Miles in Montana, beyond

Looking at the blog lately, it would appear we've been hiking more outside of Montana than in. The numbers bear that out as a whole, although Montana is the state with the most miles.

Here's our mileage and days on the trail by state since the start of May:

• Montana: 37.3 miles over six days
• Hawaii: 26 miles, three days
• Oregon: 22.4 miles, three days
• Utah: 15.8 miles, three days

Note that this also doesn't include dog walks and runs on trails near town.

To Utah, and to the trail

We recently returned from a weeklong vacation and visit to friends and family in Utah and Colorado, which also marked my return to hiking since injuring my Achilles tendon over the winter.

A brand-new car packed, we started our trip seeing friends in Salt Lake City and camping and hiking around Moab, Utah. The last time we were in Moab, flash floods drove us to a hotel and then out of the area - this time, we camped for a couple of nights, and found lodging for another. While there, we got into the redrocks in Arches and Canyonlands national parks and on some Bureau of Land Management land. In Canyonlands alone, I traveled about 10 miles of trail in a day - the most since my injury.

A snowy drive took us to Denver and more friends and family, then we traveled the long road home.

Below are the hikes we took in Utah.

Corona Arch



Corona Arch is the first hike Jen and I went on aside from walking our dog Gigi in the Missoula area.

After parking just off the highway, the trail ascends through the redrocks to the northeast, across a rail line, up a wash and then up a couple of ladders to a slickrock area at the base of cliff. Just before reaching the massive Corona Arch - with its 140-by-105-foot opening - Bow Tie Arch is perched high on the rock wall to the north.

Pictures from the Corona Arch trail are here.

Distance: 3 miles round trip.

Trailhead:On Utah Highway 279, 10 miles west of its junction with U.S. Highway 191 just northwest of Moab.

Arches National Park: Tower Arch



Having hiked almost all of the established trails in Arches National Park, we decided to take a longer drive out the Salt Valley to the Klondike Bluffs and Tower Arch. The trail travels west up through the rocks, then down a valley and up again through redrock fins to the robust Tower Arch.

Photos from Arches are here.

Distance: 3.4 miles round trip.

Trailhead: From the park entrance northwest of Moab, travel about 12 miles north on the main road, five miles northwest past the Fiery Furnace area, then 8.3 miles south, northwest and south again to the Klondike Bluffs trailhead.

Canyonlands National Park: Neck Spring



A Canyonlands National Park ranger told us the Neck Spring trail would have an abundance of foliage due to its moisture, and she was right - plenty of desert wildflowers in spring.

After dropping down from the Island in the Sky mesa, the trail loops west then east through two spring areas. Water was trickling when we were there, but I wouldn't count on it in summer. The trail then climbs out of the canyon and onto slickrock, crosses the main park road in the area and returns to the start.

See photos from Canyonlands here.

Distance: 5.8-mile loop.

Trailhead: Travel about 11 miles northwest of Moab on U.S. Highway 191, then about 20.5 miles southwest and south on Utah Highway 313 to the Island in the Sky Visitor Center. The trailhead is 0.4 miles south of the visitor center.

Canyonlands: Murphy Point



The trail to Murphy Point has to be one of the straightest lines I've ever walked. From the main road, it travels southwest for 1.8 miles until it reaches Murphy Point - don't turn off for Murphy Hogback. The views extend south and west into canyon country.

See photos from Canyonlands here.

Distance: 3.6 miles round trip.

Trailhead: Travel about 11 miles northwest of Moab on U.S. Highway 191, then about 20.5 miles southwest and south on Utah Highway 313 to the Island in the Sky Visitor Center. The trailhead is 9.8 miles south of the visitor center.

Red rocks and rain

We recently returned from red-rock country in southern Utah - a place we visit every other year or so. This time, however, we had to change our plans a bit due to heavy rain and lightning.

Originally, we had wanted to camp around Moab and in the San Rafael Swell and hike some slot canyons, but the deluge brought flash floods to the region, and forced us to delay our trip a day and find a hotel room. (On the drive down, I saw a car on a road next to the highway being pummeled by rushing water.)

The night we arrived in Moab, we waited out a storm and took a quick hike in Arches National Park to stretch our legs.

On our only full day in Moab, we managed to get out on a hike in Canyonlands National Park just before another storm rolled in. That evening, the entire town lost power - we ended up cooking dinner on our camp stove in the hotel parking lot.

The next day we drove west, to Zion National Park and Springdale, where the weather was much better and we were able to camp. It rained briefly the first night - just as we were staking down our tent - but the weather the next couple of days was sunny and warm, and we got in two good hikes and a few short walks.

With storms rolling back in, we retreated to Missoula a day early, arriving to a beautiful pink and orange sunset - a sure sign that summer is on the way.

Arches National Park



The night we arrived in Moab, we waited out the rain and lightning, then took a quick walk around North Window and South Window arches (above) as the sun was sinking in the sky.

See the pictures here and here.

Distance: 1 -plus-mile loop.

Trailhead: Arches National Park is 5 miles north of Moab, just off U.S. Highway 191. From the entrance, it's 12 miles on park roads to the Windows trailhead.

Canyonlands National Park



In Canyonlands, we hiked the Syncline Loop in the Islands in the Sky district, which drops down 1,300 feet, follows a couple of washes around Upheaval Dome, then climbs back to the trailhead.

The trail provided great views on the descent (top), some canyon hiking, a scramble up through a boulderfield and plenty of desert wildflowers, such as the sego lily (above).

Syncline is one of Backpacker magazine's "Best Dayhikes" - and while the write-up suggested hiking the loop in a clockwise direction, it seemed we were the only ones doing so.

See the pictures here and here.

Distance: 8.5-mile loop.

Trailhead: Canyonlands' Islands in the Sky district is 32 miles north and west of Moab via U.S. Highway 191 and State Route 313. Park at the Upheaval Dome trailhead, which is 11 miles from the visitor center on park roads.

Zion National Park

In Zion, we went on a couple of 8-mile hikes and several much shorter sightseeing walks.



The first full day we were there, we took the West Rim Trail out a ways. About halfway through the hike, we climbed out a narrow ridge - about 3 feet wide at its skinniest - to Angels Landing, a point 1,400 feet above the floor of Zion Canyon with a fabulous view (above). Chains are installed along the ridge for hikers who feel they need to hang on.



Our second day in the park, we hiked out the East Rim Trail and up to Observation Point, another promontory that looks down on the canyon (and Angels Landing) from 2,100 feet above. At one point, the trail winds through a water-carved slot in Echo Canyon (above).

In all, we figured we walked up at least a couple of hundred switchbacks - we'll be sticking to out-and-back valley hikes for a while, thanks.

See the pictures here and here.

Distance: 8 miles round trip on the West Rim Trail and up to Angels Landing. (Angels Landing alone is 5 miles round trip.) 8 miles round trip to Observation Point.

Trailhead: Spring through fall, Zion Canyon is only accessible via the park shuttle. From the visitor center just inside the park entrance at Springdale, take the bus up the canyon to the Grotto trailhead for the West Rim/Angels Landing, and the Weeping Rock trailhead for the East Rim/Observation Point.