desert – Page 30 – besthike.com

May 14, 2007

hike the Syncline Loop, Utah

My favourite hike in the Island in the Sky section of Canyonlands National Park circles unique Upheaval Dome, the strangest and most controversial geological feature in the region.

To me, it looks like an ancient eroded meteorite crater. It’s huge, 6.2mi (10km) in diameter.

I circled it on the 8mi (12.8km) Syncline Loop trail, finishing with a side trip to the popular Upheaval Dome overlook. That’s a wonderful, challenging day hike. (Especially difficult after damage during the winter of 2006. Volunteers were making repairs when I was there.)

from NPS map

You might prefer the longer Alcove Spring / Syncline Loop 19.6mi (31.5km) which takes you to Aphrodite, Zeus and Moses spires. And returns via Upheaval Canyon.

This is dangerous territory. People get lost and die in Canyonlands National Park. I just read an account of a 62-yr-old man who was found curled up, dead under the only shade tree a short distance from his vehicle. Somehow he got confused and couldn’t find the car.

I don’t want to understate the risks while extolling the wonders of hiking there.

Routes are maked by stone cairns. Inevitably you will spend a lot of time backtracking to the last cairn, trying to find the correct route. I got particularly muddled on Syncline Loop.

Here’s the obligatory warning:

The park’s greatest danger is weather. Summer temperatures often exceed 100 Â° F, but even during the spring and fall visitors should plan on drinking one gallon of water per day.

When hiking be aware that it can be easy to get lost in the twisting canyons, so let someone know where you are going and bring more food and water than you think you’ll need.

During storms avoid high open areas which can be prone to lightning strikes. In addition, be extremely cautious in narrow canyons as flash floods can occur with even just a small amount of precipitation.

If you are in a canyon and it begins to rain, look for higher ground immediately; if you can hear the sounds of floodwaters approaching or notice rising water around you it is already too late to seek safety.

Canyonlands National Park – WikiTravel

May 12, 2007

Desert Solitaire by Edward Abbey (1968)

There are a lot of suspicious-looking, bearded coots hanging around Moab, Utah.

One of them â€” though only in spirit since he passed on in 1989 â€” is Edward Abbey.

He’s the poet laureate of the Colorado Plateau. The environmental conscience of the red rock lands. An “eloquent and passionate advocate”.

Essential reading for anyone coming to the Canyon Country of Four Corners, USA:

Centered around the author’s activities as a park ranger at Arches National Monument (now National Park), Abbey is part storyteller, part anarchist philosopher, part liberal humanist, part crank.

The book is often compared to Thoreau’s Walden. The book is a series of vignettes about various aspects of his work as a park ranger in the desert southwest, ranging from a polemic against development and excessive tourism in the National Parks, to a story of working with a search and rescue team to pull a dead body out of the desert, to stories of river running, his view of Mormonism, the social life in and around Moab, Utah, and more.

Although it is a memoir, it is filled with many interesting, somewhat fictional stories.

Desert Solitaire – Wikipedia

I loved the book, it’s message and humour.

Desert Solitaire

Edward Abbey consistently voiced the belief that the West was in danger of being developed to death, and that the only solution lay in the preservation of wilderness. …

His comic novel The Monkey Wrench Gang helped inspire a whole generation of environmental activism. A writer in the mold of Twain and Thoreau, Abbey was a larger-than-life figure as big as the West itself. …

In a career spanning four decades, he wrote passionately in defense of the Southwest and its inhabitants, often mocking the mindless bureaucratic forces hell-bent on destroying it.

“Resist much, obey little”, from Walt Whitman, was this warrior’s motto.

AbbeyWeb.net

May 8, 2007

hike Negro Bill’s Canyon, Utah

My interest was tweaked when I kept seeing an unusual little day hike on “best hikes in Utah” lists.

The name is surprising too: Negro Bill’s Canyon. (I will ~~lobbying~~lobby for a name change to Mitt Romney Canyon if he wins the Presidency in 2008.)

It’s popular for a number of reasons:

very close to Moab, Utah

running water year round

many refreshing stream crossings required

leads to impressive Morning Glory Natural Bridge

offers more shade than any other hike in the area

abundant wildlife

Despite the plentiful poison ivy, this is a very popular hike for those owning dogs and/or children.

Ultimately, it’s a nice change from the dry, hot desert environment outside the canyon. And 3.2mi (5.15km) is a nice distance for a short walk.

