Grand Staircase - Glen Canyon Adventure

[kcowyo]

To celebrate three glorious years of owning our Four Wheel Camper this month, we rewarded ourselves with a 4 day trip to southern Utah. We wanted to explore some 'new-to-us' areas around the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area and the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. While Moab and Canyonlands National Park get all of the notoriety (and rightfully so), the areas around Capitol Reef NP and the town of Escalante, are my personal favorites.

It's about an 8 hour drive from our home but well worth it. We left on Thursday evening around 8pm, and with a short nap in the truck at 2:30am, somewhere near the town of Price, we eventually made it to the tiny outpost of Hanksville, by first light on Friday. It was a quite morning at the Hollow Mountain gas station. The winds were steady, the temps were crisp and the clouds were consistent. It was going to be a good day.

Our first destination was to head south on 95 to 276, where I had hoped to cross the Henry Mtns over Bull Creek Pass, before joining up with the northern portion of the Bullfrog-Notom Road. A stop at the BLM office before leaving Hanksville, revealed the conditions over the 10K ft pass were not yet favorable. We formulated Plan B - keep going south to the village of Bullfrog on Lake Powell.

Route 276 to Bullfrog -

On this stretch of road it's clear we're on the right path. Every vehicle we pass is either towing a boat or hauling a slide-in camper, or both. At Bullfrog we show our national park pass and are waved in without paying a fee. There is a remote 4wd accessible primitive campground on the lake shore called Stanton Creek. While the turn-off is a bugger to find, we get on course and soon find ourselves bouncing down a nice red dirt trail.


The trail into Stanton Creek campground -

Once near the shore the trail fragments into numerous smaller trails. Tire tracks and rock cairns are your only guides. Pick a set of tracks to follow and make your way down to the water. That's what we did.


On the shores of Lake Powell -

We popped the top on the FWC, made lunch and finally were able to relax after our long night's drive down. We listened as the houseboats chugged along on the lake and a few faster boats raced nearby. This was a good spot and an unexpected surprise. The only pic I could find online of this area before we came didn't show anything like we'd found. I was thrilled at the scenery and solitude. I had seen a few other campers on the way in, but from our little beach we couldn't hear or see anyone.

Perfect.

I put my chair in the bright sunshine, cracked open a cold one, leaned back and smiled a genuine grin before nodding off in the warm breeze....

.

 

[Alex]

KC, thanks for sharing your trip with us.

 

[pods8]

KC, thanks for sharing your trip with us.

+1. I assume (hope) this is only the first installment since it was a 4 day trip?

 

[chnlisle]

KC I just love your pix. Thanks

 

[kcowyo]

Do you know the problem with napping out in the afternoon sun? Sunburn...


So my poor Irish complexion took a roasting under the bright Utah sun. Fortunately the wind woke me up before I entered the second degree burn phase. But now the wind was blowing and kicking up the red dirt beach. Time to make a decision, and I'm reminded of a favorite quote I once read on the wall of an outhouse in northern Montana,

"The injustice of travel is having to choose to stay or go."

We opt to call it a good day on the lake, but continue on our way. So we head north on the Bullfrog-Notom Road, a scenic dirt track through the Waterpocket Fold and on to Capitol Reef National Park. Half way up this scenic beauty, we veer west onto the Burr Trail that leads into the small hamlet of Boulder. Remote and scenic and the diverse topography keeps us mumbling, "Wow.... wow.... wow..." over and over.


Bullfrog-Notom Road -

The turnoff for the Burr Trail - a long way from anywhere

Switchbacks on the Burr Trail -

At the top of the switchbacks, just about when the gravel road becomes a paved road, we turn south onto the Wolverine Loop Road for something new. It was a 28 mile track that eventually tied back into the Burr Trail. Having done the full Burr Trail, we choose to take this lost path through a petrified forest with even more scenic vistas. The trail is rough in several places, 4wd definitely required. We didn't see another vehicle for the entire loop. Had we broken down out there, I would have needed a bailout package from the federal government to pay the tow bill back to civilization...

We did what we do best. Rolled down the windows, turned up the XM, grabbed a snack and gawked out the windows like people from another planet.

