Upper Cascades

For our second hike of the weekend we hauled ourselves and our packs to the Upper Cascades waterfall which sits high above Ouray.  We had to change campsites (which took most of the morning) so we didn't get an early start, but the weather held out and was actually downright hot on this south facing hike.  We were able to do this hike right from the Amphitheater Campground.  This hike was a really good comparable for hiking in Nepal with an average gain of 1,000' per mile.  It was slow going on the uphill, but slow and steady worked for the day.  We didn't make it over to Chief Ouray's Mine due to some steep drop offs that I wasn't willing to cross.

Trailhead Elevation:  8,639 feet
Highest Elevation:  10,151 feet
Total Elevation Gain:  1,663 feet
Total Distance:  6.10 miles
Total Time:  3:30 hours

Blue Lakes

We spent the Pioneer Day holiday weekend in Ouray, Colorado for some spectacular hiking in the San Juans.  We are trying to focus on short and steep (not necessarily sweet) hikes to best match conditions for Nepal.  Our first hike of the weekend was to Blue Lakes outside of Ridgway in the Mount Sneffels area. While the lake wasn't all that blue, it was a gorgeous cirque around the lower lake.  Although we got an early start, the rain came earlier than expected, so we spent the last hour hiking down in the rain.  It wasn't too bad for us with our rain gear, but the dogs were thoroughly disgusted with the wet and mud.

Trailhead Elevation:  9,029 feet
Highest Elevation:  10, 871 feet
Total Elevation Gain:  1,644 feet
Total Distance:  8.4 miles
Total Time:  4 hours

Alexander Basin

Alexander Basin is a pretty steep hike up to a gorgeous cirque below Gobblers Knob.  I made it to the basin and the wildflowers were just about in peak bloom (though not quite).  I made it to the basin in about an hour and twenty minutes. There were a good number of people on the trail considering it is no easy task.  No snakes, but there were flies galore.  They were everywhere from beginning to end with no relenting. Other than the flies, it was a great hike for steeper trail training.

Trailhead Elevation:  6,928 feet
Highest Elevation:  8,925 feet
Total Elevation Gain:  1,729 feet
Total Distance:  4.5 miles
Total Time:  2:40 hrs

Lake Blanche - Partial

Lake Blanche is a beautiful lake shadowed by Sundial Peak up Big Cottonwood Canyon.  I got a late start, so had to turn around after just 2 miles in, but it was a good scoping mission. This trail provides some steep terrain that should be great training for the steeps of Nepal.  I still had another mile and about 1,500' of elevation gain to go when I had to turn around.  We'll definitely have to come back and do the entire hike.

Trailhead Elevation:  6,131 feet
Highest Elevation:  7,343 feet
Total Elevation Gain:  1,200 feet
Total Distance:  4 miles
Total Time:  2:15 hrs

Salt Lake Overlook

The Salt Lake Overlook is a nice hike up Millcreek Canyon.  This hike is the first part of the Desolation Trail that starts just past Millcreek Inn.  It was a crowded day on the trial for the holiday weekend, but a nice outing nonetheless.  The trailhead sign and hiking books say the Salt Lake Overlook is 2 miles up, but it is really more like 3 miles with lots of switchbacks.  It is a consistent uphill climb, but never too steep.  This is a good summer hike as the trail goes up a north facing drainage and there is lots of shade along the way.

Trailhead Elevation:  5,740 feet
Highest Elevation: 7,000 feet
Total Elevation Gain:  1,260 feet
Total Distance:  6 miles
Total Time:  3 hours

East Shingle Creek Lake

The trailhead for East Shingle Creek and North Erickson Lake is at the top of Upper Setting Road off of UT 150.  The total drive up is about 6.5 miles.  We parked about 2.5 miles from the top (which makes for a long hike just to the trailhead). With the long hike to the trailhead, we only made it about 1.5 miles into the hike.  Shingle Creek Lake is only about 1 mile into the hike.  We turned around at the creek crossing .  The Erickson Lakes were only another mile, but we were too tired to make it.  There were lots of biting mosquitos out.  Bring your bug spray.  Poor Riley was nearly eaten alive by the mosquitos and had plenty of bumps to show for it.

