zion

Okay lucky me...another hike I have been dying to do checked off before the move. Doing this report by phone is no fun and will be short and sweet. I am a bit out of shape and that added to the degree of difficulty but this is the most technical hike I have ever done. I am exhausted tonight...

@JamesM invited me to hike the Narrows, just bottom up to check what it is like in a few inches of snow. Then the Weather Service issued that massive winter storm warning for pretty much all of Utah and we thought, "Hmmmm...might be a bit colder than planned." We went anyway! Probably the...

Lately I've had the pleasure of getting paid to hike a bunch of easy trails for a project that I'm working on. More details on that early next year but it's been pretty intense. I think I'm about up to 20 that I've hiked just since the end of October. It's been fun to see all these places I...

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...

I'll preface this by saying it is by no means backcountry, but more just a nice, easy hike that is best - in my opinion - during the winter. During the summer and fall it is so crowded since it's more of a frontcountry hike. I hiked this last hike because I needed a break. School projects...

"No self-respecting Utah backpacker has not done the Narrows top-down." I found myself repeating that line to coworkers, explaining my enthusiasm for a long-planned backpacking trip along the North Fork of the Virgin. Obstruction by ashergrey, on Flickr As a hiker and backer, not to...

Benson Creek is one of my favorite canyons in Utah, it's north of Zion near the town of Parowan. It's in the top because of the easy access and the hiking comes before the good stuff! There is also always flowing water in it, not enough to call it a class C canyon, but enough that it gets you...

-Journal of John Wesley Powell Background Several years ago a buddy recommended a book about John Wesley Powell, I read it and instantly Powell became a hero of mine so then I read another book on him and another and...

Zion - the land of shuttle busses, tourists and for many fellow hikers and canyoneers - the infamous Watchman Campground. But not this trip! We started south a little earlier for this trip in hopes of finding some primitive camping outside the park in an area I wasn't very familiar with. We made...

After seeing the photos posted earlier on backcountrypost and canyon collective for a trip down Middle Echo, I decided to try it out! This was my brothers 2nd canyoneering experience (first was Rock canyon on the south side of Parunaweep). I'm glad it is off the list now. I thought the...

Our day began with a 6:30am start at the trailhead near checkerboard mesa. It was only 38° and the ground was wet from the previous night's storm so I packed my John just in case. We made great time up over the pass and soon we were standing above the first rappel looking at the dry sandy bottom...

Quite possibly my favorite trail in Zion (I think I say this about most of my most recent hikes) is the hike to the Double Arch Alcove off of Taylor Creek. The trail itself is less than spectacular but the end destinations is one of the most spectacular places I have seen. Such a serene place...

So as part of my experience at SUU I helped create a new program called the Pacesetters Club. Essentially we are making it possible for the outdoor recreation majors, like myself, to get out and gain some experience leading others in the outdoors. I have become the go-to student for these...

This trip was fun regardless of how things turned out. A few of my buddies from my LDS mission came down to southern Utah from that dreaded northern Utah lookin' for an adventure. I suggested we do Fat Man's as an overnight, but one informed me of a bummed knee and I then switched to a much...

Hurricane Rim Trail The Hurricane Rim Trail is a fun desert hike/ride. It is singletrack with some being nice hard packed dirt,some rocky, some a combination of both, some rock slabs, and some steep sections with considerable elevation change. It follows the south rim of the Virgin River and...

Hey folks. My 13 yr old daughter and I did the West Rim descent on Wed/Thursday this week (Apr 10/11), staying at campsite 8, and getting a ride up by Zion Adventure. The road is passable all the way to the very last gate which remained closed. Guys from the Adventure company started to drop us...

On the way home from a great Death Valley frontcountry trip with the kiddos, I tagged on a little Zion backcountry. My wife shuttled me up to Lava Point (as far as the road was clear of show) and then she headed into town to relax poolside a couple of days while I hiked. Still too snowy to...

So, we (@stephenH, myself and a few others) had planned on going for the Backcountrypost Fest, but with it semi being canceled with @nick's knee, we decided to save the gas money and stick closer to home. We figured we'd find out if Mother Nature thought we were fat, I think we faired just fine...

Every year, since last year, we have gone somewhere knew for Pi day (3.14). Last year was hiking in Moab, during the Corona Arch swing craze! We didn't do the swing but oh well. This year we were in Zion National Park. Of course we did some canyoneering! Most in the group are fairly green to...

When I woke up in Watchman I was a little sore from doing Fat Mans Misery the day before so it was a good thing this was going to be a soft day of Keyhole for breakfast followed by an afternoon in Pine Creek. Keyhole was short, sweet, and full of water. The highlight was doing the back stroke...