After Goshute Cave we headed to Ely for some food and then out to the range where Snake Canyon Cave is located. Snake Canyon is more remote than Goshute and the roads were rough for the cars, so we camped along the way. The following day we met Doug from the Forest Service — fantastic and knowledgeable about this cave. Snake Canyon Cave is at around 9,000ft elevation — over an hour hike to the entrance. A small crawl opens into a series of faulted passages that have moved ove

Waimanu Valley is one of the most incredible hikes not only in Hawaii but on the planet. Black sand beaches, an 8-mile hike through rainforest, diverse flora, 1,000ft waterfalls, mountainous terrain, and a place where you can build a lean-to with fish and coconuts — all at once. Ancient Hawaiians used this valley to grow Taro for poi. We parked at the art gallery ($20/day) and hiked in for a 3-day adventure. The waterfalls drop 1,000ft and could be heard constantly. A tiered

Gandy Warm Spring is a beautiful oasis of vegetation, flowers, 80-degree crystal clear water, and a unique submerged cave. After this survey, Gandy Warm Spring is the longest submerged warm spring cave in Utah with a total surveyed length of 99 meters. Entering the cave you find small passage with a duck-under that opens into a decorated room you can almost stand up in — fits 5-6 people. This recreational section alone is worth visiting if you're in the area. Beyond the recre

After two days visiting caves in Arizona, Andy and I headed to Lava River Cave to work on photography. Lava River Cave is a semi-commercialized cave with no particular path except for the large walking borehole passage that goes about a kilometer. There are numerous lava tube caves in this region of Arizona and Lava River Cave is a great introduction for people to experience large tube passage. Andy and I practiced with flash bulbs and captured great shots with his new camera

Imagine a place with some of the most majestic geology and unprecedented beauty — a world under our own where miles of hallways, some reaching as high as small buildings, tell tales of an ancient past. Where gypsum has many forms and properties, twisting into fiber-optic crystal-like formations. And where unexplained phenomena have left head-scratching questions about occurrences that have taken the lives of many organisms inside the cave. This system has been held in secrecy

Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge is home to numerous springs and, among other special features, rare forms of life. Plants and animals have found refuge here for thousands of years, thriving from the crystal clear warm water springs that feed this desert oasis. A massive aquifer — explained to be one of the largest in the world — sits under the surface of Ash Meadows and the spring water emerges from the depths. Jackrabbit Spring used to have a pump attached to the resurg

Cottonball Basin is a Death Valley playa located 100 to 150 feet below sea level — home to amazing life and anomalies. The basin is an ancient ocean with salt bearing evidence of what was once a sea bed. The salt content and alkali levels remain high, making it hard to imagine life surviving in 130-degree summer temperatures. Yet it does. Walking on the basin, the ground crackles like broken china plates and is mushy in places — giving the playa its name. After rains it can b

Black Void Canyon is a fantastic half-day canyon located within Death Valley National Park in the Grapevine Mountains, accessed via Fall Canyon — a fantastic canyon to hike in itself. There are some great canyons feeding into Fall Canyon with big views and rapid-fire rappels. My top recommendations from this range: Crater of Doom (#1), Black Void (#2), Deep Chasm (close third), and Dark Shadow (#4). The trailhead starts from Fall Canyon parking and heads off-trail up the moun

After our long technical descent of Middle Deer Creek, the following day we took a few hours to check out the non-technical portion of Lower Deer Creek. The technical portion of Lower Deer Creek is closed to all visitors, but a hiking trail above the canyon provides views from above and takes people down to the Colorado River beach and the canyon's last segment — a beautiful waterfall. Mike and I stayed at the top of the view to take it all in while the rest of the group desc

The massive Grand Canyon not only has a vertical filter that leaves all but the most committed visitors out, its mystery and sheer beauty is unlike anywhere else on the planet and continues to pull me back. Our initial plan was 150 Mile Canyon but due to rains we got last-minute permits for Middle Deer Creek and campsites toward the river. We set out on the Kaibab roads to the Monument Point / Bill Hall trailhead. 8 rappels up to 70-80ft, long redwall narrows for 2 hours, rai

