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| Hiking | 16.00 Miles |
2,726 AEG |
| | Hiking | 16.00 Miles | 9 Hrs 29 Mns | | 2.10 mph |
| 2,726 ft AEG | 1 Hour 52 Mns Break | | | |
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| partners | | We drove about a half mile up Paw Hole Road from Lone Tree Trailhead and parked in a pullout before the road got too sandy, then hiked the road the rest of the way to Paw Hole Trailhead, starting a little after 6AM. We were here four years ago and generally followed our previous route today, but having a defined route and a plan in advance made it more efficient and cut down on backtracking.
From the trailhead, we hiked north through Paw Hole Buttes and went straight to Yellow Stripe, which was still in shadows, and then onto Southern Alcove. The hike northeast from there toward all the interesting features around the Southern Wave isn't very scenic or exciting...a few miles of flattish hiking across relatively open high desert, with some views of White Pocket in the distance.
Near the next bunch of landmarks (Olympic Torch, Hydra, etc.), we approached a herd of ~15 bighorns and captured some good pictures before they ran off and observed us from a distance. That whole area around the Southern Wave is packed with colors, swirls, and interesting, otherworldly geology. There were some large pools around, not surprising given the amount of water at The Wave two days prior.
We took a break near Half and Half, then explored the features around Witch's Hat and the Control Tower before descending toward the Sothern Wave. We passed a group of six people (and two dogs) coming up our way, but those were the only people we saw all day. After locating the dinosaur tracks [ youtube video ] , I went up to a spot overlooking Red Cave, then we took another short break at the Southern Wave--nice to have that to ourselves this time. [ youtube video ]
We headed southwest, and partway through the boring part, TBK waited while I went to check out Rainbow Cove. I had the coordinates but no route, and it took a little wandering to find a way down, but I eventually got there. Or at least right above it...srambling down the drainage there looked a little iffy. If I come back again, the area around Cottonwood Cove W/SW of Southern Wave has a lot more features I'd like to see. [ youtube video ]
I rejoined TBK and resumed the hike back toward Paw Hole, with a final stop at the Southern Alcove for lunch before walking the road back to our parking spot. Driving out, we made a quick stop along House Rock Road to visit the Maze Petroglyph site. Great to be back here again...the unique landscape rivals Coyote Buttes North, there are fewer people, and it's a lot easier to get permits. |
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