Roadtrip, JOHN LOUDER

White Sands National Monument

2009-08-16T11:05:00.001-07:00

An interesting time to visit White Sands National Monument is during a wind storm. The gypsum (it's not really sand) drifts like fine snow. You get ready to step out into this frozen world but then it's about 75 degrees out. My senses were confused. The wind also reduces numbers of other tourists.

Annie didn't think breathing gypsum was a very good idea. She's probably right.

Roots holding on to maintain there little stationary islands in a moving world.

Truth or Consequences

2009-08-16T10:42:00.000-07:00

The town of Truth or Consequences in central New Mexico is built on natural hot springs. Some how the town has also been able to avoid changing since the 50's. Renovation goes on and we were lucky enough to find this newly renovated hot tub motel. The hot tubs are concrete with bottoms made of small river rock where the water just flows up through and out the drain, constantly.. a must stop along the banks of the Rio Grande.

Annie in fully soaked relaxed mode.

Mogollon, New Mexico

2009-05-19T11:51:00.000-07:00

Annie and I took the 12 mile drive to the mining town of Mogollon. Definitely not a road for people who are afraid of heights. The road climbs up to about 10000 feet elevation and gets narrower and steeper as you go. Definitely one lane most places with blind curves and drop offs with seemingly no bottoms. Spectacular views of the valleys when you can find a pull-out.
Mogollon is still alive but barely. Mining has dried up and a few people hang on by tourism. Artists from Texas filled the streets in the 50's and 60's.

I was told this was once a gallery.

Catwalk Canyon, New Mexico

2009-05-18T14:54:00.000-07:00

Hopefully these images allow us to remember the beauty of this place.

Catwalk Canyon, New Mexico

2009-05-18T14:32:00.000-07:00

Catwalk canyon, a remnant from mining days is a must see place in western New Mexico. The trail travels up a slot canyon that would be impassable without the construction of the catwalks. They were originally built to support a water line that carried water to a mine. Approximately 15 years ago the catwalk was still made of the original metal, very rusty and questionably safe. Recent upgrades changed the flavor of the experience but not the canyon. This image is at the top of the trail.
It doesn't take much to get this suspension bridge jumping.
This must have been placed by helicopter?

The newest wheelchair accessible section.

Wandering Home, New Mexico

2009-04-23T16:57:00.000-07:00

I finally dragged Annie, scratching and clawing out of Arizona. We stopped in western New Mexico and stayed two nights in a one room cabin just out of the town of Glenwood. Our first hike took us up a slot canyon called Alma Creek. Evening light made the adventure even more dream like. A must see place. At the mouth of the canyon we found the above fence post being eaten by a large tree, sort of taking back its own kind.

This area is a little death valley with all its interesting rock formations except it has water.

Not all roughing it.

2009-04-20T18:42:00.000-07:00

Our daughter Faith gifted us with an evening at Camp La Paloma. Yes that's Starbucks coffee.

Oak Creek Canyon, Sedona

2009-04-10T20:34:00.000-07:00

A trip to northern Arizona should always include the Sedona area.

Wupatki National Monument

2009-04-10T19:50:00.000-07:00

About 30 miles north of Sunset Crater are ancient puebloan dwellings. Built nearly 1000 years ago it is amazing that so many of the walls are still standing. The stone work is magnificant. The lines of the walls are beautiful.

It is rugged country and was dry when the inhabitants lived here. The Navaho's still live just north of here. I mentioned the wind earlier. The picture below is the back side of the dust storm blowing out over the Navaho Nation. We were glad to be up wind.

Sunset Crater Volcano

2009-04-10T18:08:00.000-07:00

After attending a memorial in Scottsdale for Annie's beloved Aunt Janet and we continued onto a fantastic road trip with our daughter Faith north to the Flagstaff area. We were searching for a meteor crater (we will have to return to complete that mission, missed by about 50 miles) and ended up at Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument just north of Flagstaff. Unlike the Chiricahua's this volcano erupted only 800 years ago. It was really windy which actually added to the experience of the area. The snowy peak in the top picture is Mount Humphrey's at 12,633, the tallest mountain in AZ and another volcano.
Native Americans were living in the area during the eruptions. The volcanic ash that settled on the surrounding land actually supported Native Americans agriculture for another century by adding nutrients to the soils.
Archeological discoveries indicate that there were enough earth quakes before the actual explosion that the Natives had moved out of the pit houses that were buried under ash flows.

