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Post by nycgirl on Jun 24, 2012 2:51:08 GMT
My husband and I just got back from another action-packed trip in the Southwest, this time with his sister, her husband and two kids, and a good friend of ours. We all met in Las Vegas, piled ourselves and our considerable amount of stuff into a Chevy Suburban, and were off. We enjoyed beautiful scenery as we drove Route 14 to Cedar Breaks National Monument. Route 14 was devastated by a massive landslide last fall and construction is still going on, but thanks to advice on Tripadvisor, we knew we’d be able to pass through on the weekend. It was a lovely drive, glad we didn't miss out. We hopped out of the car to check out Cedar Breaks, a giant stone amphitheater standing 10,000 feet above sea level. Like Bryce, Cedar Breaks was created by millions of years of sedimentation and erosion.   Back in the car, my husband floored it and we made it to Bryce just in time to enjoy the view at sunset. Next, we found our campsite and set up, made a trip to the store for supplies, and ate dinner at camp around a roaring fire. That night the temp dropped to 34 F but I slept snugly in my super-warm sleeping bag. (Not everyone fared as well as I did, unfortunately.) We woke up around 5:30 and hustled to Bryce to catch sunrise. I had been to Bryce twice before but this was my first sunrise there. It was spectacular watching the sun come up behind Thor's Hammer and fill the amphitheater with a warm glow. (By the way, we were near Sunset Point, which, according to my husband, is a better place to watch the sunrise than Sunrise Point. Confusing.)    Besides these two fellow early risers, we had the whole place to ourselves.  Because it was pretty cold, we left to grab coffee and a bite to eat to go and drove around checking out various viewpoints. By mid-morning, when it had warmed up a bit, we were ready to hike into the canyon. We did a 3 mile loop that began with a set of steep switchbacks, descending over 500 feet. These led to an area called Wall Street, named for its skyscraper-like spires.  One of the many impressive sights on the hike are these soaring Douglas firs nestled among the cliffs.  One of the trails we took was named Queen's Garden, after this hoodoo that reminded the settlers of Queen Victoria.  The last stretch of the trail was just as beautiful as the beginning.   |
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Post by fumobici on Jun 24, 2012 3:21:17 GMT
Wow. Amazing.
Hard to believe those giant Dougs grow in the high desert as well as they grow here in the rain forest.
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Post by lola on Jun 24, 2012 7:56:43 GMT
Wonderful, NYCg.
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Post by bixaorellana on Jun 24, 2012 13:59:38 GMT
Almost missed this marvelous thread!
ASTOUNDING landscape & brilliant capturing of it. The pictures of the morning's glow are magical and the long shots of the terrain really show how it's so awe-inspiring.
The firs aren't just impressive, they're the stuff of Ripley's!
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Post by nycgirl on Jun 24, 2012 16:41:36 GMT
Thanks, everyone!
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Post by Deleted on Jun 24, 2012 16:57:38 GMT
I have been longing to return to the Southwest for years after a very memorable circuit that I made perhaps 15 years go through Death Valley, the Mojave, the Grand Canyon, Monument Valley, Zion and so many other incredible places.
Thank you for continuing to show all of the places that I need to see again.
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Post by nycgirl on Jun 24, 2012 17:00:45 GMT
Kerouac, that sounds like an amazing trip.
I've never been to DV, and one of these days I'd like to do a hike into the GC. So much to see, so little time.
