Adventures

Photo courtesy of NPS

Several must-see sights that should be on any bucket list worth its bucket can be found further afield from Albuquerque (see our post on a road trip to Albuquerque here). A visit to White Sands National Monument and Carlsbad Caverns National Park will take you to the southern part of the state, but your driving time is rewarded with two kinds of white formations.

In the southeast corner of New Mexico, Carlsbad keeps its secrets subterranean. Driving through some unspectacular hills to the incredibly crowded visitor center parking lot, you may not have an inkling of the treasure that lies beneath the surface. You can enter the caverns two ways: by foot or by elevator, a crazy piece of modern technology plunging into eons old Earth. We chose to wander in under our own steam and, unlike most visitors, to wander back out the same way.

The trip down the Main Corridor, along the paved but steep trail, reveals highlights around each corner. A favorite trick is to turn a torch roof ward to watch the shining descents of single drops of water, the minute building blocks of the cave.  Speleothems, or cave formations, include not just stalagmite and stalactite, but draperies, soda straws, columns, flowstone, popcorn and dams, all varying shapes and hues of white. In the midst of all this natural wonder, a restroom, snack bar, souvenir shop and aforementioned elevator are to be found. A constant stream of people and 57-degree temperature await you as you explore.

After driving for three hours, you wind down the huge grade of State Road 82 into Alamogordo, the town closest to White Sands National Monument. In the distance is a giant white expanse, reflecting the sky. Nestled in the northern limits of the Chihuahuan Desert, surrounded by the White Sands Missile Range, this monument is small but special. Upon reaching the visitor center, you may be perplexed to see people in snow pants, toting plastic snow saucers. Juxtaposed with the blazing sun, these sights seem most peculiar. Upon entering the park and driving along Dunes Drive, the attire and accoutrement make sense; massive white sand dunes provide perfect sledding hills, minus the snow.

Photo by Pippa Keene
We timed our visit for sunset colors and good photography light, arriving about 2 p.m. Many parking areas allow you to leave your car and stroll for as far or near as you want. But, as most sand dunes look very much alike, keep an eye on the mountains behind you so you may navigate the way back. Though they may look the same to the untrained eye, there are four distinct types of dunes: Dome, Barchan, Transverse and Parabolic, forms based on wind, sand supply and plant life. After walking for half an hour, a peaceful feeling descends, as there are no other people visible. Shadows of cacti and grasses cast crazy patterns in the waning light while tiny lizard feet leave etchings of hasty passage. The hearty Soaptree Yucca can grow up to a foot a year to keep its leaves above the sand, resting on a sand pedestal once the dune moves on.

Both Carlsbad and Alamogordo have every service you need for your visit. A four-hour drive from Alamogordo has you in Santa Fe, the crown jewel of the state.

Photo by Kirk Marshall 

Called “the communities living room”, Ketchum’s Town Square is ground zero for residents and visitors alike. Free concerts, movies and yoga classes, a handy ice cream vendor, and adjacent visitor’s center make this spot a must do in Ketchum. You might bump into friends or make some new ones.

Find some second-hand treasure at the Gold Mine Thrift Store, a repository of ski gear, and other assorted clothing and house-wares. Or check out brand spanking new gear at the Elephant’s Perch and get outfitted for any outdoor adventure. Window-shopping throughout downtown is a great way to unwind after a morning of exertion.

Photo by Pippa Keene

Sun Valley’s Ice Skating Rink, a year-round facility where Olympian’s train, is a cool way to pass some time. Strap on some skates and try not to literally bump into the stars. The summer ice shows are enthralling and can be watched from the dining patio at Sun Valley Lodge or a rink-side stadium.

Use Ketchum as a base for exploring the untamed places nearby. Half an hour drive brings you to the top of Galena Summit. A sweeping view of the Sawtooth Mountains and the eponymous scenic byway greet you. Amazing single tracks like Fourth of July and Ant’s Basin beg for a spin and inviting lakes like Redfish, Yellow Belly and Alturas inveigle you to take a dip and a paddle.

Photo by Pippa Keene

The clear air, mountain town charm, and plethora of activities and adventures make Ketchum and Sun Valley a great summer getaway. Five hours north of Salt Lake City.

Cecret Lake, photo by Kirk Marshall

Only 25 miles away, yet 20 degrees cooler, pack up the family and an outdoor attitude for a weekend escape.

When I say Alta you may think skiing. Rethink this mountain hamlet as a summer destination and revel in the amazing beauty that is the Wasatch without snow. Bird song and pika peeps, moose tracks and porcupine poop, fox holes and rattlesnake rhythms are what you find here by wandering one of the many hiking trails. Add the bonus of a profusion of wildflower blooms, alpine lakes and the long summer days with light from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m., and you can spend the entire day outdoors. Rock climbing, mountain biking and fishing are also pursuits for the nature lover.

Photo by Pippa Keene 

A rite of passage for any Alta visit, Cecret Lake is a must do hike. Just over a mile each way and gaining a modest 450 feet, if taken slowly this hike is for old and young alike. Sky and peaks reflected in the pristine blue water, possible snow bank scrambles, rocks for resting and fish to spot, Cecret Lake has a big payoff in a short distance.

Few things are as decadent as Sunday brunch and few brunches are as splendid as that at the Alta Lodge. Be sure to arrive with a huge appetite, perhaps one you have created by hiking Mt. Superior, and plan on a several hour session. Just try to sample all 40 buffet items. Live jazz music adds to the ambience and hopefully improves digestion.

