Adventurous Wench » Destination tidbits

Mini-trekking on Perito Moreno Glacier, Argentina

Deanna Keahey — Wed, 19 Jan 2011 00:52:29 +0000

The surface of Perito Moreno was more rugged than I'd expected. The glacier guides were daredevils with stories to tell. And scotch on the rocks is different here!

My previous "walking on glacier" experience had been at the Columbia Ice Field, in the Canadian Rockies. While that was interesting (and shocking, to see how quickly that ice has receded), it didn't prepare me for Perito Moreno glacier, in Los Glaciares National Park, Argentina.

Mini-trekking on Perito Moreno glacier, Argentina

Perito Moreno was one of the stops on our Patagonia tour, and our aim for the day was to strap on some crampons, and go out "mini-trekking" on the glacier. We took a boat across Lago Argentina in front of the glacier, and a short walk through the woods, then emerged at the edge of the glacier, where we donned our gear.
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The first surprise was how rugged the surface of the glacier was. It was all steep hills up and down, with jagged peaks of ice towering over our trail. You can tell from the pictures this is no smooth field of snow! As we walked along, we passed holes in the ice filled with frigid water and the distinctive blue light of the glacier, and crevasses that went down who knows how far...
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Perito Moreno glacier is one of 48 glaciers connected to the Southern Patagonian Ice Field, high in the Andes mountains of South America. The ice field straddles the border of Chile and Argentina, with glaciers reaching out in both directions. Only three of the glaciers are growing, and Perito Moreno is one of them.

The glacier moves several feet/day, constantly breaking off at the front edge

The glacier is a slow-moving river of ice, advancing several feet per day. At its front end, at Lago Argentina, there's a vertical wall of ice about 200 feet high. Enormous slabs of ice are constantly falling off the front of the glacier, so that the ice keeps moving, but the front stays in pretty much the same place. With this constant shifting of ice, every morning, the glacier guides have to scout out a new route for the day's tours.

The guides are experts, who straddled crevasses cavalierly, as though it was the most natural thing in the world. Their stories of off-duty adventure were astonishing.

One guide said the most dangerous thing he ever did was free climb up the face of the glacier. (He said he would never do that one again - unless somebody bet him a lot of money!) This is 200 feet up a wall of ice that's constantly breaking off! We saw numerous huge chunks calve off and crash into the lake while we were there, testament to the constantly shifting nature of Perito Moreno.

Scotch on the (very old) rocks!

But the tale of derring-do that took my breath away was scuba diving in the glacier. Those holes in the blue ice we passed that were filled with freezing water? They'd find a large hole that looked promising, and scuba dive into it, following wherever it would lead. I get shivery and claustrophobic just thinking about it! And with the ice continuing its relentless forward march, who knows how long the hole you came through will be there?

Ah well, there's a reason they're out there doing glacier diving, while I'm sitting with my laptop writing a blog post about it!

At the end of our Perito Moreno mini-trek, we got a nice surprise - a little scotch on the rocks. In this case, the rocks were "millennial ice" - glacier ice that's a thousand years old. Most places the scotch is older then the ice, but not here!

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I'm not sure when we'll be back in Argentina, but the next time we do our women's trip to Patagonia, I definitely want to include Perito Moreno again. It was quite a highlight, and so much fun. Definitely recommended!
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Fox on a Rock, on San Juan Island

Deanna Keahey — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 13:32:27 +0000

It was a quiet morning down at South Beach, on San Juan Island. As usual, we had the whole place to ourselves. The group was strolling down the deserted, driftwood-strewn beach, while I was back by the van. I saw a red fox run through the grass, then he jumped onto a rock. He sat perfectly still, watching intently for prey in the grass (and posing for this picture at the same time!)

On a rock? With a fox?

That was last year. This year, we were back at South Beach - we go there every year on our San Juan Islands trips (up in the Pacific Northwest, near Seattle). Every trip is different, and you never know what you'll see, but I was keeping my eyes open for foxes.

This year, we saw a black fox, nosing around near the same spot. The black one looked scrawnier, and seemed to be hoping for scraps around someone's picnic table, rather than hunting for wild prey like the red one from last year.

I read that all the foxes on the island are red foxes, but that they come in different colors, including black. So that would mean last year we saw a red red fox, and this year we saw a black red fox!

