Southwest! 8 weeks with the family, Denver-to-Denver loop, 1st part... (page 4 of 5)

Really nice travel journal—it’s showing me some spots we hadn’t visited! On our third trip, we also did a loop from Denver. But we went farther north to check out sites in Nebraska, South Dakota, and Wyoming before heading back down to Utah and Colorado.

Hi Carmen, The loop up North is calling to me too!

Monday, August 1st: The day we explored The Narrows at Zion NP...

We woke up at 8 AM, had a chill breakfast on the apartment balcony, settled into our awesome place, and got ready to head to Zion NP—only about 45 minutes away...

We arrived around 10 AM and parked in Springdale. The lots near the Visitor Center were, of course, all full by then. We found one for $20 a day, just a 10-minute walk from the park entrance... On the way, we grabbed the Junior Ranger booklets before queuing for the shuttle. It was packed!!! We knew it’d be busy—this park is *super* popular—but filling out the booklets made the half-hour wait fly by! 😉

Off to stop 9, the very last one! A short 2-mile hike along the Riverside Walk to reach the entrance of "The Narrows"... We could tell there’d been a lot of storms lately—the river water wasn’t very clear 🤪. Guess we’re gonna get clean! 😏



We had shoes that could handle anything, everyone wore their old trail or hiking shoes, and some hikers coming back even kindly offered us their trekking poles 😎. Such a help!!!!

And off we went on this super fun hike for the kids (and us!) with our feet in the water... which was muddy, so we couldn’t really see where we were stepping 🤪. But the poles helped... At first, it was like a highway!!!



Not everyone had a pole, so it was a festival of people losing their balance 😄 (no laughing at those who fell!). But the worst part? Some had their cameras or smartphones in hand with no protection 🤪. What were they thinking?!!!! 😐 We didn’t bring our DSLR, of course, and our phones were in waterproof bags...

The weather was gorgeous, and there were *so* many people—quite the change for us! It was like the A6 highway on August 1st, but the hike was still a must and one of the kids’ best memories...



The canyon walls were breathtaking, and we ventured 6.5 km in about 1.5 hours. The farther we went, the fewer people there were...





We turned back and, of course, another 6.5 km in roughly 1.5 hours...



The falling festival continued, especially at the entrance to The Narrows. Some didn’t even make it 10 meters before calling it quits... Such a great time for us—Tom loved it! He had muddy water marks up to his neck almost!!! Meanwhile, we only had water up to our thighs at most...

We took the shuttle back, stopped at the Visitor Center to get the well-earned Junior Ranger badges for today—no less than 15 km of hiking combined.



We made a few purchases at the gift shop (T-shirts, keychains, etc.) and headed back to the car to drive toward the tunnel and its famous parking spot *juuuuuuuuuuuuust* to the right at the exit 😉. We got lucky and found a spot 😇, then set off on the short hike to "Canyon Overlook." It was just a 2 km round trip, so we got there in minutes. Clouds had rolled in, and we played with the sunlight to get a beautiful panorama...





We spent about half an hour admiring the stunning landscape before heading back to the car. The approach hike was nice too!



We reached the car, but traffic was stopped at the tunnel. We heard sirens blaring, then saw two ranger vehicles and an ambulance speeding out of the tunnel... Later, we found out a mountain biker had taken a 60-foot fall off-trail!!!!! 😮

We took the road back, picked up some groceries (a nice cut of meat for the huge barbecue on our balcony), and, of course, hit the pool to end the day! The routine was set: hikes then pool—everyone was happy! 😎

BBQ and bedtime!

Good night, and see you tomorrow!!!

Tuesday, August 2nd: the day we discover Snow Canyon...

Wake-up at 9 AM, breakfast, and a quick drive (15 min) to Snow Canyon, which is a State Park so it’s paid entry: $15 per vehicle—peanuts compared to how stunning the place is!!! Even better when it’s almost... deserted!!!! 😮

First stop by the roadside to admire the canyon from above.



Then we enter from the north, stop at the ranger station, and the ranger is thrilled to chat with some French folks 😉 Off we go! We start with the Lava Flow + West Canyon Overlook hike (2.5 miles round trip, 2 hours). We walk alongside black lava fields covering the red rocks—beautiful gradient.



We reach lava tunnels—super impressive... It’s even a bit chilly in there 😎 Well, there shouldn’t be an eruption anytime soon, right? 😏



Then we come out onto a nice hill we can circle by climbing it.



And boom! The view hits us—gorgeous West Canyon Overlook! Definitely worth a little break 😉



More academic shot.

We finish circling the little rocky hill.