The volcano spewed ash and had side vent lava flows.

Chiricahua Mountains

2009-04-10T17:26:00.000-07:00

East of the Dragoon Mountains are the Chiricahua Mountains which includes the Chiricahua National Monument. These are volcanic mountains including the remnants of a volcanic rim and the ash that it blew out. (This happened millions of years ago and erosion has exposed the solidified ash flows into columnar pillars) Rising up out of the desert to around 9000 ft. there is water that flows in the creeks. We found this abandoned orchard in bloom up Turkey Creek. Turkeys have been reintroduced here and they were gobbling just on the other side of these trees.

Paintings, Cochise Stronghold

2009-04-04T18:16:00.000-07:00

Two oils from Cochise Stronghold

Paintings, Saguaro East

2009-04-04T18:12:00.000-07:00

Two oil paintings from Saguaro East National Park

Cochise Stronghold

2009-04-04T17:21:00.000-07:00

The Dragoon Mountains in South East Az were a hideout for Cochise and his Apache tribe. The eroded volcanic ash rocks create a complex maze of canyons and hidden valleys.
The valleys are covered with a complex of oaks and other vegetation. We camped for three nights and enjoyed every minute.

Agave's can really grow large in the right conditions.
We took an afternoon hike on a less traveled trail and discovered caves with pictographs on the ceilings. They were small overhangs with black smoke still on the ceilings in the backs of the caves. A very magical experience to see these paintings on the rocks.

Saguaro East National Park

2009-03-31T17:21:00.000-07:00

Saguaro East is close to Faith's house so we have painted and hiked here when we were not off on adventures.
Mallow in front of a paddle cactus
Fairy Dusters are some of the earliest spring bloomers.
The Staghorn Cholla's will bloom after we leave.
Lichen are colorful year round.

Alamo Canyon, Organ Pipe National Mounument

2009-03-30T17:07:00.000-07:00

Alamo Canyon is graced with some flowing water which provides for a rich varied vegetation in contrast to it's rugged rocks.

We found grinding holes in the bedrock near the water. I cannot imagine how many hours native americans spent grinding to make this hole about a foot deep. The bedrock is extremely hard.
The rocks up this canyon were folded heated and fractured.
A magical spot about a mile above the grinding holes. An Ajo Oak was growing on the right. The Ajo Oak can only be found in this region of the United States.

Desert Rose Mallow
Crimson Monkey Flower

Paintings/Organ Pipe National Mounument

2009-03-29T16:22:00.000-07:00

Three oil paintings from Organ Pipe National Monument.

Paintings/Madera Canyon

2009-03-29T16:14:00.000-07:00

Before I forget here are the three oils I painted in Madera Canyon.

Organ Pipe National Monument

2009-03-28T07:45:00.000-07:00

I had to post one Arizona sunset. This is looking southwest, the mountains are in Mexico.
Annie draws with saguaros watching.
Immature organ pipe cactus.
Saguaro's are capable of sprouting and replacing broken off tops.
Brittlebrush is an early yellow bloomer.

Madera Canyon

2009-03-24T10:58:00.000-07:00

Madera Canyon enjoyed monsoon rains last fall and grew this now dry grass, spring looks like fall?
Painting in one of the many side canyons, a short walk from our camp.
One of the new birds in the canyon, reintroduced turkeys are doing well near the Santa Rita Lodge.
One of the many full size bonsai to be found in the canyon. This is an Alligator Juniper and I'm sure Oldog will be able to see the alligator head in this image.
This is Hill's Lupine, (or one of the 23 kinds of lupine in AZ) yes this far south it is spring even at 5000' elevation.

