hike – Page 6 – On the Loose Live

Gardner Peak Trail Is Quite Grand, Pine Valley UT

June 20, 2021August 29, 2022livevigorously

Distance: ~9 miles

Elevation: ~2,900 ft

Gardner Peak Elevation: 9,488ft

Difficulty: Moderate to hard, depending on your fitness level and route-finding skills

Highlights: Forest, meadow, wildflowers, rock gardens, peaks with panoramic views

Terrain: At times sandy, rocky, sooty, deadfall hopping, and scrambly fun

I found the Gardner Peak Trail in Pine Valley quite grand. Indeed, it may be my new favorite Pine Valley hike. The Gardner Peak Trail delivers on several levels—it’s varied and interesting all the way to the top. It’s a steady, but fairly gentle climb (2k) through forest, through nature’s rock gardens, through a meadow, (and a recent burn area), and on up to a couple of peaks—2 rocky and the one, eponymous, taller tree-lined Gardner. Pick a peak, any peak, and play. Plenty of grippy, rock scrambling opportunities. The panoramic views are a delightful reward as well. The trail is easy to follow and trail run-able until you get to mile 3. After that, all bets are off. It quickly becomes a route-finding (or create your own route) obstacle -course challenge through deadfall, boulders, scratchy shrubs, and more. If you don’t have a Garmin or All Trails, you might settle for the beautiful “false peak” rock outcropping with panoramic views a I did my first time through.

Second time is a charm of sorts. Went back to find the “real peak” —this time with my friend and extraordinary explorumentary blogger, Sue Birnbaum and her husband, who were nice enough to guide me and my friend Robin to Gardner Peak. It’s another mile or so from the false peak and about 800 feet higher. It involves some serious scrambling, deadfall and boulder obstacle course maneuvering, and some fancy footwork. Fun times for sure. (No major exposure or technical areas per se.) Would I do it again? Not so sure. There aren’t any panoramic views from the peak so when I do the hike next, I’ll be shooting for my preferred false peak – see slide show above. I did sign in to make the peak bag official. Interestingly enough, we came across another sign in “station”—one with rock mound around a encapsulated plastic container of old loose pages- – the other with an intact notebook. So I guess that makes 2 false peaks-lol. The next slide show is from my Gardner Peak take 2 . Extra bonus—lots of wildflowers from the recent rains and little Zen streams along the way. Nice to see the area green and thriving after the past fire.

Notes: If you’re going to the peak, I suggest using a GPS or the AllTrails app. Also, be sure to check out Sue’s blog for more detailed notes on this hike. Your feet and ankles might be happier in hiking boots. If you’re peak-bound, pants are recommended to spare the skin on your legs from scratches, scars, and impalement from errant branches, rocks, foreign objects – you get the idea. Mine looked like I had a brawl with a mountain lion and it won. If you have tender knees, a pole or 2 might come in handy on the descent. Dogs & horses are allowed.

At about .75 the Gardner Peak trail connects with the Canal Trail, which is both run-able and mountain bike-able.

Check out these other Pine Valley hikes:

Forsyth Trail

Brown’s Point

Whipple Valley

Happy Trails!

Zion’s Sublime Subway: Bottom Up—Is Tops!

April 15, 2021June 3, 2026livevigorously

Distance: ~9 mile round-trip (out and back)

Elevation: ~1900ft

Difficulty: Moderate, depending upon your fitness level. (Zion National Park’s rating is strenuous.) Steep and exposed initial descent and return ascent, otherwise fairly mellow trail with lots of stream crossings / stream walking, some rock-hopping, and minor scrambles over boulders. (Good idea to have some longer hikes with some elevation challenge under your belt before attempting.) Since footing can be precarious at times, especially at the Subway itself, but also along the way, expect the hike to take longer than mileage would indicate. Also, you’ll want to take the time to savor the beauty that surrounds you. Average hike times range from 5 to 9 hours.

Definitely one of my favorite Utah hikes so far—epic scenery, waterfalls, the magnificent, iconic beauty of the Subway, and a solid workout.

More than 1 of us accidently took the wrong “trail” down. Not sure how that happened – maybe it was too early in the morning, and too much excitement. If it looks and feels like you’re navigating down a precipitous, vertical avalanche area —retrace your steps back to the trail and continue on. While the descent and ascent are steep, they are on a definite trail.

