You know those times you just need a break? Last March, I was struggling through the spring semester at my job, filling out stacks of paperwork and watching my caseload of students continue to expand. I really needed an adventure to get me through the end of the school year, and then my friend, Ciara, invited me on a backpacking trip in Utah. I just so happened to have a couple of personal days left at work, so I immediately found some cheap airfare to Las Vegas and started looking forward to exploring southern Utah. By complete happenstance, Ciara and I ended up on the same airline connection between Los Angeles and Las Vegas, even though she flew from Nashville and my flight originated in Austin. My reading material for the plane was Eiger Dreams by Jon Krakauer, which I highly recommend for all readers but especially for those who are embarking on an adventure. It is a collection of short stories that he has written about all types of outdoor adventures and adventurers. As we waited in the Las Vegas airport to meet up with Ciara's dad - the three of us were hiking together - we joked that we were probably the only people on our airplane to fly into Vegas with the intention to leave it as quickly as possible. Whereas people sitting near us were dressed in high heels and layers of makeup, we sported hiking boots and huge backpacks. However, I have to admit that one of the perks of a backpacking trip in that region of the country is that there are always good airfare deals to Las Vegas. In Las Vegas, we rented a car and drove to Escalante, Utah, making a few pit stops along the way, such as in St. George, UT for camp stove fuel. From St. George, the winding roads took us through Zion National Park, and, I must admit, I was awestruck. Zion National Park is absolutely breathtaking. I hope to return for more hiking and camping in the park, since we were only able to drive through it. That night, we arrived in Escalante, a tiny town in southern Utah and our gateway to the Canyons of the Escalante. The following morning, we packed up our backpacks and headed to the Circle D Eatery for some breakfast before heading out on the trail. The Circle D Eatery turned out to be a hearty and delicious meal that was perfect sustenance before our hike. Our first stop on the way to the trailhead was Devil's Garden, part of Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument that features striking rock formations and arches. We spent some time walking through the formations in the early morning sunshine before heading to Coyote Gulch. Our hike into Coyote Gulch began at the Hurricane Wash trailhead. Coyote Gulch "exhibits many of the geologic features found in the Canyons of the Escalante, including high vertical canyon walls, narrow slot canyons, domes, arches, and natural bridges" (source: Wikipedia). Having never been in a canyon or in southern Utah, I was amazed at the high walls, the color of the red rock, and the natural arches. Much of our hiking followed the river, so we almost always had water available. There are a number of awesome natural features on this hike, including Jacob Hamblin Arch, which we encountered on our hike. I particularly loved the contrast of the bright blue sky peeking through the red rock arches. When we came to a spot near the river and decided to camp for the night, we set up our tents, then set about exploring the area. Ciara and I climbed down into the shallow river and freed our feet from the confines of our hiking boots. The day had turned into a glorious desert afternoon with a cloudless sky and sunshine. We waded in the water, feeling the cold water flow around our feet and looking up at the red canyon walls rising around us. In that moment, it was easy to forget about the stress of the school year and focus solely on the beauty of nature around me. In the morning, we ate breakfast and broke down our camp. As expected in a desert, the temperature had dropped significantly overnight, so there was a morning chill in the air, though the sun was shining brightly. Making our way toward the climb out of the canyon, Ciara's dad recommended that we fill up our water bottles, as the hike would take us up away from the river. He was familiar with this route, having hiked it in the past. The final part of the hike was the most difficult, as we had a steep incline out of the canyon to conquer. After climbing up for awhile with the hot sun beating down on us - by this time, the desert had warmed up - our group was rewarded with sweeping views over the canyon. However, we were not out yet! To exit the canyon, we had to go through "the crack", a narrow opening in the canyon rim, barely wide enough for one person without a pack. Ciara's dad went first, squeezing through the crack without his pack, which Ciara and I then teamed up to hoist up to him. Then, we passed up each of our packs before taking our own turns squeezing through the narrow crack in the wall. Once we squeezed through the crack in the rocks, our group rested at the canyon rim, tearing into our lunches and enjoying the view. Though I was filled with a sense of accomplishment to see what I had just completed, it was humbling to look out over the canyon that we had just hiked and realize how small we were compared to its size. We saw people swimming in the river, and other hikers embarking on their own trips. When lunch was finished, we set off again because we still had more walking to do, even though we had exited Coyote Gulch canyon. We had to walk across the desert to the trailhead near the end of Fortymile Ridge Road, where there was a parking lot. However, if you remember the beginning of our trek, we entered Coyote Gulch at Hurricane Wash trailhead. So, once we reached the parking lot, we were faced with two options: walk miles down the road to our car or hitch a ride with fellow hikers. Luckily for us, we encountered a couple who had been doing research on the water in the canyon. They were just packing up their car when we walked into the parking lot, and they offered to drive us to the Hurricane Wash trailhead, saving us hours of walking. The Coyote Gulch route that we hiked was perfect for a long weekend getaway. It took two days total and was a great escape from everyday life. The route had its challenges, but it wasn't too difficult. The most challenging part of our route was the exit, while hiking in the actual canyon was fairly easy. Plus, it is possible to enter and exit Coyote Gulch at multiple different trailheads, so you can modify the route to fit your own needs. After the three of us were dropped off at Hurricane Wash and celebrated with cold beverages, we hit the road and continued to explore southern Utah, on Route 12 Scenic Byway and the Burr Trail, which took us through Capitol Reef National Park. As I looked out the window of the car, with canyons and rock formations rolling by, I couldn't help but feel completely refreshed and rejuvenated, from the physical challenge of hiking, from the beauty of nature, and from good conversation with good friends. It might be a cliche, but, at that moment in time, my adventure in southern Utah was exactly what I needed.
