Hang20

We had a great trip to Utah last summer. Yes it was hot but no hotter than NYC at 90F. Sounds like you are doing a lot of the things we did.

A couple of thoughts: we loved Escalante you would have no problem there on a holiday weekend. We saw very few people in the Devil's Garden or Peek-a-Boo Canyon. There are few slot canyons where you can hike alone! Also if you are in Bryce long enough go to Willis Creek Slot Canyon. After the crowds on the Navajo Loop it was amazing to be all alone.

The Chuck Wagon in Torrey was nicer than I expected.

There were about 100 people on the shuttle bus in Zion who got off at the Angel's Landing hike. We went on to Observation point which actually looks down on Angel's Landing. Wonderful hike. One of the best things we did and no crowds.

If you want to reading my trip reoprot is here:

http://www.fodors.com/community/unit...-gcnr-zion.cfm

Enjoy your trip!

spirobulldog

I haven't been to Willis Creek Slot. For photos and details look at Myers posts for some details. I still imagine that Little Wildhorse is probably better(now I have been to Willis, so I really shouldn't say that). However, I do know that LW can be crowded.

www.toddshikingguide.com Little Wildhorse and Great Gallery is one of the few that he gives 4 or 5 stars for.

spirobulldog

www.climb-utah.com is another good place for info.

spirobulldog

haven't been*

SZ

Thanks for the trip report, Hang20. I am so impressed by all that you and your kids did! I'm not nearly as daring.

Thanks for the hiking links, spirobulldog.

Now, about lodging at Bryce -- Ruby's doesn't seem like my cup of tea. Dayle, you mentioned another motel -- which one did you mean? We want to be very close to the park (actually, we'd prefer to be IN the park, but the lodge is full). Thanks for any tips.

sharondi

SZ - so glad you enjoyed the trip report and found it helpful. I ended up reading through it again for the first time in a long time and got all fired up for our fall trip!

Up until this past weekend, it has been very hot here in the Capital District area. The humidity is the culprit. That is the wonderful thing about the weather out in Utah - no humidity! The dry air does require lots of hydrating, especially when hiking or engaging in other physical activities. We buy gallon jugs of water to fill smaller bottles that we carry in our packs. And we always carry more water than we can possibly drink. We also used a misting gadget to spritz ourselves while hiking - that helped a lot on our hike into the Great Gallery. Other than that hike, I've never had any problem with the heat (or altitude) out in Utah.

The question about 4WD is one that we always struggle with, particularly since we know that we'll be traveling on some backroads. Some of our greatest adventures have been on backroads and having a 4WD vehicle with decent clearance was pretty helpful. In our 2004 trip, we had some pretty major flash floods in Valley of the Gods/Natural Bridges area. The Moki Dugway washed out and was closed for weeks! The dirt road at VOG B&B washed out and looked like a river for awhile.

http://www.pbase.com/peterb/image/21346486

http://www.pbase.com/peterb/image/21362497

For our upcoming trip, I first rented a van that we could sleep in if necessary since we are planning to do some camping. We decided to switch to a 4WD SUV though since we want to check out some remote places in the southeast corner of Utah. We just feel better having more clearance and 4WD if needed. We aren't doing any crazy 4-wheeling, but we like having it for the dirt roads and rainstorms. Plus we got a great price from Dollar!

As Dayle mentioned, 4WD isn't necessary for most places although Sept can bring some rainstorms and even places like Capitol Reef and Calf Creek had us crossing moving water (only a few inches but...) So we appreciate the added clearance and 4WD.

Don't worry about the roads - some places are twisty and steep while others are straight. But most are so scenic that we never notice the scary parts. As my husband always says, how often does your vehicle just drive off the road? Even if the road is scary, just get through it and then pull off at an overlook and marvel at the incredible views. You'll be glad you took the scary road and you'll realize it wasn't so scary afterall.

About lodging at Bryce, keep calling for a reservation in the park. Try a few times a week - but you have to call. You can't do it online. I bet you'll get one. There are not many choices at Bryce. I'd grab a room at Ruby's if you can't get one in the park. I've never stayed there, but its the next closest option. If you can call everyday, then do it. Chances are really good that you'll get a room.

I'm getting pretty fired up for my trip now!! Hope you're enjoying the planning!

SZ

Thanks, Sharondi! Those post-flash-flood photos are pretty astonishing. I'm going to look into a misting thingie.

We've got a room at Ruby's booked but I'll keep calling Bryce Canyon Lodge. Fingers crossed.

I love planning for trips. It's like frontloading two extra months of fun to the adventure. Hope your planning is going well.

sharondi

One of the posters here on Fodor's recommended the misting thing years ago for hiking in the southwest, and my sister and her husband bought them for their honeymoon trip (that we planned for them). I borrowed it for our last trip, and it was really nice - kinda gives you a boost when you think you're just too hot to take another step. Really helped me get thru Horseshoe Canyon.

My husband always wears light colored clothes and a hat - that seems to help him. And we get moving really early - plus you get the nice, soft morning light for photos.