Trailhead Elevation:  8,993 feet
Highest Elevation:  9,580 feet
Total Elevation Gain:  968 feet
Total Miles:  8 miles
Total Time:  4 hours

Haystack Lake

Haystack Lake is one of our favorite hikes.  There is not a lot of elevation gain, so it is a nice second hike for the weekend.  The lakes are gorgeous.  The trail starts out at the Washington Lake Group Campground and winds its way along Washington Lake, Tail Lake, Shadow Lake, and finally, to Haystack Lake.  Most books say this hike is 4 miles, but it is more like 5 miles.

Trailhead Elevation:  9,920 feet
Highest Elevation:  10,092 feet
Total Elevation Gain:  558
Total Distance:  5.23 miles
Total Time:  2.5 hours 

Clyde Lake Loop

We spent another gorgeous day in the Uintas.  There are two trails that start from the Crystal Lakes Trailhead.  Last week we did the Lakes Country Trail to Long Lake.  Today, we took the Notch Mountain Trail.  We did a loop out past Wall Lake, then to the Notch Mountain cutoff, over to Twin Lakes, around Clyde Lake, to Cliff Lake, and back to the Crystal Lakes Trailhead.

Trailhead Elevation:  9,429 feet
Highest Elevation:  10,429 feet
Total Elevation Gain:  700 feet
Total Distance:  6 miles
Total Time:  3.5 hours

Long Lake

 

We finally made it to the upper Upper Uintas.  The hike to Long Lake starts at the Crystal Lake Trailhead.  We got a late start and the trailhead parking lot was already full, so we had to park at the overflow parking lot a mile down the road.  The hike was great.  There were still patches of snow on the trail, but not enough to worry about.  The upper rocky area by Long Lake is gorgeous.  You can also continue on the trail for another couple miles to Island Lake.  We didn't have time this weekend to make it to Island Lake, but it was great to be out in the pine trees for a few hours.

Trailhead Elevation:  10,030 feet
Highest Elevation:  10,100 feet
Total Elevation Gain:  350 feet
Total Distance:  4 miles (plus 2 miles to parking)
Total Time:  2.5 hours (3 hours to parking)

North Fork

We managed to get out for a mid-week hike in the Uintas this week.  We did the North Fork trail which is our favorite go-to hike in the lowlands.  We didn't see anyone else on the trail and the temp was in the mid-70s.  We are looking to get to the upper elevation trails this weekend.

Trailhead Elevation:  7,560 feet
Highest Elevation:  7,710 feet
Total Elevation Gain:  320 feet
Total Miles:  4 miles
Total Time:  2 hours



Yellow Pine Creek

We decided to do the  Yellow Pine Creek Trail again.  It was such a nice hike last weekend and we wanted to get to the end of the trail.  We made it up 4.5 miles to a great meadow where a number of creeks flow into Yellow Pine Creek.  A faint trail kept going in a northeasterly direction, but we decided to call it good.  Still managed to get caught in a thunder and rain storm on the way down.  Should have started earlier in the day.  But it was still a gorgeous hike.  And a nice time to try out our rain gear.

Trailhead Elevation:  7,070 feet
Highest Elevation:  9,235 feet
Total Elevation Gain:  2,444 feet
Total Distance:  9 miles
Total Time:  5 hours

Yellow Pine Creek

It was a hot day in the valley and still pretty hot in the Uintas.  We had a nice time hiking up the Yellow Pine Creek Trail which follows the creek most of the way.  We made it a little past the fourth bridge which was about 3 miles up.  The trails map indicates the trail goes as far as 4 miles in, but we figured 6 miles roundtrip was enough for this early in the season.  Beautiful day and plenty of water flowing in the creek.  Lots of horses and other hikers, but still a great day on the trail.  The dogs loved it.

