http://www.heatherdugan.com/blogBETA Travels and Journeys... Fri, 10 Feb 2012 12:57:18 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 2006-2010 heather@heatherdugan.com (Heather Dugan) heather@heatherdugan.com (Heather Dugan) 1440 http://www.heatherdugan.com/blogNEW/wp-content/plugins/podpress/images/powered_by_podpress.jpg http://www.heatherdugan.com/blogBETA 144 144 http://www.heatherdugan.com/blogNEW/?feed=podcast Footsteps Travels and Journeys... Travel, outdoors, adventure, Heather, Dugan, stories Heather Dugan Heather Dugan heather@heatherdugan.com no no http://www.heatherdugan.com/blogBETA/2011/12/12/wagon-trail-capitol-gorge-in-capitol-reef-national-park-utah/ http://www.heatherdugan.com/blogBETA/2011/12/12/wagon-trail-capitol-gorge-in-capitol-reef-national-park-utah/#comments Mon, 12 Dec 2011 13:47:17 +0000 Heather Dugan http://www.heatherdugan.com/blog/taking-the-kids/wagon-trail-capitol-gorge-in-capitol-reef-national-park-utah/ http://www.heatherdugan.com/blogBETA/2011/12/12/wagon-trail-capitol-gorge-in-capitol-reef-national-park-utah/feed/ 11 0:01:12   The Capitol Gorge spur road revealed no more than its next winding turn, one intriguing twist at a time. The vistas were vertical. Rocky skyscrapers of Wingate sandstone towered dramatically, enclosing us in a one-way maze. The pitted gravel road[...]   The Capitol Gorge spur road revealed no more than its next winding turn, one intriguing twist at a time. The vistas were vertical. Rocky skyscrapers of Wingate sandstone towered dramatically, enclosing us in a one-way maze. The pitted gravel road offered few options but “forward” with measured care and speed. Every so often I slammed into my sensory limit, shifted into park and cautioned the kids to watch for non-existent cars out the rear window while I snapped off a couple of pictures. Finally parked at the road’s dead end, we set off on foot down a Mormon pioneer trail. In the hush, it wasn’t hard to imagine the distant creaking of wagon wheels. Evening would soon sheath the canyon area in utter darkness, but we walked the first part of the trail -sadly noting petroglyphs marred by not-so-ancient vandals. Further along the trail is a Pioneer Register with the scratched signatures of long ago passers-by. Approaching darkness would have prompted those turn-of-the-century travelers to set up their night’s camp but sent us on a reluctant trek back to our car and a slow winding drive in dimming light.       Updated from November 28, 2008. Canyons, Hiking Heather Dugan no no http://www.heatherdugan.com/blogBETA/2011/09/16/of-pictographs-and-petroglyphs/ http://www.heatherdugan.com/blogBETA/2011/09/16/of-pictographs-and-petroglyphs/#comments Fri, 16 Sep 2011 12:17:15 +0000 Heather Dugan http://www.heatherdugan.com/blog/taking-the-kids/of-pictographs-and-petroglyphs/ http://www.heatherdugan.com/blogBETA/2011/09/16/of-pictographs-and-petroglyphs/feed/ 10 0:00:55 We first heard of the Freemont people as we hiked to Lower Calf Creek Falls in the Grand Staircase-Escalante region. The remains of their storage granaries perched at the edges of the high cliffs above us, and we were thrilled to spot their painted [...] We first heard of the Freemont people as we hiked to Lower Calf Creek Falls in the Grand Staircase-Escalante region. The remains of their storage granaries perched at the edges of the high cliffs above us, and we were thrilled to spot their painted rock art, “pictographs,” on a distant canyon wall... Hiking Heather Dugan no no http://www.heatherdugan.com/blogBETA/2011/08/22/the-goosenecks-at-capitol-reef-national-park-utah/ http://www.heatherdugan.com/blogBETA/2011/08/22/the-goosenecks-at-capitol-reef-national-park-utah/#comments Mon, 22 Aug 2011 11:53:31 +0000 Heather Dugan http://www.heatherdugan.com/blog/taking-the-kids/the-goosenecks-at-capitol-reef-national-park-utah/ http://www.heatherdugan.com/blogBETA/2011/08/22/the-goosenecks-at-capitol-reef-national-park-utah/feed/ 11 0:02:15 ...Absurd rock formations that sat like installed art at the edges of the road. Majestic pillared cliffs tinged into life by the low glow of a hot sun. And an endless enticing horizon, vacant of people and things, that made us feel like the privileg[...] ...Absurd rock formations that sat like installed art at the edges of the road. Majestic pillared cliffs tinged into life by the low glow of a