to five mares with several foals suckling or grazing near their mares, or laying down soaking up the morning sun for warmth. There were stallions watching each of his harems and families. Off a short but safe distance was two different batchelor groups of three and four each, the batchelors being the males usually after they are two years old and in competion for the mares with the older stallions. I believe the stallions begin competing for mares at four years old mostly when experienced enough and understanding of how they got to find mares they aren't directly related to, to breed with. Inbreeding does occur, but in ample herd groups, younger stallions that are sucessful at winning a mare over to him, usually aren't closer then nephews or second cousins. Study shows that usually sons will never take their mothers or sisters, but after that extended family bloodlines seem to do alright most of the time.
This year the over all herd numbering maybe twenty seven right now with a total of eight new foals that I could see. You can see the connections of who goes with what mare or stallion pretty easily with one older white stallion(looking kind of like Lone Ranger's Silver). It didn't look like he had any foals that looked just like him. And there was one real nice and big healthy looking Buckskin, with a buckskin mare nearby, and a much smaller buckskin foal a short distant off. There was one large midnight Black mare with a small dark chestnut foal next to her, there were many roans and other chestnuts here and there, and all the other foals various roans and chestnuts. They all looked so beautiful when I approached them a short distant from off the highway. They were all facing north at the moment except for a few foals near their mares or laying down. As soon as I stopped at the shoulder of the highway, a alighted from my car the stallions all mostly flicked up their ears and turned to face me, ready to alert their families and protect them. It is so awesome a sight, and truly makes one appreciate our freedoms and wide open spaces. We are truly blest this opportunity of protecting and being guardians to our wild lands and wild life. All the wonderful creatures great and small, makes it easy to see our place in the universe, and be thankful for what we have if we continue to protect them all and all the great places of nature.
Thats when I realized I was out of film and could take no more photo shots this great morn.
By late October when the growing seasons is long over, and the grasses, and sages, and Tumbles are long dried out and mostly gone, and the cold nights and mornings have set in; we will see and observe that they begin to suffer and many will decline in health, and then we will begin to see their numbers decrease as parasites, illness, and injuries, and accidents will take their toll. I believe after twenty years of observation, that usually only a third will remain by the next early season, after the winter toll. It exacts a heavy price on their little herds. The amazing thing is to see how they make a pretty good come back year after year, though few ever lasting much more then seven or eight years of age. And of course there are those that actually hate the wild horses, believing them to be just domestics recently gone ferrel, where the Federal Government thus refuses to afford them any protection as under the protection of the Wild Horse and Burro Protection Act. So angry cattle ranchers that get use of public lands for grazing often kill them off in often consideral numbers, since most of the slaughter houses can't get away with processing horses for meat anymore. I hear the plant in Pocatello Idaho that slaughtered them for Alpo for dog food has been shut down, but am not totally convinced of this yet. Also there is a rather weird attitude among many mule deer hunters that the horses compete for the graze that should go to the deer, and so reduce the competeing deer populations; but I feel if every one hurlting down highways in this region in their high speed automobiles, there would be far more deer available for trigger happy so called sportsmens. I myself lost the will to kill wildlife with high-power rifles after Vietnam, except for the need of survival and feeding my family when they were growing up, and I lived in the game rich Mt. Hood area of Oregon. The only time I felt there was sport to hunting anything with a rifle, was when in Vietnam, and the hunted was always and armed hunter coming for me too. That was the only time it seemed fair sport. Now at fifty nine years old however, the only thing I wish to shoot is with my camera, whether it be wild or my children and friends and families..........
Thank you, preserve life and enjoy it all. I love you all too, and never need to even know you........Nam
Finally!
Finally got to go hiking Sunday, Aug. 3. Solo hike up Copperas Creek on another attempt to find Hopewell Arch. Hopewell comes from the name given to the native Americans who lived here thousands of years ago.
The arch is seldom visited because it is not well known and there is no trail to it. I had passed by it at least twice before without seeing it, but this time had a better idea of where to look and as usual, persistence paid off.
A bit of bushwhacking through rhododendrons and a bit of scrambling over boulders and there it was.
See photo section for my shots of this underrated and beautiful place.
The arch is seldom visited because it is not well known and there is no trail to it. I had passed by it at least twice before without seeing it, but this time had a better idea of where to look and as usual, persistence paid off.
A bit of bushwhacking through rhododendrons and a bit of scrambling over boulders and there it was.
See photo section for my shots of this underrated and beautiful place.
Friday Hike - River Woods Trail
Aren't they all "river woods" trails in Alaska? No, I guess some are "mountain rock" trails. But River Woods is the name of a backcountry road that leads to the trailhead in a valley just north of the Anchorage Bowl. We hiked down from the locked gate, over a bridge across the South Fork of Eagle River and up to a trail intersection. A trail to the right, and then another right, took us quickly to a viewing platform where we saw the South Fork Falls, which may be 50 or 60 feet tall and wide:
(See the rest in the reply...)
(See the rest in the reply...)
Petoskey MI
Does anyone have some good hiking reccomendations for the Petoskey, MI area? My husband has a conference at Boyne Highlands, but they seem to be all about pushing the golf. I know there are stretches of the North Country Trail in the area, but their site is less than helpful on where the trailheads are.
Thanks, Fitness Walker
Thanks, Fitness Walker
Invitation to moderate
Do we have members here who are interested in being a moderator of this group? Our current moderator has not visited in a long time, and it would be good to have someone else responding to posts (although everybody is encouraged to do that), and introducing new topics. Please send me a PM if you're interested.
More Wyoming photos
Check out RubiconIII's Wyoming beautiful photos at: view link
I suggest you click on Slideshow when you're there.
I suggest you click on Slideshow when you're there.
Photos
-
Peters Creek
8 days ago
-
Reward time
8 days ago
-
There is no ...
10 days ago
-
Whittleton Arch
10 days ago
-
On Sal Branch
10 days ago
-
Hopewell Arch2
17 days ago
Join this group to add a photo
(requires you to log in or sign up.)