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Post by nycgirl on Jun 25, 2012 5:55:17 GMT
As we drove out of Bryce, we spotted several Pronghorn deer. They’re the fastest land mammal in North America and the second fastest in the world.   We grabbed a satisfying lunch at a nice mom-and-pop joint that served tasty homemade pie.  Afterwards, we set up at our next campsite at Petrified Forest State Park. The campsite had great scenery and impeccably clean facilities. At around 5, we decided the hike the Calf Creek Falls trail. It was an easy 5 mile roundtrip trek in a canyon with a year-round stream. Lots of animals thrive in this lush riparian habitat.  Along the trail, we spotted interesting archaeological sites high on the cliff walls, such as these pictographs painted by the Fremont Indians some 800 years ago.  The whole trail is gorgeous, but the pay-off is the lovely 126 foot tall waterfall at the end. Since we came late in the day, we had this popular spot all to ourselves.  Water seepage enables hanging gardens of flowers and maiden hair ferns to grow on the cliff walls. The falls create a refreshing little swimming pool.  We finished the hike around dusk, grabbed dinner at a nice old-fashioned drive-through in town, then crashed as soon as we got back to camp. Our first full day was long but fulfilling. |
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Post by nycgirl on Jun 26, 2012 4:24:48 GMT
After a good night’s sleep, my husband and I packed up and were raring to go. Today we were going to tackle Coyote Gulch, an overnight hike that would be our most challenging yet. While the others finished packing, we took our niece and nephew on a 1 mile hike in the petrified forest near the campsite. Besides petrified wood, the trail had lovely desert flora, ancient lava boulders, and sweeping views of the plateaus surrounding us. I was too preoccupied reading the interesting nature guide to take photos, so here’s one I lifted from the internet. This rainbow-colored specimen was one of the most beautiful in the park.  When we returned to the campsite, the rest of the group was ready to go. We grabbed a bite to eat at a cafe in the town of Escalante, then started the long drive on Hole-in-the-Rock Road. After about an hour of driving, it became Hole-in-the-Tire Road. Yep, we got a flat. Changing it was quite a frustrating process. Here’s my husband's description (taken from his Tripadvisor report): “Changing the tire on the Suburban was not what I expected. The spare is below the car but the equipment is under a cupholder inside. You then use the car keys to open a hole in the bumper. Into that hole goes a long shaft assembled out of pieces of the jack. That in turn is cranked to lower the spare. Do all SUVs require you to violate them with an apparatus when changing the tire? “At this point we decided it would be wise to go back to town to fix the tire rather than taking our chances out in the desert. The mechanic informed us that the tire had a bunch of other plugs in it and that this style of tire was not adequate for a truck of this size. Lovely.”  So it turns out the rental company played us for fools. (This would not be the last of our vehicular woes on this trip, but I'll get into that later). While waiting for the tire to be fixed, I ate lunch and snapped a few photos of the town of Escalante. It's a sleepy little place with a population of roughly 800, surrounded by the beautiful Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument.  I enjoyed another delicious meal at the drive-through Nemo’s, and the girls working there today were just as nice as the guys who were there yesterday. There’s an interesting story behind the restaurant name. It’s named for Everett Ruess, a poet and artist who, at the age of 20, turned his back on city life and struck out alone into the Utah wilderness. His mysterious disappearance made him a legend. One of the few traces that he left behind was his alias “Nemo” (the Latin word for “nobody”) scrawled on a cave wall.  Across the street is this preserved cabin, built by a settler in 1890.  The mechanic fixed the tire surprisingly fast, so that’s it for the tour of the town. The fiasco tacked three hours onto to our already-late start, but we decided to push on to Coyote Gulch, anyway. I was so excited to start our next (mis)adventure... |
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Post by lugg on Jun 26, 2012 6:36:34 GMT
Fabulous , looking forward to reading and seeing more. I so want to visit this part of the US , we nearly did last year but then had to cancel.
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Post by Kimby on Jun 26, 2012 19:22:14 GMT
Great photos, especially those stunning (sunrise or is it sunset?) shots at Sunset Point.