Madera Canyon

2009-03-16T16:53:00.000-07:00

Madera Canyon, a family favorite area is located about 30 miles south of Tucson. Mt. Wrightson and its fellow Santa Rita mountains top out around 9000 feet and feed water to the north down Madera Creek. The area is lush and vegetated by 9 different types of oaks and pines that are found mostly in Mexico. The area is famous for birding.
The creek usually runs quiet and reflective but each year during the monsoon storms the creek has the potential for flooding and rapid erosion. These tough trees hang on and some how manage to defy erosion and gravity.

Paintings

2009-03-15T11:05:00.000-07:00

These three paintings are oils, 12" x 16" and painted at Gila Box Riparian Area.

These two are full sheet watercolors painted at Julian's Ranch.

Gila Box National Riparian Area

2009-03-14T21:13:00.000-07:00

Gila River

Sunset from our camp.

Morning coffee.

Gila Box National Riparian Area

2009-03-14T20:27:00.000-07:00

Gila Box National Riparian Area is 20 miles north east of Safford AZ. An area of strong contrasts, dry rocky desert is contrasted by running water. The Gila River runs in the bottom of a rugged canyon. We found a BLM campground and enjoyed 4 days of camping. The area has been protected to provide for the many migrating birds that travel through and nest in the canyon bottoms. The river and streams that flow in the bottoms of the canyon support a narrow band of trees, mostly cottonwoods and mesquites. The cottonwoods were just beginning to leaf out.

Bonita Creek runs quietly through dense undergrowth below the cottonwoods.
The Gila River floods periodically and rips out the trees keeping them from growing very large but in the tributary Bonita Creek we found this massive old cottonwood.

Julian's Ranch

2009-03-11T08:40:00.000-07:00

Annie and I were lucky enough to be invited to a working cattle ranch owned by Faith's boyfriend Julian's family. Located north of Mount Graham at about 4000' elevation it was cold. The wash that runs through the area is dry but water is not to far below the surface and supports huge Arizona sycamores and Cottonwoods. Rose, Julian's mom directed me to the ruins of an ancient Native American village. Stones show the foundations of the village. A magical place in the desert.

Arizona sycamores are more smooth barked than the sycamores we have in Missouri.

This is a Parry's Agave, one of the twelve species of agave that live in AZ. They were used by Native Americans for food, fiber, soap, beverages, and medicines. Tequila is made from fermented juice from one of the agave species.

Vail AZ, Base Camp

2009-03-11T08:04:00.000-07:00

Our daughter Faith lives in Vail and has graciously allowed us to use her home as a base camp. Vail is east of Tucson (20 miles) and near Saguaro National Park East. They grow large saguaros there. The saguaro is the largest member of the cactus family and Annie is dwarfed by this one.

Many different kinds of agave can be found in the Sonoran Desert. This is called a Sotol.

It has snowed in the Tucson area both of the last two times that I have visited.
Faith's dogs enjoyed the morning walk in the snow. Good times are being had by all.

Tucson

2009-03-04T16:57:00.000-08:00

We made it back to Tucson about three weeks ago. I'm having a little trouble with accurate time keeping so I may be wrong about that. Driving in from the west gave us an opportunity to hike up to an area in Saguaro West National Park where petroglyphs can be seen. It was a really nice hot day in the 80's and a pleasure to find the area very much the same as it was eleven years ago when we left AZ.

In the canyon walls of the area it is possible to find some tough desert ferns. Usually requires some seepage coming out the cracks of the walls.
This ones for you Matt.

Organ Pipe National Monument

2009-03-03T17:33:00.000-08:00

We traveled south of Yuma and spent a couple of nights in Ajo AZ. From there we made a day trip to Organ Pipe National Monument. This is the only place in the US where these cactii are found. One of our goals was to find spring as soon as possible and Organ Pipe was the first place after Sacramento that had started the spring bloom. It's been about 3 weeks since we were there and since that time it has rained. We are planning on heading back this week for a few nights of camping and painting.

2009-03-03T16:06:00.000-08:00

Heading south from the Mojave Desert we stopped north of the Yuma Sand Dunes.

