Turkey Run State Park

Turkey Run State Park is a geological gem that should be explored by any Chicago-based hikers and low-key adventurers.  It is located in Bloomindale, Indiana, about 3 hours south of Chicago and 1.5 hours west of Indianapolis.  Hidden among farmlands, it is a pocket of sandstone gorges that are rare in the Midwest.  If you moved [back] to the Midwest from more interesting terrain like I did (California), and you are craving a change from the gloriously flat farmlands, then Turkey Run is definitely worth a look.

My pictures and comments are based on my trip to Turkey Run around Labor Day in 2011.

Turkey Run is a small park, offering about 14 miles of hiking trails.  The park map uses trail numbers, which I reference below.  In my opinion, the best (and most unique) trails are contained in the Rocky Hollow Falls Canyon Nature Preserve on the northwest side of the park.  Here, you will walk through some forest (Trail 10) to get to the cool (temperature-wise) ravines and trademark "ladders" (Trail 3, Trail 5, and Trail 9). I also recommend Trail 7, which connects the campground to the park by way of watery canyons.  There was some moisture inside the canyons when we went in early September, so be prepared for wet feet.  Trails 4 and Trail 8, which go past the pioneer-era Lusk Home, are almost entirely forest.

I think one day is enough time to see most, if not all, of the park.  But there are several options for accommodations (cabins, inn, and camping), so I don't see any reason not to make it an overnight trip.  You could also spend some time on Sugar Creek.  Nearby outfitters rent canoes, kayaks, and tubes.

As you can see in the pictures, the trees were still pretty green in early September.  I would like to go a little later in the fall to see the canyons among autumn foliage, or even under a layer of snow.  Shades State Park, which is nearby, is a smaller version of Turkey Run.

Rocky Hollow

Falls Canyon

Joshua Tree National Park

I had the pleasure of going to school in Southern California, near Los Angeles, but not on the beach.  My school was one hour inland, which meant that it was one hour closer to Las Vegas (baby!) and one hour closer to Joshua Tree National Park.  It was the first national park I ever visited, so it has a special place in my hiker heart.

It was not until a few years later that I learned Joshua Tree was actually one of the newest (youngest) national parks.  It was established in 1994, along with Death Valley National Park.  It is about 30,000 acres larger than Yosemite National Park, but it had 1.4 million visitors in 2012, compared to Yosemite's 3.9 million visitors.  The most popular months to visit are March, April, and November.  The least popular months are June through September.

Joshua Tree is a haven for hikers, mountain bikers, rock climbers, and auto-tourers alike.  It is a desert park, with two distinct desert ecosystems and plenty to see.  My experiences revolve around hiking and scrambling up the famous boulder piles.

Basically, my approach has been to (1) pick a hiking trail (for example, the Boy Scout Trail), (2) walk up to your favorite pile of boulders, and (3) start scrambling up.  Boulders can vary in size; some are easy to stop onto, others are larger than cars, some larger than houses.  Finding your way to the top of the pile is half the fun.

To my knowledge, these boulder piles are not marked in any way, and there is no list of "Top 10" boulder piles to climb in Joshua Tree.  Just pick one; I have never been disappointed.

Snow in Grand Canyon National Park

The Grand Canyon needs no introduction, but I hope this short entry provides a rare look at an oft-photographed landmark.  I had the opportunity to see the Grand Canyon under a layer of snow, and it is highly-recommended.  But first, I wanted to mention that I have every intention of returning to the Grand Canyon and completing a rim-to-rim hike, but for now, I just wanted to share my pictures from April 2011.

The Grand Canyon is the second most-visited national park in the U.S., and it had 4.4 million visitors in 2012.  However, a ranger told us that the average visitor stayed at the park for only 15 minutes.  For shame!

The park is most popular in the months between May and September, but I wouldn't mind going back in April, or maybe October.  Note that the temperature at the bottom of the canyon (along the river) can be up to 30 degrees warmer than the temperature at the rims.  The elevations of the rims vary between 7,000 and 8,000 feet.

We drove to the Grand Canyon from Las Vegas, and when we were getting close to the park entrance, it began to snow.  It continued to snow after we checked in and during the night.  It stopped by morning, but the evidence of the snowfall was all over the canyon.

