assembling a bucket list

[Jen]

so, i recently moved to SLC to get in some outdoor adventuring. the thing is, i don't have a handy list with which to plan my next couple years of amazing vacations. so, i need some help! i want to assemble a list of the most incredible hikes/outdoor experiences within a day's drive of SLC (at least 12 hours or less, but 6 would be even better). i'm looking for suggestions on multiday backcountry trips that will make my jaw drop and my soul happy. i'm dreaming big here, people! help me fill my dreams with mountains and canyons and deserts and oceans!

 

[slc_dan]

This did that for me.

You'll need to get topo maps to go along with them, and it will cause you to buy more books.

It's a great intro to the rabbit's hole. Every time I pick it up, there is something else I NEED to do.

 

[lostlandscapes]

As I've only been fortunate enough to reside here for 2.5 years, I'm certainly no expert on the subject. But here are my bucket list recommendations based on my experiences thus far:

Hiking:

-Deep Lake (Winds)
-Buckskin Gulch (Paria)
-Alaska Basin/Hurricane Pass (Tetons)
-Chicago Basin (San Juans)
-The Maze (Canyonlands)
-Coyote Gulch (Escalante)

Canyoneering:

-Middle fork Leprechaun
-Pine Creek (Zion)
-Neon Canyon (Escalante)
-Purgatory Canyon (Death Valley)

 

[pixie1339]

Ooooh, I like this topic. The good ol' bucket list. We all have one, and outdoor people seem to be really good at growing, rather than reducing our lists.

Here are a few of the multi-day backpacks on my bucket list:

Salt Creek (Canyonlands NP) - I'll be doing this one over Memorial Day weekend, so I don't have to wait much longer
Grand Gulch (Cedar Mesa)
South Kaibab/Bright Angel Trail (Grand Canyon)
Titcomb Basin (Wind Rivers)
Bowman Lake to Kintla Lake (Glacier NP)
Teton Crest Trail (Grand Teton NP)
Paria Canyon (Vermillion Cliffs NM)

 

[Bob]

Wind Rivers
Teton Highline
Absarokas
Yellowstone
Beartooths
Sawtooth Wilderness
Bighorn Crags
Middle Fork Salmon
Uintas
Death Hollow
Grand Gulch area
Comb Ridge area
Escalante Canyons
Coyote Gulch
Dark Canyon
Bowdie Canyon
Fable Valley
Beef basin area
Canyonlands area
Paria
Zion Canyons
Kanab Creek
Tuckup Canyon
Parashant canyon

etc, etc ........ enough for a lifetime

 

[Aldaron]

I would also add the Thorofare, Bechler, and Lamar Valley areas of Yellowstone.

And I guess I would also add the 14ers in Colorado and the Flat Tops Wilderness in Colorado.

 

[Yvonne]

my bucket list is so long it will take more than a life time to do everything I added to it.
But I work really hard to see at least a few places

High on my bucket list are

Grand Gulch
Uintas
Yellowstone
backpacking in Grand Canyon
Havasupai
Wind Rivers
Glacier NP
Great Basin NP
Escalante Canyons
Zion Traverse
Happy Canyon
Colorado 14ers


some North Wash canyons
a few canyons in Zion
Neon Canyon Canoneering trip

 

[Aldaron]

Yeah, these have all been great suggestions, and I think almost all of them are/were on my bucket list...and every time I check out one trail at one of these areas, I see another trail I want to hike. I'll never get my list done!

And now that I'm trying to venture out internationally, it makes it that much harder...

 

[Artemus]

Wind Rivers
Teton Highline
Absarokas
Yellowstone
Beartooths
Sawtooth Wilderness
Bighorn Crags
Middle Fork Salmon
Uintas
Death Hollow
Grand Gulch area
Comb Ridge area
Escalante Canyons
Coyote Gulch
...

etc, etc ........ enough for a lifetime

HaHa !! colefeet this about sums it up. You can (I have, and Bob too apparently) spent a life time exploring and enjoying nature in our mountain west. I hope this thread fails to come up with a limited list. It would be a mistake. These are a great start..... Now we have to work on preserving it so it will be this awesome tomorrow. The Utah population is doubling in the next 25 years and we can't help but increase our loving it into over-use and over-development.

 

[Jen]

This did that for me.

You'll need to get topo maps to go along with them, and it will cause you to buy more books.

It's a great intro to the rabbit's hole. Every time I pick it up, there is something else I NEED to do.

ah, yes, Mr. Kelsey and i are rapidly becoming friends.

thanks for all of the suggestions, guys Unfortunately I won't have a lifetime here, which is why i am trying to narrow it down a bit, choose places that are truly one in a million. which is where the advice of you guys truly comes into play! every time i pick up a book or guide i just want to do everything, but there are often some that are way better than others. i've been fortunate to hike quite a few of colorado's 14ers, for instance, and i guarantee that i would recommended some way more than others. so, in that regard, i sooo appreciate the advice from you guys who have been out and about here, who know the area and the truly magical places.

