My Trips

Listen to "God Walks These Hills with Me" as you read about the trip(s) of your choice.

2001 Touring Ride in Rural Indiana, Ride Across INdiana, & Two Segments of the

2005 Peru - including 4 days on the Inca Trail, 5 days at Posada Amazonas, 3 days at Lake Titicaca

This was my first commercial hiking trip as a day hiker. All lodging and meals were included, and we had two guides (Clif and Dae Todd, owners of North Wind) each day. It was a small group of only 13 people, and some days everyone went together while on other days we split into two groups--an easier and a more difficult hike.

I drove and on the way stopped at Lexington to visit the Virginia Military Institute, Washington and Lee University, Robert E. Lee's Chapel and Natural Bridge Village. Thomas Jefferson bought the Natural Bridge from King George III in 1774 for 20 shillings and built a family cabin on the grounds in 1803. The bridge is a limestone arch that is 215 feet high, 90 feet long and and spans Cedar Creek while supporting US 11. The Monocan Indians called it the "Bridge of God" and George Washington engraved his initials on it when he surveyed the bridge. I also visited the New Market Civil War Battlefield which is the site of The Hall of Valor Civil War Museum which tells the story of the VMI cadets' pivotal role in the New Market battle and the beautiful Monticello, home of the 3rd president of the United States--Thomas Jefferson. Then I joined up with the hiking tour at the Trillium House at Wintergreen, a year-round mountain resort. The Trillium House is no longer a B&B instead it is the nucleus for the Nature Foundation, but it was a beautiful B&B with lovely rooms and great meals in 1991 and for several more years thereafter.

We hiked in the George Washington National Forest that stretches more than 1 million acres across the Blue Ridge, Massanutten, Shenandoah and Allegheny Mountain ranges. A portion of the Appalachian Trail traverses the forest. I hiked from 3-7 miles on each of the five days. It was GREAT, but I found out I had to get in better shape as walking uphill was very difficult and I had sore calf muscles by the end of the second day. Therefore, I started walking up the 7 flights to my office every morning and 4 flights up to my office after every class. Then the week before my next trip, I went to school five days in a row and walked up all 11 flights and found this to be no more tiring than walking 4 flights used to be.

I flew this time, and the guides made pickups at the airport and two motels. Again although it was a different company there were just 13 people on the tour plus two guides. We stayed two nights at the Elkhorn Lodge in Estes Park and three nights at the Allenspark Lodge in Allenspark.

The Rocky Mountain National Park is near Denver, straddles the continental divide, and was created in 1915. The first day we hiked 7 miles round trip and started at the 7,300 foot elevation and hiked to 8,400 on the Lion Gulch trail. Tuesday it rained, but we still took three short hikes--two before lunch and one afterwards. On Wednesday we hiked 8.5 miles, saw 5 lakes (Bear, Nymph, Dream, Haiyaha, and Mills), and ended at the 9,400 foot level. Then on Thursday 8 of us took a LONG hike (11.9 miles) up to Andrews Glacier at the 12,000 foot level. It was the first time I had seen a glacier, and I was suitably impressed. But even though I was now in better shape, the hike to the glacier was much harder so I again vowed to be in better shape for the next trip. As it turned out physical problems caused me to suspend my hiking trips for two years and, at the same time, to join a physical fitness center to get year-round exercise for myofascial pain problems I was having. (back to top)

1994 - Yosemite National Park and a Lake Tahoe trip with New England Hiking Holidays

The year-long exercise program and some focused stamina and strength training before this trip helped to make the trip much more enjoyable.

I flew to Reno, Nevada, rented a car, and drove to Yosemite. I entered the park through Tioga Pass on California 120 then I drove through much of the park to get to Yosemite Valley and Curry Village where I stayed in a log cabin (click this link for a map of the park). My activities included: (1) Two bus tours of the park--the 2-hour Valley floor tour to get acquainted with the park and the Glacier Point and Mariposa Grove all-day tour. (2) An 8.4 mile round trip hike to Yosemite Falls which wasn't very impressive as you really can't see much of the falls. (3) A 9.8 mile round trip hike to Nevada & Vernal Falls--I went up via the Mist Trail which ascends on the right side of Vernal Falls and the left side of Nevada Falls then at the top of Nevada I crossed the Merced River on a bridge and descended via the John Muir Trail. This hike was BEAUTIFUL and by using two different trails I saw different scenery on the return trip! Yosemite is a very scenic park, and I want to return some time.

Lake Tahoe (pictured above) means "Lake in the Sky", and it is 22 miles long and 12 miles wide with 71 miles of shoreline. It is the 3rd deepest lake in North America and the second largest lake at or above this elevation in the world. Only Lake Titicaca in Peru is larger, but its water is not clear. All of the hikes, lodges, and meals were as usual great! My favorite hike was the one to Shirley Lake and Emigrant Peak--we left via the back door of the Squaw Valley Inn and immediately began to climb upward. This time there were 14 hikers plus the usual two guides. (back to top)

1995 - Mount Rainier National Park and North Cascades National Park on my own then the Pacific Northwest Tour with North Wind Hiking & Walking Holidays

I flew to Seattle and rented a car and drove to Mount Rainier, which is our 5th oldest national park and celebrated its centennial on 3/2/99. It is the highest mountain in Washington and has the largest "single peak" glacial system in the 48 contiguous states--26 named glaciers and 50 smaller unnamed glaciers. There are 4 visitor centers--Longmire, Paradise, Sunrise, and Ohanapecosh. I stayed at the Paradise Inn as I knew I would be staying at the Longmire Lodge on the North Wind tour and wanted to experience two different areas of the park. I took several beautiful hikes at Mount Rainier and saw a beautiful sunrise one morning then I drove to Chelan and took the Lady Express boat to Stehekin and stayed at the North Cascade Lodge in the southern half of the North Cascades National Park. This part of the park is accessible only by boat, float plane, or by hiking over a pass. I took two wonderful all-day hikes in the park, but my favorite was the one to Horseshoe Basin where I counted 22 falls spilling over the vertical granite walls of the basin. After taking the boat back to Chelan I drove around to the north entrance to Cascades National Park and hiked up to two beautiful lakes one day and on another day up to Cascade Pass (one way to hike into the southern part of the park is to hike over Cascade Pass). Then I returned to Seattle, turned in the rental car, and joined the North Wind group.