Mojave Desert

2009-03-01T08:08:00.000-08:00

The Mojave Desert south and west of Las Vegas in California is a rugged harsh place. I would not like to be stranded here in the summer. There was a major fire in 2005 and burnt up a lot of the pine and juniper areas in the higher elevations.
Fortunately the fire did not reach out into the Joshua Tree areas. Joshua Trees are the largest of the yucca family.
We hiked a trail through Hole in the Wall. Three sections included vertical climbs assisted by the permanently attached rings. A rather exciting climb to say the least. After completing the first vertical climb of about 15 feet you were either committed to climbing on or climbing back down. We climbed on.
At the top light was being reflected up through the gap.

2009-02-24T09:23:00.000-08:00

Valley of Fire

2009-02-24T09:02:00.000-08:00

The Valley of Fire State Park is a complex maze of canyons. Petroglyphs are abundant. The colors of the sandstone run from cadmium red deep to tinted naples yellow. As you hike within the narrow walls of the red sandstone the reflective colors surround you and seem to turn the air red.

These are not ancient native american cliff dwellings but are interesting erosional patterns covering only about ten feet of rock wall.

Las Vegas

2009-02-24T08:40:00.000-08:00

Outside of the city limits of Las Vegas are many interesting geological areas. Red Rock National Monument and The Valley of Fire are both remnants from the red sand dunes that covered the southwest in the geological past. The red sandstone erodes in a elaborate ways that echo their wind swept origins.
Red seems to be the color. We spotted this wild red horse about 20 miles north of Boulder City.

Red Rock National Monument

Death Valley

2009-02-23T12:41:00.000-08:00

This will do it for now on Death Valley. What an incredible winter destination.

I have no clue. Only in Nevada.

Paintings

2009-02-23T08:58:00.000-08:00

The two above are sketch book watercolors. This one is from just above the ghost town of Rhyolite, NV
These three are full sheet watercolors. Watercolor lends itself to the desert light and subtle neutrals. It has been really enjoyable to set up and paint full sheets in a couple of hours. They do dry fast in this low humidity. The painting above is from the Alabama Hills, Lone Pine, CA
Death Valley in the Black Mountains.
Mojave Desert in California.

Ash Meadow National Wildlife Preserve

2009-02-23T07:50:00.000-08:00

East of Death Valley in Nevada natural warm water springs come pouring out of the ground after traveling a 1000 years underground from snow pack from the distant surrounding mountains. Remnant fish from the last time the valleys were filled with lakes remain in these springs. The pup fish, supported by their designation of 'endangered', caused this area to be taken back from private ownership (cotton fields and dairy cows) and protected as a National Wildlife Preserve.
The pup fish are only about 2 inches long.

Death Valley

2009-02-23T07:21:00.000-08:00

Rumor has it that I am behind in my blogging. I will try to catch up, no promises, I do have my priorities. Going back to Death Valley, I had already forgotten how rugged it is. These images were taken on a one way tourist loop road called Artists Palette. I don't think we are finished with Death Valley. We may revisit on this trip depending on the predicted bloom. We have already planted the seed of an idea for returning next christmas break. Matt says he's in.

Gator Alley

2009-02-23T07:09:00.000-08:00

Old Dog has been sniffing around in Death Valley again. I sure hope these gators are not eating any of the endangered pup fish.

Death Valley, Water

2009-02-13T11:49:00.000-08:00

Death Valley is not totally dry. A small stream flows just south of Stovepipe Dunes due to underlying bed rock forcing it to the surface. We stopped and explored the area walking on the board walks in search of the Death Valley Pupfish. These tiny fish are the last water residents of when Death Valley was filled by a lake. They can handle extremely hot and salty water. I was not allowed to fish, something about them being endangered species. We didn't even see any. The water doesn't stay on the surface for very long. Evaporation reigns over Death Valley.

Death Valley, Mosaic Canyon

2009-02-13T11:24:00.000-08:00

A short drive up a gravel road out of Stovepipe ends at the mouth of Mosaic Canyon. The trail leads up to a narrow cut in the canyon that is lined with marble. It is amazing to see the wave pattern of water recorded in beautiful marble.

