High Country Adventures

2008-06-25T14:53:00.000-07:00

Iris

2008-06-20T08:07:00.001-07:00

Dusk to Dawn

2008-01-05T10:25:00.000-08:00

The rays of light seem so few and far between
Is it the end of something old
Or the beginning of something new
I suppose it's both

Winter Frost

2007-12-18T19:14:00.001-08:00

Moon Rise, Sunset

2007-10-25T14:08:00.001-07:00

Buckeye Beauty

2007-10-21T08:57:00.001-07:00

My Vacation

2007-09-22T19:50:00.000-07:00

In the Bighorns

Chief Joseph Scenic Byway-yes, yes it was

Lower Falls on the Yellowstone

The Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone

The faithful waiting

Castle Geyser erupting

The Grand Tetons

Another Look

Some artwork

More Clouds

2007-08-26T11:00:00.000-07:00

When the landscape is rather flat, look to the skies!

Summer Clouds

2007-08-14T20:12:00.001-07:00

Summer Flowers

2007-07-25T20:50:00.001-07:00

Some more summer flowers, some native, some not

Summer on the Prairie

2007-07-12T12:32:00.000-07:00

1989-2007

2007-06-30T07:26:00.000-07:00

Out Canoeing

2007-06-05T19:48:00.000-07:00

Finally had a nice day with little wind, so we go the canoe out.

Isn't that cute?

2007-05-28T19:36:00.001-07:00

There are just some things everyone should see on occasion

In Bloom

2007-05-03T20:11:00.000-07:00

Sign of the Times

2007-03-27T19:44:00.000-07:00

Oh, it's definitely Spring

March

2007-03-09T19:04:00.000-08:00

We had a little snow as you can see
But the cows had to be fed
Though the cat knew how to pass the time
But since it's March, it won't stick around, and everything will be muddy.

Frost on the Land

2007-02-22T19:46:00.000-08:00

Winter

2007-02-13T06:55:00.000-08:00

Here's some winter photos. Other aspects of winter include frozen pipes, cars not starting, icy sidewalks, all sorts of fun stuff.

Sun Dog

2007-01-27T16:10:00.000-08:00

One of the nice things about winter is the occasional sun dog.

Sometimes things just come together

2006-12-18T18:57:00.000-08:00

And sometimes they don't
Right now you should be looking at a picture of the Northern Lights.
They were on beautiful display Thursday evening and I was 45 miles west of Pierre, SD.
In other words, no light pollution. Go ahead, check it out on a map. I stopped and just watched them for awhile as a few remnant shooting stars grazed the sky. Several hours previous I had thought about dragging my SLR Nikon along on my trip, however I had decided to try and keep things light as I have the bad habit of overpacking. It was quite the site though and I was glad to see it.

Happy Halloween

2006-10-31T18:06:00.000-08:00

I had in mind that I would do something different this time. My goal was a Rita Hayworth face. Not exactly but I had fun.

A Bit of Autumn

2006-10-02T20:57:00.000-07:00

No more Mountains, so here's some Clouds

2006-09-16T20:51:00.000-07:00

Not in the Mountains Anymore

2006-07-28T21:05:00.000-07:00

Since being released from the hospital with a couple broken legs I have been on the mend at my parents home in Eastern SD. Definitely a change of scenery from Colorado. Anyway pictured here we have the pup looking back at me, some mammatus clouds, pretty cows, and a couple scenic numbers with the main focus being the clouds. An unfortunate part of being in a wheel chair is that it is much more difficult to change my position for taking pictues. Oh well.

More photos

2006-07-16T12:43:00.000-07:00

Have some flowers, a view, a Sandhills Cowboy, and my friend Kyle who was hiking with me on that fateful day. I think you can sort them out.

Assortment of last month's photos

2006-07-16T12:30:00.000-07:00

String of Luck

2006-07-05T22:36:00.000-07:00

Had an accident hiking and broke both of my lower legs and my left heel while dislocating my left ankle. Not up for writing or pictures at this point, maybe later. Just found out today that I'll be in a wheel chair for at least the next month.

Memorial Day Places

2006-05-28T16:04:00.000-07:00

These pictures never come in the right order. Oh well. We have me up on Signal Mt, at least I'm pretty sure that's what mountain it was. There are a few samples of the hardy flowers from above the tree line and one of the views from the mountain.

