Showing posts with label USA. Show all posts
Showing posts with label USA. Show all posts

Thursday 31 January 2019

Hanging Lake Colorado

Almost 1,000 feet up the steep walls of Glenwood Canyon, a natural hides away a basin full of water the color of Paris green, waterfalls roaring near the brittle shoreline of travertine. The bottom of lake is fully visible through crystal clear waters. This majestic lake is unearthed by a gold hunting prospector.  Hanging Lake was a private homestead and family retreat until falling into the hands of Glenwood Springs in 1910.

This is well protected by the White River Forest Service; this is a popular stop for those willing to take a short but steep hike to see the trout-filled, glacially formed watery haven seemingly suspended from the side of the canyon. Just a few hundred yards behind Hanging Lake is yet another waterfall, Spouting Rock, which jets through holes in the canyon walls.

The discovery of the lake tells of a man searching for gold in the canyon. The man found a dead horse at the opening of a gulch. When he followed the gulch up through the steep hillside through the canyon he came around the backside of the lake. This is how he first saw the small bowl-like basin hanging onto the cliffs below. As the time goes, the area served as a homestead and a private family retreat until it was purchased by Glenwood Springs after the Taylor Bill was passed by Congress in 1910.

Following the acquisition it started its extensive history as a public tourist stop. In the 1940s there is hosted a resort and cafe until the construction of Interstate-70 commenced in 1968. Hence, in 1972, the trail and the lake were returned to the protection of the Forest Service as part of the White River National Forest. This has been a progressively popular tourist destination since.

In 2011, the lake was named a National Natural Landmark by Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar. The brittle shoreline of Hanging Lake is composed of travertine, created by dissolved limestone from the Mississippian Period Leadville Formation is deposited on rocks and logs, creating travertine layers.

Hanging Lake is located on a fault line and was formed when roughly an acre and a half of the valley floor sheared off from the fault and dropped to what is now the shallow bed of the lake. The turquoise colors of the lake are produced by carbonate minerals that have dissolved in the water. You'll also have several benches to relax and soak in the sublime beauty of this 1.5-acre lake.

Hanging Lake is one of the most popular hiking destinations in Colorado approximately 3.2 miles round trip, and two hours of hiking time. Behind the lake, hikers will discover Spouting Rock, a much larger waterfall that flows from a set of holes in the limestone cliffs of Dead Horse Canyon. Hanging Lake receives over 131,000 visitors per year. Because of the high amount of traffic, Hanging Lake faces the threats of ecological disruption.

Thousands of visitors and their effects of wading and swimming by humans and dogs are having a significant impact on the strange ecosystem of the lake. No dogs are allowed on the trailhead or left behind in cars. No fishing or swimming is allowed at the lake. This precious natural wonder is one we all must work together to protect by respecting the rules. Source: CP













Monday 7 January 2019

Ramona Falls, Oregon, United States


Ramona Falls is a horsetail type waterfall on the upper Sandy River on the west side of Mount Hood, Clackamas County, Oregon, United States. Ramona Falls is located in forest along the Pacific Crest Trail at an elevation of 3,560 feet. Ramona Fall is 120 feet tall cascading and splitting into ever smaller fingers of water broken up by the hexagonal columns of basalt at the base of the cliff.

Hiking at Ramona Falls

The hiking of Ramona Falls is most admirable destination for thrill seekers due to gradual elevation gain. The climax of wondrous of Ramona Falls is a popular family hike is no longer a walk in the park. The eternal bridge at the Sandy River was wiped out but after some years, Forest service has restored the log bridge now. The river is although easy to get across on the logs, but could be hard with pets or small children. There was a sad incident took place here. When a hiker was swept off the seasonal bridge and gets drowned in the rising waters after sudden storms.

