Category Archives: Travel/Outdoors

Indoor Rock Climbing Outdoors

ross park

Photo by Ryan Freitas

There’s a stout little place called Ross Park in Idaho you climbers should know about. Sure, when people mention Pocatello it often conjures thoughts of some poh-dunk, hick town where residents eat potatoes, chew tobacco, ridicule non-white people and carry shotguns in their trucks. Well, Pa, it just ain’t true; except for the gun part. But this is the West.

Within Southeastern Idaho’s largest city is a top-rated university (ISU). A booming high-tech industry, hot springs, several clean, pet-friendly hotels and the West’s largest outdoor climbing gym, er, park have sprouted around it.

History of Ross Park

Ross Park, appropriately named after a pioneering mayor of Pocatello who later became Governor of Idaho, is the focal point of the city’s entire 34 Parks and Rec system.  Ancient lava ledges of multi-faceted basalt separate the upper and lower green parks (Shady Side and Sunny Side) and make for ideal sport climbs. 

The walls offer what is arguably the best outdoor bouldering and top roping within 50 paces of any city street. Drive up and park right in front of the crag. Walk across a sidewalk-sized patch of grass and meet the Shady Side- over 60 boulder problems of every degree of difficulty. A quick walk up a grassy knoll on the East end puts you right on top of that wall. Drop a rope from any one of 30 anchors for your toprope pleasure. The “Sunny Side” of Ross offers 60+ relatively-short (40’) traditional gear and bolted sport leads, but you can walk or drive up to the top of Sunny Side and throw down a toprope if you prefer.

Idaho State University Loves Climbing

 The ISU Outdoor program began bolting the Sunny Side climbs in the late 90s. They started with the more difficult routes first; working their way towards bolting the easier ones over the following seasons so you can find  lead routes for all levels. 

Photo by Ryan Freitas

 

ISU has practically taken ownership of Ross Park. They run climbing programs, offer free downloads of the most comprehensive climbing and bouldering guides to the area written by their instructors and host one of the oldest and most entertaining climbing competitions in the Northwest, The Pocatello Pump.

When you tire of climbing, hang out with the native animals of Idaho at the Pocatello Zoo, located inside Ross Park. The park also features the Bannock County Historical Museum, the Fort Hall Replica detailing life as it was during the early pioneer days. Want more climbing? Drive less than an hour north to Massacre Rocks State Park. You’ll find another 500+ climbs.

Ross Park Specifics

Pocatello is 150 miles north of Salt Lake City, Utah, at the intersection of Highways I-15 and I-86. The climate stays sunny and dry almost year-round. Ross Park is at the south end of Pocatello at I-15 & 5th Ave (Exit 67). Go N on 5th. Turn L on Fredregill. Turn L on 2nd, continuing to the rocks on L. Contact the Pocatello Convention and Visitors Bureau, 208.233.7333. The Pocatello Pump occurs in September-208.236.3912. 

Top 5 Park City Summer Musts

Park CIty Sumer

It’s hot; it’s summer, and you’re more than just a day guest to this vacation town of Park City, Utah. But can you really say you’re a “local”?

Have you hiked or biked the Mid-Mountain Trail? Have you attended the Park Silly Sunday Market or the Canyons Farmers Market? Or boogied on the grass at a Deer Valley Snow Park concert? Eaten breakfast at the Main Street Deli? Gotten hammered at the Fourth of July Parade? Until you express yourself in all things “Park City Summer”, we reserve the right to judge.

So as the summer begins, here are five cool things to add to your Park City Summer (hot) bucket list.

Rock Climb (or hike) in the Uintas

Hit up White Pine Touring for your beta, grab a guidebook, map, and personal supplies, and pack up the car for a day in the wilderness. Head to where the air is cool, clean and quiet; where there’s a lake for the pooch to splash in and where a trail for every fitness level exists- The Uintas.

About 45 minutes east through Kamas on the Mirror Lake Highway, rock climbers will find the Ruth Lake pullout. Hike northwest for less than a mile until a wall, and people scaling it, comes into view. The Lake itself is further along the trail, but for climbers, you can’t pick a better spot to cool off from the Salt Lake Valley heat. The area boasts about 100 sport routes striping the quartzite walls for climbing at all levels. About 1.3 miles north from the large pull out for Ruth Lake, lies the Stone Garden for you more advanced climbers.