Somewhere in Central Wyoming...

2006-05-26T12:00:00.000-07:00

is the Split Rock rest stop. You can't actually see the 'split rock' in my photo, but you can see some nice granite formations.

Hiking Around

2006-05-21T21:13:00.000-07:00

The National Parks can be a bit overcivilized with lots of people and well traveled/marked trails that erode one's navigational skills. But the views are to die for. The flower shot was elsewhere, I'm just posting it because I like it.

Wherever my feet shall lead

2006-05-08T21:18:00.000-07:00

There I was, out hiking on a regular, well used trail when nature came a calling. So I ventured off a ways, took care of business, and found that off the path looked even better though much more difficult. When I got over the ridge, I found hundreds of pasque flowers. And the view wasn't too bad either.

Pasque

2006-04-02T20:57:00.000-07:00

Went for a hike today and saw this lovely flower which I'm
pretty sure is also the state flower of my home state.

Sleeping Elephant Mountain

2006-03-14T19:09:00.000-08:00

So, what do you think? Does the name fit?

The View from Montgomery Pass

2006-02-26T20:18:00.000-08:00

Not a bad view, but not worth the trip down. Way to many falls, quite frustrating. Oh well.

Pawnee Buttes

2006-02-12T20:07:00.000-08:00

Little bit of Time Series in the spirit of Monet

Nothing Much

2006-02-10T09:19:00.000-08:00

Ok, not the most friendly program for arranging pictures but work with what you got I guess. Upper shot is from the Arapahoe Basin area on January 22. The lone tree is on some no name peak in Wyoming off of Happy Jack Road. That was from January 28th, a really beautiful day-Temp of 25-30 F, and wind speeds of 30-35 mph. The final addition was taken February 4th near Montgomery Pass. Some of that backcountry powder that some folks seems to be so addicted to. Wish I felt a little more artistic, both in a literary and visual sense, but this will have to do for now.

Live Music & Social Anxiety

2006-01-21T01:21:00.000-08:00

It was almost my birthday, I had been in Colorado for one full year, and one of my favorite musicians was coming to Denver: Mr Robert Earl Keen. So of course I had to go. This may not be much of a deal for most people but for someone who doesn't like overly loud places, large crowds, and smoke this was quite the deviation from the norm. My only previous concert experience was a ZZ Top/Lynyrd Skynyrd show about 5 years back and let's just say they were a little past their prime. REK and his band however put on a very rockin show. No two ways about it. You can find his CD's in the country section but that really isn't an apt description for his music. He can sound country at times but will come back and sound very rock n roll just one song later. He really got the crowd into it and almost the whole place was dancing by the end. He played quite a few selections from his latest album but still played most of the old favorites including Gringo Honeymoon, Merry Christmas from the Family, Shades of Grey, and The Road Goes on Forever. The sound was great, the band is very talented and know how to jam. Just a terrific show all around. If you ever get the chance, go see him.

Home for Christmas

2006-01-05T20:28:00.000-08:00

Well, I had a nice extra full week off for Christmas and I went home for the whole time. Just before New Year's we got a rather nice snowfall. I also got to meet the new puppy. She is very spirited and energetic, but in need of some manners. She's kind of a hillbilly puppy, so we named her Ellie Mae. She can keep up with me skiing though.

1998-2005

2005-12-07T22:53:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving

2005-12-07T22:44:00.000-08:00

This was the landscape of Eastern SD that I had to brave in order to get back to CO after Thanksgiving. The drive was a little on the white knuckle side.

Castle Garden

2005-10-20T18:33:00.000-07:00

If you happen to be in the middle of nowhere Wyoming, this place is nice

Trip Across the Red Desert

2005-10-15T10:55:00.000-07:00

Sand Dunes, a herd of elk, lots of wild horses, many oil and gas rigs and very few trees

Some People Have it Rough

2005-10-14T11:26:00.000-07:00

But on this fine day, I was not one of them. Check out the view from this job site. Tough to beat. Also, I got to run that nice piece of equipment in the top picture.

