View Full Version : Other Adventures...
Maverick15
09-19-2007, 11:04
So everyone on this site knows at least something about the AT, but what about some other adventures you've taken or would like to take? How about canoeing down the Mississippi or anything else along those lines? Or biking across the country? What else has crossed your minds?
i have a buddy who bungy-jumped in new zealand....at the time it was free if you went buck naked, or so he said...im not sure if i would bear all, but ever since i have wanted to get over there at some point to hike and maybe take that leap........i think it was A.J Hackett, if memory serves me...they video taped it and give you a plaque/wall piece with a sweet framed photo of you in free fall.....not sure if the company is still around......i know it will be a few years down the road before getting to new zealand could become a reality, but that is the first thought that popped in my head.....but we all have some sort of tops list, in our heads at least
ok now i really want to go do this sooner than later...jsut looked up the company
http://www.ajhackett.com.au/nz/
Funny you should mention those particular activities... Johnny Swank and his wife floated down the Mississippi a few years ago. Stumpknocker and Mrs. Gorp just biked back and forth across the US.
Yeah, there's a greater-than-average chance that anyone who hikes the AT has done/will do other unusual things with their time. For me, it was mostly foreign travel and living overseas.
After the AT, I biked across the country with our daughter. But, perhaps what consumes more of my time is giving back to the trail.
shelterbuilder
09-19-2007, 18:30
I have sled dogs - yeah, I'm a musher!:D Mostly just Pa. and NY - and not just on snow - we use bikes and 3-wheeled carts when there's no snow.
We just lost our oldest dog last week - she had run part of the Iditarod years ago - I guess that's as close as I'll ever get to it.
Now, I'm training the team to run without voice commands - boy, is THAT a challenge!:eek:
Hiked across the country way back when. After that sold all my belongings and went to work for a company called VisionQuest. They use various wilderness/outdoor settings in the treatment of juvenile delinquents. Spent 6 months living/working on a sailing schooner traveling from the Gulf of Mexico to Maine.
Have many more plans for the not too distant future.
I was an avid canoeist, some whitewater, but mostly flatwater since my teens. I have done extended trips in Algonquin, the Allagash, the Boundry Waters, as well as many other shorter adventures. White water rafting floats my boat too. Love the Chattooga when running high. Now I am fat and old, so backpacking is more to my liking. I now pretty much just sink in my canoe.:o
Shutterbug
09-19-2007, 20:58
So everyone on this site knows at least something about the AT, but what about some other adventures you've taken or would like to take? How about canoeing down the Mississippi or anything else along those lines? Or biking across the country? What else has crossed your minds?
My "Done That" list is a little out of date, but it lists several hundred things I have done. A few things that need to be added are:
Hiked on the Great Wall of China
Visited the Terra Cotta Soldiers
Hiked the Grand Canyon Rim to Rim
Hiked to Supai, the most remote village in the lower 48
Summited Pikes Peak via the Barr Trail
Here is a link to my Done That list:
http://www.davemcclung.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=27&Itemid=41
Jim Adams
09-20-2007, 03:02
I've been a whitewater raft guide for 29 years, canoed all over Ontario, canoed above the Arctic Circle twice, canoed class V and VI rapids, canoed a 26 foot waterfall, canoed an 18 foot waterfall tandam with my son for his 21st birthday and have canoed a little over 27,000 miles so far.
In 1989 I canoed 2,022 miles from Confluence, Pa. on the Youghiogheny River to New Orleans then got on the AT at Springer and thru hiked to Katahdin, then rode my bicycle home 991 miles from Bar Harbor, Me. back to Confluence. It took me 13 months. I just retuned in july from doing 1,000 miles of the PCT and just got home saturday from a 9 day canoe trip in Algonquin Park.
We are hoping to paddle the entire Yukon River in 2008.
geek
One of my dream trips to start at Thee Forks, MT and then paddle to St. Louis. Then to the Gulf of Mexico. Some day.
Other than my long hikes, not too many other adventures
I did go to Italy in 2005. But, that was a different trip.
No hiking, LOTS of eating and looking up my roots. Met some distant cousins, went to where my great-grandfather was born and visited some sites of where my grandfather fought for the American army in WW2.
