A Different Canyon Experience - Zion National Park, Utah

Although nearby Bryce Canyon offers great sights of hoodoos and canyons, Southwestern Utah's Zion National Park offers a totally different canyon experience.

Unlike Bryce, most of the beautiful views come from inside the canyon, rather than viewpoints along the canyon rim.

Dad and I came into the east entrance of the park through the Mt. Carmel Junction (coming down through State Highway 89, turn right and head on to State Route 9, also known as Zion Park Scenic Byway).

The park's entrance was by far the most dramatic welcome to the National Parks I have been through. The road winds its way through impressive sights of the canyon, the Checkerboard Mesa, and a long tunnel that cuts through the canyon rock. Unfortunately, I did not take pictures of the sights on the byway.

The aforementioned scenic byway. Photo taken by Wikipedia user Crevans.

We kept going through the road and continued up to Zion Lodge, where we would be staying. Although the road continues on to the north end of the park, no cars are allowed beyond the lodge. In order to access the rest of the park, the Zion shuttle must be taken.

The primary view of the canyon from Zion Lodge.

We left our stuff at the lodge and took the shuttle up to explore the rest of the park, getting an idea of any hikes we would take the next day. As we looked out, we saw many beautiful rock formations that surrounded us.

The Great White Throne, one of the famous formations in the park.

The next day, we headed back up the shuttle and stopped at Weeping Rock. It was a short half-mile hike to the formation, which was more than worth than walk.

Weeping Rock.

It was quite beautiful to see the water fall from the top. But we had more to see, so we left and explored more of the hotspots near the south entrance of the park, where the visitor center was. After we stopped at the visitor center, we came back to the lodge and embarked on the Emerald Pool trail.

We got to see many little waterfalls and neat rock formations here. Yet, this was only the Lower Emerald Pool. The Upper Emerald Pool was still a ways to go.

Small waterfall on the trail.

We saw many other beautiful rock formations on the way, but when we arrived at the Upper Emerald Pool, we were rewarded with the view of a waterfall from way up high! We stayed here for a good while, trying to comprehend the staggering height of the fall.

Waterfall at the Upper Emerald Pool.
I was looking almost straight up when I shot this photo.

The cliffs from Upper Emerald Pool.

There are many other hikes and views that I have yet to see in this park when I return. I didn't get to hike Angels Landing, which is one of the most famous (and one of the most dangerous) trails. Angels Landing offers a rewarding, spectacular view of the canyon from an overlook at the very end. However, the trail offers exposure to dangerous heights and is quite strenuous. In fact, several people have been killed from falling off the canyon cliffs on this trail.

Like most national parks, there is a $25 fee that must be paid upon entrance, if you are driving in to the park, which is good for one week. However, you can buy other kinds of passes here:

http://www.nps.gov/zion/planyourvisit/feesandreservations.htm

View on our way back to the lodge from the Emerald Pool Trail.

The Zion Lodge was a great place to stay, with great dining that lets you view the canyon from inside. One downside was that the phone in our room did not work during our stay, so we had to use a pay phone in the main building.

More shots of Zion are on my Flickr:
http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=zion&w=52619990%40N06

Views of The Great Wyoming Highlands - near Pinedale, Wyoming

There's a fairly quiet, little-known town a ways southeast of Yellowstone Park, yet it represents a door leading to an extremely large country comprising of gorgeous highland forests properly situated in the Wind River Mountain Range. This little town, you ask? Pinedale, Wyoming.

A tree near Halfmoon Lake.

Halfmoon Lake.

On the first day of our arrival in the town, we took a route toward the Halfmoon and Fremont Lakes. We first went through the area around Halfmoon Lake, and got the chance to enjoy peace and quiet in the lush forest scenery. We turned around and headed on another road that led to a viewpoint of Fremont Lake.

Viewpoint of Fremont Lake.

Seeing the rolling hills and the lake... it was almost out of a fairytale. The only downside was that there were quite a few of pesky bugs flying around, which was a little annoying, but the great view overcame this small annoyance. Unfortunately, in many of the nearby places we visited there would be a lot of bugs. However, we were about to encounter an even more spectacular view just up the road.