Back to the car, then another short hike: Petrified Dunes (1.25 miles round trip, 1 hour) with a challenge for the boys: on this big, sloping playground with dips and bumps, find Bonsai Pond—a tree in the middle of nowhere... Tom finds it—well done!!!



We wrap up this awesome little heart-stealer park with a stroll to Jenny’s Canyon Trail (0.6 miles round trip, 30 min), a tiny slot canyon.



It’s really hot now 🏴‍☠️, about 1 PM. We head back, grab some groceries—sushi for Tom, ham-and-cheese sandwich for Oscar, a little Philly cheesesteak for us to reminisce about Philadelphia!!!—and stop to buy Hawaiian poke bowls for dinner... 😛 We’re all set to spend the rest of the day chilling between the Ninja Warrior room and the pool for the boys and Caroline. 😎 A little rest feels good because tomorrow...

Speaking of tomorrow... I’m off to pick up the permit for the "The Subway" hike at Kolob Canyon VC 🙂 Yes, we got lucky and were drawn in the lottery 😉 three months ago online. This hike is limited to 80 people per day.

The ranger warns me about the difficulty, the risk of storms, and flash floods... I head back after signing all the paperwork, paying the $20 for the hike, and rejoin everyone for a perfect end-of-day dip!!! 😎

Showers, poke bowls... Ouch, one of them is spicy 🤪—it burns!!!!!!!

And then bedtime!

Good night and see you tomorrow!!

Wednesday, August 3rd: The day we hike to "THE SUBWAY"...

We woke up at dawn, had breakfast, and hopped on our trusty steed......STOOOOOP 🤪 It's THE DAY for "THE SUBWAY," a special day, but hey, we'll tell it like it is! 😏 No need for lyricism—let's keep it light and casual!

Okay, we saw the day before that there was a risk of storms around 3 PM. The hike is 15 km round trip, taking 6-8 hours depending on the person and conditions, so we decided to start at 8 AM... That means getting up at... 6 AM! OUCH 🏴‍☠️

We still scarfed down our egg-bacon-sausage with Oscar 😛 GO GO GO 😎 We arrived at the Left Fork Trailhead parking lot at 7:57 AM, got ready (sunscreen, water, snacks), put our permit (won in the lottery) on the dashboard, and boom—we were off at 8:05 AM! 🙂

First mile was chill...



The hike plunges into the wash we’d have to follow and climb back up to the Grail... That steep descent made us think we’d have to climb it back after 6-7 hours of hiking 🤪 Yeah, right... We reached the famous wash.



From there, no marked trail—just one rule: follow the wash... Easy, right? 😉

Except there are tons of rocks to navigate, you have to cross the wash on stones, boulders, or in the water (knee-deep max for adults, up to Oscar’s shorts!)😄



After 2 hours of hiking, we left a gallon of water behind a tree for the return trip, on top of the 6 liters we already had in our bottles... Climbing back up the wash was a constant search for the best or easiest path—between uncrossable water holes, huge boulders... also uncrossable 🙁, and the canyon walls, obviously impassable. And let’s not forget we had 7-year-old Oscar with us...



Sometimes we had to backtrack to find a better way, and it was awesome!!! We loved it!!!!😎

We reached the little waterfalls that signal the end of the hike...





Then we emerged at...............

...







The Subway—we’re blown away, totally amazed, and yeah, we’re sliding down 🤪 We snap photos like crazy, we also observe a lot, trying to burn these images into our brains of this unique natural place. We go all the way to the end...



Then we turn around, and wow, it’s just as stunning from this direction 😏





Uhhh, are you sure we *have* to leave??? Okay, we’ve gotta go. One last look...



Then we start the hike back, stopping to have a picnic at the base of the waterfalls.



The view isn’t bad 😎

We quickly recognize the spots we passed on the way in, and we meet some French people living in California who took two days to come do the hike. The guy assures us there won’t be any storms or rain today... 😊 After an hour and a half of hiking back... BAM! A clap of thunder!!!! 😮 That French-Californian weather guy is *really* something 😏 We look at each other and think we were smart not to dawdle for 3 hours earlier... A few more rumbles of thunder, but no rain... Then we run into other hikers coming the opposite way!!!!!!! 😮 Two Asian families and an American couple... uhhh, there’s a storm coming and you’ve still got 2 hours to reach the end... plus the hike back 😠 Well, they keep going and say, "We’re gonna take our chances" 😮 Okay, we pick up the pace a bit because we really don’t want to climb that steep slope—you know, the one that burned our legs on the way down?—in the rain... And what do we get? Not just a few drops? Oh no, that can’t be happening 🏴‍☠️

But it’s only a few raindrops that follow us, and we make it back up safe and sound... exhausted at the parking lot after 8 hours and 15 minutes of hiking, including 1 hour in the Subway and 45 minutes for the picnic—15 km in 6 hours and 30 minutes of walking!!! Hats off to my big Tom, and huge props to my Oscar, who’s only 7 and a half and didn’t complain once!!!! 🙂

A super calm drive back, then... the pool! Wow, that feels amazing!!!!! 😎 We tidy up the apartment, empty the fridge, clean up, and hit the hay. Tomorrow, we’re off to new skies...