Johnny Swank
09-20-2007, 11:28
This is actually one of my long-term research interests. I thruhiked in 2000, and my wife and I paddled the Mississippi in 2005. We're planning a PCT 1/2 thruhike or so in a couple of years as well. This long distance stuff is addictive.
www.sourcetosea.net
Jim Adams
09-20-2007, 11:34
One of my dream trips to start at Thee Forks, MT and then paddle to St. Louis. Then to the Gulf of Mexico. Some day.
Other than my long hikes, not too many other adventures
I did go to Italy in 2005. But, that was a different trip.
No hiking, LOTS of eating and looking up my roots. Met some distant cousins, went to where my great-grandfather was born and visited some sites of where my grandfather fought for the American army in WW2.
Mags,
Great trip! That is also one of my dream trips. Study the weather history for the entire trip, learn some winter camping skills if you don't know them and leave in september. You will have enough time to take zero days if the weather doesn't cooperate but most importantly: You can arrive in New Orleans for Parti gras! The people there understand adventure and if you arrive by canoe they will party your a** off.:cool:
geek
max patch
09-20-2007, 11:43
[FONT=Comic Sans MS][SIZE=3]My "Done That" list is a little out of date, but it lists several hundred things I have done.
Interesting list. Obviously the first item on the list was the most dangerous!
Can you explain this one a bit?
162 Caught an airplane in the air with a helicopter
Mags,
Great trip! That is also one of my dream trips. Study the weather history for the entire trip, learn some winter camping skills if you don't know them and leave in september. You will have enough time to take zero days if the weather doesn't cooperate but most importantly: You can arrive in New Orleans for Parti gras! The people there understand adventure and if you arrive by canoe they will party your a** off.:cool:
geek
Hmm? A winter voyage could be interesting to say the least. I'll brush up on some voyageur (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coureur_des_bois#Voyageurs) songs!
Almost a decade ago, I had a girlfriend from Louisiana. It occurs to me that I will pass by the town where she grew up. I don't think her parents would want to party my a** off. :D
I've skiied on an active volcano a few times.
I've also eaten food from a street vendor in Olongapo, Philippines. Now that's an adventure! Heck, the PI is an adventure, but that is best left for another thread.
Monello
You can arrive in New Orleans for Parti gras! The people there understand adventure and if you arrive by canoe they will party your a** off.:cool:
geek
My son (aged 25) is living down there now. He said that even meetings of groups like the Green Coalition are mostly for drinking beer. He's finding it a refreshing change from his early life in Western KY (dry county) and Charlotte (every time Billy Graham sneezes, it's front-page news). If only LA had mountains and snow...
umm, wow, i have nothing that can top any of these or even come close
but for my other adventures:i used to do a lot of touring kayaking including 3-4 day trips,
i'm also young and poor.
Bare Bear
09-21-2007, 08:56
Having run Charters all over the Caribbean, Florida and Mexico for 25 years the best trip still was flying to Puerto Valarta Mexico, then taking a big boat out to the Espiritu Santo Islands which is all a Marine Park. Very few people get permission to camp there but we did and spent ten days 'marooned' on the islands, kayaking, fly fishing, sitting on the beach, climbing the hills for awesome water views, whales, sea lions, etc etc. Of course the marooning included a cook and boat driver to take our kayaks across the open water if it was more than a mile or two between islands. It was a trip I won at the LA Travel Fair. Because I took my sweetie it cost me about $2,000 for both of us (ain't love grand?) Still well worth the cost as it is one I will treasure, and you can not put a price on good memories.
Jim Adams
09-21-2007, 09:01
Bare Bear,
That sounds like a great trip! Most of my "stuff" has been up north but I did live on an island in the Gulf Of Mexico for 5 years and do miss the sea.
geek
whitefoot_hp
09-21-2007, 09:48
i am a raft guide on the chattooga river...
Nightwalker
09-21-2007, 09:59
We just lost our oldest dog last week - she had run part of the Iditarod years ago.
Man, I'm really sorry to hear that. My dog is as close to me as some family. I hope you find a pup that reminds of the older one soon.
Nightwalker
09-21-2007, 10:04
That is some serious adventuring!
I've been a whitewater raft guide for 29 years, canoed all over Ontario, canoed above the Arctic Circle twice, canoed class V and VI rapids, canoed a 26 foot waterfall, canoed an 18 foot waterfall tandam with my son for his 21st birthday and have canoed a little over 27,000 miles so far.
