The Carrizo Plain was my first destination on the California Loop Trip. Often described as California’s Serengeti, I was honestly not expecting too much after having seen the real Serengeti, but as with all stops on this trip – results exceeded expectations. In his very final days in office, President Bill Clinton signed a proclamation … Continue reading »
It is impossible to gaze out from the Ames estate toward the east and to not notice Oregon Peak. Actually, Oregon Peak can be seen all of the way from California’s Central Valley, but it seems particularly seductive when viewed from the Ames estate for some reason. Here is the view from the east deck … Continue reading »
Kruger National Park was definitely a component of this trip I was eagerly anticipating and I was not disappointed. Well, except in myself… We were in Kruger National Park for 2.5 days. However, after two weeks of steadily increasing suffering from dysentery, I bitched out on an afternoon safari trek the last day and opted … Continue reading »
Part 1 This waterfall may look pretty and innocent in a low-water environment, but it kicked my ass the first time I came through here by bashing me against those rocks. Brandon demonstrates the force of the water even in an environment of unusually low water levels I was extremely curious about this bridge the … Continue reading »
There’s a watershed that runs through Oregon House (where I grew up) known as the Dry Creek complex. It flows through Thousand Trails, Collins Lake, blah, blah, blah… When I was in college, a family friend mentioned an “easy” route one could take by floating on an inner tube late in the season (when water … Continue reading »
Finding myself in the unusual circumstance of having an idle day, I decided to take a trek down the only trail in Malakoff Diggins State Park that I had not yet completed – Humbug Trail. Humbug Trail follows Humbug Creek for 2.5 miles down to the South Yuba River and the South Yuba Trail. Site … Continue reading »
At the Velvet Rocket we feel compelled to review our failures and not just to trumpet our, ahem, frequent successes… It was with a high level of optimism that Molly, Honey and I set off for some exploring of the High Sierra above Downieville, CA. Our destination? Chimney Rock. It was a lovely day in … Continue reading »