We drove to Mount Rainier and hiked for two days then we drove to Mount St. Helens and did a long 9.5 mile round trip into the area devastated by the volcanic eruption of Mount St. Helens. Next we drove to the coast and hiked in two rain forests--Quinault and Bocachiel--as well as spending one day hiking along the Kalaloch Coast. Next we drove to Port Angeles and hiked for two days in Olympic National Park. Note from the map that the National Park includes a narrow strip along the coast as well as the huge wilderness area further inland. Port Angeles is shown at the top of the map and Quinault is below the park. We then took a ferry from Port Angeles to Victoria and stayed at Sooke Harbour House two nights. I spent a day in Victoria with 2 of the other hikers just seeing the sites, and on the 2nd day we all took a hike on the Coast Trail. Finally we returned to Seattle by ferry and stayed one night at the Red Lion Hotel before flying home. This time there were only eight of us on the tour plus Dae and Clif--the two guid (back to top)

1996 - Molokai, Kawai, and Maui on my own and the big island of Hawaii with New England Hiking Holidays

I flew to Honolulu, stayed at the airport mini hotel in the central lobby of the main terminal, and flew to Molokai very early the next morning. Molokai is known as "the friendly isle" and is the least developed and most sparsely populated of the major Hawaiian islands with the highest percentage of people with native Hawaiian ancestry with the exception of privately owned Niihau. In Molokai I rented a car and stayed at the Hotel Molokai in Kaunakakai which is 8 miles from the airport.

The first day I toured the island mostly by car starting with the St. Joseph Catholic Church and Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic Church, both designed and built by Father Damien. Then I drove to Halawa Valley which was quite populous until it was swept by a tidal wave in 1946. I had planned to hike to the 250-foot Mouala Falls but had to settle for the view from the road because the trail had been closed by the landowners for liability reasons.

On the next day I hiked down the approximately 3 mile trail which has 26 switchbacks to the Kalaupapa peninsula for a tour of the leper settlement. Kalaupapa was chosen for a leper settlement in 1866 because it is cut off from the rest of the island by sheer sea cliffs and the rest of the islands by the oceans. At one time there were more than 1,000 lepers on the peninsula; however, today the disease is controlled by drugs, and the patients are free to leave but most have chosen to stay. One of the former patients who was sent to Kalaupapa as a leper when he was a child runs a tour service called Damien Tours and drives tourists to the various sights in a school bus. It was a wonderful tour and Richard Marks is a great tour guide--I recommend this trip to everyone who visits Molokai. If you don't want to walk down the cliff trail and back up, you can ride mules (but you need a reservation). Kalaupapa National Historical Park, was established in 1980.

From Molokai I flew to Kona on Hawaii, "the big island", and was picked up at the airport by New England Hiking Holidays and taken to the King Kamehameha Kona Beach Hotel. This hotel is built on the site of the original Hawaiian capital, and King Kamehameha ruled the islands from a grass-roofed palace here. Lahaina on Maui became the next capital, and Honolulu did not become the capital until 1820 after the death of Kamehameha in 1819. On Hawaii, we spent one night at the Kona Beach Hotel, one night at the Manago Hotel, two nights at the Volcano House inside the Volcanoes National Park, one night at the Hilo Hawaiian Hotel, and two nights at the Kamuela Inn. Our activities on the island included:

After leaving Kona I flew into Lihue on Kauai, "the garden isle," rented another car, and drove to the Princeville/Hanalei area. My main activities on Kauai were a Captain Zodiac raft trip along the Na Pali (the Cliffs) coast, a day-long hike on the Kalalau Trail along the Na Pali coast, and then a drive to the other side of the island to tour Waimea Canyon, called the "Grand Canyon of the Pacific" by Mark Twain. This canyon is 2,850 feet deep, 10 miles long, and 2 miles wide; and just as the Grand Canyon in Arizona it was carved by rivers, streams, and the weather into a spectacular and colorful maze of gullies and spires. In between I saw Hanalei Valley, the Kilauea lighthouse, Hanakoa Valley with the 1,000 foot Hanakoa Falls, the Fern Grotto (extremely touristy but beautiful), Opaekaa Falls, the Alakoko Fishpond, and Spouting Horn.

I wanted to be dropped at the end of the 10.8-mile Kalalau trail by a Zodiac raft at Kalalau Valley and then hike back to the beginning of the trail, but the trail was closed at the halfway point due to a landslide so I hiked 6 miles to Hanakoa Valley and then returned the same way. Unfortunately, the trail is made of wet, red clay and is very slippery and at one point I slipped over the edge. I was able to catch myself on a tree and pull myself back up and didn't realize until I stopped for lunch and my knee stiffened up that I had injured my knee. Thus, the trip back was slower than normal, and it got dark before I got to the end of the trail. I knew I was close and thought I could finish with my flashlight, but then the batteries went out. With a sheer drop-off to the ocean on the side, I spread my poncho on the ground and spent the night (8 pm to 6 am) trying to get some sleep--the next morning it only took me about 15 minutes to get to the end of the trail. Staying on the trail overnight was no problem except I got hungry and thirsty because by then I had eaten all of my food and drank most of my water.

Fortunately I spent the next two days driving around the island to the other side, and I passed up all hiking opportunities to let my knee rest. It was in good shape by the time I got to Koke'e Lodge in Koke'e State Park in Waimea Canyon and had three good hiking days there. This canyon is beautiful, and I can easily understand how it got the name "Grand Canyon of the Pacific."

Next stop Maui, "the valley isle." I had visited Maui (and Oahu) in 1989 so I had three main reasons for my trip to Maui this time. I wanted to ride down Haleakala on a bike, take an all-day horseback ride into the Haleakala crater, and drive to Hana and see the sights along this famous road. I took the horseback ride with Pony Express Tours and there were only 3 of us plus the guide and his young son. Then on the next day, my re-entry into cycling as an adult took place as I rode down Haleakala. The ride began with a ride via vans to the summit before sunrise, staying to see the sunrise, then riding (or coasting) 38 miles downhill on a rented bike with special brakes. After reaching the base, we stopped to eat, and then continued riding all the way to the beach. I enjoyed it, but at the time I had no desire to do any more riding--as far as I was concerned it was just another adventure (been there, done that).

