Hytreks

Oh, For Fun

Month: October 2020

  • Zion National Park – Utah

    Zion National Park – Utah

    Dates we visited: September 29th – October 2nd 2020
    Where we stayed: St. George / Hurricane KOA, Zion River Resort

    Zion National Park was the first of Utah’s “Mighty 5” National parks that we visited. It’s also one of the most popular National Parks in the country. Carved by the Virgin river through multi-colored sandstone rock, Zion is definitely an experience. We were met with a few surprises here, but that didn’t stop us from enjoying this National Park!

    Failed Boondocking

    Our initial plan for Zion was to boondock on some BLM land near the park. However, when I went out to scout some spots in the Hurricane Cliffs region west of Zion, I found the roads to be essentially impassable with our rig, and the spots we would have been able to get to were full. So we quickly changed our plans and managed to snag a spot at the Zion River Resort, which turned out to be super nice. Like, they had a super clean hot tub and pool kinda nice.

    The pool was an especially nice perk because it was hot! The high elevation and cool weather at Great Basin National Park had convinced us that it was Fall time, but a few thousand feet lower, and in the direct southern Utah sun it still felt like summer.

    Surprise!

    For our first trek into Zion I had researched a few hiking trails, and planned to drive us up the Zion Canyon Scenic Drive to do the Zion Narrows Riverside Walk. Well, we stopped into the visitor center to get a map and a Junior Ranger activity book and found two things:

    1. Zion was BUSY! The bookstore at the visitor center was open, and quite full, and there were a ton of people in line at the ranger tent. The second surprise may have partially responsible for the business at the visitor center…
    2. Turns out that during the summer months, Zion Canyon Scenic drive is closed to public traffic. The only way up the canyon is via a shuttle, and the shuttle tickets sell out very quickly. The shuttles were operating, but even if tickets had been available, we probably would not have taken one. I’m sure they were operating with practical safety precautions, but riding on a shuttle bus with a bunch of strangers just didn’t sound like a great idea for us right now. So we scratched the Zion Canyon drive off our list for this visit.

    Zion was BUSY! The bookstore at the visitor center was open, and quite full, and there were a ton of people in line at the ranger tent. The second surprise may have partially responsible for the business at the visitor center…

    Turns out that during the summer months, Zion Canyon Scenic drive is closed to public traffic. The only way up the canyon is via a shuttle, and the shuttle tickets sell out very quickly. The shuttles were operating, but even if tickets had been available, we probably would not have taken one. I’m sure they were operating with practical safety precautions, but riding on a shuttle bus with a bunch of strangers just didn’t sound like a great idea for us right now. So we scratched the Zion Canyon drive off our list for this visit.

    Those surprises aside, we did score a Junior Ranger vest for Owen here, which he absolutely loves. He insists on wearing it anytime we are hiking in a National Park. If you have a budding Junior Ranger that might be interested in this stylish accessory, you can get them at most of the park stores, or shipped to you from the National Parks Online Store.

    TIP: If you plan to see and hike some of the more famous Zion attractions, like Angels Landing, be sure to buy your shuttle tickets as early as possible, or visit the park during a time when normal traffic is allowed up the canyon (off-season).

    TIP: If you plan to see and hike some of the more famous Zion attractions, like Angels Landing, be sure to buy your shuttle tickets as early as possible, or visit the park during a time when normal traffic is allowed up the canyon (off-season).

    Zion – Mt. Carmel Highway

    We were able to drive the Zion – Mt. Carmel Highway, which is a different part of the park than the Zion Canyon, through the mile long tunnel, and all the way up to the Checkerboard Mesa. If you take this drive, be aware that the tunnel has size restrictions and you may have to pay for passage if you are in anything bigger than a pickup truck or camper-van. This beautiful drive showcases the unique geology and scenery of the area and offers many trailheads and scenic overlooks. The steep cliffs have multiple rock layers ranging from deep reds to bright whites, most of which is composed of the navajo sandstone for which the region is famous.