This close up is for all the geologists out there. Death Valley is truly a geologists dream.
The canyon opens up to a hanging valley after about 1/2 a mile.

Death Valley Sunset

2009-02-02T19:06:00.000-08:00

On our way back to Beatty after visiting Marble Canyon we stopped at the Stovepipe Sand Dunes. It was one of those 30 minutes of magic that happen around sun set sometimes.

Just after the sun disappeared off the distant clouds this cold wind rose up from the valley below, blowing sand and moisture. We didn't hang around out in the dunes to see how much sand could be moved in a short time. By the time we had driven through the sand storm and up to the 3500' pass leading to Beatty we were hit by a hail storm with lightning. A change from 70 degrees to 37 degrees. Such extremes in Death Valley.

2009-02-01T21:58:00.000-08:00

Death Valley lends itself to a multitude of ways of looking. I'm drawn to the great vistas and distances but at the same time flattened surfaces echo the same elements.

2009-02-01T21:47:00.000-08:00

Driving down from Beatty to Stove Pipe Death Valley the highway travels down a massive alluvial fan. Of course we had to go out and see what was over the next ridge.
From Stove Pipe we drove 15 miles on a rough sand and gravel road to Marble Canyon. We walked through the massive cut in the rocks even though 4 wheelers could drive through.
The water had cut down to some spectacular layers of diorite.
This is looking back down toward the valley floor and beyond to the Funeral Mountains on the east side of Death Valley.

2009-02-01T21:10:00.000-08:00

We stayed in Beatty NV for the first half of the week and explored places close. We found a less traveled entry into Death Valley on the Nevada Side. The road dead ended at the Bullfrog mine about a half a mile in.
Just out side of Beatty is the 1903 ghost town of Rhyolite. This boom and bust gold mine town had a population of 10000 at is boom and the school was just finishing construction when the gold ran out and the population plummeted. The town lasted only a few years.
I keep getting attracted to the red barrel cactus.
Just above Rhyolite we adopted this little valley/canyon. Great place to hike and paint. We climbed to the top of the valley and into the next on a well worn burro trail.
Another beautiful sunset in Nevada just outside of Death Valley.

2009-01-31T15:29:00.000-08:00

I'm about a week behind in my posting. Hard to find fast WiFi out in the wide open spaces of the West. These images are from our first taste of Death Valley driving from Lone Pine CA to Beatty NV. This red volcanic canyon runs into the west side of Saline Valley, one of the two valleys in Death Valley. The colors were spectacular. It seemed as if the volcanic rock had been squirted out of a tube of cadmium red deep.

2009-01-25T18:48:00.000-08:00

Traveling from Bridgeport south to the little town of Lone Pine the Sierras towered off to the west. We kept expecting them to run out. Lone Pine turned out to be a two night stop. We drove just out of town to the west and climbed into the Alabama Hills spread out below Mount Whitney. Turns out the Alabama Hills were discovered by Hollywood years ago and have been used for movies regularly. It seems that the Lone Ranger rode out of these hills during his weekly opening. We enjoyed painting and hiking.
Ran in to our first barrel cactus in the area. Fun to see and amazing that we could see 14000' high mountains at the same time. We never did actually see the very top of Mount Whitney due to constant cloud cover.

2009-01-24T18:41:00.000-08:00

Looking west out over Sacramento and beyond the Pacific. I've always been interested in mountains. I had forgotten how much. Traveling from Carson City to Sacramento was all about mountains. We reached passes around 8000 feet and fortunately no falling snow. I was surprised by how many passes in the Sierra Nevadas are closed for the winter.

Driving from Sacramento to Bishop CA back on the east side of the Sierras the dry climate and empty spaces returned. I wonder how much you would have to pay to own this beautiful ranch. California real estate is incredibly expensive.
Mono Lake, a million year plus old lake, is a salty inland sea that has been drastically lowered due to diversion of water to LA. Before the diversion millions of ducks used the lake during migration. Geologically very interesting with tuffa towers exposed due to the lower levels of water.