Another week at South Beach this year, we saw an otter cross the beach, and take off into the water. Just minutes later, he came back out of the water and across the beach, with a fish in his mouth. It sure didn't take him long to find breakfast! It was wonderful to see, but unfortunately, I was camera-less. We also saw orca whales, quite close in to the beach, and easily visible from shore. We normally see orcas out whale watching, but this was a first for me, seeing them from the beach here.

Driftwood on the beach

If "South Beach" makes you you think of Miami, this is the complete opposite. This one isn't about neon and nightlife - it's about wind and wildlife. It may be foggy or blue, chilly or warm, but it's a beach where you can stroll for miles, rarely encountering anyone else. It's a place to feel the wind and smell the sea, and contemplate the patterns of the waves. All that, and the biggest piles of driftwood you could ever hope to see.

This is also the site of the American Camp, during the "Pig War" vs. the British in the 1800s. But that's another story!

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If you ever feel like getting away from the rat race to a place that's exceptionally peaceful and beautiful, the San Juan Islands is a good choice. As soon as I step onto the ferry heading out there, I can feel it, and just writing this post makes me want to go back. That's one danger of writing a blog!
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Tombstone, Arizona and Clanton Days

Deanna Keahey — Sun, 28 Nov 2010 19:59:09 +0000

So there I was... with a notorious gunfighter! Well, actually with his namesake relative. The old Ike Clanton died back in 1887, before my time. The new Ike Clanton is alive and kicking, and hosting Clanton Days, an annual event in Tombstone, Arizona - "The town too tough to die".

Tombstone is a fun place to visit any time, and this weekend had some special extras. It's an event that ties back to Tombstone's main claim to fame - the Gunfight at the OK Corral.

Stagecoach on Allen Street in Tombstone, Arizona

Tombstone was one of the true wild west mining towns. After prospector Ed Shieffelin discovered silver here in 1877, the town quickly sprang into being and grew to about 15,000 people in just a few years. There were over 100 saloons and a large red light district. Oddly enough, I haven't seen how many churches there were.

There was a lot of money here, and the town had a public swimming pool, ice cream, and even ice skating! Like many other mining boom towns, the people who got rich weren't the miners, but the bar owners, merchants, and even lawyers. I was surprised to find out that lawsuits were a big business in Tombstone even way back then. Who knew our proclivity to litigation was going strong back in those gunfighting days?

Though the main business of Tombstone was tied to silver mining, it was in the middle of the desert, surrounded by wild country. Groups of "cow-boys" from the area around town didn't always get along with the city folk. It was a dangerous place, to the point that the city council had outlawed carrying guns in town. Since the Bird Cage Theater (/ saloon / brothel) has about 140 bullet holes in the walls and ceilings, it seems like either there was a good reason for this law, or it was a major failure!

A cowboy is hit at the OK Corral

Wyatt Earp - the man and the mustache

The most famous event in Tombstone was the infamous gunfight at the OK Corral, between Wyatt Earp's group, and the Clanton group (the cowboys). Over the years, the story has been dramatized and romanticized, with Wyatt Earp played by Burt Lancaster, Kevin Costner, and Kurt Russell. He's the iconic wild west lawman, bringing justice to lawless towns, and saving the people from ruffians and killers.

According to the newspaper of the day, the Earp brothers and Doc Holliday went to the OK Corral on that October day in 1881 to disarm the Clanton brothers and their friends. "a lively fire commenced from the cow-boys against the three citizens. About thirty shots were fired rapidly." At the end of this, Billy Clanton and 2 of his friends were dead.

But what of the other side of the story? If you fast-forward to today, and head to Tombstone for Clanton Days, you can hear Terry Ike Clanton telling a different side of the story, on the spot where the action took place. I can't do justice to the whole thing, but it revolves around Doc Holliday (a friend who accompanied Wyatt Earp to the OK Corral). It seems that everyone agrees he was a drunk, a gambler, and a gunfighting dentist (surely an unusual combination, even then)! But just how much of a villain was he?

This Clanton-view historical tour of Tombstone is just one of the interesting activities during Clanton Days. There are also costume events and contests, dinner with old-timey entertainment, a re-enactment of the OK Corral (starring Ike Clanton as Ike Clanton), a mounted shooting demonstration, and a ghost tour. For 2011, they're also talking about a mountain bike race through the mine-studded hills.

Clanton Days schedule of events...