Yosemite Falls Trail, Yosemite National Park

Yosemite Falls, made up of both Upper and Lower Yosemite Falls, is one of the tallest waterfalls in the U.S.  It is 2,425 feet tall, and to compare, the building formerly known as the Sears Tower is 1,729 feet tall.  The Yosemite Falls Trail climbs from an elevation of 4,000 feet at the trailhead near Camp 4 and Shuttle Stop 7 to a final elevation of about 6,500 feet.

Note that the Yosemite Falls Trail is different from the Lower Yosemite Falls Trail, which is a short, paved trail that begins near Shuttle Stop 6.

There is a sign near the beginning of the Yosemite Falls Trail that says the trail begins with 60 switchbacks and then continues a steep climb to the top of the waterfall.  What the sign should say is that at least 3 miles out of the 3.6 miles to the top are switchbacks.  Be prepared for a long, hard climb.  Your reward is an amazing view of the falls and the surrounding valley.  Also, you get to escape the majority of Yosemite National Park Visitors who stay on the valley floor.

The hike begins with a lot of shade, and it remains shady for most of the way.  Still, we were glad to be hiking early in the morning, before the sun got to its strongest (in mid-June).  Also, there were a lot people hiking the trail by the time we were heading back down to the Valley.

Yosemite Fall Trailhead

The good thing about a steep climb is that you get up high very quickly.  We got this view of the valley less than half an hour into the hike:

Yosemite Valley from the Yosemite Falls Trail

This was our first view of Upper Yosemite Falls.  The sky was a bit hazy that day.

Upper Yosemite Falls

After a couple hours of switchbacks, we came to a rocky climb to the top.  Near peak elevation, you come to this sign.  We thought that "Yosemite Falls" would be the primary destination, but this was not true.

At the Yosemite Falls viewpoint, we got great views of the Valley, but it was not the view that we were expecting.  We wanted to see the top of the waterfall.

View from Yosemite Falls Viewpoint

So we turned around and followed the sign toward "Yosemite Point," and this trail took us over the river that flows into Yosemite Falls.  It was lovely.

Yosemite Falls River

On our way back down to the Valley, we got great views of Upper Yosemite Falls with Half Dome in the backdrop.

Upper Yosemite Falls and Half Dome

The hike took us 3 hours going up and 2 hours coming back down.  Going up was a good workout, and coming back down was a little painful on my knees.  But the views were great, and I would recommend this hike.

I had originally planned on doing both the Yosemite Falls Trail and the Four Mile Trail, which is another strenuous hike that begins in the Valley and climbs 3,200 feet in elevation to Glacier Point.  But we hiked Yosemite Falls on our first day, and we decided to rest the second day and save our legs for the Mist Trail on the third day.  I will have to save Glacier Point for my next trip to Yosemite.

Actually, on my next trip to Yosemite, I am hoping to be a good enough backpacker to go into the High Sierras for a few days.  In one respect, doing day hikes means climbing 3,000 feet up and down from the Valley three days in a row, and this takes a toll on the knees.  If I backpack, then I could stay out of the Valley for a few days and not see such big ups and downs.  But I would have a heavy backpack, and I am not sure how these factors would balance out.  Either way, I am already looking forward to my next trip to Yosemite.

Mist Trail, Yosemite National Park

The Mist Trail is the most popular hike in all of Yosemite.  And it might be tempting to avoid the popular, but it really is a must-do hike.  So the best advice I have is to do this hike early in the morning, when the trail isn't abuzz with tourists.  To Nevada Falls, the trail is 5.4 miles round trip.

We started the hike around 7:30a, which was the earliest we could get there using the shuttle system (which starts running at 7:00a) from Camp 4.  The bus that dropped us off at Happy Isles had about twenty people who were hiking the Mist Trail, but this was nothing compared to the crowd near the trailhead when we finished the hike.

The first mile of the trail is paved, and the Vernal Falls footbridge is as far as a lot of people go.  After the footbridge, there is a steep climb up the famous stone steps next to Vernal Falls.  This is where the Mist Trail gets its name.  When Vernal Falls is at full force, hikers walk directly through its heavy mist.  We did the hike in mid-June, and we barely got wet.  I heard that the area got half the average snowfall this past winter.

