Ross Moore Lake lies in the forested lands east of Lac le Jeune. It is a popular fishing lake, but all the routes in are either long or rough, best suited to high clearance vehicles. The route to the Rec Site at the south follows a network of roads from the Brigade Lake – Long Lake area (article). Another choice … Continue reading…
False Kiva is a Class 2 archeological site high near the rim on top of Island in the Sky, Canyonlands (Utah). The ceremonial site (kiva) is in a large alcove located under the rim. There is no official trail, so it helps to know where to park and the approximate location of the site. There were a number of … Continue reading…
Black Canyon is a narrow spot among black cliffs where the Thompson River takes a curved path. It can’t be seen from Highway 1, nor from the Highland Valley Road so hikers have to turn onto the Kirkland Ranch Road which goes down the east side of the river to Spences Bridge. Much of the land in the area is … Continue reading…
Titus Canyon is the longest canyon in the Grapevine Range, north of Furnace Creek in Death Valley. A signed gravel road 15 miles north of Highway 190 goes north from the Scotty’s Castle Road to a parking area at the mouth of the canyon. The canyon narrows off right away with bulging colorful rock slopes on both sides. Right away, … Continue reading…
We explored the hills down to Black Canyon near Ashcroft, carefully sticking to Crown Land, avoiding private property and CN/CP rights of way. A story to follow in June.
Continue reading...The Corona Arch Trail starts on the Potash Road on the Colorado River west of Moab, Utah. The route to Corona Arch and back is about 5km, but there is some additional exploration past the arch and up to Pinto Arch. The signed trail crosses the train tracks then follows a short canyon route up to the Navajo sandstone … Continue reading…
Backroads climb up into the bottom of the east crater of Wai’ale’ ale, below the wettest spot on the planet. From the end of the paved road at the Keaha Arboretum we have to drive through two streams and navigate unsigned, muddy and rough backroads deep into the rainforest. For those wishing to explore the Kaapoko Tunnels or the Blue … Continue reading…
Just south of Kilauea on the island of Kauai a backroad bears east down the hills to a parking area about Kahili (Rock Quarry) Beach. This fine beach is a short hike down to a crescent breach on the northeast corner of the island. On calm days this is a good place to swim and snorkel. On our last visit, … Continue reading…
The Dewdrop Escarpment are the line of cliffs that rise above the Dewdrop Range on the north side of Kamloops. The 500 – 690 m (2263 feet) high cliffs are the eroded remnants of successive volcanic flows forming Red Platerau which runs for 18 km from the Tranquille River to Copper Creek. We can drive up the high clearance Red … Continue reading…
Princeville sits on rocky bluffs overlooking the ocean on the north shore of Kauai. there are long beaches at either end – Anini Beach is a fine beach for families on the east side and the wide crescent of Hanalei Beach is on the west side. For most beach-goers these are the best choices, but there are more options for … Continue reading…
On the west side of Kauai, we can climb the Waimea Canyon Road to look into the canyon and hike the trails along the rim. At the upper end of the canyon road we enter Kokee Park for more wonderful hikes. Right at the junction between the two is a small parking area where we can hike a series of … Continue reading…
Red Rock Canyon lies a few kilometers west of Las Vegas. It is an area of desert hills surrounded by mountains, but within the broad amphitheater are a number of sandstone hills. The “red rocks” are the Calico Hills, but there are also a number of other sandstone hills nearby. The cliffs and rock faces attract climbers. There are over … Continue reading…
The Calico Tanks Trail is one of the most popular trails in Red Rocks Canyon, just west of Las Vegas. Most of the hikes start at trailheads off the Scenic Drive. The Sandstone Quarry parking area is the start of the Turtlehead Peak Trail, the Calico Tanks Trail, and as a starting point for climbers in the Calico Hills. The … Continue reading…
Red Rocks Canyon National Conservation Area (just west of Las Vegas) has many opportunities for hiking, climbing, and exploration. We spent 3 days hiking a few of the trails. We left Death Valley and arrived later on our first day so we randomly chose a shorter hike. The Keystone Thrust Trail starts at the White Rock Trailhead, then climbs … Continue reading…
The Westsyde Bench route extends from the Batchelor Hills subdivision to Deep Lake. A good single track starts right at the parking area by the cattleguard (at the south side) and winds around a ridge, then bends north passing by the new housing areas before joining double tracks on the relatively flat benchlands. The route continues north past Oak Hills … Continue reading…
