Utah backpacking

Howdy friends! I’m currently on the search for a sensational backpacking trail in Northern Utah! I’m looking for a shorter trail (5ish miles), more so for a chill experience. If there are any that happen to be dog friendly that would be extra rad! The dream is backpacking amongst beautiful trees and hiking by lakes and/or rivers where I can fish and have a good chance of catching something I can cook and enjoy by the fire with the company of a Moscow Mule. I also don’t know much about fishing laws and licenses if y’all know of some handy-dandy resources for more info :)). If anyone can help with ideas to recreate my envisionings that would be so spectacularly sick!

If you ask other RVers which national park is their favorite, someone is bound to mention Joshua Tree National Park in Southern California. It's a camper's paradise with wide open space and panoramic views.
Most evenings, the landscape glows at golden hour, and the sky turns from red hot at sunset to dark blue and star-filled at night. You can enjoy the remoteness of the park but also its proximity to Palm Springs and the Coachella Valley.
Take the time during your visit to enjoy the endless roads of the desert landscape, play on the rock formations, and, of course, marvel at the Joshua Trees.

Why Visit Joshua Tree National Park?

The first reason to visit Joshua Tree National Park is to see its famous and fascinating Joshua Trees. Since the Mojave desert is the only place in the world where they grow naturally, Joshua Tree National Park is the best place to see them.
These trees range between 15-40 feet tall and can live an impressive 150 years. They’re members of the Yucca family and appear as though they're from a different planet, with limbs unpredictably jetting out like they have their own minds.
Another great reason to visit Joshua Tree National Park is the warm weather and abundance of sunshine. It’s no secret that RVers love to snowbird and the Californian desert is a wonderful place to be during the spring and fall months. You’ll enjoy sunny days and clear nights, perfect for dry camping with solar panels.

When to Visit Joshua Tree National Park

Joshua Tree National Park is open year-round, but the best times to visit are during the spring and fall months. Park elevations range from 536 feet to 5,814 feet above sea level, so expect conditions to vary depending on where you go in the park.
Here’s more information on the seasonal weather in Joshua Tree.

Spring

Spring is a very popular time in the park because the temperatures range from the mid-60s in February to the mid-70s in April. Depending on the year, wildflower blooms can be seen in the latter part of spring at the lower elevations within the Pinto Basin.

Summer

Due to extreme desert heat (+100℉ days are the norm), the park is pretty quiet during the summer. Late in the summer, monsoon season hits Joshua Tree, which cools down the daytime temperatures but can also lead to flash flooding in valleys and ravines.

Fall

Monsoon season continues into the fall, but it soon gives way to one of the best times to visit. Temperatures from August into October fall from the upper 90s into the low 80s, and evening temperatures range from the low 70s to the low 50s, on average.

Winter

In the heart of winter, the park's average daily temperature is 60 degrees Fahrenheit, which is perfectly comfortable, but the nights get cold and often drop to freezing. Overnight temperatures in December and January average in the mid-30s.
Check the park’s website for the latest weather alerts and condition updates.

Where to Stay

Joshua Tree National Park is pretty remote and expansive. You'll want to stay a few days. Unlike other national parks, there are no lodges or resorts for overnight accommodations. There are eight developed campgrounds, however, and camping out under the stars at Joshua Tree is an unforgettable experience.
Here are a few important things to be aware of ahead of time if you plan to camp in Joshua Tree.

Reservation versus First-Come, First-Served

Four of the developed campsites require reservations. They’re larger than the first-come, first-served campgrounds, and some offer water and flush toilets. These campgrounds fill up very quickly. We recommend planning well in advance.

Reservation Required Campgrounds

• Black Rock Campground
• Cottonwood Campground
• Indian Cove Campground
• Jumbo Rocks Campground

Black Rock and Cottonwood are the most developed campgrounds (water, toilets, sanitation dump) and are the only campgrounds you can stay in if you have a larger rig.
Black Rock has six sites that can accommodate rigs with a total length (tow vehicle included) of 38-40 feet and seven sites up to 42 feet. Cottonwood has around twenty-five campsites that can accommodate rigs slightly longer than 35 feet.
Indian Cove and Jumbo Rocks both have a few spots for RVs up to 35 feet in total length. If you have a rig larger than 35 feet, site availability may be considerably limited.

First-come, First-served Campgrounds

These campgrounds are great options if you have a smaller rig and the good fortune of securing a site. During the popular season, these campgrounds fill every weekend and often during the week, as well.

• Belle Campground
• Hidden Valley Campground
• Ryan Campground
• White Tank Campground

These are primitive campgrounds, so you will need to bring (and carry out) everything you’ll need during your stay.

Staying Outside the Park

If you’re unable to find a site in the park or you’re looking for a campground with more amenities, here are a few nearby campgrounds:

• TwentyNine Palms RV Resort and Cottages: About 10 minutes from the north entrance.
• Sam’s Family Spa and Resort: About 45 minutes from the main visitor center.
• Catalina Spa and RV Resort: About 50 minutes from the main visitor center.
• Palm Springs Oasis RV Resort: About 45 minutes from the south entrance.
• Indian Waters RV Resort and Cottages: About 30 minutes from the south entrance.

Invest in a Good Sam Membership and save 10% on nightly stays at Good Sam Campgrounds.

Tips for Your Camping Stay

• Reservations for the reservable campgrounds can be made up to six months in advance.
• Reserve using the links below or by calling 1-877-444-6777.
  • Black Rock Campground
  • Cottonwood Campground
  • Indian Cove Campground
  • Jumbo Rocks Campground
• No campgrounds in the park offer electric RV hookups.
• Generator use is restricted to 7-9 am, noon-2 pm, and 5-7 pm.
• Hammocks are not permitted in campgrounds and must be hung from rocks or climbing bolts elsewhere to protect the park’s sensitive vegetation.
• Backpacking is permitted in the park, but it requires more advanced planning and preparation.

How To Get Around

Nestled between I-10 and California SR 62, Joshua Tree is located in Southeastern California and is easy to access. Several towns nearby, including Palm Springs, Indio, and Twentynine Palms, make perfect supply stops before entering the park.
Indio is the last best stop on I-10 if you’re entering the park from the south. The park’s south entrance is located off Exit 168, about 30 minutes east of Indio. The park also offers a west entrance on Quail Springs Road, about 10 minutes southeast of the town of Joshua Tree. And the north entrance is just ten minutes south of Twentynine Palms on Utah Trail.
Several paved roads allow you to traverse the park, but going from site to site can require long drive times. The most frequented sites are located near the northern edge of the park, so if you’re coming from the south along I-10, you’ll be driving through the park for an hour or so before you spot your first Joshua Tree.

Places to Go

There are many places to visit in the park that offer a variety beyond the infamous trees. It’s a unique location that features the intersection of two desert ecosystems.

Cholla Cactus Garden

The Cholla Cactus Garden is its own special area and is unlike any other part of the park. Be sure to enjoy the flat, ¼-mile nature trail to get the best look at the cacti. This patch of cacti is incredible because it mostly consists of Teddybear Cholla, which is the star of the cactus world.
The Cholla Cactus Garden is so impressive, and you’ll love snapping photos of these majestic plants. Their beauty changes throughout the day depending on how the sunlight hits them. A small word of advice, look but don’t touch. Ouch!

Arch Rock

Arch Rock is a very popular rock formation located a half-mile from White Tank Campground. The loop trail is easy to follow and a perfect activity for the whole family. Of course, the Arch Rock itself is the thing people most want to see, but there's lots of space to wander around and explore the other rock formations, too.
It’s also a very popular place for night photography and stargazing. If interested, White Tank Campground is a really convenient place to stay because of its proximity to the trailhead.

Keys View

Keys View is a popular lookout that offers incredible panoramic views of the park and the Coachella Valley. If beautiful scenery is your thing, make sure to visit Keys View. It’s about a 20-minute drive from the main road to the lookout via Keys View Rd.

Ryan Mountain

One of the most popular activities in the park is the hike to Ryan Mountain. This 3-mile round trip trail leads to the summit, where you’ll be treated to sweeping 360-degree views. The hike is listed as challenging by the NPS, so be sure to bring plenty of water and expect changing weather conditions.

