Christy standing in “The Windows” with Turret Arch behind, in Arches National Park. Since it was cold in the mornings we headed out to shoot some photos to allow the temperature to warm before hitting the trails. We like to say we’re just playing the hand we’ve been dealt. That is, when current conditions don’t allow for certain activities, just go with what’s working. In this case, we had such...
Running up one of the forks of the Navajo Loop. We love Bryce Canyon National Park. We just returned from four days of trail running and backpacking there and we were blown away by the beauty. Utah has no shortage of incredible desert scenery, the state has five National Parks to showcase it all. But through the years we had always set our sights on the other members of Utah’s...
Clearing weather allowed for a descent of the Pine Creek slot, one of the Zion classics.
We arrived with a rainstorm, so we hustled out to the Overlook and watched the waterfalls start up. The fall off-season wouldn’t be complete without a trip to the desert. I recently joined a group of friends on a trip to Zion National Park, a favorite spot in southwest Utah for some slot canyon adventures. If there’s one rule regarding slot canyons, it’s that they should always be avoided when...
Sean, in the Zion Narrows. The Zion Narrows– where the Virgin River cuts deep into the sandstone as it makes it way into Zion National Park. (more…)
Lower Buckskin Gulch The following morning, with lighter packs, we continued down Buckskin Gulch to the Paria River. It was about six miles downstream to the confluence. After a quick dunk in the river and a little playing around with quicksand, we were on our way back up the canyon. We stopped at the midway exit to grab our overnight stuff and then retraced our path to Wire Pass. (more…)
Deep in Buckskin Gulch. Buckskin Gulch has the proud distinction of being the longest slot canyon in the world. All slot canyons by definition have sections of tight narrows, but the depth and length of these narrows can vary. Some are actually quite short, often measured in yards. Others can go for longer, even as long as a mile, before it opens up and higher ground can be reaches. The...
One of the many rappels in Water Holes Canyon Water Holes Canyon is a slot canyon just south of Page, Arizona. It empties into the Colorado River from the east, just below Glen Canyon Dam. Like Antelope Canyon, Water Holes is on Navajo land and requires permission to access. (more…)
It was time for a fall desert trip, so a group of us headed down to Page, Arizona, with a list of canyons and slots to check out. We started with Antelope Canyon. (more…)
Looking north up the Waterpocket Fold in the morning. As you travel east (right) you pass through younger and younger rock strata. The Waterpocket Fold of Capitol Reef might be best described as a bend in the earth’s crust where subsequent erosion has exposed the underlying rock strata. Whereas the layers of desert rock are normally seen in a canyon wall stacked vertically, the layers of the Fold are tilted...
We met in Aspen in 2000 and have been happily stuck in the rockies ever since, getting out in the mountains every day we can, in every season and by all means possible. Read More