Trailhead Elevation:   7,028 feet

Highest Elevation:   8,443 feet

Total Elevation Gain:   1,407 feet

Total Distance:   6 miles

Total Time:  3:15 hours

Gear: Marmot Isotherm Hoody

When we went climbing in Colorado, our guide for the Mount Sneffels hike had on a bright blue Isotherm Hoody.  He said it is his go-to jacket for all seasons.  He wore it most of the day as his outer jacket for our chilly ascent of Sneffels.  He said it is also great in the winter for ice climbing.  With such rave reviews from a professional guide, I decided I better try this jacket out for myself.  I managed to get it on sale in Team Red color.  This jacket is super soft and provides plenty of room for active movement.  The Isotherm uses synthetic fill similar to the Patagonia Nano. The Isotherm (16 oz) is warmer than the Nano (7.6 oz) but also weighs about twice as much.

Gear: Montbell Peak Rain Jacket

I liked the Montbell down jacket so much, I decided to go with their Peak Rain Jacket as well.  While it doesn't rain that often in the Annapurna region in October, it is still worth getting some good rain gear.  I always like to be prepared when it comes to rain gear, as I know first-hand how unpleasant it is to hike in wet gear.  I probably struggled the most in finding a good rain jacket for the trip than any other piece of gear.  I tried out the super light Patagonia Stretch Torrentshell first.  We tested it out over a rainy weekend in Colorado.  Unfortunately, the Patagonia Stretch Torrentshell did not stand up to a sustained rain and eventually soaked through (mainly in the forearm area as it may not have been designed for hiking with trekking poles where your arms are straight out).  The next jacket I tried was the Mountain Hardware Plasmic Ion.  I didn't take this one out for a field test as it felt too stiff and rubbery.

Gear: Montbell Alpine Light Down Parka

It was hard to decide how warm of a jacket we need for Annapurna.  Fall treks in Nepal can be cooler at night in the upper elevations.  But I decided my two pound Mountain Hardware expedition down parka we took for Kilimanjaro was a bit overkill.  So, I decided to go with the Alpine Light Down Parka from Montbell.  This jacket has 800 fill down with a 20-denier ballistic nylon shell and DWR treatment.  I consider this a light to midweight down jacket.  It only weights 13.3 ounces, but with the hi-loft down, it feels cozy and warm.

Gear: Black Diamond Orbit Lantern

  The Black Diamond Orbit Lantern is the smaller version of the Voyager.  It is super cute and has been surprisingly handy on recent camping trips.  The Orbit doesn't have the extending legs like the Voyager, but it does site nicely on the counter or can be hung from the top with collapsible hooks.  The lantern is surprisingly bright at 105 lumens and has a nice dimmer function.  The flashlight provides 50 lumens.  With the batteries installed, the Orbit only weighs 4.5 oz.  Definitely worth putting in the duffel.

Gear: Anker Portable Charger - PowerCore 10000

I'm a little worried about keeping my camera and Garmin GPS watch charged up for the entire 10 day trek.  On Kilimanjaro, I brought two batteries for my camera and tried to keep them with me most of the time, but with the cold weather they both gave out on by Day 6.  I bought this Anker ultra-portable charger and have been really happy with this product.  It is super small and weighs only 6 oz.  It is not advertised as one of their fastest chargers, but it does a great job on my iphone and watch.  With the USB cord, it can also charge my point-and-shot camera.  It does take a few hours to fully charge the portable charger, but once it is charged, it seems to charge small gadgets pretty well.  Power IQ determines the connected device and provides the fastest charge.

Gear: Garmin GPS Watch - Fenix 2

I bought the Garmin Fenix 2 watch to track our hikes with more precision this year.  With a built in GPS system, barometer, altimeter, heart rate monitor, and more, this watch has it all.  It is too big to wear on my wrist, but I bought the Garmin carabiner to hook it on my pack which should work just fine.  The Fenix 2 is a bit bulkier than the Fenix 3, but as last year's model, I was able to pick it up for 1/2 the price of the new model.  They shaved some weight off the watch with the newer model, but the watch and carabiner still weigh in at less than 3.5 ounces.