Then I spent an entire day driving the 63 miles from Kahului to Hana and back. There are 54 narrow one-lane bridges and many blind curves on the road as it negotiates the flanks of Haleakala and MANY beautiful sights--some just required a short stop to take a picture but several required a longer stop and a walking tour of the sights. From Hana I returned via an unimproved road back to Pa'ia--the road was very rough and narrow, but it was shorter as Elaine's Upcountry Guest Rooms (where I was staying) was midway on Highway 37 and the road presented new views.

I have now visited all the Hawaiian islands except Lanai which is known as "the pineapple island," "the private island," or "the place to get away from it all." This is the Island that Bill Gates rented for his wedding... and he could have gone anywhere. Lanai has a total area of 140 sq. miles - 18 miles long and 13 miles wide with 47 miles of coastline. Population is 2,426 residents who are mostly found in the vicinity of Lanai City, the only major town on Lanai.

I flew to Albuquerque and was shuttled by North Wind to the Best Western Inn in Grants, New Mexico and spent 10 days with North Wind touring around Grants, Farmington, Abiquiu, Santa Fe, and Algodones.

While staying at Grants we toured the El Malpais National Monument that encompasses lava flows ranging from 200,000 to 3,000 years old and came from 70 different vents, as well as the La Ventana natural arch. Next we drove to Farmington and toured Chaco Canyon which contains the ruins of Pueblo Bonito, 12 other major Anasazi ruins, and hundreds of smaller ones. Pueblo Bonito was once 4 stories high, contained 800 rooms, and 32 kivas (round ceremonial chambers). It was constructed from approximately 850-1150 A.D. and is still very impressive even today. Our next destination was the Bisti Wilderness Area which contains some very unusual rock formations.

Then we changed locations again and took a 7-mile hike in the San Pedro Wilderness including a hike to the top of the ridge followed by a hike through Plaza Blanca owned by the Dar al Islam Mosque near Abiquiu--we hiked about 3 miles through some very unusual white rock formations. Next we went to Georgia O'Keeffe's Ghost Ranch which is a church camp today and hiked about 5 miles to the top of the Kitchen Mesa .The views from the top of the mesa included Abiquiu Lake and Padernal Mountain.

We almost missed the opportunity to tour our next site as a forest fire had been raging for days and Bandelier National Monument was closed; however, it opened up in time for us to tour it. We could smell the smoke and see the clouds in the distance. In Bandelier we did some hiking in Frijoles Canyon, which included the Tyuonyi Ruins which was occupied until about 1550, and the Tsankawi Prehistoric Ruins. The two ruins are separate because two separate subgroups of the Anasazi occupied Bandelier. The Tewa were in the north and the Keres were in Frijoles Canyon. The two groups had totally different language, customs, and traditions.

At our last stop we were split up into two Haciendas because they were both very small--I stayed at the Hacienda Vargas. From this location we hiked 5 miles in a slot canyon with walls so narrow in places that your outstretched arms could touch both walls and saw many beautiful rock formations including tent rocks that looked like a small Indian village with tepees. The last day we drove to the top of Sandia Crest and then hiked down the La Luz 7-mile long trail.

At this point the North Wind trip was finished, and I spent 11 more days in New Mexico and just across the border in Texas on my own:

1997 - Acadia National Park on my own and New Hampshire, Vermont, & Bay of Fundy with New England Hiking Holidays

I drove my own car on this trip and drove a total of 4,247 miles. My first destination was Jackson, New Hampshire and a 5-day trip with New England HH. I got in the vacation mood by stopping to see several covered bridges (including the longest wooden bridge in the US on the Cornish, NH Windsor, VT border), some falls, and the Saint-Gaudens National Historic Site near Cornish, NH. We stayed 2 nights at the Inn at Thorn Hill in Jackson, NH, and hiked around Jackson on Monday then hiked 8.2 miles round trip to the Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC) Zealand Falls Hut on the Appalachian Trail. NH has several of these huts in the White Mountains, and you can hike from hut to hut and avoid camping and doing your own cooking since a reservations includes a bunk bed and a hot breakfast and dinner. The next day we hiked 8.5 miles round trip to the Lonesome Lake Hut. We were doing these hikes the hard way as we hiked up to each hut and then back down. If you were hiking along the trail from hut to hut you would be hiking along the ridge line most of the time and would only have to climb up for the first hut and back down after the last one. On the other days we hiked to Franconia Notch with its beautiful 800-foot long flume in a natural gorge, Champney Falls and Mt. Chocorua, White Horse and Cathedral ledges.

Next stop was Maine where I stayed at the Robbins Motel in Bar Harbor for 6 nights and hiked, biked, and kayaked in Acadia National Park on my own. The first day I took a Photoscenics Tour to get a feel for the park and some good pictures. Then I hiked a long 9.3 miles up Cadillac Mountain, across to Dorr, down to the road, up Gorham, to the Bowl, and finally down the Beehive--the latter was a mistake, I should have hiked UP Beehive not down it. Hiking down Beehive trying to find the steps and hand holds when you can't see them wasn't much fun. The next day I took a break from hiking and rented a bike and rode several of the carriage trails in the park that were built by John D Rockefeller, Jr. On Tuesday I had a really different day as I took my first trip in a kayak. They were tandem sea kayaks and the half day trip was a lot of fun! The next morning I did some more hiking and in the afternoon I visited the Nature Center, the Acadia Wild Garden, and the Abbe Museum. On my last day in Acadia I took a whale watch tour in the morning (didn't see any whales) and a tour on a lobster boat in the afternoon.

I returned to New Hampshire between the Maine and Vermont trips and hiked Mt. Washington on my own. I took the Cog Railway up and then hiked 1.4 miles down the Crawford trail to the AMC Lake of the clouds hut and then 3 miles down the Ammonoosuc Ravine to the railroad. The ravine was steep, rocky, and slippery. Later in the day I hiked another 3 miles to Arethusa Falls--the highest waterfall in New Hampshire.

