Blitz Trip: Hiking thru Arches National park

November was full of amazing weather for Utah.  One sunny Friday afternoon my friends, the Hutchings, suggested that we run down to Arches on Saturday to do a little hiking in the sun.  Well, you never know when an earthquake or something just might crash an arch and the weather was forecast to be just beautiful so I said let's go for it!

Arches is about 4 hours away from SLC so doing this trip in one day isn't for those who like to saunter, or who are concerned with the fact that you are in the car for 8 hours and only have 5 hours of daylight to explore (it gets dark early!)  But, sometimes you need to do some spontaneous things like this for an adventure. 

The great news is that on a regular November weekend there really aren't a ton of people in Arches or the surrounding area so it was easy to drive and the trails, while populated, weren't overrun with people. 

We shot down to Arches and were able to down a sandwich at our first stop while looking at Double Arch. Double arch is a short walk from the roadway and actually one of the more impressive arch formations to see in Arches (in my opinion).  There are two massive arches connected and you can easily walk right through them! 

Next we went to Landscape Arch.  This arch is considered to be the longest arch in the world (according to the Natural Arch and Bridge Society).  I believe it after seeing the arches that the country Jordan was excited to show off (they were probably a quarter of the size of Delicate Arch, maybe).  This arch is also the most precarious to me.  Way back when you could actually walk underneath it but chunks of rock are falling fast so they have it blocked off.  I'm afraid this one isn't going to last much longer.  This is an easy, level, 1.5mile round trip hike.  Pictures were a bit tough in the afternoon as the sun is behind the arch.  Morning light is best to photograph this arch.

The big reason we went was to hike to Delicate Arch (okay, and to feel the sun on our faces).  This is the arch that now dons Utah State license plates.  I actually have Ski Utah - I don't even ski...but that's another story.  Delicate Arch is a 3 mile RT hike which isn't super tough but the hike consists of walking up exposed red rock on a constant grade up about 500 feet to the arch.  On this beautiful winter (well, at 65 degrees let's say fall) day it was great.  It still made me breathe hard, but I'm not sure if that's because of the hike difficulty or lack of cardio on my part. 

Delicate Arch lives up to it's fame, especially in the evening. Several people were there to view the sunset and the warm evening sun light certainly highlights the beautiful sandstone.  Some snowcapped mountains in the background made it even better!

We were able to see Balanced Rock and a colorful sunset as we were driving down to Moab to grab a bite to eat before driving back to Salt Lake.  That bite of eat was a pizza buffet at Zax's.  This was a busy joint which served a large variety of pretty tasty pizzas.  The only issue was that I had a 4 hour drive after that meal or I would have been very content!

All in all it was a great day of hiking and visiting with my friends while driving to enjoy some of the wonders of Utah.  You can see, these and other pictures of Arches under the Photo Gallery: By Type - New or Photo Gallery:  By Location - Utah.

Yellowstone - Where the Wild Things Are

This summer Yellowstone was on fire! Well, not fire like the 1989 fires (which I happened to witness) but on fire as in wild to see all the wildflowers and wildlife that was around.  The stars must have been aligned just right for some reason.  Below is a small smattering of what I saw this year.

Wildflowers
It tried to play botanist and take a picture of each different wildflower that I came across on this trip.  I didn't come close but there certainly were a ton of flowers out this year.  The spring was wet and the sun was out and hot so the flowers really popped this year.  We saw yellow, red, purple, blue, and white flowers (obviously not the scientific name so I guess the botanist idea is out).  My mother loves Indian Paintbrush so below is a small sampling of the various colors of just that one species of flowers that we saw. 

Indian Paintbrush

Wildlife
Ok...yes, all animals in Yellowstone are wild but this year the big game was out in force!  I've said before that I come to Yellowstone almost every year of my life, and for probably the first 20 years of my life I maybe saw 2 bears.  That's it.  Nada.  A rarity.  For the last 5 years however things have picked up.  Last year I thought it was cool to see multiple bear (as in 2).  Neat, I know.  Everyone heard about it!  This year was off the charts.  In one day alone I saw 7 grizzly bear!!  Yep...7.  Can you believe that?  There happened to be a bison killed only a few hundred yards off the road in Hayden Valley so all the grizzly bear were coming to feed on it.  It was amazing!  After watching them for a few hours someone hollered and we turned around and there were 4 wolves playing in the meadow.  Yep...4!  Can you believe that?  Here's a short sound bite of a wolf howling (crank the volume) - boy, is it a forlorn sound. 