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I don't know when this will happen in 2011, but probably around the same time in mid-November, and I'm sure they'll be posting info on TombstoneArizona.com. If you're thinking of touring a bit of Arizona history, this is a fun event to catch!
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Shadow of a Shaman in Santa Fe

Deanna Keahey — Sat, 04 Sep 2010 03:25:12 +0000

Shadow of a shaman in Santa Fe

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As the firelight flickered, the slow rhythmic chanting grew louder. The shaman lifted his arms to the heavens. He raised his voice, beseeching those in the spirit world to send the rain they so desperately needed. Soon, they heard a low rumbling of thunder, distant at first, growing closer and louder, and the skies opened...
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Sorry, guess I got carried away!That's what happens when I look at this picture, with some new-age music playing, and a monsoon thunderstorm going on outside!

Seriously, this is the shadow of a sculpture that stands outside a gallery in downtown Santa Fe, New Mexico. I love the statue itself, but the shadow it casts is even more mysterious, and more like the shadowy world of the shaman. It's shadowy to us because of the difference in time, place, and culture; shadowy to those circled around him by the fire because they couldn't comprehend his mystical powers.

Santa Fe is full of galleries featuring fabulous fine art. Of course there are plenty of western themes, and native-crafted or native-inspired pieces, which fit so well with this southwest city. But it's also one of the largest art markets in the US, and you can find everything from modern art to Asian antiques. If you're looking to spend $100K on the perfect accent piece for your living room, there's probably someone in Santa Fe who has just what you're looking for.

I'm not usually in the market for serious art, but I do enjoy looking. I'm happy that they put this sculpture by Bill Worrell out in public, where we can all enjoy it. It's come to seem like a part of Santa Fe to me, and I hope it's still there the next time I'm back in town.

You can also see similar works by the same artist in uptown Sedona, outside a gallery close to where we stay on our trips there.

See more works by artist Bill Worrell...

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We'll be back in Santa Fe in just a few weeks for our Southwest Hiking Adventure. We still have one space left open on that trip, so if you want to join us and discover some New Mexico awesomeness, this your chance! See the Santa Fe trip...
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Orca whale watching in the San Juan Islands

Deanna Keahey — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 09:29:28 +0000

Satellite view of the islands

One of the highlights of our trips to the San Juan Islands each year is an orca whale-watching trip.

The San Juan Islands are a group of hundreds of islands, islets, and rocks located near Seattle, WA. Most of these are very small - in fact, so small that many disappear at high tide! The majority of islands are uninhabited by people, and many have been set aside for wildlife. It's a very beautiful area, and a great haven for birds and marine life.

The archipelago is west of the US mainland, and east of Vancouver Island, so they're right along the boundary between the US and Canada. This border location caused some interesting problems in the past, but that's a story for another day! Right now, we're talking whales.

The water in this area is home to 3 pods of orca whales (known as the "residents"), and other orcas occasionally pass through too (known as the "transients"). Despite the name, the residents aren't in this area all the time. Orcas (also called killer whales) travel great distances, and sometimes they head north to Canada, or take off into the wild blue Pacific.

Experts can identify specific whales by their markings and the shape of their fins. Every whale is given a designation like L-87. This means it's a member of the L-pod (the resident pods are J, K and L), that was given the sequential number 87. Once a whale survives a certain amount of time, it's also given a nickname. L-87 is also known as Onyx.

See whale list and photos...

On a whale-watching day, it's never sure what you'll see. If there are whales in the vicinity, though, the boat captains will find them! The captains stay in touch with each other, sharing information about where they've spotted whales, which direction they're heading, and how fast.

Orca whales seen on one of our trips

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Responsible whale-watching boats follow strict guidelines designed to avoid interfering with the whales, and that's something people take seriously here. The resident orcas are listed as endangered, and irresponsible boating behavior is one of the many problems they face. You'll hear a lot more about the whales, their habits, and their threats, from the on-board experts.

I just ran across a post by whale-watching expert and local San Juan Islands naturalist Monika Wieland, that gives a great account of an orca-watching outing. She also includes some of the other wildlife that you're likely to see on the way, and has some good pictures, too.

Orca Watcher: Whales on the westside - but who are they?

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We take a whale-watching expedition every year on our San Juan Islands trips. Every trip is different -- whales and other wildlife have minds of their own, and you never know for sure what you'll see! We've been lucky enough to see orcas every time we've been out, and they're magnificent creatures!
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Sedona in the movies: Broken Arrow

Deanna Keahey — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 07:43:41 +0000

I finally watched the 1950 Jimmy Stewart movie, Broken Arrow. I say "finally", because I've been meaning to for years, ever since I first went to Sedona, Arizona.

