Submitted by Rocky Mountain Raider
I live up in the Boulder area, along the Front Range of Colorado, and every winter mass numbers of human apes make the annual pilgrimage from “The Centennial State” down to the “Lone Star State” to test their strength (and finger tips) at Hueco Tanks State Park. Perhaps one of the [...]
Submitted by Backcountry Explorer
The first volume of my Zion National Park hiking, scrambling and climbing guidebook is now available!
Focusing on summit routes in the park, the book will be the first of its kind. Anticipate a 250-page guide covering routes to nearly 80 summits in and near Zion National Park, including photos and maps.
Just a [...]
Submitted by Backcountry Explorer
My guidebook, Rambles & Scrambles: The Definitive Guide to Peakbagging Around Las Vegas, is currently available!
In the book, a total of 239 peaks in and around Las Vegas are covered. Heavily featuring hiking, scrambling and climbing routes in Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area and Lake Mead National Recreation Area, it also [...]
Submitted by Backcountry Explorer
Where: Red Rock Canyon NCA, Nevada
When: April 2009
Partners: DB and HWS
After a failed attempt (without an beta) by me, Harlan and Mark back about 2004 or 2005, Harlan had since returned to Sandstone and Fork Peaks and summitted in fine style. As I’d not yet made another attempt on the peaks, [...]
Submitted by Rocky Mountain Raider
I’m a real big fan of what I call “Adventure Trail Running.” This is where you find a trail - usually on a map at poor resolution - and decide to run it. Other times, it can simply be finding a peak or mountain that you want to run, finding the [...]
Submitted by Backcountry Explorer
The first volume of my Zion National Park hiking, scrambling and climbing guidebook is now available!
Focusing on summit routes in the park, the book will be the first of its kind. Anticipate a 250-page guide covering routes to nearly 80 summits in and near Zion National Park, including photos and maps.
Just a [...]
Submitted by Backcountry Explorer
My guidebook, Rambles & Scrambles: The Definitive Guide to Peakbagging Around Las Vegas, is currently available!
In the book, a total of 239 peaks in and around Las Vegas are covered. Heavily featuring hiking, scrambling and climbing routes in Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area and Lake Mead National Recreation Area, it also [...]
Submitted by Backcountry Explorer
Where: Oatman, Arizona
When: April 2009
Downtown (all of) Oatman
Things to do around Oatman:
-Feed the burros
-Pet the burros
-Photograph the burros
-Run from the burros
-Choke down a garlic burger at the Olive Oatman restaurant
-Obsess over all the pseudo-cowboys lost in the past
-Consider ignoring all those ‘No Trespassing’ signs and climb a mountain
Grudgingly hanging with a burro [...]
Submitted by Backcountry Explorer
Where: outside Bullhead City (AZ) & Laughlin (NV)
When: April 2009
Partners: some of it solo; some of it with DB
As so typically personifies me in the final throes of an outdoor vacation, I decided to finish this week’s mountain climbing efforts with a bang. Five summits would be burdened by my giant feet [...]
Submitted by Backcountry Explorer
Where: near Bagdad, Arizona
After boring our ways through Jerome and Prescott, we decided to burn a hole through Bagdad and all those other no-name “towns” one easily forgets about while passing through northwestern Arizona. A spark of light, though, came as a total surprise to us when we happened upon miles of [...]
Submitted by Backcountry Explorer
Where: Sedona, Arizona
When: April 2009
Partners: Walt Hutton & Allison from Flagstaff
Descending from The Acropolis
The big objective for this season’s visit to Sedona was an attempt at The Acropolis. We’d gotten beta claiming that the route was “mostly class 4…with one or two 5.7 moves.” Okay, then!
Heading out early one morning, I reached [...]
Submitted by Backcountry Explorer
Where: Sedona, Arizona
The Acropolis from above Amitabha Stupa
Sedona’s a wonderful place. It’s littered with red rock towers and yellow, pyramidal mountains, freaky hippy types and plenty of pompousness. I love the place. And what better spot to find serenity, seek answers, search inwardly, and simply breathe than Amitabha Stupa.
Submitted by Backcountry Explorer
Where: Sedona, Arizona
When: April 2009
Partners: Walt Hutton & Allison from Flagstaff
Walt leading on Chimney Rock
If you want to climb something, it’s often helpful to have beta. But for clueless softmen like we are (or at least I am), why bother? So we ignorantly set out to climb Chimney Rock, the aesthetic [...]
Submitted by Backcountry Explorer
Where: Sedona, Arizona
When: April 2009
Partners: DB & Walt Hutton
Approaching the summit
DB, Walt and I set out to climb Three Sisters. With a short trail approach, a touch of unpleasant bushwhacking, and some fun scrambling near the top, we found the summit sublime and its views highly rewarding. Not only that, but we [...]
Submitted by Backcountry Explorer
Where: near Sedona, Arizona
When: April 2009
Partners: Walt Hutton
Contemplating mortality at the crux
Walt asked me to join him in his third attempt of an unclimbed peak near Sedona, Arizona. With little (read: no) knowledge of what to expect, I agreed to be his partner and set out to tackle this bad boy.
Nearly [...]
Submitted by Backcountry Explorer
Where: Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona
When: April 2009
Partners: DB
Coronado Butte
DB and I started down the rugged and lesser-traveled New Hance Trail in order to climb Coronado Butte. Leaving the trail at a point that allowed us to gain the saddle south of the butte, we scampered north around the various minor obstacles [...]
Submitted by Backcountry Explorer
Where: Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona
When: April 2009
Partners: DB
The summit of Cardenas Butte
Starting down the Tanner Trail from Lipan Point one morning, DB and I soon left the trail and headed up the south slope of Escalante Butte. Eventually reaching the base of Escalante’s summit mass, we proceeded to the top, where [...]
Submitted by Backcountry Explorer
Where: Near Lee’s Ferry, Arizona
When: April 2009
Partners: DB
At Navajo Bridge
As much as I’ve explored the West, I’d not yet made it to Navajo Bridge. Spectacular by all accounts, the greatest thrill for us was seeing a couple of condors resting below the bridge!
The condors
Submitted by Backcountry Explorer
Where: Marble Canyon, Arizona
When: April 2009
Partners: DB
DB in the south fork
Since we missed out on the Grand Canyon Canyoneering Rendezvous in February 2009, DB and I decided to head on over in April to check out the scene. The short version goes something like this:
With a short approach, we encountered three short [...]
Submitted by Rocky Mountain Raider
I’m a little back-logged on old posts, but I guess that is the way things go when you spend more time outside in the mountains then in front of a computer. However, there are still a couple of posts I need to get up on the last trip to northern New [...]
Submitted by Rocky Mountain Raider
Well, it has been dumping again here in Colorado, so we have been up filming and getting in a few more powder days before the telemark season comes to a close (at the resorts that is; we should have a couple months still of some good spring corn skiing). In honor [...]