Scottish based aspiring mountaineer always on the look out for some new adventure that will stretch and develop me. One half of a husband/wife Alpine adventure couple.
I don’t mind admitting I’d never heard of Bryce canyon until we got chatting to a very cool retired gentleman in a bar in Jackson Hole.(I am known to start talking to anyone who gets within 5 feet and in the US many folks are the same so we met many new friends along the way. He was telling us how he’d retired with his wife, they’d bought a camper van and were touring all over the US for months on end. The #Vanlife dream for many and the joy of the experience was clear on his face . We shared a beer or two more , some
We got talking and we mentioned our planned route , and how it meant we just didn’t have the time to make the Grand Canyon. His advice was instead to try for Bryce Canyon, to him every bit as interesting and less known, and a fairly quick hit – doable in half a day if you just took the road route through it.
The current leg of our trip should have seed us come down from West Yellowstone into Salt Lake city for a short stop off before heading to Zion but on the road we stopped at one of MANY gas stations strung along US highways and while we sat on the forecourt benches enjoying the welcome hot sun i got the map out for a scan.
Hitting Bryce meant actually overshooting Salt Lake to the south but I calculated we had time so off we went.
You travel first through Dixie National Forest along those amazing wide highways that stretch to infinity and then arriving at Bryce you find there is a great 7 stop scenic route in and back out the park , giving us a great taste of what were there and amazing views.
The landscape is amazing – Hoodoos (stacks of rock) rise in groups like vast stone armies and the land behind vanishes at the horizon – the scale of the US and its natural landscapes never creased to amaze us, each state like its own country almost. Coming from a small island like the UK you soon realise the sheer scale of some other continent when you travel not by air but my road or rail.
Driving along and up the scenic road in Bryce you can stop along the way to view the amazing scenes and take those all important photos but taking time just to stand or sit and take it all in is so worthwhile.
I read a report a few years back , when digital photography was really taking off that suggested when we take so many pictures our memory stops “recording” so much as it knows we have banked it somewhere else. I try now to slow down , take less pictures (VERY hard on this trip) and just let it wash over me instead of jumping out, snapping and moving on.. I’d be very interested to hear other folks experience or opinions of this!
Horseshoe amphitheatres and hoodoos carved by natures sculptors – Wind, Frost and water .
An extract from the official Bryce Canyon website gives us some great insight into its history and formation as a National Park
“Bryce Canyon National Park lies on the eastern edge of the Paunsaugunt Plateau in south central Utah. Bryce Canyon National Monument (administered by the U.S. Forest Service) was originally established on June 8, 1923 to preserve the “unusual scenic beauty, scientific interest, and importance.” On June 7, 1924, the monument’s name was changed to Utah National Park and it was transferred to the National Park Service. On February 25, 1928 Utah National Park was changed to Bryce Canyon National Park. Subsequent legislation enlarged the park to its current size of 35,835 acres.”
Arch formed by wind eroding small weaknesses over countless thousands of years.
Formed from a varied selections of river erosion, tectonic movement, from and wind the shapes, Hoodoos, amphitheatres and arches of Bryce are like a geologists fantasy land! For a longer exploration of the geology check out Wikipedia here but for us it was enough just to enjoy it for an afternoon!
These 3D maps in each park were brilliant for planning routes and getting a real sense of the landscape not possible from ground level.
There is a lot of hiking and back country camping options at Bryce , like in most US parks, check out their website for details and information on planning and booking necessary passes. as well as safety tips.
Roadside Hoodoos – walking among them gives a tiny sense of what it must have been like for the Utah regional tribes who lived in and celebrated these beautiful landscapes.
Next stop…. Salt Lake city then on to Zion! Check out the other reports in the series and I’d love to hear your thoughts, experiences and feedback !
Our final and possibly our all time favourite park was Arches, in Moab (although with so much to do and see in every park its almost impossible to pick a favourite – and ask me to tomorrow and i’ll no doubt change my mind).
Our tight as ever schedule meant we had morning travel from Zion through incredible desert and prehistoric lake basins landscape along those long , straight US highways that seem to stretch forever to that cliched vanishing point.
Settling into our driving rhythm, soundtrack playing , the nagging feeling we were nearing the end of our incredible journey we were stilled awed and surprised by the stunning and unique red and yellow rock sculptures to all sides.
Arriving in Arches around lunchtime we dropped our bags at our hotel and then headed into the park to explore and scope out the main focus of the next morning we knew we had before having to head Northeast and “home” to Denver for the very tail of our trip.
Like every US park the infrastructure is superb, a lovely welcome at the gate and visitor and interpretation centre near the entrance to give you some education and sense of what you were heading into.
Arches park with over 2000 arch structures as well as hundreds of rick spires runs roughly North North West from the park entrance and surrounds a key roadway (Arches Scenic Drive ) but with 1 or two off roads to access other rock formations. Its stunning geology is the product of 65 millions of forces and erosion. Sandstone in nature , what you see today was at one time 1000 feet down and formed a sea bed. The various geological forces warped and bent the rock to start to form what you see today but click here to find out more from the official website . Once exposed wide began to carve at it and formed the arches and spires over time.
As always photos do a much better job than words so ill let the park speak for itself. The first set are from our afternoon into the beautiful sunset and then the second set are a dawn hike up to see Delicate Arch . I hope you enjoy, picture just don’t do it justice!
The park is also renowned for its incredible night skies but sadly the moon was so bright that we literally couldn’t see stars despite a good wait , we will be back !
After a chilled meal in Moab we got an early night to get up early , get our hiking boots on and head back into the park for a sunrise hike up the most famous of the monuments – Delicate Arch
A reminder to anyone visiting these fragile structures – don’t touch! Don’t climb! leave well alone. Thousands of tourists climbing all over these is NOT GOOD! 🙂
After just sitting and taking all of it in for some time we reluctantly started to head back down…. really feeling our epic journey was closing , sad but feeling very lucky to have experienced such an amazing trip and knowing there was still so much more of the world still to see.
