Back in July, I was selected as one of the lucky lottery recipients with a day hike pass to the Wave, in Arizona. For more details of how I applied for the lottery, see old post HERE.
On the last weekend of October, the trip to The Wave finally came. Since our day hike for The Wave was on Sunday, we decided to string on a couple stops to make the weekend trip more memorable. First stop was an old favorite, Zion National Park to hike the famous Angel’s Landing.
The Quick and Dirty:
Location: Sequoia National Forest, John Muir Wilderness
Distance: 7 miles one way to the third lake
Terrain Type: gradual incline, classic southern sierras terrain
Difficulty: Easy/Moderate
Best Time: Late summer and early fall, the road is closed when there is snow fall Special
Conditions: US national forest, advanced permit needed for over night camping and dogs are allowed on trail. Elevation on this trail is around 11,000′ above sea level (asl), acclimating at the trail head is strongly encouraged.
Duration: 2 days
The Quick and Dirty:
Location – Rio Celeste located within Tenorio Volcano National Park
Distance – 3-4 km round trip to the waterfall
Terrain Type – rain forest, water fall, river crossing
Difficulty – Moderate
Special Conditions – Easiest mode of transportation to get to the park is via car if you choose not to travel with a tour group.
On our second day in Costa Rica, we headed to the La Fortuna District to visit the famous Volcán Arenal. La Fortuna is 50km west of Liberia. Don’t be fooled with the seemingly short distance, the roads in Costa Rica are windy and not as well established therefore the speed limits were much slower than what we were used to. I have always wanted to see an active flowing volcano and could not wait until we got to Volcán Arenal!
Volcán Arenal
Quick and Dirty
Gear Type: Backpacking Backpack
Material: Rip Stop Nylon
Trail weight: 72 oz (4.5 lb)
Price: $60
Link: Teton Sports Scout 3400
Pros: Extremely durable, inexpensive, integrated rain cover, height adjustable backing, fits in airplane carry on luggage rack (on top)
Cons: Heavy for the size, narrow profile, plastic clips cut
Hike Now, Work Later 