Superbloom in Kern County

This is going to be more of a picture post, since the pictures speak for themselves!  We were lucky enough to experience another superbloom this year.  We’ve been away so many weekends in a row and thought we missed the flowers, but they are still going strong, one week into April. Nothing feels more like spring than vibrant flowers blanketing a bright green hillside.

For our hike yesterday, we decided to stay away from the Antelope Valley Poppy Reserve (far too crazy on a Sunday) and instead headed to the Kern River Canyon in Sequoia National Forest.  Ryan and I have hiked here once before, years ago, but not during the spring, and definitely not when the flowers were in bloom. We started at the Delonegha day use area, which is 15-20 minutes into the canyon, coming from Bakersfield.

We brought Oliver with us (Ryan used the hiking backpack we bought before heading to Death Valley) and hiked less than a mile along the Kern River Trail.  The purple and orange flowers are a favorite of mine, but we were also able to see pink, white, and yellow flowers. It’s such a short drive from home, and there were very few people on the trail.  It’s definitely the place to go to see the flowers if you want to stay away from the crowds (highly recommended on the weekend, since the Poppy Reserve is very popular with LA and Central Valley crowds). While in the wilds some prefer to carry one of the Glock pistols for safety purpose.

Happy Spring!

Yellowstone National Park: Rough Itinerary and Pre-trip Planning

Our family trip to Yellowstone (and the surrounding area) is fast-approaching, and we are just finalizing our travel plans.  Now is a great time to start thinking about a summer trip in 2020 – reservations open on May 1 for next year’s summer season.  I’m so glad we booked 6 nights in Yellowstone (two nights each at the Old Faithful Inn, Roosevelt Cabins, and Canyon Lodge), even though we didn’t have time to do much research.

With just over two months to go before our trip, we decided it was time to start looking at more details. Flights in and out of Jackson Hole are limited (very few nonstop options from LA), so we will be arriving very late and leaving very early. At a minimum, this meant an extra night at either end of the Yellowstone visit.  In the end, we opted for two nights on each end of our Yellowstone stay – first in Jackson Hole and finishing up in Grand Teton National Park.

Rough itinerary:

Nights 1-2: stay in Jackson Hole at the Alpine House. It was recommended by a friend, and after a quick search, we agreed that it was a good fit for us. The rates include breakfast, there’s a small spa onsite, and an honor bar that we will definitely take advantage of.  Our full day here will mostly be spent in Grand Teton National Park, although we plan to go at a more leisurely pace, since we will be returning on the back end of our trip.

Nights 3-4: stay in YNP at the Old Faithful Inn. We made dinner reservations at the nice restaurant in the lodge for both nights, but will likely only keep one of the two (there are quicker dining options also available at the Inn, so I can see the allure, especially with a two-year-old in tow, of opting out of a fancy dinner for one night).

Nights 5-6: stay in YNP at the Roosevelt Lodge in one of the Roughrider Cabins. I’m really looking forward to this stop because apparently this is a great area for wildlife viewing! Back in January we booked a Old West Dinner Cookout Wagon Ride for our second night there (it starts relatively early at 4:45pm, so that would cover us in case we get in a bit later on the first night). The cost was about $135 total for Ryan and I (Oliver, as a lap child, was free).  They also have options for a one or two-hour horsehide prior to dinner, but kids have to be at least 8 years old.

Nights 7-8: stay in YNP at the Canyon Lodge.  We were able to make dinner reservations each night, but similar to Old Faithful Inn, there are more casual options that might be nice for one night.  Reservations can be made as early as May 1, but we were able to get a 6:45 and 7:15 reservation only two months out.  There is also a casual dining option (as well as a grab-and-go cafe), so we may swap out a nice dinner for something a little more kid-friendly.  I’m looking forward to hiking around the area, and enjoying views of the “Grand Canyon of Yellowstone” (pictured below, courtesy of nps.gov).

Nights 9-10:  Grand Tetons at the beautifully-situated (and extremely pricey) Jenny Lake Lodge. This is our huge splurge for the trip, at $800/night (including taxes).  The location is great and will allow us to maximize our short time in the park. The rate also includes dinner at the lodge, which is normally priced at $94/person. One thing to note is that dinner reservations should be made as early as possible; I just called to book and make reservations, and everything in the 7:00 hour was already taken.

From Jenny Lake Lodge we’ll take an early morning flight out of Jackson Hole, finishing up our 10-night stay in Wyoming.  I’m looking forward to crossing two more National Parks on my list (one of which is arguably the most beautiful), and doing so with our curious little boy!