The final stop on our return hike was at some tribal petroglyphs (stone art) from the (one time) local Ute tribe . These were a really important reminder that what is now a national park was one the vast lands of many tribes and we were walking in their footsteps. I can only begin to imagine the sense of wonder and magic that these areas must have given these people who lived off of and revered the land in ways we have sadly lost today. They have all of my respect and a lot of my jealousy for what we will never experience.
I don’t how many times we said that in Zion (and in Arches).
We have NOTHING in the UK like Zion. Nothing. I live and breathe mountains be it Scotland, The lakes, North Wales, Chamonix or Switzerland but we simply don’t have the geology that the US does there I said it. We may have some of the oldest rock on the planet (Assynt is approximately 4bn years old) but the red , striated and river carved steps of the entire Colorado rivers length we do not have.
Checker-board Mesa
Until now our trip had been cold, green and mountainous (with the odd giant hot springs of course!) but as we wound for 11 hours counter clockwise south from Wyoming’s West yellow stone we entered fist the sprawling farmland of Idaho and then we transitioned to the increasingly desert like landscape of Utah and Zion.
We had already taken an overshoot “detour” to take in Bryce Canyon (see an upcoming report ) so had some sense of how different the landscape can be as you head into Utah and Arizona but nothing prepared us for Zion.
We arrived initially late afternoon and drove through the park to reach our accommodation taking it in one “WOW!” at a time, very excited to return early the next morning to explore it more. The first thing that we saw as we wound our way through the park was the “checker-board” mesa – a slab faced rock rising high into the air scoured horizontally and vertically by wind to resemble a patchwork of squares. (see above)
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We arrived at our hotel just outside the park, grabbed food and a beer and soon headed to bed too excited really to sleep but tired from our long drive. IMPORTANT NOTE for any travellers from the UK to Utah … you will need ID to get alcohol (I’m 45 and was refused entry to a bar without it) and its only available with food in hotels – they don’t have a bar as such! So plan what you want to drink, don’t close your food tab unless you are finished or you will need to order more food even to get a beer !!
The key objective , again as we had limited time in each park was Angels landing the “go to” hike where many test their head for heights on a narrow (ish) ridge that rises out of thee valley and up along the spine of rising and increasingly narrow and steep path to arrive flatly at the short flat top with views that would take an Angels breath away.
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The route is renowned for 2 things sadly – overcrowding and very sadly deaths due to hikers falling (despite its fairly pedestrian nature for experience mountaineers or climbers). Its not a route to undertake when the rock is wet – regardless of skills and experience.
Luckily as we were there early season and got up very early to catch the first free shuttle bus up the valley (the only way bar walking) as no driven traffic is allowed which is great. We arrived with the few hardy hikers and we set off a blistering pace in the cool morning, the shadow the peaks keeping us nicely in shade.
As we made our way steadily up the winding path and the sun rose we were continually awed by the emerging views back along the valley , rock faces rising sharply all around, lush vegetation giving way to red rock.
The sadness is that again this used to be revered lands for the local tribes and used for rituals and worship – we were very mindful of this and tried to be as respectful of this throughout out time here – not wishing to in any way sully the memories of what had gone before. Truly this was a cathedral for any soul.
As we rose so did the sun and by the time we arrived at the base of the last “spine” the temperature was heading north. I was aware of how crowded and narrow the route could get so we pushed on , trying to move at pace but also ensuring those few who had got out even before us could descend safely . There are at higher point chain link “handrails” but its still a very airy and exposed route – even more so with lots of people but we moved along it, reaching one false summit after the other before finally pushing up and onto the summit slabs.
All along the way the numbers had reduced as “tourists” dropped back, then casual hikers, then serious hikers until only those with a real head for heights or the bravery to push through made the last section. As often happens we picked up some new friends along the way and coached at least one of them right to the top when their friends passed on going any further with a “no frikkin way” !
After a brief time sitting taking it all in and a grabbing a snack (and feeding a local gopher) we decided to make our way down, knowing how many would now be coming up.
After much negotiating groups, helping some, bypassing others, waiting, moving and finally hiking down the last section of the tail the sun was as high as the temperature. In Yellowstone it got as low as minus 1 or 32 , here in Zion only 2 days but a few hundred miles south it was heading near to 40 and close to 1pm!
Top tip… you need to really think about gear/clothes on a trip like this ! Check weather predictions for each location and try to talk to locals via social media or friends and pack to match !
Once down we headed for lunch and as usual were treated to AMAZING US service and MASSIVE portions…… i still feel full!
Next stop (after the local gift shop of course …. Moab and Arches park !
It wouldn’t be a proper outdoor holiday without getting to a summit of something so Day 2 in Yellowstone was all about Bunsen Peak.
Named by Dr Bunsen of “the burner” fame, Bunsen Peak (2610m) sits in the Northwest Quarter of Yellowstone just south of Mammoth Hot springs and is accessible from the road (parking limited, please don’t block up the road!). There is a horseshoe trail leading up the west face, over the summit and looping down east and south back to start (except in Winter… or Spring where its under snow 😉 so make sure you have a map and know how to navigate off safely if needed ).
Essential to carry, and know how to use. The locals did hint it just makes you taste better for the bears 😉
As its off road Bear Spray of course is carried and your hike is punctuated by calling “Mr Beeeaaarr” every few minutes to give any in the locale plenty warning and encouraging them to move off – you do NOT want to surprise a bear or get between a mother and her cubs) .
The trail begins
As its May Bunsen was still pretty banked out with snow and certainly its upper slopes were thick , making going a but tricky (we stupidly left our micro-spikes behind) so caution is needed. A trail leads you up into the wooded flanks and upwards but soon disappeared under snow – so some basic navigation skills in use and the luck to spot a pair of hikers in front kept us on track .
