W. Lloyd Williams

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Filtering by Tag: hike

Yellowstone Jewels

September 10-13, 2009 Yellowstone National Park, WY

The force and spectacle of gushing geysers impress, but the jewel-toned hot springs of Yellowstone awed me more.

Sometimes they bubble or boil:

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Sometimes they don't:

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Sometimes they steam:

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Sometimes they are crystal clear:

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Sometimes they seem bottomless:

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Sometimes they're two- or tri-toned:

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Sometimes they run off in neon rivulets:

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Sometimes their vapor hangs:

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Sometimes they're small:

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Sometimes they're named Artist Paintpots:

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Sometimes they're multi-textured:

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And sometimes they're just awesome:

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-P

Yellowstone Jewels

September 10-13, 2009 Yellowstone National Park, WY

The force and spectacle of gushing geysers impress, but the jewel-toned hot springs of Yellowstone awed me more.

Sometimes they bubble or boil:

L1020687

Sometimes they don't:

L1020697

Sometimes they steam:

L1020717

Sometimes they are crystal clear:

L1020719

Sometimes they seem bottomless:

L1020722

Sometimes they're two- or tri-toned:

L1020728

Sometimes they run off in neon rivulets:

L1020734

Sometimes their vapor hangs:

L1020740

Sometimes they're small:

L1020754

Sometimes they're named Artist Paintpots:

L1020757

Sometimes they're multi-textured:

L1020796

And sometimes they're just awesome:

L1020815

-P

Craters and Taters

August 26 - September 1, 2009 Craters of the Moon National Monument, ID

No lunar travel required.

A 360 view from the peak of Inferno Cone:

L1020413

A lot of Craters of the Moon National Monument is lava rubble. Most of the volcanic debris is charcoal in colour, but some areas are rusty or a range of pinks, purples and oranges.

L1020475

"Spatter cones" formed as volcanic eruption petered out and spattered lava around the vent openings.

L1020430

Dwarf buckwheat dots the black expanse of Devil's Orchard - a dazzling contrast.

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The entrance to a lava tube cave.

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An 800 foot 'trail' zigzags through a lava tube cave. "Skylights" (collapses in the ceiling) illuminate the cave, but flashlights are highly recommended. The Indian Tunnel Cave Trail is not for cautious folk. Trail description: "If you are willing to scramble over (large rock piles) and (suck in your stomach to) climb through a small opening, you can exit this cave ... (through a barely big enough vent)."

L1020459

The wall of the exit vent:

L1020467

We stayed 18 miles away in Arco, ID. Arco is wee, weird and quiet, best known (actually, hardly known) as the first town to be lit by atomic power, but we like it best for the smoked baked potatoes at Mountain View RV Park. We also enjoyed the campground's free breakfast, but happily payed a little extra for the sweet potato pancakes with pecans. Yum! The coffee is weak, but I think the mini-golf makes up for that. :)

Also, Arco has a distinct landmark in Number Hill (I'll find my photo...). Local high school graduates have scaled this almost-mountain every year and painted their graduation year large enough to see for miles around.

Craters of the Moon National Monument is less a destination than a side attraction, but you won't see another place like it.

-P

Craters and Taters

August 26 - September 1, 2009 Craters of the Moon National Monument, ID

No lunar travel required.

A 360 view from the peak of Inferno Cone:

L1020413

A lot of Craters of the Moon National Monument is lava rubble. Most of the volcanic debris is charcoal in colour, but some areas are rusty or a range of pinks, purples and oranges.

L1020475

"Spatter cones" formed as volcanic eruption petered out and spattered lava around the vent openings.

L1020430

Dwarf buckwheat dots the black expanse of Devil's Orchard - a dazzling contrast.

L1020433

The entrance to a lava tube cave.

L1020474

An 800 foot 'trail' zigzags through a lava tube cave. "Skylights" (collapses in the ceiling) illuminate the cave, but flashlights are highly recommended. The Indian Tunnel Cave Trail is not for cautious folk. Trail description: "If you are willing to scramble over (large rock piles) and (suck in your stomach to) climb through a small opening, you can exit this cave ... (through a barely big enough vent)."

L1020459

The wall of the exit vent:

L1020467

We stayed 18 miles away in Arco, ID. Arco is wee, weird and quiet, best known (actually, hardly known) as the first town to be lit by atomic power, but we like it best for the smoked baked potatoes at Mountain View RV Park. We also enjoyed the campground's free breakfast, but happily payed a little extra for the sweet potato pancakes with pecans. Yum! The coffee is weak, but I think the mini-golf makes up for that. :)

Also, Arco has a distinct landmark in Number Hill (I'll find my photo...). Local high school graduates have scaled this almost-mountain every year and painted their graduation year large enough to see for miles around.