So, within a 4 hour span I saw 7 grizzly bear, 4 wolves and some elk and bison as well.  It was great.  I'm spoiled for the rest of my life. 

One of the grizzly we saw (chomping on buffalo)

The next day I was a little disappointed to only see 1 grizzly bear and 2 wolves.  This reminds me of my Taiwan New Year's celebration and how that has "ruined" me of fireworks!  (see post:Chinese New Year – Taiwan Style:  Part 1 of more than one).  I'll gladly take any of these "ruining" experiences!

Wow...It was amazing to see so many grizzly out over several day and the wolves up closer than normal (typically they are viewed at about 1 mile away through a scope).  I saw interactions with grizzly and each other; grizzly eating a carcass (way cool!) and a wolf and a buffalo go at it.  It was thoroughly awesome to see!  I wonder what next year will bring? 

Check out additional pictures under the "New" section of the tab "Photo Galleries by Type."

One of the 4 Wolves

Beartooth Highway Highlights 2014

I had never been out of the Northeast entrance of Yellowstone and through the Beartooth Scenic highway so we did that this summer.  It was spectacular.  Charles Kuralt said it was one of the most scenic drives in the US and I have to agree with the man. 

It took us about 7-8 hours to drive up and back from West Yellowstone to the West Peak on the Beartooth Highway.  I'm a shutterbug so that included several stops along the way.  I'll hit a few major stops and tell you some things to check out if you go.

The first stop was just outside of Cooke City (which is no more than a post office and a few cafes) where there was a seemingly boring stop along the river.  People driving towards Red Lodge will typically just drive on by not seeing anything exciting but I just happened to look in the side mirror back as we passed (no, I wasn't driving) and see the most spectacular view of the Beartooth Peak in all its glory.  In fact, it looks a heck of a lot like the Matterhorn from this view (see below).  I was really glad we stopped as it was a clear morning and the best view of the peak by far. 

Beartooth Mountain

Another stop was at the West Summit area.  Wow, you really are on top of the world at almost 11000' (more so than the official sounding "top of the world" stop which is just a souvenir shop - that's a total ploy if you ask me!). The wildflowers were really out in their glory and the contrast between the colors of flowers, the green tundra, the jagged rock and the glaciers was a sight to behold.  It was rather nippy up on top of the mountain however with a stiff wind so wearing a jacket if you were going to be outside for more than 30 seconds was essential. 

Tundra Flowers

While gazing at the tundra I noticed a white flash dart over a ridge.  Was it so?  I don't know...we drove around the corner and sure enough...there was a mountain goat!  This is the first wild mountain goat I've ever seen so I was super excited about it.  We sat and watched it for several minutes before it decided to take off down a rock embankment out of sight.  It was much better viewing in the binoculars but what a rare and neat sight!  I love national geographic moments (yes, as a kid I loved Wild Kingdom and wanted to be like Marlin Perkins). 

Thank goodness I had a telephoto lens.  I wouldn't want to try to follow him - he climbed like a mountain goat!

One great and easy way to enjoy the flowers and vistas is to drive to the Clay Butte Lookout Tower.  Its a short and easy dirt road through some pretty wildflowers to the fire lookout.  It has some incredible views which is well worth the 20 minute diversion.  It is staffed by knowledgeable folks who can answer most questions you throw at them.  This is high praise from me...I tend to ask a ton of questions that aren't the easy type to answer.

Another stop with a small walk is Crazy Creek.  It is a campground on one side of the road and a trailhead to the Crazy Creek lookout on the other side of the road.  It is a twisty, turning creek that has a broad cascading area to view.  There are two stories about the naming of this creek.  One theory is that the creek twists like crazy.   Another is that an Indian woman lived here who was crazy.  That makes me laugh.  It is a short, but uphill walk to a viewpoint on top of the cascades/falls area. 