Living in the Past

2005-10-04T21:02:00.000-07:00

A few years ago I snapped a really lovely picture, the top one. Unfortunately the settings weren't what I had thought and the resulting resolution was kind of poor. Then, this weekend I was in the same area, fall colors abounded, and I was armed with a new digital camera. So I got out, walked along the creek, and tried to find my old spot so I could reshoot the picture. As you can see, it isn't an exact fit. I think I went in with the wrong attitude. I shouldn't have been trying to duplicate a past moment, I should have been trying to get the best possible shot given the present conditions. One can't live in the past, live is supposed to unfold before you, it's not a tape stuck on loop. Don't try and see what you want to see, be open to seeing the best that is before you.

Rock Solid

2005-09-28T15:09:00.000-07:00

A little GEOL 101. Notice the off colored rock face in photo #2. This is due to a recent (within last year) rock slide that brought the entire face tumbling down the hill.

A Reassesment of Purpose

2005-09-25T20:52:00.000-07:00

I started this page with the idea of experience new things and posting them. Now the most common way is to see something new is to simply go somewhere new. A less considered way is to look at something familiar with a new perspective. I usually try to see things from a different view and I would like to try to add that to the wide variety of landscapes and locations I have been fortunate enough to see over the past few months. For the most part, I'll probably just keep posting my pictures, but I'll also try to give my perspective to the situation that brings me to these views. The previous post is one example, and I don't plan on putting that much time into each shot, but we'll see.

Wyoming

2005-09-24T04:03:00.000-07:00

WARNING: The following is an attempt at literature and philosophy.

Many people have been witness to Wyoming. They've driven through and seen the tremendous rock formations that can humble a great sculptor while also inspiring a lowly person. There are the vast open spaces, and if you get off the highway you'll be more likely to see antelope, coyote, deer, and wild horses than people. In many places you'll find old mines that tell a history of men who decided to head out into a rough country and pour their lives into the ground in an attempt to pull some metal out of it. With my job, I have been around a fair portion of Wyoming and seen much of this. But it was only recently that I got to experience Wyoming.

The first ingredient was a solid week in the state living out of a motel. This isolated me from my normal surroundings. The job required me to be out in the desert at a mine site that was being reclaimed. Other circumstances meant that I was working the night shift. My internal clock was badly thrown off. The resulting sleep deprivation disrupted my sense of equilibrium. The solitude removed any chance at receiving an outside frame of reference beyond talks with the contractor. I had quite a bit of time on my hands. So I decided to try and experience Wyoming. I found myself standing out in the open (conviently it's all open). Now if there's a constant in Wyoming, it's the wind. It starts by chilling the body, no matter how many layers. Then it goes to work on a mind made vulnerable by sleep deprivation, loss of equilibrium, and solitude. Looking around anyone can see what it does to the landscape and I could feel it doing the same thing to me. It strips and erodes, bit by bit, minute by minute. A constant remorseless entity. All trivial thoughts are blown away like the bits of loose sand they are. The only desire is to head back and sleep. The degree of anticipation is inversely proportional to the pace of time's passage. Each moment becomes an eternity. In this arena where time has been suspended and all things trivial have been removed, the only question left is "What's the point?" and suddenly it isn't the wind that is giving you a chill.

Before the final night I had a short phone conversation with a friend. It didn't amount to much but the brief connection to the outside world seemed to freshen my persepective. The shift flew by. The wind continued to blow but no longer had an effect. The sky overhead was clear and graced by the occasional shooting star while in the distance and on multiple sides, a thunder storm built up and sent lightning crackling across the sky. Even the work went good. In answer to the previous night's question, I decided that at age 25 I really didn't need to know, but I should try to enjoy what is around me. And for the moment there was a certain strange happiness in being able to experience Wyoming, and witness myself.

It's Fall

2005-09-20T15:06:00.000-07:00

With where I live, I believe it's a requirement to go take a few aspen grove shots.

Indian Peaks

2005-09-17T19:53:00.000-07:00

Well, one way to see new things is to go hiking with someone else who knows the area a lot better than you. So my friend, he's the top picture, took me to Mt. Audobon. Great view, and the peaks had a fresh dusting of snow.

Heading Home

2005-09-10T20:08:00.000-07:00

End of a long day, a long week, and I was on my
way home at last.

Welcome to Wyoming!!

2005-09-10T17:30:00.000-07:00

The Road Less Traveled

2005-09-10T17:01:00.000-07:00

So I'm in a 4x4 rental with good clearance and tires and
I figure, why not try this back way off the mountain.
Note: This was the nice bit of road. Don't ever buy an
old rental vehicle.

