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Thread: The Hiking/Trail Running/Backpacking Thread

  1. #1

    The Hiking/Trail Running/Backpacking Thread

    I have fallen back in love with hiking after bagging a few peaks last year. I hope to be able to do quit a bit this year. I'd like to be able to share and document some of that here, and hear of others' experiences.

    Today, my wife and I were hiking near Fisher Towers, about 20 miles east of Moab. We were just starting the trail when we heard a scream. We looked up, and someone had just BASE jumped from one of the towers. I was able to snap a picture after the 'chute opened and before they landed out of site.

    image.jpg

    The hike was spectacular. The trail winds around the base of the towers, about 2.5 miles to a lookout post where you can look back at them. There are also some great Southwest vistas with the Colorado River in the distance. If you are ever in Moab and want something away from the parks and crowds, this is a good choice.
    Last edited by chrisrenrut; 02-15-2015 at 07:42 AM.
    “To me there is no dishonor in being wrong and learning. There is dishonor in willful ignorance and there is dishonor in disrespect.” James Hatch, former Navy Seal and current Yale student.

  2. #2
    “To me there is no dishonor in being wrong and learning. There is dishonor in willful ignorance and there is dishonor in disrespect.” James Hatch, former Navy Seal and current Yale student.

  3. #3
    That is a fun hike. I've instructed my family that when I am old and senile they are to drop me off in the deserts of Moab and leave me for dead.

  4. #4
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    I've 4 wheeled all over Moab. Hiking not so much. I would love information on local hikes around the Salt Lake Valley.

  5. #5
    Sam the Sheepdog LA Ute's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Devildog View Post
    I've 4 wheeled all over Moab. Hiking not so much. I would love information on local hikes around the Salt Lake Valley.
    I have a book in Salt Lake called "100 Day Hikes Around Salt Lake City," or some such title. It's pretty good and we have used it often. I'll fnd it and give you the exact title next time I'm there.

    "It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye."
    --Antoine de Saint-Exupery

    "Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold."
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    “True, we [lawyers] build no bridges. We raise no towers. We construct no engines. We paint no pictures - unless as amateurs for our own principal amusement. There is little of all that we do which the eye of man can see. But we smooth out difficulties; we relieve stress; we correct mistakes; we take up other men's burdens and by our efforts we make possible the peaceful life of men in a peaceful state.”

    --John W. Davis, founder of Davis Polk & Wardwell

  6. #6
    Quote Originally Posted by Devildog View Post
    I've 4 wheeled all over Moab. Hiking not so much. I would love information on local hikes around the Salt Lake Valley.
    Mt Olympus-3.5 miles each way but the last 1.5 is pretty steep. Great view of the valley. If you go in the summer start early to avoid the sun and rattlesnakes.
    Grandeur Peak
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  7. #7
    Malleus Cougarorum Solon's Avatar
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    We spent the weekend at Bryce Canyon. I've always considered Bryce to be Zion NP's JV, but maybe I should give it another shot.
    It was a really good park for the kids, even with some rain & hail.

    Bryce Canyon - May 2015 (800x600).jpg
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  8. #8
    Quote Originally Posted by Solon View Post
    We spent the weekend at Bryce Canyon. I've always considered Bryce to be Zion NP's JV, but maybe I should give it another shot.
    It was a really good park for the kids, even with some rain & hail.

    Bryce Canyon - May 2015 (800x600).jpg
    I love hiking in Bryce more than any other park. It feels more 'intimate', if that makes sense. Your able to get right down into it, and feel more connected to the geologic forces that created and continue to act on it.
    Last edited by chrisrenrut; 05-18-2015 at 09:41 PM.
    “To me there is no dishonor in being wrong and learning. There is dishonor in willful ignorance and there is dishonor in disrespect.” James Hatch, former Navy Seal and current Yale student.

  9. #9
    My wife and I hike Angel's Landing in Zion every April for her birthday. We have been doing it since the mid-90's. It is a great hike so long as you start early and avoid the crowds. We also like the Hidden Canyon hike across the valley from Angel's landing. I hike Dog Lake up Millcreek Canyon 6 or 7 times each summer/fall. Odd days dogs can be off leash and my golden retriever loves the hike. It is about 3 miles each way up the Little Water trail.

