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On the Wild Side
Travel Blog

Read up on featured locations and activities as well on how to best preserve our precious Wild Spaces.

Devil's Garden - Primitive Trail (The Path Less Traveled)

1/27/2016

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There's a poem that I have grown fond of over the years which (with a little interpretive license), goes like this:

Two paths diverge in a rugged stone wilderness... and I--
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.


Taking the path less traveled may be one of the best outdoor tips anyone can give you. Especially given the modern, sometimes raucous nature of 
some of the more popular trails. That's not to suggest that you should strike trails like Angels Landing and Half Dome from your bucket list. But often times there are amazing hikes that don't get nearly as much publicity as the paths [more] traveled. Making time for the path less traveled can as the poem claims, "make all the difference". 

Take the Devil's Garden primitive trail in Arches National Park for example. This some what more challenging trail is not as popular as the hike to Delicate Arch or "Main" Devil's Garden trail, but it's perhaps one of the best hiking experiences within the park. The primitive trail offers a number of lesser known arches, a better opportunity for solitude, and an incredible sandstone playground that most visitors will never see.

What's particularly nice about the "primitive" trail is that it can easily be combined with the more popular "main" trail and include a visit to Landscape Arch, considered the largest natural arch in the world, as well as other popular arches, while still enjoying a unique and less trammeled section of Devil's Garden. Together there are more than seven miles of trails through the world class sandstone wilderness called Devil's Garden.

A few things to know before you go

1. The primitive trail is considered "strenuous" by the national park service, and includes a number of obstacles which require sure footing a bit of climbing, and occasionally wading through water.

2. The [time] less traveled may be even more important than taking the path less traveled. If possible, align your visit with the off season or weekdays. Avoid holidays as well as spring and fall breaks. Arches in particular can become very crowded. If these times are not compatible with your schedule, then try hiking early. The big crowds won't be up until later.
3. The landscape in Arches National Park is as fragile as it is unique. Straying from official trails, dry washes or sandstone is prohibited within Arches National Park. If that sounds restrictive, don't worry, there are dry washes and sandstone a plenty in Arches, creating a maze of potential paths you may need years to fully explore-- even when abiding by a few restrictions. Just be safe!

4. Bring enough water. There is no reliable, purified source of water on the trail. Adults should drink 3-4 liters a day when hiking in Arches.

5. Climbing, walking or standing on ANY arch with an opening of three or more feet, or other "prominent feature" within Arches National park is prohibited.

6. Leave absolutely no trace-- Take only pictures. Arches is one of the most vandalized parks in North America. Do not scratch, write on or in any way mar Arches' unique landscape. It is also prohibited to remove ANYTHING-- whether rock, mineral, plant, animal or historical feature from the park. Please remind any one who is unaware of or disregarding these regulations to leave the landscape unaltered. If you witness someone vandalizing any part of the park, please report it to park rangers.

Finally, have fun exploring Arches National Park! And consider "taking the path less traveled".
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"climbing, scrambling, walking or standing upon, or rappelling off any arch with an opening greater than three feet is prohibited in the park." - National Park Service.

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Farewell 2015... Welcome 2016!

1/1/2016

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The sun rose this morning on a brand new year. A year brimming with promise, potential and opportunities for adventure. 

We hope 2015 has found you well and that the beginning of 2016 fills you with anticipation for the year to come.


On this special occasion we thought we might offer some unsolicited advice. 
Make time to get outside. Have fun. Enjoy the coming year with family and friends -- and reserve some quiet time for meditation and introspection. Perhaps to get you started; here's one of our favorite videos. It contains many scenes from our Wild Spaces travels as well as a song that has come to mean a great deal to us. 

​Happy New Year!!!!!!!


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Featured Destination: LandScape Arch

12/9/2015

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Landscape Arch has long been rumored to be the largest natural arch in the world. 

But that really depends on how you measure the competition.

​There may be other arches and natural bridges that may be wider or taller, but Landscape has them all beat in one key area.
Landscape arch is an incredible 290 ft long which would have been impressive enough by itself, but it is also a mind-bogling 6 ft thin at its narrowest point. It's hard to believe that such a massive and delicate stone structure could be suspended over such a great distance. In fact, in 1991 a 76ft chuck fell from Landscape Arch and reduced it's delicate crest from 8ft thick to its current 6ft.

