Utah has some of the best national parks in the country. And I mean, spectacular. When I saw this article, it struck me all over again how cool a place the Beehive state is for fantastic scenery and action adventure.
I have visited four out of the five top parks (at least as designated by the writer) by going solo on adventure trips. One was with Holiday Expeditions, the other with Backroads. And I would highly recommend both companies.
One of my first set-out-solo trips was mountain biking and whitewater rafting on the Green and Colorado rivers with Holiday Expeditions.
On the Holiday Expeditions trip our group of five went mountain biking in the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area and then joined a larger group to raft through Canyonlands. So peaceful and mellow drifting through the canyons, bathing in the river, relaxing by the shore. No electronics whatsoever. Clocks and watches unnecessary. Just drift and eat and soak in the colorful rock formations and hike the smooth chasms where the river has cut through to form a winding path.
The fab five from the biking portion formed such a tight bond that when the trip ended, four of us who didn't have immediate flights home drove our three cars by caravan to Moab, Utah and stayed overnight.
The next day we explored Arches National Park together before we had to fly home to our respective corners of the country: Washington, New York and California. For years, my favorite t-shirt was "Go with the Flow," purchased at the company's store.
With Backroads, our group biked to Bryce Canyon National Park and hiked among the red-rock spires they call hoodoos. We continued on, biking to Zion National Park. Zion is famous for its "vertigo inducing" Angels Landing Trail. My vertigo was so induced, I couldn't manage to get myself to hike across the narrow trail that has drops to your death on either side. No matter. I was high enough where I ended my hike (along with two other of the vertigo-induced club) and it fantastic.
I also was blissfully happy a day later walking up the Virgin River. In the river. With sneakers on. With water up to my thighs. With my daypack with camera hanging around my neck. With a large walking stick I picked up by the river that I returned upon exiting. As someone else had done so I could use it.
There simply were no banks to walk on. Just rock walls. Some people walk all the way up, camp overnight and return the next day. We only had a few hours. But any amount of time walking the river is worth it.
Two trips, four Utah parks.
Yet another summer I rafted on the Yampa River in Utah, through Dinosaur National Monument, again with Holiday. Another amazing Utah park.
People, you must get to these parks. And it's easy to do solo. By finding adventure companies that will provide equipment and companions. Do it! And report back.
Photo: Ray Mathis. Thor's Hammer at midday. Bryce Canyon National Park.
Yes, I'd certainly recommend the Utah parks. But you don't need "adventure companies that will provide equipment and companions," unless that's what you want. I took a solo road trip in 1989 that included Capitol Reef, Arches, Zion, and Bryce Canyon (plus what is now Escalante, which wasn't yet a park). It was a great trip, and the only time I missed having a travel companion was on the long, boring freeway trips between Los Angeles and Utah. This trip was also about the only time I met several other male solo travelers and got to talk to them-- but they were from Europe and Australia, and apparently didn't know they were supposed to be afraid. And some couples were friendly to me when my car got "altitude sickness" at Bryce Canyon (that wouldn't happen with a modern computerized fuel-injected engine).
I remember eating absolutely delicious freshly-caught local rainbow trout at a hole in the wall restaurant near Capitol Reef. I also spent Yom Kippur eve among the glowing red rocks in Capitol Reef, where I felt far closer to God than I ever did in a synagogue.
I have two photo travel essays from that trip: http://www.tedsimages.com/text/utahmain.htm (Capitol Reef/Arches); http://www.tedsimages.com/text/utahcont.htm (Zion/Bryce). But I don't think Fujichrome fully does it justice.
Posted by: Ted | March 30, 2009 at 11:21 PM
Beautiful photos Ted.
Yes, indeed, I DID need adventure companies to provide the rafts and guides who took me down my first Class IV rapids.
Posted by: Ellen | March 31, 2009 at 08:48 PM
I've never been to any grand canyon national park but I would love to someday. When I came to pass by your blog it lead me to research on some photos taken at the canyon. I must say that with the pictures that I've found over the internet, the views were breath-taking and the moment was priceless.
Posted by: water rafting Cagayan de Oro | July 11, 2011 at 02:29 AM