Good night, and see you tomorrow!!!

Hi Sylvain, I’m still following your adventures, of course, even if I haven’t posted in a while 😉 The Subway... it seemed like a huge hike to me for a long time, and then we finally decided to do it in April 2020. We’d also won our permits in the lottery. But COVID had other plans, so this hike is still on our "to-do list" 😉 Anyway, I can see that the hike isn’t just about the destination—it looks beautiful all the way through. And congrats to Oscar for his endurance !

We’re Sylvain, Caroline, Tom, and Oscar—a super serious family that doesn’t mess around with discipline and sticks to the plan to a T!!! 😐

What kind of parents are you... dragging your kids around the other side of the world for 2 months, making them walk in the rain, wading through mud up to their necks (oh... just up to their shorts, huh?). Practically drowning them!

And then... you’re walking on rocks like it’s nothing, with them doing the same!! Okay, fine, with their hands (and it wasn’t even the real pose where you balance on your forearms ;-)!). But still, that’s super dangerous!!

You take them to sketchy places to eat greasy, sugary junk. You dress them up like gangsters, nearly roll them up in the tent with their shoes, clothes, and sleeping bags... instead of tucking them into bed.

What I’m saying is, reckless parents = traumatized kids for life!

Naaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaannnn! Not even true! 😎

And boom! 😛

😏😏😏

Welcome to the discussion!!! 😉

Great write-up! 👏👏

The Narrows with that muddy water doesn’t really appeal to me. I’d be too scared of an unwanted encounter 🐍. I don’t know if snakes move around when the water isn’t clear 😅. In 2016, we hiked in a river in Namibia. When I couldn’t see my feet anymore, I wasn’t too proud of myself. I like to see what’s around me 😊.

It was a beautiful hike to reach The Subway. We’re always amazed at how kids push themselves when the goal is worth it 😄.

Thanks Denis 😊 And welcome to the discussion!

Thursday, August 4th: the day we meet the abyss—but from the north this time...

We got up at 9:00 AM this morning—we definitely earned a sleep-in after yesterday’s efforts, right??? 😉

We finished packing up the apartment, did a final walkthrough with the landlord, and had to leave this wonderful place that’s been our home for the past week...

We were pretty happy here, actually. And Saint George is the perfect base for exploring the region, which is full of hidden gems...

Anyway, that’s enough reminiscing—we’re heading to the Grand Canyon (again???) but this time to the North Rim... 😏

We stopped in a little town, Colorado City, because we were starving and knew there’d be... nothing for 100 km before reaching the North Rim! 🙁 We picked one of the town’s two restaurants—pizza and salads—and it turned out to be really good, with super-friendly staff. 😉

On the way out, we spotted a big warehouse with lots of American flags—it was an outlet store. We went in and could even buy... machine guns 😮 😮 😮 We took a quick look around, and the guys found a baseball cap for $6 and bullets for $5!!! 😎

Back on the road, we arrived at the campground. By planning ahead, we managed to book a spot (site T6) just 50 meters from the North Rim of the Grand Canyon!! 😇

The only downside? The wasps are everywhere on the site, but they’re not aggressive... We set up the tent quickly, grabbed a few supplies at the campground store, and headed to the Visitor Center for the Junior Ranger Books. To finish off the afternoon, we hiked Bright Angel Trail to catch the sunset...



Enjoy the view yourselves! 😛





The sun set slowly, and we were in awe of these landscapes—so much quieter than the South Rim!



Tom found his perfect spot to meditate in front of the vastness...

On our way back from the hike, there was a small Native American dance demonstration on the lodge terrace. We lingered for a while—it was beautiful, lively, and the weather was perfect. We felt so at peace... 😇 We headed back to the campground, took showers, and cooked dinner by headlamp—we were a little late... Campfire, marshmallows 😛, and bedtime!

Good night, and see you tomorrow!!!

Friday, August 5: the day we arrive in a place where dreams begin... Kanab...

We got up around 8 AM, and Oscar wasn’t feeling great this morning... He wasn’t hungry 😵—bad sign... So, no big hike today; we’re adapting to the energy we’ve got ;). No epic 10-mile hike—we’re doing Point Imperial Trail instead, which is about 4.3 miles round trip.

