John Muir Trail Trip

Backpacking On the John Muir Trail Onion Valley to Whitney Portal Introduction In August 2009 my good friend Greg Krohm and I completed a five day backpacking trip on the John Muir Trail including climbing Mt Whitney. This is a summary of our trip, written twelve years after the hike based on my recollections and documentation from the trip.  Planning the Trip The trip was a stretch for both of…

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Grand Canyon Backpacking Tanner to Grandview

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Backpacking in the Grand Canyon Lipan Point to Grandview taking the Tanner, Escalante, Tonto, and Grandview Trails In early October 2019 my long time friend and backpacking partner Greg, my son Chris, and I (Robin)  took a five day, four night backpacking adventure into the Grand Canyon. We started from at Lipan Point and took the Tanner Trail to the Colorado. Then we followed the Escalante Trail to Hance Rapids.…

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Galapagos Travel Diary

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Galapagos Trip Diary Visiting the Galapagos Island has been on our list for some time. In August, 2019 Jan and I took a Lindblad/National Geographic small boat cruise to the islands. I was apprehensive. Had the Galapagos become so popular that the wildlife was being harmed and the natural experience degraded? Fortunately that does not seem to be the case. Ecuador is doing an excellent job at protecting the wildlife…

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Alaska Trip

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Our Trip to Alaska, Denali National Park, and Kenai Fjords National Park In June, 2017 Jan and I took a trip to Alaska. Denali National Park and Kenai Fjords National Park were our primary destinations. Viewing wildlife and enjoying the Alaskan wilderness was what we went for. Therefore, no art museums and or historical sites were part of this trip.  Denali Getting to Denali Getting to Denali takes some work.…

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Backpacking in Yellowstone National Park – Heart Lake and Mt Sheridan

Backpacking in Yellowstone national Park - Heart Lake and Mt Sheridan Yellowstone Park  Yellowstone National Park is, of course, one of the most spectacular national parks. My hiking buddy, Greg Krohm, and I took a several day backcountry hiking trip to Yellowstone in August, 2018. Our Backpacking experience We experienced the highly variable weather that can occur in Yellowstone. Warm and clear one day. Freezing rain and snow the next.…

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Travel

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Travel I have always enjoyed travel. There is the excitement of seeing new places and learning new things. My first sight of the mountains and the ocean are still in my mind.With age my travel became more purposeful. It has become an opportunity to study a new part of the world; to understand its history, culture, and people. What I learn makes more sense when I can connect it to…

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Backpacking in Olympic National Park

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Backpacking in Olympic national park Trip overview Greg Krohm and I took a five day backpacking trip to Olympic National Park in 2015. We were out for three nights and four days. The route we took was the Seven Lakes Basin with a side trip down to the Ho River. Olympic National Park is a wonderful place. I spent a month backpacking here nearly 50 years ago as a 15…

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Japan Trip Diary

Japan Trip Diary Introduction This is my travel diary for the trip Jan and I took to Japan with Richard and Patti O'Hara in October 2018. We focused on Nara, the first capital of Japan, with a couple days in Tokyo at the end and half a day in Kyoto.  Many thanks to Richard O'Hara who planned the trip and provided a detailed and interesting itinerary for our days in…

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London Trip Diary

London Trip Diary This is my travel diary for the trip Jan and I took to London in early Spring, 2018. The entire time was spend in London. We stayed at an Airbnb in South Kensington. The location was excellent with several tube stations within 10 minutes walk and many good restaurants.  We used the tube almost exclusively. We bought an Oyster card for each of us in advance and…

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