Stone steps up past Vernal Falls

Vernal Falls

After the top of Vernal Falls, the crowds significantly thin out, and the trail continues its steep ascent to the top of Nevada Falls.

Looking west over Nevada Falls

The bottom of Nevada Falls

We had lunch at the top of Nevada Falls, and then we took the John Muir Trail back down to the Happy Isles trailhead.  This option is a quarter mile longer than taking the Mist Trail back, but it is more than worth it.  You get great views of Nevada Falls (see below), it is significantly less steep, and you don't have to walk back down on those wet stone steps past Vernal Falls.  If you don't mind the horse droppings, this is the way to go.  And you can say that you hiked the northern terminus of the John Muir Trail (which ends 210 miles south at the top of Mt. Whitney).

Nevada Falls from the John Muir Trail

If I ever hike the Mist Trail again, I would enjoy going up the unique stone steps and getting the full experience of the heavy mist.  But the next time I go to Yosemite, I am also hoping to be a good enough backpacker to go past the falls and brave the High Sierras wilderness.

Lastly, as with all of Yosemite's waterfall hikes, be extra careful around the water.  Every season, there are consistently stories (and posters) of unsuspecting people falling over the falls.  The trail is well-marked, and it is easy to avoid the danger, so don't take any chances.

Valley Floor Loop, Yosemite National Park

The Valley Floor Loop is a walking trail that circles around Yosemite Valley, tracing along the Merced River and around the back of Yosemite Village.  This is a low-key hike that can take you away from the crowds (especially on the west half) or provide an alternative to taking the shuttle everywhere (especially on the east half).  I highly recommend it!  If you want to take a walk but you want to save the 3,000 feet climb for another day, then this trail is for you.

The full loop is 13 miles long, so you can either make a day of it or do it in sections, which is what I did.  We began the hike at Camp 4 and went west towards Pohono Bridge.  The west half of the trail is mostly through meadows (and some forest), so you get plenty of views of the surrounding granite walls, including Sentinal Rock, El Capitan, Bridalveil Falls, Cathedral Rocks, and the Three Brothers (pictures below).

The east half of the trail circles around the most developed part of the Valley, connecting Yosemite Village, lodging and campgrounds, and several popular trailheads (Mirror Lake, Happy Isles, Yosemite Falls, and Four Mile Trail).  This half of the trail is mostly forest, so views are minimal.  But it is a nice way to stay on your feet (and out of the shuttle) while getting around this part of the Valley.  If you are able, and you have time, then you can see every nook of the Valley.

Sentinel Rock

El Capitan

Merced River near Pohono Bridge

Bridalveil Falls

Yosemite National Park

I just returned from a long-awaited trip to Yosemite National Park, the mother of national parks.  This lengthy entry will primarily address how to reserve overnight stays in Yosemite Valley, my stay at Camp 4, and other general planning tips.  I will go into more detail about my hikes in following entries.  Note that my trip was based in Yosemite Valley, not in Wawona or Tuolumne Meadows.

The Valley as seen from the top of Nevada Falls

When I got the National Park "bug" a couple of years ago, I quickly learned that the history of national parks could be traced back to John Muir and the area that is now Yosemite National Park.  Along with Yellowstone National Park and Hot Springs National Park (in Arkansas), it was one of the first areas to be protected and set aside specifically for the preservation of its natural resources and unique landscape.  Today, Yosemite is the third-most visited national park in the U.S. (3.8 million annual visitors), behind Great Smoky Mountains National Park (9.7 million) and Grand Canyon National Park (4.4 million), and it is a world-wide symbol of preservation and conservation.

Perhaps the best and worst thing about Yosemite is how accessible it is to a large range of users.  I did not even know just how accessible it was until I got there, but it was clear from the moment I arrived - everyone can visit Yosemite and enjoy the marvelous scenery.  And they do.

Happy Isles

Staying overnight in Yosemite seems like a necessity, since it takes a couple hours of intermediate-level driving to get there and is impossible to see enough of the park in one day, but reserving a place to stay seems very difficult to accomplish for those who don't plan in advance - way in advance.  For example, all of the lodging accommodations (non-camping)  in Yosemite (in the Valley - The Ahwahnee, Yosemite Lodge, Curry Village, and Housekeeping Camp) open for reservations a year in advance, and for the popular summer months, they sell out just as early.  If you are booking a trip for within six months, chances are that the only openings will be at Curry Village (which isn't necessarily a bad thing).