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Post by nycgirl on Jun 28, 2012 8:17:52 GMT
It was after 5 by the time we finally reached the trailhead to Coyote Gulch. We strapped on our backpacks stuffed with supplies and set off. After hiking on a sandstone mesa for about 2 miles, we reached the canyon’s edge and took in the magnificent view.  Next we squeezed through a teeny tiny crack between two rock walls. Our packs couldn’t fit through, so a couple of us squeezed through first and stood on a ledge below to catch the bags that the others tossed down. From there, we descended down a steep sand dune. Sand is such a chore to hike through, but it helps when you do it in such a glorious setting, surrounded by towering cliff walls with an enormous, glowing arch. By dusk, we reached the bottom of Coyote Gulch, a surprisingly green oasis fed by a clear, rippling stream. We set up camp, refilled our water packs with water pumped from the stream (our filters worked great), and cooked our freeze-dried meals. Everyone was satisfied with dinner, the beef stroganoff being a particularly big hit. We relaxed under the stars with some red wine (brought along in plastic wineskins), then it was time for bed. Early in the morning, we packed up and hit the trail, breakfasting on trail mix and granola bars as we walked. Coyote Gulch was absolutely spectacular, with its verdant foliage, grand natural formations, and delightful little waterfalls. My husband even spotted an actual coyote. (I missed it, so I’ll have to take his word for it.)      It was a flat, easy trail with lots of shade. I walked barefoot in the cool creek and it felt so refreshing. We stopped for lunch at the picturesque Coyote Natural Bridge and fired up the freeze-dried meals.  We hiked past massive arches and gorgeous natural amphitheaters bedecked with hanging gardens, too tremendous for me to capture properly. It’s one of the most beautiful hikes I’ve ever done.  Here, some hiker had carved a playful display into a sandy mound. A lot more creative than writing “Scott was here.”  When we reached the end of the of the gulch, I was sorry to leave. We pumped more water before we left our shady haven and began the long hike through a grueling, sandy wash. The potent sun beat down on us and the group slowed down to a languorous pace. Now this is when things took a bad turn. The plan was for my husband to hitchhike a ride at the end of the trail to the parking lot and come pick us up, but we burned so much daylight that by the time we finished, it was dark and there was no chance of anyone passing by. Our options were to camp until daylight and try to hitch a ride then, or send my husband on 10 mile trek to the car by himself. He opted to go for the car. I wanted to go with him, but he didn’t want me to since we were low on water and he could go faster without me. I wasn’t pleased with the idea, but what could I do? I gave him the rest of my water, which was only about 1/3 of a liter, and watched him stride off alone into the night. The rest of us got into our sleeping bags and played the waiting game. We had no food other than a bit of trail mix. I slept restlessly for a couple of hours. When I woke, I was amazed, even in my miserable state, by how luminous the stars were. I could clearly see the softly glowing Milky Way cutting a swath across the sky. As the hours dragged on, I sensed something was wrong. I knew my husband, being a mind-over-matter type of guy, would have no trouble with the hike, and was half-expecting him to clock in an impressively short time. Something must have happened. I tried not to let my imagination run wild. I felt a wave of relief when I saw headlights and heard the crunch of tires on gravel. “Headlights, everyone!” I called out. But my heart sank when someone pointed out that it wasn’t our car and it was coming from the wrong direction... |
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Post by mich64 on Jun 28, 2012 14:55:20 GMT
Spectactular photos and enjoyable commentary nycgirl! What a beautiful area of your country.  |
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Post by Kimby on Jun 28, 2012 16:09:18 GMT
Anxiously awaiting the next installment in the drama, nycgirl!
This part of the thread brings back such happy memories, as Coyote Gulch is the very first Utah hike Mr. Kimby and I did when we first started dating in the mid-70's. It was my first experience with desert hiking and slot canyons, and we spent five days there, hiking down canyon from the top where it is a dry wash to the intersection with the Escalante and then down the Escalante a short ways to Stevens Arch and Canyon, then back up the way we came. We didn't carry a tent, sleeping under sandstone overhangs each night. It was absolutely magical.
A few years ago we did a day-hike into Coyote Gulch through the Crack-in-the-Wall you describe, and found that since cattle were banned from Coyote Gulch sometime after our first trip, the canyon had become choked with an invasive plant called tamarisk and the views were largely obstructed by the dense thickets. Control efforts were obvious in places, however, and from your gorgeous photos it appears that they have been largely successful.
Coyote is indeed a special place. As are so many corners of the Red Rock canyon country. Thanks for sharing nyc!
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Post by tod2 on Jun 28, 2012 17:13:15 GMT
I am so enthralled with your trip - and the photos are sublime!!
More Please!
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Post by nycboy on Jun 28, 2012 21:35:53 GMT
I am now posting from beyond the grave.
