The Nature Conservancy…New Friends?
We had originally set out, Monday, to hike the Madera Canyon Trail located on The Nature Conservancy’s Davis Mountains Preserve. I first found out about Madera Canyon Trail from West Texas Weekly and have wanted to check it out every since. But as we approached the Lawrence E. Wood picnic area on Hwy 118 (where the trail begins) we could see smoke coming from the area of the trail. As we came closer, a gentleman with a stop sign informed
Skyline Trail – Davis Mountains State Park, Texas
Yesterday my oldest and I drove down to the Davis Mountains State Park to do some hiking. We wanted to hike in the parks “primitive area” but where told the park had allowed some hunters on the area to bow hunt for Havalinas. So we took the Park Rangers suggestion and followed a number of trails around a five mile ”Skyline” loop of the park. We grabbed a park map and drove down to the Skyline Mountain Bike Trailhead and
Family Push-Pin Map
Not long after my oldest was born we set a family goal. Before she graduates from high school we want to have visited every state in the US. So far we have made it to 10 states (I think) which is a little more than one state per year. Now that she is 8 we only have about 10 years left and 40 more states. I think we need to speed it up a bit.Maybe our problem is we can’t
Outdoor Gear Testers Wanted by Cocona Fabrics
Cocona Fabrics is running a full page add in Backpacker Magazine looking for outdoor enthusiasts to test a new fabric called Xcelerator. They claim Xcelerator Fabrics perform 50% better than other similar fabrics, and are looking for 1000 testers who will receive free gear for testing. If you are interested in applying to become a tester you can go to the Cocona website to register. The website says:We are looking for people from all walks of life, to test the
Two New Mexico weekend trips
I received the March (??) issue of Backpacker Magazine yesterday in the mail. A Featured article titled Ultimate Rockies by Steve Howe highlights 14 Rocky Mountain weekend and weeklong trips in the heart of the country. Two specific trips caught my eye due to their close proximity (relative) to West Texas.The first was Wheeler Peak, the highest in NM at 13,161 feet. Wheeler has a 16 mile out and back summit with an elevation gain of 3,800 feet. The
Cherohala Skyway – Scenic Drive
Cherohala Skyway, located in Tennessee and North Carolina, is one of the few nationally recognized scenic highways in the United States. As I mentioned before my wife and I were recently given the pleasure of driving the entire 36 miles. Since we were staying in Tennessee we choose to enter the Skyway from the town of Tellico Plains. We had only driven a single mile on the Skyway before deciding to take the short detour down River Road to
When Technology Tries To Kill You
Not long ago I read about a Nevada couple who selected “Shortest Route” on their GPS and unknowingly followed it down an unforgiving forest service road. Unfortunately the couple became stuck and/or lost in the forest. Luckily the couple had prepared a car survival kit and brought enough food and water to last them the tree days they spent trapped in the woods.This story stuck in my mind as my wife and I recently drove through the remote forest roads
Bill will Change Water Recreation in Colorado
There is a bill in set to go before the Colorado Legislature that will make it legal to paddle all Colorado rivers. Currently the law is in favor of Colorado land owners and in many instances makes it illegal to set foot on the bank or even the riverbed in Colorado. James at Recreation Law has more information.If you live in Colorado you should act now by doing one or all of the follwoing.Make sure the bill covers all boaters,
Cherohala Skyway – Freezing Fog
Last Saturday my wife and I were driving over the Cherohala Scenic Skyway in the Cherokee and Nantahala National Forests.The Skyway extends over36 miles in Tennessee and North Carolina. We started in Tellico Plains and climbed the Skyway to its highest point at just under 5400 feet. The views wear amazing, but at just over 3000 feet the surrounding mountain sides took on a whole new beauty. All the trees were frosted in white. According to Smoky Mountain Hiker “Freezing
Abram’s Falls Trail – Cade’s Cove – Smoky Mountains National Park
Sunday morning I had the opportunity to hike in Cade’s Cove. I woke up shortly before first light and got dressed for a cold winter hike. I took the short drive from our hotel in Townsend, TN to the entrance of the auto loop in Cade’s Cove. I decided to hike to Abram’s Falls for a number of reasons. One, I always love a good waterfall. It seems no matter how many photos I have of falling water I always