Kodachrome Basin State Park and Dry Fork Slot Canyons

Kodachrome Basin State Park, Utah and
Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, Utah

Started the day with sunrise at Kodachrome Basin State Park. Lots of unusual rock formations made famous by the National Geographic Society back in 1949. Smart geologists are still unsure what caused the formations. All I know is they were neat to walk and climb around.

Whatever caused the towers of rock the softer sandstone around them eroding away is what makes the area so interesting. The slick rock was really grippy and made the exploring easy going as far as footing was concerned.

All of the area was a real pleasure to explore and I enjoyed the vibrant colors. Even the dead trees stay around long enough to be interesting additions to the landscape.

After finishing up my exploration of Kodachrome Basin I headed out for the Dry Fork trailhead deep within the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. I had read of several slot canyons close to each other that were 30 miles down a rough dirt road. The middle of nowhere was close by but I was surprised to find a sign for Egypt. Didn't think I had gone quite that far this trip. I didn't check it out to see for sure.

When I arrived at the trailhead the last mile of road was bad. I parked and walked the last 1/2 mile to the trailhead. If I had 4 wheel drive I would have been fine but didn't want to get my truck stuck. Besides all told an extra mile is nothing to walk. From the trailhead I had no idea that the slot canyons were nearby. This was one time when 2 paragraphs in a guidebook were leading me on.

I followed a trail for a bit then some cairns across the rocks and soon came to the entrance of the first slot which is the dry fork. It did get a bit narrower in places but for most of its length in was between 3 and 6 feet wide. The colors were incredible along its entire length.

After following the canyon for a few miles I came to the end of it, at least where you could climb back out to the surrounding desert. I just reversed my route back through the canyon because I wanted to find the other 2 canyons to play in.

I put the camera away for the next 2 slots except for this one picture where it was getting narrower. They were much more technical and I needed my hands to climb up and into them. Peek a Boo slot was lots of fun. I was too big for Spooky Slot once I got into it a ways. Doubt I made it more that 1/4 of a mile. I would need more than a simple diet to make it all the way there. These were fun canyons to play in.

Fairyland Loop and the Rim Trail

Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah

Hiking in Bryce Canyon is like being in a Dr Seuss book. Once over the rim it is a weird world. A few clouds were in the area and the wind was really blowing but that didn't impact the scenery at all. Although at 8,000 feet the temperature was comfortable as long as I kept moving. It was in the high 20's overnight. I left a wet towel on the truck and it was froze solid at first light.

The trail is in such good condition, I would expect the winter storms to erode it some but nowhere was it damaged. That is good because so much of the time the eyes are drawn to the scenery and the feet have to find their own way.

I love how the trees find a way to grow where they want. Has to be a tough existence for them.

I wondered a bit off the trail and was just gobsmacked by the beauty of the landscape. So many tourists stay on the rim near sunrise and sunset point. Both are pretty locations but nothing like what you get to see down in the canyon. I was surprised by how few people I saw once I was more than 10 minutes from the rim.

I really was lucky to see so many plants in their full springtime glory. The flowers really stood out against the red rock background. These delicate white ones where all over the place for about 1/2 a mile.

I have over 100 pictures from the day and night I spent in Bryce, it really is a phenomenal place. I see why so many take the time to come here.

White Cliffs of Johnson Canyon

Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, Utah

After a failed attempt to secure a permit to hike to the Wave, the BLM visitor center staff recommended I go out to the White Cliffs of Johnson Canyon to find some off trail hiking and an area without many people. I turned off onto a side road that looked promising and started climbing up this little bump. Turned out to be a bit bigger than it looked at first.

Along the way I saw just about every color of sandstone imaginable. And not all of it was as stable as I would have liked.

Eventually I made it to the top and then just followed a ridge that went along behind the highpoint for miles. Never saw another person the whole time I was back there. Made a great place to camp for the night as well.

 Sometimes there were little weird shapes. Don't know why they stood out differently than the rest of the area but they sure did.

After a great night I headed out in the morning and had some finds along the way. First was the old set from Gunsmoke back in the 60's. Once Marshall Dillon and Miss Kitty left the place fell apart. I would have liked to go into the old buildings but they are on private land.

Would have been nice to have a drink in the Long Branch saloon, but it had some issues as well.

Found some advertising on the rock walls, just modern versions of the old paintings of animals I suppose.