Crazy Creek

Obviously I only hit some highlights but this is definitely something to do if you enjoy easily accessing grandeur landscapes. 

Check out some of the additional pictures under the section "New" of the tab "Photo Galleries by Type."

2014 Flaming Gorge - water sports make you do funny things

Well, I must have done something right because I was invited back for another episode of Flaming Gorge boating/camping expedition with my friends (and new friends from last year who I guess are old friends now).

The weather was still pretty iffy with wind and rain and the antelope still loped and the jackrabbits hopped.   That being said I had a great time and am excited for this now annual event.  So, I thought this year I would highlight the faces we all make while doing water sports.  I'm sure it will make you smile!

Water sports require concentration for Bridge...

 and more concentration from Sadie.

There's always an oops factor

But then at times you (well at least Erin) can be very graceful!

Max tends to ride on the wild side

It requires some fun determination

and a bit of grit too :)

The match makes Dave tough!

Jodi was loving the kneeboard

Until she got outside the wake!

 I had the same issue - it was actually a nasty algae spot coming my way

Dave required the most determination - LOOK UP!

No Dave, really...look up!

 

while Doug was a cool cat.

And Jodi just kept on having fun (like all of us!)

Slots - and I'm not talkin' bout Vegas

Slot canyons are some of the coolest things around.  There aren't many in the world and a good portion of them are right here in my home state of Utah.  I went on a long weekend excursion hiking several slot canyons with my friend Kay and her family.

Peek-A-Boo & Spooky Gulch Slot Canyon

Peek-a-Boo and Spooky Gulch are located right next to each other just outside of Escalante, Utah.  Going east outside of the city you take the Hole-In-The-Rock dirt (washboard) road for about 26 miles to the trailhead off of Dry Fork Road.  The road is not the greatest and the car definitely has some additional squeaks and loose screws after taking the road so be aware. 

From the trailhead you head down following the cairns along a slick rock slope to a sandy bottomed ravine.  It isn't a very long hike down and you turn right and follow the Dry Fork Wash.  Immediately to your left is Peek-A-Boo.  Our first look at it said, "Oh, that ends too quickly and looks tough to get into so the entrance must be farther down the wash."  Nope...you go UP!  Thankfully Kay's husband is 6'-7" and strong (this will be even more useful later in the day!).  He climbed on up and then helped pull the rest of us up the two 10' ledges to the start of the canyon.  The kids are all strong gazelles (meaning long and lean!) so they made it just fine. 

Entrance into Peek-A-Boo

Peek-A-Boo is only 1/3 of a mile long but it is spectacular.  There is a fair amount of climbing required even once you are inside but it is definitely worth it.  Wear long pants for this one and clothes that you don't care about as you are sliding on your backside and crawling over red rock.  Every obstacle we would climb over was a new view of slots and arches.  With three cameras going (ok, I actually think we had 5 in the group!) we didn't move very fast and thankfully we started early enough that we had no competition or people pushing from the backside.  The lighting was pretty decent for us and we thoroughly enjoyed it.  It ended too quickly and the slot opened up.  Stay in the wash until it is obvious and easy to get out on your right side. 

Peek-A-Boo view of what you climb through and what you get to see as a reward!

Once out you turn right and head for Spooky Gulch.  Kay and her family had done Spooky a few years prior but hadn't figured out how to make the loop.  We were bound and determined to make the loop this time. 

Initially you walk again into a wash and after a few 3' drops you are in the canyon.  No big deal right?  Well, a short while later you hit the real obstacle. There is a huge boulder jam which has to be navigated to get down the final 10-15' into Spooky Gulch.  Hmmm...no wonder they say a rope might be good!  We had seen the previous group shimmy on their bellies through a small hole and twist and turn to get down to the bottom.  It didn't look fun.  We sat and ate lunch in the shade while we contemplated our options. 

Kay's husband to the rescue again!  He was able to shimmy through a rabbit hole (large rabbit mind you) and found a larger opening where we could do a "chimney" maneuver down to his shoulders and he could then lift us down the final 6'.  I'll admit it wasn't the most comfortable thing I had ever done but I was glad I had a lot of trust in Kay's husband. 