On our Sedona trips, you have the option of taking a rugged (and I mean rugged) jeep tour. The route I like best is the Broken Arrow tour, so called because it goes right through the area where this movie was filmed. I've known that for years, and finally got to see the movie that is the jeep tour's namesake.

The Sedona jeep tour is an exciting ride - get ready to hold on tight!

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This Jimmy Stewart "Broken Arrow" movie (not to be confused with the totally different John Travolta movie by the same name) is obviously a period western. However, given the time in which it was created, I was pleased to see the balanced approach that it took, acknowledging that there were two sides to the "Cowboys vs. Indians" story, and that in fact not all the Cowboys were good, nor all the Indians evil. In fact, this movie is credited with having "a decisive impact on popular consciousness and effectively amend(ing) the ground rules of the genre." Guess that makes it more important than I realized!

The classic western, Broken Arrow

Based on fact, the movie is the story of ex-army scout Tom Jeffords (played by Jimmy Stewart). He is distressed at the way the war against the Apaches is going, and does his best to see if everyone could just get along together, and live in peace instead. In his efforts, he makes friends with the Apache chief Cochise, who is sympathetically portrayed as a wise leader doing the best for his people in a difficult time.

The main problem I had with this movie was the scenery. I mean that's one of the things I love about it, too -- the spectacular Sedona scenery! So why is that a problem?

Sedona, Arizona was a big place for making movies, especially back in the days of the westerns. The thing is, for decades they were making movies here, and never calling it Sedona! In movie after movie, they'd use Sedona as the location for filming, and pretend it was somewhere else. In this movie, it's supposed to be the area in southern Arizona near Tucson, where Cochise had his stronghold.

So I was sitting in Tucson, watching this movie that was clearly happening in Sedona. (Once you've been there, you simply cannot mistake Sedona scenery for anywhere else!) And everything would be going along fine, until they mentioned that they're in Tucson. Every time that happened, I did a double-take. Tucson? They're not in Tucson!

Then I'd get lulled back into the Sedona scenery until the next time they called it Tucson!

You can find the movie on Amazon or Netflix. If you've been to Sedona, or are thinking of going, it's a great movie to watch. You get a little Arizona history along with Sedona vistas... even if they are mismatched!

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If you do the jeep tour in Sedona, you might even recognize some of the views from the movie! We'll be back in Sedona (or is it Tucson??)for our Sedona getaway trips in April, May and October of 2010.
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Orcas on the beach, Peninsula Valdes, Argentina

Deanna Keahey — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 02:00:22 +0000

About a third of the way down the coast of Argentina, there's a large peninsula that juts out into the South Atlantic Ocean. From an aerial view, it looks like it should have been an island. The thin strip of land that connects it to the mainland is so narrow, that when you drive along it, you can see the sea on both sides. The desert here runs right up to the sea, giving brilliant contrasts of brown and blue. This is Peninsula Valdes, and it's a major wildlife preserve in Argentina.

Peninsula Valdes, on the coast of Patagonia

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The peninsula is home to a number of unusual and endangered species, both land-based and sea-based. On land, you're apt to see herds of guanacos - adorable relatives of llamas, who graze on the scrubby fields and hillsides. Dusty rheas can be hard to spot unless someone points them out. These are flightless birds, that look like small ostriches.
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Maras are relatives of guinea pigs, though they look more like overgrown rabbits. There are Patagonian foxes, and the very odd hairy armadillos. Nearby Punta Tombo is home to the continent's largest penguin rookery, where half a million magellanic penguins congregate each year during breeding season.
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The marine life is equally fascinating. About 43,000 elephant seals come here to breed every year. These are the world's largest seals, and they dive up to 3,000 ft to feed, in the abyss off the edge of the Patagonian shelf. Southern right whales visit the protected gulfs to breed. Sea lions used to be slaughtered by the thousands here for seal oil, a practice that has fortunately ended. The number of sea lions clubbed to death at Peninsula Valdes over a 40-year period, is about the same as the current worldwide population.
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Then there are the orcas, also known as killer whales. Orcas are found in all oceans of the world, but different populations have unique characteristics. A unique trait of this group is that their hunt for baby seals and sea lions frequently brings the whales right up onto the beach. They swim straight for the beach, then wiggle their enormous bulky bodies back off the sand, and into the water.
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An excellent book about the region is The Wild Shores of Patagonia, by Jasmine Rossi. The author spent two years here photographing the peninsula and its wildlife, and the results are fabulous. There is a wealth of fascinating information, and the photos are simply spectacular.
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We visit Peninsula Valdes on our Patagonia adventure trip, and we'll be there in just a few weeks! I can't say whether we'll see any orcas swimming up onto the beach or not, but if I was a mommy seal, I'd want to keep my babies away from the water line!
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We also regularly see orca whales on our San Juan Islands trips, but the resident pods there eat only salmon, and stay well off the beaches!
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Taos, New Mexico - Rio Pueblo Gorge (video)

