Utah

  • Utah

    Mesa Arch vs. Lost Kiva

    December 2, 2015 - By 

    Mesa Arch sucks. So bad. Mesa Arch is a reminder for why I hate people. We first went to Mesa Arch last year in 2014 at the end of September on a Tuesday.  The idea that a late fall weekday would bring fewer tourists ended up slapping in the face with disappointment as we were painfully proven wrong.  Fast forward one year to now, another Tuesday during the week of Thanksgiving.  Once again we ignorantly assumed (more like hoped) that there would be fewer tourists given it was so late in the season.  Nope.  Instead, the experience was worse. About 10 minutes before sunrise, a small crowd…

  • Utah

    White Rim Road

    November 29, 2015 - By 

    In the spring and fall permits for the White Rim Road sell out fast.  It’s no wonder why. The adventure on White Rim Road in the Island in the Sky district of Canyonlands offers more than just off-roading.  Tack on canyon rim camping, mountain biking, and hiking over a minimum of 2 days and 1 night and you’ve got some wild fun.  $30 permits can be reserved up to 4 months in advance but thanks to the cold off season we acquired ours the afternoon before we began our first real off-roading adventure. Because it was our first true off-roading…

  • Utah

    Needles

    November 25, 2015 - By 

    I should have explained in my first post about Canyonlands that the national park is divided into three districts: Island in the Sky, Needles, and The Maze. These three districts are separated by deep canyons created by the Colorado and Green Rivers, making it impossible to go from one park to the other within national park boundaries. Each district has its own entrance, which takes at least a couple of hours to travel from one to the next. Last year during my first visit to Canyonlands, I sampled two days at Island in the Sky by checking out every overlook, walking all…

  • Utah

    Monument Valley and Around

    November 23, 2015 - By 

    Monument Valley is arguably one of the most famous landscapes in the American Southwest. After watching Forrest Gump, I knew a snapshot of the epic stretch of road leading up into the valley was obligatory. Better yet, I was going to cycle it. Since we were approaching Monument Valley from the northeast in Colorado, I made note of the number of beautiful sites worth seeing along the way: Mexican Hat Rock, Moki Dugway, and Valley of the Gods. Immediately after hiking the Sand Canyon Trail we set out for Mexican Hat Rock, not because the rock formation was particularly interesting,…

  • Utah

    Crystal Geyser

    November 16, 2015 - By 

    No, not the brand of water. An actual geyser. An accidental, man-made geyser formed by a drilling attempt to find oil in 1935. The Crystal Geyser, located just a few miles south of the small town of Green River, Utah, was a rare cold water carbon dioxide driven geyser—it did not have any geothermal activity. I say was because it doesn’t erupt anymore. Prior to 2014, it was said that ~66% of the eruptions occurred about 8 hours after the previous eruption, and the rest about 22% after. Eruptions lasted 7-32 minutes, or 98-113 minutes. But now, due to stupid…

  • Utah

    Donut Falls

    November 15, 2015 - By 

    If you happen to be in or near Salt Lake City with a couple hours to kill, check out Donut Falls, perhaps one of the most popular hikes in the SLC area.  We were staying in Draper with friends, and they suggested making the quick hike (or walk) at Donut Falls. Apparently the week before, the climate resembled more like late summer/early fall. When we visited Donut Falls, it was clearly the start of winter.  The creek was mostly frozen with snow-covered rocks, and the hike up to Donut Falls was icy and slippery. But was it worth it?  YES! Because a portion…

  • Utah

    Slot Canyons

    October 17, 2014 - By 

    Within the Utah/Arizona region that holds the highest concentration of slot canyons compared to anywhere else in the world, Antelope Canyon is probably the most famous of them all.  Almost everyone has seen a photo of or been to Antelope Canyon. Typical photos include abstracts of glowing orange and subdued purple colors twirled together as if Mother Nature’s paintbrush swept the walls.  If it weren’t for the people posing within the narrow river-carved and wind-swept canyon, it would be easy to assume that it was a corridor of fantastical dreams. Even the drive between Zion National Park and Antelope Canyon awed us with indescribable…

  • Utah

    Zion

    October 15, 2014 - By 

    They say it’s a magical place. They say it’s the most visited national park in the United States. They say they come here for a weekend trip or a vacation and skip the other parks because they only have time for this one. They call it Zion National Park. One quickly realizes these statements are facts within minutes upon entering the park as heads turn here and there into a dizzying frenzy of enchantment.  However the well-seasoned traveler will also soon discover what they don’t tell you about Zion National Park, which I’ll lay out below. In the outskirt of the park lies the town of Springdale, which…

  • Utah

    Capitol Reef, Bryce, and Cedar Breaks National Parks

    October 10, 2014 - By 

    Capitol Reef Though not as grandiose and epic as the nearby Bryce and Zion National Parks, Capitol Reef still has its charm.  We ended up spending 3 days and 2 nights in this quaint park, hiking several trails and enjoying the ride through its known 15-mile round trip scenic drive. I can’t remember the last time we drove through majestic walls such as this–Capitol Gorge Road.  We occasionally stuck our heads out the window to gawk at the natural wonder: This road ended with 2 trailheads: Golden Throne Trail and Capitol Gorge Trail.  We hiked both since they were easy. The Golden Throne…

  • Utah

    Little Wild Horse Canyon, Goblin Valley, and Capitol Reef

    October 5, 2014 - By 

    After I completed my hike at Canyonlands National Park, we headed out for our next destination: Little Wild Horse Canyon and Goblin Valley State Park.  With storms swirling overhead the past couple days and even forecasted for the following day, we were surprised to be granted one sunny day with scattered clouds.  The day turned out to be perfect for cruising and enjoying the scenery. Boondocking in the vacant lands between Little Wild Horse Canyon and Goblin Valley State Park was recommended to us by a friend; little did we know that this area would expose us to a desert beauty…