With little daylight left, we rejoin the Burr Trail and begin to scout out a campsite for the evening. There is a formal campground nearby at the Deer Creek rec area, but I'm interested in camping along the top of the trail in a more remote location but out of the steady wind. On some BLM land, we pull off onto a sandy trail and follow some old tracks into a cluster of Juniper trees. We'll have a decent view in the morning but more importantly, we'll have some natural windblocks through the night.

We make some spaghetti for dinner inside and settle in for the evening. The Engle fridge is keeping the drinks cold and the FWC's heater is keeping us toasty. We're in the middle of a scenic nowhere with more to come the following day. We have everything we need and so far had a great first full day on our trip. I killed the lights, crawled into my bag content and grateful for Utah, and just a little anxious about driving on Highway 12 and rolling into funky little Escalante, in the morning.


Camp on the Burr Trail -

 

[4llamas]

Thanks kcowyo, for the turn-by-turn deail and the photos.

 

[davinski]

kcowyo:

Man, you do the coolest trips. I love reading about them. Keep it up. One day, those of us from the far Northwest will have to meet up with you. It would be fun just to read the trip reports!!!

cool.

Dave in Seattle

 

[Marc]

KC,

as always outstanding pics and write-up . Every time I look @ your pics and some others on this site makes me want to get a new camera and work on my photo skills. Truely inspirational.

marc

 

[ScottBailey]

KC,

as always outstanding pics and write-up . Every time I look @ your pics and some others on this site makes me want to get a new camera and work on my photo skills. Truely inspirational.

marc

Exactly! Let's see solar panel or camera? Oh!

 

[craig333]

He does do the best trips. I have a new (to me) camera on the way. Now it just needs to stop raining and I can head on out myself.

 

[kcowyo]

Thanks gents. It's always fun to share a good trip with those who appreciate them. I apologize for the delay between posts. I do these while I'm sitting here, no prior rough drafts or copying from my notes. So I have to have the time, and be in the frame of mind, to fully write and complete a post, which as a working father of two young children isn't always easy... That said, onward -


***********************************


Day two began quietly, which meant the winds had finally subsided. With a decent mix of sun & clouds above, we went about our breakfast & coffee routine before packing up in anticipation of driving one of Utah's most scenic byways - state Route 12. This road has more accolades, nicknames and fans than any other paved road in Utah. Labeled "A Journey Through Time Scenic Byway" and "An All American Road" among others, this is one of southern Utah's treasures.

Rolling into the small ranching community of Boulder, we're at that hour between breakfast and lunch, so we pass the 3 restaurants in town and continue south and west towards Escalante. I'm tempted to stop at the Kiva Koffehouse, a great stop for homemade soups and pastries as well as great espresso, with a view that can't be described. It's an oasis among all of the grandeur of Hwy 12. But I'm feeling pressed for time so I regretfully pass by, knowing we'll be back this way in a couple of days.

We begin our approach to Hogs Back, where the road is built on the spine of the slickrock. Less than a mile in length and full of curves, the views on both sides of the road are incredible. Thousand foot drop-offs on either side give the feeling you're traveling by airplane rather than in a vehicle. It's the kind of place you can't help but express profane words in amazement....


Approaching Hogs Back -

She loves it -

Storms brewing -

We make the descent off Hogs back, peering down the canyon to see the hiking trail to Calf Creek Falls. One of the more popular hikes in the area, it's a 6 mile round-trip to an isolated waterfall. I had hoped to make this hike, but the collecting storm clouds and windy conditions lead me to taking a raincheck.

I'm thrilled to be rolling into the town of Escalante. Make no mistake, this is no resort town like Monterey, Aspen, Taos or Jackson. It's an overlooked dot on the map, a burg of 8 blocks by 4 blocks. There is little here save for a newer looking elementary school, a couple of Mom & Pop motels, a huge cross-less church and a small business called Escalante Outfitters, which promises everything from redrock tours to pizza and free wi-fi. There are no stoplights, no industry, a small handfull of eating joints and some abandoned brick houses that were once home to the original cattle ranchers in the area.

