Amazing Places in 2016

by John Guetter

2016 was an AWESOME travel year, with lots of western US parks and rivers!  It started with a shorter (6 week) trip to Texas and New Mexico in  February, followed by a longer (2 1/2 month) trip to Idaho, by way of Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks in Wyoming and Montana.  Summer was mostly in Pennsylvania, with local paddling and a week long trip to the Adirondacks in New York state.  In the fall, I was off again this time to concentrate in the northwestern states of Washington and Oregon for a couple of months.  I wrapped up the year back home in Pennsylvania.  Met up with old friends and made new friends all along the way.  All pretty fabulous!

Texas and New Mexico

Santa Elena Canyon, Big Bend National Park, Texas

Near Georgia O'Keeffe's Ghost Ranch, New Mexico

The Palo Duro Canyon State Park, near Amarillo.  This thing is apparently the second biggest canyon in North America, and while it isn't as overwhelmingly spectacular as Grand Canyon, it is pretty cool! It  is about 800 feet deep and about 6 miles wide.  This formation is the first thing you see as you descend into the canyon.

 Wyoming and Montana

The Devil's Tower, viewed through the "Circle of Sacred Smoke," given to the American people by sculptor Junkyu Muto.  In Devil's Tower National Monument, Wyoming

Yellowstone Falls, Yellowstone National Park, WY

Jenny Lake, Grand Teton National Park, WY

Payette River Canyon (Middle Fork), Idaho

The Snake River and the Tetons, Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming

Grand Prismatic Spring, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

St. Mary Lake, Glacier National Park, Montana

Hidden Lake; Glacier National Park, Montana

Grinnell Glacier Trail, Glacier National Park, Montana

Island and stream in the Adirondacks

Washington and Oregon

Twin spires of a burned cedar trunk revealing charred bark and its brilliant honey colored core.  Skagit River in background.  North Cascades National Park, Washington

Smith River in the Smith River State Park, California

North Fork, Umpqua River, Oregon

Oregon's Pacific Coast

A fabulous spot along the Upper Dungeness River, near Sequim, Washington

North Fork Skokomish River, Olympic National Park, Washington

For more pics and stories about each of these trips, check out these photo albums:

Texas:  https://goo.gl/photos/LtwTNNuUW64bBEVZ7

New Mexico:  https://photos.app.goo.gl/zmpVDunM741pNFUi6

Yellowstone and the Tetons:  https://photos.app.goo.gl/hznDG7xshjyzN8iB6

Paddling in Idaho & Wyoming:  https://photos.app.goo.gl/se6jQgE1geZKcchK8

Glacier National Park:  https://photos.app.goo.gl/sZRDFGC5FPUkbSSu5

Adirondacks in New York   https://photos.app.goo.gl/zauMTvn29hoENz6R8

The Pacific Northwest:  Washington  https://photos.app.goo.gl/9o2WiixNpAs4kxm26

The Pacific Northwest:  Oregon   https://photos.app.goo.gl/WGuERupiQ1NQ3BCW7

Navigation:

Intro:  https://lotsofamazingplaces.blogspot.com/2020/05/

2019:  https://lotsofamazingplaces.blogspot.com/2019/12/

2018:  https://lotsofamazingplaces.blogspot.com/2018/12/

2017:  https://lotsofamazingplaces.blogspot.com/2017/12/

2016:  https://lotsofamazingplaces.blogspot.com/2016/12/

2015:  https://lotsofamazingplaces.blogspot.com/2015/12/