Camping, backpacking, hiking, et al

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thrill
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Re: Camping, backpacking, hiking, et al

Post by thrill »

Freed Roger wrote:A little pricey but we've stayed at a boutique hotel called the Desert Pearl a couple of times.
Knowing Michael, he's probably tying this into a Vegas trip, but if he's willing to do a bit of a schlep in the opposite direction for a brain reset, I absolutely love this place:
https://monumentvalleyview.com/

Stayed there twice and just being out there in the big emptiness is really relaxing.

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Re: Camping, backpacking, hiking, et al

Post by Freed Roger »

tlombard wrote: Image
I'm going to get some of that tape for my kit

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Re: Camping, backpacking, hiking, et al

Post by Freed Roger »

My thing has become paddling down river and hiking and/or biking back. (stash my paddle and lock up the SUP).
Last week I did a Current River hike bike and float. Drove to Round Spring - hiked about 4 m to Echo Bluff SP ( brand new, has a ridiculous hotel lodge so I stopped to eat a huuge breakfast) then 5 more to my bike parked in Current River SP, then biked the mostly downhill 5 to Pulltite (weeeee!). Then floated 9 back to Round Spring.

I enjoy hacking out these routes, and logistics. Have a couple of great routes that work along the Big Piney (that area is underrated - and hardly anybody is there). Have a couple of nice loops on the Meramec. (though the floods messed up my takeout for one. I got out at my normal spot and had to slog thru shin deep mud for about 50 feet. )

i sure got lit up by chiggers though, ate a bunch of cobwebs, even though I had a stick out in front. this [expletive] weather makes the prime hiking so short -where you hike it and can enjoy it with some foliage without sweating thru and risking disease.

I've probably said this before - hiking in southern MO is some of the most rugged and toughest I've done. Mainly because it can get overgrown, and is not as used as the iconic hiking trails out west . It's treacherous this time of year with the pests and perils. And you can get lost, and odds of running into somebody to help you back are slim.

I'm spying another loop route on the Current River but might have to wait until it cools.

Some pics from last week.
[SHOW]
It's thick in there. part of my route was new unfinished trail, so all I had to follow was plastic flagging-no path for a while - which had me wondering for about a half hour if I was on track.

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The new Echo Bluff State Park. Sort of an abomination from an Ozark land perspective but welcome break for breakfast and walking thru untamed trail for a while.
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The views don't come easy and often in the Ozarks. sometimes the powerlines are the only way to get a vista.
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My cruiser
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the Amazing Pulltite Springs
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See my story in Fishing thread, I s
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Don't look too closely
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Sweet side channel
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lukethedrifter
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Re: Camping, backpacking, hiking, et al

Post by lukethedrifter »

thrill wrote:
Michael wrote:My wife and I are in school so we have a limited timeframe we can take vacations. Consequently, we're considering going to Vegas then Zion National Park in late December. Any thoughts on Zion hiking during that time? I'm concerned it won't be fun, but I've always want to go.
I wouldn't want to talk you out of it, because southern Utah has plenty of sunshine, even in December, and the worst snows are Feb-March. That said, you get into those canyons and it gets pretty dang cold. I've never been to Zion, but the Grand Canyon is really stinking cold in the winter. Not a ton of wind breaks, lots of canyon shadows blocking the sun, etc.

The upside is that you have the place pretty much to yourself and it's gorgeous.
Counterpoint: 5 of 6 times I’ve been to the GC were late Feb (once), early March (4x). It was cold at the top, awesome once you dropped down into the outer canyon, gorgeous (72ish) at the river.

Counterpoint to my counterpoint: early March isn’t late December. Also, not Zion.

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lukethedrifter
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Re: Camping, backpacking, hiking, et al

Post by lukethedrifter »

thrill wrote:
Freed Roger wrote:A little pricey but we've stayed at a boutique hotel called the Desert Pearl a couple of times.
Knowing Michael, he's probably tying this into a Vegas trip, but if he's willing to do a bit of a schlep in the opposite direction for a brain reset, I absolutely love this place:
https://monumentvalleyview.com/

Stayed there twice and just being out there in the big emptiness is really relaxing.
Visited Monument Valley but did not stay there. Can’t recall where we did stay.

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Re: Camping, backpacking, hiking, et al

Post by lukethedrifter »

Just bought a kayak. Freed I’m gonna need you to send me you non chigger routes. Or let’s do it together sometime. I’ll try to keep up.

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Re: Camping, backpacking, hiking, et al

Post by greenback44 »

Michael wrote:My wife and I are in school so we have a limited timeframe we can take vacations. Consequently, we're considering going to Vegas then Zion National Park in late December. Any thoughts on Zion hiking during that time? I'm concerned it won't be fun, but I've always want to go.
Another place to consider is Death Valley, which is amazing in December. I doubt the scenery is as good as Zion, but wandering around Death Valley is like a quick trip to the moon.

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Re: Camping, backpacking, hiking, et al

Post by Michael »

Love the alternative suggestions thrill and GB. I'll take a look.

We don't have to go to Vegas. The big criteria, due to my wife's asthma, is we'd really like to go somewhere with low humidity for a week in December and do something active. I'll pretty much go anywhere that fits those parameters.

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Re: Camping, backpacking, hiking, et al

Post by Freed Roger »

Michael wrote:Love the alternative suggestions thrill and GB. I'll take a look.

We don't have to go to Vegas. The big criteria, due to my wife's asthma, is we'd really like to go somewhere with low humidity for a week in December and do something active. I'll pretty much go anywhere that fits those parameters.
https://www.americansouthwest.net/
this website is (or at least used to be) pretty good for ideas in the SW - though I see they've expanded the American Southwest to include ...Oregon....and Wyoming. Though I was surprised how much desert Eastern Oregon has - out towards Bend

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cardinalkarp
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Re: Camping, backpacking, hiking, et al

Post by cardinalkarp »

Just got back from a road trip w/ the girlfriend that began in Shawnee National Park, moved to Smokey Mountains National Park, then visited Shenandoah (after going to Monticello), and went up to see Frank Lloyd Wright's "Falling Water" in Pennsylvania. After hanging out there we came back down through Ohio and Indiana which aren't quite a scenic.

Did quite a bit of camping and hiking, it was wonderful.

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