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| Hiking | 11.00 Miles |
1,600 AEG |
| | Hiking | 11.00 Miles | | | |
| 1,600 ft AEG | | | | |
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| no partners | | | After exploring a bit of this trail durng an East Rock Creek loop hike earlier in the week and seeing two impressive cliff dwellings, I wanted to see more. I set off from Cortez on a sunny New Year's morning down roads of solid ice, hoping that some of the snow from earlier in the week had melted off of the trail. Not a bit of it had, but hiking in 6 inches of fresh powdery snow isn't bad, so I hit the trail. Just beyond the last turnoff for East Rock, tracks from other hikers ceased, and I had Sand Canyon all to myself. Almost every bay in the Entrada sandstone with an alcove held a cliff dwelling. One, with 9 rooms, particularly impressed me, as it had what looked (to my untrained eye) like a kiva. Eventually the ruins and alcoves gave way to Sand Canyon wash, which the trail followed to the base of the north wall of the canyon. Knowing that if I continued to the end of the trail (which had been my goal) that I would be hiking well after dark, I chose to turn around at the top of the switchbacks. Although the top of the canyon was in sight, I'd have to save the last mile and a half for next time. Hiking back, noisy ravens brought life to the otherwise quiet canyon. The sun set, my nalgene bottles began to ice up, and I returned to the trailhead at dark, without having to get out the headlamp. It was a great hike. I highly recommend! |
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| "…you never know when a hike might break out" -Jim Gaffigan |
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