Things to Do

The combination of the Mojave Desert and the Colorado Desert makes Joshua Tree a wonderful desert wilderness to explore. Here are some of the most popular activities in the park:

Hiking

Hiking is a great way to get off the road and experience more of the desert landscape. The National Park Service offers plenty of safety tips for hiking in Joshua Tree, and here are some of the park’s most popular trails:

• Barker Dam Trail: An easy 1.1-mile trail with interpretive exhibits containing information on park history. It’s a popular place for viewing bighorn sheep from a safe distance.
• Oasis of Mara Trail: A 0.5-mile trail to explore a desert oasis and learn how it’s harbored human and animal life for centuries.
• Lost Horse Mine Trail: A moderate 4-mile out and back trail to explore what was once the area’s most successful gold mine.
• Mastodon Peak Trail: A moderate 3-mile loop trail with an optional scramble to the top of a granite peak.
• Lost Palms Oasis Trail: A challenging 7.5-mile out and back trail down a canyon to one of the park’s most remote fan palm oases.

The Park Service DOES NOT recommend attempting challenging hikes in the heat due to the elevated risk of sun exposure and dehydration.

Mountain Biking

The majority of the park’s paved roads are not suitable for road cycling. However, several backcountry roads are perfect for mountain bikes. There are even three campsites within Ryan Campground dedicated to cyclists.
Be aware that bikes are only allowed on roads open to vehicle traffic but that the main park roads do not offer bike lanes or wide shoulders. Consult the park’s website for safety tips and road recommendations before biking in Joshua Tree.

Photography

Photographers love Joshua Tree because of the variety it contains. From sunrise to sunset, photographers can find landscapes, animal inhabitants, and even human visitors to place in frame.
Commercial photography does require a permit, and if you’re interested in expanding your knowledge, the Desert Institute offers field courses in partnership with the Joshua Tree National Park Association.

Stargazing

Stars can be hard to come by in urban areas like San Diego and Los Angeles, but Joshua Tree is a different story. Designated as an International Dark Sky Park, it offers some of the best stargazing in all of Southern California.
After the sun goes down, keep your headlamp in red light mode to preserve your night vision. Your eyes will need less time to adjust when you lie down to see how many shooting stars you can count!

Rock Climbing

Rock climbing, in addition to bouldering and slacklining, is another great activity to enjoy in the park. To date, there are more than 8,000 known climbing routes, over 2,000 bouldering problems, and numerous natural rock gaps that make the perfect spot to set up a slackline.
On a busy weekend, the park may have hundreds of climbers enjoying their slice of this monzogranite mecca. So be sure to follow Leave No Trace Principles and familiarize yourself with the park’s climbing management plan before your visit.

What to Bring and How to Prepare

• The desert can be dangerous, and the weather can change quickly. Check the forecast frequently and pack layers to prepare for changing conditions.
• The remote location means there is no cell service in many parts of the park. Communicate your plans to loved ones or authorities ahead of time, especially if traveling alone.
• Investing in a cell signal booster may improve cell reception in areas with limited service.
• A quality camping cooler is a great way to keep food and beverages cold in the heat of the desert.
• Bring an extra canopy tent and ensure your awning is in good condition so you can escape direct sunlight during the heat of the day.
• Keep up with air conditioner maintenance to regulate the temperature inside your RV.
• For the latest info on visiting Joshua Tree, visit their website: Joshua Tree National Park.

Brief History of Joshua Tree National Park

Despite its harsh desert environment, humans have inhabited the area that is now Joshua Tree for more than 5,000 years. In the modern era, the biggest threats to this natural environment were land developers and cactus poachers.
In the late 1920s, a Pasadena resident named Minerva Hoyt began voicing her concerns about the unregulated removal of cacti and other desert plants to be used in home gardens throughout Los Angeles.
In a relatively short time, her conservation efforts resulted in the formation of the Joshua Tree National Monument in 1936. The original protected area encompassed roughly 825,000 acres but was reduced by about 265,000 acres in 1950 when the Park Service excluded certain mining parcels in the eastern part of the park.
On Halloween in 1994, the Desert Protection Bill passed and Joshua Tree was elevated to national park status. The bill also added back approximately 234,000 acres of what had been lost in the 50s.
Plan your next trip to the national parks in an RV. Rent an RV, trade-In your RV, or buy a new or used RV and start traveling for less than $5 a day.
Have you been to Joshua Tree National Park? Share your tips and advice in the comments below.

Hey guys. I’m an Utah local looking for advice on a first trip to the Swells.
Are there any good beginner canyons that are bolted (still require rappels but not super technical)? I have experience with some long multi-pitch rappels and have a lot of experience in the backcountry backpacking and rafting.
Any good sources for beta you’d recommend?
Any advice for classes/online content to upgrade my skill set to be able to build anchors, deal with water features, etc (I am located in the SLC area)?

So I'm 29 I turn 30 near end of June. I live in Utah but not limiting to just the state I can handle a Long Distance Relationship.
I love to play video games, I play Xbox (Series S), Switch, and pc (Only got a gaming laptop but still works great) watch movies, binge series, I love all movies really and watch almost anything and for series kinda the same favorite are animes, fantasy, comedy. and write (Stories, poems, and d&d campaigns) I love to play d&d and other ttrpgs as well as run them and even make my own homebrews. I love the outdoors from hiking to camping to backpacking, love to fish and go shooting targets. I love to cook and come up with new recipes, I also love to eat and try new things and love to eat everything besides canned spinach (love fresh spinach)
I'm looking for a partner in life someone that I can go camping with, hiking, or plan backpacking trips. Someone to game with or just spend days cuddling doing our own things. Someone to try new foods and cook and bake with, go try new restaurants. I'd love to play d&d with them even if I have to teach them about it I'm used to new players and it's a very fun and connective thing I feel.
I currently work for Redmond Life which is a Salt Producer, I work as a production simply fulfilling orders and making products. I also am a part time private chef for them cooking for several classes they offer and work events. I'm currently trying to get a job as a chef to use my trade and schooling. I'm 6" tall weighing about 200, I love to workout even though I tend to use my VR for it.
If any of this speaks to you send me a message either private or just a chat. If you've read this all why not starting with your favorite type of food.

Returning to backpacking after a longgggg reprieve. More or less, seems like gear is the same except some better materials (Ultra200x, etc.)
For shorter trips with better water access, it looks like the Durston Kakwa 40 could work really well for me. Still need to try it though.
But several of my trips will be 2-3 nighters in waterless rough regions (Arizona, Southern Utah, Joshua Tree). Therefore, am really considering a ULA Ultra Circuit or Ultra OHM. I know the OHM rec max carry is 30 lbs, but wondering if anyone has pushed it to 35ish and how that felt.
Few data points:

• Base weight = ~ 13 lbs
• Water carry could be for 2-3 days :/
• Want framed, and ideally U or curve one piece frame
• Will carry water for myself and sometimes my partner
• Ideally want something sooner than later, therefore long lead times aren’t ideal (e.g, the SWD bags look incredible but yeah)
• Would be nice to have decent back ventilation, but that seems like a mirage with most UL bags. Therefore, would be nice to have something that does not absorb sweat at all.

I should add, I know these bags aren’t the most ultra light. The Zpacks Arc Haul maybe ticks some boxes here. But it just too many straps and seems too delicate and extremely light for me.
Thanks y’all! Been mad helpful to me as I get back into this lifelong beautiful pursuit of gram counting!