 

 

 

 

Full Moon Walk – Logistics and Pictures

After we had booked our flight to Argentina, I was researching things to do and found out about this Full Moon Walk that is offered 5 nights a month (two days before, day of, and two days after the full moon).  I was nervous to check the timing for October, but was pleasantly surprised to find that our trip fell within the window for the night visit!  I used this site to get information on the dates, cost, and times for the tour.

Iguazú - Full Moon Walk

The moonlit road to Garganta del Diablo

I sent an email to make a reservation and was sent three attachments – two info sheets (one in Spanish and one in English) and a booking form, which was only in Spanish.  Here’s the general info for the walk – it’s $500 pesos for the walk, plus $200 if you want to add dinner at La Selva, the restaurant in the park.  Transportation is not included in that cost.  There are three walks per night – one at 7:45pm, one at 8:30pm, and one at 9:15pm.  If you decide to add the dinner and you choose the earliest time, dinner has to be after the walk.  If you choose the middle time, you can eat either before or after, and if you choose the latest time, you have to eat dinner before the walk.

We chose to go with the middle time, and to eat dinner (after the walk – although we didn’t have to specify on the form).  Once I sent off the completed form, they charged my credit card, and I didn’t deal with the company at all until the day of the walk.  For transportation, I contacted our hotel, since we were staying in the park.  I didn’t know at the time, but the Sheraton isn’t actually at the main entrance.  In fact, we never went to the main entrance during our park visits.  So we arranged to have a taxi bring us to the front (it took just a few minutes) and also pick us up after the walk + dinner.  It seemed that most people, even those staying in Puerto Iguazú, arranged for a taxi ride with the taxi point services.

We got to the main entrance a bit before 8:30pm (the tour start time).  We didn’t have a voucher (I think if you book the trip while you’re there, in the park, you can pick up an actual voucher).  But our names were on the list, and we were brought in front of a shop to get our vouchers for the tour and for dinner.  There were a few stores still open, so we browsed while we waited for the tour to start.  Nothing happened until 9pm, when they gathered everyone around and explained a bit about the park (there was a Spanish and English group).  The group was about 100 people large, and we finally piled into the train around 9:20pm.  The walk to the falls was very peaceful.  We had just done the walk that afternoon, but for some people on the tour it would be their first time seeing the falls.

The Garganta de Diablo was magical at night.  The pictures don’t do it justice.  The waterfalls were flowing at a tremendous rate, so sometimes the mist would almost completely cover the falling water. We were so lucky that we had such a clear night.  In fact, they will cancel the walk if it’s too cloudy, since there are no lights to guide you other than the moon. We had about 25-30 minutes at the actual platform (it takes maybe 15 minutes to walk out there), and there were no issues getting great views from all angles, even with 100 people.

Garganta del Diablo at nightGarganta del Diablo at night #2

Kristin on the Full Moon Walk

I’m so glad I found out about that walk, and that it worked with the timing of our trip.  I chose the first available night (the second night of our trip) in case bad weather caused the walk to be canceled.  That way we could potentially rebook for the following night.  As I already mentioned, we were ver lucky and had a clear night for our visit.

Dinner at La Selva was pretty good.  Nothing great, but it was a buffet and had a meat station (I didn’t try anything, but Ryan did and enjoyed it).  Since we were staying at the Sheraton, I’m glad we ate at La Selva instead of driving into town, but if you’re staying in Puerto Iguazu, I’d opt to do the walk at 7:45 or 8:30 and then head back to town for dinner afterwards, since there are many dining options that are superior to La Selva.

I’m so glad this all worked out – I was a bit skeptical since booking the visit seemed a bit too easy, and didn’t require any follow-up.  It was a fun way to spend our second night in the park, and a great way to appreciate the falls without as much of a crowd.  While I wouldn’t go out of my way to rearrange my trip to plan around the full moon walk, it’s a bonus if you happen to be visiting at the right time!

 

Guide to the Top-Down Narrows in Zion National Park for First Time Backpackers

The Narrows is the centerpiece of Zion National Park.  The mystery of sun rays filtering through the constricted slot canyons of the Narrows captivate visitors like few other natural wonders.  The surreal photographs of the Narrow ultimately inspired us to embark on our first ever backpacking trip, despite its length, logistical complexity, danger, and technical elements.  The top-down Narrows trail is not a beginning backpacker’s route, but it is very possible for first timers to enjoy and safely complete, especially after reading this guide!  The award is unforgettable vistas, numerous adventures to share with others, and a tremendous sense of accomplishment.