Morning Glory Natural Bridge … or, more accurately, …

This is not a natural bridge, but it is a very large alcove arch. Robert Vreeland measured the span of this arch and reported it to be 243 feet in Volume 5 of his book series, Natures Bridges and Arches. This volume is now out of print. Jay Wilbur of NABS has confirmed this measurement.

Natural Arches

May 6, 2007

hike the Devil’s Garden in Utah

The most famous attraction in Arches National Park is Delicate Arch.

But the best hike, I feel, is Devil’s Garden – Primitive Loop. That’s 7.2mi (11.5km) plus extra sidetrips.

The feature attraction is possibly the longest and certainly the most “impossible” arch in the world.

It seems Landscape Arch could fall anytime. (Several pieces have dropped since 1991 and the trail under the arch has been closed.)

Anyone can make the easy day hike to walk to Landscape Arch and back. Confident hikers should continue at least as far as Double O Arch. (Some like the sidetrip to Dark Angel tower, some do not.)

And best of all is to add the Primitive Loop rather than backtrack.

larger map on Climb-Utah.com

It might take as long as 5hrs to do everything adding off-trail rock scrambles above some of the arches.

I returned via Primitive Loop. But reversing direction would have been even better, I think, saving the arches for last. Start at first light when animals are active and the trail still cool.

Primitive Loop is well named. I managed to get lost once or twice. It is challenging. And gorgeous. In some ways this is the best part of the walk.

Be sure to carry a map and desert survival gear. You don’t want to end up like Aron Ralston.

The excellent Utah.com site posted a video: Hike the Devil’s Garden.

May 5, 2007

day hike to Delicate Arch, Utah

EVERYONE in Utah knows Delicate Arch in Arches National Park. It’s on the licence plates.

The Olympic torch relay for the 2002 Winter Olympics passed through the arch.

Yet many do not visit, intimidated by the rugged 3mi (4.8km) return trail.

The start of the walk is ugly. I was wondering if it was going to be a colossal let down.

But the trek improves considerably when you hit steep slickrock. And again when you reach a rock ledge path.

… The arch comes into view suddenly around a corner in the trail and frames the La Sal Mountains to the southeast. The immediate area around the Arch offers views of the southern expanse of the park, and has unguarded cliffs plunging one hundred feet or more.

Delicate Arch – Wikipedia

Fantastic!

The location looks like a set built for the old Startrek TV series.

I had the arch to myself late in the afternoon and was tempted to free climb it. Unfortunately that plan had been ruined by Dean Potter accused in 2006 of letting his team fix protection from a top rope draped over the formation, possibly damaging the structure. (Potter denies the charge.)

On the return I bypassed the cattle trail and took instead to the rocky ridge that runs parallel. A nice loop.

Delicate Arch is one of the best hikes in the world, not to be missed by anyone passing through Moab.

Oh, and climbing arches is now strictly forbidden.

more Delicate Arch photos on flickr.

May 2, 2007

check out Four Corners, USA

The Four Corners is the wild convergence of Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Utah.

It’s mostly Indian land.

Last year I hiked out of Page, Arizona. This year Moab, Utah.

In Utah, the best site I’ve found on hiking is Utah.com â€” concise, well organized, easy-to-read.

If you’ve never been to the Four Corners, the best reference is Moon Handbooks Four Corners

I’m a Lonely Planet guidebook fanatic. But, for some parts of the world, Moon is better.

In the Moon guide, check their Suggested Reading section on Hiking. This will help you narrow the many choices of hiking guidebooks available.

There are dozens of good hiking guidebooks for the region. But no GREAT ones. At least none I’ve found yet. (And I write from Moab Public Library.)

Almost inevitably you’ll end up as I did with one of the Falcon Hiking Guides: Exploring Canyonlands and Arches National Parks by Schneider.

I’ll head first for Arches:

Taking its name from the hundreds of naturally formed sandstone arches scattered here, Arches National Park is the most feature-packed of southern Utahâ€™s national parks.

Ranging in size from around three feet to nearly 300 feet in span, the arches are the result of erosion over millions of years, the same agent that formed the thousands of brilliantly colored spires, pinnacles, and canyons that cover southeast Utah.

PiÃ±on pines and junipers add a splash of green to the red and brown backdrop, but mostly what you see are red stone and blue skyâ€”lots and lots of both.

