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8/14/2019 A Hikers Top 10 Treks of the West

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A Hikers Top 10 Treks Of The West

A Hikers Top 10 Treks Of The WestBy Steve Moreland

When I set out to catalog my 10 favorite hikes of the western United

States and Canada, I thought it would be a breeze. Oh yeah, I can

think of my top 10 hikes in no time.

Well, it was a breeze, in fact. In a matter of minutes, I had my top

18!

But the title of this article is A Hikers Top 10 Treks Of The West.The hard part came in eliminating eight from the list. Its kind of like

deciding which finger to cut off. No matter which one you choose, itspainful and youll be missing something thats a vital part of you.

But thats what good authors are supposed to do right? Edit with thereader in mind.

So Ill do my best.

How did I decide which fingers to cut off? I considered things like

fantastic scenery, uniqueness, opportunities to spot wildlife, anddistance to some extent. But this was far from a scientific exercise.

The main factor was emotional which ones make my spirit soar? All

of the hikes on this list did just that.

A note on wildlife-spotting opportunities: On pretty much everytrail Ive hiked out west, Ive encountered the ubiquitous chipmunks,

squirrels, ravens and other birds. On most of the trails, its possiblethat you will spot deer, moose, elk, pikas, and even bears.

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MY TOP 10 HIKES OF THE WEST(In no particular order)

Garnet Canyon Trail

Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming Strenuous

10 miles roundtrip 2300 elevation gain

Views of Jackson Hole Exposed sections of trail on

mountainside Boulder fields to hike through Beautiful stream at mile 5

Observation Point Trail

Zion National Park, Utah

Very Strenuous 8 miles roundtrip

2230 elevation gain Precipitous cliff edges

Echo Canyon (2 miles in) isCreations Cathedral (If this

isnt a spiritual experience foryou, you have to be dead

inside). Gorgeous sandstone cliffs Magnificent view of Zion

Canyon

Beautiful spring flowers andautumn color

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Navajo / Queens Garden Loop

Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah

Moderate

4 mile loop 580 elevation loss Steep descent on first part

of trail from Sunset Point Deep canyon of Wall Street Gorgeous red sandstone Thousands of hoodoos

(absolutely magnificent insnow)

Iceberg Lake Trail

Glacier National Park, Montana

Moderate 1200 elevation gain

9.6 miles roundtrip Beautiful hike through some

forest and hillsides Iceberg Lakes mesmerizing

turquoise color seems unreal

Multnomah Falls / Wahkeena Falls Loop

Columbia Gorge National Recreation Area, Oregon

Strenuous 6.4-mile loop

800 elevation gain (mostly inthe first mile)

Gorgeous streams Several waterfalls Thick forest

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Crypt Lake Trail

Waterton Lakes National Park, Alberta, Canada Very Strenuous 11.2 miles roundtrip 2300 elevation gain

Must take boat to trail headand you must be back downby 5:00pm to catch the boat

for the return trip. Hike through beautiful forest

Rewarding gorgeous lake atthe end of the trail

Small lakes on the way up Waterfalls Precarious trail on very steep

talus slope, Tunnel to crawl through

Chains for balance

Little Wild Horse CanyonEmery County, Utah

Moderate

4 miles roundtrip Slight elevation gain Narrow slot canyon Fantastic patterns carved by

water into the soft

sandstone

Changing colors, dependingon the time of day

Countless photo ops May have to wade through

water in some of the narrow

sections

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Double O Arch TrailArches National Park, Utah

Moderate

5.2 miles roundtrip

380 elevation gain Large rock fin to hike over

(deep drop-offs) Steep rock face to negotiate

(small indentions forfootholds)

Water in small basin to

negotiate, if its rainedrecently

Several arches on this trail:Landscape Arch, Window

Arch, Private Arch, Double OArch

Geraldine Lakes TrailJasper National Park, Alberta

Strenuous 6 miles roundtrip

1000 elevation gain Beautiful lake Forests

Large boulder field (about 1mile in length) to navigate

using rock cairns to findyour way

Gorgeous waterfall at theend of the trail

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Sipapu Bridge/Kachina Bridge LoopNatural Bridges National Monument Strenuous 5.4 mile loop

500 elevation loss Slick rock

Switchbacks Steep stairs with handrails

Massive natural bridges Sections into and out of the

canyon are challenging, buta lot of fun

YOU CAN DO IT!

Whether youre in tip-top physical shape or its been a long time since

youve exercised, with a little determination, you can do any of thesetrails. I by no means, am a picture of fitness. I carry more weight

than I should and I live in an area thats only 500 feet above sea level.

Most of these trails are in the 6000 to 10,000 range and theres lessoxygen than Im used to, but I can do it. And I believe you can, too.Just go at your own pace and take a rest when you need it.

FREEDOM

Just writing about these places again, I can feel what its like to be inthe Great Outdoors. Besides my criteria of uniqueness, wildlife

opportunities, etc., I think what I like the most about hiking is the

sense of freedom.

Humans were meant to be free. And hiking one of these great trails of

western North America, you get a great sense of freedom like it was

meant to be.

Steve Moreland is a writer that travels to many interesting and diverse locations, mostly

in the western United States and Canada. Steves passion is hiking, enjoying thewildlife and landscape in the different areas, and writing about them. In addition to

being a professional course designer and instructor, Steve is President of The Mall

Pages, LLC, a company that publishes a comprehensive guide to mall shopping in the

Dallas/Fort Worth, TX area.

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