It's nothing to get excited about and yet, I love it. If I were given the choice to move to anywhere I wanted to in Utah, Escalante would be my first choice (Logan would be my second if you're curious). The quiet sleepy town appeals to my anti-social side and the proximity to so much of southern Utah's treasures make for a great jumping off point. I'm thinking real estate might be pretty cheap there as well.

We saunter over to the local Interagency Visitors Center to check the conditions of our next trails and lookee what we see out front...


Escalante Interagency Visitors Center -

With CA plates, it's no one I recognize from this forum but I sure like his Fiamma awning. Gotta get me one of those... Anyway, our inquiries at the center reveal our two next trails are good to go. Rather then travel down the one way in-one way out, celebrated Hole in the Rock Trail, I've chosen a "new-to-me" trail that runs parallel to HITR, called the Smoky Mountain Road. Being from the south, I have a history with the Smoky Mountains in the mid-atlantic area, and they have always been good to me. Plus I like the idea of taking the "road less traveled" or the "4wd trail less often chosen", or something poetic like that.

If only I had known what the Smoky Mountain Road had in store for us...

.

 

[Barko1]

Rain check? no pun intended right Logan and Escalante are certainly different, what is it about Logan? I visited briefly once, it is in a nice location, has U State...

 

[kcowyo]

The pun is always intended.

Logan has Logan Canyon, Cache Valley, it's close to Bear Lake and Yellowstone NP. Plus it's just darn cute. The two towns are definitely different. I like Escalante for my redrock fix and Logan for the best powder on Earth. They are the best of both worlds IMO.


**The following pics aren't mine, but sourced from the 'net -

Logan, Utah -

Escalante, Utah -

 

[chnlisle]

Escalante is not one of my favorite places. I had a couple of bad experiences there and find the folks on the east side of the Corado River quite a bit friendlier. It is however the gateway to some spectacular places. Perhaps its different now but back when we were there it was quite...how shall I say....unaccepting of out siders.

 

[kcowyo]

Escalante is not one of my favorite places. I had a couple of bad experiences there...

Perhaps its different now but back when we were there it was quite...how shall I say....unaccepting of out siders.

Jay, I keep telling you buddy, ya gotta leave your shirt on in public.


Now let me relate to you a little bit about the Smoky Mountain Road. Built in the 1960's for cattlemen and mining explorations, it traverses the Kaiparowits Plateau, the most rugged and remote region of the monument and the last mapped region of the continental US. At 80 miles long, it is an unpaved trail that extends to Hwy 89, near Lake Powell and Page, AZ.

I knew only a few things about the road before we began our drive; it was desolate, it was scenic, it leads to Alstrom Point and 4wd was required. Good enough, let's go! This is the kind of stuff I live for. Lonely roads with everything I need on my (truck's) back.

I was surprised when my beautiful co-pilot requested the wheel. She normally just enjoys the views from the passenger seat, but I think the promise of the unknown was more than she could resist. Or maybe she just got tired of me driving all the time while she feeds me grapes from the passenger seat, like some weird road game of "Roman Emperor and the Slave Girl".


Getting started -

Climbing out of the Alvey Wash -

On top of the Kaiparowits Plateau -

The trail was dry fortunately as it crosses many creek beds. We kicked up a plume of red dust as we blasted across the sandy two tracks on top of the plateau and we had our lunch about bounced out of us on the rocky sections that rattled the truck unmercifully. We aired down the tires prior to departure and aired up the airbags to hopefully find a mix of smooth travel, but it was still a rough one at times.

Then we approached a section called the Kelly Grade, and all of the shaking & quaking became irrelevant. It was late in the afternoon and the sun was just right. The switchbacks down the Kelly Grade revealed themselves from a viewpoint at the top. Playing peak-a-boo in the hills below, the trail winded, looped, turned around and double backed down the grade like a set of small intestines.