Grand Canyon Tanner Trail

Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona

Luck was on my side, I showed up at the backcountry office on the south rim and secured 2 nights and 3 days in the canyon. Of course I stayed away from the main corridor trails and went for the far east portion of the canyon where few go. It was via the Tanner Trail, a seldom maintained trail just inside the east entrance to the park. When I started over the rim and looked where I was going it was a long way down to the river. And it was going to be a steep descent.

Looking up after a short ways didn't make it look any less steep either. Pretty view but I was losing altitude quickly.

The conditions were perfect for hiking, and for the flowers to all be in bloom. I was surprised by the diversity of plant life and with how many bees were buzzing around. I have always been told that bees will be close to water, but the only water was the river at the bottom of the canyon. These deep red flowers on this cactus were my favorite.

All of them were nice to look at.

Not to far from the river I came across a patch of cactus all in bloom together. This picture doesn't begin to do it justice.

After close to 9 miles down I came to the mighty Colorado river. I took a break and refilled all my water because I had located a place on a ridge about 2 miles up the canyon that I wanted to camp. I also did my best camel imitation and drank my fill of water as well.

This flowering cacti was near where I spent the night. All the different buttes and rock walls in the canyon make it look like you are near the top when you are nowhere close.

I like how you can see ll the layers of rock along the walls of the canyon. Somewhere in here is about a billion years of geologic history. The park brochure tells me that this is the part of the canyon with the oldest exposed rock layer. I just don't know where the old rocks were at.

This was the view I had while the sun was setting, and I was laying on my sleeping bag. Eventually I watched the full moon come up over this same wall. The photos I took of the moonrise were all bad. But I have a great memory of it.

I was pretty close to the top of the canyon when I took this picture. The canyon is so massive. Someday it would be nice to take a raft trip down the length of the place.

Clark Canyon Reservoir and Zion National Park

Clark Canyon Reservoir, Department Of Reclamation, Montana and
Zion National Park, Utah

Started a trip to see some of the cool geology across the southwest. First stop was Clark Canyon (named for Clark of the Lewis and Clark expedition). Neat spot because this is where they met up with the Shoshone encampment and got horses from Sacajawea's brother. Historical spot with great views of the nearby mountains. Also it's right on the 45th parallel so it is halfway between the north pole and the equator.

Exploring along a nearby ridge I came across a benchmark that must be a reference point because it surely wasn't the top of any mountain. Pretty beat up so I couldn't read all the info well.

Then it was down the road to the Kolob Arch area of Zion National Park. This area doesn't get near the people the main Zion Canyon does so it feels isolated. Had a wonderful hike to Double Arch Alcove.

Kept going back and forth over a creek. On the way out of the canyon I counted the crossings, 54 of them. Never got my feet wet because it is such a small creek. Did make me pay more attention to my footing than I would have normally.

By the time I got out of this canyon it was time to make camp. Just outside the National Park there is lots of National Forest so I made camp there. Had a wonderful view and the day came to an end.

Bear Creek

Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness, Bitterroot National Forest, Montana

Blue sky and warmest temps of the year caused me to hatch a plan to get to the headwaters of Bear Creek and the great summits in the area. Just 3 weeks ago I couldn't get to the trailhead due to all the snow and ice blocking the forest road, it was almost all gone today. Just a little bit along the road in the shaded areas. Did I mention the absolute gorgeous blue skies that were out most all day!

First mile and a half of trail was clear of snow, but lots of blow down. Some were pretty big like this old ponderosa but the majority were lodgepole pine.

A mile and a half in there is a bit of drop to the water coming down canyon. This is where most people stop then turn back. When I passed by there was a young family having a picnic in the area.

Just a few hundred yards beyond the falls the trail became snow covered. Lots of use compacted the snow so it remained easy going all the way to the 3 mile mark where you have to get wet to go further.

Knowing about the shallow crossing I brought an extra pair of shoes for the knee deep ford but should have brought my waders. The water was cold, really cold. But then it had been snow just hours before.

 Not one human track visible in the snow after I crossed the creek. That slowed me down some. Only took an hour to cover the first 3 miles but as the snow deepened I was not even making 2 miles an hour. Eventually I got close to my destination but I was getting pooped from breaking my own trail for miles.

Thinking about how much time it would take to hike out, and how deep and slidey (think avalanche) the snow was getting I decided to use a bit of extra caution and head back down to the truck. Living nearby it is easy to come back in a few weeks for this same climb. Having broke trail heading up the valley it was lots easier heading out.

On the way out I passed this rock that showed just how well the snowpack is doing in the high country. The trout will be happy this year as it melts out and finds its way to the Bitterroot river.