Alcove Springs Trail
With good weather forecast for the next day, we decided to try a longer hike — from the Alcove Springs trailhead in Island in the Sky toward Taylor Canyon.
The trail starts at the rim and winds down switchbacks past an enormous alcove
View of alcove from below
At the bottom of the canyon, we followed a wash down Trail Canyon for about 3 miles to the junction of Trail Canyon and Taylor Canyon.
View of Moses and Zeus
someday I want to climb one of these!
View of Moses and Zeus
The view at the end of our long hike via Alcove Springs!
Looking at the Green River from Green River overlook
From Arches National Park, we drove about 35 miles to Island in the Sky, part of Canyonlands National Park. First, we secured a spot in the Willow Flat Campground.
Campsite 11 at Willow Flats Campground
With only 12 sites total, we were lucky to find the last empty site, and as we unloaded our car, two people drove by looking for a campsite.
View from Mesa Arch to the canyon bottom
Our first hike was one of the short hikes, to Mesa Arch, a half-mile round trip on a mostly flat trail. Mesa Arch perches directly on the canyon rim, and if one were to trip and fall through the arch, it’d be hundreds of feet to the canyon bottom.
It’s well worth hiking to Mesa Arch, with a spectacular view of the canyon bottom. The arch is particularly pretty at sunrise, but we experienced rainy skies the following two mornings. I’ll have to come back another time for sunrise photos!
The Three Gossips
The Arches National Park website describes the Park Avenue trail as “moderate”, though it’s only 1 mile long ( they also claim it takes 30 - 60 minutes — that’s allowing a LOT of time for photography!)
Tristan dropped me off at the lower end (elevation), near Courthouse Towers and I jogged and hiked the trail in the uphill direction. The Three Gossips, above, a spectacular formation, are climbed from any one of several routes.
Along the Park Avenue trail
The trail is very pleasant, on slickrock and easy to follow. It ends at the Park Avenue parking area and makes a nice one-way trip if one has a shuttle driver available.
Tower Arch
In Arches, we hiked the 3.4 mile (round trip) trail to Tower Arch. This trail climbs steeply up a rocky section at first, then descends a little to meander between sage brush.
We passed bizarre rock formations - the Marching Men, on the hike to Tower Arch.
The Marching Men with the La Sal mountains in back
Looking out from inside Tower Arch
Tower Arch is one of the fattest arches I’ve seen. This trail is relatively quiet, since it starts at the end of a dirt road. It’s a much harder trail than the one to Landscape Arch, but not overly long.
Tristan said it was his favorite trail of all the ones we hiked in Arches.
Landscape Arch
During National Parks week, when the parks offered free entry to visitors, my son and I hiked in Arches National Park.
Tristan broke his leg in November (tibia) and while he could walk (the surgeon nailed a titanium rod down the center of his leg bone), these would be his first hikes since the surgery to repair the broken leg.
We thought we’d start out with short, relatively flat and easy hikes. Hiking to Landscape Arch fit the bill.
According to the NP website, Landscape Arch is Earth’s largest arch. I’d hiked past here before, on the way to climb Dark Angel, and remembered it as an easy hike.
The hike involves a 2-mile round trip on fairly flat, easy ground, and as such is very popular and a quite busy.
Landscape Arch in October, 2007
Since Wall Arch broke a few years ago, maybe it’s best we saw this arch now, before it too goes the way of all geological features!
Nico on the Priest
It’s free entry to National Parks week!
We’re heading to Canyonlands and other parks on a few hikes.
Nico and Andrew climbed the Priest while we climbed the Nuns, so I took photos looking across at their climb.
The Priest, Honeymoon Chimney
Nico leading the crux of the last pitch
Germans on top of the Priest
Snow-bike competitor in Enduro and ski racers riding Pali
Jamie Ober and Ollie Holmes again won the 22nd annual Enduro with 71 runs, one lap short of their record 72 laps.
Tom Fricke and Leon Littlebird of the SnowShow at Krystal 93 had speculated that this year, Jamie and Ollie might set a new record because of the excellent snow conditions.
We skied the Basin that day, and in the morning, blue sky, sunshine, and no wind made for ideal conditions. However, later that afternoon the wind picked up and visibility decreased as a storm blew in — all of which would contribute to slower speeds on the slopes.
Ian Borgeson and Dylan Walczyk placed second with 70 laps, while Wendy Fisher and Johnny Biggers of Crested Butte placed 3rd with 66 laps. Fisher, a former member of the U.S. ski team, and Olympic competitor, won two Extreme Freeskiing World titles.
Fisher, who skis at Crested Butte, has long encouraged women skiing harder. I’d like to see a team of fisher and two time World Extreme skiing champion Kim Reichhelm competing in next year’s Enduro!
The #1 women’s team, Erika Hall and Becs Hodgetts completed 65 laps, while the #1 snowboard team, James Ashley and Shaun Maruna rode 62 laps.
The guys riding the lift in front of us, bibs #4, are Will Stevenson and Ryan Anthon, who completed 64 laps - so they’re right in among the top competitors.
Competitors coming down the final stretch to the Pali lift line
Today, A-Basin hosted its 22nd annual Enduro race. Skiers and riders run laps on the Pali face — all double black or extreme runs — from 7 a.m. until 5 p.m. and team that completes the most laps is the winner.
Team # 4 rode the chair in front of us
Only 40 teams are allowed to race, and racers from previous years get priority.
When my housemate raced the Enduro, he got in as a replacement racer in an already registered team of two, one of whom was injured.
The record, held by Jamie Ober and Ollie Holmes, is 72 laps.
That’s 72 laps on step, narrow bumps and trees!
A boarder racing the Enduro
Pali looked smooth and fast this morning
Racers got good light, good snow, and good weather
Racers near the top of Pali face