The Beauty of Southwest Utah

Posted on February 9, 2020 by Matt Hunt

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My first visit to southwest Utah came in April of 2016. I was on a road trip that included stops in New Mexico, Arizona and Utah. I came specifically to hike Angels Landing at Zion National Park. That remains to this day my favorite hike ever, and the view from the top was incredible!

I even returned later that year in July for a trip that was focused solely on southern Utah. But that was all before I was into mountain biking. I continued to hear so many great things about the trails in this area near Zion. So with another delay in the start date of my new job, I decided to make the trip!

Problems Along the Way!

Things didn’t go exactly as planned, however! I had just passed through Salt Lake City when my car started acting strange. It felt like it was lunging. Could it be the road? No, it definitely wasn’t the road. I turned off cruise control, and when I pushed on the gas pedal, the engine just revved, and the car did not speed up! My transmission was finished!

I got a second Honda Accord primarily for reliability, so I never expected to have the transmission fail at only 65,000 miles! Well luckily, this was a Certified used car, which extends the warranty from 60,000 up to 100,000 miles. So I did not have to pay for the new transmission! But after doing some research, I learned that the CVT transmission they use in the Accord now is not very reliable. In fact, one transmission shop’s website said they rarely see them last more than 100,000 miles! Needless to say, it won’t be long before I trade this car in and get something that doesn’t have the piece of junk CVT transmission in it!

So while that ordeal didn’t cost me thousands of dollars to fix, it did mean that I had to push my trip back a week. But that was okay, because I still had time. So once it was fixed, I picked my car back up, and went on to Hurricane, UT from there.

How I Made This Trip Really Cheap!

Traveling can get expensive, especially if you want to do it often. Transportation and lodging are the two most expensive things, so how can you cut down on these? Driving is typically less expensive than flying, especially if you’re going somewhere that isn’t too far away. It’s just a little over 7 hours for me to get to Hurricane. Flying would not make sense. Gas costs less than $100 for the entire round trip.

To save on lodging, I camped in my car for free on public lands! In the western US, there is a lot of public land, and on most of it you can camp for free. Of course, there are no services like showers or bathrooms, but if you’re willing to rough it a bit, it’s a great option for free lodging!

Sleeping in your car doesn’t sound comfortable, does it? To be honest, it wasn’t that bad! I got a backseat air mattress, which is far more comfortable than just sleeping in the backseat, or laying the front seat down all the way! Obviously I cannot lie flat on my back completely stretched out, however, I often sleep on my side with my legs curled up anyway, and there is plenty of room for that. To try to keep some heat in, as well as give myself some privacy, I covered my windows with Reflectix insulation. It doesn’t keep the car warm all night, but I do feel that it keeps the warmth quite a bit longer than if it were not there!

Gooseberry Mesa

I spent my first night on top of Gooseberry Mesa surrounded by an incredibly beautiful landscape! I woke up to this:

That day I rode the trails on Gooseberry Mesa, though I ended up cutting the ride fairly short due to the powerful winds! I was on the North Rim trail, and the winds just about blew me over on the exposed parts of the rim! The wind was out of the north, so it was at least not trying to blow me off the cliff, but I considered the risk of any fall there to not be worth it!

The trail was definitely unique, riding over rolling slickrock, similar to Moab, but with a different color. It’s like riding on the moon!

Overall, however, it’s pretty slow going and requires a lot of pedaling. It’s not the style of trail that I find to be the most fun, but it’s a unique experience, and worth a visit. I know a lot of people really love it! The views from the north rim were spectacular, too!

Guacamole Doesn’t Cost Extra

That night I drove up to the Whole Guacamole trailhead, where there are campsites in the immediate vicinity. I took a super cold shower outside in about mid-40’s temperatures with strong winds and cold water! Certainly not the hot shower I’m used to, but it was worth it to get cleaned up after the ride!

