In and around Pai
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@dapventures
In and around Pai
Early morning Mount Batur vibes <3
Pai Canyon at Sunset
I scootered here two evenings in a row because it was absolutely stunning. There were heaps of different tracks to walk - it was possible to explore and walk down into the canyon and the view of the sunset was spectacular. I’ll let the photos speak for themselves.
Rocky, unstable and exciting terrain for adventure seekers! At one point during my wanderings, I climbed down to a point before needing to climb back up. I went to hold a rock to use it as leverage and it literally pulled out and crumbled in my hands. Fair warning to me to play it safe and be careful.
So many people come here from Pai town, but it wasn’t too busy during this time (probably due to Covid-19).
Stay and watch as the sunset gets deeper. This is in Thailand btw!
Casually strolling down the street in San Fran
Wilcox Pass, Jasper National Park
Such a beautiful hike:
Lake Bourgeau in Banff National Park is a must go! It can be steep at times but it is so worth it. The trail isn’t overly populated, which makes the lake a perfect place to relax, recline and eat lunch. Highly recommended.
There’s a reason Lake Louise is such a popular destination among tourists: the water literally glows!
If you ever find yourself there, make sure you do the hike up to the beehive and Lake Agnes to get really nice views of the Lake, and dip your feet in the creek on the way down (the water is freezing, but refreshing!).
When we did this hike, we saw a bear cross the trail we were on, so keep your eyes open.
Tips for bear safety:
Hike in a group (the more, the safer AND merrier)
Talk loudly and make lots of noise (bears willingly steer clear of humans if you give them enough notice, so no surprises!)
Give bears space (I know you want that photo but opt for zoom lenses instead of physical proximity)
Keep some bear spray handy on you (although this is by no means necessary for a hike like this)
Minnewanka Lake, Banff
Turnagain Arm in Alaska at Sunset
Alaska Railroad
Great way to get from city to city when you don’t have a car!
I went from Anchorage to Girdwood and back on the Alaska Railroad. It was truly an experience. I got to stick my head out of the carriage and take photos. The railroad follows the Turnagain arm, which means views of high tides, bore tides, mudflats, beluga whales and an amazing sunset!
I would suggest getting a morning train to Girdwood and an evening train back to Anchorage. The morning train to Girdwood allows you to do activities for the remainder of the day. I did the North Face hike behind Alyeska Resort. Bonus is if you hike up, you can take the Alyeska Aerial Tram down the mountain FOR FREE! The other reason that a morning train is better is because there are free shuttles running throughout the day from the Girdwood station to Alyeska Resort, so you won’t have to walk 2 hours to get to where you want to be. Just check the shuttle schedule on the wall when you disembark.
The evening train back into Anchorage is a SERIOUS MUST. Check out this video!
How to get to Crow Pass from Girdwood without a car
Crow Pass is one of the best hikes I have ever done, but the trailhead is a bit difficult to get to without a car. But WHERE THERE’S A WILL, THERE’S A WAY!
Here is how I did it:
I stayed at Alyeska Resort in Girdwood overnight. I arrived around 2pm on the day of check-in and did a quick hike called North Face, which is just behind the hotel. I left early the next morning on the day of check-out for Crow Pass.
From Alyeska Resort, take the Lower Winner Creek Trail. The trailhead starts at the back of the resort and ends on Crow Creek Rd. This trail is an easy walk on a wooden plank path and is only 3 miles long. It can get muddy in some areas if it has been raining, but just make sure you have hiking boots.
Be aware that this trail involves crossing Glacier Creek using a hand tram, which is super fun and a great experience (as long as you are not terrified of heights)! Although it is scary at first, the hand tram is pretty stable and well developed so you get used to it, and the view is great. Luckily I had some moral support from a fellow hiker that I met along the way!
Once you are at Crow Creek Rd, you can either walk all the way up (past Crow Creek mine) to the end of the road, which is where the Crow Pass trailhead is OR hitchhike. The Crow Pass trailhead will be approximately 3 miles up the road (there is some elevation gain on the road).
When I did the hike, I walked up the road to Crow Pass trailhead. However, hitchhiking is actually a very reasonable option if you did not want to walk. The main reason people drive up that road is to do the hike themselves, therefore most people would happily pick up fellow hikers. The pro of this is that you have a potential hiking buddy/group, which is essential to stay safe in bear country, especially if you are travelling alone. That being said, I did this hike alone but did not come across any bears myself. Better not to risk it though!
The hike itself is 23 miles long in total, however it is only 4 miles to the peak (3500ft). I got up to that point and turned back towards Girdwood. I actually met a local on the way down who offered me a lift back to Alyeska Resort, so I had the luxury of a car ride back! My original plan was to hike back the exact same way I came, which I could easily have done with daylight to spare. Trust me, this whole trip is achievable!
IF you plan to do the entire trail from Crow Creek trailhead to Eagle River , just be prepared. There are a few river crossings and it is likely you will need to camp overnight (although people have done it in one day). You will also need to arrange some sort of transportation from Eagle River, unless you want to hike all the way back to Girdwood. I can only imagine how spectacular the views would be!
Along the way, you will see Crystal Lake, Crow Cabin and Raven Glacier.