In 1989 I canoed 2,022 miles from Confluence, Pa. on the Youghiogheny River to New Orleans then got on the AT at Springer and thru hiked to Katahdin, then rode my bicycle home 991 miles from Bar Harbor, Me. back to Confluence. It took me 13 months. I just retuned in july from doing 1,000 miles of the PCT and just got home saturday from a 9 day canoe trip in Algonquin Park.
We are hoping to paddle the entire Yukon River in 2008.
geek
Most of my stuff is just hiking or biking, though hiking in the Grand Canyon was pretty darned cool. I recommend April for that like we did. The weather was extremely nice.
Nightwalker
09-21-2007, 10:06
umm, wow, i have nothing that can top any of these or even come close
but for my other adventures:i used to do a lot of touring kayaking including 3-4 day trips,
i'm also young and poor.
I'm middle-aged and poor. I hope that you find lack of wealth as freeing as I have! :)
Walked on a glacier.
Peed on a redwood.
Stumbled around up high in CO a bit.
No where near as exciting as all y'alls stuff. But fun...
The Solemates
09-21-2007, 12:05
33/50 highpoints
kilamanjaro 2008
Shutterbug
09-21-2007, 12:48
33/50 high points
Kilimanjaro 2008
Report back on your climb of Kilimanjaro. Kilimanjaro is on my "to do" list but my friend who made the climb last year advised against it. He said the climb wasn't worth the expense and effort.
Be sure to visit a game park while you are in Africa. My favorite is Samburu, but probably only because it was the first game park that I visited.
Shutterbug
09-21-2007, 13:07
One of my dream trips to start at Thee Forks, MT and then paddle to St. Louis. ....
That is a dream trip. My wife and I drove the Lewis and Clark Trail the opposite direction, but it follows the route you are dreaming about. We got to see most of the things you will see, but there is a section in Montana where there are no roads along the Mo River.
I will give you one tip -- be sure to take a lot of deet. I have never seen such fierce mosquitoes than along the Mo River in Montana.
Our journal of the trip will give you an idea of some of the things to see along your route:
http://www.naznet.com/mcclung/corps.html
Shutterbug
09-21-2007, 13:33
Interesting list. Obviously the first item on the list was the most dangerous!
Can you explain this one a bit?
162 Caught an airplane in the air with a helicopter
Sure. I was a helicopter pilot in Vietnam. We flew unmanned aircraft over North Vietnam. In those days, the drones didn't have landing gear, so they had to be recovered by helicopter. We caught them in the air.
Here is a link to one of the helicopters I actually flew in Vietnam. It is now in the museum at Hill AFB.
http://www.hill.af.mil/library/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=5794
Here is another link to a narrative about an operation where I was the copilot on the first crew to catch the largest drone ever caught.
http://books.google.com/books?id=9Ls-xOFWdlcC&pg=PA86&lpg=PA86&dq=drone+recovery+ch3&source=web&ots=bebrnwM_or&sig=j9x88bTi2Dc2FnH_7mjONn9w5CQ#PPA45,M1
As with many people, I too caught the L&C bug. When I did the CDT last year, one of the biggest thrills for me was to walk many of the places where L&C went..in the bicenntenial year no less!
I was on Lewis and Clark Pass (http://www.pmags.com/joomla/index.php?option=com_gallery2&Itemid=36&g2_view=core.ShowItem&g2_itemId=14059)almost two-hundred years to the day Lewis went over it.
Also went over Lemhi Pas (http://www.pmags.com/joomla/index.php?option=com_gallery2&Itemid=36&g2_view=core.ShowItem&g2_itemId=14091)s ("Immense range of mountains"...there goes the idea of an easy portage to the Columbia!), grabbed some water at Sacagawea Spring (McNeal had exultingly stood with a foot on each side of this little rivulet and thanked his god that he had lived to bestride the mighty & heretofore deemed endless Missouri) and was on Gibbons Pass (http://www.pmags.com/joomla/index.php?option=com_gallery2&Itemid=36&g2_view=core.ShowItem&g2_itemId=14075), too.
When I did some articles for a local newspapers, I used the quote from Lewis of "As we passed on, it seems as if those scenes of visionary enchantment would never end". (From the white cliffs of Montana...something I hope to pass by myself!)
Part of my reason for the dream canoe trip is follow in the footsteps (paddle strokes?) of the Corps of Discovery.