View of the Wind River Range.

This next overlook presented a view of the Wind River Range; over 10 mountains in the view were at least 10,000 feet or higher. It did prove to be much more dramatic, primarily because we were up so high. We could also part of the Fremont Lake below, which was now almost a speck.

 The next day offered spectacular views as well. This time, we headed out of the city and onto another road through the settlement of Cora, Wyoming. A short distance later, the road turned into bumpy gravel, but this didn't stop us from proceeding. As we continued, the Green River eventually came in by our side. Although it wasn't officially designated as a scenic road, it certainly should have after seeing the views of the pine trees, rolling hills and the beautiful Green River on our sides of the road.

The Green River.

Finally we reached the end of the gravel road, and we came face to face with a striking view of the Green River Lake, with the Squaretop Mountain in the distance. It was like it was out of a dream. In fact, it WAS out of a dream I had several months before I came here.

The Green River Lake with Squaretop Mountain.

A Magical Fairyland - Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah

Only three years ago was I privileged to make a trip with my Dad to Bryce Canyon National Park, one of my home state's treasures. Coming from Salt Lake City, Utah, the trip was not too long at all, only about 5 hours (coming from a Google Maps calculation). However, we spent the night in Cedar City, Utah before we made our drive to the park the next day, where we were about to experience the sights of a truly magical fairyland.

From one of the first overlooks we saw.

When we finally arrived in Bryce Canyon, we checked in at the Rubys Inn and proceeded through the Bryce Canyon Scenic Drive, and got out of the car at one of the first viewpoints. When we peered over the railings, we got a very dramatic view of the canyon, shown to the right. It was truly amazing to see the beautiful red rocks and hills stretch out for miles; this made for an interesting combination for a view.

The Natural Bridge.

 There were more other natural wonders this place would have to offer. On our next stop, we saw the awe-inspiring Natural Bridge. It was absolutely wonderful to see how expansive this bridge was, even though in this picture it looked rather small. As we headed onward through the scenic drive, we saw many more scenic views. The view at Rainbow and Yovimpa Points were equally spectacular, yet each in their own way. Rainbow offered a dramatic viewpoint of the prime canyon, whilst Yovimpa, a small hike away from Rainbow offered a dramatic view of the rolling hills.

From Rainbow Point.

From Yovimpa Point.

On our way back to Rubys Inn, we went backwards through the drive and decided to stop at Bryce Point. At the end of the short hike leading up to the point, we dropped our mouths.

The vista at Bryce Point.

View of hoodoos from inside the Queen's Garden / Navajo Trail.

It was truly a different, yet heart-stopping view of the many hoodoos (the nickname for the rock formations in Bryce Canyon). We stayed for a good long time, but soon the storm clouds began to roll in, so we had to leave. The next day brought forth another unique view of the canyon - from inside. We went on a hike through the Queen's Garden / Navajo combination trail. This trail offered the chance to view the hoodoos from the bottom, not from the top of an overlook, and it was quite wonderful. There were infinitely many inspiring formations inside the trail. It was a fun and rewarding hike that was not strenuous at all, except when it came to the climb at the end, which ended at another overlook.

I could go on forever raving about the many wonders in this park, but I don't want to spoil too much. I didn't mention all of the trails or viewpoints I took on my trip. I decided for this post to show a few shots and share a couple of my experiences in the park to simply wet your appetite. It is up to you to explore this fantastic fairyland for yourself.

A view from the Queen's Garden / Navajo Trail.

Ruby's Inn was a comfortable place to stay with great dining and lodging. I highly recommend it if you decide to stay in the park. Bryce Canyon Lodge is a bit further in the park, this one is owned by Xanterra. I did not stay in this lodge, so I don't know what it is like. The scenic drive is lengthy, branching off to a rather large array of overlooks and trails to hike. The Queen's Garden trail mentioned earlier was the only large hike my Dad and I ventured. There are many other trails that are lengthy and offer rewarding views of Bryce Canyon, but we never hiked them, and hence never saw the rewarding views of Bryce that they offered. The next time I return to this place, it will be my turn to take those trails.