  10. #10
    Uteopia,
    Have you ever done Dog Lake from Big Cottonwood - I think from one of the Mill Trails? I've heard that's a good hike as well. I've done it from Mill Creek.

  11. #11
    Quote Originally Posted by Utebiquitous View Post
    Uteopia,
    Have you ever done Dog Lake from Big Cottonwood - I think from one of the Mill Trails? I've heard that's a good hike as well. I've done it from Mill Creek.

    I have done it a few times. It is shorter, so more vertical. I don't go that way because dogs are not allowed up Big or Little Cottonwood canyons.

    Lake Blanch up Big Cottonwood is also a great hike. It is a longer, steeper hike.

  12. #12
    Did a trail run in St George this morning, in the trails above Snow Canyon Parkway. Glorious morning, 65 degrees, calm, and just me and the rabbits on the trail. I didn't see another person out there.

    image.jpg

    image.jpg

    image.jpg
    “To me there is no dishonor in being wrong and learning. There is dishonor in willful ignorance and there is dishonor in disrespect.” James Hatch, former Navy Seal and current Yale student.

  13. #13
    Those are beautiful pictures. Very jealous right now.

  14. #14
    Administrator U-Ute's Avatar
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    Cecret Lake and Albion Basin this weekend.








  15. #15
    Sam the Sheepdog LA Ute's Avatar
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    Wow. Gorgeous.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

    "It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye."
    --Antoine de Saint-Exupery

    "Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold."
    --Yeats

    “True, we [lawyers] build no bridges. We raise no towers. We construct no engines. We paint no pictures - unless as amateurs for our own principal amusement. There is little of all that we do which the eye of man can see. But we smooth out difficulties; we relieve stress; we correct mistakes; we take up other men's burdens and by our efforts we make possible the peaceful life of men in a peaceful state.”

    --John W. Davis, founder of Davis Polk & Wardwell

  16. #16
    First real hike of the year. Failed attempt to hike to Grandview Peak from North Canyon. Not knowing the trail beyond Rudy's Flat caused a lot of off-trail exploring which wasted a lot of time and energy, so I came up a mile short. Very pretty but rugged terrain once you get up to the ridge. Next time I'll know the route, and to take more water and food.

    About 16 miles round trip, 4300 vertical feet, in 8 hours. I saw as many moose on the trail (a cow and two calfs) as I did people (a dad and two sons coming down North Canyon from a backpacking trip). 

    Rather than an adding pictures here, this link should be public to view pictures and captions. It's on google plus (that's still a thing, right?).
    https://plus.google.com/106945728170...ts/5cB51fbYz3s


    “To me there is no dishonor in being wrong and learning. There is dishonor in willful ignorance and there is dishonor in disrespect.” James Hatch, former Navy Seal and current Yale student.

  17. #17
    Quote Originally Posted by chrisrenrut View Post
    First real hike of the year. Failed attempt to hike to Grandview Peak from North Canyon. Not knowing the trail beyond Rudy's Flat caused a lot of off-trail exploring which wasted a lot of time and energy, so I came up a mile short.
    Yeah, if you take the ridge NE above Rudy's it gets pretty sparse in terms of a defined trail, it's basically scrambling until you get to Grandview.

    If you want to bag Grandview with less vertical and total mileage, you can drive up Skyline Drive above the "B", and take the Sessions Mountain road on the east side of this part of the Wasatch to the trailhead of the Great Western Trail at the top of Holbrook Canyon above Bountiful, and attack Grandview from the north.

    The only thing I hate about this route this time of year is all the ATV traffic, gun fire, shotgun shells laying around, garbage and clay pigeon fragments, etc. It's pretty striking the difference in "mentality" you see in different parts of the Wasatch. Above Bountiful there is plenty of "fed-hatin' freedom lovers", saw a guy with a big confederate flag on his rig earlier this week. I wonder if all the gunfire will eventually result in water quality issues for the population below.

  18. #18
    Administrator U-Ute's Avatar
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    So, we got a bit crazy on saturday.