If you are looking to camp, campground reservations open four months in advance, and again, for the summer months, they sell out in a blink.  I tried to make a reservation in the Valley the minute the reservation system opened, and the best I could do was get a spot in the Wawona Campground, which is about an hour south of the Valley.  I eventually decided to try my luck at Camp 4, the only first-come first-serve campground in the Valley, and it worked out great.  More on that later.

Lastly, if you want to backpack in Yosemite, you can reserve wilderness permits up to 24 weeks in advance.  Each trailhead has a number of reservable permits and a number of first-come first-serve permits.  For the most popular trailheads (Happy Isles), the reservable permits sell out.  But if you want to backpack and you cannot get a reservation, then you can try going to the wilderness center the day before you want to enter the wilderness and getting a first-come first-serve permit.  You can spend that night in the backpackers campground and start backpacking the next day.  Don't forget a bear canister!

Back to Camp 4.  When I realized that I wasn't going to get a reserved campsite in the Valley and that my only reasonable hope was staying overnight in the Valley was Camp 4, I tried to get as much information as possible.  The "no guarantee" aspect was kind of stressful for me, but I know not everyone is Type A in that way.  Anyway, I wanted to know how early I should get in line and how likely it was that I would get a spot.  I quickly found out that Camp 4 was a popular strategy - people would get in line as early as 6:00a for a ranger station that opened at 8:00a.  The number of available spots would depend on how many people were leaving that day, so it varied throughout the week.

The line at Camp 4

We arrived on a Monday morning, so we expected a lot of people to leave after the weekend.  We were right, but there were also a lot of people wanting to get in at the beginning of the week.  We got in line at 6:30a, and there were 50 people in front of us.  We knew we would have to wait, so we came prepared - camp chairs, snacks, and a newspaper.  When the ranger arrived at 8:00a, she said that she definitely had 60 sites available and that she would double check for any last-minute vacancies.  A few minutes later, she came back with 10 additional sites.  The first 70 people in line got spots, and the rest (there were maybe a dozen people leftover) did not.  These people were advised to go to the campground reservation station (near Curry Village) to check for last-minute vacancies.

I don't know how often these last-minute vacancies become available, or how long they last, but I wouldn't count on them to stay in the Valley during the summer.  When we were driving around the village, we saw that Housekeeping Camp had a "vacancy" sign up, but that was it.  All of the campsites were full.

Staying at Camp 4 took some effort (getting up early and waiting in line), but I thought it was definitely worth it.  In addition to being the only first-come first-serve campground in the Valley, it is also the only walk-in campground.  That means no cars, no trailers, and no RVs in the campground.  Everyone has to park in the adjacent lot and carry their stuff in.  And as convenient as car camping is, no one wants to wake up to the start of an engine or generator in the morning.  This also means that most of the recreational campers (large groups that want to sit around all day) prefer other campgrounds.  Camp 4 has a high concentration of climbers and hikers (who are gone all day) with just a few larger groups and families (an inproportionate number of Korean families with small children when I was there, but they definitely had the best food).

Camp 4

Whenever I go back to Yosemite, and I am not backpacking or staying at one of the other Hubs, I will definitely stay at Camp 4 again.  I cannot imagine that any of the other campgrounds would better suit my preferences.  The only minor caveat is that we had to go to Curry Village for showers, but that was a non-problem.  We took the free shuttle from Camp 4 to Curry Village, took hot showers ($5 and they have towels), and came right back.

Curry Village is actually a village within a village (the Valley), a thriving self-sustainable system with its own restaurants, shops, and recreation.  The hustle and bustle of it was kind of overwhelming compared to the relatively isolated Camp 4, but I could appreciate its accessibility for families and whatnot.