My next destination was Vermont and another New England HH 5-day trip, and again I snuck in some sightseeing along the way and saw Quechee Gorge, some falls, went down an alpine slide at Pico Mountain near Killington, and walked the one mile Robert Frost Interpretive Trail west of Middlebury Gap (I was also able to pick and each wild blueberries as I walked the trail). We stayed at the Trapp Family Lodge in Stowe, VT, on the first and last nights of the tour. The Lodge was beautiful, and it definitely lived up to its slogan "a mountain resort in the European tradition." The Baron, Baroness, and three of their children are buried in a small family cemetery on the grounds. Johannes is president of the family company and he and his wife live in a farmhouse on the grounds. Two of his sisters also live on the grounds. We were suppose to climb Mt. Mansfield, the tallest mountain in Vermont, but it rained and we weren't able to because the trail would be too slippery. However, as usual we had several beautiful hikes and on the last day I and one of the guides liked to the top of Stowe Pinnacle while everyone else just took it easier hiking on the grounds of the Trapp Family Lodge then we all met for lunch and the conclusion of our lovely trip.

After lunch I headed further north to meet the New England HH group for the Bay of Fundy trip. It took me 2 1/2 days to drive to The Shadow Lawn Inn in Rothesay, New Brunswick, as I drove up the coast of Maine stopping to see a half dozen of the 63 Maine lighthouses and to visit Roosevelt Campobello International Park. The Bay of Fundy is famous for its high tides which average 31 feet, and it was very impressive to drive by a wharf at high tide and see the boats tied up and floating as usual and then come back across the bridge at the end of a day's hike and see the lobster boats stranded in the mud. We experienced a variety of hikes including one through a bog on a raised wooden trail, views of an estuary at high tide and low tide with a variance of about 42 feet, a fossil bed, the Cape Enrage beach, Mary's Point Shorebird Reserve where we saw thousands of sandpipers and plovers landing and feeding on small mud shrimp when the tide was out, Hopewell Rocks where there is a large clock at the top of the steps down to the beach that warns you when the next tide comes in and a fog horn also gives you a warning prior to the tide change as the beach is totally submerged when the tide comes in, and the beautiful Irving Nature Trail along the coast. (back to top)

I found out about the Minnesota 500 bicycling ride from another hiker on my Bay of Fundy trip and thought, "This is a great way to combine my love for physical exercise, scenic trips, and support of Habitat for Humanity into one adventure." Consequently I bought a Trek 7500 hybrid bicycle in March. I rode what I thought was a lot (790 miles) between 3/22 and & 7/4. Then I rode the Habitat 500 in Minnesota from 7/12-18. Unfortunately I had broken my scaphoid in my left wrist in November 1997 and rebroke it in May 1998; thus, when I rode the Habitat 500, I was riding with my left wrist in a cast as I wore that cast for THREE months because of the repeated trauma to the bone which is hard to heal anyway because of a poor blood supply. Then on the 2nd day of the week-long Habitat ride I fell and injured my left shoulder. Unfortunately the Brainerd Medical Clinic didn't diagnose any injury and just gave me pain pills for the "solf tissue" injuries which the nurse practioner said would be very painful. So after taking the remainder of Tuesday off and Wednesday off I rode my bike Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. Riding wasn't very painful. What really hurt was getting dressed and undressed each day and other cyclists helped me with this painful task. The Habitat ride was great, and I highly recommend this ride to any bicyclist who wants to have a great one-week ride for a very good cause with about 100 cyclists that is highly supported--great breakfasts and dinners, great sag stops, about 30 marvelous volunteers, and the option of camping or sleeping inside the church or school where we are usually eating our meals. There were 69 cyclists from 15 different states and the Philippines on the 1998 ride--the youngest was 13 and the oldest 80. We did a loop starting in Howard Lake, and the daily mileages ranged from a low of 55 miles to a high of 95 miles with a total of 519 miles.

After finishing the Habitat ride, I stayed in Minnesota to do some hiking. First I drove to Itasca State Park (Minnesota's first state park), and stayed in a lodge inside the park. The headwaters of the Mississippi River is located inside the park--each river must start somewhere, but I had never visited a headwater's area before and it was impressive to view the small (approximately 12-foot wide) stream that you could cross by walking on rocks and realize that it eventually becomes the mighty Mississippi River that is 2,552 miles long with 694 of these in Minnesota. I stayed three nights and did some hiking and sightseeing in the park including a short boat tour and a short bike ride on the loop road.

I then drove to International Falls to visit the Voyageur National Park. Voyageurs is the only national park without a road. Voyageurs adjoins the Boundary Waters Wilderness Canoe Area, which was similarly gouged by massive glaciers right down to the ancient bedrock known as the Canadian shield. The result is a region of unusual rock outcrops, irregularly shaped lakes, and slow-moving rivers, perfect for canoeing and fishing and all other manner of water play. The park is largely composed of water — five major lakes and at least 25 smaller ones, and the park Visitor's Centers that are accessible by road and the lakes that make up the park are shown on this map. I took three boat trips to view the park--a ranger led trip to Black Bay the first morning, a Ride the Pride Grand Tour that afternoon, and a 6-hour boat trip to Kettle Falls on the second day.

Next, I drove to Grand Portage, Minnesota via the Canadian Kings Highway 11 and Atikokan, Ontario. Along the way I passed the Atlantic Watershed point where all streams flow south into the Atlantic ocean and the Arctic Watershed Point where all streams flow north into the Arctic ocean. I also saw the huge Kakabeka Falls (an Ontario Provincial Park) which is 128 feet high and 234 feet wide and is referred to as the Niagara of the North. In Grand Portage I viewed the High Falls which Map of Grand Portage National Monument

at 130 feet is the highest falls in Minnesota and visited the Grand Portage National Monument which was established to commemorate and preserve a premier site and route of the 18th century fur trade and to work with the Grand Portage Band of Minnesota Chippewa in preserving and interpreting the heritage and lifeways of the Ojibwe people. Grand Portage National Monument was the central hub of a once flourishing fur trade, and the bold economic strategy and exploration by the North West Company voyageurs and traders opened up a transcontinental trade route. The national monument contains the entire 8.2 miles of the portage that marked the entrance into the interior of western Canada and a reconstructed stockade includes a great hall, a kitchen and a warehouse. Adjacent to the stockade is an Ojibwa Indiana camp, and several individuals dress in period historical clothing and give live demonstrations.

