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| Hiking | 3.30 Miles |
800 AEG |
| | Hiking | 3.30 Miles | 2 Hrs 15 Mns | | 1.47 mph |
| 800 ft AEG | | | | |
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| partners | | Looking back at old photos and their exif data, the last time I visited White Pocket was nearly 11 years ago to the day. It's been a while since I've been north of Flagstaff...this trip reminded me of the vast landscapes that I have visited and adore spending time in up in northern Arizona and Southern Utah, even with all the sand-walking (and associated accumulation of grit in all of my gear).
I had my misgivings the week before the trip while checking the forecast - a combination of anxiety over the weather and a group of folk I haven't met or interacted with before. I found myself constantly refreshing the national weather service page for the area and checking the radar. We enjoyed some pretty spectacular cloud displays on the drive up and exited the car to a brief drizzle when we stopped for lunch to meet up with the rest of the crew at Marble Canyon. After dodging what appeared to be the worst of the clouds as we drove House Rock Valley Road, we were dealt a smattering of graupel at camp on arrival - then the skies cleared and we had good, if cool, weather for the remainder of the weekend.
After getting our camping gear set up, we popped over to Double Barrel/House Rock Valley Arch to stretch our legs after the drive up. Round trip was a sandy 2-mile walk following the fenceline from the parking area to a break near the escarpment where the arches are located. Some of the unique geology in the area (moqui balls) set the group's humor for the weekend with ongoing jokes about balls running for the duration of the trip  .
After a leisurely morning defrosting ourselves from the sub-freezing temps, we piled into a pair of well outfitted 4Runners and headed off for White Pocket (and after that, a tour of the plateau). It was evident that White Pocket is seeing a lot more visitation than it has in years past. The road is wider than I recall in many places, and while still sandy, doesn't seem to be the powdery sugary sand that I remembered - though that could have been due to the combination of the increased traffic and the recent precipitation. We arrived at the parking area to discover most of the spots along the fence line occupied by a combination of 4Runners, various Jeeps, an occasional truck and a smattering of side by sides. With the number of visitors, I'm surprised a vault toilet hasn't yet been installed.
Heading through the fence, a 0.3 mile sandy track brings you to the whitepocket formation area where time was spent wandering hither and yon. While there were a number of other people present, the nature of the area encourages individual exploration and the groups tend to disperse, allowing for the illusion of solitude as long as you don't stay in one spot for too long.
After wandering the petrified sand dunes and taking plenty of photos that will not do the place justice, we returned to the vehicles and continued on a tour of the plateau, checking out some additional areas before calling it a day and returning to our camp.
I'm glad my misgivings about the weather didn't keep me away - it was a fun trip, filled with gorgeous landscapes and good company. If I head back up that way again, I'll want to aim for midweek, given my preference for solitude  though I'll have to find someone I can ride with since my car definitely is not suitable! |
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Wildflowers Observation Isolated
Manzanita were blooming, and one lonely milkvetch was spotted while wandering a nearby sandy wash. |
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| Happier when hiking....I may not move fast (and I'm often distracted by wildflowers), but I'll get there eventually |
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Route Editor
Route Scout
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though I'll have to find someone I can ride with since my car definitely is not suitable!
Route 
. I think my jeep would have made it just fine from house rock valley road to Pine tree pocket ranch. Pine Tree road/Blm 1017 is in good shape. It is only on Blm roads 1087 and 1086 where the severe sandiness starts. 
Next time I will come back mid week in hopes of more solitude and less instagram staging!!