Our planning is going great - all of our rooms have been booked. We'll be camping some nights too. And enjoying the planning too. You're so right...two extra months of fun!

spirobulldog

Buy good gear like

Montbell Synthetic or Super Merino Wool Shirts

Mountain Hardware-Wicked Lite T-shirts(these area amazing)

Ice Breaker-Super Merino Wool t-shirt

Have good socks and breathable hiking shoes. Merrell makes some really good shoes that breathe nicely. I don't like those hiking sandals.

Dayle

SZ and Sharon,

It sounds like your trips are coming right along. Have a wonderful time!!

I'm heading off to the southern OR coast for a little "humidity"

SZ

Woo-hoo! Y'all were right about cancellations at the National Park lodges -- I was just able to book a cabin at Zion for one night. Feeling optimistic about Bryce Canyon now, too.

Myer

Good job!!!

Call, call, call.

SZ

We got a cabin at Bryce Canyon, too. Cancellations worked for me. (I got the reservation through the web site -- called twice with no luck.)

spirobulldog

Im suprised you got them that quickly, but great news for you!!

So, did you get just 1 night each at Zion and Bryce?
I don't think you will have as much problem in Torrey.
There are a couple other small towns on either side of Torrey that have lodging options too.

Did anyone mention Calf Creek Falls hike? It is a nice one, but I'm thinking since it is really dry this year, that the falls might be a trickle, but I have no idea.

The Great Gallery is another amazing hike that you might want to consider. It is on a dirt road that may or may not be suitable for regular cars. We made it fine with a rental, but I know that it can be really bad after a rain. The turnoff to it. is near Goblin Valley Turnoff. It is a 1/2 day deal. On saturdays there is a ranger-led hike to it.

SZ

We got one night at Zion and two at Bryce Canyon. I was surprised, too. September at the Bryce Lodge is almost totally booked (still dates in August if anyone is looking). We booked three nights at the Best Western in Torrey. My Utah-transplant friend said the views from the rooms are stunning, which sounds good to me.

Calf Creek Falls was on our itinerary. Is it not worth visiting if the falls are a trickle?

I was thinking about starting a new topic on this, but does anyone have experience with guides in Escalante? I'm a little leery of doing a slot canyon hike on our own. We're pretty fit but since we've never done it before, I want to be safe.

Alternatively -- has anyone rented a jeep in Escalante? If we go on our own down, say Hole-in-the-Rock Road I don't want our little rental car to get stuck. Thanks!

spirobulldog

You could easily do Willis Creek (myer has done this one a couple of times, I haven't) on your own or Little Wildhorse on your own. I don't think you would need a guide unless it required technical or involved route finding skills. The only real danger is flash floods. Now, if you get to doing slots that have multiple paths that could be a bit confusing. the www.climb-utah.com website lists things as family friendly or weekend warrior. You would be fine with hike/slots/adventures like those, I would think. I have read about Excursions of Escalante, but I haven't used them. Hondoo Rivers is probably the oldest and most reputable
http://www.go-utah.com/Escalante/Outfitter/

I don't think you would find a jeep rental in Escalante, but I might be wrong. You can always call a day or two ahead and ask for road conditions from Visitor Center.

I think Devil's Garden was down Hole in the Rock and we didn't have any problem in our rental.

Some rental cars have very strict policies about taking cars off the main road. I don't know if there would be problems, should you breakdown, on a road like Hole in the Rock. I am really one to bo by the rules. However, when renting a car I tend to gamble on the dirt roads a bit. Iv'e been down many of them in Utah in rentals. The only place that I've see that does jeep rentals is in Moab.

I don't like to see any waterfall, when it is just a trickle. The hike was a bit harder than what I had expected, btw. It is fairly flat and doesn't involve much elevation gain/loss. A lot of it is in sand. Not much shade along the way and we got hot. I thought I would be able to swim in the swimming hole there. It was super super cold. I got in for 15 seconds.

spirobulldog

If you want to do canyoneering(which is absolutely awesome), I would definately look at those guides though.

SZ

spirobulldog, excellent advice as always. Thanks!

InSandy

There are different levels of slot canyon hikes. Some are very easy and can be done by anyone (Little Wild Horse and Willis Creek are definitely two of these). Some require a little more attention to route finding (Spooky and Peekaboo would fall into this category). None of those would require a guide. The roads to each of those are dirt and, while they are usually in good enough shape that a passenger car can navigate them with some caution, you do have to be aware of current conditions.


If you wanted to try something a little more off the beaten path, then hire a guide for a day who would be able to provide both navigation, transport and any support that might be needed.

Yes Devil's Garden is down Hole in the Rock. Spooky and Peekaboo are further down that road.

I like the Calf Creek Hike in the spring, but I don't know that I would go on it in the heat of the summer. The falls are never very big unless there has been rain.

spirobulldog

I'm glad I did Calf Creek and I would do it again. That said, it is probably one of my least favorite things I've done in UT.

I thought the falls usually had a decent flow to them. All the photos or youtube i've seen are usually going nicely.