Tonight I attended a talk by David Strayer, a professor at the University of Utah. The event was hosted by the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance. I don’t want to discuss the specifics of Attention Restoration Theory (Wikipedia does a fine job), but I wanted to add some of my own summation of the presentation given through the perspective of an avid hiker and former Sociologist (I knew my degree would come in handy for something).

• For thousands of years humans have been subjected to two kinds of “fascinations”.
• Soft fascinations are those things like a rolling stream or the wind through the leaves
• Hard fascinations are things like hearing the sound of a branch breaking (possibly signaling a predator) which put us on high alert and override soft fascinations.
• Today we are overwhelmed by these hard fascinations, we wake up to the sound of an alarm clock and for the rest of the day are bombarded with sounds and sights competing for our attention.
• We are the guinea pigs in this experiment because we have no idea how humans will react to so many distractions (but perhaps this could explain the rise of ADHD?)
• Our minds and bodies NEED outings in nature to take some of the pressure of these everyday bombardments off of our Prefrontal Cortex
• Multiple tests have shown large improvements in attention and reduced levels of stress as a result of as little as an hour spent in nature. However, the biggest gains were seen after 3 days in nature (now I know why I love 3 day hikes so much).

My conclusion: Nature is awesome, it’s pretty much free therapy. If you are stressed or have a big test coming up do yourself a favor and head into the wilderness for a 3 day trip. Make sure to leave the iPad at home and let you Prefrontal Cortex take a brain nap as it drifts off into the world of soft fascinations.

If you are an intermediate to experienced hiker looking for a great day hike in Zion National Park, the West Rim Trail cannot be beat.

Last summer I had the opportunity to backpack the “Trans-Zion” hike which is around 40 miles and takes you from the very northwest of the park into the heart of Zion. While the entire hike was amazing my favorite part was the West Rim Trail. So when I recently had a day free to visit Zion again this trail was the first thing that came to mind.

We left Cedar City, UT at about 6:30am and headed for Lava Point. Shortly before Lava Point there is an option to follow a dirt road to the trail head of the West Rim trail. We arrived at about 8:00am and began our hike.

Within a few hours you are viewing some of the most amazing vistas in the park and they are your constant companion for the west of your journey. Below is a picture taking from the trail looking west.

Before long you start your decent into the valley. After Angels Landing it becomes paved but still very steep. This is also the first sign of civilization and you begin to overhear a variety of languages being spoken by passerby’s either on their way to or from Angels Landing.

Finally you are greeted by the Valley and it is amazing sight to behold. By 3:00pm we were down at the Grotto taking the free shuttle to the entrance of the park to wait for our ride home.

Ok, so I admit that this last trip had nothing to do with backpacking. However, it was an amazing experience that I want to share. Recently, my sister-in-law and her husband came out to visit my wife and I in Utah. I wanted to show them everything Utah has to offer, but was only able to take three days off of work (meaning a multi-day backpacking trip was off the table).

Instead we divided up the time between various National Parks in Southern Utah and Arizona. We dedicated our second day to visiting the Grand Canyon. However, I wanted to skip the visitor center and really experience the Grand Canyon. This meant going where my Honda CR-V just couldn’t.

Instead we rented a Jeep Wrangler Rubicon from Southern Utah Adventure Center and plotted a route through the desert (The map we used can be found here)

We left Hurricane, UT at about 10:00am and took Hwy 59 to just past Pipe Spring National Monument (46 miles). We then turned off the Highway and said goodbye to civilization as we headed through the desert on Mt. Trumbull Rd (Co Hwy 109). Looking back this was a poor decision (recommended by a Park Ranger) and we could have saved a lot of time by taking Co Hwy 5 from Colorado City.

Luckily, the huge tires on the Rubicon allowed us to fly and we made it to Tuweep/Toroweap in about 3 hrs. The lookout was amazing and well worth the drive.

After lunch and some light exploring we got back in the Jeep and headed for the Nampaweap Petroglyphs. Nampaweap was only a short hike from a short detour off of our route, but well worth it. Although having hiked all over the Southwest I must admit that I’ve never seen anything like it (and most people haven’t – according to a guest book we were the first people to visit the site in over a month).

After Nampaweap we continued our journey to Whitmore Overlook which was used by Native Americans when crossing the Grand Canyon and is now used by rafters to exit the river after their trip down the Colorado.

Past the Bar 10 Ranch is were we realized why we needed the Jeep. I cant imagine driving over that lava rock in any other vehicle. Perhaps 4WD wasn’t required, but the huge tires and ground clearance definitely is.

We had plans to hike down to the Colorado from Whitmore (since we were only 800 ft above the river), but we had dinner reservations at the Bar 10 ranch and were running out of time. So we took a break, got into the cooler, and just enjoyed the view.

Dinner at the ranch was great and everybody was very welcoming. They even have a western show they put on for guests, but because we needed to get back to Cedar City that night we weren’t able to stay.

Heading through the desert at night was another adventure in itself. The temperature started to drop and the bats started to come out, but we still had no doors or top on our Jeep. Luckily as we came into St. George the temperature rose again and we were able to return the jeep at around 10:00pm – making our whole trip only about 12 hrs.

It probably comes as no secret that I love National Parks. I am amazed at their beauty and take every opportunity I have to escape into their wilderness. And while it also comes as no surprise that my preferred method for visiting National Parks is Backpacking, there are some Parks that simply must be experienced from the River.