Regarding when to go to Yosemite, I am sure that Yosemite is beautiful and wonderful at any time of year, but I wanted to avoid hiking in snow.  At this time last year, I was thinking that even late June might be too early to avoid snow.  Luckily, Yosemite saw about half its usual snowfall this past winter, so the snow was gone earlier than usual.  Given the light winter, I could have gone earlier in June, or even in late May, and the trails would have been fine.  Plus, the water falls would have been bigger, and Mirror Lake would have been fuller (it was already about half-dry when I went).  I probably would have gotten fewer mosquito bites too.

What else can I say?  Getting to Yosemite (with reservations) is the hardest part about going to Yosemite.  The drive is pretty winding for a Midwestern girl, but it's nothing that can't be handled with some patience and focus.  Once you get there, and once you find a place to stay, Yosemite will take care of you.  The shuttle system will get you anywhere you need to go.  Showers at Curry Village.  Several restaurants and one well-stocked grocery store that has everything you need.  Visitors Center for any hiking questions, Wilderness Center for any backpacking questions.  Oh, and of course, amazing scenery in a truly unique setting.  The granite walls rise up on all side of the Valley and three impressive waterfalls tumble back down into the Merced River.  Aside from the logistics, don't forget to enjoy all that.

Look out for my upcoming entries on the Mist Trail, the Upper Yosemite Falls Trail, and the Valley Floor Loop Trail.

Needles, Canyonlands National Park

The Needles District of Canyonlands National Park is a vast area with lots of interlocking trails and lots of backpacking opportunities.  Needles is a two-hour drive from Island at the Sky, and you need to drive out of the park and into a different entrance because the districts are separated by the Colorado River.

After two days in Island in the Sky, I went to Moab for a night and got some more supplies before driving to Needles the next day.  I arrived to Needles around 7:00 AM on a Wednesday morning, and I found an open spot at Squat Flaw campground.  These campsites are difficult to get, in mid-April and in most other months; in fact, a man from a neighboring campsite told me, "Congratulations" as he walked past.

Squaw Flat Campground

I set up my tent, ate a banana, and began a 7.5 mile loop hike through Squaw Flats and Big Spring Canyon.

The Squaw Flats to Big Spring Canyon loop is the larger peanut shape in the middle.

Hiking across Squaw Flats

I read about this hike in a book called, "Best Easy Day Hikes Canyonlands and Arches," so I had a good idea of what I was getting myself into.  The walks in each of the canyons were flat and easy, and the climbs up from one canyon and back down the other were challenging.  "Challenging" can mean different things when you're hiking.  It can mean that the incline is steep, or it can mean that you have to use your hands to scramble up a near-vertical piece of rock, or it can just mean that the trail is on a narrow ledge and one misstep could cause a very long fall.  Here, it meant all three.

Climbing out of Squaw Canyon

Fun hike over slick rock

Climbing up out of the first canyon was fun, after a few deep breaths.  Handholds were carved into the rock, and there were several vertical climbs all in a row.  I was glad not to have a bigger backpack (I just had a day backpack).  But after a slow and steady climb, I reached the top of the canyon, and the view was amazing.  

Descending into Big Springs Canyon

Climbing down into Big Springs Canyon was not as fun.  I do not like descending steep trails, especially when the trail is more like the edge of a cliff and you really don't want to slip or stumble.  I get pretty scared and walk very slowly.  Anyway, I made it down, and my heart beat returned to normal once I was back on flat trails.  I felt extremely tired after this descent, and I think I should have been eating more snacks.

Somewhere between miles 5 and 6, I started feeling really tired, and my feet hurt a lot.  My pace must have slowed a lot because it took me awhile to get back to the campsite.  I like to think that my constant photo breaks had something to do with it, though.

The next day, I packed up my campsite and drove to the Elephant Hill trailhead.  As indicated on the park map, the last three miles of the drive was over dirt roads, but I was fine in my rental sedan.

My slow hike the day before had me rethinking my hiking plans for the second day.  I had planned on hiking a 10 mile out and back trail, but now I wasn't so sure.  So I started out thinking that I would hike only 6 miles, to the nearest corner of the famous Chesler Park and back.  The first part of the hike, the part towards Elephant Canyon, was rocky and steep.

