San Rafael Swell, Utah - Camping

Tim and Brett invited me to join them for a quick weekend trip to the San Rafael Swell to enjoy the beautiful autumn weather.  We welcomed the arrival of spring with a camping trip to the same area several months earlier, so it seemed fitting to say goodbye to the warm weather with a similar trip.  We left Salt Lake on Friday afternoon and headed south, arriving in the San Rafael Swell a few hours later, greeted by red and white sandstone cliffs and hints of golden yellow foliage.  Tim and Brett have a favorite camping spot in Buckhorn Draw, and we found the site unoccupied when we arrived.  We quickly set up camp and enjoyed  the rest of the evening watching the shadows and light of sunset move across the canyon walls.

Tim and Brett setting up camp in Buckhorn Draw

My tent in Buckhorn Draw

Camping in Buckhorn Draw

Sunset in Buckhorn Draw

It was a clear, cold night, and our camping area was shaded well into the morning by the surrounding cliffs.  I decided to explore the surrounding area with my morning coffee and chase the sunshine to warm up.  With no wind and no people, the silence was remarkable.  The sagebrush, with its carpet of yellow flowers, filled the canyon bottom and signaled the arrival of autumn.

Buckhorn Draw

The sandstone cliffs of Buckhorn Draw

Flowering sagebrush

After a morning drive on several of the endless dirt roads in the area, we returned to camp with a pile of abandoned firewood that we planned to use that night.  I wandered into a small side canyon above our campsite and found the perfect rock for a nap in the warm sunshine. For me, there is a level of relaxation that only comes from being in the desert.

Side canyon above camp

Side canyon above camp

As the air cooled in the late afternoon, we started our fire and ate dinner while watching the sun set.  Later that night, a nearly full moon rose over the surrounding cliffs, illuminating the canyon in pale, white light.

Evening fire

Tim and Brett prepare their dinner

Vegan dinner prep and beer for me

Tim and Brett

Sunset at our campsite

As we made our way home on Sunday, we made a detour through Joe's Valley, a secluded mountain valley with a picturesque reservoir.  After some harrowing moments in deep mud on the Skyline Drive, we made it down to Ephraim and finally back home to Salt Lake City.  A big thanks to Tim and Brett for inviting me along on a great camping trip to the desert!

Joe's Valley Reservoir

Joe's Valley Reservoir

Tim at Joe's Valley Reservoir

Capitol Reef National Park, Utah - Hiking

One of the best places to enjoy an autumn adventure is Capitol Reef National Park in south central Utah.  Golden cottonwood trees against red rock cliffs, apple trees loaded with fruit in the Fruita orchards, and quick access to the aspen groves of Boulder Mountain make this an ideal place for a weekend getaway when the warm, dry weather of early Fall settles into Utah.

Golden Throne of Capitol Reef

Roger and I left Salt Lake on Friday morning and headed to Capitol Reef, arriving four hours later at the park visitor center.  Like Great Basin, the secret of Capitol Reef is out, and we found large crowds and a full campground upon arrival.  We quickly headed to nearby Boulder Mountain to look for a place to camp for a couple of nights.  Singletree campground had several sites available, but we decided to keep looking for something a little more primitive and quiet.  Near the Pleasant Creek trail network, off a rough forest service road, we found just what we were looking for.

Golden aspen trees surrounding our camp

Tent and hammocks on Boulder Mountain

Sunrise at camp

The campsite we selected was perfect for our adventure.  Despite record warm temperatures throughout the weekend, we enjoyed cooler temperatures for camping at the higher elevations of  Boulder Mountain.  We had a nice fire thanks to the large number of downed trees that were cut by the forest service.  The peaceful solitude of our camp was occasionally broken by the bugling of elk throughout the night.  The next morning, we made breakfast and headed back to Capitol Reef National Park.  Our plan was to drive to the end of the scenic road and hike through Pleasant Creek.  We attempted this same hike last year, but rain and lightning stopped us before we began.  This time, perfect weather greeted us at the trail head.