My next adventure was a trip to Isle Royale National Park. Passenger ferries from Houghton, Michigan; Copper Harbor, Michigan; and Grand Portage, Minnesota provide boat access to Isle Royale. Since I was already in Minnesota I took the Voyageur II to Isle Royale which during its clockwise circumnavigation of the island provides drop off and pick up service at several areas from the middle of May through most of September. It leaves Grand Portage on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday; stays overnight in Rock Harbor, then returns to Grand Portage on Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday. Thus, I chose to leave on Saturday, stay five nights in the Rock Harbor, and return to Grand Portage on Thursday.

The lodge at Rock Harbor was VERY nice and was on the American Plan so all meals were included in your lodging fee and they were great meals. On Sunday I hiked 17.4 miles to Daisy's Farm, Mount Ojibway, Mount Franklin, and back to Rock Harbor and as I was hiking along The Greenstone Ridge in the rain with my head down and my poncho hood up, I had a 6th sense that told me to look up. When I looked up I saw a huge bull moose that was at least 7 feet tall with large antlers standing just a few feet in front of me. He was just standing there watching me after I calmed down and stepped back a few feet I remembered my camera and took a picture. He then took sideways like he was posing and I took two more pictures. Then another moose came up over the ridge, and they both went over the side of the ridge away from the trail. On Monday I took a much-needed rest from hiking and took a ranger-guided boat ride to Passage Island and a short 2-mile hike around the island. On Tuesday I took two ranger-guided boat rides. The first one to Lookout Louise and a short hike to Hidden Lake. The second one to Rock Harbor Lighthouse and Edison's Fishery. On Wednesday I reverted to hiking and hiked the 4.2 mile loop to Scoville Point as well as the 3.6 mile loop along Tobin Harbor to Suzy's Cave. I have fond memories of my visit to Isle Royale and strongly recommend a visit to this little known national park.

After returning to Grand Portage I drove down the east coast of Minnesota along Lake Superior stopping at several state parks--I didn't spend much time at any park, but I hit the highlights of the following state parks: Cascade River, Temperance River, Tettegouche, Split Rock Lighthouse, Gooseberry Falls, Jay Cooke, and Interstate (this one is partially in Minnesota and partially in Wisconsin).

When I finally got back home, I decided to see a sports orthopedic doctor about my shoulder, and I found out that I had broken my left distal clavicle when I fell on 7/13, but since it was now the middle of August there was nothing he could do about it. Thus, the clinic in Minnesota had misdiagnosed my injury, but I had a great bicycle ride and some great hiking and the pain obviously was not too great to stop me. I did end up with a misaligned collarbone however.

After returning home I still had two bicycling goals, and I successfully completed both. First, I rode the Indianapolis MS 150 on 9/26 and 9/27. It was a great ride and was a lot of fun. It was held in Columbus at the Cummins Engine Company's Recreational Area, and we had a choice of routes each day. I attempted a 75-mile loop on Saturday but had to be sagged in after completing only 45. Then on Sunday I successfully completed a 75-mile loop. Second, I rode the Hilly 100 on 10/10 and 10/11. This ride was very challenging with constant hills; hence, its name. I was not proud of my speed, but I was very pleased that the only climb that I had to walk was part of Mt. Tabor on Saturday then on Sunday I had to stop on Bear Wallow Hill to rest but was able to get started again and finish the climb. This was the 31st year for the Hilly 100 which is sponsored by the Central Indiana Bicycling Association of Indianapolis. Registration closed at 5,000 so it's a big event. (back to top)

1999 - MS 150; Habitat 500; hiking; and Michigan Shoreline Circle, West, and East

I did several CIBA (Central Indiana Bicycling Association) weekend rides starting 4/3 and ending on 10/30 with the Pumpkin Ride.

My first multi-day ride was the MS 150 on 6/12 and 6/13. The Indianapolis chapter didn't offer a bicycle ride so I checked on the web and found a ride in Indiana sponsored by the Ohio Valley Chapter located in Cincinnati. It was a marvelously organized and supported ride and was a lot of fun. We rode 75 miles from Lawrenceburg, Indiana to Madison, Indiana on Saturday, stayed in dormitories at Hanover College Saturday night, and then returned to Lawrenceburg via a different 75-mile route on Sunday.

Next, I rode the Habitat 500 again the week of 7/11. It was a very difficult ride this year due to long mileage days, thunderstorms on two days, strong head and cross winds on one day, and LONG hills. I finished each day, but I did finish after the official stopping time on one day and almost missed dinner. This year 116 riders raised over $200,000 for the Habitat affiliates represented by the cyclists.

The Habitat ride finished on Saturday in Hastings after a short day of only 39 miles. After visiting a while and eating I drove to Ironwood, Michigan, as I was going to hike and drive in the upper peninsula of Michigan for seven days before doing some more cycling. I drove along the west shore all the way to Copper Harbor then I drove along the north shore to Whitefish Point and finally down to St. Ignace for the first Michigan Shoreline bike ride.

The most scenic area and one that I spent three days touring was the Porcupine Mountains State Park. There were several beautiful waterfalls here and I took two great hikes. The first was the Escarpment Trail which offered marvelous views of the Lake of the Clouds. The second hike I actually combined parts of several trails to make a loop--I hiked 15 miles taking the Pinkerton trail to the Lake Superior Trail then that trail to the Big Carp River trail and then followed the Little Carp River trail back to the road.

After leaving the State Park I continued along the coast searching for waterfalls and lighthouses and found quite a few of both. By far the largest waterfall I saw was the 50 foot high 200 feet wide Upper Tahquamenon Falls. I also toured Fort Wilkins , the Shrine of the Snowshoe Priest--Father Baraga, and the Sault Ste. Marie Locks.