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Post by Kimby on Jun 28, 2012 21:41:23 GMT
nycboy, good to see you survived the drama. But how? Details, please?
nycgirl left us hanging in the wind!
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Post by Deleted on Jun 28, 2012 21:42:45 GMT
I could tell things had gone wrong (except for the fabulous photography) when you had trail mix for breakfast. You should have had croissants instead.
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Post by Kimby on Jun 28, 2012 21:43:41 GMT
(K2 clearly isn't a backpacker.)
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Post by fumobici on Jun 28, 2012 22:29:53 GMT
Pain chocolat and a nice cappuccino would have got things off right.
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Post by nycgirl on Jun 29, 2012 12:32:08 GMT
I wish! A pastry and a cappuccino would've been the perfect start to a hike. Kimby, your trip sounds amazing. In retrospect, we didn't allow ourselves nearly enough time to leisurely explore Coyote, even if we hadn't gotten the flat tire. Next time I'd do a multi-day trip like you. I am now posting from beyond the grave. Don't give away the ending! |
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Post by Kimby on Jun 29, 2012 13:42:44 GMT
Our favorite way to explore this amazing part of the world is to load up the 4WD SUV with backpacking gear and mountain bikes, rafting table and stools, 5 gallon water container and 2 weeks worth of dried and canned food and just set out with maps and guidebooks (Kelsey had many good ones).
We camp wherever we want to (it's legal to free-camp on USFS and BLM lands, but not in the National Parks), and sleep in the SUV. Sometimes we plant the bikes at the end of a planned hike so we can ride back to get the truck instead of having to do an out-and-back or a loop.
We have gotten trapped by flash-floods, road wash-outs, or a dead battery, and had to stay extra days in a campsite till the water went down, the county showed up to grade the road, or someone happened along to jump-start the vehicle, but with the bikes and so much gear, especially the water, we are very flexible.
Every few days, we emerge to restock fresh foods and perhaps rent a shower at a campground or truckstop, then it's back to the desert. We have had the most amazing "campsites" on canyon rims with no one around for miles.
I absolutely LOVE this kind of camping/hiking, and thank you for sharing your photos of it.
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Post by Kimby on Jun 29, 2012 16:18:36 GMT
Don't give away the ending! Please, please. Give away the ending! |
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Post by nycgirl on Jun 29, 2012 16:47:21 GMT
A tow truck pulled up and the kind-voiced driver got out and informed us that he had received a call from my husband, who got stuck driving through a sand pit. Bummer, but I was glad that it wasn't something worse. The driver then gave us a big bag full of bottled water for us, to our relief, before going on his way to meet my husband. I will now interrupt myself to show my husband’s point of view (again, taken from TA): "I made the sandy trek in 3 hrs and 5 min. My 300ml of water ran out about half way but it wasn't all that bad in the cool of night. It was a lot of time to be stuck with my thoughts though. At one point I heard a growl and thought it was a mountain lion or something, I soon realized it was just my stomach, haha! "Back to the car I was relieved to see a couple bottles of water. I chugged half of one and saved the rest for the family. Thinking about my heroic return and a bed that was a few hours away I hit the road but it was not to be, I got stuck in the sand 5 minutes later. Like most men I think I'm an awesome driver but the 2wd Suburban wasn't having it, even though we had managed to get out there without incident. One thing to note is the traction control on this vehicle cuts the power once one wheel loses grip. This constant killing of the power made me lose momentum up a hill. At least that's what I'm blaming it on! "So now I'm officially stuck. I've tried laying firewood down and digging out the bottom of the car but I was only getting so far with that. Fortunately I was able to get a signal and managed to get a nice tow driver to come out and get me going again. The $750 price was steep but I had had enough that day, and he was kind enough to drop off some water with my family on the way out to me. It took us 15 minutes to get the car out of the hole and I made it the rest of the way (with the traction control off ) without issue. By the time we got back to town, paid the tow driver, and got a hotel it was 7:30am." It felt great to get in a bed again. I slept for only 3 hours, though, before I woke up ravenously hungry. I woke up my poor, overtaxed husband and demanded that he take me out to eat. Thankfully, he complied and we had a nice meal with a gorgeous view in the town of Boulder. Here's a pic taken from the road.  