Beauty, whether moral or natural, is felt, more properly than perceived -David Hume Hume's quote comes to mind when describing Death Hollow The canyon is long, over 20 miles, and requires skills, fitness, and time to descend The reward, however, is a beautiful and powerful canyon Death Hollow is a classic Escalante area backpack that leaves an impression on the hiker and feels like an accomplishment It traverses the full length of Death Hollow, from the top of the drainage to its confluence with the Escalante River...

Mossy Cave and the waterfall near the cave makes an excellent roadside attraction on the east side of Bryce Canyon National Park It is popular A short hike leads to a photographer's paradise The ease and length of this outing make it a good family friendly stop to stretch legs while passing near Bryce History from the NPS Sign: "Bringing Water to the Desert By 1874 members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints had begun to settle in the Paria Valley east of Bryce Canyon Arid conditions gave rise to a p...

Mount Superior, near Alta, offers a good intermediate or advanced hike to a lofty summit If you’re a climber, I would strongly recommend taking the south ridge up, which follows this route down For non-climbers, this is the easiest way to the summit The trail starts off easy enough on an old mining road, but once it leaves Cardiff Pass, it has many steep, loose, and exposed sections Nothing hard or too dangerous, but best done by those with a bit of experience under t...

Gravel Canyon is one of the Cedar Mesa classics The narrows are fantastic, with an impressive ruin near the end Although a classic, your unlikely to see others in this area Expect a long canyon with incredible scenery There is good camping all along the approach road All-in-all, when combined with Cheesebox, this is a great area to spend a few days

One of the more popular hikes in the area, the upper Adams Canyon waterfall is a picturesque 40' waterfall tucked in the folds of Adams Canyon I've visited a couple of times, and always enjoyed the falls, but also been surprised at the number of visitors On a summer Saturday, the parking lot can be full reasonably early in the morning Don't let the crowds deter, however, as the hike is quite pretty and the falls themselves an excellent destination The route is steep and relatively long about 4 miles round trip and ...

Looking Glass Rock, with its reasonable rating, and spectacular rappel, makes a great outing for those climbers comfortable on runout, but easy terrain Although the crux moves are well bolted, there is much run out scrambling The reward is excellent views and one of the airiest rappels you will likely every do Climbing Looking Glass Rock, in my opinion, is a must do in the Moab area for the moderate leader Note: As of 2017, several bolts have been added to the route that are not described below Though I would not h...

Ancient Art has to be one of the most unique summits around Easily recognized, it is often photographed This is a climb you must do if you are looking for a unique and breathtaking moderate climbing experience Though the Cutler Sandstone that makes up the route is not known for its stellar free climbing, this route has been done enough to be quite clean and solid That being said, this is a serious climb that requires trad climbing experience and judgment There have been some accidents on the route from inexperience...

Thumbing through Desert Rock 4 toward the end of a climbing weekend in Moab, I spied Monticello Butte A surprisingly moderate route at 57, it had a 4-star rating and seemed perfect for ending the weekend The climbing didn't seem 4-star to either Jim or I, but the views are pretty incredible

Wilson Arch is visited by thousands every year, as it sits prominently next to highway 191 south of Moab The arch is magnificent, and often photographed, but for the adventurous, a great adventure awaits The arch can be climbed at a relatively easy level 53, but with jaw dropping exposure A big rap down the arch at the end is the cherry on top For those that are inclined, the arch can be rappelled with a simul-rap, but an anchor also exists for those wishing to do a standard rappel

Lost World Butte, by Dubinky Well offers a great summit suitable for most beginner climbers and up Typically of many desert adventures, this one starts in a lonely and seemingly seldom visited corner north of Moab The climbing contains everything from a run out pitch and short bolt ladder to an absolutely incredible summit Just what climbing in the desert should be! Note: The second pitch, although short 12 m and relatively easy 55, does not take gear Not for absolute beginners, but for those comfortable at the gra...