hot sun. And an endless enticing horizon, vacant of people and things, that made us feel like the privileged last few walking an emptied earth…. Canyons, Hiking Heather Dugan no no http://www.heatherdugan.com/blogBETA/2008/11/18/bridge-over-the-reef-hickman-natural-bridge-capitol-reef-np-utah/ http://www.heatherdugan.com/blogBETA/2008/11/18/bridge-over-the-reef-hickman-natural-bridge-capitol-reef-np-utah/#comments Tue, 18 Nov 2008 16:38:49 +0000 Heather Dugan http://www.heatherdugan.com/blog/taking-the-kids/bridge-over-the-reef-hickman-natural-bridge-capitol-reef-np-utah/ http://www.heatherdugan.com/blogBETA/2008/11/18/bridge-over-the-reef-hickman-natural-bridge-capitol-reef-np-utah/feed/ 11 0:01:17 The hardest thing about Hickman Bridge trail was the heat. The trail was only two and a half miles round trip. It was rated “moderate” and had no major elevation changes, but the arid July temperature and intense Utah sun slowed us down to a m[...] The hardest thing about Hickman Bridge trail was the heat. The trail was only two and a half miles round trip. It was rated “moderate” and had no major elevation changes, but the arid July temperature and intense Utah sun slowed us down to a more measured speed. Teamwork and a moratorium on “Wow, is it hot!” helped, as did sipping freely from our ice water-filled Camelbaks. The landscape hit “surreal” fairly quickly. Sparse greenery. And no water in “the Reef” once we left the Freemont River near the trailhead, but the erosive marks of water were everywhere around us: Caves, canyons and Swiss-cheesed boulders… Swirled cliff faces, both smoothed and pocked across the same space… The ever-present “signature” white domes in the distance… And, Hickman Natural Bridge itself, Kayenta Formation sandstone that once straddled an erosive stream… The arch, Hickman Natural Bridge, spans a dramatic 133 feet from a height of 125 feet above the trail that slips beneath it. No man chiseled it, but its Artistry is evident. And it is Inspiration in the middle of nowhere… Extremes, Hiking Heather Dugan no no http://www.heatherdugan.com/blogBETA/2008/11/14/a-reef-in-the-desert-capitol-reef-np-utah-2/ http://www.heatherdugan.com/blogBETA/2008/11/14/a-reef-in-the-desert-capitol-reef-np-utah-2/#comments Fri, 14 Nov 2008 15:17:29 +0000 Heather Dugan http://www.heatherdugan.com/blogNEW/?p=1993 http://www.heatherdugan.com/blogBETA/2008/11/14/a-reef-in-the-desert-capitol-reef-np-utah-2/feed/ 5 0:02:11 Visiting Capitol Reef National Park felt a little like stepping right off the map. There were no crowds. In fact, when we first arrived in the late afternoon, the park office had already closed for the day. But there was a posted park map, so w[...] Visiting Capitol Reef National Park felt a little like stepping right off the map. There were no crowds. In fact, when we first arrived in the late afternoon, the park office had already closed for the day. But there was a posted park map, so we filled out a permit form, dropped our envelope and park fee into a lockbox, double-checked that posted map and did our preliminary explorations along the main drive. The Navajo aptly named the Capitol Reef area: “Land of the Sleeping Rainbow.” And the land does look as if someone got a little wild with the watercolors, splashing and spilling vibrant hues out to the next horizon… Giant chunks of tinted earth look as though they were squeezed in the fist of an over-sized toddler and then casually dropped in the wilderness. The abrupt variations in color, texture and formation tell geologic stories of ancient rivers and swamps, forests, a Saharan-type desert, and a one-time shallow ocean. Capitol Reef is the stand-out attraction of The Waterpocket Fold, a 100-mile long buckling of the Earth’s crust. Domes, arches, cliffs and narrow canyons are the main draw, but Capitol Reef also includes the Fruita Historic District. This preserved Morman settlement is a splash of green within the rocky landscape and has a working pick-your-own orchard. A cold snap had prematurely ended the apricot harvest when we visited leaving no fruit to pick, but a park ranger –eager for us to sample Fruita’s fruits- readily gave to us from her own stash of early apricots. The weather and season ultimately steer one’s hiking decisions at Capitol Reef. The intense summer sun and exposed trails made it essential to begin our hikes