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Ah, the joys of airline travel. During our PDX-LAX-SLC-AUS route flying home from Portland, we hit a snag. The plane in LA was delayed about an hour and a half on the tarmac, meaning we would certainly miss our connection in Salt Lake and also that we couldn't get up from our seats. Rather than take another two additional connections and a red eye, we opted for a hotel voucher and a flight out the next evening. After all, Brett and I were both on spring break. Why not? As fun as sitting around the airport sounded, we decided instead to go into Salt Lake City. Below is a photo journal and a little commentary to highlight our brief stay in SLC: We took a free shuttle from the airport run by a Mormon couple who drop visitors off at Temple Square. Know that, if you take advantage of this free ride, they will ensure that you are transferred to guides for a tour of Mormon religious sites (also free). Don't get me wrong, Temple Square is beautifully landscaped and features stunning architecture. The Mormon religious history is also interesting, given that it's a newer religion, was started in America, and has some controversial elements in its past. I would love to hear the famous Tabernacle Choir sing sometime. We, however, had not eaten since our meager airport food between flights the night before and needed breakfast ASAP. If you do not want the tour post-van ride or want to do it later, be very clear to the guides. Our subtle "we actually need to get some breakfast soon" was met by, "Ok! We'll try to shorten the tour a bit." Not wanting to make a rude exit, we walked around for a bit and saw the Assembly Hall and a Visitor's Center before getting breakfast. Epic Brewing, one of the many small craft breweries popping up around Utah. They are "Utah's first brewery since prohibition to brew exclusively high alcohol content beer." And they have a gluten-free beer! Due to Utah's extremely restrictive alcohol laws, they cannot have high gravity beersvon tap, we were required to order an entree with our drink, and we could only have a certain number of glasses in front of us at any given time (including tasters - no tasting flights here). Our question to the bartender at Epic Brewery's Tapless Taproom was "What made the owners choose to start their brewery here, given the restrictive alcohol laws?" eBorn Books in Downtown Salt Lake City. I can never resist stopping in a bookstore. This one sells new, used, and rare books. The rare books were particularly interesting to peruse. Unsurprisingly, the section contained many LDS books, including copies of The Book of Mormon in various languages from the 1800s. A few thoughts on Salt Lake City after my 8 hours there: It is incredibly clean. I think that the public transportation is the cleanest I have ever seen. The mountains are beautiful. Many of the people are very friendly. The alcohol laws are much more restrictive than in other states, which makes sense given that Mormons abstain from alcohol and there is a high Mormon population in Salt Lake, so they likely influence the laws. In contrast to the generally squeaky-clean feeling of the city and many of the residents, there were also a few slightly aggressive homeless people that we encountered, such as a guy yelling at us on the train about someone dying and being kidnapped (the story kept changing) after not letting him use our cell phones. However, I did a bit of research on Salt Lake City and noted that they have done A LOT to combat homelessness in the city.
I honestly felt like a single day gave me a pretty good feel of the city and allowed me to see some of the downtown sights - Temple Square, downtown shops, City Creek Center, etc. With a little more time, I might have gone to check out the campus of University of Utah or tried to find a performance of the Tabernacle Choir, which has public rehearsals on Thursday evenings. If I was there for a multi-day stay, I would definitely head into the mountains for skiing or hiking, depending on the season. |
AuthorMy name is Alyssa Good and I have a passion for travel, adventure, culture, and new experiences! I focus on budget friendly travel, trip planning resources, and seeking out new experiences. Archives
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