Hi everyone! In a couple weeks I'll be heading out to Utah for paleontological field work. It will be my first time in the field, and first time camping in a long time, but luckily I'm going with an experienced crew. I've already learned a lot from this sub and would love your feedback/tips!
The plan is to stay in a small city for 2-3 nights, then head out to the field site and camp for probably 7 nights. Weather at the field site looks to be between 45 and 90 F with virtually no precipitation. Bigger camping gear (tent, sleeping bag/pad, etc) is going out separately via truck. I'm flying in, so I plan to use a carry-on and personal item. Here's my list so far, with items to be purchased in italics.
Wear on the plane:

• Tank top (merino if possible for layering later)
• Light athletic jacket (or down puffer? I don't currently have one so would love input on this considering the desert weather)
• Bike shorts
• Scrub pants (my favorite travel pants, & can double as pajama bottoms)
• Smartwool socks
• Hiking boots
• Fanny pack w/ phone, wallet, chapstick, pocket notebook, pen

Carry-on: Rick Steves rolling backpack or Osprey Daylite Carry-On (suggestions for other hybrid carry-ons welcome; I don't currently have a carry-on and like the idea of flexibility for future trips)

• Long-sleeved sun shirts: have one, need 2-3? more - considering Eddie Bauer Mountain Ripstop
• 2-3 moisture-wicking tanks/T-shirts for layering
• Hiking pants: have 2 pairs; 1 more? might thrift light-colored cargo pants
• Fleece long-sleeved shirt for evenings
• 3-4 sports bras
• 7 pairs underwear (can wash a few in town, unsure if I'll be able to in the field)
• 2 more pairs SmartWool socks + 2-3 backup pairs of athletic socks
• Casual dress
• Chacos
• Packable sun hat (Columbia Global Adventure or similar)
• Travel sewing kit
• Bandana
• AeroPress GO + ziploc bag of ground coffee
• Head lamp
• Bath wipes

Personal item: Outdoor Products 17L day pack with 2L water bladder

• Cheap poncho just in case
• Toiletries
  • Deodorant
  • Small wet wipes
  • Foldable brush/comb
  • Travel toothbrush
  • Liquids: shampoo, conditioner, soap, general moisturizer (might get bar versions of these); hand sanitizer; toothpaste; face sunscreen; mascara for city days
  • Menstrual cup
  • Spare hair ties
• Small medicine container with ibuprofen, allergy meds, maybe some Tums
• Microfiber towel
• Small first aid kit
• Zojirushi 16oz thermos for coffee/water
• Electronics
  • Laptop (jury's still out on this one tbh...I will be doing some work in town and have an iPad Mini I could bring instead, but prefer working on my laptop)
  • Kobo e-reader
  • Power bank and cords
  • Earbuds
• Sunglasses (have a couple cheap pairs, but better-quality recs appreciated)

Day pack after arriving at site:

• Bandana
• Energy bars, probably lunch too
• Thermos
• Paleontology tools: rock hammer, various picks/brushes, toilet paper, variety of ziploc bags & vials, ruler with scale bars, field notebook & pen/pencil, Sharpie, magnifying lens, GPS
• Leatherman Wingman multi-tool
• First aid kit
• Sanitary wipes (or travel bidet)
• Duct tape
• Sunscreen
• Bug spray
• Poncho

From what city is skiing more accessible? Moving for graduate school, and am between CU Anschutz and U Utah (programs are so similar, it comes down to hobbies near by). With skiing being my main hobby (including touring, snow camping, and spring/summer skiing).
Do the mountains in Utah offer the same ability to camp, hunt, backpack, late season ski, and off-road through, as CO?
On a separate note, since many of you folk probably live in or around those places. What city is better for a 26yo M? Food scene is better in Denver I assume?
EDIT: What about dating scene? Lmao I have to ask as a young single guy going to grad school. Time is a tickin’

Hey all, taking a trip to Utah end of June and hiking all the national parks. temps are going to be right around 100f with high UV I'm guessing. I want to come well prepared and need to buy some shirts. What are your go-to tops for hot weather? I have a Patagonia capilene cool daily hoody which I like a lot but maybe there's better options. Im not backpacking so weight isn't as much of a concern. Thanks!
Original Post

Hey all, taking a trip to Utah end of June and hiking all the national parks. temps are going to be right around 100f with high UV I'm guessing. I want to come well prepared and need to buy some shirts. What are your go-to tops for hot weather? I have a Patagonia capilene cool daily hoody which I like a lot but maybe there's better options. Im not backpacking so weight isn't as much of a concern. Thanks!

Hey all, taking a trip to Utah end of June and hiking all the national parks. temps are going to be right around 100f with high UV I'm guessing. I want to come well prepared and need to buy some shirts. What are your go-to tops for hot weather? I have a Patagonia capilene cool daily hoody which I like a lot but maybe there's better options. Im not backpacking so weight isn't as much of a concern. Thanks!
Update: went with a few OR Echo hoodies. Found them on steep and cheap for 35 bucks each