As the night wore on, the wind finally died down, and actually completely stopped. I remember waking up at one point when nature called, and noticing how completely silent it was outside! This is something I really love to experience, because our day-to-day lives in the city are filled with noise. We don’t always realize it, because we’re used to it. Which is what makes it even more amazing when you are in the middle of nowhere and experience true silence!

The ride on the Whole Guacamole was more fun than Gooseberry Mesa. Lots of technical challenges, more riding on the moon, as well as a little bit of flowy and faster downhill sections. This is also the closest trail to Zion National Park, so you’ve got great views on the entire ride! I would definitely recommend this one!

Hurricane Rim

My final night was spent closer to the town of Hurricane, and right next to the Hurricane Rim trail. I rode straight from my campsite to the JEM trail, which then connected to Hurricane Rim.

This was easily my favorite ride of the trip! The climbs are tough & technical, the descents are fast & rowdy! I did not ride the entire trail since I had a 7+ hour drive back home immediately following, and I did not want to be driving late into the night. I only skipped about 2 miles on the west end of the trail, however, this is part of the trail that overlooks the town, and has the most elevation change. So I do want to get back down there sometime and ride that section!

The Highlights

Below is the video that I put together highlighting this trip! In the coming weeks I’ll be putting out the regular POV style videos of each ride, so stay tuned for those if you want to see more riding footage on these trails!

The Narrows

Posted on August 4, 2016 by Matt Hunt

Ahhh, it sure was good to be back at Zion National Park! This is without a doubt one of my favorite places, even though I had previously spent all of one day there! After a long drive out from Dallas, I had spent the previous night in nearby Kanab, UT, about an hour away. I arrived at Zion relatively early in the morning, and planned on heading to the last stop on the shuttle, the Temple of Sinawava, which was where The Narrows hike began.

Before I got through the east end of the park, however, I ran into a huge group of bighorn sheep, so I had to stop and take some photos! I originally only saw one standing on top of a rock, so I turned around, and by the time I got back in that area several cars had stopped, and I noticed quite a few. Then more showed up. Then more showed up! They were all females with the exception of one male ram. Of course I focused on snapping pictures of him, because those big horns (hence the name) are pretty impressive!

This has to be one of my favorite animals. And sure, you can see bighorns and other animals in an enclosed space, like a safari drive, but there’s just something so much more magical about seeing them out in the wild. Obviously these animals have been around for a long time, as they can be seen in petroglyphs throughout this area of southern Utah. What a magical creature!

Moving on through the park, I got to the visitor’s center and got my bag put together and caught the shuttle. It takes quite a while to get all the way to the final stop in the canyon. I’d recommend getting there much earlier than I did, and catching the very first shuttle out. I had to wait in line for a while just to get on the shuttle. It was mid-morning, I forget what time, but this seems to be the busiest time of day for the park shuttle.

The trail starts on the Riverside Walk, which is a well-maintained path, so that part is easy. This goes for about a half-mile I believe. Where this ends, it’s time to go straight into the Virgin River! I purchased a pair of water shoes with a pretty thick sole on them a few days prior to leaving, however I was never able to find any neoprene socks. I noticed that many others had the same shoes on, with sizes noted by markers. They were rentals. I should have done more research! Those shoes (and socks) looked legit, and much better than my $25 water shoes. As it would turn out, I really could have used those! The insoles in my shoes came loose, and were shifting all around inside the shoe, and rubbing against my feet. I ended up with skin scraped off in four different areas, two on each feet. The most problematic of them all were on the inside “corner”, if you will, of each foot right at the ball of the foot. This spot on the right foot in particular would end up being an issue for the entire duration of the trip! So if you do the Zion Narrows hike, be sure you are properly outfitted for it! I’d recommend using one of the local outfitters to rent those shoes. I couldn’t tell you which one those people got them from, but I’m sure a little research would reveal that!

