Bill Hatcher Photography

Scratching through West Clear Creek Wilderness, Arizona

I learned several things on this 5 day hike through the West Clear Creek Wilderness in Arizona. I learned that whereever there is water in Arizona things will grow and that when the water flows year-round things will grow in profusion. Hiking into this wilderness I guess I just didn't expect so much greenery. The cool water and flora was a great relief from the shoots I have been doing in the scorching desert heat of Southern Arizona.

 

The object of this trip was to follow and photograph a team of botanist doing a plant survey of the entire wilderness area. This two year project is headed up by grad student Wendy McBride from the University of Northern Arizona. So far she has collected nearly a thousand plant specimens and it's expected the collection will grow to over 2,000 or more by the time she is done.

 

This was a remarkable team of scientist who were all very adept at working and moving in this rugged

Storms in the Grand Canyon

I spent a few days dodging scattered rain storms while hiking below the rim in the Grand Canyon. For the most part I avoided the worst of the deluge or found a good over hang during the heaviest down pour.This photo is out on the Dripping Springs Trail.

 

Hiking in Marble Canyon during the Grand Canyon Natl. Park Closure

Despite the Park closure I was able to do a four Day walk along the Colorado River in Marble Canyon on the  Grand Canyon Natl. Park boundry.I was able to do this by walking into the canyon from the Navajo Reservation side. Navajo hiking permits can be obtained for this activity from the Navajo Nation Parks at http://navajonationparks.org/permits.htm

On my walk I joined botanist Glenn Rink who is involed in doing plant collections for the Navajo Nation. Our 38 mile loop hike decended Hot Na Na Canyon to a pouroff above the Colorado River. We walked the bench above and then below the Colorado for 13 miles then exited the canyon at 29 mile or Shinamo Wash. From the top of the canyon we made our way via roads to our truck.

I found many beaches below the rapids to be littered with drift wood. The debris is the result of the big floods that have swept into the Canyon during the heavy rains this summer. We saw evidence of debris flows down a couple of the canyons and gullies from 19 mile to 29 mile.

We were surprised to find a new spring in Shinamo Wash flowing at around 20-30 gallons per minute. We figure this must also be due to the higher percipatation in area in the past few months. The spring begins near where the old Dam survey trail exits the canyon.

 

Sacred Datura blooming in Shinamo Wash               On the canyon rim I found the endangered

                                                                            Pediocactus bradyi

This was a difficult walk mostly off trail that accessed some rarely visited areas above the Coloraod River in the Marble Canyon.  During the hike I walked through some beautiful country and learned more about the regions rare plants. The last morning in the canyon I could look across to the sunrise on the North Rim in Grand Canyon National Park.

A Couple of my Favorite Desert National Parks

With a possible government shut down less than 12 hours away I am lucky I had a chance to visit a few of my favorite National Parks in the past few weeks. If the shut down happens like it did back in 1996 places like Canyonlands National Park in Utah and Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve in Colorado could close their gates for weeks.

Hiking up dunes patterned with dark iron rich sands containing magnetite that contrast with the lighter colored sands at Great Sand Dunes National Park in Colorado.

Expansive views from the top of Amasaback across the Colorado River from Islands in the Sky district of  Canyonlands National Park.

Colo River packraft

Melanie and I spent a lovely wet three days packrafting down the Colo River in NSW, Australia.

The trip was a bit of a gamble since we knew a cyclone was bearing down on NSW and bringing with it heavy rains. Melanie and I figured if we played our cards right we might get some initial higher water with the early rains that came before the main force of the storm hit the Colo basin. Yeah, right!

Well as it turns out we had a low water float for all three days and rain for two of those days. A few hours after we got off the Colo it spiked from .6 meters to 16 meters! It would have been some

Photographed Photographing at Wilson's Promontory

Wilson's Promontory National Park is a few hours drive from Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It's a place I have heard of and read about so when we were in the area recently I knew we had to stop by for a look. The wave worn granite we discovered in the park was an unexpected surprise. We spent half a day exploring the rocks, beaches and trails. On the next visit we'll plan a multi-day hike. Our favorite place on Wilson's Prom was the walk out to Sandy Point. Melanie had a camera as well and got some photos of me out photographing.

Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park Long Sydney Hike

Doing some low tide exploration and crab chasing in Waratah Bay, Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park.

Besides the Sydney Harbour and beaches Sydney's green belt of National Parks is it's best natural asset. The two Sydney area National Parks I've visited the most since I've been here is Lane Cove and Ku-ring-gai Chase National Parks.

Melanie crossing the rocks in Lords Creek

On the hottest day yet this summer, a sweltering 35c, Melanie and I decide to do a longish hike of around 25 kilometers in one of the nearby city parks.We considered the coast walk in Royal National Park, but

River Sign

A quiet morning paddling on the Lane Cove River near Sydney with a traffic sign warning boaters the water will be ending soon.