Browsing tag: Climbing

  • October 1, 2018

    Ten Sleep Canyon

    Climbing

    During our drive towards Banff, we detoured to Ten Sleep Canyon for a couple days of climbing.  Unfortunately, I was just recovering from a pulley injury that I suffered in Rifle so my climbing here was extremely limited.  Most of the walls get shade in the late afternoon (around ~1pm when we were there in August 2017). 

    I would recommend doing the bulk of your grocery shopping before you head into Ten Sleep.  The nearest grocery store is in Worland, Wy which is about 30 minutes west. 

    Camping

    There is plenty of natural forest land that you can park in. 

    There is also camping available at Ten Sleep Brewing Co and the Rock Ranch. 

    Water Fill:  We didn’t need to do a water fill here since we were only staying a handful of days.  However, we did quite a bit of drinking at the Ten Sleep Brewery and they let us cook and wash our dishes outside in their communal picnic area.  

    Showers:  We showered at the Rock Ranch.  The camp area was new so the showers were donation based so we just put some money in the box to shower.  In the future, Rock Ranch will have coin operated showers. 

    Food and Drinks

    (1) Ten Sleep Brewering Co: Great beer.  On select days they might have a taco truck. 

    (2) Dirty Sally’s:  If you’re in need of some groceries, Dirty Sally’s does have a small selection of things (in addition to a random collection of funky souvenirs).  In addition, if you’re craving something cold try their ice cream! 

    Rest Day Activities

    (1) Ten Sleep Brewing Co:  There are many events offered at Ten Sleep Brewing Co throughout the year.  Check out their calendar of events to see if anything is happening during your visit! 

    (2) Ten Sleep Farmer’s Market in Worland: For the 2018 summer schedule, the market was on Saturdays June to October: 8:00 AM – 11:00 AM. 

    (3) Visit Buffalo, WY:  About 1.25 hrs drive northeast is Buffalo, WY. 

    (4) Yellowstone National Park:  Depending on which end of the national park you are intending to visit, Yellowstone is approximately 4.25 hrs drive away.  Might be a good option if you’re looking to spend more than one day resting. 

    (5) Visit Lander, WY or Wild Iris:  In Lander, we ate breakfast at “The Middle Fork”.  With our meal came three flavors of homemade jam (strawberry, blueberry, and peach) and they were so good!  Stop by the Lander Bar and you will find quite a few climbers, great selection of beer, and delicious burgers. 

     

  • May 16, 2018

    Smith Rocks State Park (and Bend)

    Climbing

    We spent about a week climbing in Smith Rock State Park.  It was awesome.  A little “heady” for me since I hadn’t climbed vert in a while.  But it was beautiful and challenging in a good way.  I will definitely have to go back here now that I am fully finger injury free. 

     

    Camping

    Skull Hollow Campground:  Check the USDA Forest Service website for updated alerts and information regarding the campsite!  The campground features 1 wooden picnic table and 1 fire ring/grill per campsite.  There are approximately 28 first-come, first-served campsites available.  There are 2 outhouses and no drinking water.  There is also an on-site campground host.  

    As of 2018, the fees were $10 for individual sites (1 vehicle, 6 people) and $20 for double size sites (2 vehicles, 12 people).  Additional vehicles are an extra $5.  In addition there is a 14-day limit stay.  If you are planning to stay with a large group of individuals I’d recommend staying at the Skull Hollow Campground.  It is a little drive to Smith Rock, but cheaper for larger groups. 

    NOTE:  Outside the Skull Hollow campground, dispersed camping is no longer permitted. 

    Smith Rock State Park Campground (The Bivy):  Check the Smith Rock website for updated alerts and information regarding the campsite.  Just like the Skull Hollow campground, space is available on a first-come, first-served basis.  Per the website, overnight camping in vehicles, campers, and/or trailers is not allowed which is why we ended up staying at the Skull Hollow campground.  When we went to visit our friends it seemed as though there were quite a few people sleeping in their vehicles so I’m not sure how strict they are about enforcing these rules.  

    The campground is pretty nice with hot water in the rest rooms.  There is a 14-day limit stay.  Fees for 2018 are $8/per person (prior to 2018 it was $5!), but includes the use of showers.

    Water Fill:  While visiting our friends at the Smith Rock campground, we did some cooking at the campground.  They have a communal sink you can use to wash your dishes.  The rest rooms also have hot water, which is a plus! 

    Showers:  We were here for a week and ended up showering at a friend’s place.  But if you are staying at the Smith Rock State Park Campground, showers are included with your fee.  If you are not staying at the Bivy, you can shower for a $2 fee. 

