Aces High Bulletin Board

General Forums => The O' Club => Topic started by: oakranger on March 24, 2010, 12:05:22 AM

Title: National parks
Post by: oakranger on March 24, 2010, 12:05:22 AM
What are your favorite National Parks that you have been to? Include places in the U.S Forest.

These are mind:
1) Grand Canyon
2) Rocky Mountain
3) Tallgrass Prairie
4) Yellowstone
5) Cimarron National Grassland <----is in the U.S. Forest
6) Comanche National Grassland <----Is in the U.S Forest
7) Pawnee National Grassland <----Is in the U.S Forest


Title: Re: National parks
Post by: Jayhawk on March 24, 2010, 12:26:13 AM
Unfortunately I've only been to one, but it was beautiful.

Yosemite
(http://i666.photobucket.com/albums/vv23/Jayhawk1/Picture011.jpg) (http://i666.photobucket.com/albums/vv23/Jayhawk1/Picture022.jpg)
Title: Re: National parks
Post by: phatzo on March 24, 2010, 12:26:15 AM
the Grampians
(http://www.centralparkmotel.com/web_images/grampians/grampians1.JPG)

but a bit closer to home
The Border Ranges
(http://images.travelpod.com/users/waynenwendy/1.1244692800.border-ranges-national-park.jpg)
Title: Re: National parks
Post by: froger on March 24, 2010, 12:43:22 AM
Awesome pix Phatso,

My favorites,
Yosemite
Yellowstone
Brice canyon
Big horn
Black hills
grand canyon
grand ti tons
Custer
Zion
and a few more i can't recall

Mostly on a harley


froger
Title: Re: National parks
Post by: oakranger on March 24, 2010, 02:36:34 AM
Unfortunately I've only been to one, but it was beautiful.

Yosemite
(http://i666.photobucket.com/albums/vv23/Jayhawk1/Picture011.jpg) (http://i666.photobucket.com/albums/vv23/Jayhawk1/Picture022.jpg)

I am makeing my way to Yosemite soon.
Title: Re: National parks
Post by: APDrone on March 24, 2010, 09:07:17 AM
Phatzo.. That Grampians shot gives me the willies!

Nice one!
Title: Re: National parks
Post by: ROX on March 24, 2010, 11:36:12 AM
I live in one.


Hot Springs National Park, AR.   (Music Mountain)


ROX
Title: Re: National parks
Post by: xNOVAx on March 24, 2010, 11:53:19 AM
Yosemite is awesome.. Thats me on top of Half Dome..

(http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3521/3728656728_21089a126a_b_d.jpg)

Hardest hike I've ever been on, but it was worth it for this picture alone..  :rock
Title: Re: National parks
Post by: oakranger on March 24, 2010, 12:50:52 PM
Yosemite is awesome.. Thats me on top of Half Dome..

(http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3521/3728656728_21089a126a_b_d.jpg)

Hardest hike I've ever been on, but it was worth it for this picture alone..  :rock

What is the hardness level on that hike?
Title: Re: National parks
Post by: xNOVAx on March 24, 2010, 01:10:10 PM
What is the hardness level on that hike?

Probably the most physically demanding thing I've ever done in my life.. 17 miles round trip, about 5,000ft vertical climb with the highest altitude at almost 9,000ft.. Not to mention there are several places where one wrong step means death..  :t

Glad I did it for the sake of having done it, but I'll die happy if I never do it again..
Title: Re: National parks
Post by: Treize69 on March 24, 2010, 01:12:24 PM
I'm partial to National Historic Sites/Monuments. This is the one I 'work' at.

