Zion's Right Fork backpack trip (Sep 2005)

Mike Burkley and I tried this long and difficult backpack trip in September for two days and one night. It requires tricky navigation through thick brush, slickrock, canyons. We descended down a steep ramp to a chockstone where we rappelled not once, but twice. The second rappel was into a pool of ice cold, shaded water. We proceeded down canyon all day and finally arrived at the Grand Alcove, where we camped under a huge overhang of sandstone. The next day we rappelled down Barrier Falls. Just below that was Double Falls (shown below), which I have dayhiked up from the bottom to several different times. It is definitely one of the most challenging backpack trips I have done, but it is also the most diverse and incredibly beautiful.








Mike taking a break near a summit.













Me behind Double Falls.

Top of the Red Mountain (Sep 2005)

These are views from on top of the Red Mountain while looking down into Snow Canyon above the Three Ponds Trail area. Lots of beautiful slickrock to gaze upon.

Timp Point in the Grand Canyon (Aug 2005)

I spent a day and a night mountain biking on the Rainbow Rim trail along the rim of the Grand Canyon. This was the sunset view from my car camp site.

Kolob Arch and Beartrap Canyon (Aug 2005)

In late summer of 2005, I backpacked one night down in LaVerkin Creek, which is a part of Zion National Park in the Kolob Fingers section. I dayhiked up to Kolob Arch, the largest natural arch in the world. I also dayhiked up into Beartrap Canyon.






A beautiful waterfall blocks further upstream access in Beartrap Canyon. I'm standing in quicksand.





















Kolob Arch, as seen from 1/3 a mile away.

Grapevine in Zion (Aug 2005)

A hike down into the Right Fork area and up past Grapevine is a nice little hike in the summer. We actually heard and saw a rattlesnake next to the creek too.


















Sasha found a fun way to stay cool on the hike.

Zion Narrows (July 2005)

One of my all-time favorite hikes is to hike up the Zion Narrows on a hot summer day. I love the coolness, the water, the colors, the canyon, and the photographic opportunities. The combination of blues, grays, yellows, greens, and reds makes for an astounding, magical day.


















This is up Orderville Canyon, a side canyon in the Narrows. Notice the hanging gardens and all the colors.












Silky smooth water cascading down through the Narrows.




















A lone backpacker heading downstream.


















A house sized boulder diverts the water into a narrow passageway.

Nankoweap Day Hike (May 2005)

The first day the North Rim Grand Canyon road was opened, I drove out and spent the night at the top of the Nankoweap Trail. The next morning I dayhiked down to Marion Seber Pt and back (about 10 miles roundtrip).






Beautiful sunrise through a ponderosa.












View from along the Nankoweap Trail.

















The 'scary' ledge part of the trail.














A 'lake' just inside the park boundaries. Due to the wet winter, the road opened a week late.

Grand Canyon Clear Creek (May 2005)

Kim and I attempted this 4 night backpack trip for our May anniversary. The first day was very cold and rainy as we hiked down Bright Angel Trail to the campground at Phantom Ranch. The next day we hiked up the Clear Creek trail and set up camp and explored the Tonto and inner granite gorge. Total mileage was 44 days.



Kim at the top of the canyon. The rain is just beginning.


















Our camp on the Tonto next to the Clear Creek trail.












Me getting some water from a pothole above the inner gorge.














The trail along the inner gorge.
















Kim behind Ribbon Falls. This was a dayhike we did on a layover day.


















Wildflowers were in abundance.

















The canyon and the river at its grandest.






















Me near the top of the South Kaibab Trail

Lake Powell and Capitol Reef (Apr 2005)

In April of 2005, Stephanie went to Disneyland with her grandparents. Kim and I took Brooke and Sasha through Capitol Reef area to Lake Powell. The lake was at a historic level, and the Cathedral in the Desert was exposed.


A lonely road with one of the Henry's behind. This is just before getting to Bullfrog.

















Cleo guarded the boat while we wandered around the Cathedral in the Desert.
















A man from SLC played folk music in this superb sound chamber. He gave us a copy of his CD. Our favorite song was "The Damn Dam!" Waterfall in the background.

















Hickman Arch in Capitol Reef.













Orange wildflower blooming.

White slickrock on Red Mountain (Apr 2005)

Some of the best hiking anywhere is in and among the slickrock on the Red Mountain and around West Canyon. Here are some shots from a dayhike in the wet spring of 2005.




Many tanks and potholes like this were filled to the brim and overflowing for weeks.













A gap between the rocks looking down into West Canyon.

Kanab Creek (Apr 2005)

Mike Burkley and I backpacked four days down Jumpup to Kanab Creek, and down Kanab Creek to Scotty's Hollow and back. I was really weak and sick the first day, but got better after sleeping.




A view of Scotty's Castle, just before getting to Scotty's Hollow.
















One of many waterfalls in Scotty's Hollow.



















There were constant streams coming down through the Supai layer. Mike swimming in one.

Russel Gulch (Upper Subway) (April 2005)

Mike Burkley and I embarked on an adventure exploring the upper portion of the Subway during the huge spring runoff of 2005.






Water, red sandstone, forests, and slots.













An area that resembles the Wave.














Waterfalls were coming down everywhere in places that they should not have been.

Flooding and Wildflowers in Snow Canyon (Apr 2005)

So much rain came down in early 2005, that it flooded the main road in Snow Canyon with this flash flood washout, that was 8 feet deep.





The nice thing about the rain was that we got wildflowers like these!

Coyote Gulch (April 2005)

In the spring of 2005, Dad had some time off and a desire to come with me and try a backpack trip. I decided that Coyote Gulch in the Escalante River area was just the place for him to experience some of the best, and some of my favorite of Southern Utah. He borrowed a pack and some gear, and did a little training by walking around the neighborhood. We met up and I drove my truck down Hole In the Rock road (with one flat tire) to 40 Mile Ridge. The 2 mile trail down into the canyon went well, and we got to the bottom without incidence. The next day we hiked 7 miles down canyon to the Escalante River, and here are some of the neat things we experienced:





Dad fishing with his hiking stick. There are small fish in this stream, and they sometimes try to jump up the waterfalls.


















Under a 400' alcove the side of a football field, I found my seat and cup holder that looked up at a wall and high ceiling of sandstone (no I didn't carve my name).













Dad walking under Coyote Natural Bridge.











Dad checking out one of many waterfalls we had to hike down and around.

















Our camp under a ledge next to a nice spring and Lobo Arch (aka Jacob Hamblin Arch).
















On the hike back to the truck, we passed a rock shaped like a cobra. Navajo Mountain is in the background.