    We got up at 8am and drove 4 hours down to Kanarraville to do the Kanaraville Falls hike, then drove home that night. It is a unique hike through a slot canyon carved by the Kanaraville Creek. Quite a nice hike on a hot day.

    You walk about 1-1.5 miles on a trail along side the creek, and then walk right into the entrance to a slot canyon that was carved by the creek. From that point on you are walking in the river a-la The Narrows at Zion National Park. As you walk, you come across several falls you need to traverse. Some have ladders/ropes that have been placed by other hikers. Others you need to navigate using only what god gave you. We walked up to a point where there is a moss covered rock that doubles as a water slide. We spent some time there and then hiked back down.

    The walk along the river. The trail crosses the river at several locations along here, so you can also choose to walk into the river. Most people seem to walk along side on the way up and then drop all pretense on the way back down after spending an hour walking in the river.
    riverside_hike.jpg

    This is looking back at the entrance to the slot canyon from inside the canyon. The transition is abrupt as the trail goes up the canyon to the end and runs into this wall.
    slot_entrance_small.jpg

    These are the first major falls you come across while in the slot canyon. You can see the ladder that was fabricated by previous hikers. It is stable but slippery and so this ends up being quite a bottleneck later in the day. This picture was luck that there wasn't anyone else in it as there are a dozen or so people that just went up the ladder. On the way down later in the day, it was crowded with people waiting to both go up and down. I'd plan on spending a good 30 minutes in one direction or another while waiting for groups to traverse it. There are plenty of distractions around for kids so it wasn't too bad of a wait. At the top there is plenty of room so it is easy to keep the kids away from the edge.
    FirstFalls_Small.jpg

    The "natural water slide".
    slide_small.jpg

    The hike to the slide isn't that far, around 3.5-4 miles round trip, but the hiking in the river is slow. We expected to take about 3 hours round trip but it took us 4. There are more falls further up the river that we didn't get to since it took longer than expected and we needed to get back onto the road. The walk down is plenty long enough that you end up getting pretty dry in the summer sun, except for your shoes. You have to traverse the river a couple of times on the way down so it keeps your shoes nice and wet. So bring an extra pair to drive away in.

  19. #19
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    Hrm. Those pictures turned out smaller than I expected. I can post bigger ones if anyone cares.

  20. #20
    Quote Originally Posted by U-Ute View Post
    So, we got a bit crazy on saturday.

    We got up at 8am and drove 4 hours down to Kanarraville to do the Kanaraville Falls hike, then drove home that night. It is a unique hike through a slot canyon carved by the Kanaraville Creek. Quite a nice hike on a hot day.

    You walk about 1-1.5 miles on a trail along side the creek, and then walk right into the entrance to a slot canyon that was carved by the creek. From that point on you are walking in the river a-la The Narrows at Zion National Park. As you walk, you come across several falls you need to traverse. Some have ladders/ropes that have been placed by other hikers. Others you need to navigate using only what god gave you. We walked up to a point where there is a moss covered rock that doubles as a water slide. We spent some time there and then hiked back down.

    The walk along the river. The trail crosses the river at several locations along here, so you can also choose to walk into the river. Most people seem to walk along side on the way up and then drop all pretense on the way back down after spending an hour walking in the river.
    riverside_hike.jpg

    This is looking back at the entrance to the slot canyon from inside the canyon. The transition is abrupt as the trail goes up the canyon to the end and runs into this wall.
    slot_entrance_small.jpg

    These are the first major falls you come across while in the slot canyon. You can see the ladder that was fabricated by previous hikers. It is stable but slippery and so this ends up being quite a bottleneck later in the day. This picture was luck that there wasn't anyone else in it as there are a dozen or so people that just went up the ladder. On the way down later in the day, it was crowded with people waiting to both go up and down. I'd plan on spending a good 30 minutes in one direction or another while waiting for groups to traverse it. There are plenty of distractions around for kids so it wasn't too bad of a wait. At the top there is plenty of room so it is easy to keep the kids away from the edge.
    FirstFalls_Small.jpg

    The "natural water slide".
    slide_small.jpg

    The hike to the slide isn't that far, around 3.5-4 miles round trip, but the hiking in the river is slow. We expected to take about 3 hours round trip but it took us 4. There are more falls further up the river that we didn't get to since it took longer than expected and we needed to get back onto the road. The walk down is plenty long enough that you end up getting pretty dry in the summer sun, except for your shoes. You have to traverse the river a couple of times on the way down so it keeps your shoes nice and wet. So bring an extra pair to drive away in.
    That looks like a blast! Definitely one I'll try next time I'm down south. I had never heard of it before.
    “To me there is no dishonor in being wrong and learning. There is dishonor in willful ignorance and there is dishonor in disrespect.” James Hatch, former Navy Seal and current Yale student.

