I have a new plugin to my site that allows me to post videos without having to keep them on Youtube. Now, I can store them locally. If that doesn’t make sense, it doesn’t matter. Mostly what it means, is that I won’t have a Youtube watermark on my videos. This happens with the thanks to Vpip if your are curious.
Above is some video I shot in Winslow, AZ last month. This is the corner the Eagles sang about in the song, “Take it Easy”
My latest road trip to Albuquerque started when I received a call from the cable network “Reelzchannel”. They wanted me come out and interview for a Web Production Manager opening on the ABQ Studios lot, where Reelzchannel is located.
I was only planning for this trip to last 10 days, but as many of my friends and family know, I wouldn’t be able to resist traveling around a bit.
My excursions started when my brother emailed me and said he and his wife were going to be up in Moab, UT riding their motorcycles for about a week.
I had a great time with our visit in Moab, but there was one problem. I drove my car on this trip instead of riding my motorcycle. 
It was just going to be too difficult dealing with taking a suit out to New Mexico on my bike. Frankly, time was just too short to get my dress clothes organized to ship as well. Besides, I wasn’t going to be out here that long, right?
Like I said though, I still had a great time. I’ve been to Moab on many visits and I enjoy hikes in Arches National Park.
I traversed several trails in Arches on this visit, but the one that stood out was Devils Garden Primitive Loop. It’s one of the longest and hardest hikes at the park but one of the most beautiful.
Devils Garden Primitive Trail (click for more pictures)
Since I was half a day from my favorite national park, I decided to side track to Zion National Park next.
There, I hiked quite a bit as well. Hidden Canyon, Observation Point and Angels Landing are among my favorite trails.
Hidden Canyon trail (click for more pictures)
Observation Point trail (click for more pictures)
The view from atop Angels Landing was stunning again. Some of the storm clouds were a little unnerving though.
This is a shot of the last half mile of Angels Landing trail. There are some areas on the path that are only three feet across with drop offs on each side. I’ve shot some video of these drop offs that I will edit and post in the future.
On my way down from the landing, the front edge of a storm introduced itself. The front said, “hello”, by blowing winds and sand against hikers in excess 35 MPH. Honestly the gusts felt quite stronger.
Next I hiked the Emerald Pool trails. This 3 mile loop takes you by three small pools. In my opinion, the Lower Pool is the best. Along the Emerald Pool trail, you get to see many of the beautiful monoliths that encompass this park.
Emerald Pools trail (click for more pictures)
After my Zion NP visit, I drove to Las Vegas for a night. This was pretty much of a mistake. Vegas isn’t very fun alone. I just wandered the strip and went to bed early down in Boulder City which is 30 minutes south of the Vegas.
From there, I rode back to ABQ and for the last 10 days, I have been enjoying this city while hunting down job leads and taking in the atmosphere of the area.
I’ll be heading back east soon but I already am planning on being back here later this Summer.
This weekend I helped a friend of mine in ABQ pick up a new toy. It’s a 1973 BMW R60/5 motorcycle. He’s been looking for one to work on for a while now. It’s a pretty bike. He has a lot of work ahead of him, but I am sure he can make that baby run and look pretty.
Now I saw my next bike, a BMW r1200R. Well…It’s my next motorcycle this week. Frankly, I am happy with my F650GS. It’s fine for touring and I can manage it well enough in the cities or on dirt if I want.
I found a plugin call Vpip that will allow me to post videos to my blog without using embedded code from Youtube.
During this current trip to ABQ, I’ve taken quite a bit of video, so don’t be surprised to see a video pop up here from time to once I get my raw footage organized.
AVO Webcam
Camera is located at AVO’s Redoubt Hut, approximately 7.5 mi (12 km) from Redoubt’s summit crater.
Mount Redoubt, located 100 miles southwest of Anchorage, Alaska, erupted overnight sending ash as high as 50,000 feet into the atmosphere. The Alaska Volcano Observatory said the first eruption of Redoubt happened Sunday, about 10:38pm local time. At least four other eruptions have occurred since then.
The 10,197 foot peak was being monitored by the AVO since July of last year.
Recent photographs of Mt. Redoubt before the eruption.
Webcams had been set up to monitor the mountain but darkness and snow obscured the initial eruptions.
The AVO expects ash from the volcano to drift north and west of the mountain and away from Anchorage.
Air travel has been affected with several flights out of Anchorage being cancelled. The AVO says Alaska could see continued disruption of flights for the next several weeks or months.
