We’ve been on more camping trips this summer, more so than backpacking trips. Though we enjoy our local mountains, many roads bisect them overall.
So we’ve developed a routine that works well for us. We leave on Friday afternoon, camp out, hike from camp the following morning, and on Sunday, we drive to another destination for another hike before we go home.
It’s a rhythm that’s working exceptionally well. We could day hike from our home, but camping out gives us much enjoyment. And, frankly, we are not distracted by daily noise. We make dinner, take a sunset stroll, talk, and enjoy each other’s company—all in the fresh mountain air versus the dry heat that’s around 105F in Moab proper.
We’ve taken a deep dive into the mountains around our home. Exploring the nooks and crannies, we would not notice otherwise.
Chief among these delights are exploring the 12k summits of the La Sal mountains.
View this post on Instagram
The generally rounded mountains with connecting ridgelines make for a perfect day full of vigorous hiking.
When I first moved to Moab, I knew I’d enjoy the desert with its hoodoos, canyons, and ancient pathways.
I did not realize how much I’d enjoy the mountains near home.
Not only the mountain vistas but also the wildflowers, creeks, and alpine terrain that reminds me so much of my time in Colorado.
And we explored a little-seen side of the mountains with cliff walls, an un-mapped cirque, and tundra walking that especially seemed reminiscent of previous times in Colorado.
The snow and cold, clear streams seemed a different world from our sagebrush, cactus, and thistle of our home.
We might follow the same rhythm almost every weekend. But it is a rhythm that gives much satisfaction to our lives.