​Eventually, time and erosion will win out and Landscape Arch will collapse and be little more than 
boulders and memories. Whether Landscape Arch's remaining time is measured in months, years, centuries or millennia is impossible to know, but while it stands it will remain a truly spectacular natural wonder. 

If you want to see Landscape Arch in person (we highly recommend it), then make plans to travel to Arches National Park in Utah. This incredible landscape is home to more than 2000 natural arches. The highest concentration of such arches in the world. You'll find Landscape Arch less than a mile along the Devil's Garden trail. This portion of the Devil's Garden is accessible for all skill levels and features a number of other incredible arches and sandstone formations.
 A few tips:
-We'd suggest visiting in the off season. Late fall and winter are a great if not ideal time to visit Arches National Park. You'll encounter much smaller crowds. Quite the opposite during the busier spring and summer months.
-If possible, avoid holidays. Arches can quickly become over-crowded during popular holidays.
-Remember that inside Arches National Park straying from trails, slick rock or washes is prohibited. Arches is home to an incredibly beautiful, but very fragile landscape. Please stay on the trails.
-Also remember that climbing on any of the arches or prominent landmarks within the park is also prohibited.
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Mystic Falls - One of Yellowstone's many Little Treasures

11/25/2015

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Before Yellowstone was Yellowstone, it was called Wonderland. The stories of steaming earth, filled with strange spouting wells and painted pools sounded so fantastical to many 19th century americans that it reminded them of a popular novel of the time, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.

Just like Alice and her travels in Wonderland many visitors may ask themselves, "Which path should I take?". "Well that all depends on where you want to go". There are paths a plenty in Yellowstone with countless little treasures to discover along the way.

Take Mystic Falls for example. This beautiful cascade is only a short introductory hike into Yellowstone's back-country. Watch the video for more information. It's a perfect hike for just about any skill level, and a gateway to even more wonders. Just remember Yellowstone is bear country. Be prepared. Know how to handle bear encounters, make noise when hiking. Travel in groups and carry bear spray in a very accessible location.

Make sure to stay tuned to At Home in Wild Spaces for more featured locations and travel tips, including bear safety. And check out the rest of our website. There's tons here for any lover of Wild Spaces.
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When Life Gives you Lemons - Go Hiking

11/12/2015

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Have you ever noticed that hospitals and healthcare facilities seem to all be decorated with photos and paintings of mountains, forests, canyons and so on?

Well it turns out that it's more than just a coincidence. Natures ability to heal and rejuvenate our tired bodies and minds has been well documented over the years.

It's actually become general practice for healthcare facilities
to decorate their walls and patient's rooms with photographs and paintings of natural scenes in order to facilitate healing. But what of the rest of us who aren't currently recovering in a hospital? Are we in need of healing? -- Of course we are.

Depression and anxiety are unfortunately on the rise in our modern world. Some have contributed this development to the growing urbanization of our society. More than half of the world's population now lives in cities, and many of us are slowly becoming more and more isolated from the healing power of nature. 

We've all heard the saying "When Life Gives You Lemons - Make Lemonade". Well, the answer of how to make the lemons of modern life into "healing lemonade" may be as simple as going on a hike, and allow our local, county, State or National nature parks to do what they do best and heal our weary modern bodies and minds -- Even in the colder months.

Just make sure to wear a jacket and start small. And check out our NEWLY LISTED, "When life gives you Lemons..." T-shirts by clicking the link below!
When Life Gives Lemons T-Shirts
References:
http://news.stanford.edu/news/2015/june/hiking-mental-health-063015.html
​http://www.citizen-times.com/story/news/local/2014/09/14/nature-scenes-can-promote-hospital-patient-healing/15646201/
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Back from the Brink

11/6/2015

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In 1985 only 9 California Condors remained in the wild. The last of which was captured on April 19, 1987 and entered into a captive breeding program with all that remained of the world's California Condors.