I received many compliments from friends and acquaintances. But I’m still self-conscious about my writing and the basic rules of the language. Please take a look you do not have to subscribe the
The Ouija Revelation by Blake West
I was raised Mormon and most of my family are still active members. I am not; I have always been the black sheep of the family. I was a good kid by most standards, but until recently I have not felt as though I can be myself when I am in their company. For example, my uncle once sat me down and said: "I don’t want you to change anything about yourself-- but please go be yourself over there. I will be here and you can be you over there." He caught me vaping when he reviewed the surveillance footage at his warehouse. I laugh about it now, and even at the time he said this I found it to be funny. I can be a lot to deal with; I mean, I live alone and I hate my roommate. My family is conservative. My grandmother told each man who was to marry into the West family that vasectomies were not permitted. Today this sentiment is a part of the family crest, next to a vaccine syringe with a red "X" over it. The West family were anti-vaxxers before it wasn't cool. As a matter of fact, I have never been vaccinated, other than one tetanus shot when I was ten-years old. I am not taking any kind of stand, I just wasn’t vaccinated, for anything. I am in relatively good health today and I have been fortunate in this regard. My maladies are of a cerebral variety. I will say that I do not believe that vaccines cause autism as some do. Especially considering the fact that I was not on the spectrum until Dr. TikTok made the diagnosis.
My family is so conservative they only pass food to the right at the dinner table. My father once saw a same-sex couple holding hands in Home Depot and he now refuses to shop there and refers to it now as "Homo Depot." My family is so conservative that my mother recently flew to Washington DC on a Wednesday to meet some friends. In addition to being conservative, my family is for the most part still indoctrinated by the Mormon church; fully bought-in. My "birds and bees" talk came at the hands of a counselor employed by LDS family services, so there were some gaps needing to be filled, to say the least. I had no clue as to what courtship was supposed to look like. I was homeschooled in ninth grade. Every morning, I had to attend seminary at Butler Middle School and I rode my bicycle home afterward, which served as my P.E. credit. It was this seminary class in which I met my biggest high school crush, Mary. I was fascinated by her immediately, she was different. She was petite, had blonde hair, blue eyes and the brightest smile I had ever seen. Mary was affable and had a sharp wit, above all she was kind-hearted. On the last day of that school year, in my piss-yellow DC Shoes hoodie and my new pair of skate shoes, I raised the courage and I asked her for her phone number. She wrote her number on my hand before she walked back to the school's main building. I was elated as I rode home that day. Mary and I became fast friends, until my parents caught wind. I was not 16, which is the age Church deems the appropriate age to date; or even interact with the opposite sex outside of Sunday school. I could only talk to her if she called me and occasionally my parents would let me return a message if she left one. One evening while we were talking she mentioned that she didn’t have a date for the homecoming dance. Consequences be damned, I asked her to go with me and she said yes. Luckily my mother allowed me to take her since it was a group of four. She wore a maroon and black dress. I wore a black suit and shirt to match the color of her gown, by coincidence. I hadn't learned what she would be wearing until I bought the corsage. Picture this: a socially awkward, clumsy teenager learning to square-dance on the fly. I kept stepping on her heels and gown as she tried to teach me the movement. Slow-dancing was really just waddling around in circles with very little eye contact. I was doing everything in my power to avoid staring down her shirt as we swayed right-to-left with her arms on my shoulders. To this point it was the most attention I had received from the opposite sex and also the same night I understood the versatility of my boxer's waistband. After the dance we went to see a movie. I had pulled a fast one-- I thought. I wanted to see a rated-R movie and I knew that they wouldn't sell me the tickets at the theater. So I bought them online and my mom let me use her credit card and when we get to the theater, I told mom that she had to pick up the tickets at the window because it was her credit card and we would get our snacks while she did. Tickets and popcorn in hand we walked to the usher and just as we did, we were met by the manager. I underestimated my mom-- but she didn’t want to dress me down in front of my date. She noticed the rating on Freddy Got Fingered was R and she told the theater employees to not let us into the movie we bought tickets for. I don't remember which movie we saw instead, I think it was Bubble Boy. I tried arguing my point with the manager, that my mother had purchased the tickets for us and by doing so should have acted as consent in lieu of parental-guidance, but he would not budge. But he did say if we were to wander into Freddy Got Fingered after Bubble Boy concluded we could catch the last half hour of that showing. Mom 234 - Blake 0. After the movie, my mom picked us up and dropped the other kids home without mentioning a word about my insubordinate behavior. I didn’t so much as hold Mary's hand that night. As I write this now I am overcome with "cringe" as the kids say. Mary had a boyfriend throughout most of high school, but her and I remained friends. She would smile and wave at me every time we crossed paths in the hallway, usually with her boyfriend Kurt's arm around her as she was walking to her next class. Kurt had everything I thought. He had a WRX, he was athletic, a talented artist, handsome and of course Mary. I was the fat, awkward, WWF watching, home-schooled kid who dressed in black concert t-shirts and carried around a backpack covered in metallic ink. I could only look down on Kurt because I was taller. Fast-forward to senior year, 2003-04. Mary and Kurt were on the outs and he was not going to take her to homecoming. But this time, instead of asking her on the phone I was going to do something memorable. Well, I remember it. I borrowed my mother's best stationary and wrote on it with my distinctive and elegant cursive "meet me here after school." thinking that it would be a surprise to her. I bought the finest roses I could find from Dan's supermarket and I brought them to her as she was standing at her locker with our mutual friend Nadya and I asked her if she would go to homecoming with me. With a look of obligation rather than excitement, she accepted. She already knew I wasn’t going to make a move and I hadn't learned how to square dance either. Side note: women of all ages do not give a fuck about excellent penmanship. The dance was still a few weeks away and in this time I started going to the gym every morning at 5:00 before school. Mostly because it was when Mary went and I saw this as an opportunity to get closer to her. In the short time that I had been going I had lost a noticeable amount of weight. Mary, Nadya and I started spending more time together and the Saturday before the dance, the three of us were at Nadya's house planning the following week's activities. One of the girls suggested we play a game and Out came the Ouija board. My mother warned me against dabbling in the dark arts; despite her love for the Harry Potter series. I participated nervously as Mary and Nadya called upon the nearest available entity. We started asking Pauley Purgatory the standard questions: "are you a good spirit or bad? Do you know my deceased friend?" and so on. Then Nadya asked the question "is Blake a virgin?" and in his infinite post-mortal bro-code wisdom, Pauley answered "no… except on Sundays." I was stunned and ashamed, because I had not told anyone, especially my biggest crush that Sundays were the only day of the week in which I did not engage in my regular self-care routine, if you catch my drift. Mary then asked "is Blake ever going to get married" and the curser moved to answer yes. Because I was such a smooth-operator I asked the next question "to someone I know?" and the cursor again moved to answer yes and I immediately locked eyes with Mary, then I quickly shifted my gaze to Nadya before looking back to the board. Then our new acquaintance had to take another call and we ended our session. The next week we go to the dance in a group of six and it went about as well as you could have expected taking into account previous context. At one point during the evening, Mary even had to ask me to sit next to her on the couch because my attention was consumed by a Seinfeld rerun as I sat on a beanbag on the floor in front of her. As a parenthetical note, even today I am not a ladies man. Despite my broad-shouldered, 6'1'' frame and confident, bearded-Viking like resemblance, I find myself awash with shame instinctively whenever I have thoughts of pursuing a woman I like. The LDS doctrine is so ingrained into my DNA, I cannot help but feel that wanting to fuck the Christ out of someone is wrong, despite my terrestrial knowledge telling me that it is natural. Whenever I think that I have found someone worthy of my "Melchize-dick" I split the difference and I say nothing. Do nothing. In 2003 I was even more of an insecure mess, if that is possible. I couldn’t even take my shirt off in the locker room let alone the opposite sex. A week later I had scheduled an appointment to chat with my bishop about some things that had been on my mind. After the normal small talk I begin by telling him that I was recently in a basement alone with two young women and I noticed his posture and glare became more focused. I continue by telling him that with these girls we summoned a dark spirit and it had said things about me which I had not told anyone. With a sort of disappointed look on his face now, he then related to me by telling me about a time he had gone to a psychic and experienced something similar. He concluded our visit by asking me if I had been "keeping the temple clean." Of course I lied and told him I was not “holding to the rod-- the iron rod” (there really are a lot of masturbation euphemisms from the hymn book). I also did not tell him what my new friend Pauley Purgatory had said though, only that it was something I had not told anyone. 18 years later when I was making a delivery on the same street Nadya lived on in high school, it hit me. Recently I watched a video on social media about ADHD issues and how it is commonplace for the afflicted to repeatedly tell the same story, as well as be unaware of certain things they have shared with others in conversation as a defense mechanism. I then recalled a memory of an annoyed co-worker saying to me "you say that every time" when I would share my association with Mrs. Field's Cookies anytime the name was mentioned as a perspective client. I went to one year of private school with Mrs. Field's daughter; true story. Then it hit me-- I had to have forgotten that I told Mary that I "kept the Sabbath day holy" and this was her way of telling me it was okay to make a move, without telling me. I was so sheltered and indoctrinated that I actually believed a spirit-in-limbo made a dick joke and I ran to confess my sin of my meddling in the dark arts to my bishop. And because I was vague with the details and I lied about "leaning upon my ample arm" my bishop was not able to say "she's trying to tell you something, you fucking idiot! She likes you." I like to think that he would have done me that courtesy, he was actually a good guy. As I look back, Mary tried everything and I now know what that look she used to give me meant. That "how are you not getting this, you big, dumb fuck?" look. She even tried to sacrifice a virgin when she set me up with my first girlfriend. Once I finally realized what had happened I had to shout the thought out of my head as the blood left my face. Driving alone in Cottonwood Heights, Utah I said aloud: "Goddammit” with a Baroque-like rhythm. The moral of the story, kids: don't lie to your bishop about taking care of your needs. Unless you want something to write about later. Shame begats shame begats the socially awkward. Thanks for reading. -Blake

