Friday February 17, 2023:  Friday afternoon - Mike Blanton and later Tom Pressley drove north from Lubbock, TX to Palo Duro Canyon State Park and checked into a CCC (Civilian Conservation Core- circa 1935) built stone cabin (Cow Cabin #1).

https://tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/palo-duro-canyon

We enjoyed wine and steak and the fireplace! 

Saturday February 18, 2023:  A group of hikers from both Lubbock and Amarillo joined us Saturday morning around 9 A.M. at the park entrance (Cornelia DeRiese, Milo, Bryan Sutton, Andrey Karamyshev, Zemfira Karamyshev, Morgana Kellogg, Caezaan Keshvani, Sunny Yim, Olga Murova, Henry Blanton, Olivia Key, (Slinky), and two TTU faculty from Amarillo that I forgot to write down their names- my apology).

The caravan of cars then proceeded down into the canyon to the Mesquite Campground Area. Following the obligatory group photo at the trailhead -

we all headed off along the Lower Comanche Trail.  

While it was chilly, with intermittent wind gusts, we were all excited and made good progress…soon we were climbing up the east side of the canyon along the Rock Garden Trail...

...to the rim.

We reached the east rim and then proceeded south to an over look looking down over the entire canyon- there we stopped briefly for a snack break and then started back. As we headed down the canyon the temperature began to rise quickly and layers of clothing were discarded- by the end of the 10 mile hike it was 60 F!

By mid afternoon we had completed the hike and were driving to Canyon, Texas for cheeseburgers and shakes at the Rockin Zebra Soda Shoppe.

The majority of the group then headed back to Lubbock or Amarillo - and we returned to our cow cabin.

Another great outing!  You can view our trek by going to my Garmin map share page.  https://share.garmin.com/MichaelBlanton 

Sunday February 19, 2023:  Three of us (Mike Blanton, Tom Pressley, and Bryan Sutton) - after morning coffee, we packed up, did the short CCC trail hike and then lunch at the Trading Post and a round of beers at the Sad Monkey Mercantile and Brewery just outside the park, before returning to Lubbock in the late afternoon.  

Welcome to the latest edition of the Blanton Hiking/Backpacking Log for 2022: Grand Canyon National Park (Arizona): Rim to Rim to Rim Backpacking Trip

7-Day, 50 mile Backpacking Trip that starts at North Rim of Grand Canyon- follows the North Kaibab Trail down to Phantom Ranch (Bright Angel Campground) then along the Bright Angel Trail to Indian Garden. Day hikes to Plateau Point and along the Tonto Trail. Then ascending via the Bright Angel Trail and to the South Rim.

The return leg is down the South Kaibab Trail to the North Kaibab Trail to Cottonwood and then back to the North Rim.  https://www.nps.gov/grca/index.htm

Saturday September 17 2022: Drive to Monument Valley, Arizona (KOA stay), movie night- the John Wayne/John Ford classic- The Searchers; Sunday September 18, 2022 Drive to North Rim of Grand Canyon (camp at North Rim Campground), drive to Cape Royal.

Participants:

Curt Pfarr ( aka “Wrong Bridge Curt”)

Bob Bubar (“Morning Bob”)

Mike Blanton (“Bad Agnes”)

Tom Pressley (“Antenna Man”)

I took more than 400 photos – so I have tried to attach a few representative photos (let me know if you would like to see more)

Day 1:   (Monday September 19, 2021) Backpack 13 miles down North Kaibab Trail to Phantom Ranch and Bright Angel Campsite.          

Notes:  Long day- descending ~6,000 feet with ~40 lb backpack is actually more exhausting that ascending! Trail was incredibly beautiful-but not for those fearful of heights – often it was several hundred feet drop-off at edge of trail. After long day- beer from cantina at Phantom Ranch was awesome!