When the trail disappears follow the footprints right?
Some sure footing needed…
Wishing id brought my ice axes 😉
A couple of fairly easy going hiking brought us to the summit, where a cabin and radio mast sit and the views back across West and North are incredible. Its here we met the two other hikers – Jillian and Brittany who soon became our new best buds as together we all made our way off the back of Bunsen , navigating a path through snow and forest back down to the valley.
Sam making her way up the banked out slopes
Yours truly and Sam on the summit of Bunsen Peak (2160m)
Its great to meet like-minded folks who love the outdoors from different countries as we all have that common bond but have so many other interesting tales to share , and for the next few hours as we hiked out we chatted and had a lot of laughs. They were spending a few weeks touring and camping in parks and their trip sounded amazing – it was great to cross paths for a few hours and we followed their travels since via Facebook 🙂
If they are smiling we must be doing something right eh 😉 (Brittany + Sam)Jillian expertly demonstrating the technical move named “The Brittany Bumslide” – only way to get off a hill 😉Bit of a slog off the hill , following our nav route (which was bang on!)Arriving back in the valleyMy key navigation anchor – a hanging valley across from Bunsen
My addiction to summits satiated for another day we headed off back to home , enjoying the drive , drinking in a much of the park as we could, trying to commit the sights and sounds and feelings to the hard coding of memory knowing we’d miss it incredibly knowing tomorrow would be our last day.. and already feeling that tinge of sadness … but then we have so much still to come !
After the brilliant hill day previously and with really only 1 day to go in Yellowstone but the feeling we had only scratched the surface we decided to try and cover a lot of ground, get to the North and East edges of the park and check out the wildlife along the way.
The route took us North from Madison junction (the 1st junction when you enter from the West, in a loop up via Norris and east through Mammoth, Tower-Roosevelt and out towards the East Gate … and then at the end of a day we swung down South West again to see the Not-to-be-missed-or-we-will-regret-it-all-our-lives Old faithful!
Throughout your travels in the park you will see Bison (Buffalo) – LOTS of Bison! These majestic, powerful and family oriented beasts wander, graze and inhabit many many areas of the park and its your job to SLOW DOWN when near them (and in fact don’t speed at all!), keep a safe distance and not interfere with them – remember this is nature not a fun fair.. these rides can bite!
Often you see herds grazing lazily down by waterways, moving slowly as a group through the valleys or using the main roads to traverse the park, either along them – prepare to be patient and let them take their time – or crossing them to get to familiar grounds – again stop, give them space , take photos from a distance and enjoy the scene.
Please don’t ruin it by taking selfies! It both amazed and saddened me in equal measures to see tourists scream to a halt – doors flung wide , cars abandoned in the road and them rush close to Bison for that “perfect shot” of them with an animal in the scene that has been unchanged for millennia – the irony not lost on me… #Idiots (Disclaimer – I do this on occasion but NOT with animals)
Leaflets and web info provided by the park is exceptional so deciding what to do is not hard – but there is loads so planning helps. Time of year , locations and time of day dictate some activity and certainly what wildlife you may/may not see. I was sad to not see Wolves on this trip but will be back and will spend more time in Lamar Valley for sure, at dawn /dusk to get glimpse of these amazing animals.
The following photos’s are a collection of Mammoth Springs (utterly stunning and on a grand scale), the road towards the North East of the park (Lamar valley) and Old Faithful (in that order), with some wildlife along the way. I hope you enjoy them, we definitely plan to go back in years to come and camp to spend much more time in this wonderful place.
Mammoth Hot Springs – located in the North West portion of the park. For information of formations and geology check out Yellowstones information site and Map
Start of the extensive springs area and boardwalkLooking EastMineral deposits creating beautiful coloursMammoth is spread over a wide area and is elevated through a number of tiersBlow holes surrounded by the thin salts crust – active for thousands of years these geothermal vents are part of a wider super structure round the Yellowstone caldera
Salt and crystalline deposits form alien architectures like coral in the pools
The entire hill is a massive section of Travertine, etched and coloured by the springs and minerals coming from them
T
At an elevation of a little over 2000m the views are incredible !
Live and evolving… this boardwalk is slowly being consumed .. if you stand in that water too long your shoes will dissolve and the heat is incredible
Thermophiles (microscopic organisms) thriving in the heat and chemical soup
The alien landscape , one side vibrant colour the other acid deplted white and greyTravertine pools
Lamar Valley Road Trip Taking the road in a long Anticlockwise North and East run we got to experience the stunning vastness of Lamar Valley and its beautiful vistas – Just being out there away from the hustle and bustle of towns is amazing.
CanAren’t they incredible ! – Bison
One of
Sheep Eater cliff – The Sheep eater tribe were so named for eating long horn sheep, this basalt cliff is the heart of their territory – North West quarter, between Norris and Mammoth))Swan Lake (I think, just South of Mammoth) – if anyone knows better please correct me !
The beautiful expanse of Lamar Valley and the North of the park
A rare “non bison ” spot – long horn sheep
Canyon Falls (Artist Point) near Canyon Village
Old Faithful – Swinging back south and west we had to visit this iconic thermal vent for its “regular” eruption. Hint – if going in May wrap up warm and be prepared to wait 😉
On approach.. venting ahead of the main event!Thar she blows! – 100m or more into the sky
Our day done, we set off back to home, via a beautiful riverside driveway and some last glimpses of the wonder of Yellowstone.. too short a visit for sure but now we look to heading South West… Utah – and the next stage of our 3000 miles road trip adventure!
For those that follow me you will know I have become a real fan of Fjerns clothing / equipment since I found them via Sport Pursuit around 2 years or so ago and since purchasing their superb Orkan hard shell waterproof Jacket (review here) and posting my review they have been kind enough to let me try out other items – most recently I just received the Breen Medium / Light Insulated jacket .
