Outdoor Project

One of the most popular mountaineering destinations in the Washington Cascades, Sperry Peak cuts an intimidating profile. The east face rises over 2000 feet in only a third of a mile, while the north face shoots into the sky at 3000 feet in just over a half-mile. From Lake Elan you can climb the much smaller west face.

Between 30 and 40 million years ago, an ancient volcano near what is now Honey Lake expelled lava that flowed west and drained all the way into what would become the Northern Sacramento Valley. This dark basalt formation can be seen in a handful of places, but one of the best spots is at Table Mountain north of Oroville. In the early spring, geology combines with plant ecology and hydrology to create a spectacular show of waterfalls, wildflowers, and vernal pools.

Most visitors to Capitol Reef take the Scenic Drive, and it is a magnificent stretch of road. It is also the way to two major trailheads, and the guide to the drive (available for $2 at the visitor center) is a great introduction to the geology and history of the park.

The defining geological feature of Capitol Reef National Park is the Waterpocket Fold. This 100-mile exposed fault causes much of the park to tilt higher to the west and lower in the east, and amazing layers of rock are exposed on the western face. There are some good views of the fold on the short Scenic Drive, and magnificent views are available to visitors who want to make the 100-mile loop trip south to the Strike Valley Overlook and the Burr Trail.

While staying in the Moab area and exploring Canyonlands and Arches National Parks, you might find that the La Sal Mountains seem to show up in at least a third of your photographs. These beautiful mountains, the second-highest in Utah, are often snow covered much of the year and provide an extreme contrast to the desert and red rock canyons below. They can be explored on a 62-mile loop that includes a 16-mile stretch on UT-128, which follows the Colorado River through beautiful canyons northeast of Moab.

Lehman Caves is a hidden gem in Nevada's Great Basin National Park. Inside this limestone cavern you'll see cave formations that are rare in this part of the country. Soda straws, cave popcorn, shields, stalactites, and cave bacon decorate this incredible natural wonder. 

Sedona is famous as a Southwest sandstone paradise, and the Queen Victoria is one of its crown jewels. This prominent spire is among the most popular in the area because of its iconic summit, moderate difficulty, and relatively easy access.

Cathedral Valley, in the far northern reaches of Capitol Reef National Park, is a landscape of solitary sandstone monoliths and cliffs. Very few visitors to the park ever see this remote and awe-inspiring area. It could conceivably be reached on foot through the South Desert, but Cathedral Valley is generally accessed by vehicle over one of the few dirt roads into this area. Visiting this area requires advanced planning and provisioning for the very real possibility of being stranded due to impassable roads with no help available for days.

The vast 1 million acres of Cedar Mesa are filled with thousands of miles of canyons, most of which are below the flat tableland of the mesa. Hidden in these canyons are thousands of Puebloan ruins and artifacts, new discoveries of which are still being made by hikers today. Many sites were also discovered by the many prospectors looking for gold, uranium, and other valuable minerals. One such prospector, Cass Hite, was exploring White Canyon in 1883 looking for gold when he found a treasure of a different sort, three magnificent natural bridges, some of the largest in the world.

Cedar Mesa is a vast, mostly uninhabited region of over a million acres in southeastern Utah. This area has a very high concentration of ancient Puebloan archeological sites, many of which are very difficult to access or even find. Road Canyon has a few very beautiful and interesting sites that are relatively easy to locate and that do not require a difficult hike. The scenery in the canyon is quite nice and makes an interesting and pleasant hike in its own right.