My Page: Ryan Malavolta

Mountaineering

The Uinta Mountains of northeastern Utah have so many peaks worth summiting, it’s hard to know where to begin.

Make it easy on yourself, go alphabetical. “A” is for Agassiz, as in Mount Agassiz. This often-overlooked behemoth can be done as a long day hike, or turned into a tremendous overnight trip.

Hiking

Arch hunting is not difficult when there are more than 2,000 of the sandstone wonders packed into one national park. Roads and foot trails inside Arches will take hikers to many of these awe-inspiring formations, but the crowds can be staggering in certain spots. If you are hoping to escape the masses and still see some of the park’s most impressive features, I highly recommend the Devil’s Garden Primitive Loop. The 7.2-mile trail might be the most scenic in the park; hikers can expect to pass through some incredible topography on the way to viewing eight of Arches’ most outstanding sights.

The hike begins at the Devil’s Garden trailhead in the northern section of the park. Road signs throughout the area are easy to follow and will get you there with no trouble. The parking area is often overrun with bumbling tourists and screaming children, but don’t fret, you’ll soon be leaving those distractions in the dust. This hike is heavy with rewards: The viewing session begins just under a mile in with Pine Tree and Tunnel Arches. Enjoy these two before heading back to the main trail. Before long, you will arrive at the longest arch in the park: Landscape. Measuring 306 feet in length, Landscape’s beauty is matched by its story. Read the interpretive signs near the viewing area and discover how Landscape dropped a few pounds two decades ago… quite the tale!

Hiking

There are no two ways about it: Bryce Canyon is incredible. Located in the high desert of southern Utah, Bryce is a place where your imagination can run wild, especially when it comes to the distinct, trademark rook formations called hoodoos. According to a Paiute Indian tale, the hoodoos are not simply rock; they were alive and the were not necessarily benevolent.

“Before there were any Indians,” the tale goes, “the Legend People… lived in that place. There were many of them. They were of many kinds — birds, animals, lizards and such things — but they looked like people…. For some reason the Legend People in that place were bad. Because they were bad, Coyote turned them all into rocks. You can see them in that place now, all turned into rocks; some standing in rows, some sitting down, some holding onto others. You can see their faces, with paint on them just as they were before they became rocks. The name of that place is Angka-ku-wass-a-wits. This is the story the people tell.”

A strange story, to be sure, and one that invites exploration. Perhaps the best way to get close to the Legend People is to take a hike on the Queens Garden/Navajo Loop Trail. It’s only three miles long, but what the trail lacks in length, it makes up for in mind-blowing scenery.