    Pa’rus Trail

    Even though our initial planed hiked was thwarted, we were still able to spend some time on the Pa’rus trail which leaves from the visitor center, heads past the campground and up towards the valley. This is a popular paved trail along the Virgin river with great views of the valley walls. It’s a common path for mountain bikers starting a day trek from the visitor center, so there was a fair amount of traffic, but it was still enjoyable. The highlight was taking a quick detour off the trail to the amphitheater at the nature center. Our Junior Ranger gave us a full on lecture about the area, until he was interrupted by a mule deer that popped out of some bushes right behind the stage. This was a great trail for kids, with plenty of spectacular scenery for the adults.

    Kolob Canyons

    Based on a tip from some friends, we also took a day to explore the northern side of the park known as Kolob Canyons. What a great tip that turned out to be! There is a separate entrance to this this area, and no roads through the park connect the main Zion entrance to Kolob Canyons (though there are some lengthy hiking trails). Kolob is far less trafficked and we only encountered a few other hikers along the Timber Creek Overlook Trail. It offers similarly epic red-walled canyon views, without having to battle traffic or shuttles. The hiking app Alltrails rates the Timber Creek hike as “moderate” due to some rocky areas and the elevation change, but we had no trouble hiking this 1.1 mile out and back with Owen.

    Tip: A morning hike in the Kolob Canyons area will keep you cooler in the warm months, but afternoon sunshine offers more light to enjoy the natural beauty of this area.

    Tip: A morning hike in the Kolob Canyons area will keep you cooler in the warm months, but afternoon sunshine offers more light to enjoy the natural beauty of this area.

    Even though we got a few surprises at this National Park, we still greatly enjoyed our time here. As with many others, this goes on the list of destinations that we would like to return to in the future to experience further. We’ll probably be surprised by something different next time, but that’s kind of all part of the travel and adventure experience!

    Gallery

    One of the more well known and popular National Parks, Zion is known for its red-walled canyons combined with lush green plant life. We got a few surprises at this park, and we also found some hidden gems.

  • Great Basin National Park – Nevada

    Great Basin National Park – Nevada

    Dates we visited: September 26th-29th 2020
    Where we stayed: Ely, NV KOA, Sacramento Pass Rec Area (BLM)

    After we left Olympic National Park, our original travel plans had us going up to North Cascades National Park, and then heading down the West Coast through Oregon and California. Unfortunately, this year was an especially bad wildfire season in those areas, so we decided to make some changes. Instead, we made our way back to the East through Idaho and then down to Nevada to visit Great Basin National Park.

    To paraphrase one of our National Park travel guides, “Great basin is pretty far from everything, and not on the way to anything.” We found this description to be accurate. That said, Great Basin is kind of a hidden gem. It’s remote location means that attendance is much lighter than other parks, and it offers some beautiful and truly unique scenery and experiences.

    We were able to find an awesome (and free) BLM campground just a few miles down the road from the main entrance. If you are willing and able to dry camp (no hookups) for a day or two, definitely check out this spot for your visit to Great Basin.

    Lehman Caves Visitor Center

    Not surprisingly, the cave system was closed due to Covid-19, but there is a nice, short nature trail that circles the visitor center that we completed. The trail offers signage describing some of the plant and animal life, as well as the mountain ranges and deserts in the area. In non-covid times, it would be fun to return here to explore the caves or grab lunch at the cafe in the visitor center.

    One unique attribute about Great Basin is that it’s essentially a closed loop water system, meaning none of the precipitation that falls here flows to an ocean. It is all captured in local lakes, evaporates, or is absorbed through the ground into the water table. This contributes to a unique “mountain island” ecosystem where some of the plants and animals here exist only in this region.

    Wheeler Peak

    The highlight of our visit was the drive up to Wheeler Peak to the Sky Islands Forest Trail and Bristlecone Pine Glacier Trail. We made two trips up the mountain, completing the Sky Islands hike in the evening the first day, and the Bristlecone Pine trail in the morning on the following day. We were pleasantly surprised to catch the Aspen trees in the forest transitioning to bright oranges and yellows for Fall time. Additionally, this scenic drive offers views of the Nevada desert from a unique high elevation vantage point.

    Sky Islands Forest Trail

    The Sky Islands Trail, is a short loop trail that is mostly boardwalk and flat gravel. It was a perfect trail for a mild evening stroll for our whole family. Owen had no problem completing it and enjoyed being our group’s hiking leader. This trail highlights the alpine ecosystem, complete with glacier fed streams.

