Kathy Copeland - Hiking from Here to WOW

Dedicated to helping people more easily appreciate high-desert grandeur, in hope that it will enrich their lives and inspire their commitment to preserve what little wilderness remains.

Hiking from here to WOW: Utah Canyon Country

1st EDITION 2008

3rd printing 2012

Copyright 2008 by Craig and Kathy Copeland

All photos and original maps by the authors

Book and map production by C.J. Poznansky ( giddyupgraphics@mac.com )

Cover and interior design by Matthew Clark (www.subplot.com)

ISBN: 978-0-89997-452-1

Manufactured in China

Distributed by Publishers Group West

Authors of opinionated guidebooks always welcome readers comments. Write them at nomads@hikingcamping.com

Cover photo: The Wave ()

Title page photos: (large one) Corona Arch ()

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form, or by any means electronic, mechanical, recording, or otherwise, without written permission from the publisher, except for brief quotations used in reviews.

YOUR SAFETY IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY

Hiking and camping in the wilderness can be dangerous. Experience and preparation reduce risk, but will never eliminate it. The unique details of your specific situation and the decisions you make at that time will determine the outcome. Always check the weather forecast and current trail conditions before setting out. This book is not a substitute for common sense or sound judgment. If you doubt your ability to negotiate canyon country, respond to wild animals, or handle sudden, extreme weather changes, hike only in a group led by a competent guide. The authors and the publisher disclaim liability for any loss or injury incurred by anyone using information in this book.

UTAH CANYON COUNTRY TRIP LOCATIONS

90 TRAILS TO THE WONDER OF WILDERNESS

trip number / trip name / page number

Canyon country invites play.

FROM HERE TO WOW

Your time is short , but the canyons are endless. So weve simplified the task. Here are the 90 southern-Utah trails most likely to make you say Wow!

No okay trails. Not even any pretty good trails. And certainly no trudgemills. Just the dayhikes and backpack trips that will get you from here to WOWthe wonder of wildernessas swiftly as possible. Plus our boot-tested opinions: why we recommend each hike, what to expect, how to enjoy the optimal experience.

We hope our suggestions compel you to get outdoors more often and stay out longer. Do it to cultivate your wild self. It will give you perspective. Do it because the backcountry teaches simplicity and self-reliance, qualities that make life more fulfilling. Do it to remind yourself why wilderness needs and deserves your protection. A bolder conservation ethic develops naturally in the canyons. And do it to escap e the cacophony that muffles the quiet, pure voice within.

LAND OF WAKING DREAMS

Human s cant survive without dreaming. Deprived of our nightly flights of imagination, our sanity disintegrates. Likewise, deprived of mystery, our soul withers.

Some think they need only answers. But the need for mystery is greater than the need for any answer.

And just as sleeping summons our dreams, hiking is an invocation to mystery. Especially if were hiking in the most mysterious land of all: the vast, earthen sculpture known as southern Utah.

The soaring arches, bulging walls, towering spires, and fiery colors eventually, inexorably lull hikers into a state of contemplation in which we ponder and are strangely soothed by lifes enduring mysteries.

Were aware of the scientific view. Weve heard about the processes that shaped this topography. What geologists tell us makes sense. We dont question how . We wonder why . We seek a transcendent explanation.

Could aimless physics really be responsible for creating such a bizarre and sensuous wonderland? Or was there intent? The intent to inspire play and elicit joy among all creatures who wander here?

Romping like childrenacross slickrock, into labyrinthian canyonswe sense natures intent. It ignites our curiosity, powers our limbs. But it remains a mystery. And it keeps us returning, to steep ourselves in it rather than solve it.

Fall asleep, plunge into the recesses of your subconscious mind, and you awaken not necessarily with answers, but refreshed. Its the same when you return from a southern-Utah sojourn, your boots covered in Navajo sandstone dust, you r mind empty and clear.

Canyon country is the land of waking dreams.

TAMING GODZILLA

The essence of hiking is appreciation of nature. As humanitys footprint on Earth continues to grow, theres less nature for hikers to appreciate. Thats especially true in the redrock canyon country of southern Utah, where humanitys footprint increasingly resembles Godzillas.

The custodian for most of Utahs public land is the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), an agency within the United States Department of the Interior. The BLM is currently deciding which canyon-country areas should be preserved in their natural state, and which should be open to energy exploration and off-road vehicle (ORV) recreation. As of this writing, the BLM intends to sacrifice nearly two-million acres of wilderness-quality land to ORV use.

You can influence the BLM, if you act now. Start by visiting the websites of the three conservation groups leading the effort to protect the fragile beauty of this spectacular region.