 

[Nick]

thanks for all of the suggestions, guys Unfortunately I won't have a lifetime here, which is why i am trying to narrow it down a bit, choose places that are truly one in a million.

Alright colefeet, you want specifics, here we go. Starting things off with some local mountains.

Northern Wind Rivers


I've only been on 3 Wind River trips so far, one of which game me a small taste of the northern end of the range. But if I could only go one place up there, this would be it. Access from Elkhart Park and/or Green River Lakes and go deep. Minimum 5 days to do it right but a week or more would be better. Titcomb Basin is probably the epicenter of the area but you could spend quite a bit of time up exploring the massive wilderness around it. There are countless lakes surrounded by massive granite peaks, glaciers and wide open tundra. Paradise. Cross the pass into the Fitzgerald Wilderness if you really want to get lost.

Some trip reports to get you stoked...
http://backcountrypost.com/forum/threads/cook-lakes-loop-wind-rivers.1042/
http://backcountrypost.com/forum/threads/titcomb-basin-wind-rivers-2012.1585/
http://backcountrypost.com/forum/threads/wind-rivers-2010-cook-lakes.149/
http://www.danransom.com/2012/07/elkhart-park-wind-rivers/

Now if you have time for more than one trip in the Winds, you won't be dissapointed. The loop I did out of Big Sandy was incredible and there are countless other epic routes to be had throughout the range.

http://backcountrypost.com/forum/threads/wind-rivers-temple-lake-loop.123/
http://backcountrypost.com/forum/threads/wind-river-range-big-sandy-deep-cirque-texas-loop.1159/

North Slope High Uintas
Photo by ashergrey in this awesome TR. One of my fav Uintas pics ever - awesome shot, Dave.

I love the Uintas, but the absolute best scenery there generally doesn't compare to the goodies you'll encounter hiding up in the Winds. Apples and oranges I suppose but it's hard to argue with a 3000-foot vertical slab of granite. But with that said, there is a lot of great hiking to be done and it's quite close! It's also great if you want to put together big hikes because of the numerous crossable passes and trailheads. The range varies quite a bit in character throughout, but the most dramatic scenery is found on the north slope in 3 drainages, The Stillwater Fork, The East Fork Bear River and the West Fork Black's Fork.

If I had to pick favorites, it would probably be WFBF and EFBR. If you have the time, they could both be done on one trip starting and ending at the same trailhead as a mega loop. Easily done in 4-5 days and some of the best scenery in the range. If you look into doing this, talk to me and I'll point you to the best spots and advise on the route. There is some off trail travel to connect them altogether but you should be just fine.

Next up would be the Stillwater Fork that holds three fine basins - Amethyst Basin, Middle Basin and West Basin. These are some of the most beautiful basins in the range but tend to be a little bit busier. I'd say do them all, but if you could only do one trip, do the others first.

Here's some Uintas stoke for you...
http://backcountrypost.com/forum/threads/west-fork-blacks-fork-july-13-14-2012.1061/
http://backcountrypost.com/forum/threads/uintas-amethyst-basin.192/
http://backcountrypost.com/forum/threads/priord-lake-uintas.1146/
http://backcountrypost.com/forum/threads/allsop-lake-high-uintas-wilderness.137/
http://backcountrypost.com/forum/threads/uintas-highline-th-to-west-fork-blacks-fork.50/
http://backcountrypost.com/forum/threads/ryder-mcpheters-lakes-uintas.545/
http://backcountrypost.com/forum/threads/kermsuh-lake-west-basin-uintas.626/
http://backcountrypost.com/forum/threads/kermsuh-lake-uintas.345/

There are plenty of other excellent trips up there as well if you end up going for more local short trips.


I'll start into some desert trips a bit later...

 

[Bob]

Wind Rivers #1
Sawtooth Wilderness #2
Complete Teton Crest #3
All else follows..........................

 

[ROKTAXI]

I'm working on a bucket list for my next life.

 

[Jen]

LOVE THIS

 

[WasatchWill]

@colefeet I'm late to this party, but if you still have a couple of years here I'll give you some feedback based on areas where I've been and some of what I'd hope to do in that time frame...

