well off the beathen path

Benchmark Maps has a brand new Baja topographic map for 2021 -  The BAJA CALIFORNIA Road & Recreation Atlas This Benchmark atlas showcases the diverse recreation opportunities found along the full length of the Baja California Peninsula. Regional maps provide a wider view of the region and Recreation Guides list an array of attractions for trip planning.  Publish May 2021. ISBN: 9781734315059   Finding good, accurate maps of Baja California Mexico used to be a daunting task. Online searches produced the same, old results with broken links, out-of-date forum postings where travelers exchanged information on where to obtain a decent topo of Baja California.  Amazon.com lists some of the original Baja Almanacs - used or new copies - outrageous priced around $600  Ever since cartographer Landon Crumpton died, Baja lovers have had a hard time locating quality, topographic maps of the famous and popular Mexican peninsula. However, things are again changing.  Not only has Benchmark Maps

Last week the USFS announced a dismal end to summer: California National Forests are closed due to wildfire dangers, which is the majority of the mountain areas on the inland side of California. Total Escape is here to show you what areas are STILL OPEN. With most California National Forests closed for the month and the wildfires still burning, camping options narrow considerably.  Where to go? California Deserts are still too warm, so we will be featuring a few other locations. All forests and parks listed below offer camping and additional outdoor recreation opportunities. Campfires may be banned in some locations. Only ONE National Forest inside California is still open - the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest in the Eastern Sierra. Toiyabe National Forest  [Mono Lake to Topaz Lake] Autumn Aspens began showing fall colors in mid to late September at higher elevations, lasting into October when the first snow falls: Twin Lakes, CA Bridgeport, CA Buckeye Hot Springs Green Creek Upper S

Mokelumne Peak is at a towering 9334' elevation in the High Sierra known as Mokelumne Wilderness . Granite scenery, high country, big water at high elevations. 105,165 acres straddles the crest of the central Sierra Nevada, within the Stanislaus, Eldorado, and Toiyabe National Forests; bordered by Highway 4 on the south and Highway 88 on the north. The Mokelumne River starts way up near Blue Lakes (South of Tahoe) which flows down to Salt Springs Reservoir, on the Amador & Calaveras county line. Once inside the Gold Country region the Mokelumne River drains into Pardee Reservoir, near Jackson CA . Salt Springs Reservoir has a trailhead for the Mokelumne Wilderness. Ellis Road - El Dorado National Forest Road #8N25 a signed turn off of Sierra Highway 88; a steep long, winding, hairy drive on a paved, back road that switchbacks down to river and prime camping. Minimal access and recreation at Salt Springs reservoir. Mokelumne River Campground NFS Mokelu

California National Forests, State Parks, Campgrounds, Trails What is Closed off this Summer?   Last year it was multiple disasters on top of a pandemic. News about lightning caused wildfires was almost unbearable for me to watch. I knew the areas, the very best camp sites and the dirt roads.    I studied the headlines daily, scoured maps, each new area, every forests, every acre of grove in flames. The Santa Cruz redwoods burning. The helicopter rescue at the lake campground.   My head was reeling with the destruction, the toxic smoke, when it hit home - hard! We were evacuated and on the run from flames. #BearFire   Now that all smoke has cleared and I am living in the aftermath of the 6th largest fire in state history, I am trying to make a tally of what is burnt. What campgrounds and dirt roads are open, what forests were affected by wildfire and what is actually closed.    California Forests: CLOSED 2021       2021 expect tighter campfire restrictions this season!

  Adjusting Your Water Well Pressure Gauge needs to be mounted vertically to prevent water intrusion. If it gets very cold and water freezes inside the gauge, the Bourdon tube will be damaged. This can cause it to add an extra 30 psi to all readings, which is confusing. Having the gauge upright is better to read and keeps the water out. Oh yeah, if it freezes, it's best if the plumbing is insulated with pipe wrap, or the like.  I learned these lessons the hard way. Well Cap should not be loose. The cap is a sandwich of steel plates with a rubber seal that gets squished and becomes wider, sealing itself in the well tube. It is possible for the cap on a new installation to become loose after the rubber forms to its new shape and takes a set. The fasteners on top (4 nuts on mine) should be evenly tightened. Don't over-tighten it, think valve cover gasket, not lug nuts. Bladder Tank Pre-charge needs to be set correctly. Properly pressurized bladder tank is adjusted to 2 psi belo

Our government has a way with acronyms, and broken URLs. .gov broken links It always amazes me that the most link repairs I tackle on Total Escape is predominantly for the dot gov web links. USFS has a fondness for the PDF pages w/ Alerts & Notices being almost cryptic. Outdated, old search features rarely produce what you are really looking for. Instead you get some long document from a meeting a decade ago. The US Forest Service has changed their URL structure at least half a dozen times since they came online, back in 2000. No need for redirects, or better forethought, old broken links are found all the time within the government managed web. wildfire info Incident Web Incident Information System INCIweb for short You would think that something as serious as wildfire information and maps would be a high priority, but the web site responsible for tracking individual fires - could not decide on a stable web address. The URL has changed a few times over the past decade; it was a .o

California terrain was the main reason I relocated to the Golden State, way back in 1984. I had just graduated from high school and like millions, decided to head west to see what the West Coast was all about. I immediately fell in love with Southern California, the desert and Baja California. Enrolling at a community college in San Diego County, I began a journey of exploration, artistic dreams, documenting and in the field photography.    As a starving artist student, I would spend my free time (away from work and school), out camping in the nearby deserts or local mountains. It was always a gorgeous place to do my reading assignments, homework, and it was a cheap way to spend a weekend. Now 40 years later - I'm still here in Cali. Northern Sierra. Loving it, traveling, working and documenting all the wild landscapes that I came out here to enjoy. Created a web site (back in 1996), just so I could follow my passions of working for myself. However, the last decade of wildfires i