Snickers
05-12-2008, 04:25 PM
I had never hiked in Utah or Arizona, so I was really excited about this trip. Our adventure started out at 4:00AM on April 22nd, we traveled to Las Vegas, then picked up a rental car and drove to Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument.
Some facts taken from the brochure:
Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument was estabilished by Presidental Proclamation in 1996 when it became the monument. According to the Proclamation, Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument's vast and austere landscape embraces a spectacular array of scientific and historic resources. This high, rugged, and remote region, where bold plateaus and multi-hued cliffs run for distances that defy human prespective, was the last place in the continental United States to be mapped. Even today, this unspoiled natural area remains a frontier, a quality that greatly enhances the Monuments' value for scientific study. Scenic US Highway 89 runs through this spectacular area, driving to the trail heads was just as scenic as hiking.
After our 22 hour day of travel we were up at 6:00AM for a break in hike, we hiked the Boulder Mail Trail, which was a trail used to run mail between Escalante and Boulder in days gone by. We hiked on slick rock and sand for about 4.5 miles to this beautiful slick rock mountain and scrambled up that for some awesome views. Needless to say I was in bed early our first night, one of those nights when you are waiting for it to get dark out just so you can crawl in the tent.
The next day we started our two night, three day backpack of Coyote Gulch. Coyote Gulch marks the end of the Escalante for most hikers. Lake Powell often reaches within one mile of Coyote Gulch and occasionally floods the mouth of the canyon, sometimes staying flooded for several weeks. A natural bridge, two arches, sculptured streambeds and canyon walls, deep undercuts and the cascading creek make the hike to Coyote Gulch worthwhile. The Gulch was remarkable, the canyon walls rose 200'-300' above us, you hiked in the wash sometimes directly in the stream bed or in the sand of the stream bed. We camped under Jacob Hamblin Arch and got our water out of seeps running down the canyon walls. We dared not drink from the stream as the cows use the stream and pooped all over.
Here are some pics from Coyote Gulch:
http://www2.snapfish.com/share/p=58971210171702655/l=377138519/g=28172944/otsc=SYE/otsi=SALB
April 27th - Sunday - we took a ride up to Capital Reef National Park, here we hiked out to Cassidy Arch via the Cohab Canyon trail to the Frying Pan Trail. This hike took us through some canyons and over slick rock, the rock formations and colors here were amazing. The rocks looks like swiss cheese, the erosion is caused from rain and sand, very interesting.
Capital Reef pictures:
http://www2.snapfish.com/share/p=50271210191534780/l=377146577/g=28172944/otsc=SYE/otsi=SALB
April 28th - Monday - today we would drive to Bryce Canyon National Park and tour the Hoodoo's. Wow, what a great day. We started at Sunset Point to the Navajo Loop trail to the Peekabook Loop, then the Queens Garden Trail to Sunrise Point and a short walk back on the Rim Trail back to Sunset Point. The Hoodoo's are so much fun to look at and imagine all different shapes taking form, fun hike.
Bryce Pictures:
http://www2.snapfish.com/share/p=529121210630070780/l=377322172/g=28172944/otsc=SYE/otsi=SALB
April 30th - Tuesday - toady we hiked around Escalante, did a few slot Canyons, Peek-a-book, Spooky, and Brimstone. Today was a very windy day, winds around 15-25mph with gust around 30-40. It is tough hiking in the desert in the wind, the sand blows hard and feels like little shreds of glass biting at you, we put bandanna's around our face and sunglasses on to keep the sand from hitting us in the face. Getting into peekaboo was a group effort and lots of fun, the slots are really cool.
Escalante slot canyon pictures:
http://www2.snapfish.com/share/p=570121210630051517/l=377322171/g=28172944/otsc=SYE/otsi=SALB
May 1st - Thursday - this day we went back to Bryce to do some more hiking. Today was very cold and windy and we would be going to one of the highest points in Bryce the 9115ft Rainbow and Yovimpa Points to hike. We were going to hike the Bristlecone Loop Trail. When we got to the point there was still plenty of snow up high, 3/4' in places. We started down the trail and after a short distance decided that another hike would be in our best interest. We headed over to the Hoodoo's and the Fairland trail. I didn't hike with Rod and Carl this day, but hiked around the rim on my own. Guess I can only take the group experience for so long. :) At the end of this day I rented my own car and headed out to enjoy the rest of the trip solo. I headed to Zion National Park and found a nice campground in the town of Springdale with hot showers and all. :)
See part II below for the rest of the trip.
