Photo Journal & Trip Reports (Canyons & deserts)

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Backpacking in Grand Gulch
Backpacking in Grand Gulch
May 2017  |  Cedar Mesa, Utah

At the end of May we spent three days hiking through the upper portion of Grand Gulch, in Cedar Mesa, Utah. This was the third time I’ve backpacked in Grand Gulch, but the first since the area was designated as part of Bears Ears National Monument by President Obama in 2016...

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In, On, and Around the San Rafael Reef
In, On, and Around the San Rafael Reef
April 2017  |  Utah

The San Rafael Reef is the jagged uplifted eastern edge of the greater San Rafael Swell, a giant dome-shaped anticline rising to the west of the Green River in central Utah. People who have driven Interstate 70 west of Green River will likely remember the incredible highway route that cuts right through the vertical red walls of the San Rafael Reef...

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Enchanted in New Mexico
Enchanted in New Mexico
December 2016  |  New Mexico

Over the holidays my wife Claudia and I drove down to New Mexico for some desert time and to escape winter for a while. We spent a few days in Santa Fe, camped in the White Sand dunes, hiked in the Organ Mountains, explored the City of Rocks, and I even got to skate the famous ditches of Albuquerque!

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Two Weeks in the Utah Desert
Two Weeks in the Utah Desert
October/November 2015  |  Utah

In late October/early November we headed out to Utah for a two-week road trip of car camping, hiking, and backpacking in the deserts of southern Utah. We basically drove a big counter-clockwise loop starting from Green River, heading southwards to Capitol Reef, southeast to Dark Canyon kind of near the north end of Lake Powell, to Natural Bridges National Monument, and finally to Cedar Mesa...

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Tapeats/Deer Creek Loop, Grand Canyon
Tapeats/Deer Creek Loop, Grand Canyon
April 2015  |  Grand Canyon, Arizona

Last week we repeated a backpacking trip down into the Grand Canyon which we had done several years ago — a “lollipop” loop from the north rim down to Thunder River and Tapeats Creek, along the Colorado River, and up Deer Creek...

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Death Hollow Canyon
Death Hollow Canyon
April 2014  |  Escalante, Utah

The morning after returning from our previous Escalante backpack, we embarked on another even more adventurous trek – this time into the slickrock country just east of the town of Escalante, Utah...

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Two Weeks in the Canyons of Utah
Two Weeks in the Canyons of Utah
April 2014  |  Utah

Photos from two weeks of travel and hiking in the deserts and canyons of southern Utah, including the San Rafael Swell, Capitol Reef, Escalante, and Bryce Canyon.

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Backpacking in the Needles District
Backpacking in the Needles District
March 2014  |  Canyonlands National Park, Utah

As winter drags on, there are times when no matter how good the snow is, all I can think about is getting out to the desert for some warm weather backpacking. Such was the case last week when Claudia and I drove over to Utah for four days of backpacking in the Needles District of Canyonlands National Park south of Moab...

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8 Dayhikes in the Canyons of Utah - Escalante & Capitol Reef
8 Dayhikes in the Canyons of Utah - Escalante & Capitol Reef
April 2013  |  Utah

In mid-April we spent about 10 days car camping and doing some fantastic day hikes in the canyons of Utah - Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument and Capitol Reef National Park in particular...

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3 Week Desert Road Trip
3 Week Desert Road Trip
October/November 2012  |  CA, AZ, UT, CO

In late October and early November, we spent 3 weeks on a road trip through the deserts and canyons between California and Colorado. Highlights included camping in Death Valley in California, a backpack trek into the Grand Canyon, hiking through a slot canyon in Page Arizona, visiting the cliff dwelling of Mesa Verde in Colorado, and more!

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Backpacking into the Grand Canyon
Backpacking into the Grand Canyon
November 2012  |  Grand Canyon, Arizona

At the beginning of November, Claudia and I were excited to go on a backpacking trip into the Grand Canyon, which neither of us has seen before. It was a great introduction to walk down all the way down into the heart of it, and WOW, we were impressed! Our loop route took us down from Monument Point on the North Rim, down the Bill Hall Trail, over the Esplanade, across Surprise Valley, down into Tapeats Creek, along the Colorado River, up the Deer Creek Trail, then back up to the top again...

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Coyote Gulch
Coyote Gulch
April 2012  |  Escalante, Utah

In early April, we headed to Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument in southern Utah for another backpacking trip into one of my favorite canyons of all – Coyote Gulch. It’s been about 12 years or so since I’ve been here, but I still remembered how awesome it was...

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Surprise Rocks
Surprise Rocks
October 2011  |  Chile

To be honest, I expected the drive back from the altiplano highlands of Salar de Surire towards the coastal city of Iquique to be a barren, boring affair. So we were surprised when about 50-100 km west of Colchane we started seeing a plethora of incredible rock formations along the sides of the highway!

Some of more fantastic looking of these eroded geological sites proved to be inaccessible by roads and would have required a backpacking trek, along with leaving our truck unattended on the side of the highway – both of which we weren’t willing to do at the time...

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Salar de Surire & Las Vicuñas National Reserve
Salar de Surire & Las Vicuñas National Reserve
October 2011  |  Chile

Stocked up with spare tanks of gas and plenty of water, we headed south from Lauca National Park through Las Vicuñas National Reserve, which gets its name from the many herds of wild vicuñas that roam the desolate landscape...

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Lauca National Park
Lauca National Park
October 2011  |  Chile

Last week after our time in and around San Pedro de Atacama we spent several days in Lauca National Park. This area includes without doubt the most stunning landscapes we’ve seen in northern Chile, with the twin Payachata volcanoes rising above two broad lakes, all surrounded by well watered altiplano full of grazing vicuñas, llamas, and alpacas...

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San Pedro de Atacama
San Pedro de Atacama
October 2011  |  Chile

After renting a 4×4 pickup truck in Antofagasta, we’ve spent the last week camping and touring in the Atacama desert of northern Chile, based around the oasis town of San Pedro de Atacama.

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Two Weeks in the Canyons of Utah
Two Weeks in the Canyons of Utah
April 2010  |  Utah

In April I spent two weeks hiking, camping, and photographing in and around the canyons of southern Utah. I visited a lot of new places I haven't seen before, including Goblin Valley State Park, San Rafael Swell, Robbers Roost area, Capitol Reef National Park, Bryce Canyon, and Zion National Park...

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Grand Gulch Loop Hike
Grand Gulch Loop Hike
October 2009  |  Cedar Mesa, Utah

Over three days and two nights this October I went on a ~25 mile loop hike through a portion of Grand Gulch in Cedar Mesa in southeastern Utah. The hike passes through dramatic canyon scenery with vertical cliffs and dramatic rock formations...

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