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A blog about outdoor adventure, family travel, national parks, media, technology, marketing, fitness and me.

backcountry

Deep Creek & Ice Lakes hike is epic

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As I write this blog post, it’s Oct. 4 and we’ve had 18 inches of snow fall on my hometown of Lander, Wyoming.

Stopping to pose by one of many beautiful lakes on a recent 25-mile day hike in Wyoming's Wind River Range.
Stopping to pose by one of many beautiful lakes on a recent 25-mile day hike in Wyoming's Wind River Range.

Boy, I’m sure glad I was able to do the epic hike to Deep Creek and Ice Lakes in the southern Wind River Range a week ago. Last Saturday, on Sept. 26, we had a stellar Autumn day. Bluebird sky all day long and the trail — all 25 miles of it — seemingly to ourselves.

Holly Copeland, Leann Sebade, me, Milo the dog, and Florian Herrmann, in front of the first lake in the Deep Creek Lakes basin.
Holly Copeland, Leann Sebade, me, Milo the dog, and Florian Herrmann, in front of the first lake in the Deep Creek Lakes basin.

The hike was epic because it was beautiful. But also it was epic because it was long for a day hike. At 25 miles, the hike was one I thought I’d be taking alone. My husband, who is usually my companion on these long day hike efforts, is recovering from a 4-level neck fusion, so he was out. And, when I asked some friends if they’d be interested, one said: “Hmmm. How do I say this? I would do it if we had 2-3 days.”

But by some miracle, within a couple of days, I had 4 takers. I had a “group” to accompany me on this long day hike.

The cast of characters included Florian Herrmann, Leann Sebade and Holly Copeland, and her black lab, Milo.

Holly and her dog, Milo, Leann and Florian, hiking through the Deep Creek and Ice Lakes region.
Holly and her dog, Milo, Leann and Florian, hiking through the Deep Creek and Ice Lakes region.

We departed down the Sheep Bridge Trail from Worthen Reservoir at 6:15 am with headlamps on.

We hiked to Sheep Bridge, then up the Middle Fork toward Pinto Park before taking the Deep Creek and Ice Lake Cutoff Trail. Then, for several miles we hiked amongst lakes and granite cirques and tundra. We returned via the Tayo Park, Middle Fork and Stough Creek Lake trails.

Oh oh, girls and a map. Trying to find our way. And we did, thank you very much.
Oh oh, girls and a map. Trying to find our way. And we did, thank you very much.

It was a spectacularly beautiful hike. I was inspired by the stunning sights, the effort and the good company.

It was another remarkable day in this paradise in my back yard, the Wind River Range of Wyoming.

It’s tough to beat seeing so much of our magnificent Wind River Mountains as I can in one day while getting a great workout and spending time with great friends who are positive people and who are a great influence on my life. I feel very lucky.

By the way, my husband and three sons were able to track our progress and whereabouts all day long thanks to the Spot Satellite Messenger I had attached to my backpack. It logged GPS coordinates throughout the hike and Jerry and our sons watched us on Google Maps. Very cool. Here, I mapped the trip on Backpacker.com:

One of several beautiful lakes we hiked by.
One of several beautiful lakes we hiked by.

Here are some video clips captured on the great hike. Enjoy!

Angel’s Landing Hike in Zion National Park

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Zion Trip, Pt. 2

Wow. I knew Angel’s Landing was exposed and that as a result of its heights and exposed nature it was to be an adventure.

Important Information.
Important Information.

We had been to Zion a few other times but as a family. Our sons are small so we had been (wisely) advised to stay away from Angel’s Landing… until the kids grow up.

But in early March, Kathy and I were going on a girlfriend adventure vacation and Angel’s Landing would be the “big star” on our itinerary, around which everything else revolved.

Holding on for dear life.
Holding on for dear life.

We got to the trailhead around 7 am to get an early start. We highly recommend that hikers start early. This way they’ll get to enjoy the views and the trail in solitude. I can’t imagine what it would be like hiking the narrow ridge to the top of Angel’s Landing if there was a line of hikers coming up and down. You don’t go hiking in a national park’s backcountry to be pressed and crowded. You can sleep in another time. (Or so we thought…)

We started up. It was pretty mild. A climbing and switchbacking trail to be sure, but nothing too tough to start. However, we had hiked to Observation Point the previous day which was 8 miles roundtrip and a gain/loss of 8,000 vertical feet. So we were “warmed up” anything this hike would throw at us.

Angel’s Landing is a 5 mile, roundtrip hike. For the first two miles, it’s a climbing trail but on a good trail that isn’t scary. Then, at two miles, the trail’s personality changes, big-time.