Where: Death Hollow via Boulder Mail Trail - Escalante River Trailhead
https://www.gaiagps.com/map/?loc=13.2/-111.5593/37.7900&pubLink=wDlOdyhZqZa1Y8GB64el1CEK&trackId=13390ce3-ec9e-4de5-be7c-f6e2d8a9a73c
(Disclaimer: ascent shown is not accurate as the gpx is not accurate enough to avoid climbing vertical canyon walls)
Photos: https://imgur.com/a/1UvKH20
When: May 3 to 5, 2024
Distance: 22mi
Conditions: Choice! High 75° Low 40°. Mostly sun. Some clouds.
Best time to go: Mile for mile and especially within a 22mi loop, you’d be hard pressed to find a better trail in the springtime. Fall you may be more challenged for water availability. This loop provides continuously gorgeous and adventurous terrain that is never boring. Do it when it’s warmer vs colder. Being in the water when it’s cold sucks. Last time I was here was at the end of March and it snowed and I didn’t appreciate the water sections like I did this time. When hiking in Day 1 you can avoid the heat by hiking in the evening, you avoid the heat on Day 2 in the morning and descend into Death Hollow well before mid-day, and on Day 3 you beat the heat in the morning on the hike out. Best do this on a clear weekend in early May and anytime through May and even into the beginning of June? Warmer temps allow you to swim and enjoy all the water walking more IMO.
LiarPack: https://lighterpack.com/aj9say
A note on footwear and clothing: I saw quite a few people in sandals. Not recommended. This is a rocky trail. The slickrock demands good support as it is steep and angled many times. The water sections are better with trail runners as they protect your feet from larger rocks and at the occasional section with boulders. You’re dry day 1 in Mamie Creek, and will be continuously wet as soon as you get into Death Hollow and stay wet with water walking throughout the day until the last mile or so of the loop. Embrace it. The water was colder in the morning but warms up later in the day. Neoprene socks are not necessary but if you are sensitive to cold water you may want some. None of us had them and it was fine. I’d wear pants! Lots of overgrown that is scratchy on the legs. I loved the shorts while hiking in the water but many many times you exit the water for a sandy trail with lots of scratchy overgrowth.
Overview: This was a Utah UL meet-up I organized. We had about 8 or 10 people interested but what it came down to was 5 people. u/tomj1404, u/TropicalAT, and a couple other folks. Plan was to meet up in camp Friday night, eat some grub and learn names and get to know one another, then hike the rest of the remaining trail together. Main goal for me was to provide motivation and a plan for people to get out and maybe show some folks a new area. Everyone except for me had not been to Death Hollow so I was very excited to show them around this beautiful place. We did it in 2 nights but this could easily be done as an overnighter. A few good spots for camping in Death Hollow. One obvious spot around Mile 10 of this loop IIRC. I’ve stayed here before and this would be the best for your one-night trip IMO but I think this loop is better done in two nights. The reason is because you hit the slickrock at the beginning at sunset past the heat of the day, you hit the waterfalls and swimming holes midday on day 2 which is lovely, and you get out early on day 3 to hit up Magnolia’s for breakfast in Escalante or Kiva Coffee for breakfast if you want to go back that way. 2-nights just feels right in many ways but if time is limited you’ll still have fun with the overnighter.
A note on LNT (leave no trace):
First, no fires. Second, this area does not have many places you can correctly dig a cathole so it is important that you bring a wag bag for the Death Hollow canyon section and the Escalante River canyon section. For the areas you can get 300’ from a water source and dig a cathole, this sandy landscape does not promote very good decomposition given the lack of rain and soil microbes. You should really be shitting in WAG bags the whole time but technically are not required to. If you can get 300’ from a water source and in better soils, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE get with the times and do not bury toilet paper. Pack it the fuck out please. This stuff does not break down out there and this area is getting more popular. This is why I bring baby wipes. Since I am packing it out anyway… might as well make it luxurious. One wipe goes a long way. I do this for ALL my trips regardless if I’m in the desert. If you have more availability to water, consider the bidet water bottle method if you don’t want to pack out wipes. Lastly, don’t step on crypto! If you do not know what cryptobiotic soil is, do a google search, figure out what it looks like, take 5 minutes to learn about why it is important, and don’t break the crust. https://www.nps.gov/glca/learn/nature/soils.htm#:\~:text=Biological%20soil%20crusts%2C%20sometimes%20called,hidden%2C%20while%20biota%20means%20life.
It is important you inform yourself of Utah’s unique standards for LNT before backpacking here or anywhere for that matter. It might be a good idea for this sub to add a LNT section to the trip reports to inform as many people as possible. Make it aware right at the beginning of these trip reports how an area deals with human waste, any information like not touching dwellings or pictographs/petroglyphs or artifacts, unique flora or fauna to not disturb, etc. etc. Mods? ;)
Day 1 - 6.5mi, 1,000ft of climbing plus a lot of small ups and downs into camp:
Drive down from SLC on Hwy 12 from Boulder to Escalante is always a treat. Hogsback highway section is legendary and a really fun section to drive. We missed Kiva Koffeehouse by about 30min from closing but I’ve been here a handful of times and I highly recommend you stop here before heading out on your adventures. We rolled up to the trailhead around 4:45pm and started hiking after we filled out our backcountry permits at the trailhead. There are no reserved permits required for this hike. The BLM just asks that you fill out the trail log and fill out the permit before you go to help them log the annual hiking pressure and to help them find you in a pickle. From here we hiked down to the Escalante River where the trail forks West and North to the slickrock section. The climb up to the slickrock section is steep and guided by cairns. One area in particular was tricky but in a fun way to find your way. I love this type of cairn to cairn hiking. There are some slow sand sections but not for more than a mile. Most of it is on beautiful slickrock and hitting this at sunset before getting to camp is a beautiful time to experience this area. You will encounter a wire strung tree to tree or post to post at times. This is a telecommunication wire that was put in long ago to connect Escalante and Boulder. Good info online to look up more about it. We met some other folks in our party just about a mile from camp and walked into camp at Mamie Creek with them. I thought this day was going to be mostly throwaway miles since I had not entered from this direction before but boy was I wrong! Views and terrain are terrific. Took us about 3hrs to do this section. I’d give yourself 4 hours depending on how fast you hike. Mamie Creek was NOT flowing, but very reliable big pools of water exist. There’s fish here and the water should be filtered. It has a green tinge to it but tastes great out of the filter. I don’t recommend aquamira for this but you’d be fine. Plenty of camping here as a group of 8 or so people were also camped just up the way. Great spot. Beautiful views around you.
Day 2 - 13.0mi, 500ft of climbing, lots of slower miles in Death Hollow Creek:
After coffee and breakfast we were on the trail around 8am. A steep climb up to a sea of slick rock starts your day. Some amazing views here before descending into Death Hollow. They call it Death Hollow because at one time there was a herd of livestock that plummeted to their death off the cliff tops to the bottom of this canyon. This trail you are on is called the Boulder Mail Trail that connects Escalante and Boulder. Appreciate the mules that would make this trip down into Death Hollow and back out again to deliver the mail. There’s some spots that are quite exposed and fun. Once you’re at the bottom, the creek will be flowing in the spring. The Boulder Mail Trail goes north to another impressive carved out trail in the rock. Highly recommend you hike this section at some point but normally people just continue south downstream. A good break spot at mile 4 (mile 10 overall). Views always change as you round a different bend. Occasional poison ivy this time of year so beware. Another reason to wear pants over shorts. There’s an obvious double waterfall at mile 6ish (12 overall) with a great swimming hole for lunch. Great views here as the sandstone walls tower over you. About a mile or two down from here is the crux. A really fun section that demands balance and awkward movements to not fall into the shallow pool of water. It is not dangerous if you fall in unless it is cold, but fun to navigate. You can’t go above it. More beautiful hiking all the way down to the confluence of the Escalante river. Good opportunity to get water one last time at Death Hollow/Mamie Creek because the Escalante River is silty/muddy. Death Hollow runs clear and cold and tastes great. Last time I was here I didn’t notice I was at the confluence. I thought it was just another creek feeding in. I went left as it kind of funnels you that way. Don’t miss this and make sure you turn right. The miles here are more on land than in the water. They are faster than being in Death Hollow but not by too much. A few campsites along the way and I’d say the last place you’d want to camp is near the amphitheater with the pictographs (no camping under the amphitheater) which is 2mi from the finish.
Day 3 - 3.0mi:
Easy miles. Maybe 10 more wet crossings. Don’t miss the pictographs in the amphitheater. We decided to not have coffee or breakfast and beeline it to Magnolia’s in Escalante for breakfast. Small place. They seemed overwhelmed when we got there, but it’s adorable and good food. Apparently SLC had epic winds as a storm front was rolling through. We had lots of snow on the way home about an hour out from SLC. So… time to ski!
Closing Remarks: I'd rate this hike as moderate+. For an experienced hiker who's fit, it's pretty easy, but with some challenging terrain and slow miles, lots of water walking, very little defined trail and when there is it is just sand, I could see someone easily getting in over their heads here. Generally I think, "could my dad do this?" He's 67yo, fit for his age, not the lightest pack but sub 25lbs for something like this. And yeah, he could do it and have fun doing it. It would be hard for him especially navigating on his own if he had to with his experience so I'll give it a moderate+.
We had one guy say this was his second ever backpacking trip, we had another guy who was a triple crowner, and other people fell in between. Everyone had a great time and appreciated this amazing trail.

I'm the absolute worst about having a high calorie count while I'm out backpacking, my calorie count is a maximum of 1000 calories a day when I'm in the mountain. I get like 2 bites of a clif bar and feel sick to my stomach. My main calorie intake now is from drink mix packets with and without caffeine. Liquid IV to be specific. Help me out, I failed kings peak in utah yesterday due to a lack of energy for the summit push and I know this is the cause.
What do you eat on the mountain?

So as I put I'm 29 M and seeking a long term relationship I'm seeking a life partner. Now I was born in Utah but have also lived in Kentucky for a number of years. Last year I moved back to Utah and graduated with a culinary degree, currently working at Redmond life as a operations employee and private chef. I love to play video games, write stories, listen to audio books and podcasts, I play d&d alot and am a forever DM, I love to create unique worlds and my own Homebrews. I also live the outdoors from hiking, to camping, to backpacking. I'm seeking someone hopefully from Utah but also okay with long distance but in the states at least.

