southwest TRIP - 2014
TRIP 1: Intro to the Southwest, Aug 2014
Back in the Philippines, I had the chance to explore a wide variety of outdoor locations both land and sea. I was convinced that I've already seen and done a lot, making the most of my weekends and anything outside the typical 5-day, 10-hr work week spent hiking, diving or surfing . My experience during my first trip to the American Southwest proved me wrong.
I first encountered the desert late August this year, barely three weeks since I first arrived in the US. My fiance (now husband) Paul and I went on a trip to the Southwest to check out the rest of the places in the areas he's scouted before at the Grand Canyon in Arizona. Paul has been to Tatahatso Point, but Paul being Paul, curious as he always is wanted to check what the view looks like from the opposite side of it which is the same side where Buck Farm Overlook is also located.
Back in the Philippines, I had the chance to explore a wide variety of outdoor locations both land and sea. I was convinced that I've already seen and done a lot, making the most of my weekends and anything outside the typical 5-day, 10-hr work week spent hiking, diving or surfing . My experience during my first trip to the American Southwest proved me wrong.
I first encountered the desert late August this year, barely three weeks since I first arrived in the US. My fiance (now husband) Paul and I went on a trip to the Southwest to check out the rest of the places in the areas he's scouted before at the Grand Canyon in Arizona. Paul has been to Tatahatso Point, but Paul being Paul, curious as he always is wanted to check what the view looks like from the opposite side of it which is the same side where Buck Farm Overlook is also located.
The road going to Buck Farm Overlook is fairly well maintained. To my surprise when we got there, we didn't see a single soul in sight. We parked and car camped at Buck Farm Overlook where we set up our car tarp, tent and table/stove. We rested for a few minutes, made our lunch and started scouting the place for potential comps. We ended up hiking all the way to the unnamed viewpoint on the opposite side of Tatahatso with the use of GPS. The view was exhilarating! For someone who has not seen a place with such grandeur (except that same morning when we did a side trip to the Grand Canyon), I was in awe with what I saw. The Colorado river snaking through the bend caught the afternoon light causing the surface to emit a golden glow. The exhaustion from the long drive and lack of sleep was well worth it! We returned to our campsite after taking some pictures of the sunset just in time for dinner.
|
Camping in the middle of the desert is something I have never done before. As desert landscapes are typically wide, spacious and unobstrused, our sturdy looking tent took a beating from the strong winds. I must say if you are not used to camping in the middle of the desert, your first time camping overnight in such place will be somewhat uncomfortable and you can probably only get little or no sleep at all. It could be the fact that you know you are alone in a very remote place, camped close to the edge of the cliff or maybe the sound of the wind and the rustling of the bushes nearby that makes one uneasy.
|
Next day when we woke up at around 4:30 AM to catch the sunrise, the
sky was clear and the moon was shining bright. We were not lucky to
get any good or dramatic clouds as most photographers always wish for
when they shoot huge landscapes such as the Grand Canyon, however the
hike to the opposite side of Tatahatso was quite an adventure for me in
that I get to experience my first cross country or off-trail hiking. I
have to note though that it was not easy hiking in the dark when you are
treading and going around sharp cactus plants dotted all over the area.
When we got back to the camp, we treated ourselves to some freshly ground cuppa joe and whole foods peanut butter-jelly sandwich for breakfast. We packed up after that to avoid the scorching mid-day sun.
The adventure didn't end here.... (yeah, that wait there's more moment! :))
We drove our way out of Buck Farm Overlook and back into civilization. We checked in at a hotel in Paige to rest and get our much needed showers! Shortly, using the map and directions Paul downloaded and sourced online, we started making our way to Alstrom Point, which is one of those few places that provides a good vantage point to capture a panoramic view of Lake Powell.
When we got back to the camp, we treated ourselves to some freshly ground cuppa joe and whole foods peanut butter-jelly sandwich for breakfast. We packed up after that to avoid the scorching mid-day sun.
The adventure didn't end here.... (yeah, that wait there's more moment! :))
We drove our way out of Buck Farm Overlook and back into civilization. We checked in at a hotel in Paige to rest and get our much needed showers! Shortly, using the map and directions Paul downloaded and sourced online, we started making our way to Alstrom Point, which is one of those few places that provides a good vantage point to capture a panoramic view of Lake Powell.
Driving the road going to Alstrom in itself is an adventure- we drove past several towering buttes, badlands, balanced rocks, hoodoos and weird rock formations of different sizes and patterns. I'm at a loss to describe the place in one word. It may even be one of the most obscure places on the earth, who knows. Not many people go there perhaps because of the uncertainty and the element of risk going to a very remote location entail. I think some people are missing out a lot!
The last mile of driving to Alstrom point was a little sketchy. We encountered several ledges that even with the use of a 4-wheel drive vehicle you will think twice especially if you are deep in a remote place and it's almost about to get dark. We decided to hike from there since we figured we'll get there in time for the sunset.
The view from Alstrom Point of Lake Powell is very scenic and peaceful. I find it meditative when I go to these places especially when the elements in the landscape catch the soft glow from the sun. I cannot trade the experience visiting these distant places with the convenience and ease of just driving into iconic and mainstream locations. Sure they are just as beautiful, but the lack of serenity and the nuisances brought about by commercialism and tourism can ruin the entire experience.
I had a couple of realisations from this trip:
The last mile of driving to Alstrom point was a little sketchy. We encountered several ledges that even with the use of a 4-wheel drive vehicle you will think twice especially if you are deep in a remote place and it's almost about to get dark. We decided to hike from there since we figured we'll get there in time for the sunset.
The view from Alstrom Point of Lake Powell is very scenic and peaceful. I find it meditative when I go to these places especially when the elements in the landscape catch the soft glow from the sun. I cannot trade the experience visiting these distant places with the convenience and ease of just driving into iconic and mainstream locations. Sure they are just as beautiful, but the lack of serenity and the nuisances brought about by commercialism and tourism can ruin the entire experience.
I had a couple of realisations from this trip:
- America is vast and it's not just all about its big cities.
- You need to do some legwork if you want to really visit the most unique places.
HTML Comment Box is loading comments...