  21. #21
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    Quote Originally Posted by chrisrenrut View Post
    That looks like a blast! Definitely one I'll try next time I'm down south. I had never heard of it before.
    If you take the first Kanarraville exit south of Cedar City, just follow it down through the heart of Kanarraville until you get to 100 N. Turn east (there is a small sign there that says "Kanarraville Falls Parking" with an arrow to guide you) until you hit the parking lot. The trail head is at this parking lot and you can park there for $10.

    If you don't want to pay for parking, you can park at the LDS church on Main Street where you turned and walk the 5 or 6 blocks to the trail head.

  22. #22
    Quote Originally Posted by U-Ute View Post
    So, we got a bit crazy on saturday.

    We got up at 8am and drove 4 hours down to Kanarraville to do the Kanaraville Falls hike, then drove home that night. It is a unique hike through a slot canyon carved by the Kanaraville Creek. Quite a nice hike on a hot day.

    You walk about 1-1.5 miles on a trail along side the creek, and then walk right into the entrance to a slot canyon that was carved by the creek. From that point on you are walking in the river a-la The Narrows at Zion National Park. As you walk, you come across several falls you need to traverse. Some have ladders/ropes that have been placed by other hikers. Others you need to navigate using only what god gave you. We walked up to a point where there is a moss covered rock that doubles as a water slide. We spent some time there and then hiked back down.

    The walk along the river. The trail crosses the river at several locations along here, so you can also choose to walk into the river. Most people seem to walk along side on the way up and then drop all pretense on the way back down after spending an hour walking in the river.
    riverside_hike.jpg

    This is looking back at the entrance to the slot canyon from inside the canyon. The transition is abrupt as the trail goes up the canyon to the end and runs into this wall.
    slot_entrance_small.jpg

    These are the first major falls you come across while in the slot canyon. You can see the ladder that was fabricated by previous hikers. It is stable but slippery and so this ends up being quite a bottleneck later in the day. This picture was luck that there wasn't anyone else in it as there are a dozen or so people that just went up the ladder. On the way down later in the day, it was crowded with people waiting to both go up and down. I'd plan on spending a good 30 minutes in one direction or another while waiting for groups to traverse it. There are plenty of distractions around for kids so it wasn't too bad of a wait. At the top there is plenty of room so it is easy to keep the kids away from the edge.
    FirstFalls_Small.jpg

    The "natural water slide".
    slide_small.jpg

    The hike to the slide isn't that far, around 3.5-4 miles round trip, but the hiking in the river is slow. We expected to take about 3 hours round trip but it took us 4. There are more falls further up the river that we didn't get to since it took longer than expected and we needed to get back onto the road. The walk down is plenty long enough that you end up getting pretty dry in the summer sun, except for your shoes. You have to traverse the river a couple of times on the way down so it keeps your shoes nice and wet. So bring an extra pair to drive away in.
    I'm going to be down that direction this week/weekend. I've got smallish kids (5-11yos) and I think we've exhausted our kid friendly hike knowledge. Any recommendations for a similar hike that'd be okay for kids (I'll most likely be carrying the 5yo for most of whatever we do. She is weak and would be eaten by the wolves in the olden days).


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  23. #23
    Sam the Sheepdog LA Ute's Avatar
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    This book has been helpful to us when we look for hikes on our visits to Salt Lake:




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    "It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye."
    --Antoine de Saint-Exupery

    "Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold."
    --Yeats

    “True, we [lawyers] build no bridges. We raise no towers. We construct no engines. We paint no pictures - unless as amateurs for our own principal amusement. There is little of all that we do which the eye of man can see. But we smooth out difficulties; we relieve stress; we correct mistakes; we take up other men's burdens and by our efforts we make possible the peaceful life of men in a peaceful state.”

