| Capitol Reef and The Grand Staircase |
|
|
|
|
HOME PAGE
ROAD BIKING
MOUNTAIN BIKE
HIKING
TIMBERLINE
|
Dates: (6 days, 5 nights; Sun-Fri) May 9-14;
Oct. 3-8Assembly Point: Torrey, UT (airline service to Salt Lake City; Timberline van shuttle to and from Salt Lake airport prior to and following tour) Tour Cost: $1,295 (includes all lodging, all meals, van shuttles to and from Salt Lake airport, leaders, trail maps & narratives) Of all the hiking programs that we have crafted in the course of the six years since we launched our first Grand Canyon Hike, none has posed a greater challenge as to content than our new Capitol Reef and the Grand Staircase adventure. Our other Colorado Plateau hikes-the Grand Canyon series and Bryce/Zion-provided well-delineated parameters within which to structure a program. In contrast, the vast expanse of the Grand Staircase/Escalante National Monument is daunting, to say the least. The choices that we have made for the hikes that will constitute this program will always be subject to the inevitable: "But what about the...trail-why was that not included?" For the season ahead, and for all future seasons, know that our Grand Staircase program will always be a work in progress. With the inclusion of Capitol Reef National Park because of its geographical proximity and geological affinity with the Grand Staircase, the hiking options are without limits. It's our intention to vary the composition of this program each year. Creation of the Grand Staircase/Escalante, our newest national monument, in 1996 has provided a partial cloak of protection (falling well short of wilderness designation protection) over some of our nation's most precious remaining wildlands in an area that has represented the quintessential battleground between developers and environmentalists. Our program assembles in Torrey, UT, at the western entrance to Capitol Reef, and we'll provide van shuttle transportation from the Salt Lake City airport at noon on Day 1. We'll arrive at the Capitol Reef Resort early enough to visit the Visitors Center within the park and hike the short distance from Panorama Point to the Goosenecks Overlook as an introduction to Capitol Reef's geology. Following our first of two overnights at the Capitol Reef Resort, we'll hike the Rim Overlook Trail with its magnificent views of the orchards of Capitol Reef and the fascinating Waterpocket Fold, a major geological feature of the park and one that we'll explore later in the program. We'll continue beyond the overlook to Navajo Knobs and its breathtaking views (9 miles). On Day 3, we'll hike to Cohab Canyon, climbing initially to a grand overlook of the Fremont River Canyon and then descending into the narrows of Cohab with its soaring sandstone walls. We'll continue on to Cassidy Arch and the Grand Wash before returning to our trailhead (10 miles). We're then off to Boulder late afternoon and we'll spend our first of two overnights at Pole's Place. We're headed for the Burr Trail on Day 4 and a full day's exploration of the intriguing Waterpocket Fold. We'll hike the Upper Muley Twist Canyon, considered perhaps the most scenic of all sections that comprise the Waterpocket, with its numerous arches and dramatic vistas (12 miles). We'll return to Boulder for our forth overnight and then head west into the Escalante to experience the remarkable canyon hiking for which this region is famous. We'll hike along Boulder Creek, knowing that wading through the creek's shallow waters at times is an integral facet of the Escalante experience (8 miles). We'll spend our final overnight at the Prospector Lodge in Escalante and hike to beautiful Calf Creek Falls (6 miles) on our final day prior to our return to Salt Lake.
