Capitol Reef National Park, Utah

September 24th, 2016 -- Capitol Reef, Utah  Escaped for a much needed weekend in the outdoors with my best friend to enjoy one of the "Mighty Five" National Parks in my backyard.

"Orientation/observation" was our first car break and we were reward with panoramic views.

 After a quick photo op we were off to the super short hike to the Goosenecks where you can see the bend in the river.  You realize you are maybe 1/5 of the depth of the Grand Canyon which is incredible.

The visitor center was packed as it was a free day in the National Park.  The visitor center itself has an awesome topographical display of the NP and film of the area.

Driving into the park we had a short picnic after purchasing a personal peach pie and just took in the sites before our ambitious hike to Cassidy Arch.

The trailheads for both Cassidy Arch (1.5 miles each direction) and the Narrows.  After a couple of wild days of rain the road to the trailhead was washed out so we had to hike to the trailhead (1.3 miles).

On the way to the trailhead the scenary is amazing and if you look carefully you can see the barred uranium mines that are now just a ghost of forgotten central Utah enterprise.

Cassidy Arch is named after the infamous Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid as the canyon itself was said to be a frequent hideout for the outlaws.

 The trail begins with a strenuous hike that climbs nearly 1500 feet and gives sweeping views of the canyon, the cliffs and Capitol Dome in the distance.

 Of course just being in Capitol Reef you are reminded that time spans far beyond the native americans, outlaws and miners - here centuries have left their mark and we were just fortunate to enjoy the present with very few on this trail.

 At the end of an arduous hike we were rewarded with a massive arch that seemed like our own personal reward.  The drops were intense and my 'fear' of heights had me just a bit breathless.

 The hike back was just as beautiful as the original destination.

 Soon we were back in the U-Pick 'Em orchards gorging ourselves with apples and pears.

 On the way to Hickman Bridge we stopped at a small one-room school house.

 Hickman Bridge starts below 500 feet of shear cliff where you asked to keep moving while hugging the small river below.

 Unlike the red views of Cassidy Arch, Hickman is surrounded by white sandstone which is a different beauty of it's own.

 The bridge itself has an incredible expanse and is fantastic.

 The trail to the bridge loops past sweeping vistas and that make for an incredible panorama.

Exploring the history, the views and the wildlife make Capitol Reef and awesome twisted travel, the park is simply breathtaking and I can't wait to go back!

Hovenweep National Monument and Arches National Park

Saturday, January 18, 2014 --  With the three day weekend ahead I called up my dad and took my son on a 'generations weekend' to check off another bucket list adventure, the destination -  Hovenweep National Monument.

We bolted down to Moab after soccer games on Saturday with a quick side trip to see the "Biggest Coal Miner in the World" (Helper, UT).

Upon arriving in Moab we dropped off our bags and hiked to the Courthouse Wash petroglyph panel just outside town. It really is quite impressive for being so close to town.  Of course, there has been damage to the panel but it still conjures the imagination when you speculated its purpose and meaning.

After dining at a killer Italian restaurant in town, hot tubing in the January cold and a good night sleep we were well ready for day two of our adventure.

As soon as the sleepers were out of our eyes we found the local ward (congregation) of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and attended their sacrament meeting.  Its always fun to attend another congregation when out of town.  After church it was back on the road headed for Hovenweep.  Our first stop was the tourist trap "Hole 'N' the Rock".  I understand the site is for sale if you have a million dollars or more waiting to be spent.

Of course, we the had to make the obligatory stop and hike Wilson Arch.

Then it was past Monticello, Blanding and onto the reservation.

Hovenweep National Monument...

After exploring Hovenweep I chose to take the crew skirting through Canyons of the Ancients to Lowry Ruins.

There is something that draws me to Lowry Ruins. Maybe it's the fact that I always find something new and the remoteness of the site means there seemingly is always no one there, but I love the site and had a blast as my dad and my boy discovered it for the first time.

After a long day exploring it was all road back to Moab in the dark.

The next morning we woke up and headed to Arches National Park.  Being in the park in January is a different experience with snow blanketing the red rocks and a chill to every hike.  We were disappointed that the Fiery Furnace isn't hike-able during the winter season but you can understand why with all the ice in the shadows.  We elected for a quick hike to Double Arch and the Upper Delicate Arch viewpoints.

Then it was off to explore the Devil's Garden and Landscape Arch.

I love playing in the Devil's Garden and it really was pleasant with fewer crowds.  After reaching Landscape Arch our curiosity drove us up a primitive trail atop a fin, the first obstacle on the trail to Double O Arch.

The 4.2 mile trail is moderately difficult trail with some exposure to heights and dramatic views.  As we crossed a fin seemingly atop of the world I have to admit I wondered if my ambitions had overtaken common sense but my 8 yr old and my dad seemed to being enjoying the adventure so we kept moving forward.

Our stubbornness was rewarded with the pairing of two awesome arches. We had a blast and the hike moved our travel plans back a bit, but it was worth every minute.

By late afternoon we were back on the road with home as our destination.  It was an awesome last minute trip.