Volosaurus rex
Doctorate in Volology
- Joined
- Dec 2, 2009
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Well, we are in the heart of vacation season now, so I would like to pose the following question to nature lovers: What is your favorite vacation destination in the contiguous United States and why? What time of year do you prefer to visit and what activities do you like to engage in there (e.g. hunting, fishing, hiking/backpacking, scenic driving, nature photography, etc)?
I absolutely love the Central and Northern Rockies and, in the last few years, have become a connoisseur of fall excursions to that area. It has caused me to miss more than one Florida game, but the last half of September and first week of October are a magical time of year to head for the high country. With school back in session, visitation is low and you will seemingly have the parks and, particularly, the backcountry all to yourself. If the weather is accommodating, crisp, cool days and brilliant, blue skies are the norm. Most importantly, you will have the opportunity to witness the daily transformation of the aspen as they assume their electrifying cloaks of yellow, orange and red. If you are supremely fortunate, a recent dusting of the peaks will add the final artistic touch to these magnificent landscapes. It is also the beginning of the fall rut for many big game species, so chances are excellent that you will hear elk bugling in the canyons, a signature sound of wilderness that you will never forget.
My favorite portions of the Rockies include the Maroon Bells and San Juan Range, particularly the Sneffels Range, in Colorado, Tetons and Wind River Range in Wyoming, Sawtooth Mountains in Idaho, and Beartooth Mountains and Glacier National Park in Montana. Glacier remains my single favorite destination within the lower 48; it possesses a palpable wildness and, because of its remoteness, offers a degree of solitude that is very uncommon in the contiguous United States.
After 38 years and 28 trips of poking into every corner of the Rockies that time and limited resources would permit, I am finally beginning to plan for a fall excursion to the Canadian Rockies, one that would feature Banff, Jasper, Yoho, and Kootenay National Parks, Mount Assiniboine and Mount Robson Provincial Parks, and the foothills area of Alberta known as Kananaskis Country.
I absolutely love the Central and Northern Rockies and, in the last few years, have become a connoisseur of fall excursions to that area. It has caused me to miss more than one Florida game, but the last half of September and first week of October are a magical time of year to head for the high country. With school back in session, visitation is low and you will seemingly have the parks and, particularly, the backcountry all to yourself. If the weather is accommodating, crisp, cool days and brilliant, blue skies are the norm. Most importantly, you will have the opportunity to witness the daily transformation of the aspen as they assume their electrifying cloaks of yellow, orange and red. If you are supremely fortunate, a recent dusting of the peaks will add the final artistic touch to these magnificent landscapes. It is also the beginning of the fall rut for many big game species, so chances are excellent that you will hear elk bugling in the canyons, a signature sound of wilderness that you will never forget.
My favorite portions of the Rockies include the Maroon Bells and San Juan Range, particularly the Sneffels Range, in Colorado, Tetons and Wind River Range in Wyoming, Sawtooth Mountains in Idaho, and Beartooth Mountains and Glacier National Park in Montana. Glacier remains my single favorite destination within the lower 48; it possesses a palpable wildness and, because of its remoteness, offers a degree of solitude that is very uncommon in the contiguous United States.
After 38 years and 28 trips of poking into every corner of the Rockies that time and limited resources would permit, I am finally beginning to plan for a fall excursion to the Canadian Rockies, one that would feature Banff, Jasper, Yoho, and Kootenay National Parks, Mount Assiniboine and Mount Robson Provincial Parks, and the foothills area of Alberta known as Kananaskis Country.
