White Rim Road, Canyonlands National Park, UT

The White Rim provides unmatched access to and unrivaled views of Canyonlands National Park. White Rim Road is an 80-mile offroad trail through the park, and takes a minimum of two days to fully traverse, more if you’re taking in the endless number of breathtaking sights along the way.

Western backcountry entrance to the park

Striking rock formations such as this one are abundant

Numerous valleys carved over hundreds of thousands of years

“Man on the edge”

Candlestick Campground

The western road from the Island in the Sky mesa to the White Rim

Pingree Park, Roosevelt National Forest, CO

A modern day recreational playground, Pingree Park is home to a much richer, and sometimes darker, history. The site of Colorado State University’s mountain research campus, the whole area also offers endless opportunities for camping, hiking, backpacking, fishing, hunting, and more.

Upper Pingree Valley

The Mummy Range is a defining feature

“Higher Education”

Larimer County Road 63E

Salt Cabin Park at the north end of Pingree Park

Dispersed camping is plentiful

Old Flowers Road, Roosevelt National Forest, CO

Like many forest roads, Old Flowers was built to support the industries of the budding youthful state of Colorado. A fun back route into Pingree Park, there are plenty of recreational opportunities along Old Flowers Road, and much more history than meets the eye. Old Flowers Road is a testament to the ever oscillating ebb-and-flow of Mankind’s relationship with Nature.

Recovering burn scar

Cabin destroyed by the High Park fire

At the start of the western side

‘Ol Ellie on Old Flowers East

Descent into Pingree valley

Stormy clouds near the start of the eastern side

Deadman Fire Tower, Roosevelt National Forest, CO

One of the last remaining fire towers in the United States, Deadman Lookout is now known as the “Visitor Center in the Sky”. Originally built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1938, the modern steel tower was built in 1961 in its current location. Most towers have been deconstructed with the advent of plane and helicopter performing their traditional functions. But Deadman Lookout owes much of its continued existence to the Larimer County Sheriff’s Office, which has radio repeaters installed on the tower, powered year round by relatively conspicuous solar battery cells.

Old CCC work shed

View from the tower

View from the tower

Flying the flag proud

Fall colors at the tower, 10,700′

Brewsky in the fall

Wyoming Infrared Observatory, Jelm, WY

Located atop the geographically prominent Jelm Mountain, just ten miles north of the Colorado-Wyoming border, the Wyoming Infrared Observatory is quite fun to pay a visit to. Operated by the University of Wyoming, the observatory sits atop the mountain with the quite amazing view 360 degrees in every direction.

Obligatory beer adventures

USGS Geodetic Survey marker for Jelm mountain

The old concrete feet for a fire tower that once existed here

View from the top

View from the top

Panorama of the observatory facility