Surprisingly lush canyon with towering ponderosa pines in the Blue Mountains of SE Washington Distance: 8.0 miles round trip (we hiked 11.3 miles round trip in our search for the Cabin Gulch Trail) Type: out and back or loop option…
North Central Idaho’s Feather Creek, May 2016
Lovely nature hike. Distance: 5.25 miles round trip Type: Loop Difficulty: easy with minimal elevation gain Best season: April – October We discovered this hike on Mary Aegerter’s website Hiking From Here. Mary was a professor of mine (more than…
Oregon’s Eagle Cap Wilderness: Minam and Mirror Lakes Backpack, July 2015
Exceptional backpacking loop to several high mountain lakes and over a mountain pass in Oregon’s stunning Eagle Cap Wilderness. Distance: 21 miles round trip (including side trip to Moccasin Lake) Type: loop backpack Difficulty: moderate with 3,160′ elevation gain Best…
Fire on the Mountain: Idaho’s Grave Peak Lookout, Aug 2010
Climb to a rare D-6 lookout along the ID-MT border with spectacular views of the Bitterroot Divide Distance: 9.0 miles Type: out and back Difficulty: moderately difficult with 3,080′ total elevation gain Best season: July – September Bud Moore’s book…
Utah’s Capitol Reef National Park: Cohab & Frying Pan Trails to Cassidy Arch, Oct 2013
Stunning views and an outlaw arch along the Cohab & Frying Pan Trails in Capitol Reef National Park Distance: 9.0 miles round trip Type: out and back Difficulty: moderate with 2,000′ elevation gain Best season: spring and fall Note: much…
Stormy Day in Utah: Museums, Ruins, and Rock Art, Oct 2013
Our “hiking around the government shutdown” vacation had been going wonderfully. We had enjoyed near perfect weather for five days of hiking (see previous posts). Then, on the sixth day, we awoke to the loudest and longest rumble of thunder…
SW Colorado’s Canyons of the Ancients National Monument: Sand Canyon Trail, Oct 2013
Scenic trail to numerous Anasazi ruins dating back to the 1200s Distance: 7.75 miles round trip Type: loop Difficulty: moderate Best season: spring and fall Despite all the obstacles we’d encountered while planning our fall 2013 vacation (see previous posts),…
SE Utah’s Cedar Mesa: Fallen Roof & Citadel Ruins, Oct 2013
Hikes to two uniquely stunning ruins on Utah’s Cedar Mesa Distance: 2.5 miles round trip to Fallen Roof Ruins, 5.7 miles to Citadel Ruins (about 1.5 miles of that was road walking) Type: both out and back Difficulty: exposed slickrock…
SE Utah: Kane Gulch Trail to Grand Gulch, Oct 2013
Hike through a beautiful and rugged Utah canyon to ancient Anasazi Indian ruins Distance: 8.0 miles round trip to Junction Ruin (we did some extra exploring and logged 9.2 miles) Type: out and back Difficulty: moderate with rocky tread and…
Utah’s Dead Horse Point State Park, Oct 2013
Fun and quiet loop hike with stunning viewpoints at Utah’s Dead Horse Point State Park Distance: 8.6 mile loop (including side trails to Shafer Canyon, Rim, and Bighorn overlooks) Type: loop Difficulty: moderate with minimal elevation change Best season: spring…