Front: Mary Perlaki-Neely; rear L-R: Lynn Warren (photographer), Andrea (guide), Stacey Miller, Neal Wring, and Kris Raczkiewicz pausing before hiking to the top of Yellow Rock east of Kanab, Utah.
Hiking Yellow Rock Near Kanab
Lynn Warren
When summer hits the valley, hikers occasionally head to cooler areas. In early August, five “B” hikers did just that and spent three days hiking in scenic southern Utah (although temperatures there were still hot). For the first two days, the group utilized Dreamland Safari Tours, considered the best guide service in Kanab, and enjoyed scenic hikes in Coyote Buttes South (similar to The Wave) and Yellow Rock, a massive Navajo sandstone dome with swirling bands of color, creating a vivid, painterly landscape. There are no set trails on the mountain so the climb to the top was mostly freeform and the hikers simply followed their guide’s recommendations. Once at the top, the group enjoyed a leisurely snack break at the ultimate “table with a view” and absorbed outstanding views. The club enjoys hikes all around the valley and occasionally undertakes change-of-scenery outings such as this; visit the club website at pchikers.org for more information and photos.
L-R: Lynn Warren, Mary Perlaki-Neely, Kris Raczkiewicz, Stacey Miller, and Neal Wring pausing for a photo before entering the impressive slot canyon leading to Kanarra Falls in southern Utah.
Hiking to Kanarra Falls
Lynn Warren
On the third day of a trip to southern Utah in early August, five “B” hikers enjoyed a short but scenic and adventurous hike to off-the-beaten-track Kanarra Falls near Kanarraville, Utah. For many years, the falls hike was a “locals secret” but in recent years, largely because of social media, has been upgraded to a well-maintained adventure hike (permit required now) and is maintained by the City of Kanarraville. This is a “cool” hike since at least half the hike involves walking up a creek in a scenic slot canyon to several impressive waterfalls.
This hike is popular, so the PC hikers were smart and got an early start to avoid crowds of hikers. Although much of the hike involved getting feet wet, the hikers enjoyed the refreshing coolness of the ankle-deep water. The mix of cool water, colorful sandstone and the ladder climb around the first waterfall makes it one of southern Utah’s most memorable hikes. In addition to regularly scheduled hikes, the club frequently takes time out for short adventures such as this; visit the club website at pchikers.org for more information and photos.
L-R: Mary Perlaki-Neely, Neal Wring, Stacey Miller, Tom O’Reilly, and Lynn Warren (photographer) pausing after a snack break on the rock ledges above Willow Springs in the White Tanks.
Hiking on a Hot Summer Day
Lynn Warren
The forecast called for another triple digit day when five “B” hikers started a familiar hike in the White Tank Mountains Regional Park on July 15. The turnaround point of the 8-mile hike was an attractive area of exposed rock ledges above Willow Springs; it was a scenic hike but unfortunately one that required 1,400 feet of vertical gain, so a lot of climbing on a hot morning (the temperature reached 115 degrees later that day). Once at the ledges, the group enjoyed a relaxing snack break before heading back down to the parking area. Even though the club continues to hike during summer, safety is of utmost concern and hikes are shorter and relatively close to PebbleCreek, and hikers take ample amounts of water and electrolytes. Why not join the club and experience great exercise such as this with a fun group of people; visit the club website at pchikers.org for more information and photos.