From twenty-two Individuals, a desperate last minute effort began to save one of the world's largest flying birds from total extinction, but it's been a difficult road. Condors only begin breeding when six years old, and each breeding pair will lay only a single egg every 1-2 years. Making recovery a very slow process.

In January 1992 the first captive bred condor was released in to the wild, and in 2003 the first wild born condor since 1982 left it's nest deep in the heart of the Grand Canyon. Today there are somewhere around 500 condors in North america, half of which live in the wild. Each and every one a descendent of the twenty-two birds captured in the 1980s.

​
But it's not all good news. Mortality rates among wild condors remain extremely high for many of the same reasons which led to their near extinction in the 20th century. Loss of habitat, diminished food sources, lead poisoning, trash ingestion and poaching continue to frustrate condor restoration efforts.

They remain one of the rarest animals in the world. So rare, that they are one of relatively few species where each and every individual is numbered, and tagged.

Against the odds condors have come back from the brink of extinction, but they are far from in the clear. Condors are still hugely dependent on captive breeding programs and continuing conservation efforts. But there is hope that with greater awareness and continuing efforts to preserve and restore these birds to what is left of their historic range, that condors may once again soar through our skies on their 10ft wings.

Condors remind us that it is possible to bring a species back from the brink. But it requires continual effort and dedication. We've been fortunate to see four wild condors in our Wild Spaces travels, and each time it has been a huge thrill.

​Check out the stunning footage we shot of these massive birds in Zion and Grand Canyon National Parks. And make sure to check out our store for our new Condor T-Shirts!
Condor T-shirts
References:
http://www.nps.gov/grca/learn/nature/condor-re-introduction.htm
http://www.fws.gov/uploadedFiles/Region_8/NWRS/Zone_1/Hopper_Mountain_Complex/Hopper_Mountain/Sections/News/News_Items/PDFs/_California%20Condor%20Five%20Year%20Review_2013%20Final%20Published.pdf
​http://www.defenders.org/california-condor/basic-facts
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A little Perspective #2

10/2/2015

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Today as part two of our on-going scaled comparison series where we highlight two structures; one wonder of nature and one man-made structure. Today, we're highlighting two icons of North America: The Statue of Liberty (305ft tall) in New York harbor and Rainbow Bridge (290ft tall) located in the desert canyon lands of Southern Utah along the shores of modern day Lake Powell.

One serves as an icon of freedom and liberty to a nation comprised mostly of relative new comers, the other an icon of natural beauty, and a sacred site to a people with ancient and deep spiritual ties to the land. Together they represent a diverse set of ideals and history which sometimes clash. We invite you to consider the contrasts and compliments of these two iconic locations and share your thoughts with us in the comments section.
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Summer is over when we say so.

9/3/2015

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Anyone who says Summer is over, clearly doesn't know what their talking about. Now is one of the best times of the year to get outdoors. Let your inner Wild Child loose this weekend, and show everyone that summer is only over when we say it is over. Help us keep summer alive all year long, by supporting us on Kickstarter. http://kck.st/1UacC65

Contribute to At Home in Wild Spaces and we'll send you some of these sweet Wild Child rewards.

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The idea of Wilderness

8/28/2015

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We just love this video. Just as beautiful as the places which have been preserved, is the idea which ultimately became law.

"In order to ensure that... Expanding Settlement, and Growing Mechanization does not occupy and modify all areas within the United States, for this purpose there is established Wilderness Areas... where man himself is a visitor who does not remain, where the land retains its primeval character and influence."
                                         -Wilderness Act of 1964

What do you think. Is the primeval character of the land worth protecting?
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A little Perspective

8/26/2015

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Here's a diagram we created a little while ago which illustrates a perhaps less thought of contrast between our modern world and the Wild Spaces we love so much. Angels Landing is one of our favorite hikes, and not a trail to take for granted, but for those of you who haven't hiked Angels Landing yet, perhaps you've been to the top of one of these other structures. 

We've been to the top of three of the four (One World Trade Center the exception), and Angels Landing is our pick for the best. Just a side note. Angels Landing though imposing, is far from the tallest structure in Zion National Park.
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