Pritchett Canyon

While Darrell rode the famous Slickrock bike trail for the first time, Karla, Mary and I did some exploring in Pritchett Canyon.  Mary and I have hiked and biked this canyon a number of times, but neither one of us remembered how pretty it is.  We must have been pushing our bikes and cursing to notice the scenery. 

Trailhead Elevation:   feet

Highest Elevation:   feet

Total Elevation Gain:   feet

Total Distance:   5 miles

Total Time:  2.5 hours

Jeep Arch

 

We finally convinced Karla and Darrell to come down to Moab for some hiking.  It was fun to talk about our plans for Nepal and to do some training hikes (even though Darrell would have rather been on his bike:). 

Trailhead Elevation:   feet

Highest Elevation:   feet

Total Elevation Gain:   feet

Total Distance:   5 miles

Total Time:  2.5 hours

Bench Creek

We opted for less crowds today with the Bench Creek Trail.  Didn't see anyone out on the trail so it was a good choice.

Trailhead Elevation:  4,097 feet

Highest Elevation:  4,442 feet

Total Elevation Gain:  315 feet

Total Distance:   3.5 miles

Total Time:  2 hours

Negro Bill Canyon

We did some hiking this weekend in Moab with our friends Marsha and Reed.  It was a gorgeous weekend.  The trail was busy with lots of people and dogs, but we were happy to be out enjoying the sites.

 

Trailhead Elevation:  3,992 feet

Highest Elevation:  4,177 feet

Total Elevation Gain:  400 feet

Total Distance:   5.87 miles

Total Time:  2:15 hours

 

Millsite Reservoir Singletrack

The park service is developing a new singletrack trail around the Millsite Reservoir.  We heard about it from the park ranger who was very nice and enthusiastic about the trial.  It was kind of hard to find the trailhead, but once we were on the singletrack it was amazing.  You get great views of the reservoir as well as the towering cliffs all around.  We only made it out about 2 1/2 miles before we had to turn around.  We'll definitely have to come back to finish the loop.

Trailhead Elevation:  5,975 feet

Highest Elevation:  6,562 feet

Total Elevation Gain:  774 feet

Total Distance:   5 miles

Total Time:  2:31 hours

Rochester Rock Panel

The Rochester Rock Panel is a short hike out to an amazing rock panel of Indian petroglyphs.  The petroglyphs range in age and origin.  Most are thought to be from the Fremont Indians, but some experts say a few could have been created by the Barrier Canyon Indians.  Unfortunately, there is a lot of graffiti and vandalism of the site.  I don't understand why people see the need to destroy.

Trailhead Elevation:  6, 163 feet

Lowest Elevation:  6,060 feet

Total Elevation Gain:  223 feet

Total Distance:   1.67 miles

Total Time:  30 mins

Cleveland-Lloyd Dinosaur Quarry

We hiked all the trails offered at the dinosaur quarry.  The Rock Walk hike is a 1.5 mile loop out into the flats of the quarry.  They have a self-guided tour pamphlet identifying a number of points of interest.  Our favorite was the excavated knoll where you can still find lots of stegosaurus bone shards lying all over the ground.  The uphill hike to Raptor Point gives you a great view of the visitor's center and the landscape of the vast quarry.  The two mile Rim Walk is great too.

Trailhead Elevation:  5,559 feet

Highest Elevation:  5,882 feet

Total Elevation Gain:  627 feet

Total Distance:   4.15 miles

Total Time:  2:06 hours

Huntington Reservoir Loop

The hike around Huntington Reservoir is really just a walk along a gravel road, but we are counting it anyway.  The gravel road goes around the reservoir, through pictorial farmland, large lot subdivisions and fowl nesting grounds. 

