As I was brushing my teeth, some movement on the ground a few feet away caught my attention. At first it looked like a toad, and when it moved it did so in a toad-like fashion.
Showing posts with label reptiles & amphibians. Show all posts
Showing posts with label reptiles & amphibians. Show all posts
July 09, 2014
Grand Canyon Part 2 – North Rim
Upon waking in Kaibab National Forest at our wonderful, free and very primitive campsite, we set about our morning routine.
As I was brushing my teeth, some movement on the ground a few feet away caught my attention. At first it looked like a toad, and when it moved it did so in a toad-like fashion.
As I was brushing my teeth, some movement on the ground a few feet away caught my attention. At first it looked like a toad, and when it moved it did so in a toad-like fashion.
June 05, 2014
Lake Talquin State Park (FL), Caprock Canyons State Park (TX)
Our trip to Alaska is well under way! We spent the first night in Lake Talquin State Forest in the Florida panhandle. It was kind of a strange place, seemingly an unlikely location for a campground. It’s out in the country of course, but in order to get to it you drive through an area reminiscent of a ghetto in the city. We dubbed it “Wilderness Ghetto.” On the up side, we were the only ones there.
July 05, 2009
First Camping Trip of the Season: Piseco Lake; T Lake Trail
Little Sand Point State Campground, Piseco Lake, Adirondacks 5/15 & 5/16/09
Hike: T Lake Trail 3.5 miles (7 mi. round trip)
Highlights: fishing; Common Mergansers (ducks); hike to T Lake lean-to; red-spotted newts; toads; Purple Trillium (a.k.a. “Stinking Benjamin”)
Not-exactly-highlights: black flies; rain; packing up wet camping gear; leaving early
Pictures-only version: click here
In spite of what we’ve heard about the black flies in the Adirondacks from May through mid-July, we decided to go camp there anyway. We prefer to camp away from the crowds. See, we’re not drinkers like most campers seem to be, and as a result their drunken antics and loud behavior tend to be annoying. The whole reason we enjoy camping is because it’s relaxing, and if you’re quiet enough, you’ll see some pretty cool wildlife. Loud drunks tend to interfere with all of that. So we thought we’d enjoy some solitude and take our chances with the black flies. We did our homework, bought 100% Deet, and got bug nets for our heads. I was hoping we wouldn’t really need the nets; they do look silly.
We arrived at the site and it wasn’t two minutes before we were putting on the bug spray… and the bug nets in five, after spraying them as well. Those flies were all over us, and they concentrate around your head – go figure. We set up camp, ate lunch, and took off in the car to tour the area. We located the trailhead for the next day’s hike, and scoped out another campground at Lake Durant, which was beautiful.
Hike: T Lake Trail 3.5 miles (7 mi. round trip)
Highlights: fishing; Common Mergansers (ducks); hike to T Lake lean-to; red-spotted newts; toads; Purple Trillium (a.k.a. “Stinking Benjamin”)
Not-exactly-highlights: black flies; rain; packing up wet camping gear; leaving early
Pictures-only version: click here
In spite of what we’ve heard about the black flies in the Adirondacks from May through mid-July, we decided to go camp there anyway. We prefer to camp away from the crowds. See, we’re not drinkers like most campers seem to be, and as a result their drunken antics and loud behavior tend to be annoying. The whole reason we enjoy camping is because it’s relaxing, and if you’re quiet enough, you’ll see some pretty cool wildlife. Loud drunks tend to interfere with all of that. So we thought we’d enjoy some solitude and take our chances with the black flies. We did our homework, bought 100% Deet, and got bug nets for our heads. I was hoping we wouldn’t really need the nets; they do look silly.
We arrived at the site and it wasn’t two minutes before we were putting on the bug spray… and the bug nets in five, after spraying them as well. Those flies were all over us, and they concentrate around your head – go figure. We set up camp, ate lunch, and took off in the car to tour the area. We located the trailhead for the next day’s hike, and scoped out another campground at Lake Durant, which was beautiful.
June 17, 2009
Testing
Highland Forest County Park, Fabius, NY 5/9/09
Westwind Loop Trail 3.0 miles
Since acquiring all our new gear, we decided to test it on a nearby short hike before going out for “the real thing.” Highland Forest is a place we’ve always loved and returned to many times for various activities. There are miles and miles of trails for hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding, and snowmobiling. For our test run, we took the Westwind Loop, which is about 3 miles long with some hilly sections. We encountered a garter snake shortly after getting started, and of course I had to take pictures of him. He was less than thrilled with our presence. We also saw a small toad later on, who wasn’t bothered by us at all.
Westwind Loop Trail 3.0 miles
Since acquiring all our new gear, we decided to test it on a nearby short hike before going out for “the real thing.” Highland Forest is a place we’ve always loved and returned to many times for various activities. There are miles and miles of trails for hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding, and snowmobiling. For our test run, we took the Westwind Loop, which is about 3 miles long with some hilly sections. We encountered a garter snake shortly after getting started, and of course I had to take pictures of him. He was less than thrilled with our presence. We also saw a small toad later on, who wasn’t bothered by us at all.
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