Who the heck am I?
Michael R - The Compulsive Hiker
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Michael R on Wind River Range: Scab Creek t… Brad Balsters on Wind River Range: Scab Creek t… Michael R on Elk River and Table Mound trai… Shannon Starks on Elk River and Table Mound trai… Michael R on Heat, Humidity, Hills, and…
Author Archives: Michael R
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
Wind River Range – a Bomber Basin & Ross Lakes loop
This year’s trip in Wyoming’s Wind River Range was 7 days in the Fitzpatrick Wilderness, in the northeast area. Starting at the Trail Lake trail head south of Dubois, we ascended south into Bomber Basin to near Turquoise Lake, then … Continue reading
Grays and Torreys Peaks
Grays Peak (14278′) is the 10th highest peak in the Rocky Mountains and along with neighboring Torreys Peak (14274′), is a very popular destination. RC and I were fresh from the Never Summer Wilderness trip with 3+ days of altitude-acclimation … Continue reading
Never Summer Wilderness – Baker Gulch, Parika Lake
Colorado’s Never Summer Wilderness borders Rocky Mountain National Park on the west. 7 of us did a 2-night trip along the Baker Creek, Baker Gulch, and Parika Lake trails. Highlights included great scenery, mostly-good weather, wildflowers, more moose than any … Continue reading