Then I completed all three of the Michigan Shoreline Tours in one year--each of these rides is one week, and you normally camp at a local school and use the school facilities for showers and restrooms and usually eat breakfast and dinner inside the school.

Of these three rides the West Tour was the most beautiful as you rode pretty much along Lake Michigan the whole way whereas on the East Tour we hardly ever saw the Lake Superior. (back to top)

This year I started the CIBA (Central Indiana Bicycling Association) weekend rides starting 3/26 and had ambitious plans for the year, but everything came to a "crashing" end on June 10--the day I started my third MS 150 ride. I started the Lawrenceburg to Madison ride again, but I didn't get very far. In Rising Sun I had a bad accident in which I went over the handlebars and landed on the pavement completing what is known by cyclists as a "face plant." Needless to say I was through cycling or hiking for the year. (back to top)

2001 - Touring Ride in Rural Indiana, Ride Across INdiana, Country Mileage and Eastern States segments of the America by Bicycle Cross Country Challenge

I didn't do any hiking in 2001, but I reached several cycling goals in 2001 as I

Starting with 2002 you can view pictures from my trips by clicking on the Vacation Photos link at the top of this page.

I couldn't cycle this year as I had nose reconstructive surgery for the second time due to the 6/10/2000 accident on January 22; therefore, I returned to my original love and scheduled three 6-day hiking trips:

I chose to drive because there was 8 days between the first and second hiking trips. On the way out I drove through the Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area that is located in the SW corner of Wyoming and the NE corner of Utah. It was beautiful! When I got to the Columbia River Gorge I left the interstate to travel a restored 9-mile and 22-mile section of the Historic Columbia River Highway which is the original US 30 highway and spent the night in Gresham, OR. The next morning I drove back over the 22-mile section to do some more sightseeing and also drove to Panorama Point for a beautiful view of Mt. Hood. There are several falls right beside the highway including Multnomah Falls shown below. Multnomah at 620 feet is the second highest year-round waterfall. Then I visited the Columbia Gorge Interpretive Center in Stevenson, WA and checked in at the Skamania Lodge where the first hike started from.

Multnomah Falls

Triple Falls

Tunnel Falls

We had two lovely hikes in the Columbia River Gorge and saw several beautiful waterfalls and some lovely canyons. We hiked to upper Latourell Falls before lunch on the first day, then hiked the short distance to Bridal Vail Falls while the two guides were fixing lunch. After lunch we hiked up Oneata Gorge to Pony Tail falls and then crossed to the other side of the Gorge and went up to see Triple Falls (see picture above). We hiked about 7 miles the first day. The second day we hiked 6 miles UP Eagle Creek to Tunnel Falls (see picture), had lunch, and then hiked back down. In addition to Tunnel Falls which is spectacular, we saw the beautiful canyon, crossed several bridges, and saw Metlako and Punchbowl falls. The third day we hiked around Lost Lake, visited the historic Timberline Lodge on Mt. Hood where they ski year around, then drove to the Resort at the Mountain in Welches, OR for our last two nights. On the fourth day some of us chose to hike up Tom, Dick, & Harry Mountain and some chose East Zigzag Mountain. I was in the group that chose the 2nd option. Unfortunately I had only gone about 1.5 miles when I fell while crossing a creek. I instinctively put at my hand to catch myself and unfortunately, the arm was bent backward at the elbow and the elbow was dislocated. Therefore, I had to return to Indiana for some R&R and missed the last two hiking trips. I will have to reschedule them at a later time. On the way home I did stop in South Dakota to see the Crazy Horse Memorial and Mount Rushmore, but I didn't do any hiking because of my arm.

Praise the Lord the elbow was a simple dislocation and healed quickly; however, I did have to endure some therapy to get full use of the elbow back. I was VERY unhappy that my long awaited vacation had been cut short so I booked three tours with The World Outdoors for late summer. This is a GREAT company and is the company I plan to use in the future for outdoors adventures--they offer hiking, biking, and multi-sport adventures. If you like to hike, bike, kayak, etc. check this company out by clicking the link in the previous sentence!

My first trip was The World Outdoors Grand Canyon-Bryce-Zion Hiker. We had a very small group for this hike--5 guests and 2 guides. All domestic trips are limited to 13 guests and 4 are required for the trip to make. The departure point was St. George, Utah; and the trip started on Sunday:

The last trip--The World Outdoors Canyonlands-Escalante Hiker-- was another "10." We visited several very scenic state and national parks, monuments, and forests in six days. These hikes didn't have the high elevation gain/loss numbers as the first two trips, but the hiking was more "technical" as we scrambled up and down "slick rock" and "squeezed" through some tight spots.

Check out these trips or other trips by The World Outdoors by clicking on the links provided above and check out some of my digital photos if you wish by clicking on the following link: Vacation Photos and following the instructions given on that page.

Delicate Arch

in Arches National Park

Havasu Falls

in Havasu Canyon

Me in Little Wildhorse Canyon

(a slot canyon in the San Raphael Reef)

2003 - Two 14-day Trips to New Zealand with Active New Zealand, Canadian Rockies, Glacier-Waterton, and Yosemite Sierra Hiker with The World Outdoors

The first trip to New Zealand was the Rimu which is a multi-sport trip that includs a 3-day module with a choice of hiking, bicycling, or sea kayaking. I chose hiking since I'm still not bicycling as my nose and face is still healing and although I loved my one experience with sea kayaking I didn't think I wanted to do it for 3 days. However, the trip still provided opportunities for bicycling (which I passed on) and sea kayaking (which I enjoyed).

The snorkeling experience was overrated, and the 3-days of hiking in the Nelson Lakes National Park was very difficult not because of the length or altitude gain/loss but because of the weight of the pack that I had to carry. It was my first (and last) exposure to backpacking. Since we were not camping and I had booked the trip through The World Outdoors and had not talked directly with Active New Zealand, I had not understood what was involved. However, I survived thanks mainly to the 2nd guide and the views were outstanding. The sea kayaking in Milford Sound was fabulous! If you ever visit Milford Sound and have the time, I strongly recommend at least the 1/2 day sea kayak adventure--it is FAR superior to the cruise that is available.