Dates: (6 days, 5 nights; Sun-Fri) May 30-June 4; Oct. 10-15 Assembly Point: Bryce Canyon (airline service to Las Vegas; Timberline van shuttle between Las Vegas and Bryce prior to tour and from Zion to Las Vegas following tour) Tour Cost: $1,295 (includes all lodging, all meals, van shuttles, leaders, trail maps and narratives) Southern Utah is a geologic fantasyland that offers some of the most fascinating and breathtakingly beautiful landscapes to be found on this planet. Nowhere is nature's workshop so dramatically displayed, where time is inconsequential and the artistry will always be a work in progress. Thankfully, much of nature's handiwork in the region lies within the protective confines of a series of national parks and monuments that are remarkably accessible for those ambitious enough to set forth on foot to explore their wonders. We'll explore the heart of Utah's "color country" in the context of our Bryce/Zion Hike. Our program assembles mid-afternoon at Bryce Canyon with time for at least an introduction to Bryce. We'll tour several of the overlooks along the Rim Trail and watch the sun set from Sunset Point. We'll spend our first of two evenings at Bryce and then begin our trek into the canyon along the Queen's Garden trail complex early the following morning. Early into this hike, you'll understand that those who view Bryce only from the rim overlooks are without a clue as to what Bryce is all about. Each bend in the trail reveals a view more spectacular than the last. The towering hoodoos and natural bridges are everywhere. Before we're finished, we will have done not only Queen's Garden, but also the entire Navajo and Peekaboo loops (9 miles). We'll hike the Fairyland Loop (6 miles) on Day 3 and then head to Zion where we'll spend the next three days and nights. Without a doubt, Zion is a hiker's fantasy with a large and varied selection of trails that will captivate the imagination of participants of all levels. On Day 4, we're headed for the Kolob Terraces region in the remote northwest corner of Zion. We'll descend from Lee Pass along Timber Creek to the falls of the La Verkin River, and then follow the river to Kolob Arch, the world's largest free-standing arch (14 miles). On day 5, we'll climb from the floor of Zion Canyon through Echo Canyon to awesome Observation Point, the highest accessible promontory in Zion. The views from Observation Point are incredible. Far below, the Virgin River winds through Zion Canyon towards its ultimate rendezvous with the Colorado; massive sandstone temples line the Virgin corridor. From our vantage point, we look down on famed Angel's Landing with its swarms of hikers (8 miles). Weather and season will dictate our hiking choice on our final day. In the Spring, when the river runs high and fast, we'll hike Angel's Landing and Emerald Pools. In the Fall, when the Virgin is at its lowest, we'll wade through the river into the Narrows of Zion Canyon, whose 100-foot walls create a spectacular corridor through which the Virgin flows.
Dates: (6 days, 5 nights; Sun-Fri); June 20-25; Assembly Point: Taos (airline, rail and bus service to Albuquerque; bus or optional Timberline van shuttle between Albuquerque and Taos prior to and following tour) Tour Cost: $1,295 (includes all lodging, all meals, leaders, whitewater raft program, van shuttles to and from Albuquerque Airport, trail maps and narratives) For years, we've cycled so many of the backroads of Northern New Mexico and believed that we had become intimately familiar with every facet of this "land of enchantment." Santa Fe, Taos, Red River, the magical villages of the High Road-Chimayo, Truchas, Ojo Sarco, Las Trampas, Chamisal, Penasco-the Enchanted Circle itself-the loop encircling Wheeler Peak- these were the components of an adventure we knew so well. How many times over the years have we climbed the hill to Truchas and paused at the crest outside the village to photograph majestic, snowclad Truchas Peak? What an incredible thrill for us when, in the context of our Pecos Wilderness Hike, we climbed to the base of that awesome mountain and discovered the backcountry magic that truly defines the rugged Pecos Wilderness of Northern New Mexico. Our Pecos Wilderness Hike will assemble in Taos mid-afternoon of Day 1, with ample opportunity to visit the famous Taos Pueblo and Taos Square. Following our orientation dinner, we'll overnight at the El Pueblo Lodge and then head for the Carson National Forest, where we'll challenge formidable Gold Hill. At 12,711', Gold Hill is among New Mexico's highest peaks, though falling some 400 feet short of Wheeler's summit. Wheeler, though, is well-travelled; Gold Hill stands alone with views from the summit that are absolutely incredible. Visible from the crest, which is well beyond timberline, are not only Wheeler to the south, but the high "fourteeners" of southern Colorado to the north (10 miles). We'll spend a second evening in Taos and then head for the Rio Grande the next day and a whitewater rafting adventure on this historic river as it carves its course through magnificent Rio Grande Gorge State Park. Later that afternoon, we'll van shuttle to Las Vegas (not to be confused with that other Las Vegas) and our first of two overnights at the grand Plaza Hotel on the historic Las Vegas Square. Early morning of Day 4, we're headed for the Pecos Wilderness, and a moderate 7-mile hike along bubbling Beaver Creek through beautiful Porvenir Canyon. Following a second night at the Plaza, we'll shuttle to Cowles on the southern fringe of the Pecos and hike from the Pecos River toward Santa Fe Baldy in the Sangre De Cristos. Our destination on this 10-mile round-trip hike is Stewart Lake, an idyllic mountain tarn below timberline at 10,300.' We're headed to Santa Fe for the evening and a final overnight on the famous plaza at Garrett's Desert Inn. The adventure continues on our final day as we hike to Nambe Lake above Santa Fe.The lake has profound spiritual significance for the Tewa people of the Nambe Pueblo, who believe the lake is home to the spirits of "those who never did become." We'll return to Santa Fe after this 7-mile hike, where our program concludes.
7975 E. Harvard Suite #J Denver, Co. 80231 Telephone: (800)417-2453; or (303)759-3804 Fax: (303)368-1651 E-Mail: timber@boulder.earthnet.net
|