My first mistake was coming here at all.
I saw my uncle’s cabin silhouetted in the setting sun as my old, beat-up Chevy rattled along the dusty dirt road toward the lake. It rolled up the graveled driveway and made its signature squeal as I hit the brakes and put it in park. As I stepped out the vehicle, I was chilled by a piercing October breeze. I still had hope that this weekend getaway would be a good use of my paid time off, but I admit, that hope was dwindling.
A scene from a movie: a young man takes his girlfriend up to the mountains, to a lakeside cabin—just when all the leaves have faded to lush tones of crimson, amber, and gold—and when the moment is just right, when the sun is real low and the water is all aglow at that magical hour of twilight, the boy gets on one knee and pops the question, diamond ring in-hand. That’s what I had in mind when I begged my uncle to let me stay a few days at his secluded “summer getaway” cabin he’d bought cheap the year prior. He was a grumpy old man, but he still had a heart.
It should’ve been perfect. It should’ve been one of the happiest weekends of both our lives—which is why I was so unbelievably baffled when she dumped me. Maybe the writing on the wall was too obvious. Maybe she didn’t want to marry me. Maybe there was someone else. Who knows? Who cares, really? Somehow I found myself single just a day before we were meant to head up to a remote spot in the mountains of Utah. And, for some reason, I found myself up there alone. I don’t know, it seemed like it’d be a nice place to brood, to feel sorry for myself. I didn’t much care to tell anyone about our breakup. As far as my family was concerned, I’d be coming down the mountain a few days later with my new fiancé. I didn’t know what I’d tell them. I hardly understood it myself. A weekend at Uncle Rob’s cabin would give me plenty of time to mull it all over, or so went my thinking.
I filled my lungs with fresh, crisp air. It felt good. I was lucky in getting to the spot before the sun set entirely. It had been a long drive, and all I wanted was to lay down in a soft bed. An old set of keys jingled and jangled as I twirled them around my index finger. I whistled a chipper tune on my way to the front door, trying to act happier than I was. The key turned, the door opened. The musky smell of wood filled my nostrils as I stepped inside.
It was dark. I turned on my phone’s flashlight in search of a light switch. “Aha!” I said upon my discovery of one. I flipped it, and nothing happened. I flipped it a few more times, as if it’d make a difference. I found another, and tried flipping it another two or three times as well. There was no power. I set down my backpack that housed all my effects. I half-considered getting back in my truck and driving away right then and there, but figured I should at least give my uncle a call first.
The phone rang, and it rang some more. “This is Rob Ward. Leave a message.”
I sighed. The phone rang again. Once. Twice. Three times. “Hal? Hal, honey, how’s it going?”
The question was an emotional gut-punch. Not so good, Mom. You ever lose the love of your life without even knowing why? I took a deep breath. “Hey, yeah, it’s going great. We’re up here at the cabin—just getting settled in. I just had a quick question for Rob, but he’s not picking up his phone.”
“Oh that’s great honey, I’m glad you made it up there safe. How’s Jessica? Is she in a good mood? Make sure she’s in a good mood before, well, you know… I’m not on speaker, am I?”
“What? No, she’s fine, I’m not…” I’m not proposing to her at all, Mom. She’s not here. In fact, she doesn’t want anything to do with me. I’m all by myself in the middle of nowhere. What a great idea. I’m a genius, Mom. “I’m waiting till tomorrow. I—I just had a question for Rob and wondered if you could try getting ahold of him.”
“Oh, that’s great sweetie. And yes—you’ve called at a good time. He’s over here, actually. He and Dad are watching the game right now, but I think it’s gone to commercials. I’ll bring him the phone.”
A moment passed. I heard the sound of a phone changing hands. “Yeah?” Rob’s gruff voice came over the speaker.
“Hey, Rob. Uh, who’s—who’s winning?”
For a few seconds there was nothing but the sound of TV in the background. “What do you need?” he said in his habitual growly monotone.
“So… there’s no power up here. Seems like. I tried turning on the lights.” Talking to Rob always made me uncomfortable. Could never tell what he’s thinking, and he made no effort in the realm of niceties.
“Generator. In the back.” And with that, he handed the phone back to my mother.
“It’s me again, Hal. Make sure when you do it you—”
“Yep, thanks, Mom. I have to go now, okay?”
“Okay, sweetie. I love you! Tell Jessica I said—”
“Love you too. I’ll tell her you said hi.” I hit the end call button hastily. I didn’t like lying to my mother. Nor did I want to talk any more about Jessica.
“Of course there’s a generator. Obviously,” I muttered to myself as I made my way out the back door. This place was way too far out to be hooked up to any grid. I was downright lucky there was cell service at all.
All that was left of the sun were the last mauve tones of dusk that silhouetted the pine trees on the horizon as clusters of black, needly branches. My phone’s flashlight illuminated the way down the back deck, casting long, stark shadows as the radius of light hit overgrown grass, large rocks, and the like; nearly rolling my ankle as I clambered over the uneven terrain. I looked up and saw a thick wire extending from the cabin to the inside of an old tool shed at the edge of the property. I made my way to it, but the door was locked. I fumbled through my pocket and found the keys Rob had given me. There were three in total. I tried the first. No dice. I didn’t try the second, it was way too big. The third unlocked the door, which swung open with a sickening creak. Inside the small wooden shed was the generator, along with all the tools one would need to maintain a place like this. All sorts of pliers, wrenches, drills, a box cutter, and a hefty axe.
The generator had a recoil starter like a lawn mower. I pulled it, but there was nothing except the short-lived whirring sound of an attempt at revving up. The tank of propane attached was probably empty. Thankfully, there were no less than three more of them next to it. Once the fresh tank was attached, it finally it started with a roar. The cabin flickered to life like a beacon in the pitch-dark forest. We’re in business, I thought.
As I exited the shed, the generator seemed to start making an odd sound—a feral screeching sort of noise, harsh against the ears, for sure. I’d never been mechanically savvy, but it looked to be running alright from what I could tell. The sound continued as I made my way back to the cabin. In fact, it got a bit louder. I looked out over the back deck. Was it coming from the generator? Or was it coming from the forest behind it?
I put away the thought. It creeped me out. I shut the door and locked it behind me. I locked the front door, too—just for good measure.
In the new light I saw that the cabin was in worse condition than I thought it would be. What little paint there was was peeling. The wood was practically rotting. Dirt and dust caked nearly every inch of the place. What a letdown. Maybe it’s good I didn’t bring Jessica here.
Jessica. The name made my heart hurt. I needed to get my mind off her.
The wind was howling, probably blowing through all sorts of holes in the cabin’s exterior. I had to wear my jacket at all times. I looked at my phone and saw it was only a little past 7 P.M. Too early to drown my sorrows in sleep. It was time to start thinking about the way in which I’d spend the rest of my evening. Internet wasn’t an option, of course, so I figured I’d try something new and actually read a book I’d been meaning to for years.
After a while the generator suddenly stopped making the horrible shrieking sound it had been. Or, at least, whatever had been making it stopped. Glad that sorted itself out, I thought.
A few chapters of Pet Sematary later and I needed to take a leak. The bathroom was just as dingy, cramped, and outdated as the rest of the house. After doing my duty, on my way back to the living area, I caught a glimpse of something in the window in the top of the back door. I didn’t want to think it, but my stomach sank. It looked like the top of someone’s shaved head. I froze. Was someone really there? If it was a person, they were standing perfectly still, facing the door; but I couldn’t be sure. They’d have to be intimidatingly tall for me to be able to see the tip of their head. I tried to steady my breathing. There was no need to panic. As I took a step toward the door, the shape darted to the right. I ran to the door. There was no easy locking mechanism on the inside, I had to use the key. After struggling to fit the correct key into the hole in my adrenaline-induced zeal, I flung open the old wooden door and looked in the direction it went. I saw nothing but dark shapes, all still in the quiet of night, except the steady silhouetted swaying of branches in the wind.
I called out. “Hello?” My voice was tentative. I wasn’t sure I wanted whatever it was to hear me. I took a deep breath. I called again, louder this time. “Hello?!” Nothing. No one. I turned on my phone’s flashlight. At the edge of my vision, I could see it. The door of the toolshed was wide open.
I muttered an expletive to myself. What if it was in there? Was it a person? It must’ve been—a bald man, tall, with pasty white skin.
I approached the shed. One step at a time. I could feel my heart pounding wildly inside my chest. I spoke again; a whisper this time. “Is someone in there?” Surely not. Surely there wasn’t a stranger inside the shed. What would they be doing there? What reason could they have?
Flashlight in-hand, I peered inside the shed. Nothing. For a moment, relief spread over me. I even felt myself smile. I poked my head inside, and looked to the left, where the generator was. It was there, too. It towered over me. Naked and pale. It just stood there, with its… “face” pointed in my direction.
I ran.
If I hadn’t just pissed, I’d have done it then. I wasn’t looking where I was going. I tripped over a rock and hit the ground hard. I yelled in frustration. I didn’t feel a thing. My only concern was getting inside the cabin. But my back was turned. My back was turned and that thing was somewhere behind me. The thing without a face. No eyes, no mouth. I scrambled to my feet and didn’t look back.
Into the light. I made it, I was inside. But I wasn’t going to stick around.
Where were my car keys? On the couch. I took them into my hand and threw on my backpack. I was out the front door in thirty seconds. Getting myself to take another step into the dark was like pulling teeth, but I managed. I sprinted to the car. My hands were shaking so much I dropped the keys. It was right behind me, I could feel it. Or, at least, I imagined it. I didn’t dare look to find out. “Come on!” I screamed as I picked the keys up off the ground. I unlocked the door. I jumped inside. I turned the key. The engine stalled. “No! No, no, no!” Expletives flew out my mouth at a pace they never before had. I tried again, and gave it some gas. My old Chevy roared to life.
When the headlights came on, I was sure I’d see him standing there, but whatever it was was nowhere to be seen. It was only a small comfort. I put her in reverse, and was soon on my way down that lonely dirt road. I hoped, downright prayed, that I was heading in the right direction, but I couldn’t think. All that occupied my mind was what I saw in that shed.
It was then I saw something that should’ve scared me more than the man without a face. A single snowflake hit my windshield.
The snow fell heavier and heavier by the second. The windshield wipers were on full-blast. The radio turned to static. I didn’t understand how the weather could’ve changed so drastically so quickly, and so early in the year. I felt like God was punishing me. Why now?
