Recently me and my nephew, and consummate backpacking buddy, Nicholas went on a quick trip to southern Utah. We were in Wolverine canyon in the Circle Cliffs area of the Grand Staircase. The days went from 10 to 40 degrees Fahrenheit so we got to use all of the gear that we packed… always look on the bright side right? We traveled through the canyons and to the top of mesas and back down again in a about a thirty mile loop. We used the Mountain Hardwear Hammerhead two-man tent (my favorite) and it was superb even with a light snow load. Good times and fun were had by all. Could have done without the sugary snow drifts, though, they made for slow going.
Archive for category Camping
Circle cliffs Fun!
Dec 1
October 15th we took the crew and a lot of friends down to Escalante to do some hiking, canyons, camping, and socializing. We stayed at the Escalante State Park campground just outside of Escalante. I love this place if you do not want to rough it. Flushing toilets, showers, and the group areas have concrete pads and awning. Complete with lights!
Thursday a few of us went down the “hole in the rock” road to the Egypt canyons and did Egypt 1. They have had a ton of rain lately ( the BLM said 4″ in 4 days) and it was obvious. The roads are pretty tore up and it was fun getting out there. You don’t really need a 4wd but high clearance is necessary. Not really any water in the canyon but the mud is slick and abundant. We had a great time with the challenges that the mud made.
Friday most of the crew showed up and we had to split into smaller groups to make the BLM happy and to expedite the trips. Our group chose a fun little canyon (we won’t mention where) and had a great time first finding it, and then navigating it with a larger group. We did get to demo a lot of new product including the Black Diamond half dome helmet, the Black Diamond ATC XP, and the new Bluewater Canyonator rope. All of which worked great. We also were able to sample some of the new Black Diamond trekking poles and packs that will be out next spring. Stay tuned for reviews.
Saturday my group went back to the Egypt canyons and did Egypt 2. One of my favorite canyons if for no other reason than it has a 285 foot rappell to start the canyon. Everyone I take out there says that the first time they see it, it looks more like 600 feet. Beautiful day and fun people made this trip great. Mud, sand, and slogging added a new challenge and made it all the more enjoyable. We did look like we had rolled around in the mud by the time we got back to the truck.
Sunday was spent exploring new areas, demoing more product, and I rigged Egypt 2 again for those who did not get a chance on Saturday.
If you havent been to Escalante then you are missing out. If you have then you know that you probably havent scratched the surface of the fun you can have in this area.
Things of importance to me and to make your trip all the more memorable include
Escalante Outfitters best calzones after a day in the canyons. Showers and last minute gear you left home. They rent small cabins and have camp sites too.
If you would like a Canyoneering adventure then Excursions of Escalante is the best! Rick and Amie run a first rate guide service and all I can say is bring a camera because you do not want to forget any of this trip. At least stop by and get a coffee or some great ice cream.
Escalante State Park is easy, close, and far from roughing it.
Stop by the new information center on the west side of town. Pretty spiffy place.
My husband and I just adopted our first baby, a German Shepherd named Mogli. After taking him on several hikes within the first two weeks of Mogli being ours, we decided it was time to take him camping. We wanted a short drive, little to no other campers, and a place to do plenty of hiking. This brought us to Nebo loop.
We took the Nebo loop from Payson, to the first turn off past Payson lakes, walked about a mile to the first spring we came to, and set up camp there. This was a great spot for a weekday trip. We had a couple of cyclists pass by, and that was about it. We hiked around the area to Rock Spring and using the 7 1/2 minute map and our GPS, we found a few other not so well known springs in the area.
Before we left, we stopped by Out N Back, and rented the 2 man Elbow Room tent by MSR. As much as we liked the tent, we’ve decided when we do buy our own tent, it will have to be a 3 man tent. Mogli would have managed his way out of the vestibule to chase down the animals he could hear down by the spring had we made him sleep there. Instead he crashed down by our feet.
I also used one of the Big Agnes sleeping bags from Out N Back rentals as well. I’ve never stayed on a sleeping pad through out the night when camping so after hearing so much about Big Agnes’ integrated sleep system, I had to try it out. Instead of making a bag that is insulated all the way around, they leave out the insulation on the bottom of the bag and instead built in a sleeve for a sleeping pad. The bag and pad work together as one this way. They stay together, so you and your bag don’t role off, and the pad provides the insulation and warmth. I loved it. This was definitely the most comfortable I’ve ever slept while camping out! If you haven’t tried one out, you definitely should. My next sleeping bag will definitely be made by Big Agnes.
Oh, and in case you are wondering, Mogli did great! He stayed off his leash the whole time and never strayed away. He had a great time and made our trip all the better. 
Buckskin Odyssey
Apr 12
This past weekend a group of us from the shop headed down to Kanab with some buds to explore the famous Buckskin Gulch. We had heard a lot (I mean A LOT) of hype about the conditions in the slot for this time of year, and with the wet spring we’ve had in Utah we anticipated a very wet, very cold, overnight adventure. Well, as it turns out, BLM Rangers are not immune to exaggerating, though to their credit they erred on the side of caution. Happily, the weather was perfect the entire weekend. The most narrow sections of the canyon floor were muddy, but the deepest water we found barely reached hip height.
The one thing nobody overstates is the length of the hike. It is every inch as long as they say it is, and it will take you all day if you are carrying gear for camping overnight. Good conditioning is a must for this canyon, there is no way out but through. Pro tip: Neoprene socks and shoes that drain well are required to keep your feet happy in Buckskin Gulch, especially on Day Two as you trudge upstream in the Paria river.
So, why do people do this hike? The spectacular beauty of this canyon cannot be described in this space and the photos you find on the internet do not do it justice. You really do have to see it to appreciate it, especially the campsite just above the Paria river confluence. There are only a few places like this in the world, it’s like a waking dream.
If you really want to see photos from our trip come on down to Out N Back and beg Kory to post some. I know he took a few choice shots and if we all ask nice maybe he’ll share. He might even hook you up with a deal on some gear for your own adventure!
I took my wife and favorite daughter down to Moab this past weekend to help scratch that spring itch that has been bugging me. We had a great time. Camped by the river, had a great dinner in Moab, and played in Arches all day Saturday March 13th 2010. Delicate Arch is still there and as splendid as ever. We found a new climbing route through climb-utah.com for U-turn and had a lot of fun scrambling up the chimney crack, traversing the sandstone, taking pictures, and rappelling down into the Park Avenue gap. I highly recommend this route for the experienced canyoneer. Sandstone always makes my day and remembering why I love Utah in all of its majestic glory makes me happy to be alive and enjoying life with my family. Just remember to get out and PLAY!