Ya...this was the feat and how we got into Spooky Gulch!

From there the fun started.  First off it was closer to mid-day so there were actually people that you had to navigate by.  My friends and I are all big people - not fat mind you; but no one thinks petite when they see us.  I'm the shortest adult at 5'-11".  The kids just started walking down the slot canyon and would have to twist and turn at various points.  Us big folks on the other hand had to contemplate our moves.  Spooky Gulch has long sections that are so narrow I had to take the pack off and turn my feet sideways to even to get through.  And, once you start in a direction sideways, since it is so narrow, you can't turn or rotate.  That can make it difficult on some of the turns!  I'm not claustrophobic or anything so it was just fun to do.  And again, your shirt is going to rub on both sides so beware.  Luckily the floor is just a packed sand bottom so the fact that you can't really look down isn't a problem.

We all had a good time squishing, contorting and turning.  Kay's husband had the worst trouble but even he survived without too much emotional scarring - I hope.

Kay's husband - surviving squishing through the slots of Spooky Gulch.

Willis Creek

The last night in Escalante we were looking at galleries when we saw beautiful pictures of another slot canyon.  After some inquiry we realized it was on our way down to Kanab (our next stop) so we decided to take a short detour to hike this pretty slot canyon in the morning.

Willis Creek is located off Skutumpah Road by about 5 miles.  The trailhead is across the road and it is just a short 5 minute walk to the creek.  This is a great family friendly hike where you have to be okay with getting the bottom of your shoes a little wet. 

The slot is about 3'-6' wide and has Willis Creek running through it (supposedly year round) and a few hundreds yard long. It was great for my friend's 70 year old parents to hike with us.  The kids loved playing and it was still spectacular to see. 

Willis Creek Slot Canyon entrance

It is also worth hiking up towards the road where there is a quaint little waterfall.  This was a great hike and little slot canyon.

 

Buckskin Gulch

Buckskin Gulch is the big daddy of them all.  It is one of the deepest and longest slot canyons in the world (if you believe everything the internet says).  We went not knowing much about the conditions as it says sometimes there are deep pools of water or even worse - mud!  Plus there are several boulder jams to deal with possibly.  We figured we would go as far as we could and turn around.  Adventures make good stories right?!

Upon looking at the whole situation we ended up not starting at the trailhead but instead went to Wire Pass and took this spur trail which connected with Buckskin Gulch.  This is totally the way to go! 

The first mile+ is along a wash with few trees for shade (it gets pretty hot in the afternoon!).  You then come to the Wire Pass slot canyon which is really, really, really neat.  Did I say really neat enough?  It is only a few feet wide and up to 100' high.  It was great!  There is one pretty significant drop down which you have to shimmy onto this slick log (thankfully that was there - those not balance challenged will not think twice about this obstacle.  I'm balance challenged) but otherwise it is an easy walk.  We really enjoyed this area. 

This is the log you shimmy down the drop - don't let those slits fool you as they did me absolutely no good <g>.

At the confluence of Wire Pass and Buckskin Gulch there are some ancient Indian petrylgyphs on the right hand side right up close at ground level allowing for easy viewing of any age.

Petroglyphs on the wall - not as ancient as Petra but still pretty cool.

We then decided to head back towards the main trailhead rather than going deeper into Buckskin Gulch.  Next time I think I would go further into Buckskin Gulch because to the trailhead (left) the slot does open up a bit and you can only walk maybe 1.5 miles until you are out of the slot canyon.  We turned around at this point, retracing our steps back through Wire Pass and to the car.  The hike is flat, cool (when you are inside the slot) and has some amazing views.  The final part of the hike back in the wash area is not the most pleasant; only in that its hot and dusty.  But we all survived after a healthy dose of ice cream back in town.

The crew in Buckskin Gulch

All in all it was a great weekend filled with lots of slot canyons around southern Utah.  I'd definitely recommend doing any of these hikes and hope to hike them again someday! Thanks Kay et al!

To check out all the pictures check them out under my photo galleries - section New.