Coyote Gulch - You can get in on the western end through the dry wash off the main dirt road or drive on further to 40 mile road and take that to the end. You then go down to a spot called "Crack-In-the-Wall" above the confluence of the Escalante River and Coyote Gulch. Here you can either send down you pack over the cliff on a long rope or unpack it and go back and forth between the crack carrying everything piece by piece until you have everything through to put back in your pack. I did the former going down and the latter on the way back up. My pack got scuffed up pretty good trying to roll it off the cliff.

Kings Peak - Just so you can say you bagged the highest peak in Utah. Multiple ways up to it, but the shortest and most popular route is Henry's Fork. Very pretty in the upper Henry Fork basin with ponds, springs, waterfalls, lakes, and flowers. I'll just add the rest of the High Uintas Wilderness area here as well. Lots of great looking trail guides here on BCP to serve as a reference. Stillwater Basins, Naturalist Basin, Notch Mountain area, Red Castle, and so on all look like great destinations.

Mount Timpanogos - Great nearby day or overnight hike rich with features such as waterfalls, wildlife (mountain goats & moose), meadows, alpine basins, lakes, snow fields, wildflowers, valley views, etc. It's no wonder this is probably the most popular hike along the Wasatch front. As such, if you don't like crowded trails, pick a day in the middle of the week. A prime time may be in the middle of the week just after college classes and school has begun in the late summer or early fall.

Arches NP - Yes, it's often crowded, especially in the Spring and Fall, but how can you ever visit or live in Utah for that long and not get your own picture of Delicate Arch? I suggest getting to that trailhead at dawn no matter the season, whether it is to beat the heavy crowds and the ensuing parking and restroom chaos in the spring and fall or to beat the heat in the summer. Lot of other great arches and areas to hike throughout the rest of the time there. Still on my to-do list is the Fiery Furnace. That requires advanced registration though and fills up real fast.

Bryce NP - Just about anytime of the year can be beautiful up there. With the elevation it is at, being at the top level of the Escalante Stair-Case, you don't have to contend with the same level of heat in the summer as you do in the lower deserts down south. Fairyland loop is a great day hike in the park boundary and Willis Creek is a short little slot canyon just below the park that I'd still like to do next time I'm down there. Being able to backpack the Under the Rim Trail might be nice too!

Capitol Reef NP - This is the place to go if you want much lesser crowds than you'll find at Arches, Bryce, or Zion. Lots of little rewarding day hikes such as Hickman Bridge, Cohab Canyon, Sulphur Creek Narrows, Grand Wash, Cassidy Arch, & Capitol Gorge. If you really want to push out and get away from people and you got a reliable vehicle, you can venture out to Muley Twist Canyon and get some great views of the Water Pocket Fold and Strike Valley.

Canyonlands NP - I've been to the Needles overlook & Newspaper Rock area, and most recently the Island in the Sky district where I was able to run out to the famously photographed False Kiva (not on maps – it's the kind of place you only share with those you really trust because it has a sacred feel to it, but you can still find routes and guides to it posted by others on the Internet). The park is so massive, all I can say is good luck picking a place to start. I've yet to get into the more remote Maze district. Some of the roadside features can obviously become quite crowded, but due to the vastness of the park, it's not hard to find some seclusion when you want it.

Calf Creek Falls - A moderately flat 3 mile trail just off the highway in the outer edge of Escalante National Monument that leads to beautiful slickrock canyon waterfall that plunges into a good sized pool that serves as a refreshingly cold escape from summer's heat. A few Indian ruins and petroglyphs dot the canyon walls along the way. It gets pretty crowded in the afternoons, so if you want good pics with nobody in the way, get up there really early in the day or go later in the evening and pack a flashlight for hiking back in the dark. There's an upper falls that's more remote that also has a nice looking swimming hole. You have to find the little parking spot right off the highway just above Boulder and then scramble down a good stretch of slickrock.

Wind Rivers (Wyoming) - I've yet to get really deep into their back country, but went to a scout camp a couple years in a row in my youth up there between Pinedale and Green River Lakes and was able to do a day hike a few miles up the New Fork Porcupine trail starting at New Fork Lake. The Winds were so spectacular from the outer parts there, I can't imagine how much more spectacular they'd be deep in the heart of them. I definitely plan to get deeper into them myself in the not too distant future. This is another legendary range where the possibilities look endless. Cirque of the Towers and/or the Highline trail there would be places I'd look at starting with based on what I've seen on BCP here.

Finally, here are a few additional areas within 4-6 hours drive or less from SLC that look worthwhile from my own bucket list that I've yet to visit:

Teton Crest Trail (Wyoming)
Wirepass-Buckskin Gulch-Paria Canyon (Utah-Arizona)
Grand Gulch & Bullet Canyon
Zion NP
Deseret Peak
San Rafael Swell, Little Wildhorse Canyon, etc.
Goblin Valley SP
Snow Canyon SP