We regrouped back at the hotel and decided to take it easy with a day of driving. (The original plan was to tour a dinosaur bone quarry, which would have been fun, but we missed it because of the car debacle. Oh well, next time.) We drove the scenic Burr trail, had a nice lunch (with drinks, to take the edge off), then drove through Capitol Reef National Park. Way down into that green area is Calf Creek Falls, where we hiked a couple of days earlier.  A relaxing day of driving and hopping out to take photos was just what we needed.    We came across this sign that summed up our motto for the trip.  And what do you know, the sign became prophetic. While driving on a dirt road trying to reach a nice viewpoint by sunset, we got our second flat tire.  Since they had had a practice run by now, the guys were familiar with the equipment and managed to change the tire in only 12 minutes. I couldn't help but notice that regular cars were driving by with no difficulty at all. Sigh. We knew it would be foolish to continue up the road with a spare, so we called it a day and turned around. We had dinner in the little town of Torrey, population about 170, pictured here.  |
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Post by Deleted on Jun 29, 2012 17:03:32 GMT
What an adventure! I must always stick to the main road and not risk hiking, since I travel alone and don't want to write a book called "127 Hours." But in those areas, there are lots of times when you can feel really alone on the main road, too.
I love those little towns in the middle of nowhere as long as they have a motel and a greasy spoon, no matter how ratty the motel and no matter how greasy the greasy spoon. That is all part of it.
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Post by Kimby on Jun 29, 2012 18:33:42 GMT
All's well that ends well. Cell phones have their use, don't they?
That was an expensive 15 minute extraction though. Maybe it was the water deliveries he was charging for!
It's counter-intuitive, but we have found that the worst roads for getting flat tires are the ones that were just graded. Even though the potholes are gone, every rock on the road has just been chiseled to a sharp edge, and at least one will find your tire's weak spot!
Good story!
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Post by nycboy on Jun 29, 2012 21:36:39 GMT
15 minutes to free the car, 5 hours total to get out and back to where I was...
I hiked 23 miles that day, 13 of them with a heavy pack since I was carrying as much as I could for nycgirl. In all honesty it felt great pushing myself, even with a couple blisters. The stars were gorgeous that night.
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Post by nycgirl on Jun 30, 2012 3:51:05 GMT
What an adventure! I must always stick to the main road and not risk hiking, since I travel alone and don't want to write a book called "127 Hours." But in those areas, there are lots of times when you can feel really alone on the main road, too. That's understandable, but there are lots of popular trails in the nation parks that are easy and safe. The only problem is, these trails will always have lots of people. But the beauty of the park makes up for having to share it with the crowds, and you wouldn't be in any danger of cutting your arm off. |
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Post by nycgirl on Jun 30, 2012 4:00:26 GMT
Kimby, you and the Mr. sure have had your share of adventures! It's a good thing you're so well-prepared and easygoing. I have to admit, I do get a little sad sometimes when things don't go as planned and I don't get to do something I had been looking forward to. That's something I need to get over.
My husband would love to see a flash flood in progress. He likes to watch that stuff on youtube. I, for one, do not want to ever get stranded by one.
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Post by Kimby on Jun 30, 2012 13:19:57 GMT
We were never in any danger, though we have hiked in slot canyons where we could have been in danger had a thunderstorm occurred up-drainage. The secret is to keep an eye on the sky and follow weather forecasts whenever you can get a signal (we have a battery operated NOAA weather radio) and as you hike, memorize any place where you could climb out of the slot, just in case.
The tip-off to a coming flood is the sudden presence of pine needles, etc., floating on a previously clear trickle in the wash bottom. You may not notice the water level rising, but the rising water picks up stuff and carries it away. Start seeking high ground.
When we were stranded by a flood, we had camped on a high mound surrounded by dry washes. The washes became raging rivers, but our island was high and dry. Just had to wait for the new rivers to go down, and the quicksand-y shorelines to firm up a bit before driving on.
Remind me sometime to tell you about our dead battery adventures.
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