When we arrived at a narrow slick rock ridge that had chains/cables on which to hold, I thought to myself: “This must be where we get our money’s worth… This must be what all the fuss is about.” Even though I’d heard it was exposed and that small children shouldn’t go on the hike due to heights, for some reason I wasn’t mentally prepared for the reality.

Chains to hold onto.
Chains to hold onto.

I think it’s safe to say that Kathy, a flatlander from Omaha, was even more surprised than I was.

We ooohed and aahhhed and took in the views in all directions. I knew we hadn’t received the prize yet, but I think Kathy thought we had reached the end. Certainly the views were breathtaking and spectacular. The views at that point would have met my expectations in terms of scenery, no doubt.

But then when I was capturing some video I noticed that the cables/chains went all the way up, much further over a knife’s edge and to a precipice about a quarter mile away, yet.

The Prize – well worth the anxiety.
The Prize – well worth the anxiety.

Kathy’s response when I pointed out the cables that followed the very narrow steep ridge to the “top” was priceless. But she’s a trooper and we were off.


It was a thrilling adventure that left us anxious at times. The views at the top, and all the way up and down really, were striking and beyond words. The beauty was worth the hike, and all of the anxiety is stirred in us.
For an 8-minute clip of the “middle” of the Angel’s Landing Hike/Trail:

Zion National Park or Bust

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(Zion Trip, Pt. 1)
In early March, I met Kathy, from Omaha, in Vegas. Our destination was Zion National Park.

I was looking for an adventurous getaway where I could capture some video for the MyZionPark.com website we’re working on while getting some great hiking and sightseeing in. It would be a short adventure vacation.

My husband, Jerry, and I and our sons had been to Zion a couple of times. We had done some serious hiking even with our kiddos, including the 8-mile, steep Observation Point hike. But that had been about 5 years ago and I was eager to do it again, and this time with a digital camera and Flip Video in tow.

Most exciting was our plan to hike Angel’s Landing. On my previous trips with our kiddos, Angels Landing had not been an option. But, since I first learned about it, it beckoned. It’s been like an itch that needs scratched.

Kathy is a chiropractor and is married to my cousin, Jody Kloewer. They have three kids. I was a bridesmaid in their wedding in 1990, and Jerry was a groomsman. That’s how Jerry and I met, so Jody and Kathy hold an extra-special place in our hearts.

Kathy, my partner in crime.
Kathy, my partner in crime.

Kathy is in great shape, is a real trooper, loves nature and photography as much as I do – and very important, she has an easygoing (great) personality. I knew if she accepted the invitation to join me, it would be a fantastic trip. Also, did I mention she’s a chiropractor? That can come in handy on a hard-charging hiking trip.

Getting our rental car.
Getting our rental car.

So, we met in Vegas, rented our yellow Corvette and off we went toward Zion.

In a few hours we were pulling into the Desert Pearl Inn, our home for the next four nights. Desert Pearl Inn has loads of raving reviews on the internet, and many people claimed it’s the best place to stay while visiting Zion. By the looks of it, I was sold and we booked our stay.

Desert Pearl Inn, near Zion National Park.
Desert Pearl Inn, near Zion National Park.

Normally I’m only interested in a clean roof over my head, especially on these hiking adventures where not much time is spent in the hotel and all I need is a bed to plop on and a shower to clean the grime off. But this time, since we’d be hiking hard, I figured we’d splurge a little. What the heck, we’d be deserving of nice accommodations.

Some people, including myself before this trip, would say that a hotel can’t really be a reason to visit a place. Until this trip, I agreed. But Desert Pearl Inn made me change my mind. Desert Pearl Inn is situated under the shadows of the towering Watchmen red rock cliff and its back yard is cut by the Virgin River. Our room had a balcony with deck and we had the luxury of the sounds of a babbling brook in the background thanks to slightly-opened windows during sleep after a long day on the trails. But that’s not all. We had a kitchen, a wide screen television, big comfy beds, wood floors, great earthy and rustic interior design, and even a – get this – bidet.

Beautiful, spacious rooms with comfy beds.
Beautiful, spacious rooms with comfy beds.

A bidet you ask? Well, being a small town girl from Wyoming, I definitely didn’t know what it was. It looked like a mini-me version of the toilet, but it had a faucet. Hhmm. But after Kathy told me how it’s pronounced (It’s French and it’s pronoucned bee-dey), I sensed whatever it was, it was special and it was a luxury to have one. Suffice it to say it’s not a small sink for your kids…

If you’re visiting Zion National Park or the other national park wonders accessed by southwestern Utah, Desert Pearl Inn offers truly a wonderful retreat after a day of exploring nature’s wonders.