We decided to check out Capitol Reef National Park last weekend. Like many people, we had long known of this National Park in south central Utah but had never spent any actual time there. One of its major attractions is the Waterpocket Fold, a 100 mile long exposed monocline
Through some of the narrows on the descent from the East Rim to Weeping Rock. We ran the Zion Traverse last week– a linkup of existing trails across Zion National Park that measures about 48 miles and reportedly gains around 10,000 vertical feet. Christy and I are big fans of established courses such as the Grand Canyon Rim-to-Rim (or roundtrip) and the Four Pass Loop, so it was time to...
Mary’s Loop Like a couple of elk forced down to lower elevations by snowfall, Christy and I headed to Fruita to go for a run. Most people associate Fruita with mountain biking. While the biking is nothing short of awesome there, many of the trails work equally well for a run. The rolling, semi-technical Kokopelli trails are the best, since the bikers aren’t moving as fast and as a runner...
“Remember: Hiking to the river and back in one day is dangerous and never recommended due to limited shade, extreme heat and a near 5,000 foot elevation change!” – from The Guide- Maps and Information for Grand Canyon National Park, issued to visitors upon arrival. Christy on the snowy descent from the North Rim. Well they got the elevation part right, at least for the South Rim section of the...
I pulled out the GoPro last weekend while mountain biking in Fruita. Here’s a little clip I put together from a ride with Philip, Troy and Wheaton, down the 18 Road luge-course known as the Kessel Run. It’s set to music from the Boulder-based band The Amends. Their first, self-titled album was released earlier this summer and is definitely worth checking out.
When last weekend’s weather forecast wasn’t looking conducive to outdoor activities around Aspen, Christy and I decided to head to Moab.
“It’s a classic!” said Tim, which by itself didn’t mean much to me since he describes most, if not all, sections of river he’s run as such. But in this case he wasn’t the only friend to speak of the the 85 mile stretch of the Desolation and Gray Canyons of the Green River as a must-do, so when he offered me an invite to join the six day Deso/Gray...
Some of Joshua Tree’s park residents. The road trip continues, and after our jaunt at the Grand Canyon, we put the running stuff away and headed towards Joshua Tree. In keeping with our plan to prolong summer as long as possible, we made a trip to the desert climbing mecca in Southern California– something we had long had on our list. Its legendary status as a “bucket list” climbing destination...
Here’s a look at the first leg of the trip, the Rim to Rim from south to north. It might not look that far but remember, it’s not called the Grand Canyon because it’s small. Click to enlarge. Here’s a good one if you’re a fan of the long day– start at the South Rim of the Grand Canyon, run nine-plus miles down to the Colorado River and ascend some...
So far, so good. Joey and Sean descend into the White Canyon near Hite crossing, Utah, upstream of the swimming slots known as “The Black Hole.” The Black Hole. It sounds scary, right? Well, if claustrophobia, freezing cold water and flash floods get you nervous then this slot canyon run probably isn’t best for you. But if you’ve got a good wetsuit, booties and a perfect weather forecast then a...