The Narrows - Wall Street

When to Go?

Deciding when to visit Zion National Park to backpack the Narrows is tricky.  The National Park Service will not issue backpacking permits unless the flow rate of the Virgin River North Fork is below 120 cubic feet per second.  On average, spring runoff keeps flow rates above this level into May.  In the summer, starting in July, the risk of flash floods picks-up.  And after this risk subsides in late September, water temperatures have dropped to the point where wetsuits are recommended.  The graph below, constructed using historical USGS river data and NOAA temperature data, presents these trade-offs throughout the year.  We decided to go on the July 4 weekend, just after flow rates have dropped and water temperatures have risen, but before flash flood risk picks-up.  Unfortunately, we had to endure high daily temperatures, but the water and the shade in the canyon generally kept us cool.

Virgin River Conditions for Hiking the Narrows Graph

Graph Details: Flow rates are measured for the North Fork of the Virgin River, and represent average values going back to 1963 (data source: USGS).  Water temperatures are measured downstream in Virgin, UT, and are likely several degrees warmer than the water temperature in the Narrows (data source: USGS).  Flash flood risk is constructed by tracking the number of days where > 500% average flow was observed historically by week.  Average daily high temperatures are measured in St. George, UT (data source: NOAA) and are likely 10 degrees or so warmer than what would be experienced in the Narrows.

Logistics

The National Park Service only allows twelve groups of backpackers to stay in the Narrows each night.  Prospective hikers have two options: commit two months ahead of time and try and reserve one of six campsites online or try your luck  to get one of the other six campsites made available the day before at the Zion Canyon Wilderness Desk.

We opted for the former, and logged-in to the Wilderness Reservation System the minute reservations became available for July at 10am MDT on May 5 (see complete calendar).  We sweated for fifteen long minutes as the successive confirmation pages took forever to load.  Our patience paid off (we didn’t act on our temptation to refresh), and we were rewarded with a reservation for a campsite (#9) and hiking date of choice.  I don’t believe there would have been any time for considering our choices, so I recommend researching the campgrounds on the Zion National Park website first and being ready to act as soon as reservations become available at 10am.  Make sure the campground you select can accommodate your group size.  Also note that you will be the only one at a particular campsite.  The National Park Service does not combine groups at campsites, so even if you reserve a campsite with room for twelve, and you only have two people, you’ll have the campsite to yourselves.

During the hike, we ran into a couple of groups that obtained their permits the day before the Wilderness Desk.  The Wilderness Desk does not open until 7am (8am in Winter), but the groups we talked to were waiting outside before 5am.  I can’t guarantee that arriving at 5am will guarantee you one of the six spots available, but it’s a data point.

In addition to the backpacking permit, the other logistical item that must be addressed beforehand is transportation to the trailhead.  The Narrows Top-Down hike begins at Chamberlin’s Ranch, which is 32 miles from Springdale, over half of which are on slow, winding dirt roads (trip time is about 90 minutes).  There is limited parking at the trailhead that would allow a group with multiple vehicles to park overnight and return the next day, but we opted to pay for a ride through Zion Adventure Company.  They offer daily shuttles arriving at the trailhead at 7:45am or 11:00am for $37/person.  As discussed later on, with the amount of time it takes to traverse the Narrows, we were glad we took the earlier option, even though we were staying overnight.  There are other outfits that offer shuttles, but it is definitely a good idea to book early, because you’ll be competing with both backpackers and people attempting to do the Top-Down hike in one day.

Equipment

ZionEquipmentAs first time backpackers, understanding the equipment needs for the hike was a chief concern for us, especially with the unique conditions of the Narrows.  We were fortunate to have a friend with a lot of backpacking gear we could borrow.  However, the Narrows present the unique challenge of keeping equipment dry when being completely submerged in water.  Accordingly, we purchased a few dry bags online.  Here is what we brought for our excursion in July:

  • Backpack: Our friend let us borrow 2 backpacks with about 4500 cubic inches of space.  As a novice packer, we needed every spare cubic inch of that space for our equipment.  Both backpacks were also equipped with a Camelback-style water storage system.  On the second day of the hike, we received the tip that the backpacks should be tightened so that they stay high up on your back.  We wished we would have known this early, as we found our backs were far less sore on the second day.
  • Tent: A small 2-person backpackers tent was a good compromise between comfort and weight and space requirements in our packs.
  • Sleeping Bags: We brought two synthetic sleeping bags also borrowed from a friend.  Synthetic was a good choice, instead of wool, because if they did get wet, it would be far less devastating.  We also didn’t need the superior insulation qualities of wool in July.  Along with the sleeping bags, we brought two lightweight sleeping pads we strapped to the back of our backs to provide a bit of padding on the hard ground.
  • Shoes & Socks: We rented the warm water package from Zion Adventure Company that included neoprene socks, Cannoneer-2 water shoes, and a hiking pole for $35 for the two day hike.  The shoes provide great traction and are probably reasonably comfortable considering all the rock hopping we did in them.  However, my wife was disappointed that they are not particularly stylish.  The neoprene socks did keep our feet dry and warm, and were not too uncomfortable.
  • Dry Sacks: We bought dry sacks in a variety of sizes for our hike to keep our equipment dry, including two bags large enough to contain our sleeping bag (20 liter), and small ones for our camera and phones (3 liter).  These proved essential, as we went through several chest deep areas and would have had to live with wet sleeping bags or malfunctioning electronics without the protection.
  • Sustenance: For the one night, we decided to survive on cold food instead of packing a stove.  Beef jerky, dried fruit, granola bars, cheeze-its, and turkey sandwiches provided plenty of variety and were easy to pack and carry.  We also brought along a water filter to re-fill our camelbacks.  We passed another group that was using a UV light, but they mentioned it isn’t effective if the water isn’t clear (which it wasn’t on our first day).

The Hike

After arriving at the trailhead by shuttle and getting our gear ready, we started our hike just before 8am.  During the hike, we compared our times to the timetable provided on the map provided by the Wilderness Desk.  We’ve provided a comparison of our actual achieved times against the time guidelines in the table below for day one:

Landmark Official Time Our Time
Bulloch’s Cabin 1 hour 50 minutes
First Narrows 3 hours, 30 minutes 3 hours, 50 minutes
Waterfall 4 hours, 15 minutes 5 hours, 30 minutes
Deep Creek 5 hours 6 hours, 15 minutes
Campsite #9 6 hours, 15 minutes 7 hours, 45 minutes

To our distress, we found ourselves quickly running increasingly behind the time guidance after we entered the water, even though we were outpacing other hikers.  This especially proved unnerving after lunch when it began to rain and we heard thunder, potentially indicating a risk for flash floods.  We believe a big reason for our slow pace is that at first, we spent a lot of time hiking in the water.  We later discovered that trails have been cleared along most of the route, and that there are only small portions of the river that need to be transversed directly.  Traveling in the river is generally slower, due to unexpected rocks and occasionally strong currents.  In retrospect, we wished we would have not stressed too much about keeping to the official timeline, and took more time to enjoy the scenery.  The Upper Narrows (see snapshot bellow) between Bullock’s Cabin and the waterfall offer views that rival those in Wall Street (the famous narrows closer to Zion Canyon), but with complete solitude.  It is really a spiritual experience.

Upper NarrowsDespite our back aches from our heavy packs, we were very pleased we opted to stay overnight.  Our feet were extremely sore by the time we reached campsite #9 and I couldn’t imagine going much further.  We were also very happy we started on the early shuttle, as it was already 3:45pm.  With just enough energy to change into more comfortable camp clothing and eat our packed supper, we went to bed fairly early.

We had a slower start than we would have liked the next day.  We didn’t leave camp until around 8am.  Originally, we wanted an earlier start to beat the crowds in Wall Street hiking up the river.  Unlike our experience on the first day, we were able to mostly keep up with the time guidelines provided by the Wilderness Desk.  Here is a table with travel time on day two from Campground #9:

Landmark Official Time Our Time
Big Spring 1 hour, 5 minutes 1 hour, 15 minutes
Orderville Canyon 3 hours, 45 minutes 4 hours, 30 minutes
Riverside Walk 5 hours, 35 minutes 5 hours, 45 minutes
Temple of Sinawava 6 hours, 5 minutes 6 hours, 5 minutes

By the time we reached Wall Street, which starts just beyond Big Spring, we did start seeing day hikers.  Luckily, even with our late start, the crowds were pretty thin until we reached Orderville Canyon.  After Orderville Canyon, however, it became a zoo.  The crowds really tainted the experience, and probably sped us up to get the hike over as soon as possible.  We would definitely recommend getting an earlier start to avoid this experience.

We were extremely thankful that the last mile of the hike was paved.  We actually found ourselves walking very quickly and passing the day hikers.  Walking on level ground just seemed so easy after the rock hopping we had been doing for most of the last two days.  After getting to the trailhead, we were able to get on the second shuttle departure and recuperate back in Springdale.  We arrived safe and extremely tired, but very proud of what we had achieved!