A full review will follow once tests in Scotland and the alps over winter are done but initial feedback is this is a well designed , well fitting insulated jacket – nice features like elasticated cuffs and soft fleece lined pockets and hood (partial) as well and side flex panels will I believe make this an excellent mid layer for sweaty but cold Winter walk-ins , a breathable outer for climbing if cold and for ski days when a full jacket is simply too hot !
The Breen has been launched to coincide with Fjern’s new website launch so why not pop over and check them out at https://fjern.equipment
Watch this space for the full review in the new year!
Without writing about 400 pages ad using a million photographs it would be impossible to share the complete glory of the scale, diversity and sheer beauty of Yellowstone National Park so I’ve decided just to focus in on the 3 days we spent there and the key thing we took in which gives you some hint as to just how incredible it is.
We went May 7 – the tail of Spring meaning some south areas were still closed to snow and crowds were lighter which of course for me was ideal but if planning to do same be aware of some limitations for travel, in park amenities and weather (i.e. prepare for the worst and rejoice if you get the best ).
With the South gate (high road) still closed we had to abandon the ideal route out North of Jackson and instead come back out south, then loop west and north in an anticlockwise direction to enter Yellowstone by the West gate, so we had planned for this and booked accommodation at the VERY cool Hibernation Station in the town of West Yellowstone.
As a gate town West Yell’ isn’t massive , in fact its pretty small, but has everything you might need regards places to eat, grab souvenirs, supplies and gas and get information on the park itself and surrounding area. Situated in Montana you can be assured of a warm welcome , hearty food and lovely folks serving you. It has a real US Wild west town feel (to us Scots anyway) as well as mountain town feel.
Broody wintry skills still over West YellowstoneMontana doing what it does best – Steaks!
We arrived around lunch time to decided to max our time and head straight into the park.. rain, sleet and wind starting to die down, we were still well wrapped up and had our waterproof jackets on as we headed in the West gate (grabbing our tickets en route) and headed to the Springs area South West of the park , with Grand Prismatic as our main objective. The still very active thermal springs areas of Yellowstone are like another world – part incredible alien beauty and part post apocalyptic landscape!
I’ll keep the words short and focus on photos with captions explaining what you are looking at but I remind everyone – DO NOT STEP ON THE LAND , STAY ON THE BOARDWALKS. This is not only for your safety but for the protection of this wonder of nature.
For planning supposes , half a day was enough to be able to get around most of this section of the park. (Lower Geyser basin/Midway Geyser Basin/ Grand Prismatic Spring/Fountain Paint Pot)
For a full downloadable PDF of the park and its various areas, roads and amenities see this link
Sometime natures beauty isn’t “pretty” the acidic nature of the springs transforms the landscape
The crust around the springs is often very thin… DO NOT WALK or you may not get out alive !Like an alien world
With it still being cold steam often shrouded our view but it was breathtaking and unique all the same
The boardwalks get you really close to take it all in safelyThe amazing Blues and Greens (Copper Sulphate ?) are hard to see here (Top left) but looked incredible when the mist cleared – in warmer months its much clearer.. but there are MUCH bugger crowds to compete withMassive !
An amazing start to what was an incredible 3 days in the park, now it was time to head back into town, check in , get food… and go see Avengers End Game at the West Yellowstone iMAX!! What a way to top off Day 1 . Ps.. we did also see lots of Bison but I’ve kept those pics for the next post….
May 5th was planned as BIG drive day to get us north and out of Colorado and up into Wyoming for the Grand Teton National park and then soon onto Yellowstone so after 9 hours of a drive fulled by far too much jerky (which became a theme) and heading 460 miles out of Boulder on I-80 and US 191 we arrived in the mountain town of Jackson hole – tired, hungry and keen to get in , dump our kit and plan for the next day.
We found the Mountain Modern Motel easily (on the main road through the town) and after some 1 way confusion managed to park up and check in. The team are amazing – super welcoming, very helpful and the motel itself was only redecorated and renovated 2 years ago and is very cool. Rooms are wallpapered in topo maps, have lovely big comfy beds, sink, microwave, TV lovely bathroom etc and you can grab a free basic hot breakfast in the lobby in the morning. (I highly recommend the Egg and Sausage muffin!
In the lobby is also a large table with extensive maps for planning, and a big old style magnifying glass to help those of us with ageing eyes.
May 6th – As we hadn’t yet bought bear spray, we asked the guy at reception where to buy it but instead he went in then back and produced one for us to borrow free of charge, which really he didn’t need to do as most people would offer to sell it . .A passing local commented that bear spray just make you taste better :D.. all joking aside though bears are prolific and spray really is essential (… although effectiveness is variable apparently ) and carried by all !
This somewhat (our bad) unexpected level of courtesy and this whole welcoming attitude really did continue through Colorado, Wyoming and Montana and we commented
Heading to the Jackson Hole & Greater Yellowstone visitor centre in Jackson or the one in the park itself is highly recommended – similar to Alpine guide centres in Europe the folks there are very helpful, super knowledgeable and are there to help you plan based on conditions at the time. The very lovely lady there also trained us on how to use Bear Spray (essential if you are hiking anywhere around Wyoming/Montana mountains) and checked we had the basic kit and experience to head off into the trails and park. Hearing a Scottish accent its not unusual for folks in Canada and the US respond very warmly and as we discovered everyone was keen to find out more and tell us about their Scottish heritage – handshakes all round and bog smiles we headed off into the park. Stopping in at the main Visitor centre where you can speak to rangers, get back country permits if needed and see exhibitions and find out more a bout the park as well as check out the large 3D map of the area – very helpful when planning hikes.