From the top of the Kelly Grade -

Beginning our descent -

What a road! And how we were so lucky to time it just right for late afternoon shots, I don't know. But we were and we loved it. We snapped off photos like two rabid paparazzi. We couldn't get enough. Seeing the sunlight fading and the blue water of Lake Powell ahead on the horizon forced us to continue towards our destination for the evening, Alstrom Point. We kept looking back up the grade as we crossed the flats at the bottom, blown away by what we had just seen and driven.

Now at a hurried pace, I've got 5 miles out to Alstrom Point, a scenic vista overlooking Lake Powell. The sun has slipped behind the horizon and the sky is fading to purple. We're running out of daylight and I'm not exactly sure where we are going. I'm hoping for more sandy tracks rather than rocks, as I need to make up some time. Five miles on these trails can take half an hour.

Fortunately the trail is fairly easy and I close the 5 mile gap quickly. I'm running with the headlights on as the stars are beginning to appear, then I see what I think is a sign, hopefully proclaiming, "Welcome to Alstrom Point!" I slow down, flip on the brights and begin to read the sign... "Alstrom Point --> 6 miles"

Sonnava....

.

 

[chnlisle]

I was wearing a toga and pretended to have several wives but it didnt work.

 

[kcowyo]

Having several wives didn't endear you to the locals in Utah? Shocker...


.

 

[Barko1]

I'm heading through Colorado City next week, any suggestions Just finished reading "Under the Banner of Heaven" by Krakauer about certain aspects of Morman history and the Colorado City polygamy etc. Recommended.

 

[craig333]

Impatiently waiting the conclusion of the story. Great pics. Been raining here all weekend and I'm stuck inside. Need more stories!

 

[kcowyo]

In a mad dash, and the shock absorbers be damned, we made our way to Alstrom Point in the absolute last moments of natural light. Just enough so I didn't drive off a cliff in the dark...

I found a spot with a great view of Lake Powell, parked with the nose into the wind, popped the top and we were cooking dinner within minutes. A little disappointed that we missed sunset from this vantage point, but oh so happy to be there. The winds rocked us gently for the next hour but we were safe and secure and warm.

Before turning in, I took one last walk outside, remembering to put my spare fuel can several yards away from the truck for the night. I paused to look up and in the absence of any moonlight, I saw what must be every star visible from the northern hemisphere. It was one of those moments when you feel a little pride and a little smarter than most for having chosen such a unique and capable mode of travel for accessing the most remote regions of the west.

Time for bed and dreams of what the next day will reveal...

I woke up early the next morning. I'm not sure why, that's not really my style. But I noticed the interior of the camper was a little brighter than usual and so I pulled back one of the corners of the window to get a peak outside. What I saw was that band of light on the horizon, just before the sun comes up. Kicking off my sleeping bag, I hop out of the bunk and grab my camera and stumble out of the door to see the sunrise. Like reuniting with an old friend you haven't seen in a long time, the sunrise and I become once again reacquainted.

While she sleeps, I make coffee. Not that I hadn't already had my senses kick started by the sunrise, but it seemed the thing to do. And then coffee and I enjoyed the views from high on a cliff, looking hundreds of feet down into Lake Powell. We had driven 80 miles down an old dirt road the day before without seeing another vehicle the entire time. So imagine my surprise when on a little walk, I spied below us about a half mile away, someone else enjoying the area. It seems someone else who had chosen wisely their own vessel for exploring the backcountry had found their way here as well. Due to their excellent taste in vehicles and campers, I didn't mind sharing our remote location.

In the company of good people, yet still isolated, I pulled out the chair and began making notes in my journal. I can write anywhere as I seldom jot down more than just the facts and any unique observations. But on that morning with the winds having blown away to somewhere else, a with view to die for in the immense quiet and with a full cup of hot coffee & Bailey's, I found myself making the most detailed notes of the trip. I must have been inspired....

As tempted as I was, we wouldn't be staying here long. After breakfast we would pack up and drive out to the paved highway near the town of Big Water. The plan for the day was to run a trail called Cottonwood Canyon, which runs parallel to the Smoky Mtn Rd, taking us north back to the town of Escalante, via Kodachrome State Park. As much as we wanted to stay another day at Alstrom Point, we needed to be making our way back north. There was more to see yet...


Bedhead & Bailey's....