Southwestern US
Colorado, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico
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A waterfall in the desert – Escalante National Monument, Utah
Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument is a hidden gem. Spanning two million acres of mostly undeveloped wilderness, this national monument preserves a vast expanse of red rock desert in southern Utah. The monument is part of the Grand Staircase… an enormous span of rock layers that represent nearly two billion years of geologic history. These layers… Continue reading
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Land of the sleeping rainbow – Escalante Petrified Forest State Park, Utah
After two wonderful days of hoodoos, we departed Bryce Canyon and began the 90 minute drive to our hotel in the small town of Escalante. I’d planned some extra time for the drive knowing that we’d be following Highway 12, which is a scenic byway. We would also be driving past three state parks, though… Continue reading
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Among the hoodoos – Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah (part II)
Despite its name, Bryce Canyon is not a canyon. It’s a sequence of amphitheaters located on the edge of the Paunsaugunt Plateau. This name was given to the plateau by the Southern Paiute people, who lived in and around Bryce Canyon for hundreds of years. The word hoodoo is also derived from the Southern Paiute… Continue reading
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“It’s a helluva place to lose a cow” – Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah (part I)
Thank you to Ken Burns’ The National Parks: America’s Best Idea documentary series for this gem of a quote. If you haven’t watched this series, I highly recommend it. We really enjoyed it! The quote is attributed to Ebenezer Bryce, a Mormon pioneer who homesteaded near Bryce Canyon in the 1860s and began taking visitors… Continue reading
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Big river of the north – Rio Grande del Norte National Monument, New Mexico
With one day remaining of our Labor Day weekend getaway to Taos, we headed out of town to the west. Today, instead of climbing to the highest point, we would be descending to the lowest elevation area in the Taos Valley region: the gorge cut by the Rio Grande. Actually, we’d be descending and then… Continue reading
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Driving New Mexico’s Enchanted Circle Scenic Byway
Wheeler Peak, located in the southern reaches of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, is the highest point in New Mexico. We summited it over Labor Day weekend, which I wrote all about last week. Encircling Wheeler Peak is the Enchanted Circle Scenic Byway, connecting the towns of Taos, Red River, and Angel Fire, and passing… Continue reading
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On Top of New Mexico: Wheeler Peak
Summer out here in the west has become very unpredictable. Afternoon thunderstorms used to be the main concern, but in the last couple years forest fires and air quality have become the two main factors that influence our travel plans. Colorado was lucky this year to receive adequate rain and avoid a repeat of our… Continue reading
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Riding the rapids in Split Mountain Canyon – Dinosaur National Monument, Utah
After spending the other days of our long weekend exploring Dinosaur National Monument from above, a guided whitewater rafting expedition now afforded us the chance to see the Utah side of the monument from below. Our one-day trip took us along 9 miles (14.5 km) of the Green River through Split Mountain Canyon. The geology… Continue reading
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Canyon Country – Dinosaur National Monument, Colorado
By far, most people who visit Dinosaur go to the Utah half of the monument. It’s the side with the dinosaur bones for which the monument is most famous. It’s also the more accessible part of the monument, with developed campgrounds and easy river access. However… what the Colorado half lacks in dinosaur fossils, it… Continue reading
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Island in the Sky – Canyonlands National Park, Utah (part II)
For our final day in eastern Utah, we headed into the Island in the Sky district of Canyonlands. This is the one you’ve probably seen pictures of, as it’s the easiest to access and therefore the most popular. It’s only about a 40 minute drive from Moab, down a very scenic stretch of highway. I… Continue reading
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Exploring the Needles – Canyonlands National Park, Utah (part I)
Years ago, I set foot in Canyonlands for the first time, a stop on a summer national parks road trip. We spent a full day in the park, seeing as much as we could. But we knew we’d barely scratched the surface. This time around, I was determined to see more of this beautiful red… Continue reading
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Iconic Utah – Hiking to Delicate Arch
Delicate Arch is inarguably the most iconic sight in all of Utah. It’s on the license plate, the state quarter, signs all over the state, and numerous other things. But none of these can prepare you for the majesty of the arch itself. The first time I saw it, I was completely in awe. This… Continue reading
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Colorado Bucket List: Hiking to Ice Lake
Do a google search for “best hikes in Colorado” and you’ll inevitably stumble across Ice Lake within the first 5 minutes of your search. And let me tell you, there’s a reason this hike appears on the majority of such lists. It’s unbelievable! It’s also popular and crowded (let’s be real, most everything in Colorado… Continue reading
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Colorado Hikes: Columbine Lake
Alternate post title: my absolute favorite hike in Colorado! In a world of Instagram and photo filters and photo editing software, it’s common to see a photo of something that looks too amazing to be real. So it’s reasonable to be skeptical. I definitely was the first time I ever saw a photo of Columbine… Continue reading
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Colorado Backpacking: Blue Lakes Basin
(Update: as of 2025, this trail is closed for construction. When it reopens, permits will be required.) The title of this post was supposed to be “Colorado 14ers #2: Mount Sneffels” but, alas, the weather had a different set of plans. In fact, this post and the next two will be a three-part saga of… Continue reading
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A Year in Review: 2020
2020 has been a giant dumpster fire. On that, I think we can all agree. Pretty much everything that’s happened this year has been unprecedented. I can only hope that better things are on the horizon for 2021. With all the lockdowns and travel restrictions, I’ve been more grateful than ever to live in Colorado.… Continue reading
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Holy Schist! – Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, Colorado
After a stunningly beautiful 24 hours at the Maroon Bells, we packed up camp and headed south to Black Canyon of the Gunnison. I’m not sure what I was expecting Black Canyon to be, but it was wildly different from my expectations… in a good way. In my mind, I guess it was a mini… Continue reading
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Colorado Hikes: West Maroon Creek Trail to Crater Lake
There are multiple Crater Lakes in Colorado. There are also multiple Blue Lakes. And Columbine Lakes. And probably lots of other duplicate names as well. Whoever is in charge of the Colorado Lake Naming Commission needs to up their standards for naming creativity. But it’s probably too late for that now, so I’ll just begin… Continue reading
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Colorado Bucket List: Sunrise at the Maroon Bells
I said when I began this Colorado Bucket List series that some of these “must-do” items are probably a little overrated and/or cliché. Some of them are also excessively popular and crowded. This is absolutely one of the most popular and crowded items on the list, but it’s by no means overrated. There’s a reason… Continue reading
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Staying Cool in the Fiery Furnace – Arches National Park, Utah
When my family and I visited Arches National Park many years back, we didn’t know that you have to reserve tickets for the Fiery Furnace ranger led hike ahead of time. Like… way ahead of time. This hike generally sells out months in advance. So when we decided to visit Arches last July as destination… Continue reading