To access the Moose/Phelps Lake trails doesn’t actually require you to enter the park proper of get a pass but if you want to head in deeper North , to take in Jenny lake for example (which we did after our hike) you will need to buy one either in advance (see the website) or at the ranger gate on the way in (where you also get helpful maps and guides for free).
I had planned (rather ambitiously given the time of year and current conditions) for us to hike up into Death canyon, coming in from Moose around Phelps lake but found that as Spring means a lot of ground snow that we had to hike in around a mile in deep snow before even reaching what would have been the Trail head, then we kept going , post holing for another couple of miles until sense encouraged us to abandon it and retreat.. we were really starting to lose the “trail” , weather (as forecasted) seemed to closing in fast – and going was hard – so we accepted our lot and decided to head back. Having stretched the legs, gotten loads of sun on our faces and fresh air in our lungs next stop was to go see Jenny lake and more of the the incredible Teton range.
It’s a truly stunning mountain range a result of activity along the Teton fault between 6 and 9 million years ago and running around 40 miles along the west of Grand Teton National park and in the south of Yellowstone. In summer you can drive over the South Yellowstone pass which rises to over 2000m elevation , directly north of Jackson but as it was late spring and the deep snows still had that closed off.
History suggests the name of the range is derived from the Shoshone people who called it Teewinot , meaning many pinnacles with the central cluster of the “Cathedral” group of peaks including Grand Teton itself rising to 4,199m (13,775′). One peak today is still called Teewinot (3,757m / 12,325′). Early French Canadian trappers called it es trois tétons (“the three nipples”) so its gone through some re-branding over the years 😀
The Teton’s – with Grand Teton itself (3rd peak from the right) with its peak obscured by cloud trails
A lot of parks on then trip had these beautiful and helpful 3D maps , helping planningOur primary objective for Tetons Park was to come in from East of Phelps lake, from Moose and head into Death Canyon… the snow had other ideas..A good mile of snow and post-holing to get the trail proper – stunning weather … remember the sunscreen … yep that would have been good!
A mile or so in we got to the Trailhead.. allegedly..Snacks… can Mr Bear smell them…
After hiking back out we headed to Jenny Lake to take in the Range and do a bight of sightseeing , tourist style (it was a holiday after all!).
Teton range across Jenny Lake
You can see why many say the Tetons are their favourite mountains in America, lacking foothills like many ranges it suddenly shoots straight up so is dramatic and majestic in equal measure – I will certainly be back to get onto some of it’s peaks!
100 photos’ and gasps of wonder later and back in town, we went for a wander …and to get a beer and some food.
Walking around Jackson itself is great fun – its a great town, very chilled and with a real frontier sort of feel. Dotted with beautiful Bison sculptures, painted in vivid colours with local cultural depictions as well as quirky local shops (also the home of Teton Gravity Research , and in fact there is an experience centre and film House if you have time which sadly we didn’t ), cowboy bars and like most places I visit now a microbrewery serving over 20 types of craft beer. There are also a couple of outdoor/ski/climbing shops so if you need gear or forget something you are sorted.. we grabbed Bear Spray (expect to pay around $50) for heading up to Yellowstone at Teton Mountaineering where again the folks were really nice, helpful and happy to chat.. and to offer money saving tips!
The buildings and bars are really cool.. I could happily spend a week based here , hitting trails and climbing peaks, hanging out in the evening – In winter of course the Skiing is highly renowned. Coffee varies wildly in quality in the US it seems.. focus is often more on volume than strength or flavour but I highly recommend the Cowboy Coffee Shop on Southpark drive for a SUPERB cuppa joe!
Choices choices…..Roadhouse Pub & Eatery – a must see/drink stop
Local shops … quirky was not the word.. it is the US 😉
Dinner was bar snacks and more beer at the Cowboy bar , with it saddle seats, knobbly pine interior and pool tables…
Fresh air and exercise coupled with jet-lag = early night so off we headed to get our heads down ahead of a relatively early rise, before a quick stop in town to buy bear spray and then head south and west to finally head up North to one of our biggest stops for a few days in the very famous, expansive and truly incredible Yellowstone… which I’ll share in the next report…
Hoping you find this interesting , helpful even if you are considering a road-trip or visiting National Parks, id love to hear comments and if you have any questions just let me know !
Months of planning done, last minute mapping complete, ESTA and passports at the ready, kit and clothing all packed (a lot easier as there was no actual climbing this time..) we headed to Glasgow Airport for what was promising to be the trip of our lifetime.. (or at last top 3!).
This is the first of a series of around 7 or 8 blogs covering the trip.. I’ll keep it low on words and big on pics but hope to add some great insights and tips along the way for anyone wanting to give it a go… pre-trip planning was key (and I do love to plan!) and having Plan A’s, B’s and even C’s in the bag meant we could max our time (and even squeeze in an extra park!).
The US National Park websites are superb resources and really do offer everything you need to plan, pre pay passes (tip… if you plan to go to 3 or more parks you may be better just buying an annual pass for $80 covering all US federal parks)
A willingness to drive for hours (the scenery, roads and gas stations stocked like Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory make it fun) , get up early and “go for it” as well as staying flexible and fluid also help – as do basic map skills.. but.. its really easy to road trip in the states as we discovered even for 1st timers so hope you find it fun to read and even inspiring! If it does let me know 🙂
The plan was 13 days, driving 5 states in a big anti clockwise loop starting and ending in Denver an visiting /exploring 5 amazing National parks along the way .. it became 6 but we’ll get to that later.
Landing in “the mile high city” of Denver was step 1 as we were getting our hire car here and it would be our start and end point of the whole adventure. Nice city, lovely people it has to be said and as my wife travels for work A LOT we had a great room at the Hyatt and the team there were awesome!
May 3,2019 – Land around 6pm local time after a 10 hour flight and back 7 hourse due to time zones – check in , sort next day planning, check AccuWeather app (great for multiple locations planning !) ..go to the bar for a nightcap and to look out over the Denver skyline and towards the Rockies! … and sleep.
