Spring trip

Dad and I have been on the road for a few weeks now and this is our first internet access since leaving home. We spent 10 days backpacking in Shenandoah National Park in VA then drove the entire Blue Ridge Parkway down to NC. It was a lovely drive much more scenic than 95! Lots of nice mountain views along the way and some nice campgrounds as well. Hiked with Dad on Grandfather MT in NC and in Great Smoky Mts National Park. We then drove down to the Florida Keys and rafted there. Scary moment as we almost got sucked out to sea with the outgoing tide but Dad grabbed ahold of the bridge support and we escaped! In N Florida now after exploring the Everglades a bit. Will post pix soon.
Wes

Another long bike ride

My Dad did it again. Yesterday he pedaled the bike path out to Valley Forge Military Park. It was a 78 mile round trip from our home in NE Philadelphia. Unlike the last time he was here,dad pedaled around in the park when he arrived there and took some photos. It was a warm,sunny day and he had a wonderful ride. Just wish that he would buy a bike trailer and take me along!

Bike Ride to Valley Forge

Warm spring day at the Beach

Dad and I spent a relaxing day at the beach yesterday. We drove to Island Beach State Park near Seaside Heights,NJ. This is the only area in the state where the beach still exists in a natural,unspoiled condition. No boardwalk, amusements,casinos etc litter the coastline. Just sand dunes,coastal scrub pines and miles of sandy beach. We arrived in early morning in fog and began our hike 5 miles down the beach to Barnegat Inlet. The water was chilly but we waded into the surf as we hiked along. The sun had dissapated the fog by the time we had reached the rock jetty at Barnegat Inlet. Sunlight sparkled off of the ocean and Barnegat Lighthouse was visible across the inlet. We left the beach here and hiked a trail thru the sand dunes back to Barnegat Bay. Here dad and I enjoyed our lunch surrounded by the towering dunes before continuing back to the bay, Barnegat Bay separates Island Beach State Park from the NJ mainland. The park is actually a barrier island on the Atlantic Ocean. It being sunny and warm,we both walked out a bit from shore in shallow Barnegat Bay to do a little swimming. Then we followed the trail back to the beach and hiked back to parking area A`2 and our car. Some pix with descriptions follow.

Island Beach State Park

Valley of the Gods

Leaving the Lake Powell area,we crossed back into southern Utah and drove the loop road thru Valley of the Gods which is near Blanding. We arrived late in the day as evening was coming on,so dad decided to camp here. The moon was out in a clear starry sky and the silence of the desert was wonderful. The next morning,we drove the loop road thru Valley of the Gods. The place is so named because it is dotted with towering rock monoliths that really do inspire godlike feelings of awe! The place is rather similar to nearby Monument Valley in the Navajo Tribal Park. Valley of the Gods is on BLM land,however,and thus it is free. Dad kept his speed down as the dirt road has some steep roller coaster sections and we made the journey without mishap. We hiked around these awesome monuments and took some photos.

Valley of the Gods

Long bike ride for my Dad

Alas,I don`t always get to partake in all of my Dad`s adventures :(.

Yesterday he decided to ride the Schuykill River bike trail. Dad has known of this trail for some time now and always had been curious to try it. He rode his Schwinn mountain bike from our house in NE Philadelphia down into center city. Here he rode the Kelly Drive along the Schuykill river where several rowing clubs were out on the water. The Schuykill River trail starts near here and dad rode it all the way out to Valley Forge. The trail goes thru the old Phila neighborhood of Manayunk following a canal there before entering the suburbs of the city. It is a mostly level bike path and dad rode it all the way out to Valley Forge about 30 miles from our house. Nice views of the Schuykill river are had along its length. At Valley Forge,my dad visited the center there which has a nice exhibit on Washington`s encampment at Valley Forge during the Revolutionary War. Upon arriving back home,dad`s bike odometer read a tad over 68 miles---his longest bike trip in many years!

Biking the Schuykill River trail

Paria River trail and Lake Powell camping

After our recent hikes,I`m back to relating more happenings from our West trip last fall.