So, you need to be sure to wear proper shoes, take necessary things in your bag pack. One important thing you should keep in your mind, if there is heavy rain, then stop yourself and do not attempt to cross the Sandy River as water speed is too furious and fast.  Furthermore, Ramona Falls became part of the Mt. Hood Wilderness in 2009, so consider this is a hike into the backcountry with all the attendant precautions. If you photograph lover, then this is very picturesque and mild hike. The elevation climb was gradual that it felt very easy.

Ramona Falls Trail

A beautiful 7.1 mile Ramona Fall trail is heavily trafficked offers a number of activity options. The best time to use this trail from April till October. You can also accompany with your dog on this trail but must be kept on leash. Many people finish the trail in 2.5 hours. But we would recommend extending your time span to 4 to 6 hours to enjoy the natural scenery along the way.

However, your trip would have been fun relatively easy hike! Be prepared to walk on a log to cross the river! So, it is super pretty and cool empty trail.  The majority of the trail is a sandy mix that’s not too hard on the feet.  Also, prefer to make return trip on the north leg. That is so wonderful due to lush green path of Ramona Creek and magnificent towering cliff before veering south to head back towards the trailhead. This is most famous place, so expect to see many people especially on Saturday and Sunday.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
Source: CP

Tuesday 25 December 2018

Kingsley Lake! A Circular Lake of Florida

Kingsley Lake is a circular lake, that pilots call it the Silver Dollar Lake. The lake is almost perfectly round as well as nearly precisely two miles across.  It is located six miles east of Starke, in North Central Florida. It is believed that Kingsley Lake is formed as a sinkhole. There is an 85-foot deep hole in the middle of the lake. The water of Kingsley Lake is clear and blue.

There are 5.5 miles around the shoreline, and two miles across in all directions covers almost 2,000 acres. This beautiful lake is popular for its clear waters and recreational sports like water skiing and fishing. In Florida, surface water temperatures can cross the upper 90s and even go over 100 degrees on some days.

When the water is that hot, a bass is that hot as well and its metabolism goes into overdrive, with calories it consumes not going into growth but just to breathe and stay alive. Mr. Simeon Strickland (Great Grandfather of Patty Gayle’s) was a first non-Indian settlement at Kingsley in 1859.

There are more than a few hundred docks on the north and west sides of the lake and Camp Blanding is on the East and South sides. According to some sources, it is the oldest and highest lake in Florida, located on the edge of the Trail Ridge formation.

The lake is a very stable lake with a sandy bottom. Its deepest part is about 90 feet. Kingsley Lake is a perched lake mainly fed by rainfall and Surficial aquifer seepage along the Lake bottom. Kingsley Lake borders the huge Camp Blanding National Guard Base and bombing range.

Kingsley Lake is one of the best bass fisheries that you have probably never heard. The campground on the lake is a large facility with concessions, cabins, picnic pavilions, camp store, fishing, an arcade, boat rental, docks, and over 100 RV sites. The Strickland Landing, next to the camp area, is a swim park with large slides, floats, and paddleboats for rent. Source: CP







Monday 12 November 2018

The Nuclear Sedan Crater


Sedan Crater comes into existence of Sedan Nuclear Test. This Crater is located within the Nevada Test Site twelve miles of Groom Lake.  The Sedan Crater Maximum depth is 320ft and Maximum diameter is 1280ft. Sedan Crater is the result of the displacement of 12,000,000 short tons of earth. The Crater was created on July 6, 1962 by a 104-kiloton-of-TNT (440 TJ) thermonuclear explosion. In 1994, the crater was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.  The Sedan experiment was part of the Plowshare Program, established in June 1957 to discover peaceable applications for controlled nuclear detonations. The idea was that a nuclear explosion could easily excavate a large area. They are facilitating the building of canals and roads, improving mining techniques, or simply moving a large amount of rock and soil.

Also more than ten thousand visitors pay a visit to Sedan Crater through free monthly tours. These tours are arranged by U.S. Department of Energy, National Nuclear Security Administration Nevada Site Office. Its closest Soviet counterpart is the slightly wider Chagan Crater which filled in to create Lake Chagan. The Sedan Crater at the Nevada Test Site (NTS) have features similar to the topography of Moon craters, 11 of the 12 American astronauts who walked on the moon trained in Nevada before their missions.