Denver SkylineThe house from Up? Downtown Denver
May 4 – Up early, walked a quick 2 blocks south to get the hire car and loaded up the car and off we went… bound for RockyMountains national park and now officially on our road trip (can i get a Woop Woop!).. me getting to grips with driving on the working side.. some signs a bit confusing but quickly enjoying it . Have to say we found the US road infrastructure to be excellent all round! No wonder so many do road trips.
On approach to Rocky Mountain National park proper – Estes Park town
This early in May it’s still officially spring here in Colorado and given its altitude (lowest point around 2,300m , highest at around 3,800m (snowed in this early in season)- so drink plenty water, and take your time as you will start to feel effects of altitude if coming straight from sea level) still plenty of snow in the mountains. heading to Estes park and into the park we were limited due to access roads still being closed but already we cold get out and enjoy the BIG landscape. Entering Estes you pass a big rock sign so of course – Photo Stop! when you do grab a seat and before you know it you are surrounded by dozens of chipmonks and Blue Jays – stunning birds with a bright blue feathering.
Off into the park for an afternoon just to get our feet on the ground and “acclimatise” to the US and park “structure” before the main event and before heading to Boulder for dinner and sleep. Mostly driving and the odd stop and short walk up to a rocky outcrop, enjoy the views which are never ending – Rocky Mountain is similar to a “big Scotland/Alpine environment” .. parks to come were not anywhere near as familiar… , grab lunch .. wander round the first of many tourist oriented shops selling everything from Stetsons to mounted stag heads.. its is the US after all!
Some fun on easy rocksThe views just get better!Gotta watch out for bears… but more on that in a future report…Souvenir.. American style – we loved these stores!
Sun , sights, animals and our Park cherry popped we headed over to Boulder for a chilled evening and wander around the cool/hipster pedestrianised Pearl St , before hitting the road for the start of the road trip proper.. a 9 hour drive out of Colorado into Wyoming and to Jackson Hole – home of the stunning and mountainous Grand Tetons National Park… which you’ll find more about in the next report. .. so come back and check it out very soon… trust me , we haven’t even started yet!
Even the coffee shops are mountain related! 🙂Beautiful cherry Blosson lining Pearl St, Boulder Stalls and street displays all along Pearl St.. Suits you Sam!Next road trip report coming very soon!…..Next stop Jackson Hole & Grand Teton National Park
Over a series of 6 posts I’ll be reporting back i detail and with LOADS of pics on what was quite simply the most amazing trip of out lives as we toured 5 US states and visited 6 of the most famous national parks during a loping 3000 mile road trip around the Colorado river basin, stopping along the way in place like Denver, Boulder, Salt Lake City and Moab…
12 days, 3000 miles, 6 parks, 1 Giant Blue Bear, a botanical garden, sunrise hikes, more Jerky than is healthy for any one person and traffic jams caused by herds of Bison…
If anyone is keeping up you’ll know we only started skiing about 3 years ago when a very optimistic pair of friends based near Chamonix thought they could take us out one day at the end of a climbing trip and teach us… they did not to badly frankly – they were good teachers – I was a terrible learner! (See Getting the Blues)
Fast forward 3 years, lessons and practice indoors at Glasgow Snow Factor ( where ca also practice ice climbing ) and a couple of trips out out to Les Houche’s and we set up a nice 6 days on slopes trip to Les Deux Alpes (Les2Alps as many know it) to have a proper holiday, narrowly missing the worst of the English and French half term holiday season.
Rather than our usual landing point of Geneva (great for Chamonix) we landed at Grenoble and joined our pre-booked transfer with Ben’s Bus to head to Les2Alps. Ben’s bus really impressed with prices, size of the bus (AlpyBus is cool but my knees struggle for the journey as its so small!) and also with how well they communicated prior to joining them. As it was still the tail end of French “half term” there were expected journey time delays so their great email advised of this,suggested bringing water/snacks and if braining kids – games, books etc . Clearly they have experience. Traffic not being too bad we arrived at Les2Alps in a little more than 2 hours and checked into our hotel .
Base of Operations
Using Booking.com (I tend to flip between them and AirBnB for great deals) i foind a great little hotel, right on one of the 2 parallel “main” streets called Hotel Le Meije – pretty small (maybe 15 rooms) above a great little restaurant and directly across from one of the main lifts (Jandri) only about a 3 mins walk away. Giving great access to shops and lifts (and bars) its a very central location. These are upsides .. small downside is noise . People passing, happy, laughing, shouting.. singing.. late into the night does tend to keep me awake but .. hey its a ski town! Prices are very reasonable, rooms pretty spacious and staff were lovely it has to be said and the free breakfast was very good (Cereals, breads ,meats, cheese, croissants, pain au chocolat etc etc ). And to be fair its only to sleep and change in really.
As with a lot of Alpine/Ski hotels you need to leave your Ski’s in a room outside.. sadly this didn’t have a lock so insurance is a must however we encountered no issues.
View from our balcony early morning
Ski passes of course are a key part of a Ski trip , I booked ours online in advance and had them mailed to me in plenty time , along with ski hire from InterSport (very inexpensive! , however many, many options are available ) but you can pick up passes in the Place 2 Alps, in the center of town (look for the giant Polar bear!) , next to Jandri lift. Lift pass prices are pretty standard , little cheaper than Chamonix from memory. Les2Alps is often called an “Upside Down” Mountain for the reason that unlike many resorts a great number of beginner (debutante and Green ) and easy intermediate (Blue) runs are higher on the mountains (main areas at 2400m, 3200m and even at 3600m!) with some red and even blacks further down – this means for a beginner (like me) you get some of the best views and access to all the mountain has to offer! . There are around 5 small green/beginner zones also at the very foot of the mountains for walk on practice. |For the more adventurous there is even a free-style park above 3200m! There are lifst all along the valley with Jandri, White Eggs (Oeuf Blanc) and Diable being the most busy as they take you up to key zones – to access the beginner area at 2400m take White Eggs (little round white cabins) or if you have some experience son skis and re happy to ski down a green/ easy blue to the beginner areas the Diable chairlift. The piste map is available here but can be picked up in numerous places in resort
Day 1
We had decided as neither of us is a “great” … or even good… skier that some lessons would be helpful to really help us gain skill and confidence . I had connected to an instructor called Alex Armand who runs TipTopSki via a face book group and we planned to meet her in the afternoon, The morning then was ours to warm up and explore!
