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

Joshua Tree National Park, California - Hiking

Katy and John invited me to join them for a quick weekend trip to Joshua Tree National Park.  Being one of my favorite places, I quickly accepted the invitation.  I flew down to Las Vegas on Friday afternoon and met  up with Katy, who had been in Las Vegas for work, and John, who flew down from Seattle.  In the pouring rain, we headed south for the three hour drive to Joshua Tree.  It was late by the time we arrived, so we ate a quick dinner at the delicious Pie for the People before checking in to our funky AirBnB home for the weekend. 

Despite a stormy forecast, the sun was shining on Saturday morning.  We headed over to Indian Cove to begin our first hike for the day, the Boy Scout Trail, heading into the Wonderland of Rocks.

Blue sky and sunshine for our hike

Katy and John on the Boy Scout Trail

We hiked the Boy Scout Trail for about an hour and a half, eventually climbing up out of the canyon and into a rocky landscape dotted by yucca.  Noticeably missing from this part of the park, however, was the Joshua Tree, so we decided to climb around the rocks for a bit before returning to the trailhead. 

Yucca

Katy and John in the Wonderland of Rocks

John climbing the rocks

Boy Scout Trail in Joshua Tree National Park

We headed into the main part of the park after our hike on the Boy Scout Trail to check of some of the top attractions.  Our first stop was a quick hike on the Hidden Valley loop trail, followed by a drive up to Keys View.

Joshua Tree in Hidden Valley

Joshua Tree

Keys View

From Keys View, we drove to Pinto Basin to check out the ocotillo patch and the cholla cactus garden.  Pinto Basin is an incredibly large, open  region of the park surrounded by beautiful, barren mountains.  The Colorado Desert meets the Mojave Desert in Pinto Basin, making the area even more unique.

Ocotillo in Pinto Basin

Cholla cactus garden

Cholla cactus garden in Pinto Basin

Cholla cactus

Our final stop of the day was the Hall of Horrors, a popular rock climbing area in the park.  We decided it would be a good location to watch the sun set, and we were correct.  As the sun dropped low in the sky, the granite rocks and Joshua Trees little up with a beautiful warm glow.

Joshua Tree at Hall of Horrors

Sunset at Hall of Horrors

Joshua Tree at sunset

Joshua Trees at sunset

Sunset at Hall of Horrors

Sunset at Hall of Horrors

After watching the sun set, we headed back to town for dinner.  We ended up at Crossroads Cafe, another great choice with vegan options for me.

Katy and John

John enjoying the sunset

Sunset in Joshua Tree National Park

Sunset from Hall of Horrors in Joshua Tree National Park

On Sunday, John and I hiked the short trail to Fortynine Palms Oasis, enjoying some breaks of sunshine between the building storm clouds.  The oasis was filled with beautiful palm trees of various sizes, and a substantial amount of water was flowing nearby.  We finished our brief weekend trip with a delicious lunch at the Natural Sisters Cafe in Joshua Tree, followed by even more delicious coffee from the famous Joshua Tree Coffee Company.

Fortynine Palms Oasis in Joshua Tree National Park

Fortynine Palms Oasis

Fortynine Palms Oasis

Fortynine Palms Oasis

Fortynine Palms Oasis

A rainbow followed us on our way out of town, but the breaks of sunshine were quickly replaced by darkening storm clouds and rain.  By the time we reached Mojave National Preserve, the rain was falling hard and low clouds obscured any views of the surrounding landscape.  We were thankful to have had such a beautiful day of hiking in Joshua Tree on Saturday, making the quick trip absolutely worth it.  A big thanks to Katy and John for inviting me along!

Rainbow in Joshua Tree

Seaside to Cannon Beach, Oregon - Hiking

I flew up to Portland on Thursday evening to spend a few days visiting with Keith and Melissa.  After sampling some fine beers and restaurants in the Portland area on Thursday night and Friday morning, we packed up the car and headed to the coast.  I've made a few trips to Portland, but this was my first time exploring the Oregon coastline.  We made it to Seaside late in the afternoon, enjoyed a fine dinner at the local brewery, and headed to the beach to watch the sunset.

Seaside, Oregon

Sunset at Seaside

Enjoying beers and the beach

Based on the forecast, we were expecting a very rainy weekend.  I was surprised by the sunshine and blue skies when I awoke on Saturday morning and quickly headed back to the beach to enjoy what I thought would be a brief break in the rain.  Even after we packed up our gear and arrived at the Tillamook Head Trailhead, the sun was still shining.  We began our hike, heading towards Indian Beach, with Cannon Beach as a possible final destination.

A change of scenery from the deserts of Utah

 Melissa, Tonic, and Keith

Flowers along the hike

Tillamook Head Traverse hike

With Keith and Tonic on the Tillamook Head Traverse

After a steep climb from the trailhead near Seaside, we enjoyed several miles of rolling hills and excellent views of the ocean below.  We ended up at Indian Beach after six miles of hiking.  This was a spectacular little beach with some interesting rock formations and great views of the coastal cliffs.  We considering continuing our hike to Cannon Beach, but a rock slide forced the closure of the trail beyond Indian Beach.  Instead, we turned around and headed back to Seaside, with the hope of getting to Cannon Beach before sunset.

Tillamook Head Traverse hike

Tillamook Head views

Hiking to Indian Beach

Indian Beach, Oregon

Indian Beach, Oregon

We made it back to the trailhead at Seaside with plenty of time to spare and drove to Cannon Beach for sunset.  The famous rock formations on this beach were spectacular and we spent a couple of hours walking along the ocean before heading back to Seaside for the night.

Cannon Beach, Oregon

 Cannon Beach, Oregon

Cannon Beach, Oregon

We were fortunate to have such fantastic weather on Saturday, because the clouds and rain returned for Sunday.  This wasn't a problem, though, because the plan for the day was checking out several wineries before returning to the airport for my flight back to Salt Lake.  Thank you, Keith and Melissa, for being such great hosts and planning a fun weekend!

Montinore Vineyards

Wine smiles

Vineyards