A couple miles down the dirt path, I merged onto a narrow asphalt road. This was where I had come from. I was going the right way. All was pitch dark except for my car’s headlights. I couldn’t see more than fifteen feet in front of me. The snow was starting to stick on the ground, but I didn’t slow down. I had to get away from there.
It was a mistake. It was all such a mistake.
The road made a sharp turn left down the mountain. I very nearly went off the side of a cliff. My heart was pounding, my head ached. I went to wipe the sweat from off my brow. I didn’t see the creature that leapt in front of my car.
The impact was hard. I hit the brakes and spun the wheel more than I should’ve as the thing flew over my cracked windshield. A second impact. I had rammed my poor old Chevy right into a tree.
It was all a blur, I must’ve hit my head on the wheel. I was lucky I didn’t go flying out the windshield. The car was totaled, and my leg hurt. I opened the car door and fell onto the snowy ground. I couldn’t see a thing. I could feel myself losing consciousness. I just wanted to go to sleep, and so I did.
It was some time before I awoke with a start. I was freezing cold, and covered in a thick blanket of snow, which was still falling just as hard. The white-white snow at least reflected what little moonlight pierced the veil of clouds above, making it possible to see the landscape around me. The deer that I had hit laid dormant nearby, as stiff as could be.
How long had I been out? I tried sitting up. My leg. It was so painful. I brought out my phone and turned on the flashlight. The snow was red with blood from a deep gash in my left shin. It made me nauseous to look at. It was 11 P.M., and I had 13 missed calls from my mother. I could guess why; the storm had blanketed everything in six inches of snow.
I tried calling her back. No service. I tried calling 911. Not a chance.
Am I going to die out here? I didn’t want to die. I really, really didn’t want to die. Then get up, Hal. I heard my uncle Rob’s voice in my head, of all people. I thought of my mom and dad. I thought of Jessica.
I forced myself to my feet. I took a step forward. Searing pain shot through my leg. I was shivering in the cold. I didn’t know what I was going to do, except that I was going to survive. Somehow.
I can hardly remember what happened next, but I can guess. Hours of uphill shuffling in the dark, gritting my teeth through the pain. It didn’t make sense how I ended up back at that cabin, but that’s exactly what happened.
The sun was close to rising, I could see the world brighten a bit; but the clouds overhead were still loath to let the sunlight through. The cabin’s bright lights led me to it, like a lighthouse on the shore. It was the only thing for miles around, and my only hope of survival.
The place looked so different in the fog, buried in snow. Gone was the beauty of autumn, replaced with the biting dreariness of a cold, lonely winter. And somewhere in the woods, whether near or far, was the man whose face was skinned over.
The front door was wide open.
I went inside. It wasn’t much warmer, but at least I was sheltered from the heavy snowfall. I checked my phone again. Still no service. I wondered how long it would be before rescue arrived, or if it would arrive at all. With no car, no cell service, a dwindling phone battery, and a gaping wound… things looked grim. My best hope was to wait for the storm to clear enough that I could get a call through.
My leg was still bleeding. The cold, I imagine, numbed the pain; but that was hardly a good thing. I limped to the bedroom and tore the sheets off the bed into several thin strips, which I used to tightly bandage the gash after cleaning it with tap water. It was all I could do. I bundled myself into the remaining blankets and drifted to sleep. I was absolutely exhausted.
I have no idea how long it was before a sudden clattering woke me up. I didn’t have to wonder what had caused it. I knew it was that thing again. A lump formed in my throat. I felt so safe and warm in those blankets, and I could hardly move my legs without burning pain scorching my nervous system. But I was in mortal danger. I heaved myself up on my aching feet and peeked out the door of the bedroom. All was still.
The cabin was small, consisting of a living area, a tiny kitchen, a bathroom, and a bedroom. I could see nearly the whole house from my position in the doorway.
Another crash. This time, I heard where it had come from—beneath me. How could it be beneath me?
I was absolutely defenseless. The tool shed. I remembered the axe resting against the wall. I limped as fast as I could out the back door. The snow reached halfway up my calves. I paused at the doorway. I remembered seeing the creature in that shed. I had caught only a flash in the stark light from my phone, but the image was burned into memory. A tall, hairless man wearing nothing at all, pasty white except blue veins. Smooth skin where his face should’ve been. I didn’t want to look. I looked anyway. It wasn’t there. I let out a sigh of relief, but the anxiety returned tenfold. It isn’t in the shed. It’s under the house.
I grabbed the axe. As I turned around, I realized where the sound had come from. Next to the cabin was an open hatch leading to a basement that I hadn’t noticed before. He’s in there.
I gathered my courage. I’d finish this, once and for all. I’m coming for you, you bastard.
Adrenaline pumped through my veins. I hardly felt the wound in my leg as I limped down those steep concrete stairs. The air was rank, and all was dark. “Come out!” I shouted. “Come out, you freak!” I couldn’t see a thing except the dark silhouettes of various effects. Boxes, shelves, and the like. Various objects were scattered along the ground, surely the source of the crashing noises I heard.
“I know you’re in here,” I said.
For all my macho energy in that moment, I still fell backwards in horror when I saw him stand from his hunched position in the corner. I dropped the axe, I couldn’t breathe. It was just a shadow, a thin, ghostly image staring at me from the other side of the room.
Imagine my surprise when he raised his hands in surrender.
“W-What?” I stuttered.
He maintained the pose.
“Don’t come any closer,” I said. I meant for it to sound threatening, but only the sounds of desperate fear escaped my mouth. “Tell me what you are!” I grabbed the axe again and used it to push myself up off the ground.
He remained silent and motionless.
I scanned the room for a light source of some kind. There was a pull-chain in the center of the room. “Don’t move!” I said as I shuffled my way there. “I mean it!” I pulled the chain, and a single bulb lit up the cellar.
Standing before me in the dim light was a thin man, probably 6’5. He was totally naked, but he had no sexual organs. Everything was smooth, like a ken doll. I could hear strained, muffled breathing coming from where his mouth should’ve been. His raised arms conveyed a message: “I mean you no harm.”
“Do you… do you need help?” I asked.
He nodded his head.
The man was sat on the old sofa. I sat across from him on a chair. Just looking him over, again and again. I didn’t understand how any of this was possible. I had a boxcutter in my hand.
“I’m going to cut open the skin covering your mouth so you can breathe,” I said.
He tensed up, but nodded again.
I moved closer to him and raised the blade. This is disgusting, I thought. I plunged the shallow blade into his face. Blood spurt out onto my own. The man clenched his fists. Clearly, it hurt. Breath passed through the hole I made. I cut more, until a somewhat mouth-shaped hole adorned him, caked in blood. He heaved in a great breath and tried coughing, but something was still wrong. I looked into his mouth. There was no tongue, no teeth, no red or pink flesh. It was all that same smooth, clammy skin, extending all the way down his esophagus. “My God,” I whispered.
The man shook, probably in pain. He raised a trembling finger to his face, gesturing to the spot where his eyes should be. That’s where I cut next. A single, wild eye emerged from the bloody gash I inflicted on his flesh. It was bloodshot and full of fear.
I moved on to the next, put the triangular blade of the boxcutter into the bleeding skin, and carved a slit into his smooth face. But I cut too deeply, the blade scraped across his eye. Blood sprayed out of the wound like a fountain. He jerked back in pain, and held his hand to his now blind left eye. He knocked the boxcutter out of my hand, it clattered to the floor.
“I’m sorry!” I shot out.
The man emitted a choked, gagged, muffled noise that must have been cries of pain. He hunched himself into a ball on the couch and trembled.
What was going on? What in the world had happened to this man? My head throbbed, as did my leg. Cold sweat dripped down my face. This was a nightmare.
I didn’t know how much worse things could be.
I heard a sound coming from outside the cabin. It was like a moan; deep and long, almost like a whale’s call.
The man’s head perked up. His good eye stared out the front window. He looked to me.
“What is that?” Dread filled my soul’s every pore.
The sound came again.
The man leapt to his feet and dashed out the back door into the forest, into the fog and the snow.
I stood and limped to the window. I saw something emerge from the lake. It saw me, too. A great amorphous shape obscured in the fog. It moaned as it moved towards the cabin.
I hunched down and desperately gasped. I had been holding my breath. What do I do? What do I do?
The window darkened. I looked up. Pressed against the glass was a wall of skin. My mouth opened in horror. The glass cracked.
I scrambled out the back door, the same way the man had gone. The axe! I thought—like an axe would make a difference.
The window broke, and that awful moan came again; but I didn’t look back. I rushed down the stairs of the deck and into the cellar. I held the axe in my hands, but I didn’t feel any safer.
The creature was right behind me. Down the steep stairs, the pulsating blob moved with the sound of wet meat slapping against stone. It was made entirely of saggy, fatty skin. What resembled human limbs were bent out at odd angles all over its body. It was so large it scraped the ceiling. On its head—I thought it looked like a head of sorts—was no face. It was a long tube of wrinkly skin, like an elephant’s trunk, wide enough to swallow a man whole.
In a final act of desperate defiance, I swung the axe into its side. When I tried pulling it out, I quickly realized it was stuck. Skin moved from the creature to the axe, swallowing it into itself.
The thing’s proboscis swung towards me and caught me in the face. It clasped over my head. The air was sucked out around me. I couldn’t breathe. The tube of pulsating skin wrapped all around my body and began swallowing me into the greater mass of the monster. I felt flabby, cold skin surround me, caress me, become a part of me. I opened my mouth to scream, and the skin coated the inside of me. Inside my mouth, inside my throat, my lungs, my stomach, all lined with new skin. It all tightened around me, melded with my own nervous system and blood vessels. It was my skin now as much as it was the creature’s.
I understand now what the sound I heard the night prior was, the sound I thought I heard from the forest behind my uncle Rob’s cabin. It was screaming, shrieking, soul-piercing cries. I understand because those are the sounds I found myself making as the thing made me a part of itself before returning again to the bottom of that lake. I screamed and screamed till my vocal cords gave out. I wished that someone would hear me, I wished that someone would help. But no help would come until the snow on that mountain was cleared.
Until then, I was left to myself. Blind, starving, hardly able to breathe. Skinned over.