Park City Summer
Photo by Ryan Freitas

Paddle the Mighty Weber

Weber River by inner tube or sit-on-top kayak is brought to you by either two commercial outfitters or your own party group. You can also show up on Wednesday evenings for the weekly Utah Whitewater Club float. The Club usually has spare gear and room in rafts. Either way, don’t miss out on your shot at the only river worth paddling within an hour of Park City. Head out I-80 toward Cheyenne then go west on I-84 towards Ogden. The Henefer to Taggert section is about a class II+ – full of mild rapids and boulders to navigate, and nestled in the beautiful, wooded Ogden Canyon.

Mountain Bike Deer Valley

We would have said ride Canyons Resort but Vail Resorts put the kibosh on their bike park last year. The fun and games can still be had over at Deer Valley Resort. For the price of a ticket ($14-53 depending on when and how long you plan to ride), you can pedal on over six mountains, 3,000 vertical feet of elevation change, and nearly 70 miles of trails, including four flow trails designed by Gravity Logic. In addition, several of Deer Valley Resort’s mountain bike trails connect with Park City’s extensive 400-mile network of single track. Do your own thing, join a group lesson or hire your own private guide/instructor to tour you around.

Slide the Slopes

The Alpine Slide at Park City Mountain Resort is a guaranteed thrill ride. But it ain’t the safe Disneyland version. This summertime toboggan-on-wheels can be hazardous to your health not just from the jolt of adrenaline but many a hardy athlete has launched out of the track. After the aches, bruises and road rash subside, you’ll be anxiously drooling for your next visit. Looking for something safer? Try the Alpine Coaster, a gravity fed track that carries you down to the base at speeds up to 30 mph. Hint: double up. The heavier the car, the faster you go.

Fly High at the Utah Oly Park

Adventure Courses at the Utah Olympic Park will bust through your fears, test your limits, and build skills that will carry on into the winter whether you weave through the ropes course, navigate a bobsled (on wheels), ride the world’s steepest zipline, or take a half-day freestyle clinic to learn to jump (into a pool). Or if your heart can take it, try Extreme Tubing. For $15-20, take an inflatable tube onto one of the Nordic Ski Jumps and launch.

Frontsight Brings The Hammer Down

I want to be witty and prosaic about my time at Frontsight but I’m brain dead. Which, BTW, is not a good thing to be when you have to have a gun in your hand for four, 12-hour-days. I’m learning so much so fast my ears are ringing. Or is that just a result of my lifting up the left earmuff before the last person on the first relay had fired? Either way, I’m a mess.

Heading to Frontsight

Four Blonds at Frontsight

Four blonds from Utah in bright colors with snappy attitudes have taken over the 2nd relay (that’s a fancy way of saying the back row of never-ever shooters). Guns are serious business but our Frontsight coach Bishop says the number two rule of our four-day defensive handgun class is to have fun. And that we are. (The first rule is to be safe.) So why isn’t anyone else chuckling at our innuendos and personality? No matter. We’re still having a blast down here in Pahrump, Nevada. Ha ha a pun! But seriously I never thought I would really shoot bad guys and look what I did today-

Bad guy targets at Frontsight

That was the highlight of Day 2- shooting bad guys. By midday, things were starting to click. Another pun! I was pulling my Glock from its holster just like the 1st relayers; I was loading the mag with ease, I was aiming accurately and I was hitting what I sighted.

Students take aim

The sound of the gun and the jerk of the muzzle are becoming second nature. That’s what Frontsight is about. Repetition of the skills you would need to successfully fire a loaded weapon so the movements become automatic. In the time it takes you to wonder what you should do, you’ve been shot. But Frontsight isn’t a place like you would see in a spaghetti western; filled with drunk rednecks shooting pistols and rifles in the air while screaming YeeeHaw! “If it’s not worth dying for, it’s not worth shooting for” is the mantra we hear at the daily lectures. Here, we’re learning responsibility.  This is firearm bootcamp for civilians (and servicemen on their own dimes). It’s where you go to learn something beyond basic point and shoot techniques. It’s where you learn that there’s so much more to learn about guns.

