Ken McAlpine
Ken McAlpine is the author of eight books, a collection of fiction, non-fiction, and essays. His most recent novel, "Juncture," is a cerebral "Jaws"; a suspense-filled thriller, a story of primal love and our changing oceans and, perhaps, a final fork in the road. "West is Eden: Reflections on this Gift Called Life," is a collection of his KCET essays. He lives in Ventura.
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We amble through what's called "transitional country" -- not the remote backcountry of the Canyon, but far from civilization nonetheless.
Here's the best thing about rafting down the Colorado: unlike other grand adventures, pretty much anyone can do it.
To a very small degree, I have done my best to follow in the footsteps of Jacques Cousteau.
"Within the borders of Jedediah Smith Redwood State Park, a man informed me that Bigfoot had been sighted not far away."
The desert wreaks strangeness, epiphany, and apocalypse on many.
The Noyo and Navarro Rivers along the Mendocino coast offer plenty of opportunities for wildlife and coastal viewing.
Our writer takes a breathtaking road trip through California's northeast and gets a fly fishing lesson on the Upper Fall River.
The town of Morro Bay is also one of the best places in the country to spot snowy plovers, great blue herons, great egrets, and peregrine falcons in the winter.
The area surrounding the designated Wild and Scenic River is virtually road-less, so much of the river can only be reached by boating.
At best, our relationship with earthquakes is uneasy: Earthquakes are an inevitable part of our future. Not just California's, of course, but the world.
The laugh was pure joy -- when you lift a grandchild, or share a private moment with a lover -- when all the world is right. "Just my luck to pick up a pair of mating brine shrimp," Huell said.
The right photograph takes you back, and whisks you forward and places you firmly in the present. Time travel exists.