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Show CAR CAMPING OFFERS SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE BY RYAN MILLER /STAFF WRITER PHOTOS BY SHANNON MCOMBER like backpacking, I like hiking, but sometimes you just need to get some rest. Spring Break is meant to provide that R & R. Does that mean staying in your apartment and sleeping in until noon? Why yes, yes it does (if that's what you're into). But there is also leisure to be had in the outdoors and lots of it. Welcome to the world of car camping. Camping is a beautiful thing. It's for both the quiet outdoors types and the loud party types, plus everyone in between. From morning hikers to Dutch oven cobbler-makers to free-love spirits (you know who I'm talking about), camping fits all types. So load up the trunk and let's celebrate the outdoors the leisurely way — with a car, a hammock, and some really good food. Here are three top spots to spend your Spring Break for around $50 to $100 apiece: uri) GAS RCTUNDTRrIP: $40 CAMP FEE: FREE (UNLESS YOU FIND BRYCE CANYON) WM: $10 It was late spring and I was en-route to Southern Utah with a group of friends when one of them asked, "Want to go to Bryce Canyon?" I hadn't been to Bryce Canyon since I was younger, but I remembered cool-shaped formations and horseback riding, so of course I was down for the trip. "Hell yes," I replied. Everyone else agreed, and we were off. We stopped by a store in Panguitch, a nearby city, and bought some steaks, bacon, Reese's, and ingredients for peach cobbler. Then we set off to find the canyon. None of us had a smartphone or the smarts to figure out where the park was. We must have missed a turn because next thing we knew we were lost in southern Utah. We gave up after a while and decided to just head for the hills and camp. We found a campground in the middle of nowhere with signs everywhere that read "no collecting wood" and "use your own wood:' From then on out it was sex jokes galore — for obvious reasons. And it was almost as fun as finding the actual canyon. BY DEREK EDWARDS /STAFF WRITER PHOTOS BY DEREK EDWARDS AND COURTESY OF BRENDAN EDWARDS AND ELLORA STALKER A l 7I PIM , ometimes vacations call for real solitude. You want "getting away" to mean something different than heading to a resort or hotel filled with other tourists. Luckily for those of us living in Utah, we have some options for escaping in a state that still has real wilderness. With its high winds, extreme year-round temperature variance, and lack of water, the West Desert might seem unappealing to potential vacationers, which is what makes it so ideal for avoiding the crowds. The solitude pairs well with opportunities for some stellar rock climbing. Since the early 2000s, people have taken advantage of the crags and boulders in areas like Ibex, Masada, and Marjum Canyon. Ibex probably gets the most traffic out of the established West Desert climbing locations. On a busy weekend evening one can see headlamps and cookfires at about four small camps pitched around the main area. The location is about 55 miles west of Delta and 40 miles east of Baker, NV on Highway 6 — nicknamed "The Loneliest Road in America." The area has been best chronicled by climbing route developer James Garrett in his essential book Utah's West Desert, which my climbing partner and I picked up at REI for $40 in preparation for our trip. This guide is an absolute must-have for anyone looking to rope up. Finding the main boulder areas and camping spots would be easy enough without referencing anything but the Internet, but with mixedgear routes (trad and sport equipment required) scattered among the few bolted climbs on the crags, it's crucial for any climber. Most of the roped routes at Ibex cater to advanced climbers with several rope trad setups. With the nearest medical services back in Delta, it's probably not the best place for beginning lead climbers (pack a first-aid kit, just in case). Ibex features traverses rated from VO to V10, but the main bouldering area seems to be the most popular feature. Some of the boulder routes are tall problems large enough to be listed as singlepitch free-climb routes with regular U.S. grade ratings. Ibex is on BLM land, so there are few restrictions with regards to camping. With little precipitation, arid conditions, and no area maintenance services, a strict "leave no trace" policy should be the norm for all visitors. Campers and day trip visitors must bring enough water with them for their trip. Packing plenty of food is also recommended due to the frequency of vehicle breakdowns and flash floods in the area. You can't rely on other people to help you in an emergency as the only real "locals" in this part of Utah's West Desert are big spiders, including tarantulas and solfugids. My climbing partner and I found a camel spider the size of my thumb in our tent on the last night. From my own experience I found the West Desert to be one of the quietest places in Utah. Locations such as Ibex are fun to climb, but the real attraction of camping there is getting away from all the light and noise pollution of Salt Lake City. It cost my partner and me about $130 for the whole trip, and I couldn't recommend a Spring Break destination more. S PANGUITCH 0 FIND SOLITUDE BY CLIMBING IN THE WEST DESERT BLACK CANYON OF THE GUNNISON NATIONAL PARK co IC* MP FEE: WARBY ETOTAL: $8 In a trip of about six hours, Salt Lake residents can reach Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park in western Colorado. My friend Brad Riding visited the park last fall and says it's "mind-blowingly enormous:' He tends to exaggerate, but the park does feature canyon walls that drop almost vertically to the Gunnison River below. The park isn't full of activities, but for car-campers, that's alright. You can spend time outdoors with some friends and make memories. ZION NATIONAL PARK During one Spring Break my brother Mike and I decided to head down to a NASCAR race in Las Vegas (withhold judgement, please). After a day that featured racing, way too many shirtless dudes, and a number of things my eyes can never unsee (it was like Woodstock, but with rednecks and no cool music), we headed back to Salt Lake City, meeting up with some friends at Zion National Park on the way up. I had been to Zion before, but this time felt different. Maybe it was because I had just spent hours at a NASCAR event that was anything but beautiful, but the park put a spell on me. We took a small hike to an overlook that presented to us the contrast of colors in the park. The vibrant greens colliding with the red sandstone made for a majestic sight. I just stared down, taking it all in. (Wait, am 1"that artsy guy"?) Oh, and there's, like, slot canyons and other famous outdoorsy stuff, too (now that's better). d.edwards@chronicle.utah.edu @terminallysilly r.miller@chronicle.utah.edu @millerjryan Disclaimer: The cost of these trips assumes you are traveling with other people because camping alone is unsafe and, more importantly, you need someone there to laugh at yourjokes. Also, these plans involve a car that gets about 25 miles per gallon. 8 wasatchmag FOOD: $55 TOTAL: $130 Disclaimer: I brought my own sporting equipment. Some climbing and camping gear could be rented from the U's OutdoorAdventures for about $20 more. But you should have experience with climbing before you go out. 9 |