Check out my photos from my trip:
http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=bryce%20canyon&w=52619990%40N06

Land Where the Sun Meets the Rain - White Salmon, Washington and Nearby Places

White Salmon City Hall.

For some people, there are places they travel to that will remain in their hearts forever. For me, this place is White Salmon. Ever since I was only six years old I have been making trips there, usually with my mother or grandfather. This place has been so special to me, I have thought several times about living in this marvelous land when I have a family sometime in the future.

Unfortunately, many people do not know about White Salmon. A lot of people I know have asked where I have been and they always ask where White Salmon is, whenever I mention it.

A view of the Columbia River. Indeed this is a land where the sun meets the rain.

White Salmon is a town located in the extreme south of Washington state, lying peacefully in the hills of the scenic Columbia River Gorge. There are many things about this place that make it so special. Whether it be the gorgeous, mountainous scenery, the cozy town itself, or the diverse array of things to do and places to explore nearby. Here is just a small sampling:

• The restaurants in White Salmon are fantastic. Three of the big ones to try are Everybody's Brewing, Nanny's Bakery and Cafe on The Corner. There is also a really good ice cream parlor downtown (the name hasn't come to me).

• Head down to White Salmon Glassworks to watch artists create fine pieces of art with a welcoming attitude.

• The Columbia River has been described as one of the best places to windsurf in the world. I've also seen a lot of kiteboarders out in the river, which I would really love to try someday. I also remember going sailing on the river with my family and the thrill of going under the Hood River Toll Bridge, which allows one to easily travel between the town of Hood River, Oregon and White Salmon.

• River rafting in the White Salmon River. This river is near Husum and BZ Corner, two settlements just north of White Salmon. Unfortunately, I have never tried this before, but I hope to do so in the near future.

• There's many places to fish and swim. Many small lakes are near White Salmon, several that I have fished at include Goose Lake (near Trout Lake, Washington) and Rowland Lake (near Lyle, Washington). These are mere miles away. There are also lakes that are a bit farther, these ones are in Oregon. Timothy Lake and Lawrence Lake are both very close to Mount Hood. If you're headed to Goose Lake, don't forget to stop by the Heavenly Grounds Espresso in Trout Lake and pick up a huckleberry smoothie.

• Two of the largest mountains from Oregon and Washington, Mount Hood and Mount Adams, respectively, reside within about 60 miles of each other. Many hiking (and definitely skiing) opportunities are abound. The Timberline Lodge of Mount Hood is a cool place to stay.

Houses in White Salmon.

White Salmon is approximately an hour and fifteen minutes east from Portland, Oregon by car. There are several towns nearby including Bingen, Lyle, Dallesport, Vancouver, Stevenson, Goldendale, Hood River and The Dalles.

To the town of White Salmon, this post is for you. You have left a truly fantastic, long-lasting imprint on me which I will always cherish. I'm coming for you again.

Check out more of my pictures of White Salmon here:
http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=white%20salmon&w=52619990%40N06

More pictures from trips to White Salmon and places nearby:
2005 Trip
2007 Trip
2008 Trip
2010 Trip

Hike Your Way To Rewards at Grand Canyon of The Yellowstone - Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

On our trip to Yellowstone this year, my Dad and I were very fortunate to stay in the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone (which I will refer to as the canyon area here). All of the other hotel rooms in the park (including almost all of the campgrounds) were reserved. This year was a record breaker for the park - a total of 2.5 million visited in June, July and August.

The Grand Canyon of The Yellowstone is aptly named - it offers a mini Grand Canyon in the eastern corner of Yellowstone. The canyon area is also a good reason why the park is named "Yellowstone"; the primary color of the canyon rock is yellow!

If you have a good amount of time to spend in the canyon area, it would be unwise not to hike a couple of these trails.

I'll discuss the trails that we embarked on, but keep in mind there are others out there that are definitely worth a look also.

The first trail we took was the Brink of Lower Falls, which led to an overlook at the top of the falls. It was very similar to one of the viewpoints at Upper Mesa Falls, which is discussed in the last post. The trail was a half mile down hill, and it was a tad steep, but not bad.

The view of the Lower Falls
from the Brink of Lower Falls trail.

