Archive for Hikes

Willow Hole in Joshua Tree National Park

February 26, 2012 Cliff California, Hikes, Joshua Tree N.P., Mojave Desert
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Trip Date: December 2011

Willow Hole Trail

Willow Hole Trail

In our opinion, the hike to Willow Hole, which is located in the Wonderland of Rocks region of Joshua Tree National Park, is one of the most rewarding hikes in the park. The trail passes through all of the scenery that Joshua Tree National Park is known for, not only the famous yucca that the park is named after, but all of those beautifully sculptured granite boulders and long desert vistas that has captivated visitors to this park for decades.

We’ve gone on many hikes all over the park in search of that perfect trail that leads into the heart of the Wonderland of Rocks.  In all our travels through the deserts of Southern California, granite rock outcroppings are a photographer’s dream because of the endless formations created by Mother Nature.  There are numerous outcroppings in the Mojave National Preserve, as well as historic Alabama Hills near Lone Pine, but nothing beats the granites of Joshua Tree.  We thought that the trail into Rattlesnake Canyon from Indian Cove would give us good access.  But after going on a hike with an experienced guide, we learned it took lots of rock climbing and trail finding skills to find your way.  Perhaps a hike into Rattlesnake Canyon will be a future post in this blog.  But we found that the Willow Hole Trail is much easier.

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Owl Canyon in Rainbow Basin

January 8, 2012 Cliff California, Hikes, Mojave Desert
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Trip Date: November 2011

Owl Canyon

A narrow stretch of Owl Canyon

A hike up Owl Canyon will take most people by surprise.  After crossing the wide open spaces of the Mojave Desert near Barstow, one would not expect a canyon full of odd geologic formations and wild colors. Owl Canyon is located inside what is known as the Rainbow Basin Natural Area.  This “Natural Area” is managed by the BLM office in Barstow.  Rainbow Basin itself speaks for itself – it is a big basin full of colorful geological layers that are warped into what geologists call anticlines and synclines.

Although there are more trips to be taken in this immediate area, the centerpiece of this trip focuses on the hike up Owl Canyon.  Owl Canyon covers the eastern section of Rainbow Basin.  In this section is the Owl Canyon campground, which is actually comprised of two – the main campground and an equestrian campground.  As of 2011, the BLM did some significant upgrades to the entire campground, making it look first rate.

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Golden Canyon Hike Death Valley

November 30, 2011 Cliff California, Death Valley, Hikes, Mojave Desert
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Trip Date: February 2005

Golden Canyon Badlands in Death Valley

Golden Canyon Badlands

This is one of our favorite hikes in Death Valley because of all of the colors and endless shapes and contours of the eroded badlands. The hike up Golden Canyon is a popular one because of many reasons.  For one, it showcases what Death Valley is all about: stark barren beauty.  Two, it is close to Death Valley’s central settlement: Furnace Creek.  Three, it is an easy and rewarding hike, even if you simply walk a few hundred feet into the canyon from your vehicle.  The bottom line, a visit to Death Valley should include a small or long hike into Golden Canyon, just like a visit to Death Valley should include a stop in Badwater.

There are a few ways to plan a hike through Golden Canyon.  The most popular way is to hike from the entrance to Golden Canyon from the parking lot along Badwater Road.  Here, you can hike into the canyon as far as you wish and then turn around and head back to your vehicle.  For the more motivated hiker, you can make the complete loop hike up Golden Canyon, across Manly Beacon, skirt by Zabriskie Point, head down Gower Gulch and then back to the Golden Canyon parking lot.  Another method is to have someone drop you off at Zabriskie Point, hike down Golden Canyon and have that same someone pick you up at the Golden Canyon parking lot.
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Taylor Creek Hike to Double Arch Alcove in Zion National Park

November 22, 2011 Cliff Hikes, Utah
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Trip Date: September 2011

Double Arch Alcove, Taylor Creek

Double Arch Alcove, Taylor Creek, Zion

The Taylor Creek Trail that heads up into the Middle Fork of Taylor Creek, which is located in the Kolob Canyons section of Zion National Park, gives the hiker a sampling of what Zion is all about, along with a unique half-created double arch at the trail’s end. The Taylor Creek Trail is located in the northern portion of Zion National Park in a region known as Kolob Canyons. The great aspect of this trail is that it is located in an area that is seldom visited because it is located a considerable distance from the national park’s main attraction: Zion Canyon.  This gives the Kolob Canyons area the distinction of being less crowded than the main part of Zion.

The hike up Taylor Creek ceremoniously ends at a unique geological feature named Double Arch Alcove. If you’ve visited a few of southern Utah’s national parks, then you’ve probably seen some of Utah’s iconic arches. Although not as popular, alcoves, which are partially-created arches, are unique features where wind or water eroded out sandstone to create a regress or partial cave into a sandstone wall. Another amazing aspect of the lower alcove in Taylor Creek is that it is quite colorful.