The Sedan experiment used an explosive device 3.5 times greater than any similar event at the Nevada Test Site. The explosion displaced approximately 7.5 million tons of earth, scattering it over 2,500 acres. The event covered vegetation and soil in radioactive material as far away as 10,000 feet from ground zero. Within 7 months of the excavation, the bottom of the crater could be safely walked upon with no protective clothing and photographs were taken. Hence, negative impacts from Operation Plowshare’s 27 nuclear projects eventually led to the program's termination in 1977, mainly due to public opposition. The explosion created fallout that affected more US residents than any other nuclear test, exposing more than 13 million people to radiation, although within 7 months of the detonation. The radiation had decayed to the point that the bottom of the crater could be safely walked upon with no protective clothing.

Further, the Sedan event and the other related experiments established that radioactive contamination in the surrounding areas made the technology prohibitive in area that might become populated. Nowadays, Russian thistle, also recognized as tumbleweed, dominates the plant species that have crept back into the Sedan Crater site. However in an analysis conducted in 1993 observed that the original perennial shrubs once living there had shown no recovery.
 
 

Wednesday 19 September 2018

Lanikai Beach, The Best Beach in America


Lanikai Beach is ranked among the best beaches in the world. The half mile strip of Lanikai Beach is located in Lanikai, in the town of Kailua on the windward coast of Oahu, Hawaii. Like several beaches in Hawaii, Lanikai Beach is public property, not a state land. The beach water temperatures are normally 24–26 °C so you can spend plenty of time in the water.

The beach itself position is very unique, as you can watch the moonrise over the Mokuluas, especially during the full moon. Sporadically during the year the sun will rise directly between the Na Mokulua islands. This hidden gem is not connected to Kailua beach, so most tourists pass it up. Lanikai Beach is populated mostly by locals, the rich and famous and the occasional wedding at Sunset. However, Lanikai Beach is most famous among Hawaii peoples, but lacking several public facilities.

Peoples are having problems like, no parking lot, restrooms, shower and lifeguards. The Lanikai means ‘Heavenly Sea’. Adjacent to Lanikai Beach is a mainly upper-class residential area, accessible through public beach access paths. This magnificent beach has extremely soft powdery clean white sand. Peoples are constraint to violate parking lot due to no near parking area. Although, parking violation fines have increased in order to keep people from illegally parking in the residential area.

There are legal parking areas in downtown Kailua, where you have to take the bus to the beach for a rational fee. Parking violations are strictly enforced and include, but are not limited to, no parking within four feet of a driveway entrance or apron, blocking the unimproved pedestrian right of way. The beach cove on one of the small islands and the surf between the two are big draws to kyakers and surfers.

The best time to go to Lanikai Beach is in weekdays due to less crowded compared to weekends. Even it is still very problematic to find parking close to public beach accesses. So, one can imagine the plight of parking on weekends. The Lanikai Beach overcrowded during summer and winter vacation seasons. In those days, beach is completely parked every single day. This is a great place to swim with the Hawaiian Green Sea turtles because the reef protects it from the big Hawaiian surf. Bring plenty of sunblock as there is not much shade when on the beach.

The Lanikai Beach is famous spot for photo lovers; they regularly shoot videos on nice days. The special thing about this beach, having the two Islands in the background. Which attract photographers to make their photoshoot plan here? The background called Na Mokulua or Mokes. Lanikai Beach is consistently voted as one of the best beaches in the United States.  This is the only beach in the USA that was voted as one of the best beaches in the world.

The beach is Flat Island which is a bird sanctuary and destination for swimmers and kyakers alike.  Moreover, myriad shade trees line the sand and shade a large park with many picnic tables, a bike path and bathroom/shower facilities.