    --John W. Davis, founder of Davis Polk & Wardwell

  24. #24
    Administrator U-Ute's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Rocker Ute View Post
    I'm going to be down that direction this week/weekend. I've got smallish kids (5-11yos) and I think we've exhausted our kid friendly hike knowledge. Any recommendations for a similar hike that'd be okay for kids (I'll most likely be carrying the 5yo for most of whatever we do. She is weak and would be eaten by the wolves in the olden days).


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
    For what it is worth, my kids are 5 (6 in September), 9, and 10. We have done a number of hikes this summer so they are pretty good at it. The water does keep them distracted though.

    Off of the top of my head...

    There is one in Kolob Canyon called Taylor Creek that is pretty easy and beautiful. You have to pay for entrance into Zion to do it but you get the Kolob area to yourself. Most people go to the Springdale area. But you can also get into that area with this entrance fee if you want.

    Snow Canyon near St George is also pretty neat. The kids can play on the sand dunes. There is some lava tubes you can hike to. Very hot this time of year.

    Sand Hollow is a place where the kids can put their feet in the lake. Lots of bugs though.

    Cedar Breaks is amazing. I haven't done any hikes there but you need to get out and walk around to see the amazing views. Nice and cool this time of year.

  25. #25
    We're heading up to drive the Nebo loop tomorrow. Does anyone have suggestions on short hikes while we're up there? We have a 3 week old that is still nursing, so we can't handle anything very long.

  26. #26
    Quote Originally Posted by SavaUte View Post
    We're heading up to drive the Nebo loop tomorrow. Does anyone have suggestions on short hikes while we're up there? We have a 3 week old that is still nursing, so we can't handle anything very long.
    I haven't been on this personally, but this looks like it might be good. Short, but with a fun destination.

    http://www.hikinginutah.com/nebo-grotto.htm
    “To me there is no dishonor in being wrong and learning. There is dishonor in willful ignorance and there is dishonor in disrespect.” James Hatch, former Navy Seal and current Yale student.

  27. #27
    Quote Originally Posted by SavaUte View Post
    We're heading up to drive the Nebo loop tomorrow. Does anyone have suggestions on short hikes while we're up there? We have a 3 week old that is still nursing, so we can't handle anything very long.
    There is a very short hike to the devils kitchen with a cool view.

  28. #28
    Quote Originally Posted by U-Ute View Post
    For what it is worth, my kids are 5 (6 in September), 9, and 10. We have done a number of hikes this summer so they are pretty good at it. The water does keep them distracted though.

    Off of the top of my head...

    There is one in Kolob Canyon called Taylor Creek that is pretty easy and beautiful. You have to pay for entrance into Zion to do it but you get the Kolob area to yourself. Most people go to the Springdale area. But you can also get into that area with this entrance fee if you want.

    Snow Canyon near St George is also pretty neat. The kids can play on the sand dunes. There is some lava tubes you can hike to. Very hot this time of year.

    Sand Hollow is a place where the kids can put their feet in the lake. Lots of bugs though.

    Cedar Breaks is amazing. I haven't done any hikes there but you need to get out and walk around to see the amazing views. Nice and cool this time of year.
    Great recommendations. We have done some of those, will do the others including Kanarraville. We did find a cool walk that is outside of Santa Clara / Ivins on Old Highway 91. There are a ton of petroglyphs you can check out and the kids had a blast for about 45 minutes just finding new mad hidden ones. I found one depicting a ship crossing the sea and one of an obvious messianic figure visiting people among rubble and a tree of light. Wonder what it means?


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  29. #29
    Thanks for the recommendations. We did the short walk to devils kitchen (maybe 300 steps) and the Grotto.

    The grotto was pretty short as well. This is my wife doing it, she didn't even break a sweat, baby and all. Stare away in 3d. Its easiest if you zoom out (ctrl mouse wheel) to make it smaller to "get it" first, then slowly zoom back in to get it to the original size where you can see it.


  30. #30
    Administrator U-Ute's Avatar
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    The Grotto is amazing. Glad you made it.

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