Deanna Keahey — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 22:38:56 +0000

This video is from the Rio Pueblo Gorge, near Taos, New Mexico. This river comes from Taos Pueblo land and runs into the Rio Grande River. This is a deep gorge, but not as deep as the Rio Grande Gorge, which is a spectacular gash across the high desert -- almost shocking when you first see it.

On our Santa Fe trip, we go rafting on the Rio Grande. Even though this is a tributary canyon, the video is nice in that it gives you the feeling of the land there. The warm, languid, relaxing feeling you'd get sitting on the side of the river, just enjoying a sunny fall day. It's the same feeling you get floating downstream -- in the calm spots, when you're not paddling the whitewater, that is!

Lovely Taos Pueblo Flute Music from WindWalk: Music of Blackhill Albino Lujan of Taos Pueblo

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We'll be back in Santa Fe and Taos for our women's trip to New Mexico in September. I can hardly wait! It's a captivating place, and each time I'm here, I wish I could stay longer.
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San Juan Islands - scuba diving (video)

Deanna Keahey — Thu, 21 May 2009 12:25:06 +0000

OK, I'll say it right up front. We do NOT go scuba diving on our San Juan Islands trips! I'm a wimpy warm water diver (think British Virgin Islands)!

However, even though that water looks pretty chilly to me, it's fascinating to know what lives down there! The undisputed rulers of the local seas are the orca whales, but there are a ton of other lesser-known, and much less-seen species that live on rocks, walls, and tidal areas around the islands.

When we go kayaking, you can see some underwater stuff, but only a few feet down into the water. Think starfish, mussels, clams, kelp, and seals (who visit any depth they want, and look like they're having fun doing it!) This video takes you further down than we can see from our kayaks, to give you a deeper glimpse of "what's down there".

Me, I'm happy to stay above the water, peering in to see what I can see. Maybe someday global warming will warm these waters up enough for me... But then, everything that lives here now would be dead. OK, let's not do that, OK?

In the meantime, have a look at some underwater video shot by other, warmer-blooded souls!
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Our San Juan Islands trips for women run every year in August. If you're on the trip, and newly inspired to try the scuba diving, I bet we could arrange for you to join a dive with one of these groups. Just let me know!
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Awesome Argentine Armadillo

Deanna Keahey — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 13:53:37 +0000

Friday photo - Armadillo at Peninsula Valdez, Argentina

The armadillo gets my vote for most unusual mammal

Peninsula Valdez in Argentina is a sweeping, open space, where the dusty brown desert stretches right to the sparkling sea. Where else do you see armadillos and elephant seals all on the same walk? Not to mention guanacos and sea lions, killer whales and rheas!

I'd always heard that armadillos were shy, and that we were unlikely to see one. However, this little guy (or girl, for all I can tell!) was so intent on lapping up the drops of water that had spilled on the ground here, that his thirst overcame any fear of people, and we were able to get an excellent close-up view.

From a distance, the armadillo's protective armor looks like a hard shell. How appropriate that the name "armadillo" means "little armored one" in Spanish. As you get closer, you see that it's hairy. In fact, this particular animal is the species Hairy Armadillo -- once again a very appropriate name! Yes, this little armored creature really is a mammal, and one of the most unusual ones anywhere. When you get even closer, it looks like he's wearing an ornate golden headpiece!

Armadillos are omnivores, which must be a useful trait when living in such a harsh environment. They live in burrows, and in desert climates adjust their schedule day or night to take advantage of the best temperatures. Among their more surprising characteristics is an ability to swim, inflating their stomachs & intestines with air to keep themselves afloat. See more at the Wonderful World of Armadillos.

So next time you're hanging out at Peninsula Valdez, keep an eye out for hairy little armored ones, especially around the miniature watering holes.

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We're going back to Argentina for our women's trip to Patagonia in February 2010. It's an exciting trip! Peninsula Valdez is a stop half-way down the coast of Argentina, not far from Punta Tombo (with its hundreds of thousands of nesting penguins). But that's another post!
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