early in the day and to avoid some trails entirely: the hike to Cassidy (as in “Butch Cassidy”) Arch was tempting, but its access trail, the “Frying Pan,” sounded like a better choice for a cooler season. Distant rainstorms were a factor as well when choosing slot canyon hikes. While we didn’t get to Cassidy Arch, we were fortunate to see Hickman Natural Bridge. That hike will be “next up” in this Utah series… Hiking Heather Dugan no no http://www.heatherdugan.com/blogBETA/2008/10/23/the-lodge-at-red-river-ranch-teasdale-utah/ http://www.heatherdugan.com/blogBETA/2008/10/23/the-lodge-at-red-river-ranch-teasdale-utah/#comments Thu, 23 Oct 2008 21:15:17 +0000 Heather Dugan http://www.heatherdugan.com/blog/taking-the-kids/the-lodge-at-red-river-ranch-teasdale-utah/ http://www.heatherdugan.com/blogBETA/2008/10/23/the-lodge-at-red-river-ranch-teasdale-utah/feed/ 20 0:03:06 Capitol Reef National Park Visitor Information and Map Isolation needn’t mean total sacrifice. And, The Lodge at Red River Ranch had all the right surprises to comfortably pad our relative seclusion outside of Capitol Reef National Park. It took [...] Capitol Reef National Park Visitor Information and Map Isolation needn’t mean total sacrifice. And, The Lodge at Red River Ranch had all the right surprises to comfortably pad our relative seclusion outside of Capitol Reef National Park. It took a certain amount of faith to drive past the kitschy mini-jumble of Torrey, Utah in hopes that neighboring Teasdale would eventually materialize along the vast expanse ahead. We carefully noted the food stops and gas stations along the way; the remote stretches of Utah had taught us to plan ahead for our “essentials”.   The tall-timbered ranch entry was our landmark; a sturdy “welcome” amongst the mountain-fringed pastures. I had been told to look for a grove of trees far off of the main road, and finally, there it was at the end of a long graveled drive. Our oasis. The Lodge is an elegantly and comfortably appointed mega-log cabin: a great destination for groups, both large and small family-sized. Our adjoining rooms, connected by both a generous bathroom and a hallway, were on the third floor and gave us plenty of privacy. Exposed beams, high ledges and deep teal-colored walls pleasantly counterbalanced some of the more dainty room furnishings. We had no need for the fireplaces in July but relished the breezes and mountain-views accessible from our private balconies. Some very personable kittens played on the east porch downstairs… …and a herd of bison roamed the front fields. There are six miles of private river for catch-and-release fly-fishing and pastures for horseback riding. A single wooden plank swing dangles charmingly from a cottonwood limb arched some thirty feet above the gravel front drive. Hannah and I found this to be a terrific “cool-down” after our morning runs around the property. Breakfast was always a plentiful plateful, with homemade nut breads and luscious fruits. We ordered “light,” ate very well, and always ended up with some “carry-up-for-later”. The dinner menu held some intriguing options but was definitely a more upscale affair than my group of hikers needed or wanted. Maybe next time… The dining room, with its decorative tin ceiling and massive pillared beams is a place to linger. Its bank of windows overlooks an expansive front porch edged with a profusion of swaying flowers and well-patronized hummingbird feeders. A basement rec room houses table soccer, a ping pong table, a TV, and an assortment of toys. It also has a community computer, but free wi-fi in our rooms was our better option.The Lodge was our most expensive accommodation but well worth the splurge. And happily, there was some flexibility on the published rate (It never hurts to ask!). Concerned that we’d be too crowded in the room I’d originally selected, the owner knocked enough off the rate of our larger suite to make it an acceptable option. On our second evening, we settled into the jumbo-sized hot tub on the late edge of sunset and watched the mountains cast long shadows as the sun dipped ever lower beyond the orchard. We talked. We laughed. The edges of the deck walk glowed with strings of light and stars dotted the blackened sky… Capitol Reef National Park: Visitor Information and Map Capitol Reef National Park (Torrey, Utah) 378 miles of colorful