At any rate, I’m not sure how far out I went, but I hiked for about 3 hours before deciding to turn around and come back. The water was never even waist deep, and most of the time was only ankle deep. In this 100-degree weather, it was much more pleasant hiking in the mostly shaded, cool waters of the Virgin River! I heard one guy saying you could go as far as 14 or 15 miles down the river if you are so inclined. Obviously I didn’t go quite that far! But it’s a good hike for the family, and you can make it as long or as short as you want.

As far as a photography standpoint, well that was tough. The river was absolutely packed with people, so I had a hard time finding spots where I could get a clear shot. On many occasions, just as I thought I had a clear shot, a group of 10-15 more people would start hiking through. At one point right after I had set up my tripod, this kid literally sat down RIGHT in front of my camera. Ugh, really kid?! I just glared at him, and after a minute or so he started moving out of the frame. I’m sure it wouldn’t be so packed during the cooler months, but at those times a wet suit may not be a bad idea!

Enough words, on to the photos! Contact me for prints or canvases of any of these photos!

Zion The Beautiful

Posted on July 19, 2016 by Matt Hunt

I woke up well before sunrise in my tent in Page, AZ. Since I was up so early, I thought I’d give it a shot to get some Milky Way photos prior to making the 2-hour drive to Zion National Park. I returned to the Horseshoe Bend area, and just set up quickly in front of some bushes. Since dawn was soon upon me, the sky ended up having a beautiful blue tone to it. It was a decent shot, but unfortunately I didn’t take the time to get the foreground bushes in complete focus. Oh well.

After just a few shots, the sky was getting too bright, so it was time to head on up to Zion! This entire drive is beautiful, and I made a few stops along the way to take pictures on the side of the road. I arrived at Zion a little after 8am, and got my bag together in preparation to make the Angels Landing hike!

During the warmer months (I was there in April), public vehicles are not allowed to drive through the canyon, so you must park at the Visitors Center and ride the shuttle. They come by often, so there’s not a lot of waiting around. I got on the shuttle and was on my way.

It was actually a pretty chilly morning, but as I started my hike, I quickly began shedding layers. Even with the fairly gradual slope at the beginning, I had a big bag with my camera, a couple lenses, tripod, water bottles, and some snacks on my back, so it wasn’t long until I was in a t-shirt and shorts.

The hike is pretty strenuous, especially when you reach Walter’s Wiggles, a series of 20 switchbacks with a steep incline. When you get to the last 1/2 mile or so, it goes from a hike, to basically a climb. There are several ledges in this section that do not have a ton of room, and are situated on the edge of a 1,200 ft drop to the canyon floor below! In fact, six people have fallen to their deaths on this hike since 2004, according to the sign at the base of the trail. There are chains bolted to the rock in these locations for hikers to hold onto, just in case. Don’t let this scare you away from this hike, however, as there is still plenty of room to get by without being too close to the edge. You should not be completing this hike in running shoes, though. Get some real hiking shoes/boots. You’ll be thankful for the extra traction. On the way back down, the girl in front of me was slipping and sliding all over the place, while I never had an issue.

Anyway, the climbing part isn’t that strenuous, because you’ll be taking frequent breaks to wait on others to come down, or on others in front you to get up. Once you reach the top, you’re treated to the most incredible viewpoint ever!

I spent a great deal of time just sitting at the top of Angels Landing, taking in the view. I was grateful in that moment, just to be there. Life doesn’t always give you what you want. I always wanted to be married with kids by age 34. However, if that were the case, I probably wouldn’t have been there, in that moment. So there are advantages to any situation. I still hope to have a wife and kids someday, but in the meantime, I’ll continue to cherish the opportunity to go on adventures like this!

Going down was much easier than coming up! That’s an understatement! Once I got back down to the valley, I looked back up at where I had been. I had to take a picture of that! It was crazy to see just how far I had climbed!

At that point, I was starving, so it was time for my first real meal of the day! In hindsight, I should have stopped for a big breakfast prior to that hike, but it’s whatever! I went into Springdale, and with the help of Yelp, found a place called Whiptail Grill. I chowed down on some chips & salsa and carne asada tacos, and washed that down with a Corona! It was perfect! I can highly recommend this place, and in fact I plan on going back when I’m in Zion again next week!

