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Category: Backpacking

Returning to Chesler Park: Shangri-La of The NeedlesReturning to Chesler Park: Shangri-La of The Needles

Returning to Chesler Park: Shangri-La of The Needles

Saturday & Sunday, March 1-2, 2025

I wanted to start the month of March off right with an easy first backpacking trip of the year, mainly so I could test out some new gear I have acquired over the past few months to help lighten my load a bit (I’ve recently purchased a new backpack, quilt and shoes- among a few other odds and ends), so at the end of January I booked a campsite in Chesler Park for the first weekend in March when Diane was also available. Back about five years ago Diane and I would typically start off our backpacking season with a trip into the Needles District of Canyonlands National Park, but it’s been a while since we did that and the last time we backpacked into Chesler Park was in 2018, so we were looking forward to a return visit and hoped that the weather would cooperate with our plans. We left from home early on Saturday morning and made it to the Elephant Hill Trailhead shortly after 9:00am to begin our hike to Chesler Park.

CONTINUE READINGReturning to Chesler Park: Shangri-La of The Needles
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Red Castle Lakes via the East Fork of Smiths ForkRed Castle Lakes via the East Fork of Smiths Fork

Red Castle Lakes via the East Fork of Smiths Fork

High Uintas Wilderness | Thursday – Sunday, August 1-4, 2024

After Diane and I backpacked into Henrys Fork and then hiked to the summit of Kings Peak in the Uinta Mountains back in 2018, we had talked about returning to the High Uintas Wilderness every other year for a new backpacking trip. Unfortunately, we did not keep up with that idea and have not returned since that trip, but this year I was determined to finally get back and planned for us to spend a couple nights near the Red Castle in the East Fork of Smiths Fork, which is a location I have wanted to visit for quite a long time. Although I would have preferred to do this trip much later in August, Diane was pretty busy at that time and the only weekend that work for both of us was the first weekend in August, so that’s when we would have to go. We left from home after Diane got out of work on Thursday evening and drove up to the Red Canyon Campground within the Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area and arrived shortly after dark. We quickly got our tent set up and were in our sleeping bags by 10:00pm.

CONTINUE READINGRed Castle Lakes via the East Fork of Smiths Fork
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The Elk Mountains: Geneva Lake to Siberia LakeElk Mountains: Geneva Lake to Siberia Lake

The Elk Mountains: Geneva Lake to Siberia Lake

Maroon Bells – Snowmass Wilderness | Saturday & Sunday, July 27-28, 2024

Last year Diane and I had a permit and planned to spend a weekend camping at Geneva Lake in the Maroon Bells – Snowmass Wilderness, but after we had driven most of the way to the trailhead we were turned around by a very slick and muddy road and the weather forecast for the rest of the weekend wasn’t looking too good, so we decided to call it a weekend and headed back home instead. I decided to give the same trip a try this summer and grabbed another camping permit for Geneva Lake, but this time Diane was out of town so I invited my friend Jackson to come along with me. I picked up Jackson early on Saturday morning and we drove around the Grand Mesa, over McClure Pass and then followed the Crystal River up to the trailhead in Lead King Basin where we shouldered our packs and started hiking up the trail to Geneva Lake.

CONTINUE READINGThe Elk Mountains: Geneva Lake to Siberia Lake
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The Flat Tops: Mandall Lakes to Ptarmigan Flat TopThe Flat Tops: Mandall Lakes to Ptarmigan Flat Top

The Flat Tops: Mandall Lakes to Ptarmigan Flat Top

Independence Day | Thursday – Friday, July 4-5, 2024

This year Diane was off from work over the Forth of July and following weekend, but since she was having a friend from out of town visit over the weekend she had to be home by Friday afternoon. Still, we wanted to at least get out on a short backpacking trip and decided to go on an overnight hike up into the Mandall Lakes Basin at the eastern end of the Flat Tops Wilderness. We left from home early on Thursday morning and followed the Colorado River up and over to the headwaters of the Yampa River where we followed the Bear River to the trailhead located next to the Bear Lake Reservoir. After double-checking to make sure we had everything we needed, we shouldered our packs and started hiking up the Mandall Creek Trail just after 10:00am.

CONTINUE READINGThe Flat Tops: Mandall Lakes to Ptarmigan Flat Top
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The Twists and Turns of Salt Creek CanyonThe Twists and Turns of Salt Creek Canyon

The Twists and Turns of Salt Creek Canyon

Canyonlands National Park | Thursday – Monday, April 4-8, 2024

After a rugged hike around Navajo Mountain last year, Dave, Jared and I decided to return to a very familiar place in Canyonlands National Park for our annual spring backpacking trip this year as we started making plans to continue exploring the twists and turns of Salt Creek Canyon a few months ago. Although we have all hiked into Salt Creek many times over the years, I hadn’t been back to the middle section of the canyon since our first hike down the length of the canyon just about ten years ago, and I was looking forward to returning! I left from work on Thursday afternoon and made my way to Indian Creek Country for the evening where I found a campsite and watched a colorful sunset on the surrounding cliffs while waiting for Dave and Jared to arrive.

CONTINUE READINGThe Twists and Turns of Salt Creek Canyon
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