Category: Terrain
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Mendenhall River Rafting
The City and Borough of Juneau, Alaska, USA (August 1995) We have a lot of experience with whitewater rafting so we were excited to hear about rafting in Juneau (map). There are indeed float trips down the Mendenhall River. They from the glacier with the same name down to the Gastineau Channel, and are available…
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Glacier Bay Scenery
Hoonah–Angoon Census Area Census Area of the Unorganized Borough, Alaska, USA (August 1995) Mt. Fairweather This grand view points down Johns Hopkins Inlet, the home of numerous impressive glaciers. It is framed at back by Mt. Fairweather (map), which is somewhat of a misnomer since the weather can be quite nasty. Mt. Fairweather towers more…
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Margerie Glacier
Glacier Bay: Hoonah–Angoon Census Area Census Area of the Unorganized Borough, Alaska, USA (August 1995) Margerie Glacier (map) is one of the most magnificent and dramatic ice flows into Glacier Bay National Park. It features sheer green and blue walls smudged by black debris carried down from the mountainside. The size is amazing. It is…
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Flattop Mountain
Chugach State Park, Anchorage, AK (July 2010) We didn’t plan to climb Flattop Mountain (map) that beautiful July morning. We had completely different plans, actually. The waiter during breakfast said we should go. The desk clerk at the hotel told us the same thing. The day was too perfect, too perfect!, to waste it on…
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Adventures on Kaua’i
Kaua’i, Hawaii, USA (October 1997) When my wife and I planned our trip to Australia we figured we might as well hit Hawaii since we’d be all the way out there anyway. On the leg from Los Angeles to Sydney a few days earlier we flew right over Hawaii; a thirty second view of Molokai…
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Shell Falls and Devils Tower
Northern Wyoming (June 1992) Shell Falls We cut across northern Wyoming on Route 14 as we gradually began our Bighorn Mountains ascent. These mountains formed about 60 million years ago as the land forced upward. Erosion slowly scraped away the sedimentary rock in many places, leaving behind the harder granite beneath it. We entered the…
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Russian River Falls
Chugach National Forest, Cooper Landing, Alaska (July 2010) Right at the middle of Alaska’s Kenai Peninsula, just off Sterling Highway west of Cooper Landing, the Russian River Falls put on a spectacular show for those who follow a gentle trail through the woods (map). It’s not amazing because of any great vertical drops. No, the…
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Quantico Cascades
Prince William Forest Park, Prince William Co., Virginia (April 2011) We had an enjoyable overnight stay in Prince William Forest Park, tent camping with the Cub Scouts at the Turkey Run Ridge Group Campground. They were working on their Hiking Belt Loop and the den decided upon the Quantico Cascades Trail as their main afternoon…
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Niagara Falls
U.S. – Canada Border (August 5, 2003) If you’re in the area of course you have to visit Niagara Falls. We parked on the New York side, and walked across the bridge into Canada (map). This was our son’s first international trip. We bought him a T-shirt and he made us put it on him…
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Multnomah Falls
Eugene to The Dalles to Portland, Oregon (May 12, 1998) We struggled from Eugene to Portland on I-5 through heavy rain and cut East on I-84, enjoying remarkable scenery along the Columbia River gorge. Clouds began to dissipate as we pushed through the mountains and descended into Hood River. Sunny skies broke through by the…