My wife and I are planning to head out to Utah for a multi-day backpacking trip this coming weekend. We are new to the permit system of the BLM and Forest Service. I'd love to get your input to clarify a few questions.

• Generally, it seems that dispersed camping sites are available on BLM land without requiring a reservation (although with some exceptions). I got the impression that people typically arrive there by car to pitch a tent rather than use them for multi-day hiking trips. Are they also available for backpacking?
• On the one hand, even with backpacking permits, it seems that many parks require that one camps in designated campsites within the park. On the other hand, many park websites mention "camping within 1/2 mile [...] of the rivers is not allowed" (e.g., from Canonylands). But that would suggest that one can pick a site independently. Do you know which is correct?

We'd love recommendations from people who know the area. For context,

• we have five days
• we are happy to travel ~20 miles per day depending on terrain
• we won't have ropes with us on this trip but are happy with exposed hiking
• an area with some water would be great so we don't have to carry all of it
• somewhere in Southern Utah would be amazing so we can leave the winter sleeping bags at home (but happy to cross into another state).

Thank you for your time and input!

I’m getting back into backpacking after many years away from it (hiked the Arizona Trail late 2016).
There’s so much out there now (and before honestly). But I find it immensely difficult to stray away from Western Moutaineering sleeping bags. Buying one feels like a heirloom item.
For example, I’ve been looking at Zenbivy and just something about them feels like it ain’t for me. But I do want something versatilish for late Summer in Utah section hikes. And other dryer places.
Anyone rock a WM quilt before? Any feedback?

It's been a long time, but I'm returning to backpacking after a thru-hike of the Arizona Trail. I took a Thermarest Neoair Xlite back in the day (the potato chip bag sounding one). It didn't pop on the trail, but somehow got punctured post-trail. I feel like I got a little lucky it made it through, but also took care of it very well during the hike.
Most of my return to backpacking will be rocky and sharp as hell areas, like Southern Utah, Arizona again, New Mexico, etc. I think I want the mental comfort and literal comfort of a heavier dutier sleeping pad. Basically, "I don't need to worry that it will fail mid-hike" feeling. I'll mostly only be out 2-4 nights now.
Therefore, I'm looking at Exped's Dura 5R. It comes in (for me, Long Wide), at 2 lbs 4 oz. Am I crazy for even considering a pad that heavy? FWIW, I'm looking to save weight by investing in a DCF tent, going with a ULA Circuit, and a ultralight sleeping bag. So hoping my base weight is still ~10 lbs.
Anybody have this pad? Thoughts on taking that much weight as a sleep pad?

I’m looking for some overnight backpacking suggestions near Utah County! I am wanting to bring my dogs, so I would like to avoid watershed areas & keep it dog friendly. Thanks in advance!

A friend and I are working on a backpacking related startup and would love to get feedback from people if anyone’s interested! The app is a search engine for travel – we use AI to read online blogs and then we map results mentioned in those blogs in 3D along with summaries of each result. The map is completely natural language searchable, so you can type in something like “best three day backpacking trips in Utah” or “what are some uncrowded campsites in Tahoe” and our AI finds matching results for your search. We both grew up backpacking in the Tetons so we’d love to get feedback from the backpacking community about this concept. We’d also be super interested to hear about how people currently plan their trips and find cool routes.
If you’re interested in signing up for the waitlist here’s a link, but obviously no pressure. We mostly want to get feedback.
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScuK2_oK-uEqyMCSBRBeJmKfRG1knEKVKkSelr3Y3SqDUdryw/viewform?usp=sf_link
Thanks!

I've done a lot of camping in my lifetime and never had this problem until the last few years. I also chose remote spots to try to avoid people. Spent 3 days at a spot on BLM land in Utah and each day had 3 different groups of people walk through my site. One group had dogs. We had dogs. We were cooking breakfast and they walk 10' from our cooking area with dogs. Wtf? This is my living area. I told them to turn around bc we were camped at a dead end camp spot with nothingto see but our camp. I understand it's a free country but this is just rude, unacceptable behavior. My daughter is camping in AZ right now and I got a text saying the people on horseback just rode through her camp and said "hello".
EDIT: I didn't mean to say 3 groups per day. It was 1 group for each day. Total of three over 3 days. We were paddling the San Juan river each day. On the way to our site there were other obvious dead end roads that people in RVs were camping at so we just kept on going and found our dead end road camp site. I wasn't really annoyed until the last day when a couple came with 2 dogs. They didn't announce their presence or that they had dogs. This could have been an issue bc one of our dogs is protective. Our dogs alerted us but these people were within our equipment, canoes, vehicles. I just told them this was a dead end and our campsite and to please leave.
As far as my daughter's ( I have 2 that work in forestry) and they camp a lot when on hitch. They also camp off hitch and know better than to camp on trails and try to get as remote as reasonably possible when in a vehicle. They also backpack and bike pack camp so Yes, we are are well of primitive camping, car camping, canoe camping.
My daughter who had the horses come through, I am not with her but know her camping habits and know that she was off trail.
I just find it peculiar that you can be the only people camping in an area and other folks think it's ok to walk up to your fire ring to shoot the shit when I'm trying to drink my coffee. I really made this post to say it's not ok imo.

Hello, looking to do a 3 day two night backpacking trip in southern Utah in May. Any recommendations?