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Backpacking with six in Capital Reef |
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Written by Julie Chapman
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Wednesday, 30 July 2008 |
It was one of those glorious weekends, the kind where the stress of the week melts away in the rays of a golden sun, and a soft, warm breeze caresses your soul. The kind where you load up all four kids, food, water, and gear, and caravan with your brother-in-law and his wife 3.5 hours south to one of the best-kept secrets of the National Park system: Capital Reef National Park. It was the perfect weekend for a set of backpacking-firsts.
Although we have backpacked with our children more times then I can count, each of them on the trail and in a tent by the time they were a month old, this was the first trip where the oldest two carried their own packs, and the first trip for my sister-in-law. When inducting newbies into the backpacking world I have five simple rules:
1. Keep it short
2. Keep it gorgeous
3. Keep it fun
4. Keep it comfortable
5. Keep it yummy
Follow these and you’ll have a new fan on your hands, so be ready to plan more trips.
Capital Reef is a great place to go for a novice experience or an expert adventure. I love this park. A lot of people seem to drive through it; there are, after all, some great historic sites from early ranches to check out. But not so many stay and hike, let alone camp. Because of that, you don’t face the typical fee for visiting a national park. In fact, backcountry permits are free, you just need to sign up so the rangers can keep track of where people are.
After some discussion with the rangers we opted for a trip up the Chimney Rock Trail, turning off to follow Spring Canyon. The first section was hard: a steep climb to get up on the plateau in some pretty stiff wind. But once that was topped our trail took us cruising along the plateau until we turned off the Chimney Rock loop, dropped gently down into a drywash, and followed a silty ribbon of would-be riverbed, embraced by towering redrock cliffs to each side for three miles, finally turning up Spring Canyon for a mile more. With more silty drywash, minimal cacti, and great sandy, dry riverbanks on which to set up a tent, Spring Canyon was a perfect spot for new, gear-hauling backpackers.
The only trick with desert backpacking is that you have to haul all your own water. There is a minimal water source about a mile further up Spring Canyon than we went, but it isn’t smart to count on that in the hotter summer months. With that, since my husband and I were carrying not only gear and food for six, but water for the entire trip for six, we limited our jaunt to a single night. But when Uncle Jordan broke out his own recipe for no-bake cookies just before bedtime, whipping them up on his SnowPeak Giga-Power stove, (dominating the need for yumminess) we knew it was a hit and even after the hike out the next day, kids and aunt alike were looking forward to more. In fact, my sister-in-law had such an idyllic time that she and my brother-in-law went back only two weeks later (they’re newlyweds, and although we all had fun together, it’s nice to have time alone, too).
For more on the trip and how to gear-out a family of six, be sure to check out the accompanying articles: Backpacking with six — the kids’ views of Capital Reef , and Backpacking with six — truth about gear .
IF YOU GO:
Capital Reef National Park
Ranger Station: 435-425-3791
Nearest town: Torrey, UT
Directions from I-15:
Take US Highway 50 east at Scipio (exit 188) toward Salina for 30 miles. At the junction with Utah State Highway 89/259, turn right (south) and travel eight miles. Turn left (east) onto Utah State Highway 24 towards Sigurd. Continue on Highway 24 for 82 miles to reach the park Visitor Center.
For more information go to the official park Web site: www.nps.gov/care/index.htm
Fun, Yummy Fact: Capitol Reef National Park has the largest historic orchards in the National Park System, with approximately 2,600 fruit and nut trees. You can pick fruit in orchards that are officially open for public harvest for a small fee. |
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