Tag adventure

Capitol Reef’s Longest Trail Pays Off

Reg Spittle 7 Comments

What a hike! After two hours of climbing, I caught a glimpse of Navajo Nobs, top photo, in Utah’s Capitol Reef National Park. The rounded rock “nobs” loomed from afar. Sue and I wondered, “What do you think?” It seemed so far away and our legs were rubbery and sore. We had seen few other hikers on the park’s longest trail, but two women descending from the final rock scramble encouraged us to push on. We were so glad we did. One of the toughest hikes we have done, but what a great feeling to thrust arms in the air and say, “We did it!”

A Himalayan Journey Born as a Dream

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Living in her native India, Susan Jagannath fell in love at first sight. She was just 16. But she would have to wait until she was in her 60s to realize her dream, a closeup view of the object of her affection.

In Chasing Himalayan Dreams, Jagannath describes her journey on the Singalila Ridge Trek along the Nepal-India border to Sandakphu, where she gazes across 30 miles of blue sky to Kanchenjunga, the sacred mountain. On the 38-mile guided walk, she travels through villages, soaking up local culture.

The peak she first glimpsed at 16 is not just any mountain. Billed as the world’s tallest until 1852, Kanchenjunga elevation is 28,169 feet. It resides among four of the tallest peaks, including Mt. Everest. And Kanchenjunga has never been summited. By tradition and out of respect for its sacred designation, climbers stop short of its tallest point.

Her book is a quick, easy page-turner. I celebrated when the author, who lives in Australia, climbed to the viewpoint at Sandakphu, at an altitude of 12,100 feet. I had my fingers crossed that clouds would not stand between her and her mountain. If they had, I think Susan Jagannath would not have quit her dream to get a clear look at her first love.