Torrey is known by most as the gateway to Capitol Reef National Park and the surrounding desert Boulder Mountain, just south of Torrey, is an often overlooked destination with high mountain terrain and cooler temperatures that is one of my favorite places to wander in the summer when the lowlands become scorching hot Pine Creek, on the northwest side of Boulder Mountain, is a serene mountain sanctuary from high summer temps at lower elevations The trailhead is less than 30 minutes from Torrey, with excellent primit...

When I first hiked North Caineville Mesa, it was by the cement truck route on the south side At the time, the BLM office in Hanksville said it was the only route up the mesa Recently, however, the BLM mentioned an additional route that climbs the mesa on the northwest side Being a lover of badland hikes and big views, I was eager to hike the route Armed with a simple trailhead waypoint, I headed out on a hot spring day to check it out This route is both quite similar,...

Mud Springs Point is the high-point of Griffin Top in the Escalante Mountains, just northwest of the town of Escalante As a bit of a high-point bagger, this one was on my list because of the views I expected it to have We were not disappointed! The hike is short, but along the top of a dramatic cliff wall with broad views to the west and south in the Bryce and Zion directions A very nice little amble and great picnic spot Fall will bring dramatic colors, if your timing is right! Note: Those not wanting to hike at a...

Just northwest of the town of Green River, near the watermelon fields the area is famous for, is Coal Canyon and a very interesting rock art site The canyon sits at the transition zone between the lower elevation desert and the higher elevation Book Cliffs beyond I imagine ancient peoples travelled most of the canyons along this part of the Book Cliffs as part of their seasonal transitions, following both moderate temperatures and game as the seasons dictated The panel surprised me in its size and complexity At a c...

Peakbaggers has it right This is an excellent canyon; lots of problem-solving and teamwork A couple of the downclimbs have some spice; the keepers are fun practice and can be defeated with boosts, or other methods Be ready to rebuild deadman anchors in the lower canyon The rough section of the road is definitely high clearance; a Subaru Outback will do fine Just a small correction to the beta above It says the approach is to the northeast It is northwest of the TH

This is weird We used 60m of brand new static rope The 2nd picture was taken while standing on the ground We checked enough rope length by lowering down the rope bag, and watching it touch the ground from the far southwest side of the "U" Two explanations: either the anchor sling length was changed, or our rope length is >60m Sorry to hear that

Thanks for the info: We drove by there today on the way back from Capitol Reef taking the "scenic" route The canyon looked promising but we had not time to search and just stopped at that trailhead to see what was there Never even heard of the "Queen" before, even though we have been to hundreds of sites in the southwest We just got home and I wanted to look it up for a future trip You have my email, drop me a line if I can return the favor Capitol Reef did not have much but got a few good tips on the way h...

Beautiful canyon This may be a beginner technical Canyon from the midpoint optional drop in, but the upper section is no joke Amazing rap down 170ft wall Some swimmers Stemming narrows Keeper pothole avoidance The upper section is a must One tip: instead of following Ryan’s waypoints from Top Rock to the opening of the canyon, you can follow a social trail northwest and take a direct easy downhill approach to the hoodoo that marks the entrance to Water Canyon You will save a lot of time

Every trip to the west desert has surprised me with the unexpected gems hidden in its vast expanse Desert Mountain turned out to be another gem of a weekend trip, overlooked by most The mountain is several peaks that stand out as an island in vast flat plains that surround them We visited to rock climb, which was good, but unexpectedly found the camping, hiking, rock art, and solitude to be even better than the climbing! The peaks are granite, with a bit of basalt near the southern base Like the Devils Playground i...

I did an out-and-back from Cliff Dweller Flats on a Saturday in mid March High of 65 and a perfect time of year to be there; the canyon stayed shaded all morning and even some of the midday and early afternoon A few patches of snow but hardly any moisture to be found, no microspikes needed I clocked 110 miles from the parking area, 90 of which was in the canyon itself I ended up coming up and out of the canyon a different way than I went in, but both near what is suggested on the map for an entry point; neither wer...