Road Trip USA

May 1, 2007

first Hayduke Trail thru hike

Steve Sergeant of Wildebeat.net pointed me to a very professional trip report posted by Brian Frankle on his ULA (Ultralight Adventure) website.

Perhaps Hayduke is not so dangerous after all.

This was the first ever thru hike of the 800mi+ route. Brian seems to have handled it with ease. (Of course he is an accomplished long distance hiker.)

I tackled the Hayduke Trail in typical long-distance hiker fashion: frequent re-supplies, higher daily mileages, and with a focus towards lightweight equipment.

This presented some challenges and resulted in a longer distance hiked than the described route, but I think this strategy is critical to implement if you plan to tackle this rugged and demanding route… especially so in the context of thru-hiking the Hayduke.

ULA – Hayduke Trail 2005

Brian’s trip report (including resupply points).

Just last night in Moab, Utah I met a hiker setting out for just a short section of the Hayduke.

He was worried. Worried about water supply. Worried about getting lost.

April 28, 2007

dangerous Hayduke Trail, Colorado Plateau

Click on the thumbnail for a larger version of the map.

I’m not sure I’m man enough for this monster, invented and laid out by Joe Mitchell and Mike Coronella over an 8-year span.

It starts in Arches National Park. Finishes in Zion.

Named after a character from Edward Abbey’s The Monkey Wrench Gang, The Hayduke trail is an 800 mile long backcountry route that travels through some of the most scenic and remote terrain in the United States.

It showcases some of the natural wonders of the Colorado Plateau region of the American southwest, linking together six national parks, as well as national monuments and recreation areas, state parks, wilderness areas, and wilderness study areas. Exclusively on public lands in southern Utah and northern Arizona, this out-of-the-way route will lead you through deep desert canyons, over high mountains, across rivers and ridges, always revealing pieces of the personality of this unique region.

Beware! The Hayduke Trail is made up of pre-existing trails, routes, unpaved roads, cattle and game trails, ridges and drainages. The trail is not always apparent or obvious; strong navigational skills are necessary to safely and happily complete a trek in this beautiful, rugged region.

This is a backcountry trail. It is not a beaten trail like the Appalachian Trail. There are no towns ahead to find supplies in; there are no shelters. The trail involves hiking and wading through rivers, often dealing with quicksand and tight brush. It involves scrambling over or around rock falls, and climbing up, down, and across steep talus slopes. There will likely be no one around, perhaps for days at a time. This is a desolate region, and care must be taken to enjoy (and survive) trekking through this occasionally harsh land. This is not “beginner” terrain: getting in over your head in this region can easily end your life.

Deep Desert

The Hayduke Trail: A Guide to the Backcountry Hiking Trail on the Colorado Plateau

April 10, 2007

McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica

I’d love to hike Antarctica.

Realistically, the best destination would be out of McMurdo.

The McMurdo Dry Valleys are a row of valleys in Antarctica located within Victoria Land west of McMurdo Sound. The region includes many interesting geological features including Lake Vida and the Onyx River, Antarctica’s longest river. It is also one of the world’s most extreme deserts.

… the largest relatively ice-free region in Antarctica. The valley floors are covered with a loose gravelly material, in which ice-wedge polygons may be observed.

… Scientists consider the Dry Valleys perhaps the closest of any terrestrial environment to Mars, and thus an important source of insights into possible extraterrestrial life.

McMurdo Dry Valleys – Wikipedia

The superb photo blog Dark Roasted Blend has done it again. These are just a few of the pics they posted in a series on the McMurdo Dry Valleys.

more photos in this series on Dark Roasted Blend

The photos originally came from a Russian website. Spacibo!

April 5, 2007

trekking in Oman

Until recently I had never heard of hiking in Oman on the southeast coast of the Arabian Peninsula. .

Turns out there are excellent treks there.

I’ve subscribed to the Oman Expat blog. (Trekking category.)

It recommends the Trekking in Oman website:

The trekking season is generally from September to May, but the best period is October to April. Above 1,900 meter altitude trekking is possible all year round. The countryside is mostly rugged and the trails are loose, but trekking is by far the best way to enjoy Oman’s spectacular mountain-landscape.

Different types of trips with varying degrees of difficulty can be done; from the easy start in the Capital Area to the stunning Rim Walk in the Grand Canyon of Jabal Shams.

Trekking in Oman

Grand Canyon of Jabal Shams – Oman Expat