Who the heck am I?
Michael R - The Compulsive Hiker
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Author Archives: Michael R
Sea to Summit Ether Light XT Insulated mattress
The Sea to Summit Ether Light XT Insulated mattress, with a 4″ thickness and advertised R-value of 3.8, seems like it should be a good addition to the backpack. My size Regular is about 71″ long and tapers from 21″ … Continue reading
Chaco Canyon
Chaco Culture National Historical Park encompasses an important collection of ancient Puebloan ruins in NW New Mexico’s Chaco Canyon and a visit here has long been on my to do list. A big difference here as opposed to places like … Continue reading
Canyon de Chelly
Canyon de Chelly (pronounced də-SHAY) National Monument in NE Arizona wasn’t on my radar when I started the trip but some folks in Kanab convinced me to consider it, and I’m glad I did. I was headed from the Grand … Continue reading
Grand Canyon
I couldn’t go through the area without a trip to the Grand Canyon, could I? In fact, a week of backpacking from the north side of the canyon was the original reason for the whole trip but stuff happened so … Continue reading
Kanab Utah & Escalante National Monument
I spent about 3 days in the Kanab Utah area, which has lots of stuff to see and do, and is kinda the gateway to Escalante, Bryce, Zion, and more. Kanab’s own Visitor Center and the BLM’s Grand Staircase/Escalante Visitor … Continue reading
Glen Canyon Dam / Lake Powell
The Glen Canyon Dam is an impressive bit of engineering but I can’t help thinking that J. W. Powell would be ashamed to have his name associated with the lake behind it. A big surprise for me was that the … Continue reading
Meteor Crater
Meteor Crater isn’t a hiking destination but it’s a great side-trip if you’re ever 40 miles east of Flagstaff on I-40. It’s big – 3900′ diameter and 560′ deep – too big for me to get it all in one … Continue reading
Petrified Forest National Park
Petrified Forest National Park covers an area of 230 square miles with a chunk of the Painted Desert in the north end. A 28-mile road runs north-south, with many pull-off areas to see various sights. There are several short hikes … Continue reading
Palo Duro Canyon State Park – Lighthouse Trail
My first hike in Texas, and the first stop on a 2-week sightseeing and hiking excursion through the southwest. Palo Duro Canyon, just south of Amarillo, is billed as the second biggest canyon in the U.S. The State Park encompasses … Continue reading
Winding Stair Mtn – Boardstand & Old Military Road loop
It was my second time around this 22-mile loop. The first trip 7 years ago was also New Year’s weekend and was my first time in the Ouachitas. I remembered some things but was surprised at some of the nice … Continue reading