Hiking out from the Elephant Hill Trailhead

After climbing out of Elephant Canyon, I began to see the edge of Chesler Park.  It was fascinating to see a green field in the middle of the desert terrain.  I had been hiking around the desert for five days and was beginning to think that the whole world was made of red, brown, and tan-colored rocks.  And now there was this huge oasis, where ranchers used to raise cattle.  And the needle formations were all around the sides of the field, forming natural sculptures and walls.

I had hiked only three miles so far that day (don't mind the return trip), and the trail going forward looked totally flat.  So I kept going.  I promised myself to turn around at noon, which is a general rule for hiking.

Chesler Park

My watch alarm went off when noon came, but I didn't turn around.  I knew that I must be very close to the Joint Trail, a unique trail that weaves through very narrow spaces between tall walls of rock.  I wanted to see it.  And sure enough, I got there in a few more minutes, and I rested in the cool shade in between the rock walls.

The Joint Trail

It took me about 3 hours to hike the 5 miles to the Joint Trail, and the return hike took almost four hours.  I had plenty of food and water, so I took my time, but I was very happy when I got back to the parking lot.  I had had a great adventure, and I needed to rest.

The next time I go to Needles, I would like to spend more time there.  I would like to stay at one of the high-demand backcountry campsites, but some spots, like scrambling up canyons and tiptoeing down canyons, might be difficult with a big backpack.  I might be tempted to rent a 4WD vehicle to get to one of the trailheads closer to the Joint Trail so I could spend more time exploring the narrow rock walls.  I would also like to see Druid Arch, which is supposed to be beautiful at sunrise.

The Needles District and the Island in the Sky District were very different in terms of hiking opportunities.  While nearly all of Needles could be accessed by experiences day-hikers, it seemed that backpacking would allow more time to experience the best parts of the district.  On the other hand, most of Island can be seen just by driving to the different view points, with some day-hikes and one overnight backpacking opportunity (Syncline).

Island in the Sky, Canyonlands National Park

Canyonlands National Park and Arches National Park are about one hour apart by car, but it's not nearly as popular (Arches had over one million visitors in 2011, Canyonlands had less than half a million).  And that is a real shame because Canyonlands is an incredible place with amazing scenery and hiking trails.

Green River Overlook

View from the Aztec Butte Trail

Murphy Point

Canyonlands is divided into three districts that are separated by the Colorado and Green Rivers.  The northern district, Island in the Sky, is named so because it lies high above the rest of the park, on high canyons that overlook the other districts down below (there are three distinct layers of canyons, Island in the Sky in on the highest layer).  Most of the hikes lead to overlooks of the canyons, and impressive views are accessible by car as well.  This is the least rugged district in Canyonlands, with easy access and several easy hikes.

The Three Worlds

Grand View Point Overlook Trail

After much consideration, I decided not to hike the Syncline Trail (8 miles down 1,300 feet into a canyon and back).  I did not have any experience canyon hiking (saving the uphill for the return), and I didn't want to push my limits without a hiking partner to save me.  So I ended up having enough time to hike almost all of the shorter trails and take breaks at nearly every viewpoint.

The Upheaval Dome Trail is pretty rugged.

Upheaval Dome

Willows Flat Campground

After a day of relatively flat hiking, I spent the night at Willows Flat Campground, the only campground in this part of the park.  Same as Arches, there were no showers but bathrooms with running water.  I got up extra early in the morning to hike the Mesa Arch trail at sunrise, which was recommended by a park ranger.  This was a super-short and easy hike, I jogged some of it because I was running late (for the sunrise), and it was worth it.  When I got there, a handful of other people, mostly photographers, were waiting for the sun to come up.  I got there just in time, and it was a beautiful moment.

Mesa Arch

I spent the rest of the day looking for big-horned sheep, even I heard at an earlier ranger talk that the sheep are hard to spot at this time of year.  I was on my way out of the parking, stopped at one last overlook before the park exit, when I finally saw them.  Three of them, not fully grown yet but definitely big-horned.  Amazing!  After a few pictures, I left the park totally satisfied.

If I were to go to Island in the Sky again, I would probably skip the Murphy Point Trail because the Green River Overlook and the White Rim Overlook has better views with less hiking.  I might give the Syncline a shot, with a buddy and plenty of water.  And I would definitely get to Mesa Arch in time for sunrise, and I wouldn't be late this time.