In Search of Warmth in California, Utah, and Arizona in February (page 13 of 13)

Hey Max,

Otherwise, it reminds me that I really need to dive into planning this summer’s itinerary. 😮

Sometimes, a little improvisation is great too!!!

The biggest issue is that the best time is October (like for the southern Lipez), and in October, it’s hard to get away for more than 10 days.😕

What perspective are you coming from? I went to southern Lipez during the austral winter, and it was amazing!!! Even when some passes are heavily snowed in, most of the time, you just have to wait until December to get through!

There’s a forum member, Marclamarre, who gave it a shot in southern Lipez in January.

Anyway, your travel journals are super nice, and when the time finally comes, they’ll be useful... not just to make us dream 🙂

Thanks..... Well, ......... apart from the one about Ladakh, you mean😉

Happy planning.

Hey Guillaume,

About the hike at Zabriskie Point, wouldn’t you say the Golden Canyon section is the most interesting of all? In case some folks who aren’t absolute hiking fans are wondering which part is really worth it, you know?[🤪]

Since we’re backlit, you should always turn around to soak in the view. I think it would’ve been better to do the loop the other way: Golden Canyon first, then Gower Gulch.

I’ll keep in mind that we’ll start with Golden Canyon anyway.

I can see a trail branching off to the left, which might reconnect with the Golden Canyon Trail. The kids prefer backtracking, even if it means a detour, rather than taking a trail that could lead to a dead end and a big detour as punishment.

Could that be a solution?[🤪]

Hi Diamina,

I can see a trail branching off to the left, which might reconnect with the Golden Canyon Trail. The kids prefer backtracking, even if it means a detour, rather than taking a path that could lead to a dead end and a long detour as punishment.

Could this be a solution?🤪

I wouldn’t recommend this route because you have to climb a steep, slippery hill. Two of us slipped, so with JF’s knee issues... 🤪

The best option is to go back up Golden Canyon along a gentle 1.5 km incline and turn right at the sign at the Golden/Red Cathedral fork (you can’t miss it). Then the real climb begins, with Red Cathedral on your left and this stunning trail. It’s pretty steep, so just turn back whenever you’ve had enough.



The following route is 2.2 km one way: 1.5 km of gentle incline and 700 m of ascent to the best viewpoints. There’s no need to go further because you’ll end up with the same views as Zabriskie Point without the extra walking.



In red, our route, and in blue, the 2.2 km one-way trail. That said, it’d be a shame not to hike a few hundred meters uphill, because the panorama is absolutely worth the effort 😇 😇!

I’d recommend catching the sunrise at Zabriskie Point, but don’t rush off right after the first rays (like most people do), then head to Golden Canyon.

Hey Guillaume,

Thanks for the tips. We’ll follow them—I’m adding them to my road book.

I’m posting this message just in case to try and reactivate the inboxes of some forum members who might not have heard that VF is back up and running 😉. For those who are interested, I’m starting the travel journal of the Southwest Must-Sees for fall 2022... Link HERE

Great idea! 😊