Favorite National Park?

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AgRyan04
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In reply to BSD • 9:10a, 7/21/24
I have that same picture hanging on my wall in my office at work.....it is a stunning lake!

I'd like to get back to North Cascades and do some backpacking at some point, but you're spot on thst the weather can be tricky to navigate
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RangerRick9211
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In reply to AgRyan04 • 9:02a, 7/24/24
AG
AgRyan04 said:
I have that same picture hanging on my wall in my office at work.....it is a stunning lake!

I'd like to get back to North Cascades and do some backpacking at some point, but you're spot on thst the weather can be tricky to navigate
We make it up to N. Cascade 2-4x per year from OR. It's usually rock solid dry from July through early September.

But give me overcast, late October with a dusting of snow on the Larches at Blue Lake everyday,
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Mathguy64
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11:45p, 7/30/24
AG
Exit Glacier in Kenai NP.

2021


Same spot 2024

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BSD
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12:43p, 8/3/24
AG
Glacier National Park… #62/63 (almost there!!!!)











I was unable to do a few things that I wanted to do on this trip so I'll be coming back next summer.

Edit to add these guys we saw on our way out:

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Mathguy64
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8:11p, 8/3/24
AG
So. WrangellSt Elias is neat.

The old mine is cool.

Walked the Root Glacier. Fell on the Root Glacier and walked the last mile on it and 2.5 miles back on a decent sprain. That was fun.





Not a NP but the drive along the Richardson Hwy down to Valdez may be the second best scenic road behind the Beartooth Hwy.

This is the Worthington Glacier.




From outside looking back in to the park on a nice day.

Mt Sanford at 16200 ft, Mt Drum at 12000 and Mt Wrangell at 14200
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AgRyan04
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5:27p, 8/4/24
Just got home from Grand Teton and Yellowstone - it was our 20th wedding anniversary


We splurged and stayed a couple nights at Jenny Lake Lodge


Fished just south of Jackson

Grand Prismatic - hadn't ever hiked up the new-ish overlook trail before


We booked another trip with Yellowstone Wild - just fantastic

The scopes are unbelievably powerful. The wolves in the following photos were along the trees in the dead center of the photo above. Our guide also introduced us to researcher/author, Rick McIntyre, who was out watching the same pack as us that morning - that gentleman has some INCREDIBLE wolf stories







This last one is wolf 907F....most wolves live to 4 or 5 years old in the park - she is the oldest wolf in the park at 11 years old and she just had two pups in the spring.


Watched this grizzly for over an hour just rooting around

Walking through the bison

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Mathguy64
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8:28p, 8/9/24
AG
Katmai and Brooks Lodge is just such a cool place.





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AgRyan04
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In reply to Mathguy64 • 9:21a, 8/10/24
So, so cool!
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BSD
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9:52a, 8/10/24
AG
I've been thinking about putting in for the Brooks lotto again. It's really one of the most unique places on this planet. Unfortunately my wife and son are overriding my decision, as they want to see new places (overseas). I get it, but still…dang. Glad you got to go again, Mathguy. That's awesome.
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AgRyan04
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In reply to BSD • 10:55a, 8/10/24

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Mathguy64
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In reply to BSD • 12:25p, 8/10/24
AG
The lottery is so big now (waitlist numbers were in the 9000 range this January for next year), you may as well apply and see what happens.

We will apply every year and if it works great and if it doesn't it doesn't.
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BSD
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In reply to AgRyan04 • 12:26p, 8/10/24
AG
Oh trust me, I've thought about it. But we are also diving a lot these days so at some point I need to work.
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BSD
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In reply to Mathguy64 • 12:29p, 8/10/24
AG
Mathguy64 said:
The lottery is so big now (waitlist numbers were in the 9000 range this January for next year), you may as well apply and see what happens.

We will apply every year and if it works great and if it doesn't it doesn't.


True. I just know that 2025 is out (already drawn) and 2026 is out for us for a big Italy trip. But yeah, definitely 2027 and onward I'll put in and try to get up there.

Still no Otis I see?
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Mathguy64
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In reply to BSD • 12:36p, 8/10/24
AG
BSD said:
Mathguy64 said:
The lottery is so big now (waitlist numbers were in the 9000 range this January for next year), you may as well apply and see what happens.

We will apply every year and if it works great and if it doesn't it doesn't.


True. I just know that 2025 is out (already drawn) and 2026 is out for us for a big Italy trip. But yeah, definitely 2027 and onward I'll put in and try to get up there.

Still no Otis I see?


No Otis. He hasn't been seen all season and since they don't tag and track bears they have no clue where he is.

A week before we got there they had a cub killed. Grazer has 2 yearling cubs and she always fishes at the top of the falls. Somehow one and then the other went over in succession and started going downriver. She pounced off the falls and one unfortunately one went straight to Chunk who was a bit downriver. Before she could get there Chunk bit the cub. He died a couple of days later. No one has seen Chunk since and Grazer and the remaining cub have moved off a bit. She has been seen nursing that one.
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BSD
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In reply to Mathguy64 • 12:52p, 8/10/24
AG
Yeah, I was watching the explore.org camera and saw the Grazer drama mentioned there so I followed the ranger talks on it and watched the replays. Sounds like the injured cub made it for a few days, it just couldn't put any weight on the front paws. Grazer may have been caring for it after it died, picking it up and taking it to different spots and keeping it close as she fished. Hate to see it, but that's nature.

