|
| | | |
| |
|
| Hiking | 15.57 Miles |
3,736 AEG |
| | Hiking | 15.57 Miles | | | |
| 3,736 ft AEG | | | | |
|
|
| |
| Linked |
|
none
[ show ]
| no linked trail guides |
| Partners |
|
none
[ show ]
| no partners | | Day two of my quick weekend trip to Grand Staircase Escalante area. This was the main event!
After finishing off Peekaboo and Spooky Slot Canyons the afternoon before, our group found a nice camping spot for the night and enjoyed the sunset and a nice fire.
We weren't in a hurry in the morning, but hit the road to the trailhead around 8:30. After dropping a car at the sneaker route trailhead, we arrived at the crack route trailhead and were on the trail by 10 am-ish. surprised at the number of cars at both trailheads.
Before dropping into the crack route, we took a slight detour at the rim for a fantastic view over the precipice and down to the Escalante River basin.
The crack route was fun! Once we emerged from the crack, one other of our group and I decided we wanted to hike down to the confluence of Coyote Wash and the Escalante and then up to a view of Steven's Arch from the river. In an effort not to end up too far behind our group, we jogged down the sand hill. It was actually fun to run down the trail, as the soft sand made for carefree running, without worrying about rolling an ankle or jamming up the knee joints.
That hill would be an exposed, hot and miserable mess to climb up in the summer heat, and we were glad we were travelling in the opposite direction.
Once we hit Coyote Gulch, we saw that the gulch had a nice flow in it. We immediately embraced getting our feet wet, which was the right choice, since staying dry wasn't really going to be an option.
The hike down to the confluence involved a downclimb or two and the first taste of some beautiful scenery.
At the confluence, we hiked up the Escalante River, which was only knee deep to a nice view of Stevens Arch.
Returning to the Gulch, we caught up to our party and continued up the Gulch. It reminded me of Aravaipa, though with a different flavor and beauty.
Cliff Arch, Coyote Natural Bridge, the Black Lagoon, Jacob Hamblin Arch, and the [huge] Alcove, were all spectacular.
Weather was perfect, and the water flow was great.
The sneaker route exit had a helpful rope. Although not totally necessary, the rope sure made the exit easier.
The final few miles back to the TH were a bit of a grind, but man, what an amazing area!
Free permits available at the Escalante Interagency Visitor Center, including overnight permits. As of now, no limits on the permits. And while there were a "lot" of people in the Gulch, it wasn't overly crowded and there was still solitude to be had.
After the hike, the rest of my group (from Cedar City, UT) headed home, while I camped another night with the goal of hitting up Lower and Upper Calf Creek Falls the following day.
Plenty more to explore here. I'll be back! |
| _____________________
| | |
|
|
|
Route Editor
Route Scout