    Bristlecone Pine Trail

    We hiked the Bristlecone Pine Glacier trail the next morning. The trail goes through a Bristlecone Pine grove, and then continues on to the foot of a glacier. We opted to turn around at the Bristlecone Grove as that was about 3.5 miles round trip with a 600-700 foot elevation gain.

    This was probably the most challenging hike we have completed with Owen to date, and while he did spend a little time in our kid carrier on my back, he surprised both Kristy and I by hiking about 70% of this on his own.

    The trail includes some steep parts, and a few exposed sections that require attention with a toddler, but it was super enjoyable.

    The destination of the Bristlecone Pine grove was rewarding as well. As it turns out, Bristlecone pines are one of, if not the oldest living things on Earth. Apparently, the oldest living thing title is contested by the creosote bush, and scientists have not yet come to consensus on who deserves this designation.

    Some of the trees here, which you can walk right up to are nearly 4,000 years old. The oldest known Bristlecone tree has been dated to be over 5,000 years old. Standing in front of a 4,000 year old living thing, and thinking about everything that has happened in the span of its lifetime, is a humbling experience.

    Perhaps we had low expectations going into Great Basin, but this park ranked as one of our favorites so far. Due to its location you will probably never be in the area by chance, but if you are looking for a destination where you can avoid the crowds and experience some pristine nature with incredible views, consider making the trek to this National Park. If you’re not convinced, here is a time-lapse of some of the more scenic views of the drive up to Wheeler Peak.

    Great Basin Gallery

    This National Park is one of the most remote places we have visited so far. The trek through the Nevada desert rewarded us with surprising Fall colors, and gnarly 4,000 year old trees. This isn’t a park you experience on your way to something else, but if you choose to plan a visit here, we’re certain you will enjoy it.

  • Olympic National Park – Washington

    Olympic National Park – Washington

    Dates we visited: September 15th-18th 2020
    Where we stayed: Port Angeles KOA, 7 Cedars Casino

    The city of Port Angeles, WA was our basecamp for visiting Olympic National Park. Unfortunately, when we arrived, wildfire season was kicking into high gear on the West coast. While this area was generally lower risk due to it’s humid climate, the smoke rolling in from elsewhere in the country was dense, and the air quality was extremely poor. We decided to limit our time outdoors due to the bad air quality, but we still managed to visit each of the three distinct ecosystems in Olympic: the coast, the rainforest and the alpine mountain region.

    Additionally, we experimented a little bit with different camping styles on this leg of our trip. We stayed a few nights in a casino parking lot, and “moochdocked” for the first time. More on this in a bit.

    The Hoh Rainforest

    So let’s just get this out of the way… both Kristy and I were surprised to learn there was a rainforest here. Really, that there wa a rainforest anywhere in North America. Granted it is a temperate rainforest and not a tropical one, but still.

    We chose the Hall of Moss trail in the Hoh rainforest, for a relatively quick hike that would give us a taste of this ecosystem. It proved to be a very enjoyable trail that wound through the forest, over streams, and offered up-close views of a variety of plants and animals. All the vegetation here is quite large due to the moisture in the area, giving the forest a prehistoric vibe, The trail was very toddler friendly, and Owen hiked the majority of it on his own.

    We were hoping to catch a glimpse of a banana slug, which I had imagined in my mind to look pretty much just like a banana. Nature-spotter Owen was of course the first one of us to find one. As it turns out, they don’t look exactly like a banana, but they are still super big slugs, and really crazy looking.

    The Coast

    Olympic contains seventy miles of coast along the Pacific ocean, which can be explored in a variety of ways. We made a quick trip out to Rialto Beach and walked along the shore while the large Pacific waves rolled in. The sky was hazy with smoke from the wildfires in the area, but it was beautiful nonetheless. Swimming in the water here is discouraged due to the frequency of large uprooted trees from surrounding areas being washed ashore. I don’t think I would have wanted to swim anyway, as the beach is rocky, and the water chilly. We did however see a couple brave souls out surfing.

    This was Owen’s first trip to the ocean, and he had a blast running along the shore and watching the waves come in. One particularly memorable moment was when a large wave caught us a little off guard and Owen and I ended up with sopping wet pants and hiking boots. I think Kristy had a good chuckle at us from her dry vantage point a little higher up the beach.