View from Wild Horse Point

2005-09-10T16:02:00.000-07:00

Relax, drink it in

Wild Horses

2005-09-10T16:01:00.000-07:00

......couldn't drag me away

Miner's Delight

2005-09-10T09:10:00.000-07:00

Some of the remains of the once prosperous town
of Miner's Delight. Current population 2. A momma
moose and her young one. Sorry the pic of the local
residents did not turn out and I felt it best not to try
and get any closer.

Oregon Buttes

2005-09-10T08:00:00.000-07:00

Apparently the buttes and the peak on the right
were major landmarks on the Oregon Trail

Into the Mist

2005-09-10T07:59:00.000-07:00

A cold windy morning around the old mine sites

Red Canyon

2005-09-08T23:58:00.000-07:00

Beautiful view south of Lander

Coming down the Canyon

2005-09-05T20:57:00.000-07:00

Saw lots of great views on Labor Day hike, but
decided to go with this one

Should I be worried?

2005-08-31T23:56:00.000-07:00

Can anyone identify this snake?

The Job Site

2005-08-23T21:11:00.000-07:00

Bridges

2005-08-23T20:17:00.000-07:00

WARNING: PRIVATE BRIDGE
CROSS AT YOUR OWN RISK
That's what the sign said next to the small bridge. I was in a rental, so I figured, why not? Thankfully I made it across. Sometimes we aren't always so lucky.

Almost Postcard Like

2005-08-07T21:50:00.000-07:00

Well, drove a 100 miles and did a very scenic hike. Then at the bottom met some people I knew, was quite surpised. Pleasant surprises can really make a day.

2005-08-07T21:48:00.000-07:00

And then it gets just a bit steeper

The Trouble with Hiking Alone

2005-07-31T21:47:00.000-07:00

5...4....3.... I wonder if I'm counting slower than the timer on this camera?

Camping, Cliff Jumping & Stray Dogs

2005-07-11T16:39:00.000-07:00

Leap of Faith

A very fun weekend indeed. Lets see, we had the following:
Camping out under the stars on a clear evening.
All that camping food (steak, sausage, eggs, pork chops, chicken) and beverage.
Cliff jumping and swimming in the 90 degree heat.
A very large stray German Shepard that decided to hang with us in our camp. We named him Rex.
Getting asked by cute 18 year old girls if we could spare them a beer.
Telling them no.

2005-07-11T16:37:00.000-07:00

The Pinnacle

What did you do over the Independence Day weekend?

2005-07-04T20:45:00.000-07:00

Hi there, my name is Avena and I will be writing this blog entry. I do hope you enjoy. A little bit about myself first: I am a horse, a 14-year-old mare to be specific. I spend most of my time working cattle on a ranch near Baggs, WY. I’ve been around the corral so to speak and have seen the many different trails that can be followed. In all that time, I’ve come to the conclusion that the ultimate purpose of life is the enjoyment of fine food, especially oats. This might have something to do with my name, but that’s another story. Anyway this last weekend I had a different sort of gig. It started Friday night when my owners put myself and a few other horses into an old corral. It seemed unused and there was lots of tall grass to sample. The next morning a few people showed up to saddle us. I knew they were good folks as soon as I saw the bucket of oats. I just wish they had brought more. But we loaded up, corralled a couple of geriatric horses into the corral. They had been roaming free on a most delectable looking pasture. After that we headed up a wooded creek into Medicine Bow National Forest. We pushed a few yearlings up onto some high pasture. Eventually we ended up on a high meadow ourselves. There the forest circus guys had constructed a fence with no gates. But the riders we were carrying were pretty creative and found us a way through. We came upon a ridge with a spectacular view of the valley, the guy riding me muttered something about forgetting his camera. The spring and summer have been wet, which meant there were lots of interesting things to eat up there. Unfortunately, another storm was building while we were up high and exposed. Given the horseshoes I was wearing, I was quite happy when we began a rapid descent into another creek. It was a little steep and I almost felt like I was in Man from Snowy River. We made our way back to yet another unused corral-even bigger than the last and lots of nice tender grass. I pretty much hung out there and enjoyed the buffet until Monday. Then we went on another ride. This one involved a couple of river crossings. For some reason, my rider didn’t want to get all wet. So he stayed on me while I walked across. It was about 2-3 feet deep, and a little rocky, but I am a patient and skillful horse so no problems. At the end of the ride I was put into yet another pasture. The last I saw of the guy who I carried around was as he headed off riding bareback on another horse. I have the feeling I’ll have to go back to work after this, but until then, I’ll just fulfill my life’s purpose on all this tall grass.

