Believe it or not, summer is slowly fading into the rearview, and now is the ideal time of year to make some tracks in the desert. Capitol Reef National Park is a great choice for early fall hiking, as the park’s higher elevations mean sure-fire cool temperatures. I’ve sung the praises of Capitol Reef numerous…
Tag: trip report
Eric Ghanem skis Gunsight at Alta in September
It’s crazy. A very, very early winter storm dumped 6 inches of snow on Alta, and insane skiers thought that was enough to drive up Little Cottonwood Canyon and make some turns. One of those skiers, our good friend Eric Ghanem, even went so far as to ski Gunsight. A bunch of that new snow…
Hiking Bald Mountain in the High Uintas
Breaking free from my comfort zone of Little Cottonwood Canyon can be taxing. LCC holds the people, peaks, and accessibility that leave me with a “why leave?” mentality. Change is a good thing I tell myself from time to time, and with the mighty Uinta Range so close (yet so far), I felt the urge…
A loopy journey on Mount Timpanogos
At around 10 p.m. I received an invite from my friend Adam Fabrikant for a run the next morning on Mount Timpanogos. Adam is a fierce mountain goat, and while he may hesitate to use those words exactly, he shows no limit to his energy stores. Therefore, I dabbled with some second guessing after I agreed…
Cecret Lake – the everyone trail
The pinnacle of unextreme hiking takes place in the heart of Alta, and I quite enjoyed it. You don’t have to sacrifice any of your grizzled nature to enjoy such an outing. It doesn’t put an asterisk on your trans-Wasatch, Tri Canyon ski-running feats to admit to a relaxed stroll in the woods. We have,…
Climbing Tokewanna Peak
There are nineteen “13’ers” in Utah, and every one of these beasts can be found somewhere in the Uinta Mountain Range. One of the things that make Utah’s 13,000′ mountains unique is their distance from roads. Climbing these summits often means a multi-day backpacking trip, or at least a 15+ mile single day epic hike….
Hiking to the Cardiff Mine in Big Cottonwood Canyon
The Wasatch Mountains are chock full of hiking trails, but not many of them are as full of history as Cardiff Fork. These mountains were used for mining in the 1800s instead of outdoor recreation, and the relics of those times still remain. If you know where to look in Cardiff Fork, you can see…
Utah Mountain Biking Guide: Wasatch Crest to Dog Lake to Mill D
Start Point: Guardsman Pass, 9720 feet Elevation Gain: 1,437 feet Elevation Loss: 3,645 feet Trail Distance: 15.4 miles (one way) Trail Time: 3 hours, 30 minutes Skill Level: Intermediate/Advanced Best Season: Summer The Wasatch Crest Trail is probably the most famous mountain biking route in the Salt Lake area. There are many good reasons for its legendary status, such as…
Utah Mountain Biking Guide: Red Canyon Rim Trail
Start Point: Red Canyon Rim east trailhead, 7400 feet High Point: See above Trail Distance: 9 miles (round trip) Trail Time: 2 hours, 30 minutes (allows for beer break at Flaming Gorge Overlook) Skill Level: Intermediate Best Season: Summer/Fall The Red Canyon Rim Trail is a U.S. Forest Service hiking path that has been identified as appropriate for two-wheeled usage. The…
July 4th in Alta: America and coreshots
The 4th is glorious, and it is great. But it’s also sweaty and crowded. Sometimes jamming into a public arena with half the valley to swap “oohs and aahs” over exploding ordinances as the temps just drop below 90 is less than attractive. Whiny me. So this year on the 4th, as they often do,…