Trailhead Elevation:  5,785 feet
Highest Elevation:  5,967 feet
Total Elevation Gain:  79 feet
Total Distance:   3.11 miles
Total Time:  1:23 hours

Irvine Foothills Loop

Another trip home to California and more hiking in the foothills.  It was a gorgeous weekend at home.  And nice to do some walking in the sun and warm weather, even if it was at sea level. 

Trailhead Elevation:  185 feet

Highest Elevation:  315 feet

Total Elevation Gain:  276 feet

Total Distance:   2.39 miles

Total Time:  52 mins

Red Butte Up and Over

We did our standard go-to training hike for the first time this season.  The was plenty of snow and wind at the top, but we made it up and over.  My calves were sore for days after this hike.  I guess the gym work never really simulates actual hiking.  Especially the steep descents.  It was good to get out for a long hike though.

Trailhead Elevation:  4,896 feet

Highest Elevation:  6,225 feet

Total Elevation Gain:  1,720 feet

Total Distance:   4.38 miles

Total Time:  2:21 hours

Long Canyon

Before heading back after a long fun weekend, we took the dogs out for another hike up Long Canyon.  The snow pack is slowly melting.

Trailhead Elevation:  4,295 feet

Highest Elevation:  4,827 feet

Total Elevation Gain:  574

Total Distance:   5 miles

Total Time:  1:45 hours

Devli's Garden

Devil's Garden is a beautiful area of Arches National Park and contains many spectacular arches.  We ventured out onto this trail with some friends and encountered less than optimal conditions.  Much of the trail was snow packed and icy due to late season snowfall.  We managed to make it out to most of the arches and had an amazing day with some rock scrambling and even a rope rappel.

Trailhead Elevation:  5,064 feet
Highest Elevation:  5,503 feet
Total Elevation Gain:  1,181 feet
Total Distance:  9 miles
Total Time:  5 hours

Parriott Mesa

Parriott Mesa is our go-to hike in Castle Valley.  We easily made it up to the base of the cliffs in about an hour.  It was a beautiful late winter afternoon with snow pack on the north facing slopes.  This is a nice hike for some quick elevation gain and spectacular views of the valley. 

Trailhead Elevation:  4,746 feet
Highest Elevation:  5,634 feet
Total Elevation Gain:  1,056 feet
Total Distance:  3.5 miles
Total Time:  2 hours

Book Cliffs

On our way down to Moab, we stopped to take a quick hike in the Books Cliffs.  We took the exit for Highway 123 from 191 and drove past the towns of East Carbon and Sunnydale.  We stopped at the first available 2x4 road and hiked up as far as the snow pack allowed.  On the map it appears to be Pole Canyon Road.  Next time we should try the Horse Canyon exit.

Trailhead Elevation:  6,982 feet
Highest Elevation:  7,213 feet
Total Elevation Gain:  171 feet
Total Distance:  1.2 miles
Total Time:  32 minutes

Antennas

The inversion has been really bad this year in Salt Lake.  This is a nice photo of the muck that we are breathing everyday.  It was nice to get above it and into the sunshine for a bit.

Trailhead Elevation:  4,831 feet
Highest Elevation:  5,594 feet
Total Elevation:  704 feet
Total Miles:  3.33 miles
Total Time:  1:21 hours

Red Butte Loop

We did our favorite go-to hike with our friend Amy on a cold snowy morning.  It was a bit more of a workout in all of that new powder.

Trailhead Elevation:  4,877 feet
Maximum Elevation:  5,381 feet
Total Elevation Gain:  381 feet
Total Distance: 2.36 miles
Total Time:  53 minutes

Poison Spider Mesa

For our second hike of the weekend, we decided to explore an old favorite mountain bike ride known as Poison Spider Mesa.  We haven't biked this ride for ages and probably won't be riding it anytime soon.  It is a pretty technical bike ride, but it was a great hike.  I love the off-season in Moab.  We had the usually crowded trail to ourselves.