Some facts taken from the brochure:
Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument was estabilished by Presidental Proclamation in 1996 when it became the monument. According to the Proclamation, Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument's vast and austere landscape embraces a spectacular array of scientific and historic resources. This high, rugged, and remote region, where bold plateaus and multi-hued cliffs run for distances that defy human prespective, was the last place in the continental United States to be mapped. Even today, this unspoiled natural area remains a frontier, a quality that greatly enhances the Monuments' value for scientific study. Scenic US Highway 89 runs through this spectacular area, driving to the trail heads was just as scenic as hiking.
After our 22 hour day of travel we were up at 6:00AM for a break in hike, we hiked the Boulder Mail Trail, which was a trail used to run mail between Escalante and Boulder in days gone by. We hiked on slick rock and sand for about 4.5 miles to this beautiful slick rock mountain and scrambled up that for some awesome views. Needless to say I was in bed early our first night, one of those nights when you are waiting for it to get dark out just so you can crawl in the tent.
The next day we started our two night, three day backpack of Coyote Gulch. Coyote Gulch marks the end of the Escalante for most hikers. Lake Powell often reaches within one mile of Coyote Gulch and occasionally floods the mouth of the canyon, sometimes staying flooded for several weeks. A natural bridge, two arches, sculptured streambeds and canyon walls, deep undercuts and the cascading creek make the hike to Coyote Gulch worthwhile. The Gulch was remarkable, the canyon walls rose 200'-300' above us, you hiked in the wash sometimes directly in the stream bed or in the sand of the stream bed. We camped under Jacob Hamblin Arch and got our water out of seeps running down the canyon walls. We dared not drink from the stream as the cows use the stream and pooped all over.
Here are some pics from Coyote Gulch:
http://www2.snapfish.com/share/p=58971210171702655/l=377138519/g=28172944/otsc=SYE/otsi=SALB
April 27th - Sunday - we took a ride up to Capital Reef National Park, here we hiked out to Cassidy Arch via the Cohab Canyon trail to the Frying Pan Trail. This hike took us through some canyons and over slick rock, the rock formations and colors here were amazing. The rocks looks like swiss cheese, the erosion is caused from rain and sand, very interesting.
Capital Reef pictures:
http://www2.snapfish.com/share/p=50271210191534780/l=377146577/g=28172944/otsc=SYE/otsi=SALB
April 28th - Monday - today we would drive to Bryce Canyon National Park and tour the Hoodoo's. Wow, what a great day. We started at Sunset Point to the Navajo Loop trail to the Peekabook Loop, then the Queens Garden Trail to Sunrise Point and a short walk back on the Rim Trail back to Sunset Point. The Hoodoo's are so much fun to look at and imagine all different shapes taking form, fun hike.
Bryce Pictures:
http://www2.snapfish.com/share/p=529121210630070780/l=377322172/g=28172944/otsc=SYE/otsi=SALB
April 30th - Tuesday - toady we hiked around Escalante, did a few slot Canyons, Peek-a-book, Spooky, and Brimstone. Today was a very windy day, winds around 15-25mph with gust around 30-40. It is tough hiking in the desert in the wind, the sand blows hard and feels like little shreds of glass biting at you, we put bandanna's around our face and sunglasses on to keep the sand from hitting us in the face. Getting into peekaboo was a group effort and lots of fun, the slots are really cool.
Escalante slot canyon pictures:
http://www2.snapfish.com/share/p=570121210630051517/l=377322171/g=28172944/otsc=SYE/otsi=SALB
May 1st - Thursday - this day we went back to Bryce to do some more hiking. Today was very cold and windy and we would be going to one of the highest points in Bryce the 9115ft Rainbow and Yovimpa Points to hike. We were going to hike the Bristlecone Loop Trail. When we got to the point there was still plenty of snow up high, 3/4' in places. We started down the trail and after a short distance decided that another hike would be in our best interest. We headed over to the Hoodoo's and the Fairland trail. I didn't hike with Rod and Carl this day, but hiked around the rim on my own. Guess I can only take the group experience for so long. :) At the end of this day I rented my own car and headed out to enjoy the rest of the trip solo. I headed to Zion National Park and found a nice campground in the town of Springdale with hot showers and all. :)
See part II below for the rest of the trip.