Tag backpacking

Capitol Reef: One More Gem in Utah

Reg Spittle 5 Comments


Is there a better place to trek than southern Utah in spring? An outcropping near Cassidy Arch in Capitol Reef National Park provides the killer view. The up-and-back is 3.4 miles and 670 feet of climbing. No, that is not me on all fours above the arch. Just a day earlier, snow swept through the area.

For day hiking, I use Osprey’s Talon 11 backpack. Big enough for an extra jacket, a monster lunch, a bladder and a few odds and ends. Comfortable, with plenty of ways to attach poles and other things to the outside.

For my feet, I have found none better than Salomon Ultra X shoes and, for tougher terrain, boots. They are lightweight, sturdy and grip sandstone like you want them to.


Camino Sunrise: Thank You, Readers!

Reg Spittle 2 Comments

I am grateful for two reviews of Camino Sunrise: Walking With My Shadows that arrived this week via Amazon. Also, I am thankful for my wife Sue’s ink-and-watercolor art. There is rarely a shortage of signs on Spain’s Camino de Santiago. To everyone who has shared our journey: Thank you!

From the United Kingdom: “While reading this book I was transported to the Camino. The descriptions of the people, difficulties and triumphs are so vivid and told with humour and insight. I got totally engrossed in it and could imagine myself walking with the author and his wife. They would be such entertaining companions. Great read.”

From the USA: “I’ve lived vicariously for years reading others’ adventures hiking the Camino. This book was my favorite! Down to earth, funny, moving, heartfelt, loved it, felt like I was taking the journey along with the author. I would definitely read other books he writes.”

Get your copy of Trippin’ Through My 60s to follow our adventures on Scotland’s West Highland Way, the Alps’ Tour du Mont Blanc, Italy’s Way of St. Francis, and England’s South West Coast Path.