    While not technically part of Olympic National Park, we also stopped at the Salt Creek Recreation Area, which is along the coast of the inland bay. This coastal area experiences a big swing from high tide to low tide, and offers a unique opportunity to explore the tide pools during low tide. We hopped around on the slick rocks and saw crabs, mussels, and a variety of plant life.

    TIP: Salt Creek Recreation Area is in the vicinity of Olympic. It is free for day use, and is much less busy than some of the popular areas in the National Park. Check the tide charts so that you can time your visit at low tide and explore the tide pools.

    TIP: Salt Creek Recreation Area is in the vicinity of Olympic. It is free for day use, and is much less busy than some of the popular areas in the National Park. Check the tide charts so that you can time your visit at low tide and explore the tide pools.

    The Mountains

    The alpine mountain ecosystem in Olympic might as well be its own park with how different it is from the other two areas. We took an evening drive up to the Hurricane Ridge visitor center to experience this part of Olympic. We found the area pretty much deserted, save for a newlywed couple and their wedding photographer taking a few pictures. It was downright cold coming from sea level up to 5,242 feet, and the damp air due to the proximity to the coast created low clouds that flowed through the valleys.

    While we were there, we completed the short, but enjoyable Cirque Rim Nature Trail hike. I’m told that on a clear day you can see to the coast or even to the Canadian border here, but the fog and smoke on the day we visited limited the views. However, those same factors combined to make for a pretty spectacular sunset.

    The drive down from Hurricane Ridge proved to be one of the most unanticipated, white-knuckle drives of our trip so far. The fog had rolled in quickly, and in the dark, our visibility was cut down to about 10-20 feet in front of the truck. That, combined with the steep mountain roads without guardrails, led to a very slow drive back down the mountain. We made it safely though, and we’re glad we were able to experience an evening at Hurricane Ridge.

    Olympic Game Farm

    On the recommendation of one of our friends, we also visited the Olympic Game Farm. We were able to drive through the farm and get an up close look at tons of animals like bison, bears, llamas and elk. The animals here are generally re-homed or rehabilitated, or come from other licensed facilities. Owen thoroughly enjoyed seeing these creatures so close. If you are in the area, this is a fun attraction that is sure to be enjoyable for kids and adults alike.

    Casinos and Moochdocking

    During this leg of our journey we took the opportunity to try out a few new styles of camping. First, we tried a few nights in a casino parking lot. While this might sound like an odd choice for our family, it worked out quite well. We stayed at the 7 Cedars Hotel and Casino near Sequim. The stay was FREE, and they had about ten spots in the back of the parking lot with water and electric hookups. The catch was you have to sign up for their players club card in the casino, but there is no minimum spend. We did choose to buy one of our meals from the restaurant, and tried our luck at a few slots while we were there…we didn’t win. Aside from the spots not being particularly level, this worked out awesome for us.

    We also executed our first “moochdocking” experience with a friend in the Seattle area. For those unfamiliar with the term moochdocking, it is when you stay in a friends driveway or on their property, and if you are lucky they may let you mooch their electricity and water. Special thanks to Angela from Tread Lightly Retire Early and her family for letting us crash with them for a few days.

    Angela has an epic garden and Owen enjoyed helping out with the harvest. We all greatly enjoyed the bounty that they graciously let us keep. It was nice to spend a little time with friends and take advantage of some of the Seattle area restaurants and breweries.

    Olympic is huge, and has a ton of interesting things to check out. We limited our time outside here due to the terrible air quality from the wildfires, and as a result we would love to return at some point in the future to experience more of the park.

    Our original plan after Olympic was to head down the West coast through Oregon and California, but due to the severe fires, we called an audible and decided to head back inland through Idaho to Nevada and Utah. More on that in future posts!

    Olympic National Park Gallery

    Olympic has three distinct ecosystems that each warrant their own National Park. We were battling smoke and poor air quality from a particularly severe wildfire season, but we were still able to get in a short visit to each area of Olympic.