The hike description noted a strenuous and steep descent / ascent so we didn’t think we’d gone astray until we found the real trail (pic on right) on the way back.

Apparently, there are some dinosaur tracks just off the “trail” somewhere – their whereabouts remain a mystery to me. I’ll let you know if I find them on my next trip.

Keep your eyes out for snakes, toads, and trout.

And yes, there’s also a top-down route to the Subway that requires canyoneering, rappelling, and swimming. It may be in my future—will report back, if and when.

Heads-up:

Walking stick with a solid rubber end and grippy shoes highly recommended. (You’ll be traversing many slippery rock sections through the stream and at the subway itself. Be cautious – safe is better than sorry. Many helicopter rescues occur here. Don’t be one of them.)
Be aware of flash flood danger and heat exhaustion exposure. Get the weather report and double-check with rangers. I went in April and it was 90 degrees by midday—some fellow had heat stroke on the trail. (Bring plenty of water, a hat, and sunscreen.)
This is a day use only area and permits are required. An advance lottery system applies from April to October and calendar reservation applies from November through March. There is also a last-minute drawing and you can always check for cancelations day of—unlikely, but we met a couple who nailed both a same day cancellation opening for the hike and a campsite so you never know. (Permits are $15 for 2, $20 for up to 7, and $25 for up to 12 people.) Lottery, reservation, and permit details here.

Good luck – it’s soooooooo worth it!

Getting there: Left Fork Trailhead on Kolob Terrace Road

Happy Trails!

Yowza! Yant Flat! Leeds, UT

March 21, 2021June 3, 2026livevigorously

Also known as Candy Cliffs, this rocky wonderland is more than sweet- it requires a default to the overused superlative “EPIC” with an added “for sure”!

Only the first mile is a sandy trail, the rest is create your own adventure (at your own risk) across all types of fascinating colored and textured rock topography. Some steep, slippery sections… If you’re lucky, you might find the one crevasse that will take you down to the wash that you barely see in the distance way down below. Or like me, you may choose the wrong route and end up at a dead end, which could turn into a dead end in more ways than 1.

Length: 2-infinity miles

Getting there (4-wheel drive with clearance recommended): Cottonwood Springs Road in St. George to FR903

Notes: Would not attempt the drive or hike in the rain

For similar views at a slightly smaller scale and without the need for a 4-wheel drive, check out the Snow Canyon Overlook Trail

So close and yet so far to the wash below – the point of my return this time

Ravishing (but overrun) Red Reef, Hurricane, UT

March 14, 2021June 3, 2026livevigorously

Short and splendid, this incredibly scenic area features a waterfall, a creek, a slot canyon, a cave, a mini-rock / rope climb, cliffs to scale—oh, my! So much is the span of a short out and back trail (2 miles total). It’s like a mini-Zion. The bad news is that it has the crowds to match. (Sigh.) (Reality pic is the last one in the slide show.) Thankfully everyone is respecting the natural beauty and leaving no trace. The good news is that solitude it just an upcliff scramble or mini-rope rock climb away…

My friend, Robin, easily managing the moki steps in the pics below – looks more treacherous than it is.

Beyond the Moki steps, you’ll find more scrambling “opportunities” and more great views.

Getting there: Exit 22 towards UT-228 N, right on old highway 91 to the Red Cliffs National Conservation area

Fee: $5

Red Cliffs Desert Reserve, St. George, UT

May 27, 2019June 2, 2019livevigorously

First stop on the Utah road trip after 6 hours cooped up in the car, the Red Cliffs Desert Reserve rolled out their welcome trails. Not a bad stop to stretch the legs for hike or a mountain bike cruise. This picturesque reserve with expansive views out to the snow capped mountain range is right next to town and boasts 200 miles of non-motorized trails. (Yes, that’s 200 miles so you can stretch those legs of yours to your hearts content.)

The reserve was established in 1996 to protect critical desert tortoise habitat form being destroyed by development. It worked. You’ll notice tortoise scat on the rocks everywhere. And if you’re lucky, you might see one.

I only hiked a couple miles here, but look forward to coming back to explore more. Perhaps on 2-wheels next time…

Note: the trails can be hard to follow in this terrain so bring a good map or GPS if you venture out very far, and plenty of water, of course, as it’s all exposed.

Stay tuned for more Utah adventures: Scenic delights near St. George Part I: Gunlock State Park and Ivins’ Reservoir