Crater of Doom Canyon is the top-rated technical canyon in Death Valley's Fall Canyon range within the Grapevine Mountains — and for good reason. The approach from the Fall Canyon trailhead involves elevation gain and cross-country route finding to gain the canyon head, but the reward is significant. The canyon delivers big drops, dramatic cliff canyon scenery, and a technical experience that stands above the other Fall Canyon tributaries. If you visit the Fall Canyon area, C

The Bill Hall Trail is a beautiful and in-demand permit trail within Grand Canyon National Park. Starting at the Kaibab formation, the trail breaks down into the Coconino with steep switchbacks and incredible views of the western Grand Canyon sections. The trail passes Bridger's Knoll and descends around 1,500ft to the esplanade. From there you can pick up the Thunder River trail down into Surprise Valley and on to Thunder Spring. An alternative is to take the Thunder Spring

White Pocket is located on the Arizona-Utah border, accessed via a remote deep sandy road on top of the Vermilion Cliffs. It's a beautiful mosaic of sandstone structures, hoodoos, small buttes, and miniature monoliths. Some of the buttes have beautiful color layers with vein-like figurines that appear fossilized into place — minerals tinting the sandstone while water and wind erosion sculpted the wavy formations visible today. Some of the landscape resembled dragon skin — the

Nevada ridgewalking is the practice of traversing the state's 314 mountain ranges on foot, searching for caves, shelters, sinkholes, and geological features that have never been documented. It's the primary method by which new Nevada caves are found — no GPS coordinates to follow, no trail, no guidebook. Just the ridge, your eyes, and the willingness to investigate every shadow. The desert filters out those unwilling to invest — steep approaches, brutal heat, thorny vegetatio

Our original plan was Tatahatso Canyon but 16°F temperatures that morning made it a safety concern. With Navajo permits already in hand, we pivoted to Jackass Canyon — a Navajo-permitted 2AII canyon that was far easier and a nice charming stroll through the canyon to the river. Jackass Canyon has a north and south fork that both connect back to the parking lot — we came down the south fork and exited the north fork. The north fork was shorter but nicer. A short narrow corrido

I want to thank Scott Swaney for pioneering this first descent 4 years ago for the community to enjoy. Heart of Stone Canyon is a very remote Death Valley canyon in the Cottonwood Mountains. The road follows the same track to the Racetrack Playa — at Teakettle Junction turn left and head for the plateau above 6,000ft. The road becomes progressively more sinister; a 4x4 is preferred but Subaru AWD can negotiate it. We set up camp in the snow and headed to sleep early — the mor

Deadeye Dick Canyon is normally rated 3AII but we visited in mid-November and encountered ice sheets in the pools — bumping our experience to a 3BII. Not only was it cold, the ice made for some awkward movement through the water wading sections. We set out from the Dakota Ridge trailhead, which was a great option that shaved off significant time and distance by making a beeline into the canyon, bypassing a walk-around. Once in the canyon we bypassed the first dry fall on the

Kamikaze Canyon is a remote Death Valley canyon on the west face of the Cottonwood Range. Access is down the Racetrack Playa road and across the alluvial fan to the bottom of the range. I want to thank Scott Swaney for pioneering the first descent and providing beta for the second descent — our group's visit was only the second time anyone had been down this canyon in over 5 years. All anchors had to be rebuilt. We headed out around 0830 and made a steep 2,300ft ascent to the

The Racetrack Playa is a popular Death Valley destination for many visitors. Ice panels and melting ice along with slick watery clay on the ground and high winds create a blend of motion where mysterious rocks move across the playa. Some of these rocks have moved in excess of 1,000ft. There is ongoing research on this anomaly — the latest science suggests ice sheets forming under the rocks combined with high winds provides the force. After Heart of Stone Canyon we headed out

Scorpion Canyon is a 3AII canyon on Death Valley's Black Range — a fast-paced descent with multiple rappels and big expansive views of Badwater Basin below. Like most Black Range canyons, Scorpion rewards the approach with striking desert geology and colors. The canyon is relatively straightforward for the rating and makes an excellent half-day option when combined with other Black Range routes. Death Valley continues to deliver incredible canyoneering experiences for those w