  • Mount Rainier National Park – Washington

    Mount Rainier National Park – Washington

    Date Visited: September 6th-10th 2020

    Did you know Mount Rainier is an active volcano? Or that with 25 major glaciers on it, Mount Rainier is the most glaciated mountain in the mainland US? How about the fact that Mount Rainier has thousand year old trees growing on it? And did you know that when a piece of a glacier breaks off and comes crashing down, it makes a sound that, just for a moment, can panic a 40 year old man who (having just learned it’s an active volcano) thinks it might be the volcano erupting? Those are all facts we learned at our first stop along the West coast, Mount Rainier National Park in Washington state.

    The Campground

    For our visit to Mount Rainier, Kristy lined us up with a great campground between the small cities of Packwood and Randle just south of the park. We arrived on the Sunday of Labor day weekend, and the place was packed. This campground, Cascade Peaks, was easily the largest one we have ever stayed at, but it was also quite rustic, with spots tucked all around in the woods. That first night we were a little worried it was going to be too busy for our taste, but it cleared out quickly the next day, and we practically had the place to ourselves. The highlight was absolutely the zip line, of which Owen took full advantage.

    Grove of the Patriarchs

    I made a small error in suggesting that we do a short hike on Sunday evening after we arrived. The Grove of the Patriarchs trail is a short, kid friendly hike featuring a suspension bridge and an opportunity to walk through a forest of giant, thousand year old trees. Now don’t get me wrong, the hike was awesome, and we highly recommend it, but it turned out it was super busy on the Sunday evening of Labor Day weekend. Not only was it busy, but it was full of touristy folks who were not great about respecting the park and staying on the trail. We did mask up and power through it though, and I’m glad we didn’t miss this feature.

    TIP: Don’t miss the Grove of the Patriarchs trail, but time it for an off-peak visit. Weekdays in the early morning or evening are best.

    Shadow Lake

    Before heading to Shadow Lake, we first took a detour to the Emmons Vista Overlook in the Sunrise area of the park This was a short walk to this overlook, which offers a grand view of the Emmons Glacier.

    While we were taking in the expansive vista, a section of the glacier calved off. I heard it, but didn’t see it, and the sound it made as it crashed to the rock and river below briefly panicked my brain into thinking that Mount Rainier had just come alive and was erupting. Here are the thoughts I had as that happened:

    1. Oh Sh!t! Is it erupting?!?
    2. I guess if it is, this is an acceptable way for us to go out. It’s been a really good run.
    3. Oh wait, that was just ice falling into the canyon, and now I feel foolish, but happy that we will live 🙂

    After that fun experience we went on to tackle the Shadow Lakes trail, which at 2.6 miles is a little longer than we usually attempt with Owen. It has a starting elevation of around 6,000 feet, so it gave us a bit of a workout, but we successfully made it up to the Lake where we enjoyed a satisfying lunch in front of a crystal clear, snow-melt fed mountain lake. We saw a few fish in the lake, along with some turtles and frogs. On our way back, I was giving Owen an assist by carrying him on my shoulders when we were startled by a deer bounding across our path not more than 10 feet in front of us. By the time we realized what had happened he was already gone. Owen insisted that we make a special trip back to the ranger station just to tell them about that experience.

    Nisqually Vista

    The Nisqually Vista trail in the Paradise area was one of my favorites at Mount Rainier. It’s an easy 1.1 mile loop hike along a paved path, and it offers stunning views of Mount Rainier’s peak along with the Nisqually glacier. We did this trail in the evening (5pm-ish) and we encountered maybe two or three other hikers along on the whole trail. Looking out at the glaciated peak it was difficult to get a sense of scale. We could see where the Nisqually river emerged from under the glacier and flowed through the ice carved canyon, but it seemed as though the river could have been five feet across, or fifty feet across. It was an incredible vantage point.

    Mount Rainier was a great surprise for us all. We knew it would be an excellent park, but we were not fully prepared for the scale and beauty of it. Below is a short time lapse video of the drive up to the Paradise area of the park.

    Mount Rainier Gallery

  • All Around Montana

    All Around Montana

    August was a month of slow travel around Montana. After visiting the North side of Yellowstone National Park, we decided to take our time working our way up Glacier National Park, which was our next park destination. Our hope was that by waiting till late August or September, park attendance would reduce due to school starting back up (in some form or fashion). Additionally, Montana is more sparsely populated than many of the west coast destinations we were planning, and we wanted to watch how Covid-19 case trends progressed before heading further West

    So we decided to check out central Montana, meandering around Bozeman/Livingston, Helena, Missoula, and Kalispell. Each of theses cities has its own charm, and we’ve really enjoyed the mountain scenery the area has to offer.

