Details between the Straight Cliffs of Fiftymile Mountain and the curling canyons of the Escalante runs Hole-in-the-Rock Road Grand Staircase–Escalante National Monument (GSENM) the further the rougher After Dance Hall things thin out Although the scenery can be beautiful, do not mistake this for a scenic drive. Hole-in-the-Rock Road...
Mysterious Horseshoe Canyon
Horseshoe Canyon, a separate section of Canyonlands National Park, is located in a remote area west of the Green River in Utah. Horseshoe Canyon contains a number of sites with Barrier Canyon style rock art, both pictographs and petroglyphs. These well-preserved sites, including the Great Gallery, are some of...
Coyote Gulch Day Hike
Coyote Gulch flows through the heart of the canyons of the Escalante in south-central Utah. Within its walls you’ll find a year-round stream, three huge arches, a natural bridge, and many waterfalls. It’s one of the more accessible canyons off the Escalante River, with four trailheads off of Hole-in-the-Rock...
A Guide to Spooky and Peek-a-Book Slot Canyons
Spooky and Peek-a-Book slot canyons are in Utah’s Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. Located about SE from the town of Escalante off of Hole-in-the-Rock Road. Spooky Gulch and Peek-a-Book Gulch are tributaries of the Dry Fork of Coyote Gulch. Access is a moderate day hike from the trailhead. They are usually...
Zebra Slot Canyon Guide
Zebra Slot Canyon is a short slot canyon in Utah’s Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. Noted for the stripes in its sandstone, it’s located about SE from the town of Escalante off of Hole-in-the-Rock Road. Access is an easy hike from the trailhead. Essential Facts Distance: Elevation: ~ Difficulty: easy,...
Pacaya Volcano and the Portal to Hell
When we got out of the van we were immediately surrounded by a dozen boys wielding large sticks. Let me explain. We were in Antigua, Guatemala, in 2008 and we took a day trip to Volcán de Pacaya, an active volcano nearby. It’a not Volcán de Agua, the large...
Sawatch Fourteener 5-Pack: Shavano-Tabeguache, Belford-Oxford, & Mount of the Holy Cross
Mount Shavano & Tabeguache Peak I pulled out of the garage two hours before dawn for the two hour trip to the Blank Gulch trailhead. As passed Mt Princeton & My Antero, the clouds hung low as the sun came up. The weather was going to be iffy, but...
A Big Day Climbing Capitol Peak
I was not going to mess around with climbing Capitol Peak. By consensus it’s the most difficult Fourteeneer. Many climbers have died attempting it. I took days of classes from the Colorado Mountain Club; backpacked & camped for a week of nights; and hiked, scrambled, & climbed multiple mountains....
A Grumpy Day on Mount Lindsey
I didn’t like Mount Lindsey and it didn’t like me either. After Crestone Needle we’d backpacked down the South Colony Lakes Road in a rush to be able to drive & find a campsite near the Lily Lake trailhead before it got dark. We did make it with daylight...
That Awesome Rock on Crestone Needle
H & I climbed Crestone Peak in 2017. After two trips up Cottonwood Canyon to the Crestones, I’d had enough of that trail. For climbing Crestone Needle in 2019, we’d do the standard route from South Colony Lakes. The road up to the South Colony Lakes Trailhead is not...