Day 2:   Backpack to Indian Gardens- North Kaibab and Bright Angel trails (5 miles)

Notes:  Trail names- everyone gets a trail name that the group bestows on you- When we left Bright Angel Campground, Curt took the wrong trail and went across the (Black) Kaibab Bridge instead of (Silver) Bright Angel Bridge… hence Curt’s trail name- “Wrong Bridge Curt”.  When setting up for the first night of camping my tent one of the poles broke (Big Agnes Tent) and later another pole broke- hence my trail name: “Bad Agnes”; Bob was usually up by 3 A.M. each morning – hence “Morning Bob” (perhaps more appropriately would have been ‘Middle of the night Bob’- ha ha;  finally as we traversed the trails, many a conversation focused on Tom explaining the uses of the more than a dozen antennas that he has installed in his attic in Colorado Springs, CO – “Antenna Man”

Day 3:   Day Hike to Plateau Point and along Tonto Trail (8 miles)

Notes:  This was a “Zero Day” ( no backpacking).. instead we relaxed and day hiked out to Plateau Point (I went out again at sunset and took some amazing shots)

Day 4:   Backpack to South Rim via Bright Angel Trail (5 miles) Stay in Mather Campground.

Notes:  Given the 3,000 foot ascent ahead of us to get to South Rim we started just before sunrise. Bob and I made excellent time up the rim- my mantra was “Mimosas on the Rim”  A stay at Mather Campground meant ‘showers and real food!” Beer and an Elk Melt at Yavapai Tavern

Day 5:   Backpack down to Bright Angel Campsite via South Kaibab Trails (8 miles)

Notes:  We took the 5 A.M. park shuttle to the South Kaibab TH and started our descent with headlamps before enjoying sunrise and the change of colors across the rim. Once back down at Bright Angel Campground we enjoyed soaking in the river as the temperature climbed to 95 F. Trips to the river were mixed in with trips to Phantom Ranch for beer and snacks.

Day 6:   Backpack to Cottonwood Campsite via North Kaibab Trail (7 miles)

Notes:  The weather forecast for Cottonwood Campground was >98 I. So we all started before dawn and made a side trip to Ribbon Falls. As was the pattern or past several days- we arrived mid-morning, set up camp, and soaked in Bright Angel Creek.

Day 7    (Sunday) Backpack to North Rim via North Kaibab Trail (6 miles)

Notes:  The weather forecast for Cottonwood Campground for Sunday was 99 F..so for this last day that involved 4,000 feet of climbing- 3 A.M. start! I started the hike in short pants and short sleeve shirt- by the time I reached the North Kaibab TH on the North Rim ( elevation 8, 240 feet)… the gauge in my truck read 32 F.

Monday September 26,  2022- return to Lubbock… 13 hour drive

Welcome to the latest edition of the Blanton Hiking/Backpacking Log for 2022:  Ascent of Wheeler Peak (13, 167 feet) Highest Point in the State of New Mexico

Saturday September 3, 2022: 9 A.M. – Two of us (Mike Blanton and Guangchen Ji) left Lubbock and headed northwest first to Las Vegas, New Mexico for lunch at Charlie’s Spic and Span restaurant ( we also picked up 4 enormous cinnamon rolls!) and then to Coyote Creek State Park (just south of Angel Fire). We were then joined by Thomas Pressley ( TTUHSC SOM Emeritus Professor) and by Curt Pfarr (TTUHSC PLFSOM  faculty member). We set up camp (and then made the ~1 mile journey to Jannette and Coby Dufour’s cabin in progress. We were joined by Jannette’s sister Michelle Phipps and a half dozen family dogs as we grilled steaks  and congratulated Jannette on her new position as Cell Biology and Biochemistry Departmental Chair.

Sunday September 4, 2022: 5:30 A.M  -Wake up time and by 6 A.M. we were on the road to Taos Ski Valley. After posing for the obligatory TH group photo we were soon on our way. We took the Bull-in-the-Woods trail that climbs approximately 8.5 miles and 4,300 feet to the Wheeler Peak Summit.  The weather was fantastic (cool and clear) and so the views were stunning as we ran into some Blue Grouse and Mt Walter...before reaching the Wheeler Peak summit.

Later we had burgers and beer in Taos and by 8:30 PM were back in camp.  

You can view our trek by going to my Garmin map share page.   https://share.garmin.com/MichaelBlanton  

Monday September 5, 2022: Morning coffee, a cinnamon roll  and a shower and all things were now mostly good in the world .  By 2 PM we were back in Lubbock, TX (or Colorado Springs, CO or El Paso, TX).

Welcome to the latest edition of the Blanton Hiking/Backpacking Log for 2022:  The Kerry Way Trek- Ireland 

By piecing together a series of old roads and trails that date back a thousand years or more- the Kerry Way was established in the mid 1980’s as Ireland’s  longest trail. Spanning more than 126 miles the loop starts and ends in Kilarney and includes 17,000 feet of climbing and over 200 stiles (trail bridge over fencing) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kerry_Way

In June 2022- 8 intrepid hikers converged on Kilarney, Ireland to undertake this 8-day Kerry Way trek:  Mike Blanton (trail name: “Moleskin Mike); Thomas Pressley (“Professor Emeritus”); Bryan Sutton (“Horse Lover”); Jacob Hare (“Forest Gump”); Bruce Whittlesey (“The Professor”); Keith Bedrock (“Jersey Man/Monsignor Potty Mouth”); Ethan Bedrock (“Line Leader”); Christine Bedrock (“MF”).

In the 8-days we took to complete the Kerry Way Trek- we averaged 15.75 miles per day; 2,125 feet of climbing; ~25 stiles; and a minimum of 3 Guinness Extra Stouts!

The Irish countryside was nothing short of spectacular and I took over 500 photos- I have included a tiny sampling!

Day 1: Kilarney to Glencar- This first day (21 miles; 10 hours) took us thru Kilarney National Park- thru the Black Valley- to Bridia Valley and finally to our B&B in Glencar.

Highlight- besides the beautiful terrain and sheep- Bryan met his partner for life- a horse in the Black Valley that just would not take no for an answer…ha ha

Day 2: Glencar to Glenbeigh- This 2nd day of hiking (15 miles; 8 hours) covered a variety of different landscapes and we saw many, many sheep!

Highlight- besides the beautiful terrain- we were often greeted by pets as we passed by and thru the many farms along the route- including a black and white “oreo” cat I named Paddy O-Oreo”…ha ha

Day 3: Glenbeigh to Foilmore/Caherciveen- This 3rd  day of hiking (13 miles; 6 hours) was somewhat less strenuous and allowed us to enjoy fantastic views of Dingle Bay. 

Day 4: Caherciveen to Waterville- This 4th  day of hiking (14 miles; 9 hours) included lots of climbing and we so our first stop in Waterville was O’Dwyers’s pub! 

Highlight- Guinness and more Guinness!

Day 5: Zero Day- No hiking!- Today we took a taxis to Portmagee and then a boat ride out to Skellig Michael Island.  As I have repeated many times now- We came for the Star Wars connection- but the Puffins stole the show! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skellig_Michael

Highlight- Puffins!  As Tom noted nature converged to make the cutest animal possible. Food-mussels and Irish brown bread with butter- I could live on that combination!

Day 6: Waterville to Catherdaniel- This 5th day of hiking (13.2 miles; 7 hours) took us along the coastline- past the Charlie Chaplin statue in Waterville to Derrymane Bay. 

Highlight- The Blind Piper Pub in Catherdaniel- Guinness and local seafood chowder- awesome!

Day 7: Catherdaniel to Sneem- This 6th day of hiking (12 miles; 6 hours) included many new sites

Highlight- We celebrated Bruce’s 68th birthday with Guinness and Cider at DO Oshea’s pub in Sneem!

Day 8: Sneem to Kenmare- This 7th day of hiking (23 miles; 10 hours) was a long day across some beautiful terrain!

