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,…
Tag: Utah
Utah Mountain Biking Guide: Jass-Chrome Molly Trail
Start Point: Jass-Chrome Molly trailhead, 5875 feet High Point: Loop high point, 6175 feet Trail Distance: 6.6 miles (round trip) Trail Time: 1 hour, 20 minutes Skill Level: Intermediate Best Season: Spring/Fall The Jass-Chrome Molly Trail (also spelled “Jazz-Chrome Molly,” I couldn’t discern which is correct either way) is a Vernal area original. This 6.6-mile loop is…
Hiking Burro Wash Slot Canyon in Capitol Reef National Park
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Capitol Reef National Park is awesome! Everything from scenic drives to short walks and long backcountry hikes make this the perfect destination for hardcore desert rats and families alike. If it’s slot canyons you seek, well, the Reef has those, too. Along the park’s eastern boundary…
Learning the mountain biking lesson at Payson Lakes
Temps in Salt Lake crept toward the ominous triple-digit threshold as I prepped for a mid-June mountain bike and camp trip to the Payson Lakes area in the southern Wasatch. The heat gathered and stood stagnant in my driveway. We needed out of the valley. Soon enough, the SLC outdoor-accessibility factor reared its beautiful head. Down…
Choose your own Utah adventure with smartphone app?
Remember those “Choose Your Own Adventure” books when you were a kid? You know, you would read a chapter, and then make a choice about what to do next, which would completely alter the outcome of the story? Well there is a campaign online to fund a smartphone app that would make Choose Your Own…
Utah Mountain Biking Guide: The Flume Trail
Start Point: The Flume trailhead, 9950 feet High Point: Apex of upper loop, 8300 feet Trail Distance: 18 miles (round trip) Trail Time: 4 hours Skill Level: Intermediate Best Season: Spring/Fall The Flume Trail has been described as one of the most classic mountain bike rides in the Vernal area. This excellent singletrack winds up through a scenic canyon along mountain…
Utah skier days released for 2012/13 ski season
Math is hard, but counting numbers is big business for Utah’s ski industry, especially in summer when skier numbers for the last season are tallied to see how well our state is doing. So there is much anticipation for the skier-visit numbers to be released. Luckily we got good news this year as Ski Utah…
On skiing’s end in the Uinta Mountains
I have a love/hate relationship with spring. Scratch that. I hate spring. I love mountains, but only with snow on them. Spring takes the snow away. I hate that. As such, I try to eek out as much skiing as possible as the snow melts to prolong the season. But there comes a time when…
Utah outdoor ideas for Great Outdoors Month
Did you know that June is Great Outdoors Month? It is, by Presidential proclamation no less. So if you need any excuse to go enjoy the outdoors, then I’d say that’s reason enough. As part of Great Outdoors Month, June 1st is National Trails Day, the 1st through 9th is National Fishing and Boating Week,…
Friday Video: Weak in the Knees
Maybe it’s withdrawals from skiing, but this week’s Friday Video is, yes, a ski video. With June on our doorstep, and Memorial Day come and gone, it’s pretty much summer here in Utah and I should just let go and get over it. But nay, there still be snow in them hills. One merely has…