The Coolness
Growing up east of the Rocky Mountains leaves a person unprepared for the effects of high elevations above sea level. In the middle of summer heat and humidity, the distances that you would have to drive to the north to experience a 40° temperature drop anywhere east of Kansas would be in the thousands of miles. Around here you can make that drive on a quarter tank of gas, and not break any traffic laws in the process.
As we crept through the early morning traffic slowness heading into Salt Lake City, I could not fathom why people subject themselves to this horror on a daily basis. “ Why do all these people live here?” I queried the other occupants of the Durango. Neither Bryan nor David had a good answer, as they had just endured a 4 hour drive over the length of the state which began for all of us at 3am. The effects of 3 cups of coffee on my nervous system had long since moved downward, and as we arrived at the pick up point for the shuttle, I hoped that my fast and purposeful stride into the Sinclair bathroom was not too obvious.
Summers here in the Mojave desert can be challenging. It is the rare afternoon where the temperatures are not in the triple digits by 2pm, and most creatures with any common sense find cool and shady environments to while away the afternoon heat. An added challenge is the fact that this small city offers very few indoor activities (beyond a long nap) to keep us busy in an air conditioned environment, and so finding ways to beat (or at least outsmart) the heat of summer becomes a vital skill for the outdoor adventurer. Over the years most of us who live here for the vastness of outdoor activities have developed our own ways of dealing with the summer heat. Here are some of our tips for cooling off in the midst of a desert summer.
Why sit through over 2 hours of driving to get to Bryce Canyon National Park when you can get to a location that will provide a similar experience in about half the time? Bryce Canyon is a 2 hour and 15 minute drive from Saint George; whereas, the drive to Cedar Breaks National Monument is only 1 hour and 30 minutes.
As a guide at Paragon Adventures and a gear specialist at the Desert Rat, I often get asked about slot canyons in southern Utah and which ones I recommend doing. The great thing about living in this area is there are so many good slot canyons to choose from.
When recommending a canyon I always try to talk about one aspect that a lot of people don’t stop to consider. Canyoneers, especially newer canyoneers often spend so much time talking about the number of rappels, if there is water in the canyon, etc., that they don’t stop to consider what I think is the most important factor when deciding which canyon you want to go do: what I call the “effort to fun ratio.”
As rock climbing guides in Southern Utah, we have the coolest job in the world. Every day we’re out hiking, biking, climbing, rappelling, canyoneering or doing some fun, crazy activity in the beautiful St. George area with clients that love this kind of thing as much as we do. One of the questions we often get asked by our clients is, “what do you do on your days off?”
Honestly, most days we do the exact same thing we do as when we work. We climb, hike, bike and play in the outdoors doing the things we love.
They call them Snowbirds: people who flock to warm Saint George Utah when other, colder areas start to freeze and become unbearable. They come from all over the state mostly, since the majority of Utah gets pretty chilly in the winter, but also from all over the United States. Some of them own homes here, others just take vacations during this prime time of year. No matter where you are from, or what weather you are accustomed to, Southwest Utah is at a low enough elevation that the winters are extremely mild and are actually perfect temperatures for the avid nature lover.
In honor of today’s 3rd Ironman 70.3 (Or “Half Ironman”) we decided to share this broadcast from 2014’s competition. Hope you enjoy and we hope you Iron men and women return next year.
Two days in Joshua Tree National Park is an amazing experience regardless of ones ambitions. Its layout is massive, covering some 800,000 acres of land and the diversity of the dueling desert environments is intellectually compelling. Aside from the trivia, once you arrive, you won’t be able to stop thinking, “this place is so weird!” The granite monoliths shooting up from the flat desert floor creates a surreal contrast that’s hard to wrap your head around. It feels like living in a Martian world for a couple of days!
Road trips are an essential means of broadening our climbing experiences.
Travel in and of itself stretches boundaries and expands horizons. Within the context of climbing, travel heightens our sense of the experience and creates a broader, richer tapestry of awareness. Wonderful experiences make us examine our everyday lives through a unique frame of reference and challenge us to make them better. Dismal experiences result in a deep sense of appreciation and gratitude for what we already have. Travel may make you improve as a climber, but more importantly, it allows you to grow as a human.