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Canyon Sainte-Anne

October 31, 2011 Cliff Hikes, Outside USA
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Trip Date: October 2010

Sainte Anne Waterfalls

Sainte Anne Waterfalls

This wild collection of waterfalls and cascades east of Quebec City, in Quebec Provence, Canada, is quite an unusual attraction. High suspension bridges and overhanging decks allow for some thrilling views of the torrents below.  Our visit to Sainte-Anne occurred in early October, just when the fall colors were at their prime adding more brilliance to this already dazzling place.

Officially called Canyon Ste-Anne, this privately-owned park opened to the public in 1973.  The Sainte-Anne River falls, as they were originally called when discovered in 1965 by a logger that was camping nearby, is situated on the the Sainte-Anne-du-Nord River.  The owners built three suspension bridges over the cascades so that visitors can walk over the falls and marvel at the shear force underneath their feet.  One of the bridges is the highest suspension bridge in Quebec province.

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White House Ruin Trail – Canyon de Chelly

October 13, 2011 Cliff Arizona, Hikes
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Trip Date: June 2011

White House Ruins

White House Ruins

This Virtual Tour takes you on the only hiking trail that goes down into Arizona’s Canyon de Chelly and ends at the White House Ruins located on the canyon floor. Canyon de Chelly is located inside the national monument of the same name – Canyon de Chelly National Monument – and is the spiritual center for the native Navajo people.

The 3 mile roundtrip hiking trail to the bottom of Canyon de Chelly and to the White House Ruins is the only access to the canyon itself without hiring a Navajo guide.  Although anybody can visit the various viewpoints along the rim of the canyons without a guide, if you wish to venture into the canyons by foot or 4wd vehicle, then you must hire an official Navajo guide at the park’s visitor center.

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Hellhole Canyon Hike to Maidenhair Falls

September 29, 2011 Cliff Anza-Borrego, California, Hikes
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Trip Date: March 2009

Maidenhair Falls in Hellhole Canyon

Maidenhair Falls

This fantastic desert hike up Hellhole Canyon to Maidenhair Falls is located in the heart of the Anza-Borrego State Park and not too far from the town of Borrego Springs. Hiking this trail will take you through classic Sonoran Desert landscape, pass through a wild grove of California fan palms and, after a little bit of boulder scrambling, to a pure desert miracle: a waterfall in the middle of the desert – not only one, but two.

The 5 mile roundtrip hike up Hellhole Canyon is somewhat similar to the more popular hike up Anza-Borrego State Park’s Borrego Palm Canyon.  The only difference is that Hellhole Canyon isn’t advertised much, so therefore it doesn’t have as many people hiking the trail.  Being closer to the Anza-Borrego visitors center, Borrego Palm Canyon typically attracts a lot of hikers.  Furthermore, Hellhole Canyon has an added attraction, a waterfall surrounded by maidenhair ferns, suitably named Maidenhair Falls.

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Tour the Grand Canyon on Mules

June 27, 2011 Cliff Arizona, Hikes
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Trip Date: March 2008

Have you ever dared yourself to take that world-famous trip to the bottom of the Grand Canyon on top of a mule? We didn’t, but someone talked us into it.  Worse yet, when it came time to take the trip, that someone had to cancel out of the trip and the two of us went on.  Bottom line: we were glad that we were talked into going on this trip because it was one of the best travel experiences of our lives; but than again, we are very lucky to enjoy many of those great experiences!
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Willis Creek Slot Canyon

June 26, 2011 Cliff Hikes, Utah
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Trip Date: October 2007

Willis Slot Canyon

Willis Slot Canyon

If you are visiting Bryce Canyon National Park and would like to see something a little different, then we recommend visiting this delightful slot canyon. You will learn how a small creek, named Willis Creek, has the power to shape such a beautiful landscape.

Of all the slot canyons that we have visited in the great Southwest, this one by far gives you the best bang for your buck.  Even though it requires driving on a dirt road, it is easy to get the to, even if you are in a car.  Unlike so many slot canyons where you have to repeal into or scale a slick sandstone cliff, one only needs to walk into this slot canyon.  Photographers are challenged with the extreme lighting conditions in most slot canyons, but not Willis Canyon because although its deep and skinny, its narrow sections are not very long which brings ample light in from each end allowing even an amateur to take great pictures.
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Franz Josef Glacier

June 26, 2011 Cliff Hikes, Outside USA
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Trip Date: October 2005

Take this virtual tour and hike on to Franz Josef Glacier of New Zealand and become as terrified as we were! The only difference is that if you slip, you won’t fall into a crevice like we could have.  So sit back and enjoy this visually stunning corner of New Zealand’s South Island.

About Franz Josef Glacier

Rare when compared to other glaciers in the world, Franz Josef Glacier reaches from the high mountains to almost sea level and is fairly easy to reach for most people.  The bottom reaches of Franz Josef are located in a temperate rainforest which is also not common for glaciers.  Because Franz Josef is easy to access and located around spectacular scenery, it is a key tourist attraction in New Zealand.  Walking up to the glacier for a close view is popular as is several guided tours of walking on the glacier with an expert guide.

If you would like to read more about Franz Josef or just learn more about the unbelievably beautiful south island of New Zealand, check out our virtual tour guide of this place at our main website.


Virtual Tour

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