It is way too late (early)

[tmartenst]

Hello All -

I am a Michigander transplant to Utah and love it. Snowbird brought me here, skied like hell for 4 years and now am growing up (meaning I got a job in Salt Lake City). I married my supervisor from the Bird. She does not like shopping, loves football and she is very active as well (I guess more than me since she runs every day). I love photography and adventure and will go anywhere that is beautiful. Of course this means that anywhere in Utah applies. We did the beatout hike a week before our wedding. Backpacking over Mt. Superior from LCC to Lake Blanche (recommended). I am addicted to the desert and the mountains from Utah and water from my Michigan days. We have been to some pretty general places in southern Utah: Mesa Arch for the sunrise, White Rim trail on bikes, Lake Powell. Some of my favorite places are located in the swell. We have been to: Little Wild Horse of course, Ding/Dang, Crack, San Rafael Knob and many larger canyons north of I-70. The N of I-70 have been my favorite so far because its our style to not see people for 3 straight days. I want to get into technical canyoneering but need some instruction in that area. I'll come back to that though. That is my long ace description of me.

I came to this forum to try to get an idea of where to go 7 hours from now. We are planning on going down south this weekend and have not decided on a spot. We may just start driving. We are thinking of hoteling it as my wife is getting sick as I write. Any ideas. (Green River, Moab, etc.) I look forward to writing much shorter posts and contributing in any way I can. Thanks.

Tom

[tmartenst]

I know it is too early when Sesame Street is on in the other room.

[DiscGo]

Welcome to the site. I am going to give you some advice on where to go trusting that you are a Michigan State fan and not UofM (my wife is from Ohio). This is the perfect time of the year to do Arches National park. It isn't too cold and there aren't nearly as many people as usual. If Arches doesn't interest you, you may want to check out the list of hikes on climb-utah.


Go Bucks!

[DiscGo]

I forgot to mention that if you do go to Arches (and if you haven't already done it) you should do the Devil's Garden. That is a cool hike where you can see 8 arches pretty closely. You can do Devil's Garden, Delicate Arch, & Double Arch in the same afternoon very easily.

[tmartenst]

I actually graduated from Michigan State but am not too huge into the rivalries. Tailgating there is pretty mind-blowing though. I figure they are both good schools. We discussed Arches and could still be on our plate. Thanks for the hike idea there, we will definitely do that if we go. I have never been to Arches as I have seen a steady stream of cars every time I drive by and it turns me off. My wife actually wants to stay away from Moab because she thinks it will be a cluster f$*@ with the holiday weekend and all. I am with you, thinking it will not be too bad right now. We may also go down and do Little Wild Horse again as it has been a few years. None of my old film photos turned out very well from that trip so I need some new ones. Thanks again.

[accadacca]

Welcome!

[R]

If you have a chance to get married at Delicate Arch, I highly recommend it...

http://richardbarron.net/wedding/

[tmartenst]

That looks nice. I actually proposed near where the upper most picture was taken by Mexican Mountain. We were to have a nice fall wedding at Alta that got sabotaged by 12" of beautiful snow. The outdoor wedding turned into a pretty awesome indoor one.

[R]

[Cirrus2000]

The outdoor wedding turned into a pretty awesome indoor one.

Awww, look at the newlyweds! Very cool.

Bet you're already gone for the weekend... But when you get back:

I totally get the crowds thing, at Arches. I'm a solitude kind of guy (going on a solo 5 day trip, Buckskin/Paria in 11 days! The last people in before me go in 9 days earlier, the next people go in 4 days after me.) but Arches - particularly the Devil's Garden trail that DiscGo mentioned - is a must see. It really is. And don't skip the little side-trip arches - you must see Partition and Navajo arches, though it involves some backtracking. Go through Navajo Arch, and up the little ramp in the secluded alcove behind it. You can walk right up and over the fin where the arch is.

Beneath Navajo Arch:


I was there in late September a couple of years ago, and was dismayed by the crowd of La-Z-Boy-shaped people (not that they were shaped like La-Z-Boys, but shaped by La-Z-Boys) puffing along the trail. Most had had enough by Landscape Arch, though, and it was less crowded (though still not empty) beyond there.

I loved it so much that I'm taking my son, who's ten, there in April. (And hey, when you live more than 18 hours away by road, that's not a minor trip! - I'm driving, he's flying, BTW)

Let us know where you went (WITH PHOTOS!) when you're back.

And, oh yeah, welcome!

By the way, Richard, I had a better look at your wedding photos than I have before, and 2 things really struck me. 1) I love how everyone is smiling - it looks like a truly joyful celebration, and 2) I love your sister's t-shirt. Now that's how to celebrate a wedding.