Art Fest in the Forest

2005-06-26T16:04:00.000-07:00

Well, had a nice weekend with the family. We headed up to Laramie on Friday night hoping to get a room and take off in the morning. By the time we found out there were no rooms in Laramie, it was almost 10PM. So we headed to Wal-Mart and got some camping gear. Interesting note, the Laramie Wal-Mart was packed on this particular Friday night. We spent Saturday driving around the Snowy Range and Sierra Madre Mountains in Wyoming. At one place we saw some rather interesting artwork carved into the aspen trees. There were lots of carvings, but here's a couple, see below.

2005-06-26T14:44:00.000-07:00

The Face

2005-06-26T14:43:00.000-07:00

Another View

Meanwhile, Back at the Ranch

2005-06-05T11:17:00.000-07:00

So, we had a slight problem. An irrigation ditch had washed out and was in need of repair. And another small problem, it was on a mountainside, so some way to transverse the cut was needed. And another problem, the only way to get material there was the human pack mule. Finally it was raining with hail for most of the day. It felt like we were a logistics train for someone in Southeast Asia. Only no one was shooting at us.

2005-06-04T11:17:00.000-07:00

The Solution

2005-06-04T11:16:00.000-07:00

The Path

2005-06-04T11:15:00.000-07:00

The Problem

Beauty in Strange Places

2005-06-02T17:08:00.000-07:00

Diamond in the Rough

2005-06-02T17:07:00.000-07:00

Blue Blue Blue

2005-06-02T17:06:00.000-07:00

Fire

2005-06-02T17:04:00.000-07:00

In the wild

2005-06-02T17:03:00.000-07:00

Spring Flowers

2005-06-02T17:02:00.000-07:00

Disorienting

2005-06-02T17:01:00.001-07:00

Blurry Blue

2005-06-02T17:01:00.000-07:00

In the grass

2005-06-02T17:00:00.001-07:00

White

2005-06-02T17:00:00.000-07:00

Horseshoe

2005-06-02T16:56:00.000-07:00

A purple flower

Into the Great Wide Open

2005-05-21T16:54:00.000-07:00

I can see for miles & miles

Ten Years After

2005-05-14T20:52:00.000-07:00

The Alpine Ghetto

2005-05-14T20:51:00.000-07:00

The neighborhood just isn't what it used to be

Spring Skiing

2005-04-16T18:24:00.000-07:00

A few thoughts on spring skiing.
#1. The snow has compacted so you can go virtually anywhere, no sinking into ultra soft powder.
#2. The warmer temps can also make the snow slicker than a used car salesman.
#3. The compacting snow means that many small trees and logs that were previously burried, are now out and looking to trip you up
#4. It's still fun to ski through the trees, just don't get stuck in a draw, it takes forever to get out, and there may be running water.

Wait, does this count?

2005-04-14T22:40:00.000-07:00

Can you have an intellectual adventure? Does that jive with the purpose of this page? It is an experience and can broaden one’s horizons so I suppose it can qualify, depending on the noteworthiness of the escapade. Here goes. I scored a ticket to a public speech at the CSU campus where the main speaker was the former General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, one Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev. The main drawback of the speech was that Gorbachev does not speak fluent enough English to deliver a speech, so there was a slight delay between his body language and the translation. Of note, the translator is the same guy who can be seen at Gorbachev’s side in all the camera footage going back at least 20 years. Also, the translator was quite good and one could almost flawlessly attach the body language to the verbal language with a little effort. In his speech, Gorbachev spoke of past events in which he was involved while also giving his views on the state of the world since 1991. You can read all about it at a couple of different sites
http://denverpost.com/Stories/0,1413,36%257E53%257E2817499,00.html
http://www.coloradoan.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050415/NEWS01/504150315/1002&template=printart
http://www.greeleytrib.com/article/20050415/NEWS/104150088/?rs=2
Among the things I found interesting was the reaction of the audience during the speech. Some people just seemed to be there to wait for the lines they agreed with and then applaud with all their might, while pretending not to hear other comments. My favorite was when Gorbachev praised Reagan and his administration including George Schultz and James Baker for their part in ending the Cold War. Right in front of me was this ivory tower type fellow. You know, tweed jacket, mild aura of superiority worn on the face. Well when the Reagan line came and many people applauded, I could’ve sworn his hands were glued to his armrests. Another impression I got was of Gorbachev’s power to hold a crowd. The tone of voice, the facial expressions, the gestures, all were very purposeful and did quite a bit to convey his message. Standing up there speaking, he looked the part of a top man in an authoritarian regime. Not really a surprise I suppose, given his former position. By the way, I decided to forgo the usual picture because if you don't know what Gorbachev looks like, you need to quit watching MTV.

