Below you'll find a list of all posts that have been categorized as “Utah”
The spring snow-melt means more hikers on the trails and I find myself journeying higher and higher to find barely thawed trails with more quiet. Pondering my topo map, I spotted White Pine Lake sitting at nearly 10,000 feet of elevation, one of the highest in the Wasatch Mountains. Feeling confident that at least a small part would be covered …
I have come to see the nonsense of trying to describe fine scenery. ~ Nathaniel Hawthorne Some hikes just aren’t long enough. That was the case when I hiked to Dog Lake in the Wasatch Mountains near Salt Lake City. The hike had nice elevation gain and a little bit of snow to trudge through, but at 4.8 miles round …
Zion National Park completely impressed me when I visited over Thanksgiving weekend. While there, I hiked up to Observation Point to take in one of the classic views of the canyon. By the time I arrived, the sun was directly in my face, so most of my photos could be better. However, in this image, the sun makes the canyon …
Park once, take a hike, and then explore a museum. A hiking trail and museum may seem unlikely partners, but in Salt Lake City, the concept works brilliantly. Marking access to one of my favorite trail systems is the Natural History Museum of Utah. The location was chosen to highlight the junction of the urban and natural environments. I’ve used …
Your trials did not come to punish you, but to awaken you. ~ Paramahansa Yogananda Stepping onto the trailhead to Grandeur Peak I had a head-full of thoughts swirling through my mind. My hiking buddy for the day was Indy, a border collie with unique red merle coloring. He belongs to a former boyfriend, so his presence also brought …
Free the heel, free the mind… I didn’t think I would like skiing, now I dream about it. The joy of skiing wasn’t immediate when I took lessons in January. The first two days really challenged me and I wasn’t completely thrilled with being around so many people. Part of that issue had to do with the beginner slopes I …
The entrance into Arches National Park is less assuming than others I’ve visited. The signage and buildings meld into the landscape so well, I almost drove right past. After paying my fee, I drove the switchbacks up the hillside and leveled off in another world. Red dirt, stone towers and erosion-carved cliffs opened up before me and it was all …
As a kid, I was the wallflower sitting in the corner of the classroom. Well, for the brief period of time I wasn’t living on a boat being home schooled…. Okay, on to my point, I’m not naturally outgoing, I have to work at it. That said, few things make me more uncomfortable than dressing up in a costume. Seriously, …
Snow melt swells streams as temperatures warm in the spring, especilly in steep canyons. This weekend my sister and I hiked up Mule Hollow in Big Cottonwood Canyon just outside of Salt Lake City. The crossed a small stream no less than 10 times each direction…we quit counting. Laura shot this photo on our way back down the trail so we were on …
I’m not in Florida anymore. Standing atop a retired beacon tower at the summit of Mount Wire, my view spanned from the Wasatch Range across Salt Lake City west to the Oquirrh Mountains. Then the realization hit me, this is my new home. Our hike up started at a trailhead located on the east side of the University of Utah …