(http://www.nationalparklover.com/images/new_york/stanwix/stanwix_003.JPG)

(http://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-s/01/27/e6/a9/fort-stanwix.jpg)

(http://www.nationalparklover.com/images/new_york/stanwix/stanwix_018.jpg)

(http://galenfry.com/eh74_ny/stan17.jpg)
Title: Re: National parks
Post by: 68ZooM on March 24, 2010, 01:12:27 PM
Nova you ever been to Mt Rainier National Park? Beautiful place ill dig some pics up and post them
Title: Re: National parks
Post by: saggs on March 24, 2010, 01:41:43 PM
For NP that I've been to (I've been to almost all of them in the Western US)  it's a toss up between Yellowstone, Glacier, and Rocky Mountain, Yosemite is great but WAAY to crowded, even in the backcountry.  Though all of the southern Utah parks are a photographers dream too.  (Except for Capital Reef, it's the only NP I've been to were I though "this is a bit lame").  Grand Canyon doesn't excite me much, just a big dry, hot hole in the earth.  But I am planning a trip to Havasuipi this spring, it's connected to the Grand Canyon but is on reservation land.

Most of my backcountry time is spent in the Wind River range in Wyoming however.  I work every summer there as a backpacking/rock climbing guide for youth groups.  The Wind Rivers are great, it's like the better known Teton (snicker, snicker those dirty French) range, only higher, 8x the area and less crowded.   Second for time spent for me is in Yellowstone, I've probably hiked 75% of all the trails in Yellowstone, Bechler Canyon being far and away my favorite, it's a waterfall lovers dream.  Stuff like this every few miles:
(http://www.kirksagers.com/Nature/Landscapes/Waterfalls/Dunanda-Falls-2/213434787_sZcHN-M-1.jpg)
(http://www.kirksagers.com/Nature/Landscapes/Waterfalls/Iris-Falls-2/213435051_FhRXd-M-1.jpg)

Although Mammoth in the wintertime is awesome to, -25°F and steaming hotpots make for some neat things like this
(http://www.kirksagers.com/Nature/Landscapes/Winter/Mammoth-3/266493780_Eq7Qf-M-1.jpg)
(http://www.kirksagers.com/Nature/Landscapes/Winter/Mammoth-Winter/212755566_tsQqc-M-2.jpg)
Title: Re: National parks
Post by: Spikes on March 24, 2010, 04:15:20 PM
I'm partial to National Historic Sites/Monuments. This is the one I 'work' at.

(http://www.nationalparklover.com/images/new_york/stanwix/stanwix_003.JPG)

(http://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-s/01/27/e6/a9/fort-stanwix.jpg)

(http://www.nationalparklover.com/images/new_york/stanwix/stanwix_018.jpg)

(http://galenfry.com/eh74_ny/stan17.jpg)
Good ole' Fort Stanwix Nat'l Monument!

Treize, do you go to the 4th Fireworks?  Who knows, may have seen you before.


As for NP's, I've been to the GC and Yosmite. Both beautiful.
Title: Re: National parks
Post by: PFactorDave on March 24, 2010, 04:28:05 PM
Phatzo.. That Grampians shot gives me the willies!


I'll second that!  I'm not really afraid of heights, but that just looks silly stupid to climb out there like that!
Title: Re: National parks
Post by: xNOVAx on March 24, 2010, 05:17:09 PM
Nova you ever been to Mt Rainier National Park? Beautiful place ill dig some pics up and post them

No I havent.. I'd love to see some pics though! :)
Title: Re: National parks
Post by: oakranger on March 24, 2010, 05:27:12 PM
I'm partial to National Historic Sites/Monuments. This is the one I 'work' at.

(http://www.nationalparklover.com/images/new_york/stanwix/stanwix_003.JPG)

(http://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-s/01/27/e6/a9/fort-stanwix.jpg)

(http://www.nationalparklover.com/images/new_york/stanwix/stanwix_018.jpg)

(http://galenfry.com/eh74_ny/stan17.jpg)

I am going to guess, but is that Ft William Henry?
Title: Re: National parks
Post by: saggs on March 24, 2010, 06:17:30 PM
I'll second that!  I'm not really afraid of heights, but that just looks silly stupid to climb out there like that!

