Happy Hiking: Murdock Creek Trail

The Murdock Creek Trail is a 6.3 mile hike located in the Sawtooth National Recreation Area (SNRA).  In fact, hikers drive right by the SNRA office at the turn off to the trail on Forest Road 146.

SNRA Office and Murdock Creek Trailhead

The office was closed due to COVID when I visited, but there are still many trail maps and other useful information about the area in the foyer.  If it is open, you can see a variety of animals on display such as a wolf, fox, and badger.

Forest Road 146 is dirt, but easily passable by passenger car.  The Murdock Creek Trailhead is a little over a mile down the road and on a spur to the right.

HAPPY HIKING
wildflowers and view on taylor canyon loop

Happy Hiking: Taylor Canyon Loop

When I saw the trailhead to Taylor Canyon Loop was located of Lake Creek Road, I was immediately disappointed.  This was the first road on which I scouted for campsites when I arrived in Ketchum.  I found the sites, simply cut into the sagebrush valley without a tree, quite unappealing.

Taylor Canyon Loop

  • Distance:  4.2 miles
  • Type: Moderate, loop
  • Elevation Gain: 1,263 ft
  • Other: Dogs Allowed
  • All Trails Link

Fortunately, the 4.4 mile Taylor Canyon Loop Trail, located in the Sawtooth National Forest, does not meander through the sun soaked valley.  Instead, it climbs up the canyon through a forested area.  In the morning, the contrasting shadows on the hillside and sunlight beaming through the shimmering aspen is beautiful sight.

HAPPY HIKING!

Happy Hiking: Oregon Gulch Trail

A Day in Boise

After spending Saturday morning in Boise riding my ebike on the Boise River greenbelt through the parks, strolling around the capitol, browsing the Freak Alley Gallery and visiting the Anne Frank memorial, I attended to some chores, including washing my clothes as well as VANgo. Thereafter, I slowly made my way to Mountain Home. 

EXPLORE

Rifle Falls State Park

Back on the road again, I planned on meeting some friends in Moab on Wednesday.  There was a brief break in the rainy and snowy weather nearby Denver on Tuesday, so I headed out early and made a few detours along the way.  The first place I visited was Rifle Falls State Park.

Rifle Falls State Park, operated by the Colorado Parks & Wildlife, is located near Rifle, Colorado, on hour east of Grand Junction.  The park includes a three hiking trails, a picnic area, and both drive-in and walk-in campgrounds along with wedding facilities.

HAPPY HIKING!
camping on Willow springs road

Moab: Willow Springs Road

There are lots of things to do in Moab, but most the time I am here, I hike in or nearby the National Parks.  As a result, I have plenty of posts about different visits to Moab.

This time, however, while I still hiked in order to tire out Annie, it wasn’t the main focus of my camping trip on Willow Springs Road.  This trip was organized by friends from Winter Park, and I joined them and several others for a more leisurely experience.

WHEELS UP!
On the summit of Gros Piton

Hiking the Gros Piton in St. Lucia

For my 50th birthday, a group of friends and I visited St. Lucia for a week, minus one day, thanks to American Airlines.  While most of our trip was focused around water sports and enjoying the amazing food and accommodations at Anse Chastenet, I really wanted to hike the Gros Piton.

With the COVID outbreak in St. Lucia, the regulations consistently changed.  About a month before our arrival, the rules kept the guests from leaving the resort.  Fortunately, the restrictions lightened up, and we could be escorted from Anse Chastenet to the Gros Piton by an official driver from the property. Of course, I suspect our excursion cost a lot more than if we did it ourselves, but at least we got to take the guided hike up the Gros Piton.

HAPPY HIKING!
view from copper canyon loop trail #504

Happy Hiking: Copper Canyon Loop

Having lots of flexibility has spoiled me, and I do my best to skip weekend hiking and only go during the week when it is more peaceful.  The exception is when I hike with friends who only have the weekend off.

With two days of bad weather this week, however, I had an itch to get outside.  After having hiked near Camp Verde and near Sedona, I noticed the crowds didn’t exist in Camp Verde.  As a result, I took a weekend hike at Copper Canyon Loop Trail #504 that I found on the AllTrails app.

HAPPY HIKING!

Happy Hiking: Big Park to Bell Rock Path Loop

The Vortexes

Sedona, Arizona is known for its healing earth vortexes.  Yes, they say vortexes, not vortices.  Anyway, a vortex is believed to be a special spot on earth where energy is entering it or exiting it.  Sedona has four vortexes, one of which is Bell Rock.

As a result, Bell Rock, located just north of the Village of Oak Creek, is an extremely popular hiking destination and easily reachable off scenic Highway 179.  With spring break in full swing for many states and the popularity of Bell Rock, I arrived to the large, paved parking lot by 7:15am on a weekday.  Fortunately, I had a prime selection of spots with only a few cars in the parking lot.

HAPPY HIKING!
brins mesa

Happy Hiking: Seven Sacred Pools

A very popular hiking destination in Sedona is called the Seven Sacred Pools.  It is located in the Red Rock-Secret Mountain Wilderness and may be reached by the Soldier Pass Trailhead or Jordan/Cibola Pass/Brins Mesa Trailhead.

Getting to Seven Sacred Pools

It is very hard to find parking at the Soldier Pass location, thus I started my hike at the Jordan/Cibola Pass/ Brins Mesa Trailhead.

This is a fee area ($5 daily, $15 weekly), and the machine takes credit cards if you do not have a National Parks Pass.  Do not park on the side of the dirt road, or you will be ticketed! I heard you can pay a local to shuttle you to the trailhead, but I didn’t try this.  I just got up early.

HAPPY HIKING!

Happy Hiking: Bell Trail

As I mentioned in my previous post, I arrived in the Sedona area Sunday afternoon in hopes of finding some nice, dispersed camping after the weekenders left.  Surprisingly, tons of spots were taken and as a resulted I squeezed into the only option left on Forest Road 689 and shared it with a large 5th wheel.  Little did I know, I selected a campsite just minutes from Bell Trail, one of the hikes I saved on the AllTrails app.

HAPPY HIKING!