After a quick couple or rounds of Vikings (a super easy beginner run at the base of the mountain we decided to head up the mountain. Scanning the Piste map i decided we cold take Diable lift up and use some “easy” greens (Petite Cretes and Demoiselles) to make our way back down for lunch. The plan being to head back up to the top of White Eggs to meet Alex for our lesson stating at 1.30.
Sam on Petite Cretes
The views were stunning, blue sky, clear cold air, mountains all round – amazing feeling for your first day and a reminder why we head to the mountains!
Skiing down we were ok and our basic skills allowed us to navigate Petite Cretes pretty easily and down across the “debutante” (beginner) area, a wide, easy green slope really designed for learning (great fun for us ! :)) . Where it intersects with Petite Cretes we stopped at the restaurant/fast food bar called (La Patachon) (which became a firm favourite – try the hot dogs!) for a quick rest and small beer before deciding then to make our way down to the valley via the long , zig zagging Green called demoiselles. Mistake !
Yes this is a green and designed for easy return to Les2Alps but it is quite narrow, busy and long .. so it became a real challenge for us, lacking good turning skills and feeling the stress of many others shooting by us… we made it down.. it took a lot longer than anticipated, we both were tired and stressed and worst of all going to be late for Alex so a quick text to her and we re-arranged to meet back in the valley. We made it (almost) on time!
The afternoon was with Alex , starting on Vikings (very easy Green) so she could assess us initially then heading back up the mountain via the Diable chair and across the an easy blue “traverse route” called Belecombe, up higher towards La Toura and into the glacier area at 3200m .
The skiing is superb, the views just as good!
A final T-Bar took us up to the top of a great , wide and relatively “slow” Blue running from 3400m back down to 3200m. This gave us a great opportunity to practice turns with more of a run , a bit faster and more importantly with super views including across to the Ecrins .
Ecrins from the viewing point at 3400m
Taking Signal (another Blue) then back up on then lift before heading down Glacier routes we arrived back at the top of Jandri. Sam (like me) was pretty done in from the morning and last hour of Blues so elected to take the Jandri lift back to the Valley leaving me with Alex to ski back down the remaining 2400m (!!) . This gave me a great chance to practice tighter and faster turning, great coaching from Alex had me working on my balance and focusing on getting my weight forward (I’m bad for that! ). As we descended the runs got busier as everyone headed for Apres and I was finding it pretty challenging . On one of the final corners tired legs and poor control led me to wipe out very unceremoniously but Alex soon had me back on my feet, focused and we skied down and out for the pub!.. trashed but VERY happy and feeling pretty proud my Hoegaarden at the Polar Bear Pub (Superb hangout ) went down very well! … as did the one after it 😉
Alex has a great coaching style, never over bearing, very personalised but knows when to let you go and when to challenge you – we will be back !
Alex (TipTopSki ) and me… with beer no.1 !
Day 2
With the legs still recovering from Day 1 we had a chilled morning ahead of meeting with Ski coach no2 , this time from the European Ski School – Monica. Italian and Skiing since the age of 2 Monica is used to absolute beginners so we were in good hands as we were keen to really get back to basics, nail that technique and build confidence to build on the rest of the week. We met her at the top of Eggs at the debutante area where we went through a series of basic drills, identified the weaknesses in our basics and worked on them.
Monica, right – pointing out our route
As with Alex the experience was super fun, very personalised in terms of coaching and we saw further progression in juts a couple of hours.
Looking up Cretes from the Petite Cretes/Debutante area
The afternoon of skiing done, another day of super Blue skies heading to evening we headed down and taking advice from a good mate who had initially recommended Les2Alpes, we headed to the Umbrella Bar at the base of the Jandri lift as he promised “banging tunes” . Right enough.. a couple of beers in and superb techno getting us pumped we headed to change and to food and back to Polar Bear where things got messy 😀 We met up with a few folks staying locally , made some new firm friends from Germany, Turkey and Wales among others (as you do) and the last I remember is Sam buying shots and Champagne for a girl (who’s birthday it was ), her and all her pals dressed like 1920’s flappers… yep I can highly recommend the Aprés in Les2Alps !!.. and it is a holiday after all..
Food and sunbathing piste style at Patachon (note the “eggs” ski lift)
Day 3
Hangover? yep…. late rise.. chilled brunch at a local hotel restaurant, a bit of window shopping (plenty of gear and clothes to buy!) and then back to the easy valley runs around Vikings to keep the legs moving through the afternoon, more blue skies, warming slushy snow more cool folks and basically a day of recovery …
Day 4 & 5
We spent the next 2 days getting as much mileage under out belts as possible, retracing routes Alex and Monica had shown us, working on technique but most of all just enjoying the amazing weather, snow, speed and views – as well as the relaxation you only get in the mountains, so far from the day job.
The awesome wide Blues at 3400m up on the Glacier
Apres at Umbrella Bar – Essential!
Lunches were high on the mountain – and always included a Vin Chaud , cafe avec rum or a beer (small) … its the alpine way! Dinners were in the valley… cheese always a factor, crepes frequent , great wine to finish. Lazy evenings with some shopping before bed and Netflix ready to do it all again tomorrow.