Dad and I hiked the Paria River trail in the Lees Ferry area on a warm late Oct day. This trail follows the Paria River in northern AZ for about 38 miles. The trail involves numerous river crossings as it meanders from side to side to avoid sheer cliffs. The Paria river was running fairly low this day,so the crossings presented little problem. We hiked out and back from Lees Ferry for a round trip distance of about 8 miles. The desert scenery was awesome! At the end of our hike,we toured a pioneer cemetary at Lonely Dell ranch. This was a Mormon settlement at Lees Ferry in the late 1800`s.
Following our Paria River hike(we hope to do an overnite hike here next time!)dad and I camped on the shore of Lake Powell at Lone Rock beach. The next day,we spent about an hour hiking along the beach and its dunes. some pix with descriptions follow.

Paria River trail and Lone Rock beach

Commemorating the 100th anniversary of Titanic

Dad and I have had some back to back hikes lately,so I am a bit late in posting this diary entry.

On Sunday,April 15,2012,my Dad rode his bike downtown to view the Titanic exhibit at Penn`s Landing on the Delaware river. It was the 100th anniversary of the sinking of Titanic and dad wanted to do something to commemorate this day. I had to stay home as Dad rode his bike downtown from NE Philadelphia. It was a 10 mile ride downtown to the Schuykill river where he did a loop ride along both sides of the river via the Kelly and MLK drives. Rowers were out on the river from various schools. Dad then rode thru center city to Penn`s Landing on the Delaware river. The Independence Seaport Museum is located here and dad viewed the Titanic exhibit as well as touring the battleship Olympia and the WW 2 sub Becuna. In addition to commemorating Titanic,my dad also logged a 45 mile bike ride on this day! Some pix with descriptions follow.

100th Anniversary of Titanic

Warm spring backpacking in the Pocono Mts

We have been enjoying a rather summerlike spring here of late and last Thurs and Fri Dad and I decided to undertake a short overnite backpacking trip in the Pocono mts near Tannersville,PA. We hiked in state game lands 38 and adjoining Big Pocono State Park. The weather was sunny both days and in the 70`s. Dad even managed a little swimming,although the mountain lakes are still quite chilly! None of the trails in the game lands are marked,so dad marked waypoints with his gps to avoid becoming lost. We camped in a dense stand of pines overnite. There was a beautiful golden sunset here. While inside the tent after darkness fell,a chorous of coyotes sounded off---Call of the Wild! A few pix are posted.

Overnite trip in State Game Lands 38

Hiking the canal towpath on a rainy April day

Woofs to all! Dad and I have been busy with some back to back hikes recently and have not been online too much,so I am now busy updating things.

Yesterday,Sun Apr 22 was quite a rainy day here in the Philadelphia area. We really needed the rain,so that was a good thing. Dad and I decided to do a hike along the Delaware Canal towpath near Point Pleasant,PA. My dad wanted to test the concept of using an umbrella as a mini shelter to stay dry while having lunch in the rain. We did a 20 mile round trip hike along both sides of the river. Rain droplets on flowers created some interesting photo effects! Hiking in the rain also has a unique ambiance not to mention that one usually has plenty of solitude! We found a teepee like log structure off in the woods beside the canal towpath. Dad erected the umbrella inside it so as to be out of the wind. The concept worked out nicely! Dad stayed dry under the umbrella while having lunch and reading his book. There was room only for 1 under the umbrella,but I had my raincoat on to stay reasonably dry. Dad remarked that it was a cozy feeling to be snug and dry under that umbrella while rain cascaded down outside! It was a unique kind of day hike. Some pix with descriptions follow.

Hiking the canal towpath on a rainy April day

Another cemetary visit and interesting gravestones

Friday April 13 was a warm sunny day here and dad and I decided to undertake another hike along the canal towpath. This hike was very similar to our recent Easter Sunday hike and we made a detour once again to the interesting old churchyard of the Upper Tinicum Lutheran Church. Some additional photos of interesting graves here follow with descriptions. It is awesome to contemplate that there are people buried here who were alive during the Civil War as well as WW 1!

Grave markers in UTLC cemetary