Jason Godwin's Weather (and Other Stuff) Blog

This week, I am featuring an autumn photo for no reason other than I am ready for cooler weather! As I write this, nearby Fort Worth Alliance Airport is 91 F with a dewpoint of 70 F. Gross! This photo was taken in Devil's Den State Park in northwest Arkansas (not too far from Fayetteville). At the time this photo was taken, the temperature was somewhere in the low to mid 40s. My group and I had camped here the night before (and the night following). The first night, Fayetteville Drake Field Airport recorded a low temperature of 16 F! Luckily, I was using my REI Trail Pod 15 sleeping bag, which is rated for temperatures down to 15 F. While the forecast showed lows dropping into the upper teens, and I knew my coldest-rated sleeping bag only went down to 15 F, I brought the thermal layers and some extra blankets, and ended up being quite comfy. The hardest part was at some point, I had to get out of the bag and get a campfire going. A couple of other cold weather camping tips I lear...

Mount Sneffels and the San Juan Mountains rise above the Uncompahgre River valley. At an elevation of 14,158 feet, Mount Sneffels is the highest peak in Ouray County, Colorado. This photo was taken from the Elk Ridge Campground at Ridgway State Park. This was the view from the south end of Loop E where we were camping for two nights. I highly recommend this campground if you are looking to do some hiking or exploring in the northern San Juan Mountains. The facilities were wonderful, and included showers, laundry, and a place to wash dishes. Be sure to check out nearby Ouray (particularly Box Canyon Falls, Cascade Falls, the Ouray hot springs, and the Perimeter Trail that offers wonderful views of Ouray and the surrounding San Juans). No trip to the San Juans is complete without a drive down the harrowing U.S. Highway 550, also known as the Million-Dollar Highway or San Juan Skyway. Check out the video below from YouTube user "JeepsterGal" who recorded an awesome video of...