Oregon Backroads

On a recent trip to the NW we decided to take the scenic route, so we took five days, winding through the Oregon backroads.

An Old Oregon Pine

Happy Canyon Overlook

Poison Spring Cyn; background / Happy Cyn; foreground 

Our trip into Sams Mesa Box Canyon settled the question of a possible future backpacking trip. The next morning I sat in the sun looking at maps and drinking coffee. We didn't want to spend a bunch of time driving around so we settled on driving about 20 minutes further out onto Sams Mesa. The contour lines on the quad begged exploration along the north rim of Happy Canyon out to a point that forms between Happy Canyon and the Dirty Devil River. Long story short: We walked 11 miles for a picnic!

Sams Mesa Box Canyon

For a good while now I've been eyeing the map with the hopes of making a non-technical 5 day backpacking loop trip, out of two canyons that are popular among canyoneers for technical challenge. We lucked out by having a spell of days in the upper 60's during spring break so we gassed up and rolled south where we had 4 days of sunny solitude.

Table Mountain Wilderness

If Winnie the Pooh is alive and well anywhere in the world; it must be that he lives in the fairy tale aspen glades of Table Mountain Wilderness in central Nevada.

Alta-Toquima Wilderness

Alta-Toquima Wilderness in central Nevada has been on our bucket list for a good while. I guess it was on the list for a bunch of reasons; it's remote as hell, it's high altitude, there's some cool archeology, it's a designated wilderness, the aspen trees are always a plus, and it just looks cool on the map, and from the big valleys below.

San Rafael Swell: Mexican Mt. Wilderness

I've been thinking about what to name a loop like this and can't come up with anything that makes any sense so that's fine.

Detour to Panamint Dunes

Lisa and I had every good intention of hiking to the top of Telescope Peak in Death Valley Nat'l Park on the way home from Southern California.

Who's in charge?

Notch Peak

Now I'll be the first to admit that I'm a sucker for big views and big country.