rangerpeyton

[rangerpeyton]

Where I’m headed in a few weeks!!!

Desert Eye, by Elliot McGucken.

Arches National Park, Moab, UT

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[rangerpeyton]

I have driven thousands of miles across the US to visit folks, and do it annually for Christmas because its cheaper to drive my dog across the country than it is to kennel her for 2+ weeks and fly home.

Ice storms come out of no where, frozen fog is no joke and there are parts of the country that the overarching weather apps doesn't cover. I have been surprised by weather on many a trip. be prepared.

y'all emergency preparedness for a crosscountry drive isn't about some unprecedented disaster. i live on an island off the washington coast and it's roughly 3,000 miles to my hometown. i've made the drive multiple times, & the fact is 3,000 miles is just a lot of ground to cover. a lot happens in 3,000 miles. i once drove out of a blizzard only to get walled into a motel for 3 days by a wild fire.

most of my trips have been smooth and even super fun. but not all.

if you've never driven that distance & you've always lived within an hour of basic necessities (hospital, grocery store, etc.) the idea of being hours away from any of those things might seem impossible unless something has gone very wrong but many people live like that all the time and there are plenty of places in the world where you need to prepare for that even if you're just passing through. i genuinely don't think anyone should be driving 3,000 miles without food & water, clothes & a sleeping bag that can keep you safe overnight in extreme temperatures, and basic vehicle skills like changing a tire, checking ur oil & transmission fluid, etc. i know we all do what we gotta do and we can't always prep as much as we want to so it is what it is.

but i don't prep to sleep overnight in a blizzard on a multi-thousand mile drive crossing multiple mountain ranges because i'm a bad driver who doesn't check the weather. i prep because shit happens & being ready for it can be the difference between dying of exposure and watching TikToks comfortably in my backseat while I wait overnight for the storm to blow over (which I have done).

[rangerpeyton]

I dont know where this is, but I need to go there. I need to kayak i need to get wet.

[rangerpeyton]

Bryce Canyon is one of my favorite parks. This is a beautiful image!

[rangerpeyton]

I'll pick you up on my way there when I head that way, hon. I should have mentioned the fall up on the UP. I love the UP, so much. I have way more recommendations about places to visit and see, including historic bars and fun little out of the way food spots. I should do that at some point.

Best National Park Service Site To Vist- MSN

Best National Park in the US? It's not Yellowstone, Yosemite or the Great Smokies, according to new list (msn.com)

I have not had the chance to visit Isle Royale but I have wanted to visit for many many many years. I lied, i did have the opportunity and as i readied to go i broke a toe.... and that kinda screwed me from going since the only way of getting around on the islands is walking and boating.

But I have heard nothing but good things from folks who have visited. And Lake Superior is one of my favorite bodies of water. And would go back to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan in a heart beat if the opportunity showed itself. So go visit if you get the chance. And brush up on your rock knowledge before you go. There are some beautiful rocks on those shores including Lake Superior Agates (am the proud owner of a few), native copper and datolite.

Also if you go, make sure you also visit Keweenaw National Historic Park just a few miles up from the boat dock. It is a fantastic, little known, historic site in the NPS that talks about the copper industry in the US and the people it drew to the country from ALLLL over the world. At one point in the 19th century and early 20th century Calumet, MI was just as ethically diverse as NYC at the time.

Click on the above Identification Badge to be taken to Keweenaw's website of a few of the artifacts they have.

[rangerpeyton]

Best National Park Service Site To Vist- MSN

Best National Park in the US? It's not Yellowstone, Yosemite or the Great Smokies, according to new list (msn.com)

I have not had the chance to visit Isle Royale National Park but I have wanted to visit for many many many years. I lied, i did have the opportunity and as i readied to go i broke a toe.... and that kinda screwed me from going since the only way of getting around on the islands is walking and boating.

But I have heard nothing but good things from folks who have visited. And Lake Superior is one of my favorite bodies of water. And would go back to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan in a heart beat if the opportunity showed itself. So go visit if you get the chance. And brush up on your rock knowledge before you go. There are some beautiful rocks on those shores including Lake Superior Agates (am the proud owner of a few), native copper and datolite.

Also if you go, make sure you also visit Keweenaw National Historic Park just a few miles up from the boat dock. It is a fantastic, little known, historic site in the NPS that talks about the copper industry in the US and the people it drew to the country from ALLLL over the world. At one point in the 19th century and early 20th century Calumet, MI was just as ethically diverse as NYC at the time.

Click on the above Identification Badge to be taken to Keweenaw's website of a few of the artifacts they have.

[rangerpeyton]

Beartooth Pass, Wyoming.

2017

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I hadn’t seen mountains since I was 6. I think… so I was thrilled to see some again!

My first taste of them came in the form of Beartooth Pass, shown in the first three photos. I have a fear of heights, so I spent that long winding trip up glued to the window, alternating between wanting to shut my eyes, but being unable to look away. SO worth it. We made multiple stops, saw mountain goats, and crawled up to the top of the pass and enjoyed all 10,947 feet of elevation. Bonus: snow!

Second dose of mountain goodness came in the form of the Grand Tetons, which we did not get to observe up close and proper, so these are the distant (yet still beautiful) memories I have of them. I will make a point of visiting Grand Teton National Park in the future, that’s for certain!

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Wow. The Beartooth Pass is one of the most beautiful roads in the US, cutting through precambrian rocks uplifted in central Montana. This guy is longboarding that road followed by a Drone.

[rangerpeyton]

I mighta had Led Zeppelin up a little loud as i went over Beartooth Pass this past weekend. I'm at over 10k' above sea level. Just me, the openness and a little Zeppelin ... And even this video doesn't cover it. Just amazing up there.

[rangerpeyton]

Alaska (No. 2)

Indigenous people have lived in Alaska for thousands of years, and it is widely believed that the region served as the entry point for the initial settlement of North America by way of the Bering land bridge. The Russian Empire was the first to actively colonize the area beginning in the 18th century, eventually establishing Russian America, which spanned most of the current state and promoted and maintained a native Alaskan Creole population. The expense and logistical difficulty of maintaining this distant possession prompted its sale to the U.S. in 1867 for US$7.2 million (equivalent to $157 million in 2023). The area went through several administrative changes before becoming organized as a territory on May 11, 1912. It was admitted as the 49th state of the U.S. on January 3, 1959.

Abundant natural resources have enabled Alaska—with one of the smallest state economies—to have one of the highest per capita incomes, with commercial fishing, and the extraction of natural gas and oil, dominating Alaska's economy. U.S. Armed Forces bases and tourism also contribute to the economy; more than half of the state is federally-owned land containing national forests, national parks, and wildlife refuges. It is among the most irreligious states, one of the first to legalize recreational marijuana, and is known for its libertarian-leaning political culture, generally supporting the Republican Party in national elections. The Indigenous population of Alaska is proportionally the second highest of any U.S. state, at over 15 percent, after only Hawaii.

Source: Wikipedia

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Today's NYT Strands Puzzle

Did everyone play today's Strands puzzle from the New York Times????

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This song just hits my soul. And my foot falls harder on the gas pedal.

[rangerpeyton]

Info about Cairns

Info about Leave No Trace

Info about Recreational Rock Dams

These practices are very disruptive and destructive for a wide variety of aquatic creatures.

via: National Park Service

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Lynx fascinated by a hummingbird...

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Coming this Summer: A series of webinars exploring three of California's most historically significant National Parks. Rangers from the U.S. National Park Service will lead you through the extraordinary events that occurred in these parks and the profound impact they had on California and beyond. Register for all three events at events.library.ca.gov!