Hikes – Page 3 – Small Wanders

04 Oct 2022 Bryce: Mossy Cave & Scenic Drive

Bryce Canyon Coffee in Tropic, about 10mi from Ruby’s Inn, was one of the few places serving really good coffee & tea. When we drove there for coffee a few days before, we saw the sign for the Mossy Cave Trail. After looking it up on Alltrails.com, we thought it’d be fun to come back to check out the cave. This trail is part of Bryce Canyon National Park but the trailhead & parking lot are well outside the park entrance.

This was a short hike to a rather unimpressive alcove, not cave, which is said to have icicles most of the year – none in October. With bushes obscuring most of the alcove plus being inaccessible behind a rail & fence, seeing Mossy Cave was anti-climatic. Still, it was a beautiful morning & a fun hike, but don’t do it for the Mossy Cave. The hoodoos, ‘window’ pinnacle arches & waterfall make the trail worthwhile and more interesting.

After the hike and lunch, we took the scenic drive through Bryce Canyon, stopping at the main viewpoints beyond Bryce Point. The views of Bryce Canyon amphitheater from Sunrise & Sunset Points are hard to beat. But the rest of Bryce Canyon is worth exploring since the vistas and sediment colors change. The Natural Bridge viewpoint was the definitive highlight, no hiking necessary.

03 Oct 2022: Bryce Canyon Peekaboo Trail

by JamesOctober 3, 2022April 16, 2024Bryce Canyon / Day Trips / Hikes / National Parks / Sightseeing

Our second hike was another popular and more challenging trail, Peekaboo Loop. The trailhead starts at Bryce Point (8300ft), higher than either Sunrise or Sunset Points. Peekaboo Trail gets it name from the surprises around every corner on the trail and it lives up to its name. The changes in scenery around every bend are amazing – hoodoos, pinnacles, arches, & vistas.
The trail descends into the canyon ~1400ft and has an upper and lower loop trail. Since we were not planning on looping back, we took the upper trail which, according to other hikers, offers more to see. We did not want to hike back and ascend the 1400ft up to the Bryce Point. We figured hiking up the Navajo Trail switchbacks to the rim would be a steeper but shorter 500ft ascent. If we had started earlier in the day, we would have done the complete 5.2mi Peekaboo loop.

We started this hike without having lunch and by the time we were back on top, it was 5pm. We brought plenty of water & snacks on the hike but were ready for a meal. We considered dinner at Bryce Lodge but were worried we’d miss the last shuttle (6pm) waiting for service. So we caught the next shuttle from Bryce Lodge to Bryce Point to pick up the truck. Then headed back to Ruby’s Inn Restaurant for an excellent grilled shrimp dinner. Peekaboo Trail was a spectacular hike – the best one we did in Bryce Canyon. The trail takes you next to, through & under many of the features you see from the viewpoints.
If you zoom in on the right side of the 1st photo, you can see people on a viewpoint (Upper Inspiration Viewpoint perhaps).

02 Oct 2022: Bryce Queens Garden to Navajo Loop Trail

by JamesOctober 2, 2022April 16, 2024Bryce Canyon / Day Trips / Hikes / National Parks

Other than trails from one viewpoint to another along the rim, most loop down into the canyon and back. Because of their vertical nature, AllTrails.com accurately rates them moderate. These trails are well-groomed but there can be collapses along the way. So mini-tractors are deployed on some trails to clear the path. Wall Street Trail was closed during out visit due to a massive rock fall. Erosion is what forms these hoodoos so the landscape is constantly changing.
Queens Garden Trail gets it name from an iconic hoodoo that resembles Queen Victoria (see 1st photo). The Navajo Loop has a series of switchbacks which climb 500+ft through some of the tallest fins & hoodoos. Some knowledgeable hikers prefer to start this route at Sunset Point, descending the Navajo Trail switchbacks then ascend the more-gradual Queens Garden Trail. Being unfamiliar with these trails, we chose to hike from Sunrise Point (Queens Garden trailhead) & ascend Sunset Point (Navajo Trail switchbacks). The switchback ascent really isn’t that bad if you take your time.

01 Oct 2022: Bryce Canyon

by JamesOctober 1, 2022April 16, 2024Bryce Canyon / Hikes / National Parks / RVing / Travel

Bryce canyon is breathtaking – photos cannot do it’s intricate landscapes justice, even with epic light. This was our first visit to Bryce Canyon and it has a similar appeal as the Grand Canyon but is uniquely different. Grand Canyon impresses with it grandeur. Bryce Canyon with thousands of hoodoos and banded-colored sediments forming spectacular landscapes in every direction. It is a landscape photographer’s paradise when the changing light illuminates the infinite subjects. And at 8000ft in October, you can add wonderful fall colors, especially the Aspens, to the mix.

30 Sep 2022: Zion Lower Pine Creek Waterfall

by JamesSeptember 30, 2022April 16, 2024Day Trips / Hikes / National Parks / Zion National Park

Our last hike in Zion NP this trip was the Lower Pine Creek Waterfall trail. This is not well advertised but can be found as one of the top trails in AllTrails app or .com. The hike is short but requires crossing Lower Pine Creek several times. This means scrambling over boulders, scaling some rock slopes and creek shallows. This late in the season, the creek level was low but the waterfall still had decent flow and a good size pool.

Although a short hike, because of the scrambling and scaling of rock faces to get to the waterfall. This hike is classified as moderate on AllTrails. We found it enjoyable and different, requiring you to find your own route in some spots. Since it is lesser known, there were only a few other hikers on the trail and we had the waterfall to ourselves our entire visit. From our experience, it seems like most of the trails get busier by late morning to early afternoon so hike early to avoid traffic.