[R]

The outdoor wedding turned into a pretty awesome indoor one.

Awww, look at the newlyweds! Very cool.

Bet you're already gone for the weekend... But when you get back:

I totally get the crowds thing, at Arches. I'm a solitude kind of guy (going on a solo 5 day trip, Buckskin/Paria in 11 days! The last people in before me go in 9 days earlier, the next people go in 4 days after me.) but Arches - particularly the Devil's Garden trail that DiscGo mentioned - is a must see. It really is. And don't skip the little side-trip arches - you must see Partition and Navajo arches, though it involves some backtracking. Go through Navajo Arch, and up the little ramp in the secluded alcove behind it. You can walk right up and over the fin where the arch is.

I was there in late September a couple of years ago, and was dismayed by the crowd of La-Z-Boy-shaped people (not that they were shaped like La-Z-Boys, but shaped by La-Z-Boys) puffing along the trail. Most had had enough by Landscape Arch, though, and it was less crowded (though still not empty) beyond there.

I loved it so much that I'm taking my son, who's ten, there in April. (And hey, when you live more than 18 hours away by road, that's not a minor trip! - I'm driving, he's flying, BTW)

Let us know where you went (WITH PHOTOS!) when you're back.

And, oh yeah, welcome!

By the way, Richard, I had a better look at your wedding photos than I have before, and 2 things really struck me. 1) I love how everyone is smiling - it looks like a truly joyful celebration, and 2) I love your sister's t-shirt. Now that's how to celebrate a wedding.

Cirrus - thanks. We all had fun, the weather was beautiful, and Abby and I couldn't have been happier, so it was definitely a pinnacle occasion.

My sister's shirt is Salad Fingers, a dark little character you can watch here...

http://www.fat-pie.com/salad.htm

The day after the wedding we hiked the Primitive Loop at Arches, and highly recommend it...

http://richardbarron.net/galleries3/...primitiveloop/

-Richard

[DiscGo]

tmartenst- I can't believe you aren't in to the rivalry. I think you may be the first Michigander not to care. Good call about President's weekend. I totally forgot about it.

Richard- I didn't realise that you guys were such newlyweds. That is awesome that you got married at Delicate Arch.

[Iceaxe]

Arches isn't to crowded in Winter, and the Devil's Garden Primitive Trail is a must do.

http://climb-utah.com/Moab/devil.htm

If you want to get away from the crowds consider visiting Anasazi ruins in Cedar Mesa.

Citadel Ruins Ruins
Fishmouth Cave Ruins
Hobbs Wash Ruins
Monarch Cave Ruins
Mule Canyon Ruins
Butler Wash Ruins

more info here
http://climb-utah.com/CM/index.htm

[DirkHammergate]

Too bad Hammer doesn't have any hot supervisors at my place of employment...

[Sombeech]

Welcome to the forum! I think besides Utah, Michigan has the majority of the members. Lots of 'em here.

[Iceaxe]

Too bad Hammer doesn't have any hot supervisors at my place of employment...

Maybe you should switch jobs

[tanya]

Welcome to the Group Tom!

[stefan]

greetings

[tmartenst]

Thanks for the advice.

It was good to get down south but not too adventurous of a trip. We got a late start on Saturday and just planned on checking out things off of the Green River Cut Off Road near Hwy 6. We ended up just hiking to the top of a high point to watch the sunset. Stayed in Green River and did Bell Cyn/LWH loop on Sunday. It was sad to see that the old outhouse up on the Behind the Reef Road was knocked down. It looks like it has been that way for a while from all of the sand in it but when I was there two years ago it was still upright. There was more ice than snow in both canyons. After the hike we took the temple mountain road/Heart of Sinbad Rd. up to I-70. Kind of just wanted to check that area out. I have only been to the San Rafael Knob in that area so have not seen much of it. This morning we were planning on doing Swasey's Cabin or the Devil's Racetrack areas but the weather was pretty crappy and I am fighting some sort of sore throat so we turned around. We have been in some pretty serious storms in the Swell and my wife actually calls it a tropical desert. We sat through 7 full thunderstorms once in Horsetheif and Spring Canyon. Makes for a great experience if you are prepared (which we were). We did not want to deal with the Clay roads this time as we drove the Subaru. I got a speeding ticket on Hwy 6 on the way back today. I never see cops on that road. I was only doing 84 mph. oops.

Richard: I checked out your site more in depth. You have many really good photos on it. I like how you have the QT movies in each area also. Good touch.

[marc olivares]

fun stuff

welcome to the group

youve got some nice flickr stuff too