canyons and ridges… Slot canyons, rock arches and monoliths Pick-your-own fruit (June – Oct) HC 70 Box 15; Torrey, UT 84775 435-425-3791 x 111 Park Website Park Hours: Open year-round; see website for details Entrance Fee: $3.00/individuals or $5.00/private vehicle Valid for 7 days. Annual pass available. View Larger Map More on Capitol Reef National Park More on Utah… Lodging Heather Dugan no no http://www.heatherdugan.com/blogBETA/2008/10/07/hiking-smart-in-grand-wash-capitol-reef-national-park-utah/ http://www.heatherdugan.com/blogBETA/2008/10/07/hiking-smart-in-grand-wash-capitol-reef-national-park-utah/#comments Tue, 07 Oct 2008 16:56:15 +0000 Heather Dugan http://www.heatherdugan.com/blog/taking-the-kids/hiking-smart-in-grand-wash-capitol-reef-national-park-utah/ http://www.heatherdugan.com/blogBETA/2008/10/07/hiking-smart-in-grand-wash-capitol-reef-national-park-utah/feed/ 10 0:01:50 Capitol Reef National Park Visitor Information and Map In Capitol Reef National Park, we kept a constant eye on the weather. It never varied from hot and sunny while we were in the park, but that wasn’t the weather we were concerned about. Hikin[...] Capitol Reef National Park Visitor Information and Map In Capitol Reef National Park, we kept a constant eye on the weather. It never varied from hot and sunny while we were in the park, but that wasn’t the weather we were concerned about. Hiking in slot canyons requires vigilant attention to the weather up-canyon. Zion National Park had been unusually dry when we’d hiked its Narrows and Subway slot canyons, but we had learned that arid conditions can change instantly in the event of a rainfall miles away and remembered well the instant river that materialized during our Bryce Canyon hike. As we hiked Grand Wash at Capitol Reef, a simple dirt road entombed by sheer cliff walls, we looked forward to entering the narrowest neck of the gorge. We had checked in with a park ranger twice that day already for distant weather conditions, and he had explained (as he must to so many out-of-town visitors) that the danger lay in the distance -in the dark clouds forming on the northeastern horizon. A slot canyon is more or less a dry chute that can fill with water in a flash when rainwater rolls down slick rock to the lowest point. As the funnel narrows, the water rises. Unwary hikers are trapped every year by flash floods in slot canyons, so we were attentive to his instructions. As we walked the stark unusual landscape, we maintained an awareness of the “climbable” slopes. The ranger had advised us to always know our escape route; that it had to be “up” and as high as possible. But, when thunder rumbled in the distance, we knew our hike was over. It would have been great to get further into the canyon, but we had learned and seen enough to take the flooding danger seriously and opted for our Plan B hike without a second thought. You have to hike “smart” every time, because you never know which time your wise decision will make the difference. Capitol Reef National Park: Visitor Information and Map Capitol Reef National Park (Torrey, Utah) Park Website 378 miles of colorful canyons and ridges… Slot canyons, rock arches and monoliths! Pick-your-own fruit (June – Oct) HC 70 Box 15; Torrey, UT 84775 435-425-3791 x 111 Park Hours: Open year-round; see website for details Entrance Fee: $3.00/individuals or $5.00/private vehicle. Valid for 7 days. Annual pass available. View Capitol Reef National Park, Utah in a larger map Canyons, Extremes, Hiking Heather Dugan no no http://www.heatherdugan.com/blogBETA/2008/07/17/adventures-in-utah/ http://www.heatherdugan.com/blogBETA/2008/07/17/adventures-in-utah/#comments Thu, 17 Jul 2008 14:32:43 +0000 Heather Dugan http://heatherdugan.com/blog/taking-the-kids/adventures-in-utah/ http://www.heatherdugan.com/blogBETA/2008/07/17/adventures-in-utah/feed/ 22 0:01:36 Where did all the mountains go?! Yeah, yeah… I know. Glaciated Ohio has never contained the ear-popping elevations of our western states. And “straighten (ing) your shoulders” just won’t pull you from under 1000 feet to an elevation that will supp[...] Where did all the mountains go?! Yeah, yeah… I know. Glaciated Ohio has never contained the ear-popping elevations of our western states. And “straighten (ing) your shoulders” just won’t pull you from under 1000 feet to an elevation