29 Sep 2022: Zion Canyon Overlook Trail

by JamesSeptember 29, 2022April 16, 2024Day Trips / Hikes / National Parks / Sightseeing / Zion National Park

The biggest challenge of this hike, because of its location & popularity, is parking. Just beyond the Zion Tunnel’s east exit is a tiny parking lot. There’s also sparse parking up the road a few hundred yards. Since the hike is fairly short, there are people leaving quite often so you can get lucky. But, this is also where traffic backs up for the tunnel queue – where they stop traffic in one direction so RVs can travel through the middle of the tunnel for clearance.
The overlook gives you a panoramic view of Zion Canyon & some of its signature peaks. But I found the trail to be more interesting than the overlook. Perhaps sunrise or sunset would be more spectacular; mid-day was beautiful but not as photogenic. The trail follows the side of the canyon and has diverse & narrow sections that make for a fun hike.

28 Sep 2022: Zion Emerald Pools Trail

by JamesSeptember 28, 2022April 16, 2024Day Trips / Hikes / National Parks / Sightseeing / Zion National Park

The Emerald Pools Trailhead starts at the Zion Lodge shuttle stop. It’s considered a moderate trail because it starts in the canyon and heads uphill to a series of three pools – Lower, Middle, & Upper Emerald Pools. The hike to the lower pool is actually pretty easy and accessible so the trail can be crowded.
This late in the season and with the drought, the water level in the waterfall feeding the pools is low. This makes for some rather unimpressive pools, still the hike is scenic with beautiful vistas of Zion Canyon at various viewpoints.

Lower Emerald Pool

Middle Emerald Pool

The trail to the Middle Emerald Pool is less crowded but still busy. It is just a short vertical hike from the Lower Pool and opens into a wonderful panorama of the canyon.

Upper Emerald Pool

Hiking to the highest Emerald Pool is the most challenging section of the trail. Earlier in the season when the water level is higher, I’m sure this hike is more worthwhile. But our expectations were pretty low since this was our first time and we enjoy hiking the less crowded sections of trail.

14-16 Aug 2022: Portland Oregon

by JamesAugust 14, 2022April 16, 2024Day Trips / Hikes / Oregon / Sightseeing / Travel / Trips

My brother typically visits SoCal in August and we celebrate his birthday. Since he and his wife just bought a home, we thought we’d make the trip north to checkout their new place. It’s a 1000+mi road trip north so we opted for a ~2hr plane ride versus a 2-3 day road trip (each way) towing Howie. Gas is getting cheaper but still over $5/gal and the San Joaquin Valley is over 100°F this August. Plus we enjoy Portland so we planned to spend a few days there after visiting family. We’d need to take two weeks to make it worth the drive. So this tripped, we scouted places in the Bend-La Pine area for our next visit in Howie.
I was hoping to do some street photography while in Portland but didn’t find much time or desire to wander. Downtown is really different and we missed the weekend farmer’s market. We did visit a few landmarks like the International Rose Test Garden, Hoyt Arboretum, and Voodoo Donuts. But our best day in Portland was exploring the coast at Cannon Beach, Haystack Rock and Tillamook Creamery.

Oregon Coast Day-Trip: Haystack Rock, Tillamook Creamery

13 Aug 2022: Smith Rock/Trillian Lake

by JamesAugust 13, 2022April 16, 2024Day Trips / Hikes / Oregon / Sightseeing / State Parks / Travel / Trips

For our drive back to Portland, we took the south Mt Hood route – highways 97 & 26, stopping at Smith Rock and Trillian Lake along the way.
Smith Rock has been a place I’ve wanted to visit for quite awhile. I didn’t realize it was so close to Bend so it was an easy detour as we drove that direction towards Portland.

The Crooked River Trail is an easy hike especially when compared to Misery Ridge & River Trail which takes you to the top of Misery Ridge. Although it was getting hot by noon, there were trees offering shade along the trail. The Smith Rock valley and cliffs reminded us of Utah, specifically Zion. Like Zion, it is very popular with rock climbers and we spotted several as we made our way down the trail. It’s a great, easy hike once you get down into the valley. The start and end incline is pretty steep but short, only 321ft.

Trillian Lake

Trillian Lake is only ~2mi off Highway 26 so a short and easy detour. It is an extremely busy lake especially on Sunday with a lot of swimmers, kayakers, and paddle boarders (kayaks & paddle-boards are available for rent btw). But we found parking since it was late in the day (~6 pm) and wanted to use our $5 day pass (bought online). There is a campground here and it would be a wonderful place to stay with a RV. The weather was clear so Mt Hood was reflected in the lake. I’m sure with a morning calm the reflection would be even better. But late in the day was okay since I found a calm section near the dam. We did not hike the lake loop, just to the southern trail to the ‘dam’. We wanted to arrive in Portland before dark (>9pm) and it was a few hours away.

10-13 Aug 2022: Bend/La Pine Oregon

by JamesAugust 11, 2022April 16, 2024Day Trips / Hikes / Oregon / Sightseeing / State Parks / Travel / Trips

We always enjoy visiting Oregon particularly Central Oregon where my brother moved 30+yrs ago.
There is so much to see and do outdoors around Bend. Now that we are retired, enjoying a RV lifestyle. We can really appreciate places like La Pine, away from the urban sprawl of southern California.

There are an amazing amount of places to see and trails to hike under a hour’s drive from Bend-La Pine. Just 15mins from La Pine is Newberry National Volcanic Monument with Paulina Lake and Big Obsidian Flow. We did the short hike to Obsidian Flow before having lunch at East Lake. The photos will never do this place justice. Very short hike with steep metal stairs at the beginning then an easy trail with benches and lookouts along the way.