    Food and Drinks

    (1) Sparrow Bakery:  Highly recommend and one of my favorite places for a bacon breakfast sandwich (bacon, poached egg, arugula on a homemade croissant). Also try their fresh baked goods like the Ocean Roll. 

    (2) Beer:  There are so many places to visit for beer in Bend and outside of Bend.  Some of our favorites are Boneyard Beer.  They recently opened a taproom/pub with a wider range of hours so that should be much easier to visit compared to their old tasting room!  Another favorite was Cruz Fermentation Project.  The beer is good and they also serve food on-site which is a plus!  There’s so many places, you can’t really go wrong. 

    (2) Wild Rose Northern Thai Eats:  This place was recommended by one of our friends that lives in Bend.  Let’s just say, we were not in Bend for very long and we went back to this place twice to eat.  It’s really good and we also didn’t have very much Asian food while we were on the East Coast.  

    Rest Day Activities

    (1) Bend Ale Trail:  If you visit ten breweries and check in or get a stamp in your “passport”, you can redeem a free Silipint (made in Bend) from the Bend Visitor Center.  Space yourself as you want to be able to climb the following day and get a designated driver! 

    (2) Take a rest weekend in Portland:  From Smith Rock State Park, the drive to Portland can be done in under three hours.  There are so many great places to eat in Portland, why not take a rest weekend and eat your heart out around the city.  There are so many great places to eat within this city! 

    (3) Hike around Smith Rock State Park:  Other than climbing, there also quite a few hiking trails to explore in the park. 

    (4) Feed the baby llamas:  Do you like llamas?  There is a llama farm near the state park where you can pet and feed the baby llamas.  If that’s your thing, go to the store to purchase a bag of feed.  🙂 

    I really loved this city.  

  • May 16, 2018

    Banff National Park

    After some climbing in Ten Sleep, Wyoming and exploring Yellowstone and Glacier National Parks we crossed the Canadian border to Alberta, Canada.  We spent one night camping at a Walmart in Calgary.  Then we headed straight to Banff National Park the next morning.  Since we were determined to meet friends in Squamish, we only had three days to spend here.  I wish it was longer, but this is one of the national parks I will have to return to. 

    When we entered the park, we were extremely lucky as 2017 marks the 150th Anniversary of Canada.  150 years ago, Quebec, Ontario, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia – united to create the Canadian Confederation, called the Dominion of Canada.  Per the British North America Act, these British colonies would be recognized as an independent nation.  In honor of their 150th anniversary, all of the national parks had free admission for the entire year. 

    Climbing

    There is so much climbing in the Canmore area.  We only had a chance to explore the rock climbing around Lake Louise.  It was August when we were here, so the area was hot.  Luckily the climbing area gets shade in the afternoon, so climbing here was more bearable.  I was still recovering from an A1 pulley finger injury so I did not get to do as much climbing as I would have hoped.  Unfortunately, since it’s typically only the two of us climbing I have no pictures from this trip. 🙁

    Camping

    It was the beginning of August and prime summer season in Banff.  We entered the national park with no camping reservations and decided to stop at multiple campgrounds in the morning to see if they had any availability:

    • Tunnel Mountain Village: We first went to Tunnel Mountain Village since they have >600 campsites.  The campsites are located near the town of Banff and are a little more expensive since all sites include showers.  We figured since this was the largest campground there would be a better chance of availability.  WRONG!  They were completely booked. 
    • Two Jack Lakeside: Also full.  Showers are included with nightly fee. 
    • Two Jack Main: SCORE!  There was a morning cancellation and the ranger said the campsite we stayed at would be available for two nights.  Since we didn’t have to pay for admission fee into the park, we took it.  The Two Jack Main campsite was cheaper, but there were no showers available at this campsite (hence the cheaper nightly fees).  If you don’t want to fly to Banff with your camping gear, this campground also offers “equipped sites” with all of the necessary camping equipment for a higher fee.  See Banff National Park’s camping for more information. 

    • Lake Louise Overflow Parking:  If you are in an RV or a van and find yourself in a position where all of the campsites are available, there is an overflow parking area in Lake Louise where you can stay overnight for a small fee (~$10/night – 2017).  No tents are allowed.  It is essentially a gravel parking lot with a pit toilet.  We stayed here for one night on a Friday night in August.  We got to the overflow parking area around 9pm and the parking lot was almost entirely full.  We got one last spot for our “small” van.  It was quiet and we would definitely stay here again since we rarely use most of the amenities offered in a standard campsite. 
    • If you go in the morning to each of the campsite check in stations, you might be able to snag a campsite even during peak season! 

    Water Fill:  Since we camped at the National Park for most of our time, we did not need a water fill.  We used the potable water and communal sink in the campground. 