Frontsight’s Playground

Frontsight's Warning Sign

They call this 550-acre compound surrounded by BLM land ‘Disneyland for Gunlovers’. I get it. Pulling into the parking lot I get those same excited butterflies I get when I park under Jiminy Cricket or Pluto and wait for the tram to carry me to the Magic Kingdom.

I have much to share but my fingers hurt. I have to sleep now. I’ll dream of shooting bad guys. I’ll hunt them down and make them cry.

More bad guy targets at Frontsight

My friends wonder if they would be able to shoot a real person. I don’t wonder. I know that if the situation presented itself, I could. I just hope it never ever comes to something like that. The consequences as we have learned are intense. Tomorrow, we practice “tactical movements”. As in we move. Not sure exactly how this works but I’m pretty sure I’ll have a good idea in the first 15 minutes of my day. Giddy up.

P.S. if you’re interested in learning more about Front Sight, the courses or membership, send me note!

Trip Report: Corona Arch

corona arch

CORONA ARCH HIKE IN MOAB, UTAH

Round Trip: 3 miles

Hiking Time: 2 Hours

High Point: 4400 Feet

Elevation Gain: 440 Feet

Best Season: Spring, Fall and Winter

Difficulty: Easy to Moderate

Paw Comfort: Sandstone

Water: Bring Your Own

Map: USGS Moab (UT)

Contact: Bureau of Land Management Moab Field Office (435) 259-2100. www.blm.gov/utah/moab

 

Getting To Corona Arch:

Head north out of Moab on U.S. Highway 191. About 1.3 miles after the bridge that crosses the Colorado River turn left (west) onto Potash Road (State Road 279). Follow 279 for 10.1 miles to the Corona Arch trailhead. The trailhead and parking area are on the right.

 

Notes:  Corona Arch is also known as “Little Rainbow Bridge” because of its resemblance to its Lake Powell namesake.

Stop at the Potash Petroglyphs and Dinosaur Tracks either on the way up to the trailhead or the way back from it. You can see the Petroglyphs from your car and the dino tracks are just a short 200-yard skip from the Poison Spider Trailhead, 6 miles from the Potash Road sign.

corona arch

 

The Padding:

Doggies may not be allowed to check out Arches National Park but that doesn’t mean they can’t visit one of the coolest arches in southern Utah. From the top of this relatively easy but exposed trail you can see the Colorado River and slickrock canyon as well as Corona and Bowtie arches. The most strenuous part of the hike is at the beginning when you hit a steep scramble up to railroad tracks.

Just below Corona, the tracks enter a one-mile tunnel built in the 1960s to carry Potash- form of potassium carbonate used to make soap, fertilizer and glass. Trains still run through the area several times a week to connect to Crescent Junction at I-70 in Colorado.

Make sure you register at the visitor box near the railroad tracks. When you cross the tracks, you’ll follow a flat dirt road then turn up for stone, sandstone and sharp drops on your left. At the crest, you’ll cross the plateau and trek over an enormous sandstone boulder with a cable line bolted in, in case you need extra support. Although not as tenuous as it looks, agoraphobics and skittish dogs should turn back.

As soon as you round the corner, you see that magnificent natural handle arch tickling the sky. A small plane once soared through the 140-foot by 105-foot opening! Of course, the natural beauty of the arch is usually broken up by the horde of hikers converging at its base.

At this point, you may need to have a friend stay back with your pooch if you want to get any closer to the arch. Cairns mark your way to the next cable but unless you’ve got a cragdog or one small enough for carrying, he’ll never make it up the short ladder. Plus, with the sun beating down on you both and the lack of water on the trail, he might be ready to turn around. If you have dog booties, use them. The sandstone acts like sandpaper on their paws and you wouldn’t want them limping their way back to the car.

Keep Going To Corona Arch

If you do decide to continue, the ladder takes you over a small ledge and is actually the scariest part of the hike (unless you choose to climb the arch; in which case, descending the arch is hair raising).

Stop every so often as you hike to Corona. The acoustics carry footsteps and voices for miles. Unlike Corona’s handle arch, Bowtie Arch is a “pothole arch”. Perched about 100 feet from the trail, high on the edge of a cliff, the hole broke through the rock and eroded to what you see today.

corona arch

 

What To Bring

Corona Arch

Protect your pup’s pads with Ruffwear’s Grip Trex Booties. The paw wear features a Vibram outsole that will keep hot, rough sandstone at bay while the breathable mesh upper provides comfort when you’re hiking on those warm days in Moab.

