Zion and the number 21 (May '10)

We're up to lucky number 21--that being the number of years we've been married--as well as the number of switchbacks on the Walter's Wiggles part of Angels Landing hike. This year it was Kim's idea to go stay at the Cliffrose Inn in Springdale, and spend a couple of days hiking in Zion National Park. Despite recovering from a mild concussion, Kim felt well enough to do the 8 mile round trip hike up to Observation Point.





Here are some narrows on the hike up, in middle Echo Canyon.















On top of Observation Point

Escalante River Packraft (Apr '10)

Mike and I planned a five day float trip from Egypt Trailhead down to Coyote Gulch, using our packrafts to float the 45 miles in the Escalante River. It didn't quite turn out as planned. After our first day of floating 6 miles, we decided that the river was too low for us to continue the rest of the way in a timely manner. We were scraping a lot of rocks and sticks, and taking much longer than we had planned. So we ended up exploring up 25 Mile Wash for an exit route, before realizing that it was too muddy and full of water and brush for us to make a good exit that way. We ended up hiking the six river miles back up to Neon Canyon, where we camped a night before hiking back up and out the 3 miles of slickrock up to Egypt. We will attempt this again some other year a little later, when the river is flowing higher.





A classic juniper tree growing in the middle of red rock near Egypt.











The Golden Cathedral, one mile up in Neon Canyon, was definitely one of the highlights of this trip. What a beautiful and unusual hole that formed in the top of the sandstone.














Packraft taking a break on the Escalante River.










Mike chilling in the sun up in Ringtail Canyon, just before entering the tight slot.

Salt Trail to the Little Colorado (Apr '10)

Mike and I almost got lost out on the Navajo Reservation, as we were driving around trying to find the Eminence Break route down to the river in Marble Canyon. Thanks to GPS technology, we were able to take the correct roads. We also drove to the top of the Salt Trail, which was a grueling hike down the the Little Colorado River.




Here is the eminence view from the break. Notice all the snow up on Saddle Mountain.








The LCR was flowing unusually high due to spring runoff. Unfortunately, we were not treated to the normal turquoise blue. It was so deep and swift, that we dared not cross it.










This huge pothole is very very deep in the Redwall limestone. Luckily the trail did not go through it.

Red Mountain Lakes on top? (Mar '10)

Beautiful views in wilderness!




Snake shaped stick is growing out of the yucca.


















After recent storms, the slickrock on top of the Red Mountain would make you think there are nice lakes and ponds up on top.

Desert Hike Photos from Red Cliffs Desert Reserve (Winter 10)

Here are some photos (not necessarily the best quality) from my new Droid phone's camera.




The Donut Arch up on the north end of Red Mountain.












The Santa Clara River, from the Sidewinder Trail.












Rising cobra snake coming out of an agave plant!













Snow Canyon and Pine Valley Mountain, from the top of the Red Mountain.













Slickrock formations above Tuacahn.
















The "Vortex" (aka: the "toilet bowl") had water in it. The Camelback Peaks in the distance.














Camelback and a desert tank.



















A slickrock dome in Washington Hollow.













Wave action on the stone in Yellow Knolls area.















Pools after a rain storm in Black Gulch.

Cathedral to Soap Float (Feb 10)

For a fun day trip, Mike and I drove our vehicles out to Marble Canyon, where we did a nice little hike down Cathedral Canyon to the river. Here is a shot of us inflating our little tiny packrafts, as we get ready to float 8 relatively calm river miles down the Grand Canyon until we reach a side canyon called Soap Creek.




This is the narrows of Cathedral Canyon.

A view of the Colorado River of Soap Creek Rapids.

Snowshoeing up to Zion's Angels Landing (Jan '10)

Our state got hammered by some big blizzards that dumped multiple feet of snow in the mountains. This storm prevented Mike and I from doing a cross country ski trip with some other guys over to Yosemite's Glacier Point. We were disappointed to say the least. The high country of Zion was not spared from the storms either, and so we took advantage of an early morning departure to be the first ones up the Angels Landing trail to Scout Lookout, and even higher up on the West Rim Trail.






A view of Angels Landing from the trail below.











Multiple 'waterfalls' of snow (avalanches), crashed down around us as we hiked through Refrigerator Canyon.




A view of the river below, from the railing at Scout Lookout. The chains higher up to Angels Landing required some major digging in order to find them.







This footprint sign seems so out of place.












A view of the main canyon from the West Rim Trail. There was at least 3 feet of snow up here.





Mike and I agreed that this incredible snow with the views in Zion is probably not even beatable by what we could have experienced in Yosemite.









Video of Avalanche in Zion

Land Hill Petroglyphs (Jan '10)

Evidence of bighorn sheep that once lived in the area.

Sasha, Kim and I had a nice stroll one winter day down on the south end of Ivins, up a mesa named Land Hill. The edge of the mesa drops off to the south several hundred feet down a cliff to the Santa Clara River, where you can see signs of prehistoric farm land where the Anasazi raised crops like corn. During their free time, the natives would climb up the cliff to the top, where they would carve hundreds of pictures into the rocks. These petroglyphs cover the hill top side, and are quite interesting to walk around, look at, and attempt to guess what they mean.



Sasha near some rocks where some experts say was a birthing area for the women of old.

Red Mountain Cross Country Skiing (Dec 09)

We finally got some precipitation here--the first time this Fall--and it came down pretty heavy. We got a few inches of snow in our backyard, but up on top of the Red Mountain, there was over a foot of fresh powder. I drove up Highway 18 and cross country skied several miles out to the Snow Canyon overlook. Notice my tracks on the left side of the photo below. The pinion and junipers are nicely flocked. This is looking north towards Pine Valley Mountain.






















Looking south from the Snow Canyon overlook.

Zion Subway Hike and Photos (Nov 09)

Zion's canyons have some of the best Fall colors anywhere this time of year. I organized a group of 12 of us friends and family members to go hike up to the Subway to enjoy the beauty. Due to sickness, only 9 of us made it, but we had perfect weather conditions, and I was able to get some great photos.



Here is an attempt to make a semi- abstract HDR-style photo of the beautiful cascades.










We left the day after daylight savings ended, so we at least had an extra hour of sleep after our Halloween fun.













Brooke resting by one of many beautiful cascades.










Here's CJ, Brooke, Sean and Ryan entering the Subway tunnel.













Swirling pools of autumn leaves, slots of light, cool water--a cathedral in the desert!
















The famous North Pole log still after so many years has never been washed down by a flash flood.

















A heart shaped pool.

















Another great shot.


















A close up of a trough of running water.



















Here's the group warming up in the sun for lunch.














Cool blue!