The magical aqua blue calm waters are perfect for swimming, but not at all good for snorkeling.  There is no reef to attract the fish. The water can also become a little cloudy from the fine sand stirring up from the bottom shoreline.  Kayaking is a fantastic way to enjoy in at Lanikai calm waters.  This is an exclusive two hour adventure that you must plan and head to sign up before arriving at the beach. 

It includes transportation, lunch, snorkel gear, life jacket, dry bag, and caters to beginners to more advanced kayakers. It’s a peaceful setting that promotes a relaxing setting for everyone to enjoy! Make sure, also remember to be well-mannered to the local residents, and clean up after yourselves when leaving the beach.









Monday 17 September 2018

The Mysterious Mapimí Silent Zone


The Mapimí Silent Zone is the popular name for a desert patch near the Bolsón de Mapimí in Durango, Mexico.  It is the subject of an urban lore that claims it is a zone where radio signals and any type of communications cannot be receives overlapping the Mapimí Biosphere Reserve. You’re cut off from the rest of the world, gadgets stop working like cellphones, radio, or compass everything breaks down when you enter this land.  Researchers have dubbed this zone as the ‘Mar de Tetys’, or the Sea of Thetys.  This area was once completely submerged in water. The area has evidenced by traces of marine life fossils found in the area. Scientists state the territory has seen an unusually great number of falling meteorites. This could be because of increased magnetism levels observed in the area.

In July 1970, U.S. military launched an Athena test missile near Green River, Utah toward White Sands.  Missile Range lost control and fell in the Mapimí Desert region. When the rocket went off course, it was carrying two small containers of cobalt 57, a radioactive element. After one month of search, the local farmers found and reported the crash in the Northeast corner of the State of Durango. Once the rocket was found, a road was built, and the missile wreckage and a small amount of contaminated top soil were transported away.

In consequences the US Air Force recovery operation found a number of myths and legends relating to the area arose. A local resident hired to guard the crash debris during recovery operations supported spread these rumors. Moreover, legends include "strange magnetic anomalies that prevent radio transmission", mutations of flora and fauna, extraterrestrial visitations. There are lots of stories of aliens and unidentified flying objects in the Zone. People often get lost in the Zone. When this happens, sometimes tall blond beings appear out of nowhere.

The phenomena is now claimed to have been first reported in the 1930s by Francisco Sarabia. A Mexican pilot who was first reported that his radio functions had mysteriously failed while flying over the area. Similar claims have been made by other persons who have visited the zone, that radio signals didn’t work and compasses were unusable. This zone is sometimes compared to the notorious Bermuda Triangle, as both are located between parallels 26 and 28. People come from all over the world to experience this silence zone to look for the ever illusive.  However, sometimes attempt communication with otherworldly beings.

Nevertheless, when it compasses and communications equipment is shown to work accurately in the zone. The local paranormal enthusiasts claim that "the zone moves around". Residents, who do not accept the zone's existence, call such enthusiasts "zoneros" or "silenciosos", and say their activities have an adverse effect on the region. The Zone’s overall effects are disputed. However, without any doubt, this zone sits on the borders of the Mexican states of Chihuahua, Durango, and Coahuila, has an abundance of celestial activity including, visits from UFOs and extraterrestrials. This is a starkly beautiful and compelling part of the world, but it is remote: Escalón has fewer than 1,000 inhabitants, and Ceballos has just over 3,000. Their populations diminished as passenger rail service was abandoned and young people moved to the city or the U.S. Other than a few ranches, the desert itself is essentially empty.

The area has under-explored delights, such as a hacienda abandoned over a century ago, during the tumult of the Mexican revolution, and thermal springs tucked into a cave. If you’re brave enough then come and lost in one of the weirdest location found on earth. This is dry desert and dry season starts between Nov till May.  This is an area surrounded by mesquite, cactus, and guamis—brilliant yellow flowers resembling buttercups. Even so, the legend is now being used to help promote tourism in the region. Other claims are that the area attracts meteorites and causes various mental problems.