The viewpoint let you see across the canyon. To the right, you could see another viewpoint of the falls (the end of Uncle Tom's Trail). "I bet that viewpoint is pretty spectacular! Wow, I wish we could be there," I thought. Luckily, I would be getting that wish not too long.

The climb up was a little on the strenuous side, since we had to climb back up the hills we came down.







The next trail, Brink of Upper Falls, was much shorter (1/8 mile) than than the previous one but it was not quite as rewarding. However, we got a broad neat view of the river. The way it flowed down the falls was quite beautiful.

View of the Yellowstone River
from the Brink of Upper Falls trail.

The final trail we took, Uncle Tom's Trail, was the most strenuous, yet the most rewarding. On our way down, we were greeted by a sign giving background info of the trail and a message below that cautioned:

"It is extremely difficult and steep climb down and back to this point. At this altitude 8,000 ft. This trip is definitely not recommended for those suffering from heart or breathing problems. Take your time enjoy the scenery, and rest often."


Knowing the challenges that lied ahead, we headed down the trail. The climb down was not that difficult, but it was fairly lengthy, like the Brink of Lower Falls trail. There were several flights of stairs and hills on the way down. At the end was a spectacular view of the Lower Falls from nearly front on, and we ended up quite close to it too! It certainly was well worth the trip down.

The view of Lower Falls
from Uncle Tom's Trail.

A short while after we reached the point, a massive tour group came in and we had to leave. All those flights of stairs we went down and little hills we went down? Yep, we had to go all the way back up those. Luckily, we managed through it pretty well. It may have been a fairly strenuous hike, but it was well worth it.

The canyon area is in the eastern part of Yellowstone. Near the start of some of the trails are trail map dispensers. For only 50 cents, you can get a trail map so you can find all of these points and trails worth exploring in the canyon area.

Check out more of my pictures of the canyon area in Yellowstone (videos too!):

http://www.flickr.com/search/?s=int&w=52619990%40N06&q=yellowstone+canyon&m=text

Short descriptions of the hiking trails in east Yellowstone: http://www.americansouthwest.net/wyoming/yellowstone/hiking-east.html

You Took My Breath Away - Mesa Falls Scenic Byway, Idaho

On our trip up to Yellowstone National Park, my Dad and I took Idaho Highway 47, the Mesa Falls Scenic Byway, which began at Ashton, Idaho.

The Lower Mesa Falls, from the viewpoint.

Three main attractions were on the road. The first big attraction on the road was a glimpse of the Tetons from afar. We had seen this mountain range on an earlier trip to Yellowstone, but we had never seen them from the western side. On the earlier trip, we came from Jackson, Wyoming and saw them closer, from the eastern side. It was interesting, but this was only a crumb of the cake that was to come.

The second big attraction the byway offered was the Lower Mesa Falls. I was hoping that the viewpoint was a bit closer to these falls, it was pretty. I thought that the forest area around these falls was quite peaceful, and would have been a great spot to eat lunch.

The final primary attraction on the road was the Upper Mesa Falls. We paid a small day use fee of $5.00 that would allow us to explore the area. We parked our car and headed straight for the overlooks. First came the overpowering roar, which grew stronger as we inched closer to the waterfall. And then...

The Upper Mesa Falls, from a viewpoint that offers a broader view.

Nothing could have prepared me for the shock I was about to receive as I peered my eyes over the railway of the first viewpoint we reached. It was here, I lost my breath. The staggering depth of the fall, the view of the mist emanating, the green cliffs surrounding, along with the mighty roar... it was out of a dream. I was slightly reminded of the movie Avatar. I immediately began pulling out my camera, and I could not stop taking pictures or recording movies. Of course, none of what I recorded could significantly capture the amazing sound or sheer power of the waterfall. In fact, I was in such amazement, one of the movies I recorded you can barely hear me yell, "look at that, ladies and gentlemen, MY GOD!"

At the Upper Falls there were lots of other viewpoints you could access from the wooden walkways. We followed the walkways to these viewpoints, and each one offered a different, but equally breathtaking view of this waterfall. We had a very difficult time leaving the viewpoints!