Highlight- Finally some traditional live irish music- we enjoyed some celtic tunes in the Kenmare Brewhouse!

Day 9: Kenmare to Kilarney- This 8th  and final day of hiking (16.5 miles; 7 hours) brought us back to Kilarney and the completion of our 126 mile journey!

Highlight- the Irish school kids out on a 6 mile day hike back to Kenmare

You can view our trek by going to my Garmin map share page.   https://share.garmin.com/MichaelBlanton  

Welcome to the latest edition of the Blanton Hiking/Backpacking Log for 2022:  Sandia Mountains (above Albuquerque New Mexico)- Embudito-South Crest- La Luz trail Loop

Friday May 13, 2022: Noon – Two of us (Mike Blanton and Morgana Kellogg) left Lubbock and headed northwest to Bernalillo, New Mexico. After settling into our KOA cabin I attended a zoom planning meeting for our June trip to Ireland (see attached schedule)- then we walked over to the Katz Brewery for pizza and beer….then it was movie night!  Tonight’s feature was Lonely Are the Brave- A 1962 film starring Kirk Douglas, Gena Rowlands, and Walter Matthau.  Kirk Douglas is a cowboy out of place in the modern world- he breaks out of jail and with his horse Whiskey attempts to escape into the mountains above Duke City (Albuquerque NM)….the movie was filmed along the trails we planned to hike the next day.

Saturday May 14, 2022: 5:30 A.M  -the plan for today is that I would take Uber over to Embudito Trailhead (see map) and Morgana would wait until noon and the take Sandia Peak Aerial Tramway to Sandia Crest and we would then enjoy lunch at the 10-3 restaurant (10,300 feet) before descending back down the mountain along the La Luz Trail.

By 6:15 A.M. I was at the Embudito TH .. 6,245 feet … and started my ascent along Embudito Canyon. Within a few hours I had left the cactus and had reached pine trees and aspens andspectacularviews to the south and west. The 14 miles to the 10-3 restaurant involved over 5,000 feet of climbing …and as the morning went on – my tank really began to empty! While the views werespectacular as I traversed the Sandia Crest… the last 2-3 miles to restaurant went really slow and I was nearly an hour behind schedule…. But alas I reached the upper tram stop and the 10-3 restaurant.

As we waited for a table ..I was able to clean up a bit and rest….  Then as we sat down and my first Trailhead Mojito arrived I perked up quite a bit ..ha ha.  The view from the restaurant was amazing- to the west you could see the Hermits Peak fire near Las Vegas, NM … it looked like a volcano! With lunch (Green Chile Stew) and a second Trailhead Mojito…I was feeling pretty good and by 3 PM we were ready to start the 10 mile hike back down the mountain.  The La Luz trail is my favorite trail in New Mexico- and the views on the way down were amazing… we even ran into some snow!  A requirement of every hike I go on is getting lost at least once- this trek was no different-  on my Garmin map there was a trail that came off the La Luz trail and went to Sandia Peak Tramway where Morgana parked my truck- however as we learned the hard way this was probably an old abandoned trail .. and so after a hour of bushwhacking thru cactus, sliding down the hill, and wondering when we would stick our hand right in front of a rattlesnake…we gave up on this phantom trail and backtracked to the La Luz trail….with an hour lost… we finally made it down to civilization just past 9 P.M (Note- as we continued down the La Luz trail we did pass the trail sign to the real trail that went to Tramway – but at this point we just wanted to be done) Exhausted we took an Uber over to Sandia Peak Tramway, drove back to the  KOA… and went to sleep in our filth…. Shower in the morning!