Starting the hike down Pleasant Creek

Pleasant Creek

Pleasant Creek

The name says it all.  Pleasant Creek was a wonderful hike that allowed us to walk through ankle deep water as we passed through the reef.  A fairly obvious trail skirted along the river banks, but we found it more enjoyable to walk through the stream bed.  The water was cold but the air temperature was rather warm, so the hiking was completely comfortable.  The scenery became more interesting as the creek cut deeper into the reef.  After a couple hours of hiking, the canyon walls opened up and we decided to turn around.

Pleasant Creek

Pleasant Creek cutting into the reef

Enjoying a break in the reef

 A fun section of Pleasant Creek

Pleasant Creek cutting deep into the sandstone

Hiking out of Pleasant Creek

After the hike, we made our way back to Fruita in the central part of the park.  The park allows visitors to pick apples and other fruit from the historic orchards that surround Sulphur Creek and the Fremont River.  We spent some time enjoying the stunning scenery of Fruita and picking apples from one of the trees in the Merin Smith Orchard.  The park provides ladders, picking tools, and a self pay station in orchards that are open for fruit harvest.  We picked a couple of pounds of apples that we enjoyed back at camp.

Apples in the historic Fruita orchards

Picking apples in Fruita

Picking apples in Fruita

 Picking apples in Fruita

Historic Gifford House in Fruita

We headed back to camp on Saturday evening an enjoyed another peaceful night next to the campfire.  The next morning, we relaxed in our hammocks before packing up camp and heading back to Salt Lake.  Of all the camping spots I've enjoyed over the years, this was definitely one of the best!

Evening sky at camp on Boulder Mountain

Sunrise through the aspens

Heading back to Salt Lake

Diamond Fork Canyon, Utah - Trail Running and Camping

Diamond Fork Canyon is a place I've passed numerous times on the way to somewhere else, most often on the way to Moab.  Diamond Fork branches off highway 6 between Spanish Fork and Price, but it never seemed as exciting as the red rock canyons waiting three hours down the road.  Diamond Fork Hot Springs, also known as Fifth Water Hot Springs, have been on my to-do list for a long time, but their popularity and resulting crowds have always been a turnoff.

Roger signed up for a canyoneering and climbing course that took place in Diamond Fork over the weekend.  When I found out they were camping in the canyon at the Diamond Campground, I decided to join.  Not for the climbing and canyoneering, but for some relaxing camping, foliage viewing, and trail running.  A much shorter drive than our typical adventures, we arrived at the campground just before sunset on Friday night.  The foliage was peak, and the cottonwood trees were radiating a brilliant yellow all over the campground.

Diamond campground foliage

Diamond campground foliage

While Roger was climbing on Saturday, I took advantage of the gorgeous autumn weather to do a 20 mile trail run.  Starting from the campground, I headed up the canyon road for a couple of miles and then onto a trail at Monks Hollow.  It was a rigorous climb the entire way out, but the views were spectacular and the foliage was impressive for Utah.  Aside from two people on an ATV, I had the entire area to myself.

Cottonwood trees at Diamond campground

Foliage in Monks Hollow

Trail running in Monks Hollow

Foliage in Monks Hollow

Diamond Fork River

I didn't make it to the hot springs as I had planned on Sunday.  The weather turned much cooler and wetter, and it was a bit of a hike along the road to get to the hot spring trail head.  Instead, I relaxed at camp, read a book, and watched the cottonwood trees shed their golden leaves.  It was probably crowded at the hot springs, anyway.

Uinta Mountains, Utah - Snowshoeing

It's official - the winter season (my least favorite season) is here. Autumn has been fairly mild in the valley so far, but the peaks of the Wasatch have been covered with snow for a few weeks. Spring always begins with early season hikes on the islands of the Great Salt Lake. In a similar tradition, winter has been welcomed with a snow shoeing trip to the Uinta Mountains in early November for the past few years. This year, I joined Rob, Ryan, Brandon, and Jared for the first winter adventure of the season.

There wasn't much snow, even at the higher elevations, but we managed to snowshoe to a few lakes without hitting too many rocks. The weather was perfect - sunny and mild - but the scenery made it feel like the middle of winter.


Clegg Lake

Reid Peak

Clegg Lake - already frozen

Notch Mountain

Making tracks