    Showers:  At Two Jack Main, there were no showers available.  We showered at the Sally Borden Fitness and Recreation Center.  It was a little more expensive compared to other recreation centers we’ve visited, but the place was clean.  In addition, you can also utilize their WIFI in the lobby. 

    Laundry: We went to “Cascade Coin Laundry” in the town of Banff.  The laundromat was nice and clean, but a little more on the expensive side compared to all of the other laundromats we’ve been to.  We managed to score a parking spot in the lot nearby so we didn’t have to drag our laundry too far.  

    Parking in the Town of Banff:  We did manage to find some street parking  and there are a couple of lots for RVs, but parking spots are limited.  

    Food and Drinks

    We didn’t eat much in the town of Banff.  We mostly cooked back in camp so I don’t have many recommendations for this place. 

    Rest Day Activities / Things to Do in Banff

    (1) Hike to the Plain of the Six Glaciers:  From Lake Louise, you can see the Upper Victoria Glacier.  The trail gets you a closer view of Mount Lefroy, Mount Victoria and the Victoria Glaciers.  In addition, you can visit the Plain of Six Glaciers teahouse after your hike! 

    (2) Lake Louise: When most people think of Banff, they automatically think of Lake Louise.  This place is gorgeous.  The glacial blue lakes and the amazing scenery is breathtaking.  Though be warned, it does come with it’s fair share of tourists as it is easily accessible and next to the Fairmont Hotel. 

    (2) Lake Moraine: Best viewed at sunset.  We didn’t really make sunset since we ended up climbing a little late.  But oh well. 

    (3) Lake Minnewanka:  This lake is beautiful and located next to the Two Jacks campground.  NOTE: If you plan to hike further away from the lake, take a note of hiking tips.  There are a lot of huckleberry bushes near the hiking trails which tend to attract bears.  Especially during the August/September months when they are preparing for winter. 

    (4) Town of Banff: Visit the visitor’s center here.  There is also a local farmers market every Wednesday (May to October). 

    (5) Yoho National Park or Jasper National Park:  If you have the time, definitely check out the two other national parks that are really close by!  You can also visit the Athabasca Glacier in the Columbia Icefields.  NOTE:  Going to the glacier requires purchase through a designated tour company(mid April to mid October – weather permitting).  If you decide not to take a tour, definitely consider driving down the Icefields Parkway (Hwy 93).  It’s one of the most beautiful and scenic routes in Canada. 

  • March 24, 2018

    Squamish

    Climbing

    From the first leg of our trip, this was Terence’s favorite climbing area.  Every type of climbing is available in one location – Bouldering, Trad, Sport, Multi-pitch, etc.  Who could argue with that?!  In addition, the scenery was beautiful.

    The Squamish Access Society (SAS) has done an excellent job working to protect public access to the climbing areas in Squamish.  

    We climbed here during the month of August.  It was one of the worst wildfire seasons in British Columbia, but we got relatively lucky with weather.  It was still extremely hot, but we did not experience bad air quality from the smoke until the day we left. 

    Camping

    We spent most of our time camping at the Chek Canyon Recreational Area.  There are no fees for overnight camping, a series of drive-in campsites (each equipped with a picnic table and fire ring), and a good number of pit toilets.  The camping area is right next to the Chek sport climbing area and about 20min away from the Chief.  There is also the Chief Campground ($10/pp) or Mamquam Campground ($10/per site). 

    We stayed two nights at the Mamquam Campground.  As of August 2017, some of the camp area was still under construction so only portable toilets were available with no running water.  In the future (according to their website), they will have a camping area for vans at a lower cost. 

    There is no longer overnight parking available in the Stawamus Chief, Apron, Murrin, and Shannon Falls parking lots.  You can also sleep overnight on Mamquam Road (FSR), but beware that you cannot park near any residential areas which will require you to drive the van up the 2.5km graveled road.  We decided not to drive up the graveled road in the van and found the convenient camping at the Chek Canyon Recreational Area.  Thank you SAS!

    Water Fill: At the Chief’s campground there are water spigots, however this water is not filtered and taken directly from the mountain stream.  I saw most climbers and hikers filling up their water bottles without boiling, but just be aware.  We went to the “MTN Fun Basecamp” camp area and asked if we could use their water fill.  They let us fill our water tank at no cost.  If you do go here, be sure to ask before using. 

    Showers: The Brennan Park Recreation Centre has a swimming pool with a hot tub and showers.  There is a discounted rate “$2Toonie Swims” for $2.  In August 2017, $2Toonie Swims were during the early morning (6-6:30am) or late at night (9-9:30pm) – Monday to Friday.  In June 2018, the $2Toonie Swims were 1130-1300 (Monday to Friday). There are also many small lakes near Squamish such as Browning Lake (Murrin Provincial Park), Brohm Lake, or Alice Lake.  NOTE: The parking lot at some of these locations are limited! 