While Alta is the quintessential quiet mountain town, two miles down the roadSnowbird offers more in the way of amenities. Free Saturday night concerts, Ariel Tram, Bungee Trampolines, Alpine Slide and a mechanical bull will entertain the entire family. Get your yodel on at Octoberfest, starting Aug. 16, and sample Bavarian food and of course beer. With fancy shops, restaurants, guided activities and a carnival atmosphere, Snowbird has plenty of amenities to amuse. If pampering is what you crave, the Cliff Spa can massage, glow, buff, shellac, peel, polish, wrap and hydrate.

Photo courtesy of Snowbird

Lodging options include private homes, condos, chalets, log cabins, lodges and even a campground. Alta and Snowbird are great places for family reunions, weddings, parties or romantic weekends. Only 45 minutes from Salt Lake, the top of Little Cottonwood Canyon provides a breath of fresh air during our hottest summer months. Alta is not just for skiers!

Whale Rock at Island in the Sky in Canyonlands

The largest of the Mighty 5 National Parks in Utah, Canyonlands covers 337,598 acres with a hit parade of features that make Southern Utah distinct. The park is divided by the Colorado and Green Rivers into three distinct districts: Island in the Sky, Needles and the Maze. Author Edward Abbey, a park ranger in Arches National Monument and a frequent visitor to Canyonlands described the park as “the most weird, wonderful, magical place on earth—there is nothing else like it anywhere.” It definitely lives up to his description.

Rising into the sky then falling dramatically 2,000 feet to the confluence of the rivers below, you do indeed look down upon birds on the wing.

Shafer Trail switchbacks

The Island district is the most accessible with multiple short hikes, myriad dramatic vistas, many turnouts and miles of paved road. There are few visitor facilities but many opportunities for solitude as only 500,000 people visit this park each year. With 1/5 the visitors of Zion National Park, you can be sure of some space and peace. Willow Flat is the lone campground here, with a mere 12 spaces.

Many short hikes get you out of the car, into the elements and lead to views of untamed land disappearing on the horizon. Mesa Arch, a portal clinging to the cliff edge and framing the La Sal Mountains, is a favorite spot for sunrise photos, a half-mile hike with huge pay off. Whale Rock is fun to climb, your sneakers clinging to the steep sides of the sandstone monolith. Grand View Point Trail leads to the very tip of the Island, an easy walk to the edge of the mesa.

Mesa Arch 

The Green River overlook allows glimpses of eons old goosenecks, giant bends in the river exposing rock bands resembling layer cakes. Look carefully and you can spy the White Rim Trail as it hugs the mesa edge. This winding 100-mile track made by Uranium miners in the 1950s is accessed by the Shafer or Mineral Bottom switchbacks, requires a 4-wheel drive vehicle and a backcountry permit for camping. An unforgettable Jeep drive or supported bike ride, the White Rim Trail brings you into the heart of nowhere, unfolding the hidden, secret heart of wilderness.

Green River Overlook

Island In the Sky Visitor Center is four hours from Salt Lake and 40 minutes from Moab, a small town that makes a great base for exploring Canyonlands.

Island in the Sky Visitor Center

Photos in this post by Pippa Keene

Clinging to a cliff edge, 2,000 feet above the Colorado River, Dead Horse Point is certainly one of the most scenic spots for a state park and for a weekend away.

Though the name may suggest otherwise, you won’t see horses dead or alive here. Big black bovines graze just outside the park, but the wild ponies are long gone. The gruesome legend behind the name holds that cowboys chased wild mustangs out to a point, across a narrow neck, corralling them on a spit of land high in the sky. Culling those they wanted, the rest were set free. One year the horses were left trapped and with no water the desert quickly claimed them. Remnants of a fence, perhaps the fence, still guard the neck of land that separates the point from the plateau.

Hiking, camping, biking, photography and stargazing are all pastimes pursued in this corner of Grand County. Six thousand feet above sea level, it is 10 degrees cooler here than the desert valley below at 4,000 feet. The lack of light pollution and the elevated nature of the park make night skies sparkle with pricks of starlight. A full moon will leave you moonstruck and a meteor shower will look like fireworks.

The East and West Rim trails connect to make a four-mile loop with half a dozen side viewpoints clearly marked. On the East side, stunning views of the La Sal’s appear, playing peek-a-boo behind red rock outcrops. Cairns, flat rocks stacked precariously to mark the trail, stop you from wandering off track and taking the wrong turn at a juniper bush. As you wander, a glimmer of blue catches the eye. Too geometric to be natural, potash evaporation ponds gleam in a desert of sage and dun, stone and dirt. With nearby Arches and Canyonlands National Parks having strict no-dog rules, the canine lover can rejoice in miles of pet-friendly hiking trails. Just keep your pooch leashed less this become dead dog point!

The Intrepid Bike Trail, suitable for the whole family, begins at the visitor center parking lot. Created through a public/private partnership between the park and Intrepid Potash Inc., various combinations of three loops will keep all members of the family happy for hours. Slickrock, sand and sage greet you at every turn. The views are stunning, the single track stimulating and the sensation of riding where wild horse once thundered is spectacular.

The small campsite has 18 sites that can be reserved online, all partial hookup with electricity but no water. On the weekends, join a ranger for an informative walk or attend a talk in the amphitheater. The visitor center has exhibits that explain the park’s flora and fauna, the usual kitschy souvenirs and an art gallery stocked with local photography. There is even a coffee hut to provide you with caffeine stimulation if the views don’t do the trick!

Dead Horse Point State Park is 32 miles from full service Moab, and 250 miles from Salt Lake City, off Highway 313.

Photos by Pippa Keene