I certainly wouldn't do that without being tied in.
Title: Re: National parks
Post by: Treize69 on March 24, 2010, 07:17:56 PM
Good ole' Fort Stanwix Nat'l Monument!

Treize, do you go to the 4th Fireworks?  Who knows, may have seen you before.


As for NP's, I've been to the GC and Yosmite. Both beautiful.

Nah, I'm usually out of state for the fourth (most usually in New Hampshire). My GF is usually in charge of the cannons that do the night firing for the fourth and Honor America days though.
Title: Re: National parks
Post by: 68ZooM on March 24, 2010, 08:20:50 PM
If you ever get the chance backpack Mt Rainier's high lakes regions, the sights arer breath taking and the park is very hiker friendly. im into the high lake fishing its outstanding, and what a bedroom to wake up in

(http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s35/68zoom/Hidden_Lake_in_Mount_Rainier_Nation.jpg)               (http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s35/68zoom/Reflection20Lake20at20Sunrise20Moun.jpg)
(http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s35/68zoom/mount_rainier_national_park_washing.jpg)                (http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s35/68zoom/raineer.jpg)
Title: Re: National parks
Post by: kamori on March 24, 2010, 08:39:17 PM
I live 20 min from Glacier National Park...And my Grandfather is buried at Custer...
Title: Re: National parks
Post by: ROX on March 25, 2010, 02:41:53 PM
You guys climbing out on rocky outcrops hundreds of feet (or more) above the ground and only inches from the edge are pretty nuts.

You are lucky you did not get what the locals at the Grand Canyon call--"The 15 second tour".



ROX
Title: Re: National parks
Post by: oakranger on March 25, 2010, 03:11:44 PM
Probably the most physically demanding thing I've ever done in my life.. 17 miles round trip, about 5,000ft vertical climb with the highest altitude at almost 9,000ft.. Not to mention there are several places where one wrong step means death..  :t

Glad I did it for the sake of having done it, but I'll die happy if I never do it again..

That sounds like a challenge.  I am in the works of heading back to the Grand Cayon with my son.  I took him there last summer and test him out on the trial.  We only went to the 3 mile point on the Bright Angle Trail with 110 degree temp.  I want to go as far as the Indian Garden but do to the temperature and his first time, i did not want to push him.  He really loved it and want to go all the way to the bottom.  That is the next trip and then do the rim to rim.  The rim to rim is a 19 mile hike from the south rim to the north rim that would take 5 days.  Here are the pic from the first rip.

That is him slowly passing Desert big horn
(http://i393.photobucket.com/albums/pp20/skbluestem/DSCN0544.jpg)

The wooded area down there is the Indian Garden.
(http://i393.photobucket.com/albums/pp20/skbluestem/DSCN0502.jpg)

6 in the morning all you hear is nature and the breeze.  Felt like i was the only one there. 
(http://i393.photobucket.com/albums/pp20/skbluestem/DSCN0519.jpg)

My son and I on the South Rim.  On our right is where the trail is for the north rim. 
(http://i393.photobucket.com/albums/pp20/skbluestem/DSCN0501.jpg)

We just got started around 8 and already reaching 80 degree. 
(http://i393.photobucket.com/albums/pp20/skbluestem/DSCN0538.jpg)
Title: Re: National parks
Post by: ROX on March 25, 2010, 06:16:44 PM
When I took the family to the Grand Canyon and we were at Powell Point, I could only think....."somebody left the water running".
Title: Re: National parks
Post by: oakranger on March 26, 2010, 01:59:34 AM
When I took the family to the Grand Canyon and we were at Powell Point, I could only think....."somebody left the water running".

lol,  that is a long time to keep in running.
Title: Re: National parks
Post by: ebfd11 on March 26, 2010, 11:27:04 AM
When I get a chance I will post some of Gettysburg Battleground.