There was also a visitors' center near the overlooks. Here, you could buy all sorts of goodies primarily relating to Yellowstone Park, which was less than fifty miles away. I was hoping there would be a little more information regarding the Mesa Falls, but the signposts at the overlooks provided a decent enough background on the falls.

A video I took of the Upper Falls from one of the viewpoints.

Both waterfalls are found on the Mesa Falls Scenic Byway, also known as Idaho Highway 47. You can get on the road from the southern end (from Ashton, Idaho) or from the northern end (Harriman State Park, which is near the small town of Island Park, Idaho). There is a small $5.00 day use fee at the viewpoints of the Upper Mesa Falls that is paid up at the turnoff to the falls, but let me tell you, what I experienced was priceless. I do hope I can return to this place, someday. Perhaps on another trip to Yellowstone?

Check out my Flickr for more of my best pictures of the attractions in the Mesa Falls Scenic Byway, and check out some videos of the Upper Falls on my YouTube account.

A Magical Tour - Minnetonka Cave, Idaho

Spotlights illuminate some of the
beautiful formations inside Minnetonka Cave.

In the Cache Forest of southeastern Idaho lies a wonderful, unique experience I believe not many are familiar with, but should be. This experience is the tour through Minnetonka Cave. Being the largest cave in Idaho, it is not so much the formations that are spectacular, but rather the depth. In fact, the cave is so vast, my Dad said "this place makes Timpanogos look like a mousehole".

Heading up the steep stairs on the way back.

You must enter the cave as part of a scheduled tour guide that runs every half hour; you cannot enter alone. The tour itself is approximately an hour and a half. It is a fairly strenuous journey; there are about 444 steps heading in the cave, and 444 going out. This makes for a grand total of 888 steps. A portion of the return journey requires a climb up 72 very steep stairs.


You will probably want to bring a jacket and some long pants - the temperature in the cave is a chilly 40˚ F. I remember very well the sheer chill of entering from an outside temperature of 85˚ F.


As we toured the cave, our tour guide, Heather, pointed out the many formations and chambers showcased with bright and colorful spotlights. I really liked how most of the formations were cleverly nicknamed - "Miss Piggy's Tail" and "Kermit's Castle" to name two. One I found particularly clever was "T-Bone Steak", named due to the red iron color. Another clever formation was the "Bride and Groom", the name of the stalagmite and stalactite (pictured below). The "Bride" and "Groom" got their name because they will eventually meet... well, in a few thousand years at least.

The Bride and Groom.

The T-Bone Steak.

We finally arrived at the deepest point of the cave, and Heather told us she would shut the lights off. This was the moment to truly experience pitch-black darkness in its actual form. The darkness is so extreme that, over time, you could go completely blind if you could not find light. To spice things up, she allowed us to make our way back to one of the chambers we visited earlier in the pitch black darkness, using only the nearby rail to guide us through. It was a bit scary for me, since I have a very slight fear of the dark, but it was fun at the same time.

We headed back up the steep stairs we first came down on our way through the cave, and at this point Heather did something she claimed most tour guides never do - sing a little opera to demonstrate the echo of the cave. It was quite the thrill to hear her song echo throughout the cave. As we headed back out the cave, we had a second chance to see the same fantastic formations on our way in.

Overall, this is a fantastic stop if you are headed towards Grand Teton National Park, Yellowstone National Park, or nearby Bear Lake. $7.00 is a very small price to pay for a truly, magical, one-of-a-kind experience. Tours run every day through June up until Labor Day (which is almost right around the corner!) You can find Minnetonka Cave only a few miles west of St. Charles, Idaho. There is a turnoff in the town that takes you to the cave and several campgrounds along the way. Larger towns nearby include Montpelier and Soda Springs, Idaho.

More pictures of Minnetonka Cave are available on my Flickr account for your viewing pleasure.

Some sites I found about the cave:
http://www.bearlake.org/cavexplore.html
http://www.fs.fed.us/r4/caribou-targhee/about/minnetonka_cave.shtml

Also a big thanks to Heather, our tour guide, for giving us an amazing tour, one I will never forget!

Minnetonka Cave is located in
southeastern Idaho, west of St. Charles.