2009-01-23T18:18:00.000-08:00

It seems so many miles ago when we drove across Nevada, I guess about a week ago. Driving from Ely to Carson City is an endless rotation of vistas and back down to the valleys. Climbing over passes every forty miles or so. What incredible blue skies and clear air. The west is so wonderfully empty.
This is Sand Mountain just east of Fallon, Nevada. Looking in the opposite direction is a huge salt flat.
South of Fallon Annie and I spent the day exploring the ruins of Fort Churchill. It was built in the same rectangular fashion as the other forts that we have visited. The buildings are controlled by the available material, in this case adobe.

The Carson River ran near the Fort and through Carson City and became an important subject for art and exploration during our delightful weekend stay with Marianne and Aaron.

2009-01-22T08:28:00.000-08:00

Sorry about no images. Seems that this Blogger sight is not uploading lately. We are fine, spending the day next to Mt. Whitney, the highest point in the lower states, 14492 feet. Going to stop here in Lone Pine for a couple of days and paint. I will keep trying to upload images.

2009-01-15T08:30:00.000-08:00

Nevada is a mining state. We visited these charcoal kilns south of Ely. Built in 1870 by Italian craftsmen they are monuments to rock laying. Each kiln is about 30 feet high and 28 feet wide. When operational they were filled with wood, first through the bottom door and then by way of a ramp built on the back hill side through the second level door. Each kiln would hold approximately 5 to 6 acres of wood from the surrounding hills, cedar and pinyon pine. The wood was burned for days. Draft was controlled by closing and unclosing side vents according to the color of the smoke. The charcoal was used for smelting silver from the regions mines. The demand created clear cut land up to 35 miles in radius from the kilns. I'm glad it has grown back. I was humbled by the exactness and quality of the stone work.

The interiors of the kilns created an echo chamber that amplified the sounds of foot steps and voices. The bottom doors faced north. The kilns fit so beautifully into the environment. Truly works of art.

2009-01-10T13:08:00.000-08:00

On our way back from Lava Hot Springs to Twin Falls we took a side trip to American Falls. This old building is the subject of one of my first paintings. I don't know the history of this building. American Falls dam just above here required the moving of the town sometime early in the 1900's. I need to do some more research. A grain elevator stands as a reminder of the past in the middle of the reservoir.
About 10 miles below American Falls is a Snake River lava canyon. Very wild and rugged. The Oregon Trail crossed the river in this area. I use to fish for trout in this area on the opening day of fishing season with my father. The area is also called Massacre Rock because of a narrow passage of rock that the wagons had to pass through. An unfortunate wagon caravan was attacked by native americans in the pass.

2009-01-08T09:51:00.000-08:00

We took a little side trip and spent two nights in Lava Hot Springs Idaho, Riverside Hotel built in 1914. Pool side was uncrowded, and yes the water was warm.

2009-01-08T09:37:00.000-08:00

The snow melted in Twin Falls but Annie could still see snow on the mountains 70 miles to the north. We were pulled in that direction on a sunny bright day. Southern Idaho is a huge flat volcanic flow thousands of feet thick. The norther rockies rise up on the northern edge. We visited the Craters of the Moon National Monument where the most recent lava flows have erupted. Reminds me of the Big Island in Hawaii only more snow. The image with the two fence posts is the world famous fly fishing stream, Silver Creek. I think the fishing may have been a little slow, I didn't really find out. Lots of room in Idaho.

2009-01-06T14:48:00.000-08:00

I received this fine photo from 'oldog' recently. Apparently he has visited Miracle Hot Springs also.

2009-01-05T12:07:00.000-08:00

The top image is the canyon below Twin Falls and then Shoshone Falls. These large drops in the Snake River (212 feet for Shoshone) were gouged out by the Bonneville Lake Floods about 15000 years ago. A glacial finger broke and allowed the lake to fill this canyon and gouge it an estimated 6 times deeper. Use to play here as a child, guess I still am.