THINGS TO DO IN ARCHES NATIONAL PARK, UTAH
This national park is truly amazing. The Double O Arch trail is a must! Other points of interest that I would recommend are:
Park Avenue Viewpoint and Trailhead - this trail is extremely close to the entrance of the park and is an easy trail. Only 1 mile (1.6km) one way but there is hardly any elevation along this trail. You will be walking through a canyon on flat and even surface. The only time you will need to climb stairs is at the end of the trail to get out of the canyon. Even then, this is not strenuous at all.
Balanced Rock - very cool to see this rock up close. Definitely hop out of the car and take a walk around the rock.
Panorama Point - STUNNING views at sunset. The picture that I posted does not do it justice.
General Tips
The best way to get a worthwhile view of Delicate Arch is to do the hike! It is 3 miles (4.8km) from Wolfe Ranch. We went to the viewpoints of Delicate Arch and the arch was very distant so if you want those insta photos, make sure you have a good zoom lens.
Bring a camera!
The Best Eats in Montreal
Seriously, try these food spots when in Montreal:
Asian
Bao Bao Dim Sum - amazing, fresh, warm steamed buns. Heaps of variety (sweet and savoury) and super cheap! Located in Chinatown.
Yuan - asian fusion with option between buffet and off the menu. All vegetarian, with fake meat options (e.g. General Tao chicken, sushi, aegadashi tofu, basil thai dishes etc). SO MANY OPTIONS. My favourite place! Located on Rue Saint Denis.
Ichigo Ichie - delicious custom ramen. This place is very popular but don’t take reservations. Wait is worth it though! Located on Rue Rachel.
Poutine
La Banquise - massive portions and delicious. Located on Rue Rachel.
Patati Patata - fantastic gravy. Located on Rue Saint Laurent.
Brunch
Restaurant L’Avenue - bloody best, most well-seasoned potatoes I’ve ever tasted. Also great smoothies! Located on Mont Royal Ave
Nightlife and Drinking
Kampai Garden - good vibes, nice decor, food is pricey though
Warehouse - cheap dinner or late night eats
GREAT SAND DUNES NATIONAL PARK, COLORADO.
For experienced hikers and adventure lovers:
DOUBLE O ARCH TRAIL in Arches National Park, Utah.
This hike is considered difficult as it is on a primitive trail i.e. you will literally be climbing on and over rocks, you will be exposed to heights and it will all be worth it! I would also be very careful if hiking in winter as there can be ice on the rocks, so footing may be a bit dangerous at those heights. We hiked in late January and managed to do the hike without spikes (they were not necessary for us but always check trail conditions). If hiking in summer, I would highly recommend bringing a hat, sunscreen and plenty of water as there is little shade on the trail.
I would also recommend going a bit earlier. When we went, it was late afternoon and we definitely underestimated how long the hike would take (don’t forget about return time!). Round trip distance is 4.2 miles or 6.8km. Although give yourself more time because you will be going slow at many points along the trail.
To be honest, this was probably one of my favourite national parks.
BONUS: the trail for this hike passes by Landscape Arch, and there are short side trips to Navajo Arch, Partition Arch, Dark Angel and Private Arch. Although beware, you will need the day to see all of them, depending on how early you start.
In terms of accommodation near that area, Moab is where all the hotels are. It is so close to the entrance of the park. We stayed at Fairfield Inn & Suites which was nice, clean and cheap between 3 people, but look at your options because there are a lot!
MUST DO HIKE NEAR ANCHORAGE, ALASKA:
How to get to Flattop Mountain without a car (yes it can be done!)
It’s hard to get around Alaska without a car (trust me), but if you find yourself on foot in Anchorage, don’t fret. Here’s what you can do.
Take a free shuttle to Alaska Zoo from outside the Log Cabin Visitor Information Centre on 4th Ave in downtown Anchorage. From Alaska Zoo, grab an Uber up to Flattop Mountain Trailhead. It will cost about $15. Good news is that there is free wifi at Alaska Zoo (in case you are travelling without data, as I did). After the hike, you can either get an Uber back to Alaska Zoo (for those of you with data), OR hitchhike back to Alaska Zoo (for those without data, me lol), and from there, you’ll be able to catch a shuttle back to downtown. Don’t forget to check the schedule for the shuttles.
Don’t be scared to hitchhike. It is actually quite easy to pick up a ride from a friendly person. Everyone in Alaska is friendly! Having a paper sign with ‘Alaska Zoo :)’ written on it will help too. All you need to do is stand at the entrance to the parking lot with the sign and wait.
ALTERNATIVELY, Downtown Bicycle Rental has vans that run to Flattop Mountain Trailhead. The advantage of these is that they will take you directly there and you will meet other hikers and travellers. The disadvantage is that you cannot take your time or run on your own schedule. The van leaves from Flattop by 4pm. Also, they only run the van to Flattop if a certain number of people join. This is the reason it did not work for me, as not enough people were interested that day which meant I could not go either. Another option would be to rent a bike and cycle to the trailhead, but this would take a fair while (2 hours) so you would need to head earlier in the morning, and still have the energy to hike and cycle back.
Hiking Tips
In my opinion, the hiking trail is moderate.
Be prepared with:
water
hiking shoes
snack
camera
hat and sunscreen
hitchhiking sign