The second trip in New Zealand was known as the Manuka and was hiking only except for a repeat of the short kayak trip in the Okarito Lagoon. The itinerary included:

The Milford Track was definitely the high point of the trip, and the company (Ultimate Hikes www.ultimatehikes.co.nz) that guided this trip provided a fantastic experience. Hindsight is always better than foresight. If I was doing it over again, I would not book the trip with Active New Zealand. Their trip involved way too much time traveling in a bus and I didn't like the hiking support (or lack of supoor) philosophy of the company. Instead I would opt for the ultimate hiking package provided by Ultimate Hikes which is a spectacular 8 day/7 night package that includes the Milford Track and the Routeburn Track. It starts and ends in Queenstown. OR I might opt for the Grand Traverse (6 day) which combines the Greenstone & Routeburn, take a day or two off, and then do the Milford Track (5 days).

In 2003 I again had 3 back to back trips booked with The World Outdoors but the first one--the Yellowtone Hiker--didn't make which turned out to be fortunate for me because I was having a problem with my right leg below the knee and had to wait 2 months for an appointment with an orthopedic specialist. He diagnosed an iliotibial band problem and ordered therapy and NO exercise which made it difficult for me to get ready for the hikes. On my 2nd visit he said I could start exercising and he suggested orthotics; however, I was unable to get the orthotics before I left for the hiking trip.

The first hike was the Canadian Rockies Hiker. The leg problem was borderline OK, and I had managed to get some preparation done for the hikes, BUT my back started causing me problems the very first day. The therapist had noticed a pelvic tilt and had showed me some exercises to correct it, but they didn't work. The country was beautiful but I just wasn't enjoying the hikes because my back hurt too much. To make matters worse my left foot and my right leg weren't doing so well either. However, I was completing the hikes.

The second hike was the Glacier-Waterton Hiker. It got off to a bad start at the very beginning because there were 3 forest fires in Glacier and two of the lodges we were suppose to stay in had been evacuated so Bill Mariner, the owner of The World Outdoors, was calling everyone to explain the situation. Eleven of the 13 hikers, including myself, elected to go through with the trip and as it turned out the fires were not a major problem although they did force two of the hikes to be changed. A much bigger problem for me was the fact that I tripped on a root on the first hike to Stanton Lake and fell forward and hit my nose on a rock. That scared me because my nose is still healing from the 2nd reconstruction from a bike accident on June 10, 2000 , but once I finally got it to stop bleeding I realized I could breathe better than I could before I fell. I continued to hike Monday and Tuesday.

We hiked in Glacier National Park on Monday and did the Two Medicine Hike--6.2 miles with 2,242 feet of climb--instead of driving to Logan Pass and hiking 12 miles on the Highline Trail with 800 feet of elevation gain and 3,000 feet of elevation loss because the fire had closed the Going-to-the-Sun Highway and the area where the hike is located. We saw several beautiful views including the Appistoki Falls on the way up. The mountains of this area were known as "the Backbone of the World" to the Blackfeet Indians. In this part of the park sheer mountains rise abruptly from the rolling prairies of the Great Plains.

After the hike we drove to Waterton and stayed at the Prince of Wales Hotel in Waterton National Park 2 nights. It is an old hotel built by the Canadian Railroad and looks like a giant gingerbread house. It sits on a high hill beside Waterton Lake. On Tuesday we started at Cameron Lake and hiked to Baker's Point in Carthew Pass. There were lots of wildflowers, and I took pictures of bear grass, fireweed, and many others. We had lunch at the pass and I elected to return the way we came for a 9 mile hike rather than continue for a total 12 mile hike because of my back. I'm very glad I did as my nose started bleeding on the way down and this time I wasn't able to get it to stop bleeding until I got back to my room 3 hours later and laid down with ice on the nose. At this point I decided I better quit, go home, and see my doctor. The lead World Outdoors guide was very good about making a special 6 hour round trip back to Whitefish so I could get a plane out and my doctor confirmed that I had broken my nose. I broke my nose July 27 and because of swelling I didn't find out until September 22 that it was healing satisfactorily and no surgery should be necessary--praise the Lord! Also as I mentioned earlier I can breathe better through the nose now than I could before I broke it.

Because of my aches and pain and then my broken nose I didn't really really enjoy either one of these two hikes. However, I had scheduled the Yosemite Sierra Hiker as a substitute for the Yellowstone Hiker that didn't make instead of getting a refund so I worked very hard at correcting my physical problems and getting in shape for the next trip. I found out the foot pain was caused by a neuroma and got a cortisone injection for it plus the orthotics that I finally got should help that problem. I started going to a chiropractor for the pelvic tilt problem and that improved dramatically. And I worked very hard on getting physically ready. It worked! We had two hikes in Kings Canyon National Park, one hike in Sequoia National Park, two hikes in Yosemite, and one free morning in Yosemite.

There were some problems with the three World Outdoors Trips this summer and none of them was a "10." However, due to my own personal problems and the forest fires in Glacier it is hard to rate the trips. They were all good and I definitely recommend them.

One photo from each trip is shown here and you can check out more digital photos of these trips by clicking on the following link: Vacation Photos and following the instructions given on that page.

Crowfoot Glacier & Bow Lake

Canadian Rockies

Fireweed & Cameron Lake

Waterton

Upper & Lower

Yosemite Falls

My first trip with Timberline Adventures began with 3 days in Zion National Park followed by 3 days hiking the Grand Canyon Rim to Rim and concluded with 2 1/2 days in Sedona, but the Grand Canyon portion was the high point of the trip. I enjoyed Zion and there was just myself and one other hiker with the Timberline guide for this portion of the trip. When we got to the Grand Canyon we met 9 more hikers and 3 more guides. We stayed one night at the top of the north rim then hiked 13 miles and 5,770 feet down to Phantom Ranch on the North Kaibab trail and stayed there one night. The next morning at 6:00 am we started the hike up the Bright Angel trail to the south rim--9.7 miles up with an elevation change of 4,450 feet. I strongly recommend the rim-to-rim hike. It was beautiful and though long was not overly difficult. I had problems, however, as my toes took a beating on the downhill hike and remained very painful on the uphill the following day and even on the Sedona hikes. I had worn the same boots for two years and never had a problem before, but I had never gone downhill continuously ALL day long.

