Author Archives: theblondecoyote

About theblondecoyote

Mary Caperton Morton is a freelance science and travel writer with degrees in biology and geology and a master’s in science writing. A regular contributor to EARTH magazine, where her favorite beat is the Travels in Geology column, she has also written for the anthologies Best Women's Travel Writing 2010 and Best Travel Writing 2011. Mary is currently traveling the backroads from New Mexico to Alaska, writing and living out of a tiny Teardrop camper. When she’s not at the computer she can usually be found outside -- hiking, climbing mountains and taking photographs. Visit her website at www.marycapertonmorton.com.

Crossing Paths: Jurassic Park

Posted on May 20, 2013

Around 150 million years ago, in the Late Jurassic, an 18-ton sauropod, possibly a Camarasaur (think Brontosaur), walked along a rippled sandbar by a river, leaving a track of great sucking holes with its enormous platter-sized feet. Then, danger: a … Continue reading →

Posted in Bowie & D.O.G., Hiking!, Photography, Road tripping! | 7 Comments

Explosions in the Sky: Canyonlands Thunderstorm!

Posted on May 16, 2013

One of the things I love most about road tripping through Utah is the abundance of free campsites! I passed through the Moab area on a beautiful spring weekend – the height of tourist season, every hotel, motel and campground … Continue reading →

Posted in Bowie & D.O.G., Hiking!, Photography, Road tripping!, Teardrop Trailer, Vagabonding 101 | 22 Comments

Writing on the Wall: Utah Petroglyphs

Posted on May 14, 2013

Petroglyphs are treasures: rock art created centuries ago by people both mysterious and familiar. Why did ancient people write on walls? Probably for many of the same reasons that modern people do today. Here are a few of my favorite … Continue reading →

Posted in Hiking!, Photography, Road tripping!, Uncategorized | 5 Comments

Utah In Bloom

Posted on May 13, 2013

The desert holds a perfect and natural balance between lifelessness and living vibrancy. The strangeness and wonder of existence are emphasized here, in the desert, by the comparative sparsity of the flora and fauna: life not crowded upon life as in … Continue reading →

Posted in Bowie & D.O.G., Hiking!, Photography, Sustainable Living, Uncategorized, Vagabonding 101 | 8 Comments

Filly Lost & Found: A Mother’s Day Post

Posted on May 10, 2013

A year ago yesterday, in Wyoming, one of my childhood dreams came true. Somewhat lost on back roads, searching for Butch Cassidy’s Outlaw Cave in the middle of nowhere Wyoming, I happened to look off to the side of the … Continue reading →

Posted in Cowboys & Horses, Photography, Road tripping!, Teardrop Trailer, Vagabonding 101 | 19 Comments

On the Road, Again: Angel Peak, NM

Posted on May 9, 2013

Hey Everybody, I’m back on the road, carving a leisurely loop through Utah and Colorado. On my way out of New Mexico, the Land of Enchantment treated me to some awesome off trail hiking and free camping in the Angel … Continue reading →

Posted in Bowie & D.O.G., Hiking!, New Mexico, Photography, Road tripping!, Teardrop Trailer, Uncategorized, Vagabonding 101 | 8 Comments

Crossing Paths: Ten Horses

Posted on May 6, 2013

Now that spring has sprung and the days are warming up I’ve switched to my summer schedule: hiking at sunrise and sunset, to avoid the heat and the rattlesnakes. The other morning, my early start was well rewarded with ten … Continue reading →

Posted in Cowboys & Horses, Hiking!, New Mexico, Photography, Uncategorized, Vagabonding 101 | 5 Comments

RIP Science Writing at Johns Hopkins

Posted on May 2, 2013

I don’t just write for fun; I make my living as a freelance science and travel writer. How does one go about getting such a fantastic job? Well there are many roads, but I started out with a background in … Continue reading →

Posted in Sustainable Living, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | 9 Comments

Desert In Bloom

Posted on May 1, 2013

Springtime in the desert is subtle, but sweet. Flowers are few and far between and all the more precious for their rarity, often rising out of bare rock, with no cushion of soil. Out here I never pass by a bloom … Continue reading →

Posted in Hiking!, New Mexico, Photography, Sustainable Living, Uncategorized | 12 Comments

Watch Your Step!

Posted on April 29, 2013

A few weeks ago, my friend Devin and I drove six hours out of our way so Devin could meet the Grand Canyon and so I could see it for the sixth time. We walked up to the South Rim at Mather … Continue reading →

Posted in Hiking!, New Mexico, Photography, Road tripping!, Uncategorized, Vagabonding 101 | Tagged , , , | 13 Comments