After getting my campsite set up, organizing my car a bit, and taking a shower, it was just about time for sunset. While on the shuttle bus, the driver mentioned that the Watchman at sunset, photographed from one of the bridges, was a popular spot for photographers. Alright, I’m game.

There I got to talking with a nice photographer from California. We shared some of our favorite images with each other. He had an amazing photo from a lake out in California! It was fun chatting while I let my camera snap away on interval shooting.

I wasn’t done yet. After sunset I went up to the Canyon Overlook, as I knew the moon would be out, and thought it may light up the canyon. Yes, it was a little eerie hiking out there in the dark! I hadn’t actually been there yet, so I was completing that short 0.5 mile hike for the first time! I was also the only one up there, which I found a little hard to believe! Why were all the other photographers going to bed? They were missing some great shots!

Nope, I STILL wasn’t done! I stopped on the side of the road (the one you see there where the light trails are) and continued to shoot in the dark. After a few minutes, a truck pulled up and the guy asked if I was getting any good shots. I told him I was getting some great shots! He asked if I’d mind if he tried, too. Of course not! Well he only had an iPhone, so he wasn’t able to do what I could with my Nikon, but nonetheless, here was another cool person I chatted with. His name was Cody, he was originally from North Carolina. He had spent the winter working at a ski resort near Salt Lake City, I believe he said. He had just arrived at the park, and didn’t even have any reservations! He did have a camper that he had built on the back of his truck, so he really just needed a place to park, but still. I love that, though. I love that sense of adventure, and spontaneity! We talked for quite some time, and he even tried to convince me to go on a night hike with him. I passed in lieu of sleep, and then he said something that has stuck with me, “you won’t be telling your grand kids stories about sleeping.” Touche, Cody.

I still went back to get a little bit of sleep, but it wasn’t long before I was up again.

I knew that the moon would set well before sunrise, making the Milky Way visible. Once again, I was up before any signs of daylight, packed up my campsite, and went out to shoot some more!

I went to the parking lot of the museum to get a shot of the Milky Way above the Watchman. Unfortunately, there were a few thin clouds in the sky, but I just kept shooting and shooting hoping they would clear enough for a good shot. It was cool, and WINDY that morning! Once again, pretty eerie being out there by myself. I had a headlamp around my head, and my flashlight in my pocket. I kept my head on a swivel, looking around for other vehicles, or anything else out of the ordinary. Then I heard a rustle in the bushes. I quickly turned my headlamp on and looked that way, but didn’t see anything. There are mountain lions in this park, you know. So then I got my flashlight out of my pocket and shined it in the direction of the noise. Ah, there was something heading this way! I couldn’t tell what it was at first, then it got closer and became clearer. A raccoon! They can be mean, and have rabies! The hairs were standing up on my neck, and I was preparing to do my best Pat McAfee impression and unleash the boomstick on this dude! Luckily, he thought better of it, and turned around and ran the other way. Whew!

So yeah, here was the shot I got out of all that!

After that I got in my car to warm up and avoid anymore wildlife run-ins while waiting for the sun to come up. Another popular shot here is first light hitting the Patriarch’s, which were right behind me, so no need to go anywhere!

This time there were a couple other photographers out, completely unaware of the Milky Way shot they had just missed!

The sun was blocked by many clouds that morning, and there was just a narrow window of opportunity with at least some visible light on top of the cliffs, but nonetheless, I made it work out okay!

After that I went back to the Canyon Overlook for a daytime shot.

Then I traveled back through the eastern part of the park, which is also beautiful, on my way out to Monument Valley!

Zion just might be my favorite place I’ve ever been! I know this is a place I can come back to and spend a week, and never run out of trails to hike, or pictures to take. If you’ve never been, I would definitely recommend putting it on your list! I’ll be back next week to hike the Narrows, and probably Observation Point!