We stopped by the grocery store for a quick breakfast on the go, and off we went... Okay, we’ll tell you right away: we were really disappointed by this hike... It starts with a walk through a pine forest—decimated by fire, it’s a bit apocalyptic... and we didn’t even take any photos, oops 🏴‍☠️. Then we crossed a grassy area full of bushes that runs along the rim... but at a distance that meant we... couldn’t see anything. The kids, for the first time on this road trip, were a little grumpy! Fair enough—there’s nothing to see, and there are quite a few unidentified flying insects... 😡 Avoid this one, even if you do get a few viewpoints at the end...



and at Point Imperial



We then left the Grand Canyon to head to Kanab for 3 nights, staying in a BnB: Nancy and Randy’s H-hill Cottage. Amazing! 😎 We loved it! A tiny house close to downtown with super welcoming hosts—we highly recommend it +++++++



We settled in, took a little stroll around Kanab, and did some shopping at Honey’s Market—no beer there, so we headed to Glazier’s Market, which *does* sell it :P. We’re saved!!! 😎 We’re not big drinkers, but hey, we’re on vacation!

Then we went back to the cottage for the rest of the afternoon... Rest, laundry, reading, drinks on the terrace, a little barbecue—it felt great to just relax ;) Time for bed!

Good night, and see you tomorrow!!!

Saturday, August 6th: the day we discovered the first treasures along Houseroad Valley...

Will we be drawn for one of the most mythical spots in the West: The Wave? Well, I’m not really into teasing, so I’ll tell you right away—it’s a no. 😕 There’s a new lottery system now; you have to be in a nearby geographic area and register online... No more lottery in the Kanab visitor center with crowds and numbers being drawn like the lottery! I would’ve loved to experience that moment, even if I lost... 😎

Anyway, back to our story: We woke up around 9 a.m., nice and easy, had a little breakfast—Oscar was hungry, all was well, just a bit of a slump yesterday... Off to Houseroad Valley, a trail leading to plenty of treasures (including The Wave...).

For us today, it’ll be Wire Pass and Buckskin Gulch. 😉 We paid the entrance fee (online now, no more envelopes to slip into the box...) and off we went!



Wire Pass was super fun—we ventured deep into this amazing slot canyon...



Sometimes we had to climb around the top because there were quite a few deep water holes. It gets really narrow in places! And we emerged at the confluence with Buckskin Gulch.



We found some petroglyphs here on the right, near a stunning alcove that became our picnic spot. Our progress in Buckskin Gulch was short-lived because a water hole several meters deep, between walls dozens of meters high, blocked our way. 😠 The only option was to wade through with water up to Oscar’s neck or turn back... Well, we turned back!!! 😕 Too bad, because what little we saw was gorgeous!













We tried the other side....

...



No way, we're sinking into the mud, we're going to lose our shoes there 🤪 progress would be really slow anyway, it's so slimy...



So we head back to the alcove to grab a bite to eat, we're all alone...



Then we dive back into Wire Pass...





We find Buddy, our trusty ride, after 7 km of a great adventure! 😎 Off we go for 10 miles of dirt road and back to Kanab. It's 3:30 PM, and we think a trip to the Kanab pool we spotted—with slides—would be a perfect way to end this awesome day... Let's go, ZOU, and splash! (12 $ for 3, Caro wanders around town...) with the locals: families with kids and huge coolers. Everyone's enjoying the great facilities in this little town... It's amazing how well Americans develop infrastructure for kids in their towns!!!!

A great moment with the guys before heading back to our lovely tiny house, a cold beer on the porch, a barbecue grill, a board game for another fun time... Life is good! 😛 Time for bed!

Good night and see you tomorrow!!!

The second part of the trip, is here!

In the summer, it must be tough to go deep into Buckskin Gulch unless you bring trashed shoes ready to toss 😕. We had the same misadventure as you with mud and puddles that quickly blocked us. Yet some people go *super* far...

In October, when I drove past the parking lot, people returning to their vehicles had mud up to their knees.

Hi Sylvain, I’m way behind on my reading these days, but I finally got through yours! ;) Just jumping in on one thing:

No more lottery in Kanab’s VC with crowds of people and numbers being drawn like a raffle!!! I would’ve loved to experience that moment, even if I’d lost... 😎

I get that you would’ve loved to experience that moment... We did it 5 times (twice in 2012 and three times in 2016), and it’s really cool to have gone through it... but the disappointment was sometimes really tough to swallow! I think it would’ve been easier to handle if we hadn’t been there in person ;)

Hi Peggy, I’ve read so many times in travel journals about the lottery for The Wave that the idea of experiencing it in person was really tempting... It’s true that it’s tough for some who try 20 times without snagging the golden ticket, while sometimes a random tourist gets it without even knowing what to expect!!!! One day, I’ll get it!!!