grand staircase

No extended thru hike this spring for me. :( But... I did manage to get back to southern Utah for another 5-day loop exploring Escalante's "Lower East Side". Actually... it wasn't really the trip I imagined. After I wimped out and couldn't make it over a dryfall climb solo, I had to ditch the...

Cedar Mountain by slc_dan, on Flickr Shefield Road Camp 1st night by slc_dan, on Flickr Shefield Road Camp 1st night 2 by slc_dan, on Flickr Mya, Mainstreet, V-Rock Hills by slc_dan, on Flickr Main Street Entrance by slc_dan, on Flickr Tinajas to Escalante by slc_dan...

After months of planning & prep I got to lead a group of scouts into Coyote Gulch over our Spring Break, April 10-12. I had scoured BCP and several guide books to become familiar with and be totally prepared for this adventure. I mention that because, despite all my preparations, things didn't...

I finally got to search Davis Gulch over Spring Break. Davis Gulch is the last known place that Everett Ruess visited before he mysteriously disappeared in 1934. It's a really cool story, so you're welcome to search for some information; I'll include some bits and pieces throughout this post...

After seeing all the cool Trip Reports I thought I'd share last year's adventure in Utah... Leaving the Sunshine State of Arizona behind I headed for Utah, just days before the Government Shut down last year. Heading first for Capitol Reef, I thought I'd check out the Goosenecks of the San Juan...

I usually feel pretty lucky just to get out for a night or two of camping in the dead of winter, backpacking has always seemed out of the question. But back toward the end of 2013, I ended up with a new member of the family, a wonderful furry hiking buddy named Sage. I was itching to get out and...

Friday - Sunday, January 31 - February 2, 2014 The Original Trip Report on ADVENTR.CO I had another permit to Coyote Buttes North this Saturday, so I decided to spend the weekend down around the Paria. The weather looked like it was going to be pretty nice so I was looking forward to getting...

BMT February 6, 2014 original trip report can be found at: https://matt-vogt-lsl5.squarespace.com/blog/2014/2/4/different Winter in the desert is different Places we know (above) take on a new character. They're quieter. More ephemeral. Intimate. We began our walk outside Boulder (Utah)...

A little late to post, but I figured this might help someone wanting to do a similar trip. Escalante has been on my bucket list for some time now, so I decided to plan a trip down there to see what it's all about. Many thanks to everyone that providedso many helpful suggestions for this trip...

Friday - Monday, November 8-11, 2013 The Original Trip Report on ADVENTR.CO Last November I said that I was going to be taking a little break from visiting the Paria Plateau, and I have. However, almost exactly a year later I was ready to go back for another visit and managed to get another...

Well... after putting together the video for my Boulder Mountain to Moab hike back in May, things got a little crazy for me and I didn't follow up with a full trip report. With 2013 winding down, I made myself sit down and put it all together this past weekend. The 18-day, 283-mile hike was...

Lets talk about what it means to go on a full on adventure when backpacking. When you make the mistake within the first five minutes of your trip and end up missing the trail, that then eventually leads to a massive unplanned detour, you can say you've been on an adventure. More on that later...

On the north end of Kanab, UT is a sub-division called La Estancia. Yes, they paid me to promote them and get people to move out there. Jokes. But on the northeast end of La Estancia is the trailhead to Tom's Canyon. It's a great hike if you are in the area. Winds its way up to the top of the...

Here are photos from the second trip of the ORPT 1030 -- Intro to Backpacking -- taught at SUU. We ventured from Egypt TH down the edge of Fence Canyon, into the Escalante and camped just upriver of Neon Canyon. The class focused on LNT principles in the backcountry and some strong emphasis on...

One of the great parts of going to school at SUU is being involved with so many outdoor opportunities. I got to help co-instruct the Intro to Backpacking course this semester. The culminating trip for half the students --Leave No Trace was very much a part of the course -- was a trip from...

May 2006 My wife and me planned another flight with Tim Martin from Moab, Canyonlands Airfield down the Colorado River to the Coyote Buttes and back again. Fortunately Tim could do that for us. So we started early in the morning. My Lady had a new digital SRL, I was still holding on my trusted...

The stretch of the Escalante River between the town of Escalante and the confluence with Death Hollow has at least 3 good rock art panels. Two of these are petroglyph panels located on cliff faces at bends in the canyon and one is a pictograph panel in a large alcove. All are on the north side...

Boulder Creek has been taunting me. Year after year, every time I would drive over the Hog's Back, it was there, looking slyly up from the east, tempting me. So the first weekend in June rolled around and I finally pulled it off. Hot, dry weather with low runoff - perfect conditions. We packed...

I did this hike solo on Thursday. I stashed my Mt. bike at the bridge and drove to the groovy Boulder airport. It wasn't long before Death Hollow was in sight. Some green in the canyon The canyon narrows The confluence. Death Hollow on the right. Escalante river canyon...

I've been pretty sidetracked since finishing my Boulder to Moab hike several weeks ago so I haven't had a chance to post much about my trip. But, I'm finally getting to that point. I ended up doing the videos before doing the actual trip report this time. So... I'll let you pick your pleasure...