    Food and Drinks

    (1) Backcountry Brewing: I loved their “Pump Up the Jam!” DIPA.  In addition to their selection of craft brews, they also have a nice selection of craft pizzas and small snacks.  We went through multiple growler fills from this place.  Highly recommended is their Forager Pizza with mushrooms and truffled cream!

    (2) Essence of India Restaurant:  If you go to Squamish, you must make at least one stop here and it may not be your last.

    (3) The Ledge Community Coffee House: If you are looking for coffee, small pastries, and WIFI! 

    Rest Day Activities

    (1) Stawamus Chief Hike:  We only hiked to the first peak, but if you are feeling ambitious there are three different peaks you can summit on this hike.  Bring your headlamp(s) and hike right before sunset so you can watch the sunset at the top!

    (2) Vancouver:  We spent a day in Vancouver biking around the seawall and touring Granville Market.

    (3) Whistler:  We spent a day in Whistler watching the Red Bull Joyride (Crankworx).  There are also lots of places to eat, but a little more on the pricier end. 

  • March 12, 2018

    Rifle Mountain Park

    Climbing

    We spent 1.5 months of our 2017 road trip in Rifle Mountain Park.  This was the first climbing destination during the first leg of our trip.  The climbing area was amazing with plenty of hard limestone rock climbing.  There are not very many “moderate” climbing routes as most of the grades are 11+ and up, but there are a few and tend to be a little more polished than you would like.

    This place is extremely dog and kid-friendly.  Most of the approaches are very short (i.e. 30 seconds).

    Entrance Fee: There is a daily Entrance Fee of $5/day.  If you plan on staying longer, consider purchasing the Rifle Mountain Park Annual Pass online or from the camp host.

    Camping

    We camped at the designated campsites for $10/campsite (rates in June 2017).  You can camp for free if you drive further up the road and sleep along a National Forest Service Road.  There are pit toilets / portable toilets available throughout Rifle Mountain Park.

    Water Fill: Use the Rifle Rest Area for RV Dumping (no charge) and potable water fill ups.

    Showers available at the Pool Recreation Center ($2/pp) or the gym ($5/pp).

    Food and Drinks

    In Rifle:

    (1) Brickhouse Pizza: Order their wild mushroom pizza.  It’s delicious!

    In Glenwood Springs:

    (1) Sweet ColoraDOUGH: They’re only open till 2pm each day and they run out of certain flavors early, but the doughnuts are amazing!

    (2) The Pullman: A couple of good local beers always on tap.  Good hipster-vibe food.

    (3) Slope and Hatch: Great tacos, hot dogs, and cocktails.

    (4) The Lost Cajun: Great Jambalaya and Crawfish Etouffee.  Can’t forget about the beignets either!

    (5) Glenwood Springs Brew Garden: Great beer.  Plus there is a taco truck outside that you can bring into the beer garden if you’re craving burritos, tacos, or nachos!

    Rest Day Activities

    (1) Hanging Lake Hike:  Get there early as the parking lot fills quickly!  Even on weekdays.  We got to the parking lot at 7:45am on a Thursday and the parking lot was about half full.

    (2) Hike a 14’er: Easiest 14’er to summit would be Mount Evans.  However if you are a climber or just up for a challenge, I’d highly recommend hiking Long’s Peak.  We hiked to Chasm lake in under two hours and probably could have reached the summit, however we were not planning on it and did not have any food.  But it definitely will be something I try to target next time!

    (3) Hang out in Glenwood Springs:  Visit the hot springs (we like Iron Mountain Hot Springs), visit the Coca Cola Factory (10cents drinks!), eat, buy beer, laundry, etc.  Glenwood Springs is the closes bigger city and there’s plenty of activities to do here during the day. 

    (4) Take a Fly Fishing Class: If you go to Boulder, the local fly fishing store offers free fly fishing classes on a monthly basis.  Sign up and learn to fly fish as I hear it’s a great rest day activity!  We didn’t get to do this due to our timing but we have been extremely curious and plan to take a course somewhere along our road trip.

    (5) Visit Boulder: Plenty of good food.  Visit Movement.  Hike to the Flat Irons.  Drink some local craft brews.  Visit the Wholefoods in Boulder, it is HUGE!

    (6) Visit Rocky Mountain National Park: Don’t feel like hiking?  Drive the Trail Ridge Road and stop along all of the scenic trails for some information about the park.