Some Holiday Hiking (Suggestions Please)

[CarpeyBiggs]

Tanya, this one is for you... I know you are the expert.

I am heading down to Vegas for the BYU football game on Saturday. I just found out I have Christmas Eve off from work, so that means I have a really nice weekend ahead of me... Looking for suggestions near the areas I'm traveling. My only criteria, I want to take some nice photos, preferably of some nice megascapes... Basically, I want to see big landscapes, and big sunsets/rises, and have nice hiking during the day, maximizing the golden hour for photography.

So here is my itinerary skeleton:

Friday Night: Maybe Zion? Toroweap?
Saturday Morning: Redrocks maybe? Valley of Fire?
Saturday night: Vegas
Sunday Morning: Vegas to Zion stretch...
Sunday Night: Between Zion and Page. Alstrom Point? Wahweap drainage?
Monday Morning: Page area? Bryce canyon? Cottonwood road?

Anyone with suggestions, feel free to chime in. Curious where everyone's favorite casual hiking/photography places are.

[trackrunner]

can never go wrong with Zion or Bryce. Toronweap is a long ways out there, are you going to be able to do that and everything else on Saturday too? Something to consider.

[Rented mule]

Zion is way cool right now with SNOW in several places. Great photo op there.


I agree with trackrunner. Toroweap can be very tricky and take a huge chunk of time with all this iffy weather we've been having lately. Challenging to travel in the rain or snow. If you try to cross Mt. Trumbull in the snow....it's spooky.

Valley of Fire is awesome. Drive up onto the rainbow vista past the visitor's center and head a couple miles to a parking area just above
wash number 3. Yup, they name their washes there. How overmanaged? hehe... numbered washes....
park at wash number three and head west up the wash and you will be thoroughly amazed at the formations and eye candy in the swirled
sandstone alcoves. Head back down number three or work your way through the matrix and come down wash number five and walk back up the hard road. A real treat!
Enjoy the game! jerry

[trackrunner]

Zion is way cool right now with SNOW in several places. Great photo op there.


I agree with trackrunner. Toroweap can be very tricky and take a huge chunk of time with all this iffy weather we've been having lately. Challenging to travel in the rain or snow. If you try to cross Mt. Trumbull in the snow....it's spooky.

True, I didn't even think about the weather's affect on the dirt road.

[CarpeyBiggs]

Thanks for the info guys. Never been out the Trumbull road. I hear it is usually passable for pretty much any car, up until the very end.

Also, is the snow sticking in Zion? If it is still there, that would be high on my list. Valley of Fire sounds cool too.

[Win]

Vally of Fire is a must, you'll get some amazing landscapes! Here're a few other thoughts:

Snow Canyon, St George pretty amazing, about 20 miles from I 15

Mt Trumbull Rd might have snow at elevation. Toroweap Rd might be ok but it's been wet recently.

Cottonwood Rd will probably be too wet

Waheap Hoodoos is definetly possible, Alstrom might be possible. Permit for North or South Coyote? Paria permits are now issued in Kanab.

Zion might have fresh snow, Tanya would probably know.

Bryce should be awesome!

I've got a GPS track into the the Red Cliff Reserve, this takes you back to an area similar to the Wave. I'll lend you my GPS if you're interested. Might even join you. TH is right off I-15 in Hurricane.

Have fun,
Win
435/635-4000

Red Cliffs hikes:

[tanya]

Thanks for the info guys. Never been out the Trumbull road. I hear it is usually passable for pretty much any car, up until the very end.

Also, is the snow sticking in Zion? If it is still there, that would be high on my list. Valley of Fire sounds cool too.

Toroweap is GORGEOUS and worth the time. I was told last night though the rumor is the road to out there is a mess right now, but in my experience it dries quick. If its been wet out there it looks cool, like little lakes. I have never had any problem going out there after the snow, in fact the washboarding seemed to be lessened! But its a bummer if you come from far away and find you can't drive through. There is that rocky obstacle near the end, just before the rim that could get really bad if it had melting snow.

It's snowing in Zion right now so its going to be gorgeous! Stopping anywhere along the Zion-Mt. Carmel Highway you will find great places to shoot. Take a short hike up Many Pools and Separation Canyon for some nice shots.

http://www.zionnational-park.com/zio...-manypools.htm

http://www.zionnational-park.com/zio...-manypools.htm

If you are feeling adventurous and hike to the (almost) top of Checkerboard Mesa. The views are fantastic!
http://www.zionnational-park.com/zio...board-mesa.htm

[tanya]

[quote="Win"]

Waheap Hoodoos is definetly possible, Alstrom might be possible. Permit for North or South Coyote? Paria permits are now issued in Kanab.

Zion might have fresh snow, Tanya would probably know.

Bryce should be awesome!

Have fun,
Win
435/635-4000

Yes, its snowing in Zion and I bet Bryce is getting some too. I 2nd the Wahweap Hoodoo thing. Its great when wet and stormy! Permits are issued in Kanab now, yes, but I dont' think they are in the winter? I think you have to go to the Paria Contact Station. The info would be on Bo and my site, but I am too lazy to look.

http://www.zionnational-park.com/wahweap-hoodoos.htm

[CarpeyBiggs]

Wahweap isn't permitted, is it?

[tanya]

Nope.... there is an easy way to drive in there, but do the hike. It's pretty and quite easy. Driving in sort of ruins the whole thing.

[Iceaxe]

If I was heading to Vegas I'd do mostly Vegas area stuff and save the Utah stuff for the close to home trips.

Southern Nevada could keep a person busy for a lifetime...

Lake Mead, Valley of Fire, Black Canyon, Arrow Canyon.... the east side of the Overton Arm accessed from Bunkerville has always been really high on my to-do list. There was a TR on some of it around here about a month ago.

Have fun...

Go kitty cats...

[Win]

Ice is right about the area South of Bunkerville. Endless side roads to explore. All off Gold Butte Rd which is car friendly for most of it. If you exit
at Bunkerville and make a right after crossing the bridge it will take you out to Whitney Pockets, that's where the road turns gravel. From here it can be very washboard but doable in a car.

Win

[jolly]

I've got a GPS track into the the Red Cliff Reserve, this takes you back to an area similar to the Wave. I'll lend you my GPS if you're interested. Might even join you. TH is right off I-15 in Hurricane.

Can you hand out the GPS-coordinate for this shot?
I'm planning to spend one day in the area by the end of May.

[tmartenst]

Tanya et. all-

What time of day / year was the shot on the link below taken? I have read that there are better times to reach certain spots but have also seen many photos of this area in shadow.

http://www.zionnational-park.com/wahweap-hoodoos.htm

[Win]

Jolly, I'll dig out the coordinates and PM you.

Win

[jolly]

Jolly, I'll dig out the coordinates and PM you.

Win

Thanks Win, that's great!