    Melrose

    Melrose is a tiny town just south of Butte, Montana with a population of 170 people. We stayed here for about a week before heading to Livingston and the North Entrance of Yellowstone. Melrose is also where I spent my 40th birthday. I can tell you that it was not how my younger self envisioned my 40th birthday, but, as it turns out, it was awesome and I wouldn’t have had it any other way. We stayed for several days at this small and impeccably maintained campground and they were some of the most relaxing days of the trip so far. Kristy managed to find a restaurant that stocked confectionary delights from a nearby bakery, and I was treated to a giant slice of delicious birthday cake. This campground, the Sportsman Motel and campground, is a great stopping point if you happen to be headed between Yellowstone and Glacier.

    Livingston / Bozeman

    We used Livingston as our base camp to visit the North entrance of Yellowstone, but we also discovered that Kristy had two second cousins in the area. We were able to connect with them, which was a nice surprise, and they gave us some great tips on the local area. Mark’s In & Out Burger delivered with a classic cheeseburger and chocolate malt, we also liked the battered mushrooms (well, I liked them, Kristy and Owen less so).

    One of Kristy’s cousins recommended the hike to Pine Creek Falls, and this turned out to be a great hike. Maybe a little longer than we would usually do with Owen, but we were rewarded at the top with an up close view of the waterfall. The trail was relatively busy when we went on a Sunday morning, I’m sure the weekdays are probably a bit quieter.

    TIP: Pack a snack or lunch to eat when you reach the falls. Food just tastes a little better when you earn it by hiking uphill, and enjoy it in front of a waterfall.

    Helena

    Next, we headed up to Helena for not much reason other than to check out the town and surrounding area. We stayed at a KOA just north of the city, and while the campground didn’t have much of a playground, Owen lucked out because the elementary school across the road had an awesome play structure. We took some time in Helena to do some projects and maintenance on the RV and check out the area. We enjoyed checking out the downtown area, and the mountain views around town.

    Boulder

    We had our first successful overnight dry-camping stay at a HipCamp spot near Boulder, MT. We stayed in a wide open field near this small town, and the host was awesome. Shortly after we pulled in she stopped by to check on us and brought us some delicious, fresh Flathead cherries. That night was Owen’s first night staying up late to stargaze and watch a meteor shower. I’m not sure if he had more fun or if Kristy and I did, watching him experience it.

    Missoula

    We spent a few days near Missoula during this great Montana trek as well. We relaxed at our campground and explored this fun college town. We took advantage of some of the “big city” amenities to restock on supplies like RV water hose adapters and new books for Owen.

    We also found a nice park nearby at a school that was not yet in session. Owen thoroughly enjoyed the rocket ship themed play structure.

    Ronan

    Our second HipCamp experience was at a spot near Ronan, MT. This open ranchland had spectacular views of the Mission Mountain Range. It was nearly 100 degrees that day, and with no AC without an electric hookup, we pretty much just tried to stay cool and enjoy the view till the sun went down.

    Kalispell / Whitefish

    After Ronan, we headed up to Kalispell for a final stop before Glacier National Park. It was nice to be back at a campground with hookups and this one had a great playground for Owen to romp around on. We were also able to rent a canoe and do a short trip up the stream that ran through the campground. Kalispel is a short hop from Whitefish so we took a day to go visit the Whitefish Mountain Resort. We all had a blast there, The resort was not busy at all, but still had chairlifts and summer mountain slides operating. After riding the summer tube slide, I think Owen’s response was something to the effect of “This is SO A-MAZ-ING!”.

    We also did a quick trip over to the Hungry Horse Dam on the recommendation of one of the locals. It was a cool experience to walk across this dam which is one of the largest concrete arch dams in the US.

    On to Glacier

    So there you have it, our meanderings all around Montana during August. Our final stop in Montana was Glacier, which of course has its own post. We had a fantastic time, and really enjoyed everything Montana had to offer. Every city had its own unique personality, and the near constant mountain views made for a wonderfully scenic backdrop. We look forward to coming back again in the future!