that will support ponderosa pines and aspens. No geologic changes here. It’s just me, making some mental adjustments to my internal panoramic viewfinder. This past week, I basically braked for trailheads, wildlife, scenic views and the (very) occasional gas station (with bonus points for decent restroom facilities). I kind of liked flying across ranchland, over mountains and through canyons in our rental car as we navigated from park to park. Every mile traveled revealed yet another surprise and spectacular scenery. Utah was quite the adventure for the kids and me. We climbed enormous boulders, swam through rivers, inched up waterfalls, explored slot canyons and fended off menacing road cows (don’t ask)… We encountered a park fire, two hail storms and temperatures ranging from 50 -111 degrees Fahrenheit. We scanned cliffs for petroglyphs and pictographs, wandered through hoo doos and, technically, made a couple of wrong turns (although I maintain that if you have a map, it’s just an alignment issue) during our 1500 mile adventure through southern Utah. And yes, I took a few pictures… I’ll be sharing photos, hikes and stories from Zion, Bryce and Capitol Reef National Parks, Grand Staircase- Escalante National Memorial, and Boulder Mountain, Brian Head and Cedar Breaks, Utah in the next few weeks. Canyons, Extremes, Hiking Heather Dugan no no http://www.heatherdugan.com/blogBETA/2008/06/19/flying-to-not-vegas/ http://www.heatherdugan.com/blogBETA/2008/06/19/flying-to-not-vegas/#comments Thu, 19 Jun 2008 18:47:14 +0000 Heather Dugan http://heatherdugan.com/blog/taking-the-kids/flying-to-not-vegas/ http://www.heatherdugan.com/blogBETA/2008/06/19/flying-to-not-vegas/feed/ 19 0:02:20 A friend was horrified to learn our summer vacation plans. You’d think I had confessed we’d be spending the week cleaning out the basement (which we need to do) or identifying and polishing our hodgepodge of tools and hardware items! She’s headed t[...] A friend was horrified to learn our summer vacation plans. You’d think I had confessed we’d be spending the week cleaning out the basement (which we need to do) or identifying and polishing our hodgepodge of tools and hardware items! She’s headed to total indulgence on the Pacific coast. Which sounds lovely. Shore vacations slow the pace to where family members can recalibrate connections, within and amongst themselves. I love the beach and the soothing sounds of the surf… It’s just that my oldest will be a junior this fall, and I feel the need to extend his experience beyond the sand this year. So… We’re headed to Utah. SIDENOTE: A week after I finalized flight plans, I found out that Matt had informed his class that Mom was taking him to “Vegas” for his summer vacation. Funny one, Matt. I fine-tuned it a little, “We’re FLYING into Las Vegas, Matt. Then we’re DRIVING to Utah.” I don’t even bother to explain things to Matt’s teachers anymore. I gave that up after he announced in second grade that I took “drugs” (antibiotics!). I figure I’m in the classroom and on enough field trips that the other parents have plenty of opportunities to observe me for odd tics and nervous behavior. And Matt is still getting invited to plenty of birthday parties, so we must check out OK… Zion, Bryce, Capitol Reef… We have the basics in place so that we can explore the twisting canyons and cliffs as curiosity leads. It will be hot, so we’ll do a lot of stream hiking, splashing our way to cooling waterfalls. We seem to hike better when there are boulders and barriers to climb over and water to fall into. The kids get tired on the easy trails but beg for more when the trail stretches ahead like an obstacle course. There should be plenty of the right kinds of challenges for us on this trip. A camping trip through Bryce and Zion National Parks some thirty years ago with my own family etched permanent pictures into an impressionable mind. It’s time to return there with my own children. Southern Utah is a vast and inspiring blend of playground and vista. My biggest challenge so far is to not load the itinerary with every park in the area. But the goal of this trip is to introduce, not to conquer… Because you can’t carry every book out of the library with one visit. Instead, you leave with an armload, knowing you’ll be back again to discover more. UTAH! Extremes, Hiking, Nevada Heather Dugan no no