- Joined
- Aug 9, 2007
- Messages
- 12,955
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 usually would pass by and a nice break for my knee.
Over the first weekend in November, I was originally planning a big canyoneering trip like last year to hit the fall colors, but my knee, and the need to get these trails done changed the plan. But lucky for me, my trip partners were still insistent on joining me for at least part of it.
They went off and did the Subway one day while I went over to Snow Canyon and Red Cliffs to hike some trails. I'd never been to either place. It was really nice.
I was really impressed with the diversity of the landscape in Snow Canyon. The first trail I hiked was less than 2 miles but it still had all sorts of cool things to see like this sweet lava tube.
After that I hiked the short half mile trail to Jenny's Canyon
Next up I drove over to Red Cliffs to hike the Red Reef Trail up to the moki steps. At the lower pools, I found my first tarantula in the desert. I feel like I spend a pretty decent amount of time out here so it has really frustrated me that I'd never seen one before, especially since I see them in other people's pics fairly often. This one was dead but still cool. That's an 82mm cap there.
I couldn't walk past that and not check it out.
Sure enough, amongst the 1,000 scribblings from modern asshats, there were a couple of legit pictographs.
The moki steps. I turned around here but I'd love to come back and explore more of this canyon sometime. Looks great on google earth.
Next I went back to Zion and picked up the crew as they exited the Subway. I was waiting for them at the top of the steep climb with cold beer and then it was off to camp. Easy there Jen!
The view 100 yards from camp.
@San taco and his burning man.
The next day it was time to hit all the little hikes in Zion that I always pass up. To the shuttle!
Ahh, the sky shaping up nicely. It had been nothing but blue until now.
Court of the Patriarchs from inside the shuttle
Zion Lodge on our way to the Emerald Pools
Lower Pool. Not much water and not much color left.
Upper Pool with the people photoshopped out.
Next stop, Weeping Rock!
We arrived at the same time as about 50 asian school kids so we had to chill out for a bit until I could get some shots.
The day was almost done but we still had a little time. Off to the Riverside Walk. We were greeted immediately to about a half dozen deer that didn't seem to care at all about us being there.
The buck getting his yucca on.
The colors were nice on the trail, the light - not so nice.
Nice twilight afterglow at the Temple of Sinewava
We went back to town and had dinner at Oscar's - my former favorite place to eat in Springdale. They really botched it in many ways. Hopefully it was just a glitch. From there we went up to another nice campsite just outside the park and spent the night. The next day we got up and went home. I'll take this kind of 'work' any day.
Featured image for home page:
Over the first weekend in November, I was originally planning a big canyoneering trip like last year to hit the fall colors, but my knee, and the need to get these trails done changed the plan. But lucky for me, my trip partners were still insistent on joining me for at least part of it.
They went off and did the Subway one day while I went over to Snow Canyon and Red Cliffs to hike some trails. I'd never been to either place. It was really nice.
I was really impressed with the diversity of the landscape in Snow Canyon. The first trail I hiked was less than 2 miles but it still had all sorts of cool things to see like this sweet lava tube.
After that I hiked the short half mile trail to Jenny's Canyon
Next up I drove over to Red Cliffs to hike the Red Reef Trail up to the moki steps. At the lower pools, I found my first tarantula in the desert. I feel like I spend a pretty decent amount of time out here so it has really frustrated me that I'd never seen one before, especially since I see them in other people's pics fairly often. This one was dead but still cool. That's an 82mm cap there.
I couldn't walk past that and not check it out.
Sure enough, amongst the 1,000 scribblings from modern asshats, there were a couple of legit pictographs.
The moki steps. I turned around here but I'd love to come back and explore more of this canyon sometime. Looks great on google earth.
Next I went back to Zion and picked up the crew as they exited the Subway. I was waiting for them at the top of the steep climb with cold beer and then it was off to camp. Easy there Jen!
The view 100 yards from camp.
@San taco and his burning man.
The next day it was time to hit all the little hikes in Zion that I always pass up. To the shuttle!
Ahh, the sky shaping up nicely. It had been nothing but blue until now.
Court of the Patriarchs from inside the shuttle
Zion Lodge on our way to the Emerald Pools
Lower Pool. Not much water and not much color left.
Upper Pool with the people photoshopped out.
Next stop, Weeping Rock!
We arrived at the same time as about 50 asian school kids so we had to chill out for a bit until I could get some shots.
The day was almost done but we still had a little time. Off to the Riverside Walk. We were greeted immediately to about a half dozen deer that didn't seem to care at all about us being there.
The buck getting his yucca on.
The colors were nice on the trail, the light - not so nice.
Nice twilight afterglow at the Temple of Sinewava
We went back to town and had dinner at Oscar's - my former favorite place to eat in Springdale. They really botched it in many ways. Hopefully it was just a glitch. From there we went up to another nice campsite just outside the park and spent the night. The next day we got up and went home. I'll take this kind of 'work' any day.
Featured image for home page:
