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Day 3 GDT 2021 – Section E

Pinto Pass.

Day 3, August 13th, Lower Michelle Lake to North Pinto Lake. 16.2 km, 700 m elevation gain, 1200 m elevation loss, 6 hrs 20 min (Segment 24).

I slept well with the thundering of the waterfall drowning out any other noise. I rolled out of bed and quickly retrieved my bear canister. I then set about crossing the creek to grab my bear bag from its perch up on the cliff. I was very happy to see that no animals had discovered it. I quickly got the water boiling for coffee and filtering water for my Gatorade. It was going to be a reasonably short day, but I was hiking with Bent and Jason and wanted to be ready to leave on time. Jason appeared on the cliff above my campsite yelling my name, indicating that it was time to go. It was 7:30 am.

Getting packed up.
It’s the team, me and Frosty.
Jason high on the cliff, time to go.
Last look at my campsite.

Our early start got delayed when Bent wanted to go check out the outlet of Lower Michelle Lake. He headed off around the north side and quickly got cliffed out. After a few minutes of exploring Bent was satisfied you could not make it to the outlet from the north side so we turned around and headed back towards the main trail. Our goal today was Pinto Lake which was only a 16 km hike over two moderate passes.

Saying goodbye to Lower Michelle Laks.
Sun shining on Upper Michelle Lake.
Shadows of Bent and me. Jason is off in the distance.
Pano of Upper Michelle Lake.
Really not much of a trail on the north shore.

It was almost 1.5 km back to the main trail. Upon arrival back on the GDT our reward was a 230 m climb to the top of “Michelle Pass” (unofficial name) the highest point on the GDT. There is no trail to Michelle Pass but it is not really needed. The pass can be located by a small cornice of snow which survives until the end of the season and you just hike up aiming for the snow while looking for the best route through the rocks. As I would learn later in the hike, you just follow the drainage to the top. It took about 40 minutes of steady hiking to arrive at the cairn that marks the pass.

Bent heading up to the pass.
Jason is somewhere up ahead. Aiming for that little patch of snow.
Looking back to Owen Pass.
Bent almost at the pass. Walking on some lovely red sandstone.
Highest point on the GDT, 2584 m.

We met a couple of hikers with the trail name PeterGabriel. Their names individually were Peter and Gabriel but they introduced themselves as Peter Gabriel the singer from 1970’s rock band Genesis. They had come from over Owen Pass and had dumped their packs at the cairn to scramble to the local peak north-east of Michelle Pass.

Jason on his way up to join us.
PeterGabriel heading for Pinto Pass the green just right of centre. We would catch up with them at Pinto Pass and have lunch together.
Me at Michelle Pass.

After spending a few minutes at the top of Michelle Pass we headed down into the valley. There is no trail on either side of Michelle Pass. We made good time descending the pass as there was some really good scree skiing.

Jason off and leading the way which was typical for the this day.
Scree skiing.
The views are grand and people are small.
Jason found the trail leading into the valley.

Despite the GDT becoming more popular, there are just not a lot of people moving through this section. While on this day there were five people hiking through, the trails are not very well defined. We arrived at the bottom of Michelle Pass and lost the trail in a series of drainages. I did find a campsite that was marked on the GDT App. The campsite was little more than a flat area but it had good access to water and showed signs of use. If going to wild camp it is a good idea to use a known spot and minimize the impact on the backcountry.

Bent leading the way through a drainage.
The campsite on the GDT App is just left of centre.

Shortly after leaving the campsite we had our first adventure for the day. We lost the trail so Jason and Bent made a guess of where to go which was uphill. We spent the next 15 minutes bushwhacking through some pretty densely packed trees. After everyone checked their various electronic devices we figured that we were above the trail. Instead of heading directly to the trail, which would have been downhill, the decision was to contour over to the trail to avoid losing any of our hard fought elevation. What I remember most about the bushwacking was watching Jason’s sleeping pad which was attached to the bottom of his pack take a beating every time he disappeared into the trees.

No trail.
Pushing our way forward.
It was a tight squeeze between the trees.
Pausing to figure out which way to go. The ground here was soft and muddy.
Look a very lovely trail.

Once back on the trail we made good time heading up Pinto Pass. The climb to the pass is initially quite steep before flattening out for a nice high alpine meadow walk.

This was a hot bit of work.
Looking back to Michelle Pass.
Vegetation is thinning out.
The trail is flattening out.
Pinto Pass is at centre just out of sight. We ended up going to the top of the little rise just left of centre.
Jason is the small dot on the ridge.

It took us 1 hr 5 minutes to arrive at Pinto Pass since we had left the campsite down in the valley.

Overview of the day so far.

The trail heads up the ridge for a short way before heading down into the valley. PeterGabriel were having lunch at the high point so we joined them to rest and refuel before descending down to Pinto Lake and our campsite.

Panorama from Pinto Pass.

The descent from Pinto Pass was easy on good trail. The trail descends steeply at first on a rocky path before flattening out in a little valley where the vegetation returns. After the short flat section, the trail heads downhill on good tread towards Pinto Lake. Our little group started to split up as we descended and we pretty much hiked solo until Pinto Lake. On the last steep section I met my first extreme-ultra lighter, a young man day hiking in the nude. He was very friendly and we stopped to chat for a few minutes. I was surprised by how quickly I got used to his lack of clothing. It just was not a big deal. There are several camping areas at Pinto Lakes and he was obviously staying at a different area than us as I never saw him again after we said our goodbyes.

PeterGabriel heading down after lunch.
Trail flattening out and disappearing a little.
Back to good trail. A little splash of colour in the alpine.
Another wild camping site complete with fire pit.
First look at Pinto Lake. Not far now.

Near the bottom of the descent there are a few easy stream crossings. It would not be difficult to just walk across the stream but there were some iffy bridges if you wanted to keep your feet dry. There were a couple of tents set up at the first campground I came to. As we approached the lake shore there was a very cool sign with some interesting history of the area.

I took the bridge.
No idea what the orange blazes are for. Did not see very many and they disappeared soon after.
South Pinto Campsite.
History Lesson.

“In the fall of 1923, Frank Pierce, his wife, their daughter Maxine and one cow moved to his trapline cabin on the east shore of Pinto Lake. The lake is the headwaters of the Whitegoat River, later renamed the Cline. During the winter tragedy struck. Frank accidentally shot himself in the arm with a shotgun. Because of complication and the remoteness of the area, Mrs Pierce was forced to amputate his arm. The family had no hope of getting out during the winter. Through it all the remarkable Mrs. Pierce was able to carry on as doctor, nurse and family provider until someone chanced upon them. In early June 1924, the nearly impossible happened when the family was discovered by a party of First Nations. The First Nations in turn notified the authorities in Nordegg, where a rescue party was quickly formed. The rescue party consisted of three officers in the Alberta Provincial Police named English, Holmes, and Watson, removed the Pierce family on June 24, 1924. The inscriptions carved by the rescuers are monuments of the family’s brush with fate and their spirit to carry on. These trees stood until the wind blew down in 2013. The Alberta Government removed these trees for preservation.”

To access the North Pinto Lake Campsite we had to hike all the way around the north side of the lake. The campsite is located on the far side of the Cline River which is the outlet for Pinto Lake. The walking was quite easy with boardwalks installed to keep the feet dry and protect the marshy shoreline from being unnecessarily eroded by hikers.

The interesting colours of Pinto Lake.
Simple but effective boardwalk.

The crossing at Cline River was very easy. The river was was wide and shallow and the water was not flowing very fast at all. Jason barged across but I stopped to put my sandals on to keep my shoes dry. The Campground is located just a 100 m or so upstream from the crossing.

The exciting crossing of the Cline River
Where I will pitch my tent at North Pinto Lake Campground.

It was 1:55 pm when I dropped my pack. Could have definitely continued on to do a few more hours of hiking and wild camped somewhere along Cataract Creek. However, Pinto Lake is such a pleasant location there was no reason not to stay and enjoy the scenery. For PeterGabriel, Bent and Jason this would be a great day for recharging as they had all been hiking many more days than I had. PeterGabriel where thru hiking the GDT and said that this was their shortest day in several weeks. Bent and Jason had started up together at Sunshine Village and had been hiking hard since then. For me this was only day three and I had only covered about 35 km. I was still building up my trail legs and I would make up for my easy start with a big day tomorrow. We spent the day lazily enjoying the sunshine by the lake shore. Gabriel and Jason both dove into the lake to cool off. I was unable to enjoy the water because just as I was finishing setting up my tent I rammed my bare foot into a small tree stump that littered the campsite. I gave myself quite a nasty gash on the top of my left big toe. Luckily when I put my hiking shoes back on the shoes did not rub against the cut. I decided moving forward I would not walk around camp without socks on.

View for the afternoon.

I spent the afternoon napping by the lake and reading. The five of us had a super pleasant dinner together. Peter worked for the government of Alberta monitoring stream flows. When talking about my time up on Burgess Pass it was then that Peter explained how the Burgess Shale is protected by motion sensors that alert Parks Canada staff back at Field BC if someone is headed up the restricted trail to the Burgess Shale. What I learned from Gabriel was that even when thru hiking when it is important to manage the weight you carry it is important to bring some luxury items or treats. Gabriel had some cookies that were her special treat and she was agonizing a bit at camp because she had eaten too many the day before and there would not be enough cookies to last until Jasper. Another topic of discussion was Peter’s beard. Normally he is clean shaven but for the GDT he was growing his beard and was not going to shave it until the end of the hike. Apparently the beard was a great source of amusement to the family back home. We would separate from PeterGabriel tomorrow as they were taking a different pass to access the Brazeau and not going over Cataract Pass. I cannot remember exactly where they where headed. Bent and Jason would meet up with them again at Avalanche Campground in two days.

The kitchen/dinning area.
Another Peak Eats meal. It was very good.

While having dinner I pondered what to do tomorrow. I was not in a rush as I had two days to arrive at Four Points Campground to meet up with Micah who would be joining me for the remainder of the trip. Jason and Bent were headed for Boulder Campground a distance of 32 km. My plan was to camp at the base of Cataract Pass about 15 – 20 km. Bent and Jason where leaving at 6 am and I had to decide if I wanted to hike with them or go solo for the day. In his guidebook Dustin Lynx describes the next section as “Strenuous hiking up poorly maintained trail over one high pass with some route-finding challenges”. I did have the GDT App and maps but I was not sure I wanted to dealing with route challenges solo. I did not have a lot of off trail experience so I wasn’t sure I wanted to tackle the challenging route-finding by myself (it really wasn’t that challenging). I made the decision to get up at 5 am and join Bent and Jason for the day but stop at Cataract Pass. I ended up hiking with them all the way to Boulder Campground.

Evening at Pinto Lake.
A bear hang for my food.

A group of six young women arrived at camp having come over Sunset Pass. They were having a great time and after dinner were playing card games in the dinning area. Unfortunately when they came to bed they walked through the campground talking loudly waking all of us who had headed to bed earlier. This happened twice during the night. The first wave came to bed at 11 pm, the second just after midnight. It would have been nice had they been a little respectful of the other campers.

Day 3 summary

Even with the prospect of an early morning I decided to get up at 2 am to take photos of the night sky. I was hoping to see the Milky Way and the Perseid Meteor Shower. I was treated to an awesome display of shooting stars and a glorious view of the Milky Way. The Milky Way was not at a convenient location in the sky as it was off to the north side of the lake and not really over the lake. I spent a good 45 minutes taking pictures. I was fully dressed in my hiking clothes while taking the photos and I decided I would save a few minutes in the morning by just sleeping the rest of night in my hiking clothes instead of changing into and then out of my sleepwear. I am very glad I got up as this was the last clear night for several days due to smoke and rain.

Milky Way with a meteor crossing near the top.
Milky Way with a meteor just entering the frame at the top.
Milky Way with a meteor crossing at centre.
Milly Way high overhead.
Good night from Pinto Lake.

Day 4 GDT Section E 2021

GDT Section E 2021 (aborted Section D) Home

bootwreckers

New trip posted, three day trip in the Rockwall in New trip posted, three day trip in the Rockwall in Kootenay NP with @sio.mellors. Introduction and Day 1 up on Bootwreckers.

Trip was suppose to be hiking Northover Ridge in Kanananaskis but smoke had us change plans at the last minute.

This would be my third multi day trip on the Rockwall but the first for Siobhan.

Managed to get two camping sites on the Rockwall and instead of smoke we had to deal with the threat of rain.

We did get wet but we had a blast.

Day 1 is from Paint Pots TH to Helmet Falls CG, with a side trip to get up close the the falls. Pretty straightforward day but visiting Helmet Falls is always special.

#parkscanada #parks #bcparks #trails #longdistancehike #longtrail #outdoors #outside #thruhike #hike #thruhiking #outside #backpacking #waterfalls #waterfall #naturephotography #naturephotography #nationalparks
The sixth and final day of our 2022 GDT Section D The sixth and final day of our 2022 GDT Section D hike is up on Bootwreckers, see link in bio.

This day took us from a random camp on the Howse Floodplain to the Mustafa Canyon parking lot. This was an adventurous day with bushwhacking, stream crossings and dead fall but a simply glorious end to a wonderful hike on the GDT. 

Again thanks  to Sara (@sd_kuz) and Lillian (@waterlilizee) for sharing this adventure with me. I am sure we will meet again on a trail someday.

Photo 1 - Morning Colors

Photo 2 - tents on the floodplain

Photo 3 - bushwhacking to start the day

Photo 4 - fields of flowers going to seed

Photo 5 - looking south down the Howse River

Photo 6 - thigh deep water crossing

Photo 7 - big views

Photo 8 - Sara crossing some dead fall

Photo 9 -Mistaya Canyon

Photo 10 - picked up a thru hiker named Roy, enjoying beverages left by Natasha and Kyle from Backpacks and Bikeracks

#greatdivide #greatdividetrail #gdt #parkscanada #parks #bcparks #trails #longdistancehike #longtrail #outdoors #outside #thruhike #hike #thruhiking #outside #backpacking #waterfalls #waterfall #naturephotography #naturephotography #nationalparks #duplex #sectionhike #sectionhiker
Day 5 of our 2022 Great Divide Trail Section D hik Day 5 of our 2022 Great Divide Trail Section D hike is posted on Bootwreckers, see link in bio.

Truly epic day on the trail. Pass through the debris of two avalanches, had lunch by a waterfall, crawled over so much dead fall and hiked on the Howse Flood Plain.

The sunset on the flood plain was one of most magical I have seen.

As always a big thanks to Sara (@sd_kuz) and Lillian (@waterlilizee) for sharing this adventure with me. The Team totally rocked the trail.

#greatdivide #greatdividetrail #gdt #parkscanada #parks #bcparks #trails #longdistancehike #longtrail #outdoors #outside #thruhike #hike #thruhiking #outside #backpacking #waterfalls #waterfall #naturephotography #naturephotography #nationalparks #duplex #sectionhike #sectionhiker
Evening light on Picketpost Mt. #aztrail #aztasso Evening light on Picketpost Mt.

#aztrail #aztassociation  #nps, #nationalparks, #slotcanyon, #hiking, #hikingadventures, #familytime, #camping, #campingadventures, #outdoors, #outside, #nature,  #FIndyourpark #landscape #landscapephotography #optoutside #nationalpark #desertphotography #grandcanyon #grandcanyonnationalpark #grandcanyonassociation #nationalparkweek #reichallenge #nationalparksweek #rightnow #nationalparktrust #goparks #aztrails
Arizona Trail Passages 14 and 15. Some photos of Arizona Trail Passages 14 and 15.

Some photos of my recent hike down a couple of Passages of the Arizona Trail. 

The trail is so diverse, rolling terrain cut by shallow washes leads to the expanse of the desert then into rugged canyons and tall peaks, all in a space of 92 km (58 miles).

Had a great time, some blisters gave me some concerns but they seem to be doing fine now that they are out of my hiking shoes.

Got lucky with Trail Magic courtesy of Condiments who drove his 4x4 deep into an unarmed wash, was really in the middle of no where, and then again at the start of Passage 15, missed the Trail Angel's name, the wind was so loud.

Like to thank my Trail Angels, Carole for driving me to Oracle to start the trip, with side trip to a Hayden Az, a real ghost town and to Edith for leaving a water cache for me at Passage 15.

Included a video of my time at the high point for Passage 15. My kid likes it when you stop and enjoy the view you earned, thought they would appreciate my effort in the face of 1000 mph winds (ok maybe thats a bit of an exaggeration).

Thanks Arizona and the AZT for providing more memories.

I will be back

#aztrail #aztassociation  #nps, #nationalparks, #slotcanyon, #hiking, #hikingadventures, #familytime, #camping, #campingadventures, #outdoors, #outside, #nature,  #FIndyourpark #landscape #landscapephotography #optoutside #nationalpark #desertphotography #grandcanyon #grandcanyonnationalpark #grandcanyonassociation #nationalparkweek #reichallenge #nationalparksweek #rightnow #nationalparktrust #goparks #aztrails
That sunset says when I wake up it will be time to That sunset says when I wake up it will be time to start my hike on the Arizona Trail, Passages 14 and 15

Love my little motel in Superior, Az, Copper Mt Motel. Has murals painted on all the buildings

Spied the Grand Canyon from the plane 

Adventure awaits 

#aztrail #aztassociation  #nps, #nationalparks, #slotcanyon, #hiking, #hikingadventures, #familytime, #camping, #campingadventures, #outdoors, #outside, #nature,  #FIndyourpark #landscape #landscapephotography #optoutside #nationalpark #desertphotography #grandcanyon #grandcanyonnationalpark #grandcanyonassociation #nationalparkweek #reichallenge #nationalparksweek #rightnow #nationalparktrust #goparks #aztrails
Frosty Paws all packed and ready for an adventure. Frosty Paws all packed and ready for an adventure.

Arizona Trail Passages 14 and 15 starting Sunday

Off weekend gooooooo!

#aztrail #aztassociation  #nps, #nationalparks, #slotcanyon, #hiking, #hikingadventures, #familytime, #camping, #campingadventures, #outdoors, #outside, #nature,  #FIndyourpark #landscape #landscapephotography #optoutside #nationalpark #desertphotography #grandcanyon #grandcanyonnationalpark #grandcanyonassociation #nationalparkweek #reichallenge #nationalparksweek #rightnow #nationalparktrust #goparks #aztrails
Last weekend before heading to Arizona for a four Last weekend before heading to Arizona for a four day adventure on the Arizona Trail.

I wonder if hiking in the 15 cm of fresh snow will be good prepared for hiking the deserts of Passages 14 and 15?

#aztrail #aztassociation  #nps, #nationalparks, #slotcanyon, #hiking, #hikingadventures, #familytime, #camping, #campingadventures, #outdoors, #outside, #nature,  #FIndyourpark #landscape #landscapephotography #optoutside #nationalpark #desertphotography #grandcanyon #grandcanyonnationalpark #grandcanyonassociation #nationalparkweek #reichallenge #nationalparksweek #rightnow #nationalparktrust #goparks #aztrails
Day 4 of our 2022 GDT Section D hike is up on the Day 4 of our 2022 GDT Section D hike is up on the website, see link in bio.

This was a truly epic day spent on the Amiskwi and Collie Creek Alternates.

The weather cooperated starting with a spectacular sunrise on the Mummery Glacier, rainbows and blue skies on the ridge.

We had a brief encounter with a little black bear who scampered quickly away. 

Finished off the day with a cold beer, Grizzly Paw Rutting Elk Red, that I had carried with me and it tasted great.

Easily one of th best days on the trail ever.

Again big thanks to Sara (@sd_kuz) and Lillian (@waterlilizee) for sharing this adventure with me. The Team totally rocked the trail.

#greatdivide #greatdividetrail #gdt #parkscanada #parks #bcparks #trails #longdistancehike #longtrail #outdoors #outside #thruhike #hike #thruhiking #outside #backpacking #waterfalls #waterfall #naturephotography #naturephotography #nationalparks #duplex #sectionhike #sectionhiker
Day 3 of our 2022 Section D hike is posted, see li Day 3 of our 2022 Section D hike is posted, see link in bio.

This was a shorter day, only about 17 km but took us from the end of the Kiwetinok Alternate up to Amiskwi Pass and then a beautiful meadow at the the base of the Amiskwi Ridge.

Photo 1 - morning sky

Photo 2 - on the Kiwetinok Alternate

Photo 3 - Kiwetinok Alternate

Photo 4 - break time at a stream crossing, Frosty Paws hanging in there

Photo 5 - Fireweed with a view down the Amiskwi Valley,

Photo 6 - fields of flowers as we approached Amiskwi Pass

Photo 7 - Yellow Columbine on the way up to Amiskwi Lodge

Photo 8 - Our camp in the meadow

Photo 9 - Setting sun

Photo 10 - one of the best adventure stories ever! True story of how three prisoners of war escaped and climbed Mt Kenya

Again big thanks to Sara (@sd_kuz) and Lillian (@waterlilizee) for sharing this adventure with me. The Team totally rocked the trail.

#greatdivide #greatdividetrail #gdt #parkscanada #parks #bcparks #trails #longdistancehike #longtrail #outdoors #outside #thruhike #hike #thruhiking #outside #backpacking #waterfalls #waterfall #naturephotography #naturephotography #nationalparks #duplex #sectionhike #sectionhiker
First two days of my 2022 Great Divide Trail Secti First two days of my 2022 Great Divide Trail Section D adventure are up on the blog, see profile for link.

Day 1 was from Burgess Pass Trail head to Yoho Lake Campground. A relatively short day but a good warm up for the rest of the trip.

Big thanks to Sara (@sd_kuz) and Lillian (@waterlilizee) for sharing this adventure with me. The Team totally rocked the trail.

Photo 1 - at Burgess Pass looking at Mt Wapta

Photo 2 - Flowers, it was a great time to hike to see all the flowers in August bloom

Photo 3 - Emerald Lake from up high

Photo 4 - at Yoho Pass, did I mention the flowers

Photo 5 - Duplex tent all set up with Frosty Paws on guard, and oh ya, more flowers

Photo 6 - the north end of Wapta Mt as seen from Yoho Lake.

Super fun little day, the opening a grand adventure.

#greatdivide #greatdividetrail #gdt #parkscanada #parks #bcparks #trails #longdistancehike #longtrail #outdoors #outside #thruhike #hike #thruhiking #outside #backpacking #waterfalls #waterfall #naturephotography #naturephotography #nationalparks #duplex #sectionhike #sectionhiker
Sound On. Video clips from my hike along th Supe Sound On. 

Video clips from my hike along th Superstion Ridgeline.

Was an epic hike, 24km from my campsite at Miners Needle to First Water Trailhead where my car was.

Wouldn't recommend doing all in one day backpacking, as the final descent down Siphon Draw Wash is brutal, but I did it in 10hrs 45min

Would love to redo th hike at some point and actaull stop and camp along the ridge.

I had enough water to stop, but I was enticed by the prospects of a beer to finish.

#teamzpacks #zpacks #zpacksduplex #aztassociation #aztrail #aztrails #hike #loveazt #desertphotography #desert #hikingadventures #hikes #backpacking #camping #getoutside #familytime #traillife #aztassociation , #hiking, #hikingadventures, #familytime, #camping, #campingadventures, #outdoors, #outside, #nature,  #FIndyourpark #landscape #landscapephotography #optoutside  #rightnow #goparks #aztrails #aztrail #loveazt  #azt #arizonatrailassociation
Day 5 and 6 of our Green River Canoe trip from 201 Day 5 and 6 of our Green River Canoe trip from 2017 is up on Bootwreckers, see link in Bio.

The day started in the dark with a hike up to the Dollhouse to watch the sunrise.

After doing an bit of exploring including a short hike out to Beehive Arch we headed back to camp to pack up and catch the jet boat ride back to Moab.

No trip to Moab is complete without a stop at the Moab Brewery, I had a tall smooth Derailleur Ale to compliment my mushroom, Swiss bacon burger.

Once back home it was time for snuggles with the little fella who waited patently for us whole we were away. Doggie snuggles for the win!

Another epic adventure in the books.

#canyonlands, #canyonlandsnationalpark, #nationalpark, #nationalparks, #turkshead, #anasazi, #anasaziruins, #utah, #exploreutah, #coloradoriver, #canoeing, #redrocks, #hikingadventures, #camping, #hikingadventures #texriverways, #floatritp #canoe #familytime❤️ #outdoors #outside #outsidethebox #earthpix  #wildernessculture  #wildernessociety  #seeutah  #igsouthwest #discoverearth #earthofficial
Just some of my favorite photos from my New Year's Just some of my favorite photos from my New Year's Arizona trip to the Superstitions

#teamzpacks #zpacks #zpacksduplex #aztassociation #aztrail #aztrails #hike #loveazt #desertphotography #desert #hikingadventures #hikes #backpacking #camping #getoutside #familytime #traillife #aztassociation , #hiking, #hikingadventures, #familytime, #camping, #campingadventures, #outdoors, #outside, #nature,  #FIndyourpark #landscape #landscapephotography #optoutside  #rightnow #goparks #aztrails #aztrail #loveazt  #azt #arizonatrailassociation
Just a few photos from my epic 3 day hike through Just a few photos from my epic 3 day hike through Superstion Mts of Arizona. 

I think it was Plan D or maybe E. Saw photos of th Grand Canyon and many of th roads there were closed, so good choice not to go.

Day 1 - First Water TH over to Ther Battleship via many stream crossings and camp near Black Top Mesa. Due to the heavy rains, water was not an issue.

Day 2 - up past Weavers Needle and over to camp below Miners Needle

Day 3 - Epic 26 km day up on down the Superstions Ridge Trail and back to the car. This was probably the second hardest day I hav e had on trail. The trail is more "route" very ill defined for the first 2/3rds of the way. Also includes numerous down climbs, I frequently tossed my poles down 3m (10ft) of more. This is not an easy trail, and the final descent down Siphon Wash is absolutely intense. After leaving camp at 7:15am (sunrise at 7:30) I arrived at the car at 5;45pm.

Needless to say I didn't do much Friday.

Will write more later.

Thanks to my adopted trail team, James, John, Kevin and Patrick. Four Med students from UofM who allowed me to tag along as the caboose for the first two days.

Now, time to fly home.....

#teamzpacks #zpacks #zpacksduplex #aztassociation #aztrail #aztrails #hike #loveazt #desertphotography #desert #hikingadventures #hikes #backpacking #camping #getoutside #familytime #traillife #aztassociation , #hiking, #hikingadventures, #familytime, #camping, #campingadventures, #outdoors, #outside, #nature,  #FIndyourpark #landscape #landscapephotography #optoutside  #rightnow #goparks #aztrails #aztrail #loveazt  #azt #arizonatrailassociation
Sound On! About that hike.....it is not going to Sound On!

About that hike.....it is not going to happen this year.

A winter storm has come through, bringing rain, risk of flash floods and near freezing temperatures. At the prospect of hiking two or even three days in the rain, I kept hearing this voice in my head "You know, I'm not having any fun" , spoken by @kbsymington on day two of a four day hike, I could totally see that thought passing through my head if I went ahead with the hike.

I did meet my Trail Angel Bev the Kelvin TH and the scenery was just spectacular! I could hear the desert calling me. It was simply beautiful, but Bev didn't try to talk me into going and did say when I come back I was to contact her, can't wait.

My motel manger told me to go up Hwy 60 towards Globe, AZ, and check out the Queen River Canyon just after the tunnel.

It was a lot of fun to do a little exploring and it actually confirmed I made the right decision,  I got so cold in the few minutes I was out taking photos.

As I got back to the motel I was happy to see a ray of light at the horizon, maybe the rain is going to go away.

I also discovered my getting old hiking shoes leak.....

Planning on a 4 day trip around th Superstitions starting the day after tomorrow. 

Happy trails.