Craters of the Moon National Monument is less a destination than a side attraction, but you won't see another place like it.

-P

Kolob Canyon, Zion NP

August 20, 2009 Kolob Canyon is an adjunct to Zion National Park more than 30 miles from the main park. In our opinion, it's the prettier picture, even when forest fires cloud the dark pink canyon walls.

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A 1 mile hike to Timber Creek Canyon and awesome panoramas:

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A couple confident creatures entertained us with their poses along the trail.

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A collared lizard:

L1020391

When in Zion, Kolob Canyon is a must see.

Peace

-P

Kolob Canyon, Zion NP

August 20, 2009 Kolob Canyon is an adjunct to Zion National Park more than 30 miles from the main park. In our opinion, it's the prettier picture, even when forest fires cloud the dark pink canyon walls.

L1020367

A 1 mile hike to Timber Creek Canyon and awesome panoramas:

L1020356

L1020368

A couple confident creatures entertained us with their poses along the trail.

L1020374

A collared lizard:

L1020391

When in Zion, Kolob Canyon is a must see.

Peace

-P

Recent Utah Hikes

Capital Reef NP - Cassity Arch Hike This is a wonderful hike in the area Butch Cassity and his men hid from the law. The views along this trail are breathtaking. It is a strenuous hike.

Capital Reef NP - Capital Gorge Hike

This is an easy hike along the floor of the canyon where the Mormon pilgrims carved there names into the walls of the canyon in the late 1800s and early 1900s.

Escalante SP - Petrefied Forrest Hike

This is a moderately strenuous hike that leaves the campground and ascends to a great view of the town of Escalante and many large petrified tree trunks.

Escalante National Monument - Devil's Garden Hike

This is an easy hike around the hoodoos and formations. See the upcoming photo gallery for images from this magical place.

Bryce NP - Queens Garden Navajo Loop Hike

Sorry for the poor quality of this Google Earth image. There must have been a fire when the Satellite took these photos since smoke covers the entire Bryce area on Google. But this hike is considered the "world's greatest three mile hike" and we would have to agree. After a steep decent into the canyon floor you have wonderful views of Bryce from below. The steep ascent out of the canyon makes this a moderately strenuous hike. Well worth the effort. -L

Escalante Sights and Eats

August 5-9, 2009 We stayed at Escalante Petrified Forest State Park on the edge of Wide Hollow Reservoir and at the base of a red and white mesa.

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We had an extremely private site (Site B a.k.a. Site 2), aside from the almost constant parade of wildlife including Steller's Jays, hummingbirds, whiptail lizards, squirrels, chipmunks, bats, and ...

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... jackrabbits.

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Petrified Forest Trail is a moderate 1-mile loop hike that leaves the campground and climbs 200 feet to the top of the mesa. We added on the Trail of Sleeping Rainbows, a strenuous 3/4 mile extension with the highest concentrations of petrified wood.

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And we finish off with a dining recommendation: Escalante Outfitters for the organic Vagabond Beer (amber) and vegetable pizza. We also filled our fridge with the Farm Market's offerings across the road.

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-P

A Bridge and a Buckle

August 4, 2009 A  steep 2 mile round-trip hike passes scorched rock, a sequence of natural bridges and juniper trees twisted into freakish forms on the way to Hickman Bridge.

L1010931

Up close, the siltstone and sandstone grains flow in yellow, pinks and oranges.

L1010940

Next, we explored some of Hole-in-the-Rock Road through Strike Valley, between mesas and red and white buttes specked with trees and the Waterpocket Fold - a giant buckle in the Earth's surface. Over millions of years ancient seas, tidal flats and deserts deposited layers of sediment then "regional mountain-building bent or flexed rock layers into a huge fold." It's an odd landscape that stretches over a hundred miles. Of course Wordpress photos don't do the view justice.

L1010952

Just off Hole-in-the-Rock Road, away from the Waterpocket Fold, Burr Trail scales Muley Twist via back to back switchbacks. Most RVs are restricted and wet weather can make the road impassible even for 4WDs. Though we enjoy these exciting climbs in our Jeep, I noticed after the fact that we said next to nothing during the climb, and I remember holding my breath more than once, and I might have suppressed a squeal in the path of an oncoming RV...

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Anyway, the crest rewarded us with extraordinary views of the Henry Mountains, Waterpocket Fold, Red Circle Cliffs and Long Canyon.

-P