Trailhead Elevation:  3,974 feet
Maximum Elevation:  4,456 feet
Total Elevation Gain:  643 feet
Total Miles:  5.35 miles
Total Time:  2:25 hours

Long Canyon

We explored a new canyon in Moab this chilly weekend up Long Canyon.  Long Canyon has been used many times by Hollywood-types to get into the back of redrock country for movie shoots.  The cliff walls and scenic overlooks did not fail to impress.  It was a long hike with plenty of elevation gain.  We only made it to the second set of S-turns. 

Trailhead Elevation:  3,861 feet
Maximum Elevation:  5,129 feet
Total Elevation Gain:  1,175 feet
Total Distance: 7.0 miles
Total Time:  3:05 hours

Irvine Foothills Loop

Whenever I go home to visit my folks I like to hike in the foothills above UCI.  This weekend I was home to help mom out since she just fell and broke her wrist. 

Minimum Elevation:  37 feet
Maximum Elevation:  310 feet
Elevation Gain:  338 feet
Total Distance:  3.02 miles
Total Time:  55 minutes

Antennas

We are still limited to the local foothill hikes for winter.  We have been frequenting the Red Butte hikes and the Antenna hike.  Today was a pretty dismal day, but we got out anyway.

Trailhead Elevation:  4,831 feet
Highest Elevation:  5,594 feet
Total Elevation:  704 feet
Total Miles:  3.36 miles
Total Time:  1:25 hours

Round Mountain Loop

We had a great holiday vacation at the cabin with plenty of trails to ourselves.  It was chilly, but nice to get out for some exercise each day.

Trailhead Elevation:  4,955 feet

Highest Elevation:  5,150 feet

Total Elevation Gain:  190 feet

Total Distance:  2.30 miles

Total Time:  56 minutes

Negro Bill Canyon

We spent the Christmas weekend down in Moab.  Despite lots of snow and freezing cold temperatures, we managed to get in about 10 miles of hiking.  Most of the mileage was gained with our hike in Negro Bill Canyon to Morning Glory Arch.  The wind was ripping in the open areas, but we managed to make it all the way to the arch. 

Trailhead Elevation:  3,940 feet
Highest Elevation:  4,280 feet
Total Elevation Gain:  810 feet
Total Distance:  5.61 miles
Total Time:  2:16 hours

Red Butte - Up and Across

We did another hike today in the foothills with a little more elevation gain.  It was windy and cold along the ridge and slippery heading down in the snow and ice.  But still a great day out.

Trailhead Elevation:  4,928 feet
Highest Elevation:  6,126 feet
Total Elevation Gain: 1,375 feet
Total Distance:  3.55 miles
Total Time:  2:11 hours

Antennas

For our second training hike we slogged up to the first set of radio towers in the foothills overlooking Salt Lake City.  With two feet of snow in the last week, the trail was soft snow pack.  It felt like hiking in sand.  But good for a training hike.

Trailhead Elevation:  4,831 feet
Highest Elevation:  5,594 feet
Total Elevation:  704 feet
Total Miles:  3.34 miles
Total Time:  1:32 hours

Red Butte Loop

We started our training today with a short hike up Red Butte.  It is a quick 2 mile loop on the lower trail and return on the upper trail.  This is a good route to start with as it has a bit of elevation gain.  It was fun to be out on the trail looking forward to another adventure.

Trailhead Elevation:  4,990 feet
Upper Loop Elevation:  5,490 feet
Total Elevation Gain:  500 feet
Total Distance:  2 miles
Total Time:  48 min

Annapurna Sanctuary Map

Here is a map of the overall trek from the REI website. It is not a great map, but it does show the approximate route starting from Phedi.

Annapurna Sanctuary Trek - REI

After spending a lot of time researching trekking companies in 2011 for our Kilimanjaro trip, we decided to make it really easy on ourselves and just go with REI on the Annapurna Sanctuary Trek.  A few of our friends have gone on trips with REI to Patagonia and Nepal and said REI does a great job with logistics and comfort.  Sounds good to me.  In order to make sure everyone in our group could get in on the same trip, we book our spots a year out.  It seems like a long time out, but the time will go by quickly and we were able to pick the exact dates we wanted for the trip.