Three sketches from the local area. The lava rocks are magnified by the contrast in value with the snow.

2009-01-02T13:03:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year! It seems that 'old dog' is a little skeptical about the Idaho gators. I can understand how they may seem a little unlikely. I've added a more zoomed out image which shows the snow around the perimeter. Maybe this will clear up any doubting dogs. We have been out both yesterday and today working on location. Will post the drawings soon. The weather has warmed up momentarily and is melting the snow. Back to the 20's tonight.

2008-12-31T11:42:00.000-08:00

Winter has been hard on more than our plein air painting. We found this dead barn owl under a tree down in Rock Creek. It's hard for an owl to find food under six inches of snow. Lots of barn owls suffer from car collisions during this time of year trying to catch mice at night as they try to cross the open roads.
The area around Twin Falls is called Magic Valley mainly because this desert has been changed by irrigation. Engineers damned the snake river and run water all across the valley to allow for crops that would never grow here in this high desert. The reliability of snow run off (which has been a little less reliable as of late) allows for nearly guaranteed crops and consequently:magic. Other magical things happen in the area. The image above is of some of the natural springs that poor out of the walls of the Snake River down in the Hagerman Valley. Millions of gallons of clean spring water poor out of the walls of the canyon, fed by run off that travels for years through the basalt layers. The water is perfect temperature for raising trout, which why this area is also called the trout capital of the world.
Yes you can fish in some of the springs. This one's for you Andy.
Other magical natural wonders found in the area include alligators. Yes, alligators can be found at Miracle Hot Springs. Many thermal springs are available here. We stopped and enjoyed a private hot springs bath. The water runs out of a well at 140 degrees, it is cooled down and piped into a swimming pool and private baths. The Idaho gators bask in the warm water in their own private pool.

2008-12-29T11:07:00.000-08:00

Another Oregon Trail history trip. Visited the Rock Creek Store Stricker Home. Rock Creek is one of the few streams that cross the Magic Valley, a high desert. Rock Creek has been utilized by all humans beginning with Native Americans then trappers, explorers and emigrants. A camping destination for the covered wagons and a stage coach stop. I really didn't pay much attention to the local history growing up in the area. I now like to imagine the thousands of people and livestock that crossed this area during the middle of the 1800's. Rock Creek Store could be thought of as similar to a truck stop along the freeway. It was snowy and cold when Annie and I made our visit. It is only about ten miles from where I grew up. Again the parking lot was ours to use and our foot prints were the only ones to be seen.

2008-12-26T11:51:00.000-08:00

Here it is the day after christmas already. We are glad to have been off the road during these last storms. This photo sums it up pretty well. I took this picture during a morning walk in the fields across from my parents house.

Merry Christmas to Everyone! We had a festive feast at brother Roger's and Jan's.

2008-12-22T15:45:00.000-08:00

Last two days have been more snow. We drove from Montpelier to Twin Falls, Idaho yesterday. Stayed ahead of the storm and arrived at my parents in time for lunch. Snow started falling in the afternoon and continued off and on most of the night. Today it warmed up enough to start melting the snow and now is turning into a frozen solid mess. Annie and I are connected here in a Barnes and Noble, she's knitting and I, well that's apparent. The images today are from the two bridges here in Twin. The core ten arch bridge is the Perrine Bridge and the concrete column bridge is the Hansen Bridge and was built when I was a young kid. The cement trucks roared by our house for months. My beloved dog King, the black lab crossed the highway in front of one of the trucks and was knocked into the ditch by a tire. He learned his lesson and was able to stay alive for many years after even though he managed to sneek off to town on a regular basis. It's a pleasure being with family. Annie and I had a wonderful dinner at brother Roger's house last night. Mom and Dad are in incredible shape considering the 88 years.

