It snowed another 8-10 inches at Grand Canyon National Park on Thursday. Glad I was stranded due to road closures. The snow level dropped another 2,000 feet into the canyon, the deepest I’ve ver seen at the Grand Canyon. The increase in precipitation and lower temperatures were responsible. Companion video to follow later.
A panorama as the morning sun lights up the North Rim.
Named after Zion National Park’s superintendent, Walter Ruesch, these switchbacks were constructed in 1926. These series of 21 switchbacks lead to the diabolical Angel’s Landing trail but you better be in decent shape to conquer both.
Our trip to Peru included a steamy, exhilarating push into the Amazonian Jungle. A two hour boat ride took us down the Tambopata River where there were no roads and few people.
We flew into Puerto Maldonado to begin the jungle excursion. This was the second jet plane needed to make it there since the first one experienced engine trouble and we turned back to Cuzco. I knew something was amiss when the pilot came on the intercom and asked us to ” remain calm!” It was a hard landing in Cuzco but we all remained calm….
Moto Taxis in Puerto Maldonado. No emergency landings needed.
This boat looked safe……
Local kids
Apocalypse Now?
Our jungle lodge
Sheets were used to keep the giant insects from devouring us through the night.
The house Monkey, Pepe. Pepe was like your pet dog or cat and would jump into your lap while relaxing in a hammock
El Gato Falls
Love was in the air…
Our guide took us on a nighttime boat ride, spotting for Cayman.
This tarantula was definitely moving.
Thick vegetation, thankfully we had a guide.
Cuzco is a Quechua word that means center or navel and Cuzco was just that as the capital of the Inca Empire. Spanish Conquistador Francisco Pizarro took control of the city in 1533 and the Inca Empire which totaled more than 12 million people at that time.
A major earthquake in 1650 heavily damaged the city but the Roman Catholic priests and monks greatly influenced the reconstruction, most of which you can observe today in Cuzco. Cuzco is also a major tourist area as a starting point for trips to Machu Picchu and the Sacred Valley.
Church of the Society of Jesus.
THE YOUNG
THE OLD
THE COLORFUL
Window shopping for Inca Chess Boards
Post two of my Peru images. Arriving at Machu Picchu. I don’t think Hiram Bingham saw Machu Picchu like this in 1911. As a matter of fact, it was covered in vines and other vegetation. But the archeologist discovered the remains with help from the locals and eventually determined that this was the lost capital of the Inca Empire. This view has been disputed since many think Vilcabamba was the real lost city. Most impressive is its precisely-cut stone walls, bound together without mortar. It is thought that Machu Picchu was built around 1450.
From nearby Huayna Picchu, which rises steeply 850 feet above the ruins. It’s amazing from this view to see that Machu Picchu is rather small compared to the surrounding landscape.
The climb up Huayna Picchu is very, very steep……
My friend Bob stood out amongst the ruins. We arrived early in the morning when it wasn’t so crowded.
My friend Jennifer poses.
From about 8-10 years ago
Badwater Basin at Death Valley National Park is famous for the fact it is one of the hottest (It was 85 degrees F this day) and lowest places on earth. The salt flats are a result of any standing water in the basin evaporating and leaving the salt deposits behind. I caught these images last week after a sand storm blew through the valley but parted right around sunset.
Just because you’re first doesn’t necessarily mean you’re the best. But there is a reason why Yellowstone was named the first national park on March 1, 1872 by President Ulysses Grant. Its biodiversity and geologic wonders are what grabbed the attention of Congress through the photos and paintings of Jackson and Moran respectively during the 1871 Hayden Expedition into Yellowstone. What makes Yellowstone unique is its 67 species of wildlife, 322 species of birds, 16 species of fish, eleven hundred species of flowering plants, 7 species of conifers, over 10,000 geothermal features including more than 300 geysers(half of Earth’s total), approximately 300 waterfalls, beautiful, crystal clear rivers and one gigantic caldera. No national park has all of these natural resources to offer including those in Alaska. Below are images that capture the diversity of Yellowstone. All photos were captured by Michael Just and Dawn2Dawn Photography.
And the wildlife…….
And waterways……
And the flora…….
stands out from the steamy landscape at West Thumb Geyser Basin