Last summer I had an opportunity to experience Canyonlands National Park from the Colorado River courtesy of Holiday Expeditions. Holiday Expeditions is a client of mine, we designed their website and provide SEO, and for an exchange of services they took 40 SEO.com employees (including myself) for three days down the Colorado River through Canyon Lands National Park.

Because Canyonlands National Park is located at the confluence of the Green and Colorado River it makes it hard to experience backpacking, since there are essentially three sections and backpacking through all is impossible. For this reason I had yet to visit Canyonlands at the time of the trip. What I experienced was beyond description. Even without the 26 rapids through Cataract Canyon, the trip would have been well worth it. Nothing can compare to floating down the Colorado with vertical red cliffs on both sides for miles on end. Plus one of the benefits of rafting is that you are a lot less sore in the end!

Choosing the right sized backpack depends on three main factors

1. Length of Trip

2. Season

3. Backpacking Group

4. Type of Backpacker

1. Length of Trip

Most of the time the size backpack you choose will depend on the length of the trip you plan to take. The following are general recommendations based on length of trip

Day Hike (1 day) – 10 liters (610 cu/in)

Overnight Trip (2 days) – 35 liters (2,100 cu/in)

Multiday Trip (3-4 days) – 55 liters (3,400 cu/in)

Extended trip (5+ days) – 65 liters (4,000 cu/in)

2. Season

If you plan on traveling in colder weather then you are going to need an extra pack. While cold weather gear varies in size, I would easily add 10 liters to any of the recommended above sizes

3. Backpacking Group

Depending on the kind of group you backpack with you may need to carry more or less gear. For example, if you will be backpacking solo a larger pack will be required since you will have to carry all gear you would normally share with a partner. The same could be said for those traveling with family or small children.

4. Type of Backpacker

Some people pride themselves in their ability to minimize weight while others require a certain level of comfort even outdoors. The recommended sizes above are indented for lightweight backpackers. However, those willing to spend more money and forgo some comforts can easily fit all their gear in a backpacker 10 liters smaller than the recommended sizes.

Whether you believe in a Creator or evolution, you have to admit our bodies are pretty miraculous. Personally, it seems the more I learn about our bodies the more I am in awe with their form and function. Therefore, it is probably no surprise to those who know me that I am extremely impressed with the recent excitement that has surrounded footwear such as the Vibram Five Fingers.

I am no doctor, nor have I done the extensive research necessary to weight in on the debate of traditional running shoes vs barefoot running. However, based on my confidence in the design of our bodies, I think an argument can be made for a return to the more natural way of running, hiking, walking, etc.

Vibram Five Finger Shoes allow our bodies to work the way they were designed to work. By minimizing modern day features in shoes we are permitted to use some of the smaller muscles in our feet. And while I realize a separate argument could be made between “Barefoot” Shoes and literally going barefoot, I do welcome the soles on these shoes and the protection they provide.

I have been a fan of Vibram soles ever since my Drill Sergeant recommended them to me years ago in Basic Training. Knowing that I can have that same quality and durability in a design that allows the body to move as it has for thousands of years is amazing.

Here is a quick rundown of my favorite Vibram Five Finger Shoes

KSO Trek

The Vibram Five Finger KSO Treks are a great trail runner. The soles have a ton of grip and uppers are made from Kangaroo leather which is both durable and extremely soft.

KSO

The KSO is Vibram’s most popular style and for good reason. Not only are they extremely comfortable for everyday use, but perform very well in water sports like whitewater rafting

Komodosport

The Komodos are one of Vibrams newest designs and have incorporated several design improvements meant to help create a perfect multi-sport shoe. They great for working out at the gym and running, plus in my opinion they are also the coolest looking Five Fingers Vibram makes.

Do you ever catch yourself having an idea so ridiculous, so outlandish, and yet so intriguing and exciting?

Yesterday, as I was looking over our wonderful National Trail System Map (having just watched a documentary on the Appalachian trail) began to notice how many of the trails I have always wanted to backpack seem to almost meet each other. After about an hour I created what I would consider the backpacking trip to end all backpacking trips. It goes like this.

1. Begin the journey at the trail head of the Appalachian Trail in Main and ending in Georgia (June – Nov 6 mo.)

2. Begin the Trail of Tears in Charleston Tennessee and ending in Tahlequah Oklahoma (Nov-Jan 2.5 mo)

3. Rent a car and travel Highway 69 to Kansas City Missouri

4. Begin the Oregon Trail In Kansas City and Travel until you meet the Pacific Crest Trail near Mt. Hood (Feb-July 6 mo.)

5. Travel down the Pacific Crest Trail until you meet the Juan Bautista De Anza trail in  San Bernadino N.F. (July-Dec 6 mo.)

6. Travel the Juan Bautista De Anza trail which ends in Tucson Arizona (Jan-Feb 1.5 mo.)

7. Rent a car in Tucson and Travel Highway 10 until you reach the Continental Divide Trail in New Mexico

8. Travel up the Continental Divide Trail Until you meet the Lewis and Clark Trail at the mouth of the Missouri River (Feb-July 6 mo.)

9. Travel the Lewis and Clark Trail east until you reach you ending point in St. Louis Missouri (Aug-Nov 4 mo.)

So what do you think, who wants to take 32 months off of work and do this with me?

(for a more detailed view click on the map below)