2008-12-20T16:42:00.000-08:00

The last two days have been guided by the weather. Each route is planned the night before using the internet to make informed decisions, and so far we have been on dry pavement most of the time. Today we had about 30 miles of snow covered roads but no problems. Yesterday we drove south from Lander to Rock Springs Wyoming. Today over to Montpelier Idaho. Antelope herds both days and today we saw elk. Bald eagles were hanging out near food right along with golden eagles and of course the ravens. Annie has convinced me to stop and sketch almost every day. We are still having to work sitting in the car looking out the wind shield. Tomorrow we will get an early start and race the storm coming in from the pacific to Twin Falls. I don't know what the internet situation will be in Twin so we may be disconnected for awhile. We are truly having a memorable wonderful adventure!

2008-12-18T18:57:00.000-08:00

Lots of animals between Casper and Lander. Hadn't seen a magpie for a couple of years and they always stand out in the snow. The antelope were frequent including some herds in the hundreds. Mule deer, golden eagles and furry golden eagle targets rounded out the
desert fauna. Lots of mountains today and some incredible red rock canyons. The west spreads out for miles.

2008-12-18T18:46:00.000-08:00

Traveling from Casper to Lander Wyoming we started the day driving in light snow. Out of the haze suddenly this large mound of rock appeared, known as Independence Rock. Oregon Trail travelers camped here and left rock carved signatures. Annie and I were delighted to find a trail all the way around. It was probably about a mile but well worth the time. Unbelievably beautiful and the snow began to clear.

2008-12-18T18:10:00.000-08:00

Nearly a half million settlers traveled the Oregon Trail route from the 1840's to the 1860's. Wagons were approximately 4' wide and this track worn in solid rock will be visible for many more years. These ruts are near Guernsey Wyoming on our way to Casper. I forgot how wide open the West is. Everyday the land seems to widen out and the sky gets bigger. We saw a huge prairie dog city that must have covered more than a quarter of a mile. I spotted my first rough-legged hawk in more years than I can remember and called Matt to share. Our first pronghorns were today. Still driving on dry roads. Saw our first real mountain today. Lucky us.

2008-12-18T17:48:00.000-08:00

Traveling from Scottsbluff Nebraska to Casper Wyoming we found numerous historical areas to explore. The bridge was built in the 1870's as a military bridge to support Fort Laramie. The barracks at Fort Laramie were rather bleak in the new snow both inside and out. Military life for the enlisted men looks harsh even in recreated splendor. The officer's quarters were considerably more inviting.

2008-12-16T19:13:00.000-08:00

Before stopping for the night in Scottsbluff we visited the Scottsbluff National Monument. Incredibly they have paved a road to the top.(including three tunnels to cross from side to side during the ascent. The setting sun and elevation made for spectacular views. Shadows and subtle colors of winter created abstract designs every where you looked. This image is looking down on the North Platte River.

2008-12-16T19:05:00.000-08:00

These two monoliths are called Courthouse and Jail House Rock. These massive piles of sandstone have stood as landmarks of the eastern edge of the West. Annie and I made sketches from the comfort of our car even though it had actually warmed up to 24 degrees.

2008-12-16T18:59:00.000-08:00

Back to civilization we gassed up in the tiny town of Lewellen and found this charming christmas display. Merry Christmas to All!

2008-12-16T18:52:00.000-08:00

More traveling on 12/16 and we discovered this recreated sod house at the bottom of windlass hill, a steep incline that required good brakes on the wagons as the travelers dropped down onto the flats of the north platte river.

2008-12-16T18:47:00.000-08:00

Fourth day out and we found some empty western Nebraska west of North Platte.

2008-12-16T18:38:00.000-08:00

Three days on the road and we stopped at this pony express station near Marysville Kansas to see if we had received any mail. No one was there to help us. Must have been winter hours.

Heading West

2008-12-14T16:37:00.000-08:00

Louder starts his trip west along the Oregon Trail. His trip starts in December with temperatures in single digits and the oxen seem to have turned to bronze. This image is near the town of Westmoreland Kansas. Plenty of room to camp.

Annie was gracious enough to take this photo even though she did comment on the 20 mile an hour wind out of the North as being rather cold.

2008-12-13T08:19:00.000-08:00

Welcome to John Louder's Sabbatical Roadtrip Blog.

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