24.6 miles, ~15 hour- You can view our trek by going to my Garmin map share page.  https://share.garmin.com/MichaelBlanton  

Sunday May 15, 2022: Morning coffee and a shower and all things were now mostly good in the world (aside from the depressing news of shootings in NY and CA and aching muscles).  We had breakfast at the Ranch Café in Bernalillo (Blue Corn pancakes with pinon nuts and a Mimosa) ..and then the long drive back to Lubbock, TX

Welcome to the latest edition of the Blanton Hiking/Backpacking Log for 2022:  Caprock Canyons State Park, Texas

Saturday  February 26, 2022: 7AM (CST) -  It was a cold (15 F) crisp morning in late February as we left Lubbock around 7 AM (Mike Blanton,  and the DeRiese family: Cornelia, Werner, Heiko, and Milo.

We converged on the visitor center at  Caprock Canyons State Park around 9 A.M. https://tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/caprock-canyons. (Note: there was a small group of Bison that met us at the visitor center).

With our park passes in hand- we made the short drive to the Eagle Point TH near the Honey Flat Camping Area.

Pausing for the obligatory group photo, we were anxious to get moving as it was still pretty chilly (21 F)- but fortunately NO WIND! Winter is of course the best time in the park- the colors are spectacular against the clear crisp blue skies.  With the excitement of the hike and to keep warm we were moving quickly and so by 11:30 AM we had made it to the top of Haynes Ridge). After a short snack, we continued on – 2 more miles to Fern Cave. 

As we reached Fern Cave we recognized some fellow hikers ( Tyler Sniegowski, Ksenija Korac, Rachel Washburn and family) and saw that mixed in with the ferns were frozen ice formations …pretty cool!  We all enjoyed lunch and conversation and after gathering for group photo.. each group continued on in different directions.  Our group headed east along the Upper North Prong Trail, past several incredible hoodoos and then returned via North Prong Spur and Eagle Point Trails.

By 4:15  PM we had completed the 13 mile loop… none too soon it was beginning to feel way too warm (45 F).. ha ha… by 6 PM we were back in Lubbock, Texas

13 miles, ~7 hour- You can view our trek by going to my Garmin map share page.   https://share.garmin.com/MichaelBlanton  

Saturday  January 8, 2022: 7AM (CST) -  While the prospect of perfect weather on this early day in January attracted 17 hikers last year-  perhaps because of Omicron or the Texas Tech Basketball game on the same day -we had a much smaller group this year- 7 hikers: Mike Blanton, and most of the extended De Riese family-  Cornelia, Werner, Joh, Heidi, Karsten, and Milo. 

The plan for Saturday was for everyone to meet at the entrance gate at Palo Duro Canyon State Park around 9 A.M. https://tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/palo-duro-canyon [I met everyone at park entrance as Elizabeth and I had traveled to the park Friday afternoon and were spending two nights in one of the CCC built Cow Cabins (Cabin #4 are favorite cabin down in the canyon)] 

While it was still  a bit cool  (~30 F) when we all converged at the park entrance just a few minutes before 9:00  A.M… it was warming up fast…. By the time we left in the afternoon  it was 75 F and there was a long line of cars waiting to get into the park. 

At the TH for the spur to the Lower Comanche Trail we posed for the obligatory group photo, and then we were off- Milo De Riese (the dog!) was of course in the lead and with my ~40 lb backpack in tow I brought up the rear.  Heading south on the Lower Comanche Trail, the trail follows along the base of the canyon for about 5 miles. With exertion and warming temperatures- we were soon discarding layers of clothing.    By noon we had reached the south end of the park and stopped for snack/lunch and a tour of Cow Cabin #4 that Elizabeth and I were staying in.

Rested and fed- we started back north along the Juniper/Cliffside, Sunflower, Rojo Grande, and Paseo del Rio Trails.. the trails signs are not the best..and so we did not take the most direct route back (see my Garmin track)… but we were headed in the right direction and the scenery was amazing. By 3 PM we had completed the 10 mile loop and with the air conditioner in our cars running- in January!.. we drove to Canyon, Texas for burgers and shakes at the Rockin Zebra Soda Shoppe.

10 miles, 5.5 hour- You can view our trek by going to my Garmin map share page.   https://share.garmin.com/MichaelBlanton