Leave Your Mark

2005-04-09T10:50:00.000-07:00

Well, in the spirit of trying new endeavors, I took the opportunity to help brand calves. I must say the smell of burnt hair and flesh is something else, and wrestling those critters is definitely a young man's game. Thankfully the weather was very pleasant and later in the day I survived an encounter with my first rattlesnake.

Look Out

2005-04-02T20:01:00.000-08:00

The view that never changes is truly made of stone

Try 300 miles of this!

2005-03-28T19:05:00.000-08:00

Driving in winter is always a chance. And there isn't much you can do when the weather gets bad. Though I did manage to test the kindness of random strangers. Of course this was a result of me being stuck in the ditch.

If you get it wrong, you'll get it right next time

2005-03-19T19:54:00.000-08:00

Well this adventure in telemark skiing went slightly better than the last one. Two things. The first was I had some people with me, meaning conversation and capturing of images that really shouldn’t be seen. The second thing was I had my skins for my skis. Skins can get you lots of places, including ones you maybe shouldn't be at, but I was able to walk away so no complaints. In the photos we have me trying to turn in slightly less than proper form and my patented stop maneuver. It only looks like I’m wiping out. Other thoughts from the trip include: Falling in very soft snow sucks! Zipping through the trees on skis is actually fun and makes you feel like James Bond. A crash is only made worse when an 80 pound Labrador decides to see if you are feeling all right by jumping on top of you, and it isn’t the fall into powder that sucks, but trying to get back up. I feel like I pulled my hip out of joint. Overall though, a most enjoyable afternoon and I should sleep well tonight.

2005-03-19T19:06:00.000-08:00

It isn't important to be a good skier, it's more important to know how to crash.

Telemark Skiing, or so I thought

2005-03-12T20:01:00.000-08:00

So there I was, all set with my telemark skis, plenty of food and water, my camera, and a bold sense adventure for what waited ahead. Ten seconds later I was sliding backwards while trying to get up a mild incline. Two miles later some skiers were nice enough to tell me that I was supposed to have skins on my skis. Thank you rental place. I continued on another six miles though and got this picture. By the time I was out of energy, I was still two miles from my car but in a different parking lot. So I asked around and was able to catch a ride back to my car with a nice mother and her daughter. When I went to the rental place and told them my story, I got an apology and a free rental for my next trip, which should hopefully be a little more enjoyable. One last note, I had never gotten sunburned in March before this day.

Snow Shoeing

2005-03-05T14:26:00.000-08:00

Amazing the things you can see from 12,000 feet. On this fine day I went snow shoeing for the first time. The destination was the Diamond Peaks near Cameron Pass in Northern Colorado. The snow shoes weren't a bad way to get up the mountain, but there are a lot of better ways to get down. There isn't a good way to describe how I got down, maybe bizzare. Next time I'll have to try some skis. By the way, I believe these rocks are called the Krags.

My Trip to the Moon (No drugs required)

2005-02-24T19:25:00.000-08:00

You've probably never been here, but this is the beautiful Gas Hills of Central Wyoming. It only looks like the moon. For those of you who think you've been to BFE, think again, this is it. The place used to be a series of uranium mines but is now just a big empty area with abandoned open pit mines that are in the process of being reclaimed, hence why I was there. The Gas Hills aren't exactly a hive of activity these days, I saw as many coyotes as people, two. But if you like being sand blasted by uranium/selenium laden sediment, by all means go for a visit.