Thanks for the link.
Here's a good one for you, too:
http://lewisandclarkjournals.unl.edu/
The Solemates
09-21-2007, 14:44
Report back on your climb of Kilimanjaro. Kilimanjaro is on my "to do" list but my friend who made the climb last year advised against it. He said the climb wasn't worth the expense and effort.
Be sure to visit a game park while you are in Africa. My favorite is Samburu, but probably only because it was the first game park that I visited.
please expand on your thoughts about what your friend said. im interested to hear. one of my climbing partners is the guy who wants to do it and I said I would go along. i told him i definitely want to combine a safari trip with it if i go.
The Solemates
09-21-2007, 14:45
i wanted to do orizaba instead, but he will be living in africa for 2 years so its the perfect timing for kilamanjaro.
Shutterbug
09-21-2007, 15:20
As with many people, I too caught the L&C bug. When I did the CDT last year, one of the biggest thrills for me was to walk many of the places where L&C went..in the bicenntenial year no less!
Did you climb Spirit Mound in South Dakota? It is one of the few places where you can be sure you are standing on the extact spot where Lewis and Clark stood.
http://www.naznet.com/mcclung/y50701j/y50701j.html#45
Shutterbug
09-21-2007, 15:30
This is actually one of my long-term research interests. I thruhiked in 2000, and my wife and I paddled the Mississippi in 2005. We're planning a PCT 1/2 thruhike or so in a couple of years as well. This long distance stuff is addictive.
www.sourcetosea.net (http://www.sourcetosea.net)
I enjoyed reading your sourcetosea Journal. When I get some more free time I will read your wife's journal too.
Shutterbug
09-21-2007, 15:34
i wanted to do orizaba instead, but he will be living in africa for 2 years so its the perfect timing for kilamanjaro.
Interesting. What will he be doing in Africa for two years?
I am now involved in a micro-lending project in Africa. My goal is to help a minimum of 10 Africans to start small businesses in the next year.
My first project is in Zambia where I am providing the funding to start a Talapia farm.
Shutterbug
09-21-2007, 15:38
That is some serious adventuring!
Most of my stuff is just hiking or biking, though hiking in the Grand Canyon was pretty darned cool. I recommend April for that like we did. The weather was extremely nice.
My wife and I hiked the Grand Canyon rim to rim last August. When we reached camp at Bright Angel, the thermometer showed 122 degrees!! It was a great hike, but I wouldn't call it "cool."
We plan to go back next year and will probably follow your advice and go in April.
Shutterbug
09-21-2007, 15:44
I have sled dogs - yeah, I'm a musher!:D Mostly just Pa. and NY - and not just on snow - we use bikes and 3-wheeled carts when there's no snow.
We just lost our oldest dog last week - she had run part of the Iditarod years ago - I guess that's as close as I'll ever get to it.
Now, I'm training the team to run without voice commands - boy, is THAT a challenge!:eek:
Shelterbuilder, if you haven't, you would enjoy attending "Fur Rondy" witch takes place in Anchorage in February every year. Among the other activities, there are a lot of sled dog races.
Here is a link to a site with some pictures.
http://www.alaska.net/~design/scenes/rondy/rondy.html
Shutterbug
09-21-2007, 15:55
Having run Charters all over the Caribbean, Florida and Mexico for 25 years the best trip still was flying to Puerto Valarta Mexico, then taking a big boat out to the Espiritu Santo Islands which is all a Marine Park. Very few people get permission to camp there but we did and spent ten days 'marooned' on the islands, kayaking, fly fishing, sitting on the beach, climbing the hills for awesome water views, whales, sea lions, etc etc. Of course the marooning included a cook and boat driver to take our kayaks across the open water if it was more than a mile or two between islands. It was a trip I won at the LA Travel Fair. Because I took my sweetie it cost me about $2,000 for both of us (ain't love grand?) Still well worth the cost as it is one I will treasure, and you can not put a price on good memories.
That sounds like a vacation that I could really enjoy. Personally, my favorite island is Barbados, but I have not been marooned there.
Shutterbug
09-21-2007, 16:07
please expand on your thoughts about what your friend said. im interested to hear. one of my climbing partners is the guy who wants to do it and I said I would go along. i told him i definitely want to combine a safari trip with it if i go.