 

corona arch

You don’t have to choose between carrying just a water bottle or lugging a bulky pack when you take the Camelbak Arete 18 on your hike. It’s ultralight but still roomy enough to stash a layer or two, snacks, water and camera. Plus on longer treks you can turn it inside out and use it as a hydration sleeve in a bigger pack.

corona arch

One of the best things about hiking Moab in the fall (besides the perfect weather) is the ability to pack one of the seasonal Clif Bar flavors. The holiday lineup last year was Hot Chocolate, Iced Gingerbread and Pumpkin Spice and sold out fast. Keep your eyes on those REI shelves and snap up this fall’s bounty.

Santa Monica Pier Keeps The Beach Vibe Alive

santa monica pier

If you’re like me- constantly looking for summer fun- then check out this latest entry that seems to be an off-the-hook gathering of beach bums. The Santa Monica Pier in Southern California is officially putting summer on notice. The first-ever Pier 360 Ocean Sports & Beach Festival, June 23-24, will crush the Santa Monica Pier.

On the deck, down to the shore and into the waves, the Pier will offer a complete 360° of California beach culture. A spin around the festival grounds presents a full slate of marquee ocean races, beachside tournaments, immersive art, music, surf history and activities for all ages. The event is totally free whether you’re a regular surf rider or can’t swim a length.

santa monica pier

What began in 2010 as the single-day Paddleboard Race at the Santa Monica Pier has continued to evolve into one of California’s largest ocean festivals, drawing thousands of spectators each year. Pier 360 is summer’s kickoff celebration.

“Pier 360 combines all of the beautiful things about beach life and rolls it into one epic happening,” says SMPC Executive Director Negin Singh. “As we turn up the volume on all of our Pier-produced events, our team is super excited to show the world what we’re all about with this summer kickoff. There truly will be something for everyone!”

The two-day beach bonanza officially begins Saturday at 7 a.m. with a Hawaiian blessing on the sand before diving into the first of 13 competitions. Over 500 athletes will compete for cash prizes, and victorious high school and collegiate beach volleyball teams will earn points towards the national championships. Later, thousands of spectators will line the sand and the deck as lifeguards compete in dory races; and elite stand-up Paddleboard (SUP) racers compete in a challenging course around the Pier. And, if that’s not enough, spectators can catch skaters busting 360’s on the pop-up skate ramp. Hands-on activities include assisting the build of a colossal sand sculpture with the art collective, Think Tank Gallery.

Up on the Pier deck, live music takes center stage, anchored by music festival mainstay Brownies & Lemonade (high off its Coachella Heineken House takeover). Of course, Pier 360-goers can groove with drink-in-hand at the Beer & Spirits Garden, which will be pouring beer and cocktails from 10 a.m. to sunset both days.

While you’re there, cruise the Museum of Beach Life and its collection of antique surfboards, paddleboards, and lifeguard equipment celebrating the long history of beach life at the Pier that dates back to the 1940’s.

The experiential rundown:

On the Pier deck, the festival vibes. Top experiences:
• Beats by Brownies & Lemonade
• Beer & Spirits Garden by Kona Brewing Co., Aperol, Patron and White Claw
• Live Polynesian Band & Hula Dancing
• Immersive Art Installations by Think Tank Gallery
• Eats by The Albright and Seaside on the Pier
• Skate Experience thanks to Red Bull

On the sand, the activities heat up. Major spectacles:
• Beach Volleyball AAU & 4-Man
• Beach Volleyball Doubles
• Kids Activities

In the water, the paddle battles rage. Marquee competitions:
• Stand Up Paddleboard (SUP) Surf Competition
• Paddle Cross Race
• Dory Sprint & 3-Lap Dory
• 1 Mile Ocean Swim
• Long Course Paddle Race
• Splash n’ Dash
• Junior SUP Race

Full event schedule available online at: www.SMPier360.com

The festival benefits The Surfrider Foundation and The Bay Foundation, two non-profits dedicated to preserving coastal access, protecting the environment and improving the health of the ocean environment. Shore to be a good time.

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