My second trip with Timberline was a VERY enjoyable Yosemite trip. I went out 4 days early and took one of my nephews with me. We stopped at the Mariposa grove of sequoias on the way in to Yosemite and on our first full day in the park we drove up to Glacier Point to see the views then hiked to Sentinel Dome and Taft Point. It was Mark's first visit to a national park and his first hike, but he loved it. The next day we met a private guide I had hired through SYMG (Southern Yosemite Mountain Guides) and hiked 17.5 miles round trip from the valley to the top of Half Dome. It was a 4,822 foot climb which was greater than the climb out of the Grand Canyon. The third day we drove to Hetch Hetchy and saw the reservoir and dam and hiked 5 miles round trip to Wapama Falls. The last day we just stayed in the valley.

Then Mark and I drove back to Fresno and on Sunday he flew home and I met the Timberline guides and three fellow hikers for a six day Timberline tour. I had selected Timberline because 4 of their 6 hikes are on the eastern side of Yosemite, and although this was my third trip to Yosemite I had not done anything other than drive through on the Tioga Road or Highway 120. I think the main reason Timberline goes to the east side is to get away from the crowded Yosemite Valley, and it definitely was nice to have more solitude. I thoroughly enjoyed seeing a new side of Yosemite, but I did feel the hike up Clouds Rest was much less rewarding than the hike up Half Dome. It was 14 miles versus 17.5 miles so it is still VERY long, but it was only 2,300 feet of elevation gain versus 4,822 feet for Half Dome as you start at a much higher elevation when you are hiking on the eastern side so it was a lot easier, but there were not a lot of pretty views on the way up, and I didn't think the views from the top were as good. However, that was probably because I didn't really have much time as we had to come down very quickly as it started to thunder and also because I couldn't recognize landmarks on the eastern side of the park like I could around the Yosemite valley.


The Grand Staircase as seen from Glacier Point	cables help you make the last part of the climb up Half Dome

beginning of the cable ascent	the section serviced by the cable

A few photos from the two trips are shown here and you can check out more digital photos of these trips by clicking on the following link: Vacation Photos and following the instructions given on that page.

This was my first trip to Alaska AND my first trip with Get Up and Go Tours. I have wanted to see Alaska for a long time so I was really looking forward to the trip. The company offers lodge trips and camping trips, and I chose two back-to-back camping trips because of their dates. The 10-day Alpine Explorer and the 7-day Kenai Explorer. I feel very fortunate to have been able to visit three national parks in Alaska--Denali, Wrangell-St. Elias, & Kenai Fjords--plus the Katchemak Bay State Park as well as take a flightseeing trip over Denali, go glacier trekking in Kennicott (Wrangell-St. Elias), take an all-day kayak trip in Prince William Sound, take a Kenai Fjords cruise, and enjoy several hikes as well as other activities on my first trip to Alaska.


kayaking in Prince William Sound in front of the Shoup Glacier	one of the views during the flightseeing in Denali

This was the first year for the Finger Lakes Fall Frolic and there were only two other cyclists. It was a GREAT ride, and I hope the organizers repeat it next year and more people attend. I drove as I wanted to hike in some of the state parks plus it was a lot easier to simply put my recumbent in my van instead of shipping it. I arrived two days early and hiked in three gorgeous state parks before the Fall Frolic began--Taughannock, Buttermilk Falls, and Robert Treman--then I cycled for 5 days with one day off in the middle for hiking in Watkins Glen State Park. After the Fall Frolic I drove to Dansville, NY and stayed there two nights while I hiked in the Letchworth and Stony Brook State Parks.

The six state parks were similar in that they consisted of a beautiful gorge (glen) with several marvelous waterfalls, and they were very well maintained by the state of New York. The cycling was also very good--the hills were challenging and I had to ask to be sagged in on two days but the roads were in excellent shape and I want to return and visit the area again.


Taughannock Falls from the Rim	one of the falls in Stony Brook State Park

My first adventure in 2005 was a long weekend trip to the Smokies with a friend and her husband. When I was in school at The University of Tennessee in Knoxville I didn't have any time to hike in the Smokies so it was enjoyable to return with friends to see some of the beautiful country in that area.

Laurel Falls

mama bear and two cubs

Hiking the Inca Trail is something I have wanted to do for several years and when I received an email from Active New Zealand about their trip I was very interested; however, they did not respond to my questions via email so I searched on the Internet for other companies offering such trips and found dozens. I finally narrowed the choices down to three and after talking to representatives of the companies via phone I selected Andes Adventures. The company has offices in Santa Monica, and the owners are Peruvians. I chose the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu Trek and added the Posada Amazonas Tambopata Research Center and the Lake Titicaca extensions.

view from the Inti Raymi festival

the Inca in his sedan chair during the festival

Runkurakay Pass

Phuyupatamarka & its commanding view over the Urubamba Valley

agricultural terraces of Wiñay Wayna

first view of Machu Picchu from the Gate of the Sun

My next adventure in 2005 was a 2-week hiking trip.. The first week was Timberline's 7 day Yellowstone/Grand Tetons Classic, and the second week was The World Outdoor's 6 day Yellowstone Hiker. Even though the trips were in the same park, and we stayed in the same lodges and cabins we hiked different trails. They were both great!

Morning Glory Pool

Old Faithful from Observation Point

lone buffalo in front of Old Faithful Inn

mountain sheep

Cascade Canyon in Grand Tetons

Grand Teton & Owen & Taggart Lake

I finished 2005 with three cycling adventures. The first was a renewal of the Habitat 500. I had done this ride in 1998 and 1999 before my bicycling accident and had greatly enjoyed it so now that I was cycling again I wanted to do it again. I found out I wasn't ready for 500 miles in one week especially a hilly week, but I still enjoyed it. Then I spent one week with Bike Vermont on their Stowe/Northeast Kingdom tour and one week with Classic Adventures on their