Day 6
Last day.. always sad but we has such an amazing week that we didn’t feel cheated and with a full day to go we were not down at all.. a beautiful sunrise greeted us as a last gift.
Thanks Les2Alps – its been emotional !
Initially we headed high as usual early in the day but it was clear the weather was deteriorating. The wind picking up dark snowy clouds rolling in and by lunch it was falling, mist descending to 2400m so after lunch on the mountain we headed down see lout then rest of the day on the easy valley runs. By the end of the day the snow was pretty constant so as the afternoon closed out we headed back to hand in our rental kit , always a feeling of loss for me but we felt the week had come to a great natural close.
We had 5 days of super blue skies and sun, and a final day on the slopes with much needed snow now inbound to replenish the pistes. Walking along the main street we stopped at a lovely little wine and charcuterie store with outside tables (heaters to boot) so enjoyed an hour of watching the snow fall while sampling some great Pinot Noir and nibbling lovely small cuts of meats and cheeses.
A final walk around the gear shops then we headed to The Spot (highly recommend their “build a burger ” approach – but book as it get busy!) before heading to Polar Bear for a final beer.
Polar Bear Pub … a must!
.. our beer drunk, goodbyes made… it was back to the hotel, pack for an early pickup to take us back to Grenoble, the flight and finally….home to sunny Glasgow. (Yes….It was raining)
Les 2 Alps for beginners and intermediates alike is superb – so many runs, so many options and such a great town – we are already planning to be back!
For more information on Les2Alps (including Piste maps) see their website (or download their very informative App from your usual app store.
To get in touch with Alex at Tip Top to discuss lessons click here – her FB page (and message options ) are here – Tell her I sent you 🙂
A piece written by our resident Mountain Guide Andrew Mallinson, penned before Christmas but very pertinent as the snow and ice returns to the UK and many of us are now gearing up and getting out to the Cairngorms and other areas …
So what do we want in our seasonal stockings ? Well, with the first dusting of snow on the mountains, thoughts inevitably turn to winter and whether we’re “tooled up” for those magnificent days that await in our dreams. Essentials? Oh yes, ice axe and crampons please Santa.
And first of all, they are essential. As essential as map and compass. And the necessary knowledge and skills to use them effectively in all conditions. A series of recent rescues in the Cairngorms, where people were ill equipped beyond belief, well illustrates the point. I make no apology for saying that, in my opinion, such behaviour is rank irresponsibility. Off the soap box now……
There has been an increasing trend from manufacturers recently towards lightweight equipment. Lightweight rucksacks, lightweight jackets, lightweight tents, and yes, lightweight winter equipment. This has been achieved by utilizing lightweight materials and construction methods. This can come at a cost however, in terms of both robustness and durability. The knock on effect can be a reduction in the lifespan of a piece of kit. A cynical person may think this is a purposeful strategy by the manufacturers to reduce costs and increase repeat sales…….
The key for me however is functionality. Will a piece of gear do the job you want it to do ? In respect of ice axes and crampons, I do think the lightweight trend has reduced the effectiveness of the modern, lightweight winter kit.
A wee story for you…….
I had a client last winter who wanted a day of basic winter skills instruction in the use of ice axe and crampons. Her Father had done a bit of winter walking and had an “old” ice axe. It was manufactured by Stubai, with a metal shaft and a drop-forged one piece solid head. My client declined the offer from her Father to “borrow” the Subai axe and went to a well known retailer and purchased a modern, alloy shafted, two-piece alloy head axe….. “nice and lightweight” she said proudly. Up on the hill conditions were great. Lots of firm snow/ice for movement skills, step cutting and ice axe braking. Only, the lightweight axe couldn’t cope with any of these. The shaft had no meaningful bottom spike, the head was too light to bite and the adze bounced off the hard snow/ice. I swapped axes with the client, giving her my “old” (30 years) Mountain Technology axe. My client went home and that evening sold her new axe on UKC and permanently “borrowed” her Fathers axe.
Lesson – being lightweight is of no value if functionality is compromised.
So what do we want a general purpose mountaineering ice axe for ? What do we need it to do ? Self belay, movement support, step cutting, ice axe breaking,….. and some other uses…… banging snow off crampons, sitting on, tin opening, digging, smashing ice off rocks….
Ice axes get a lot of use and abuse, rough use and abuse. And lightweight ain’t going to cut it……literally. Think of it like this….. how you going to knock a six inch nail into a bit of timber with a hammer that has no weight in the head and shaft ?
If you’re buying a general purpose mountaineering ice axe then get one with a bottom spike, a solid straight shaft, (or only very slightly curved), and a weighty drop- forge, one piece, solid metal head. It should feel substantial….. like you could really do some damage with it. And as for that old argument about length, if you’re under 5’8” get a 50cm axe: if you’re over, get a 55cm….. that’s it. Nothing shorter and nothing longer.
The lightweight trend has affected crampons too. Alloy, as opposed to steel, has crept in to the base plates, the points and the bail arms. Yes, this makes them lighter, but again has reduced durability and functionality. Alloy points quickly blunt – try using them on granite and see what happens…… you may as well take a file to them. And once that has happened, try using them on iron hard snow or ice….. useless. So for general purpose mountaineering crampons go for 12 point steel. If you have compatible boots, go for steel toe bails rather than plastic baskets…… which I’ve seen break on numerous occasions….. be warned.
For most of us, we need gear that does the job and lasts a long time. Lightweight can compromise both. Professionally, I need gear that can withstand year after year of punishment and yet still continue to do the job. You should expect no less.
So tell your “Santa” (or if reading after Christmas.. tell yourself ) exactly what you want if an ice axe and crampons are on your Christmas list. Or better still, take Santa shopping, know what you want before you go, and don’t get persuaded that lightweight is best……. because in respect of ice axes and crampons, in my opinion, it’s not.
McLovinMountains.com 