I wouldn't want to discourage you from the hike. My friend is a lot older than you are -- 62. He signed up with one of the tour companies. A porter carried his pack. They hiked about 8 miles a day, then sat in camp the rest of the time. The time in camp is so that one's body adjusts to the high altitude. He said that the views aren't particularly pretty and the only real challenge is the altitude. Several people in his group got altitude sickness. He said that he is glad it did it just so he can write a book, but he isn't recommending the trip to his friends. His one recommendation is that if one does climb Kilimanjaro they should take some time before or after the climb to see some of Africa, particularly the game parks.
Report back on your climb of Kilimanjaro.
I climbed Kilimanjaro about 15 years ago with a couple of friends. Like anything else, judging the experience is subjective.
Probably what I liked least was that it was a controlled experience, with mandatory guides and porters and established groups. What I liked best is that it was Africa! Actually, I thought there were some great views. For a person in good shape making the climb is hard work but doable, but the altitude can be rough on some people. I'd say most people get at least an altitude headache. Climbing slowly is a good idea. So if you go, choose a trip where the climb takes an extra day or two.
One way or another, anyone doing that climb will have a new perspective on Africa, guaranteed. I'm another person that would highly recommend visiting at least one game park if you make the very long trip to East Africa.
Shutterbug
09-21-2007, 17:19
I climbed Kilimanjaro about 15 years ago with a couple of friends. Like anything else, judging the experience is subjective.
Probably what I liked least was that it was a controlled experience, with mandatory guides and porters and established groups. What I liked best is that it was Africa! Actually, I thought there were some great views. For a person in good shape making the climb is hard work but doable, but the altitude can be rough on some people. I'd say most people get at least an altitude headache. Climbing slowly is a good idea. So if you go, choose a trip where the climb takes an extra day or two.
One way or another, anyone doing that climb will have a new perspective on Africa, guaranteed. I'm another person that would highly recommend visiting at least one game park if you make the very long trip to East Africa.
Colter, Yesterday, I spent a good bit of time on your web site. I am impressed and envious of your trip across Alaska. I have been to that area, but not hiking.
I was president of Green Construction Company that built tha haul road for the construction of the pipe line. Of course, it was built long before I joined the company. Still, I had the opportunity to visit that area to see the work the company had done. I dreamed of spending some time up there alone, but have never gotten around to doing it. You have my respect for undertaking such a trip.
With the attention that the new movie Into the Wild is getting, your trip shows the difference between an adventure and foolishness. You did it right. The only reason he got the movie and you didn't was because he died. I am impressed.
shelterbuilder
09-21-2007, 21:57
Man, I'm really sorry to hear that. My dog is as close to me as some family. I hope you find a pup that reminds of the older one soon.
So far, I've lost 5 of my team over the last ten years - it never gets any easier. They all have had unique personalities that can never be replaced, although I catch glimpses of this last one in one of her daughters. (We are down to 4 dogs now, three daughters and their aunt.) I guess that it's time for another litter.
Shutterbug - my wife won't let me go to Alaska - she's afraid that I'll never come back!:D We know some mushers in Alaska - they've all said the same thing: "Dave, you gotta come up; Connie, you'll get used to it!"
Thanks for the kind words Shutterbug. It was a great trip and I'm glad it went as well as it did. The unknown was half the fun, though.
It sounds like you've had a mighty exciting life yourself!
Colter
Shutterbug,
That's awesome that you flew helicopters. If I didn't recently find out I have health problems that prevent me from joining the military I'd definitly be doing that. Flying's my dream. Now I'm trying to find out what to do with my life, haha.
Shutterbug
09-22-2007, 00:50
Shutterbug,
That's awesome that you flew helicopters. If I didn't recently find out I have health problems that prevent me from joining the military I'd definitly be doing that. Flying's my dream. Now I'm trying to find out what to do with my life, haha.
At age 20, you still have some time to figure out what to do with the rest of your life. I am now 64 and still trying to find out what to do with the rest of my life.
I do have some advice:
Take care of your health so that when you reach my age you can still do what you want. I can testify that it is great to reach retirement age with good health and enough resources to do what you want. My wife and I are having the times of our lives. Most of our friends are unable to do things that require a lot of physical exercise.
