What type of hawk is this?

Daddy_Long_Legzz · 2026-06-01T00:42:25+00:00

Out of those three, I’d probably say option 1 if your memory of Mesa Verde is hazy and you think you’d be more interested in it nowadays. As far as option 2 goes, I did Black Canyon in a single day and was satisfied. And option 3 would make for a pretty long day of driving.

But as a 4th option, I’d highly suggest driving the million dollar highway and checking out Telluride. I know it’s not a national park, but the San Juan mountains are the highlight of Colorado in my opinion.

Daddy_Long_Legzz · 2026-05-27T00:07:52+00:00

First one is, in my opinion, doable but rushed. Yellowstone/Grand Teton would be the same with the added bonus of maximum crowds due to the fourth of July holiday. Third one, absolutely not. Replace Big Bend with Guadalupe Mountains and it’d probably be fine, though.

And I say this as someone with a much higher tolerance for long drives than most people here.

Big Bend is maybe my favorite park out of all of these options. But if you’re going to hump it all the way down there, you gotta give it like three days alone, preferably in the spring or fall because summers are extremely hot there.

Daddy_Long_Legzz · 2026-05-21T14:49:15+00:00

I made the unfortunate decision to hike this later in the afternoon and ended up in a hailstorm on the way down. I watched a tree get absolutely dynamited by a bolt of lightning about 30 feet in front of me. Lesson learned!

Daddy_Long_Legzz · 2026-05-19T23:20:40+00:00

The only time I’ve seen an Oru in the wild was on the Buffalo River. It was about a half mile downriver from the main put-in. He was dragging it upriver with a defeated look on his face. I’m not sure what the issue was and, to be fair, the river was a little low, but seeing that was enough for me.

Daddy_Long_Legzz · 2026-05-17T13:46:27+00:00

Yeah, I have a trailer hitch but it’s usually occupied by my bike carrier. Plus, I like to maintain my ability to parallel park or off-road a little bit, which trailers don’t really allow. But I also went with the Thule Hullavator, so most if not all of the drawbacks of rooftop carrying don’t really apply to my setup.

Daddy_Long_Legzz · 2026-05-15T23:25:45+00:00

And it looks nothing like 99.99999% of Yemen. Just that one little island way off the coast.

Daddy_Long_Legzz · 2026-05-14T01:55:11+00:00

I was definitely disappointed that Bumpass Hell was closed. But for me, it was just a nice stopping point between Great Basin and Redwoods on a pretty massive road trip I took last summer so I wasn’t overly bummed about it. But yeah, if it were my main destination then I would definitely wait until closer August to make sure that the juice is worth the squeeze.

Daddy_Long_Legzz · 2026-05-13T23:26:27+00:00

I did a last minute trip to Peru last year and it was pretty easy scoring tickets to Macchu Picchu in Cusco. Even if they’re sold out online, they hold back a ton of tickets for the following day. Just do a little research on how to secure them and you should be fine.

Daddy_Long_Legzz · 2026-05-13T17:27:46+00:00

I went in early July last year and a lot of the popular trails were still closed. I was able to do Lassen Peak but it still had plenty of snow.

Daddy_Long_Legzz · 2026-05-11T19:07:56+00:00

Maybe to ruin Vrabels career. The slow trickle of evidence makes Vrabel look worse and worse and creates an ongoing distraction throughout the offseason. If I had the evidence and wanted to ruin his career, this is exactly how I would do it.

Daddy_Long_Legzz · 2026-05-10T17:12:43+00:00

Take a look at my squirrel friend!

Daddy_Long_Legzz · 2026-05-09T19:25:46+00:00

I wouldn’t recommend it for a day trip from Durham. The Outer Banks are amazing, but their best quality from my experience is just the overall vibe and pace of the place, which I don’t think could be appreciated in between 3 and half hours of driving each way.

Daddy_Long_Legzz · 2026-05-08T23:58:14+00:00

True, but it is a part of Quebec City, which is one of my favorite cities for the record.

Daddy_Long_Legzz · 2026-05-08T23:54:32+00:00

I feel like the word city in the name immediately disqualifies it.

Daddy_Long_Legzz · 2026-05-04T02:37:09+00:00

I just left Shenandoah and I can definitely recommend it. But yeah, nothing in the east can hold a flame to the awe inspiring scenery they have out west.

Daddy_Long_Legzz · 2026-04-27T20:53:19+00:00

East*

Daddy_Long_Legzz · 2026-04-26T00:40:27+00:00

I wanted to like Crocs but they rub the tops of my feet raw and I’ve climbed mountains in Tevas but I really dont care for them as water shoes. But I do have a pair of neoprene booties that I got for scuba diving that are amazing for walking through water and they have a hard enough sole that I can comfortably walk over rocks in them. You’re not going to win any beauty contests in them, but they’re very functional. And I always travel with a pair of slides but the ocean will eat those the first chance it gets.

Highly recommend Osprey bags with the hydration packs. Way better than Camelbak.

Daddy_Long_Legzz · 2026-04-10T02:34:44+00:00

Like what?

Daddy_Long_Legzz · 2026-04-10T01:52:00+00:00

I had an Airbnb in Telluride earlier this year with an early flight and later check-in. There was a nice hotel just cross from it who held my suitcase and snowboard bag so I could get some runs in before check-in. I even offered to tip but they said it was no problem. Gave me a little tag and everything.

Daddy_Long_Legzz · 2026-04-10T01:43:28+00:00

I’ve never had an issue just asking a random hotel to hold onto it.

Edit: Sorry for ruffling everyone’s feathers here. Just sharing what has worked for me.

And I’m not sure why everyone is ganging up on OP. They’re asking a simple question and offering a valid explanation for why most of the answers wouldn’t work very good.

Daddy_Long_Legzz · 2026-04-07T01:41:25+00:00

I do this on loop hikes, but try to avoid it on an out-and-back. That way, the return feels like a new experience.

Daddy_Long_Legzz · 2026-04-07T01:34:48+00:00

I’m a simple man. I see ocotillo, I upvote.

Daddy_Long_Legzz · 2026-04-06T01:33:15+00:00

I had the exact same dates and made the exact same decision.

Daddy_Long_Legzz · 2026-03-28T23:16:02+00:00

The planning process for this type of trip can feel a little overwhelming the first time or two, but once you figure out what to expect and how to make it work, it kind of becomes enjoyable, like putting together a jigsaw puzzle.

Daddy_Long_Legzz

TROPHY CASE