I wonder if Otis is just skipping the falls this year or if he's still around. I guess we'll look again next year.
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Mathguy64
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12:47p, 8/14/24
AG
The other pics from Katmai NP and Brooks Falls were from my iPhone. Here are a couple from my real rig. They came out pretty good.






This place is a bucket list location.
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11:07a, 8/17/24
AG
Yosemite this summer. I could go back over and over. There is so much to see. And just being there…

(Edit)If you visit Yosemite, I highly recommend doing a rafting trip with Zephyr Whitewater located in El Portal along the Merced River. Probably want to schedule before the river slows down in July.





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11:13a, 8/17/24
AG
Sequoia and Kings Canyon. Pictures just don't do it justice. I could spend a week exploring the backcountry of Kings Canyon.





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mpl35
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11:17a, 8/17/24
AG
Most of Kings Canyon and Sequoia are backcountry. Love the Sierra
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In reply to mpl35 • 11:18a, 8/17/24
AG
Yes! I think the Ranger told us ~ 80% of it. Someday I'll hike it. Someday…
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RangerRick9211
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9:59a, 8/18/24
AG
We left Redwood State and Nat two days ago. Currently in Tahoe on the way to Yosemite! Final leg will be back up to Crater Nat, then home.

We rafted the Truckee in Tahoe Nat yesterday. Primo MTB all over! Love this area!



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In reply to RangerRick9211 • 12:25p, 8/18/24
AG
Beautiful!
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Mathguy64
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12:24p, 10/2/24
AG
For those who have been to Brooks in Katmai, they had a bear attack and kill another bear. They got in a fight out in the lake and a male drowned a female.



They also shut angling down. Some idiots were feeding their catch to bears. Dumbasses.

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BSD
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In reply to Mathguy64 • 12:35p, 10/2/24
AG
Interesting side note to this story. The bear that killed the female took her off to feed on her. And then remember Chunk, the bear that killed the cub a few weeks ago? He came along and stole the cached body of the bear that was just killed on Monday. Brutal. But that's nature. Apparently they had to close to trail because of the large food cache and potentially protective bears.

And what kind of idiot feeds a bear fish? Geez.
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RangerRick9211
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In reply to AgRyan04 • 9:49a, 10/15/24
AG
AgRyan04 said:
I have that same picture hanging on my wall in my office at work.....it is a stunning lake!

I'd like to get back to North Cascades and do some backpacking at some point, but you're spot on thst the weather can be tricky to navigate
Next to North Cascade is Okanogan-Wenatchee Nat Forest which includes the Enchantments. Both (N Cascade and O-W Nat) have Larches this time of year that make the mountains pretty epic!

We braved the traffic and got to a trailhead at 6AM Saturday and still had to park almost a mile away. Worth it, though!

Ingalls Pass/Lake in the Enchantments :




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AgRyan04
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In reply to RangerRick9211 • 3:44p, 10/15/24
The Enchantments are VERY much on the bucket list....just haven't sat down to figure out all the permitting, etc. to start submitting.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
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mpl35
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In reply to AgRyan04 • 4:31p, 10/15/24
AG
AgRyan04 said:
The Enchantments are VERY much on the bucket list....just haven't sat down to figure out all the permitting, etc. to start submitting.
really good shape and you can day hike it!
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RangerRick9211
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In reply to mpl35 • 5:10p, 10/15/24
AG
mpl35 said:
AgRyan04 said:
The Enchantments are VERY much on the bucket list....just haven't sat down to figure out all the permitting, etc. to start submitting.
really good shape and you can day hike it!
Si: https://www.wta.org/go-hiking/hikes/enchantment-lakes

Though, we did Ingalls next to Mt. Stuart which is the south entry. No way where we going anywhere near Colchuck this weekend. Out and back = 11 miles and 3k of vert. 9A depart - 3P return. Including an hour on Lake Ingalls. 10/11 miles included the 5 year old on my shoulders, so we were pretty slow.

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mpl35
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In reply to RangerRick9211 • 3:57p, 10/16/24
AG
RangerRick9211 said:
mpl35 said:
AgRyan04 said:
The Enchantments are VERY much on the bucket list....just haven't sat down to figure out all the permitting, etc. to start submitting.
really good shape and you can day hike it!
Si: https://www.wta.org/go-hiking/hikes/enchantment-lakes

Though, we did Ingalls next to Mt. Stuart which is the south entry. No way where we going anywhere near Colchuck this weekend. Out and back = 11 miles and 3k of vert. 9A depart - 3P return. Including an hour on Lake Ingalls. 10/11 miles included the 5 year old on my shoulders, so we were pretty slow.

Yeah you wouldn't want to do that with a kid! I enjoyed Cochuck.
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