Western destination for next July

[audrey]

Road trips? I'm the kind of person who generally has liked to roost in one place and get to know it well. That's probably why I've climbed Cow Ridge 2.5 times. And I'm not good at packing, unpacking, and staying organized.

Meeting kickass bears...nah. My anxiety disorder would put one behind every tree.

PG and TMax - I've hiked pretty much all of Bryce, except Under The Rim. One or two days there ought to be on everyone's list.
During our week in Escalante (rented a house on the edge of the desert in town), we hiked Calf Creek, Phipps Arch/the river/the "pink" countryside to the Old Sheffield Road, Red Breaks Canyon, and Navajo Knobs in Capitol Reef. Next time Coyote Gulch is definitely on the agenda.

Has anyone spent time in the Sante Fe, NM area?

 

[sapblatt]

Has anyone spent time in the Sante Fe, NM area?

Audrey -

Yes - twice - did not do a lot of hiking, but saw a lot of great areas to hike - it seems like only minutes out of the city (a very small city at that - about 50,000 - and at 10k elevation) you are into some beautiful areas - particularly up into the north heading towards Taos. There are a couple of nice peaks right outside of Santa Fe...I have some nice photos of the area and could show you some things on a highway map that I recall - pics are pre digital...

As a city and as a great location to get outdoors it is one of the best places I have been - can never thank my friend Chris and his wife Susan enough for living there for two years!

 

[Gris]

S Fe...

Has anyone spent time in the Sante Fe, NM area?

NUMEROUS trips out there (used to have "family" there). PM me and i can tell you everything you need to know - one of my favorite areas in the world, BTW...

 

[MichaelJ]

Nah, you don't have to get up at 3am in Colorado, and ... at least where we were ... no bears

 

[DougPaul]

Has anyone spent time in the Sante Fe, NM area?

A little bit. Bandelier NM is worth a visit.
http://www.nps.gov/band/index.htm

Doug

 

[sapblatt]

A little bit. Bandelier NM is worth a visit.
http://www.nps.gov/band/index.htm

Doug

Thank you Doug - that is the name that I was trying to remember - great place!

 

[sli74]

I know I am like an old record with this suggestion but you really HAVE to hike the Paria River Canyon . . . atleast the narrows part . . . honestly, trust me!!!

sli74

 

[Peakbagr]

The White Mts of California. High, dry and beautiful. White Mt peak, is there. As is the Bristlecone forest. Just a beautiful area that also offers a drive to the Sierra's across the valley and other destinations in the Whites.

 

[Stan]

Been looking at Guadalupe Mountains in SW Texas. Not far from El Paso ... Joe Ely can't be too far away either.

Would go back to the Tetons in a heartbeat. Grizzlies, maybe. The rangers seem to know where they're at and where they're not.

Darren! When is the Banff Gathering? We're getting cramped fingers from all those .999999!

 

[roadtripper]

Darren! When is the Banff Gathering? We're getting cramped fingers from all those .999999!

GOOD QUESTION!

 

[Kevin Rooney]

How about somewhere in the Sierras that isn't too crowded? We like scenery and flowers and bodies of water with a few summits of any height thrown in.

Ah, the Sierra - now you're talking. I just built our house directly facing (about 8 miles away) the tallest one in the southern Sierra, Mt Owens.

If you like vacations where you choose a base and then make day trips, I'd suggest Bishop, CA. It's located between the Sierra (west) and White Mountain (east) ranges. Lots of lakes, mountains, Bristlecone Pine Forest (which Peakbagr mentions), an old ghost town (Bodie) and places like Whitney, Lake Tahoe, Death Valley, Yosemite and others are within hours.

It's a neat town, geared toward tourists. Even has a Casino owned by the Paiutes. And not many towns where you can come out of the supermarket, look up on your way to the car, and see a glacier on the mountain in front of you.

If you end up deciding upon this destination, send me a PM and I can give you more info on airports, places to stay, etc.

 

[audrey]

Peakbagr and Kevin,

Those White Mountains are very intriguing, and I've already got the wildflower guides for the Great Basin and Eastern Sierra. To seal the deal, this is a place that will take me "...from massive, bristling cactus to dwarfed, delicate, alpine 'belly flowers'; from searing,sandy desert flats to lush, grassy meadows and rushing mountain streams; from deep coniferous forests to precarious granite cliffs and and exhilarating, windswept mountain summits...The Eastern Sierra...once you get it in your blood, you will never be the same again." (Laird Blackwell)

Well shoot, how can anybody resist that?

 

[sierra]

I love CO, but the Sierra's are really beautifull. I second the Bishop/white mtn area, lakes, peaks, sunshine, but if in the backcountry, prepare for bear ie. food canisters.