There is no danger to population from lava flow but U.S. Geological Survey geophysicist John Power says the ash from the volcano “does pose significant problems for mechanical systems, people with respiratory illnesses, and aircraft,” Power recommends that residents should be ready to stay indoors.
The National Weather service also recommends that people in the affected area minimize driving and protect electronics from ash. NWS also feels residents should cover air intakes and water supplies.
Mount Redoubt last blew in 1989. Eruptions lasted for five months.
The Alaska Volcano Observatory has set up a Twitter feed for those who want to get status updates on Mount Redoubt.
Sources:
Alaska Volcano Observatory
CNN.com
The excitement is over for now for scientists at the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory as a larger than normal swarm of earthquakes ended under the northern part of Yellowstone Lake at the Yellowstone National Park in Wyomying.
Seismologists at the YVO say that between December 26 of last year until January 8, 2009, Yellowstone experienced approximately 900 seismic events with magnitudes up to 3.9 on the Richter scale. After January 8, the seismic activity dramatically decrease in the park.
Scientists are quick to point out that earthquake swarms are a common occurrence in Yellowstone but they normally do not happen in this quantity. Yellowstone had 315 quakes for the month of January. 205 were associated with the swarm under Yellowstone Lake.
Yellowstone is situatied on top of a volcano that last erupted over 70,000 years ago.
This swarm is the second largest on record. A swarm of quakes in 1985 is the largest. Records of quake activity at Yellowstone have only been kept since 1973
Experts at the YVO say there are several common causes for earthquake activity at Yellowstone. One such cause are the stresses that occur below ground from the nearby Teton and Hebgen Lake faults.
At this time, none of the hot springs at Yellowstone seem to be affected from the extra seismic activity.
This camera is located approximately 7.5 miles (12 km) from Redoubt’s summit crater..
On January 23, Mount Redoubt began showing increased volcanic activity. Since then, scientists at The Alaska Volcano Observatory have been staffed 24 hours a day monitoring the 10,197 foot peak’s activity.
Research geophysicist Peter Cervelli, with the observatory says “we expect based on the past behavior of this volcano that this activity is going to culminate in an eruption.”
The observatory has now put the mountain, which is located 100 miles southwest of Anchorage, Alaska, on code level Orange-Watch, the second highest level. This level is given when, “a Volcano is exhibiting heightened or escalating unrest with increased potential of eruption, timeframe uncertain or an eruption is underway that poses limited hazards including no or minor volcanic-ash emissions.” This is according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
The A.V.O. says the biggest concern about an eruption is what ash in the air could do to air traffic. Michelle Coobes, a geologist at the A.V.O stated, “once that silica-rich ash gets ingested into the engine, it can remelt and coat the insides of the engines and freeze up those engines.”
In 1989, a Boeing 747 airliner flew through an ash cloud a day after Mount Redoubt erupted. This caused all four engines of the plane to stall. Luckily the pilot was able to get two of the engines restarted and the plane landed safely in Anchorage.
As a precaution, approximately 200 pilots and mechanics as well as their planes are being moved from Elmendorf Air Force Base in Alaska to McChord Airforce Base in Washington State.
December 1989 was the last time Mount Redoubt erupted. The event lasted until April of the following year.
A webcam of the peak can be seen at the top of this story.
The Alaska Volcano Observatory has set up a Twitter feed for those who want to keep up with this story.
Sources:
Alaska Volcano Observatory
CNN.com-Reference 1
CNN.com-Reference 2
MSNBC.com
As I have down time, I’ve decided I would write some articles every now and then on topics of interest that pertain to the theme of my website. Thus, they will most likely be on travel, outdoors and motorcycles. I hope to pick topics from news of the day and features. I hope you enjoy.
This afternoon I yearned for some of the places I had ridden to so I added two new webcams to the sidebar of my blog just so I could have easy access to views. They are Seqouia and Kings Canyon National Park in California and Acadia National Park in Maine.
I’ve been redesigning the sidebar (The area to the right) to serve a better purpose. I’ve added more content such as webcams and I have also added a new area to display my favorite “Road Photos”.
I got rid of some plugins that were just duplicates and really weren’t needed after all.
I hope to continue to add content to the sidebar that is both interesting and useful. One such item will be a blogroll. This will add links to other websites that are like mine from different individuals who travel and ride. I also plan to add more “Road Photos”, header photos and webcams soon.
I hope you like the changes
Happy Thanksgiving too.
“The Nomad Express”
DON'T FORGET TO GIVE ME YOUR NAME IN THE MESSAGE
