Raptor Nest, Hungry Horse Reservoir, Flathead National Forest, Montana

Click for Larger, Clearer Image.

Small against the Flathead Mountains and Hungry Horse Reservoir in Montana, an eagle or osprey nest is perched atop a pine trunk, like the head of a nail.

I camped near here over the weekend after driving through Glacier National Park.

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Grand Teton National Park, Moose, Wyoming

Click photo to see larger image.

The Grand Tetons were so gorgeous that I camped across from them for a week in Bridger-Teton National Forest.

I only left because I ran out of food and water. How could you get bored of a view like that! Coco and Tiarra never get bored of chasing the ground squirrels, either.

This is the last post I'll be making until fall. I'm exhausted from touring National Parks, so I'm taking the summer off. I'll be hitting the road again after Labor Day.

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Kennel UN-Snowbound, Coyote Hollow Equestrian Campground, Dixie National Forest, Utah

After a snowbound night, Kennel is free thanks to several hours of hard work and the help of a passing Mainer. The challenge was … significant.

Obstacles to Freedom

• Ice-hard snow packed into the struts and other undercarriage nooks
• 2 inches (5 cm) of solid ice under the snow
• Front tires dug into melty gravel pits
• Front differential only spinning driver-side wheel
• All-season tires, not snow tires or chained
• Parked in a dip

I awoke at 6:30 a.m., refreshed and ready to rumble. The spirit of Joshua Slocum inspired me, and I set to work.

Slocum was the first to do
a solo circumnavigation.
Great writer, too!

Last night, it got close to 20° F (-7° C), which I hoped had frozen the melt under the front tires enough to let me slowly rock backwards out of the holes. No such luck. So I drank some coffee, took my morning “constitutional,” ate two cheese sticks, and contemplated physics.

It occurred to me that the solid ice behind the tires was acting as a brake. It wasn’t enough to move the snow. If I could remove the ice to a level lower than the holes, perhaps gravity would help me back up? So I took a mallet and makeshift chisel (screwdriver) and lay down on my side to chip away the ice like a 19th century miner. I did this for all the tires, front and back, and used my small pickax to excavate more rock-like snow from under kennel.

My expectations were high as I set Kennel into reverse and tried to slowly back out. No luck, not enough traction.

About then, Spenser, a Mainer who’d camped nearby, offered help. We tried adding his push to Kennel’s work, but nothing, no traction. We dug out more snow from under the van. Still no dice.

Spenser, who knows from snow, was puzzled. Honestly, I liked that. It made me feel less stupid.

Spenser suggested his tire chains. It took us about an hour, what with mounting chains, pushing Kennel, putting floor mats under the tires, turning wheels left and right, and digging out yet more snow. But finally – FINALLY! – Kennel rolled backwards to freedom.

All in all, it took me 3-4 hours of hard labor to get Kennel UN-snowbound. If you add Spenser’s contribution, 4-5 man hours total.

After a celebratory chat, Spenser resumed his own adventures. I headed into Bryce Canyon City for a big, hot brunch and LOTS of coffee.

“Life Elevated,” huh, Utah? About now, I’m ready for low altitudes, heat shimmers on the road, and palm trees.

Kennel Snowbound, Coyote Hollow Equestrian Campground, Dixie National Forest, Utah

All one’s childlike love of snow gets shot to hell when one’s van gets stuck in the stuff. I’m staying put for the night. But how will I get out? And how did I get into this predicament?

It all started innocently enough. After heading out from Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park, I headed north on US 89 toward Bryce Canyon.

A beautiful, warm, sunny day, I enjoyed the scenery along the way, stopping often to admire the view, and once to get fresh, crusty rye bread from Forscher German Bakery in Orderville, Utah. (It’s a must stop if you’re going that way. Big, crusty loaves that weigh pounds, not ounces.)

The RoadPro 12V Stove is awesome
for easy on-the-road cooking!

The views were complemented by the odors of slowly roasting pork, cabbage, and potatoes in my RoadPro Stove. I only lacked for good beer and a pretty girl by my side. Little did I know what lay ahead ...

After turning east on Utah 12 and passing through Red Canyon, I finally got to Bryce Canyon City, just outside the National Park. As it was already 3 p.m., I decided to find a camp for the night and visit the park tomorrow.

On one of my favorite sites, Freecampsites.net, I found a likely option, the Coyote Hollow Equestrian Camp, just a little west of Bryce Canyon City. As I exited Utah 12 onto the dry, gravel road toward the camp, all looked promising. I could see it off in the distance, across a lovely open field and just into the pines.

Suddenly, as the road curved into the trees, I saw some snow patches on the road. Huh, I thought to myself, better be careful. Then, Hey, that patch looks a little dee…

And Kennel slammed to a stop. I tried to drive out but only spun the tires. After digging out snow, putting down gravel, and generally getting cold and wet, I was still stuck. In exasperation, I’d melted the ice under the tires. I was going nowhere. It was about 4:30 p.m. So, I’m waiting until morning for the melt to refreeze and give me get some traction.

The worst part (besides my utter humiliation)? I had to put on socks.

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Lynx Lake, Prescott National Forest, Prescott, Arizona

Prescott, Ariz., joins my list of rich, educated, beautiful, and relatively fit American cities. Privilege has its privileges.

In yesterday’s post, I compared Boulder, Colo., to Flagstaff, Ariz., implying that they both similarly have lean citizens. That was a bit misleading. I don’t have the data to back that up. But I do have some data for nearby Prescott, which like Boulder does have a leaner, wealthier, more-educated population, as well as beautiful surroundings.

Take Lynx Lake for example (pictured above). It’s right in town and offers boating, swimming, and a fairly strenuous 2.3 mile trail around the lake. Other trails lead out from the lake, and still more wander through surrounding Prescott National Forest.

Being in the high desert of the Colorado Plateau, Prescott summers rarely go above the low 90s and cool down at night. Winter highs are usually in the 60s and 70s, though snow does blow in from time to time. Combined with beautiful forests and mountains, it makes for a year round playground. This has attracted wealthy folks, especially retirees, to the area.

According to city-date.com, 35.7% of Prescott residents have a bachelor’s degree or higher, and the average household income is $41,043. According to Gallup’s “U.S. Community Well-Being Tracking,” only 22.8% of Prescott residents are overweight.

Compare that to the 33.8% of overweight residents in McAllen, Texas, near my hometown. As I said yesterday, McAllen and the Rio Grande Valley cities generally are among the poorest metropolitan areas in the USA. And they aren’t fun places to exercise outdoors.

I hold to my position that more money and education works in concert with access to the beautiful outdoors for a healthier population.

Now, how can this info help all Americans? Would better public gardens and parks, bike trails, and other facilities encourage people to get outdoors more? Would that, combined more equitable wealth distribution and a more well-educated society, result in a healthier, more-active, less-overweight populace? I think so. I wonder if any social scientists have the data to back me up?

The video below, “Park Poor” by KCET Los Angeles, has at least some of that data.

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Fish in Boil, Salt Springs, Florida

Large, gray fish (possibly striped bass) gather at a "boil," an underwater vent, from which 72° saline water rises year round at Salt Springs, Florida.

Sandhill Cranes, Lake Delancy, Ocala National Forest, Florida

When I heard your primordial bugle calls from the trees by Lake Delancy, oh Sandhill Cranes, I knew that dinosaurs live still among us.