#aztsos #teamzpacks #zpacks #zpacksduplex #aztassociation #aztrail #aztrails #hike #loveazt #desertphotography #desert #hikingadventures #hikes #backpacking #camping #getoutside #familytime #traillife #aztassociation , #hiking, #hikingadventures, #familytime, #camping, #campingadventures, #outdoors, #outside, #nature,  #FIndyourpark #landscape #landscapephotography #optoutside  #rightnow #goparks #aztrails #aztrail
Happy New Year from Superior, Arizona. Getting re Happy New Year from Superior, Arizona.

Getting ready for 5 days on the Arizona Trail, passages 14 and 15, if the weather allows (could rain, hard, in the desert eh, who knew)

Now time for some sleep

#teamzpacks #zpacks #zpacksduplex #aztassociation #aztrail #aztrails #hike #loveazt #desertphotography #desert #hikingadventures #hikes #backpacking #camping #getoutside #familytime #traillife #aztassociation , #hiking, #hikingadventures, #familytime, #camping, #campingadventures, #outdoors, #outside, #nature,  #FIndyourpark #landscape #landscapephotography #optoutside  #rightnow #goparks #aztrails #aztrail
Day 4 on the Green River was another great day exp Day 4 on the Green River was another great day exploring canyons, hiking and of course paddling. Full summary on the website, see link in bio.

We started off the day exploring Jasper Canyon, found an amazing Anasazi house.

Then we hit the river and joined the Colorado River for the last couple of miles to our final desk at Spanish Bottom.

After dinner we took a quick hike up to Doll House, which we would revisit the next morning for sunrise.

A real mix of a day which made it a whole lotta fun.

#canyonlands, #canyonlandsnationalpark, #nationalpark, #nationalparks, #turkshead, #anasazi, #anasaziruins, #utah, #exploreutah, #coloradoriver, #canoeing, #redrocks, #hikingadventures, #camping, #hikingadventures #texriverways, #floatritp #canoe #familytime❤️ #outdoors #outside #outsidethebox #earthpix  #wildernessculture  #wildernessociety  #seeutah  #igsouthwest #discoverearth #earthofficial #river
Day 3 of our 2017 Green River Canoe trip up on Boo Day 3 of our 2017 Green River Canoe trip up on Bootwreckers, see link in bio.

15 mile paddle from Cabin Bottom to Jasper Canyon. 

Checked out Anasazi Petroglyphs at Cabin Bottom. Stopped to explore Turks Head Bottom where there were two sets of Anasazi dwellings. 

After a good day on the river enjoyed a beer given to us by some friendly boaters. 

Finished off th evening taking some fun night time photos of the stars and the tent.

Was an amazing trip with still one more day on the river and one day exploring.

#canyonlands, #canyonlandsnationalpark, #nationalpark, #nationalparks, #turkshead, #anasazi, #anasaziruins, #utah, #exploreutah, #coloradoriver, #canoeing, #redrocks, #hikingadventures, #camping, #hikingadventures #texriverways, #floatritp #canoe #familytime❤️ #outdoors #outside #outsidethebox #earthpix  #wildernessculture  #wildernessociety  #seeutah  #igsouthwest #discoverearth #earthofficial #river
On the river with Day of our 2017 trip down the Gr On the river with Day of our 2017 trip down the Green River, see link in bio for full summary.

Was a fantastic day with blue skies and warmer weather. We made two stops to explore Anderson Bottom and some Anasazi granaries that were located about 30ft up a cliff!

Stopped at Cabin Bottom where I dumped dinner in the sand but rescued it and got two free beers.

Finished the day off getting up at 3 am to take pictures of th Milky Way.

#canyonlands, #canyonlandsnationalpark, #nationalpark, #nationalparks, #turkshead, #anasazi, #anasaziruins, #utah, #exploreutah, #coloradoriver, #canoeing, #redrocks, #hikingadventures, #camping, #hikingadventures #texriverways, #floatritp #canoe #familytime❤️ #outdoors #outside #outsidethebox #earthpix  #wildernessculture  #wildernessociety  #seeutah  #igsouthwest #discoverearth #earthofficial

Always a great day being out on the river.
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