katuah
leftneck ramblegeek
- Joined
- Jan 5, 2015
- Messages
- 12
Hi folks; I have a trip coming up soon to take my 81-year-old mom on a big jaunt 'round southern Utah and the 4 corners area. We have done most all the big parks and such several times before (Arches, CanyIslands, Bryce, Zion, both rims GC, parts of GSENM, Hovenweep, etc) but this time we are driving my Jeep & camping a lot, whereas before it was only rentals & lodgings. Therefore, I'm planning to hit several areas that really are better done in your own 4x4, but nothing too extreme as we have to get back home to NC at the end. Tentative routing is something like this : NM/Chaco-->SE Colorado/CotA-->Cedar Mesa-->Maze (just the overlook area)-->HoleintheRock Rd-->?Goblin Valley?-->Beef Basin-->Moab .
Here's where I'd like to ask for some help: trail selection, based on real-world experience not just guidebooks. Online reports vary in the level of detail on many of them, and I'm running out of time to read. If any of you are on Expedition Portal, you may have seen my posts over there about my initial planning for this trip plus about special issues of camping with an elderly person. I love that my mom is still able and willing to approach life with such a spirit of adventure, so I'm trying to honor that by giving her as much adventure as is safely (and financially) possible.
Mom is really fascinated by slot canyons, and I'd like to take her to several, but at 81 she's not going to be able to take up technical canyoneering as a leisurely venture. She can probably out-hike me endurance-wise if we are on even terrain, so a bit of distance isn't an issue - it's more about the severity of terrain. Old knees and hips make for wobble on uneven ground, which can cause falls (very bad!). Which of the many slots are going to be easiest? LWH cleary, but what about the ones down HITR? If I can get to the Happy Canyon road, how difficult is the hike down to the river? Are there others I should consider?
She also really likes unusual rock formations/geology - for example, she'd love to see the Wave but I'm not sure enough of my route-finding skills to do that without someone else around who's been before (even if we could get a permit). That's part of why I was planning to go out to the Maze Overlook, GV, and down to Devils Garden on HITR. However, if there are other interesting places that are more off the beaten path but still reasonably accessible, I'm all ears.
I on the other hand enjoy ruins and rock art, and if it were just me I'd probably spend the whole trip poking around the back edges of Cedar Mesa and CotA... but for this trip I need to confine my hunts to places that are, again, more accessible. Considering I've already done many of the well-known easier spots on Cedar Mesa, I'm at a loss as to what to try. For example: Is the Citadel hike too exposed for someone with bad balance? Does it require any scrambles that might not work for her? I can't really tell from online reports. Does getting to Moon House involve too much straight-down-ledges stuff? How hard is the drop in to the canyon for Seven Kivas?
I know that's a lot in one post so I'm going to stop now. I would be deeply appreciative of whatever bits and pieces you might be willing to share - especially photos of trails, as that will do more to inform me than anything. Thanks, and I look forward to posting up some pics myself when we get back.
Here's where I'd like to ask for some help: trail selection, based on real-world experience not just guidebooks. Online reports vary in the level of detail on many of them, and I'm running out of time to read. If any of you are on Expedition Portal, you may have seen my posts over there about my initial planning for this trip plus about special issues of camping with an elderly person. I love that my mom is still able and willing to approach life with such a spirit of adventure, so I'm trying to honor that by giving her as much adventure as is safely (and financially) possible.
Mom is really fascinated by slot canyons, and I'd like to take her to several, but at 81 she's not going to be able to take up technical canyoneering as a leisurely venture. She can probably out-hike me endurance-wise if we are on even terrain, so a bit of distance isn't an issue - it's more about the severity of terrain. Old knees and hips make for wobble on uneven ground, which can cause falls (very bad!). Which of the many slots are going to be easiest? LWH cleary, but what about the ones down HITR? If I can get to the Happy Canyon road, how difficult is the hike down to the river? Are there others I should consider?
She also really likes unusual rock formations/geology - for example, she'd love to see the Wave but I'm not sure enough of my route-finding skills to do that without someone else around who's been before (even if we could get a permit). That's part of why I was planning to go out to the Maze Overlook, GV, and down to Devils Garden on HITR. However, if there are other interesting places that are more off the beaten path but still reasonably accessible, I'm all ears.
I on the other hand enjoy ruins and rock art, and if it were just me I'd probably spend the whole trip poking around the back edges of Cedar Mesa and CotA... but for this trip I need to confine my hunts to places that are, again, more accessible. Considering I've already done many of the well-known easier spots on Cedar Mesa, I'm at a loss as to what to try. For example: Is the Citadel hike too exposed for someone with bad balance? Does it require any scrambles that might not work for her? I can't really tell from online reports. Does getting to Moon House involve too much straight-down-ledges stuff? How hard is the drop in to the canyon for Seven Kivas?
I know that's a lot in one post so I'm going to stop now. I would be deeply appreciative of whatever bits and pieces you might be willing to share - especially photos of trails, as that will do more to inform me than anything. Thanks, and I look forward to posting up some pics myself when we get back.