These days, the greatest risk is weight. When I was your age, I weighed about 170 and I just put on one and a half pounds a year. By the time I reached 60, I was up to 230. Fortunately, I reversed the trend and am now back below 200, but most of my friends who are my age are too heavy to join me on my hikes.
Start watching your weight now.
Thanks for the advice. I think I'm ok with the weight issue though. I've weighed between 115 and 120 for years. I can't gain weight, not that thats a big deal. Plus I run and all that good stuff. That's actually not why I can't join the military. At one point I could max out on the PT test so I'm in pretty good shape. Hiking is good for that too!
I'm considering going to law school. The few law classes I have taken I've loved and I feel like I can make myself useful doing something like that. So we'll see.
Shutterbug
09-23-2007, 15:38
Thanks for the advice. I think I'm ok with the weight issue though. I've weighed between 115 and 120 for years. I can't gain weight, not that thats a big deal. Plus I run and all that good stuff. That's actually not why I can't join the military. At one point I could max out on the PT test so I'm in pretty good shape. Hiking is good for that too!
I'm considering going to law school. The few law classes I have taken I've loved and I feel like I can make myself useful doing something like that. So we'll see.
Hey, Law School is a good option. I left flying to go to Law School and have never regreted it. I loved flying but weighed the thrills of flying against the money of practicing law. The money won.
If you have questions about law schools at that kind of thing, pm or email me. Using this forum for too much private discussion probably isn't the best. In any case, I wish you well with Law School.
The Solemates
09-24-2007, 13:34
Interesting. What will he be doing in Africa for two years?
I am now involved in a micro-lending project in Africa. My goal is to help a minimum of 10 Africans to start small businesses in the next year.
My first project is in Zambia where I am providing the funding to start a Talapia farm.
he will be doing mission work.
The Solemates
09-24-2007, 13:38
I wouldn't want to discourage you from the hike. My friend is a lot older than you are -- 62. He signed up with one of the tour companies. A porter carried his pack. They hiked about 8 miles a day, then sat in camp the rest of the time. The time in camp is so that one's body adjusts to the high altitude. He said that the views aren't particularly pretty and the only real challenge is the altitude. Several people in his group got altitude sickness. He said that he is glad it did it just so he can write a book, but he isn't recommending the trip to his friends. His one recommendation is that if one does climb Kilimanjaro they should take some time before or after the climb to see some of Africa, particularly the game parks.
we are planning to combine a safari with the trip. which guide company did your friend use?
skinny minnie
09-24-2007, 22:00
Speaking of Africa... just got back from 3 weeks in Ghana. Amazing place.
budforester
09-24-2007, 22:21
If only LA had mountains and snow...
But we do. Mount Driskisll is 535 feet. And I've seen snow here three or four times.
Shutterbug
09-24-2007, 22:48
we are planning to combine a safari with the trip. which guide company did your friend use?
He used Thompson Safaris. He recommends them, but says that there are several good guide services.
My own research causes me to lean toward Tusker Trail. I have been receiving their literature for a year. From what I have read, they have the highest success rate.
The Solemates
09-25-2007, 13:19
He used Thompson Safaris. He recommends them, but says that there are several good guide services.
My own research causes me to lean toward Tusker Trail. I have been receiving their literature for a year. From what I have read, they have the highest success rate.
I'll have to look into those.
Ever heard of 'African Travel Resource' ? That has been recommended to me as the best guide.
http://www.africatravelresource.com/
The Solemates
09-25-2007, 13:20
ATR reports ~ 70% success rate.
The Solemates
09-25-2007, 13:21
But we do. Mount Driskisll is 535 feet. And I've seen snow here three or four times.
been there, done that. wont ever go back :)
But we do. Mount Driskisll is 535 feet. And I've seen snow here three or four times.
I've told him about that. He's planning an expedition this winter, after I send him his climbing gear.:D
earthbound
10-04-2007, 18:03
I had this awesome adventure where I got poison oak on my arse! :D
Jim Adams
10-04-2007, 19:17
I had this awesome adventure where I got poison oak on my arse! :D
I'd scratch that trip!!!:D
geek
buckowens
10-05-2007, 23:12
I hiked a 15.8 mile trail at Bandalier National Monument in New Mexico while on a layover for a flight. It was beautiful as it was a mixture of areas, to include some tough switchback climbs up canyon walls, forest and scrub. Take plenty of water and plan a full day. Well worth the trip!