Southeast UT/Four Corners

[kcowyo]

Later tonight I'll put up some pics in a new thread about my trip through Grand Staircase last weekend. If those don't get the SoCal crew hyped for some red rocks, nothing will.

If I have to further the temptation by promising a bottle of Patron, to get Tomas and Sunny to Utah, then I'll do that too. The surfing sucks in Utah, but other than that, I bet they'd love it...

 

[craig333]

Great trip report. Just fueled up the truck too. Wonder what the boss would think if I didnt' show up to work for a week?

 

[Barko1]

I volunteer to lead an expedition through S. UT next fall if anyone is up for it. Somewhere on the Grand Staircase perhaps?

Sounds tempting to me. Love S. Ut

 

[4llamas]

Eugene to Moab to Cedar City coming soon.

This is very useful information for the trip I have planned in mid May. Would appreciate any other specifics you care to offer for our mid May trip. I'm looking for special campsites around Moab and Cedar City doing the southern swing through Natural Bridges, up to Capital Reef, and wind our way down Hwy 12 over to Cedar City. We're allowing 4-6 days for that stretch. I know it would be easy to spend the entire 12 days there. I've allowed 2 extra tourist days to spend around Moab. Greatly appreciate any goodies you're willing to give up. PM to me if you like.
Enjoy,
2 Llamas

 

[Barko1]

Capital Reef has a nice campground, will likely be getting busier. For roads there is the Moki Dugway which I don't think is too far from Natural Bridges. I recall seeing some more remote camping up a dirt road East of Bridges that leads to Bears Ears, great views. Also Burr Trail has great switchbacks:

and from there you can take the ferry across Lake Powell:

Enjoy, and if you need cooler temps the Lasal Loop road East of Moab is excellent and there are some higher campsites due West of Monticello on a road that loops back down towards Blanding or Canyonlands.

 

[chnlisle]

Grand Staircase out to Hole In The Wall? Go for it guys. Great camping, spectacular scenery and some of the best slick rock on the planet. Bring your mt. bikes. An if you're up to it scramble down to Lake Foul and search for Evertt Reuss.

As long as you're there don't miss The Burr Trail and Wild Horse Canyon. Its a perfect place to re-read The Monkey Wrench Gang and some Tony Hillerman.

With KC as a guide you can't go wrong.

 

[Ted]

Everett has been found. Story is in the current Adventure Magazine. http://adventure.nationalgeographic.com/

But don't let that stop you from doing the trip.

 

[chnlisle]

Wow!!!

That is absolutely amazing. I would venture to say that a large percentage of us here have been all over that area. I've been all along Comb Ridge where the grave was found.

Hey Brett....does the lower right corner look familiar

 

[brett13]

No way! I have a copy of A Vagabond for Beauty (the story of Ruess) right here (unread still). Jay, that looks like what, 10 miles, west of the beach? From that map, it looks like BLM land too, not Navajo.

I've been down comb wash and both sides of the ridge several times. Great place to hike around and stumble upon Anasazi ruins. It's one of those places where even though you see people, you could easily walk into a forgotten corner where no one has stood for hundreds of years.

Maybe we'll have to take a group expedition there and write it up for Overland.

 

[chnlisle]

Brett,
Ok I'll go with you but I'm not wearing safari clothes.

I've been along the ridge all the way to the road to Blanding. Last time I was there I re-read "Vagabond". Man I love Utah.

Have you ever gone down thruogh Hole in The Wal to the lake?

 

[brett13]

What's wrong with safari clothes? Gotta look the part you know. Maybe I'll wear a Stetson and put a whip on my belt- Indiana Jones style.

I've been down hole in the rock to where it starts to get rough. The weather wasn't great and we were in a bad mood from the most severe washboard you can imagine. That road is hell and 40mi of it (80 RT)! No speed works, you just rattle your teeth out and breath dust. I think it aged the truck 2 years. So when I saw the road "go 4wheel", we opted not to go any further.

Have you been? I hear it is a little tight in places and pretty rough, but I'm not sure. I wanted to hike it, but I wasn't sure how far it was from where we stopped.

 

[brett13]

Jay, also I've never been on the section north of 95 where it curves east around to Blanding. What's that like?

 

[brett13]

What's wrong with safari clothes?

Oh, I see. Stumbled upon that after I made the comment about the Stetson too. Funny!

 

[Barko1]

That is absolutely amazing. I would venture to say that a large percentage of us here have been all over that area. I've been all along Comb Ridge where the grave was found.


Only gazed at Comb Ridge but have been through Grand Gulch 20 years ago. Easy to find pottery shards and 800 year old corn cobs

 

[Outerspace]

This is very useful information for the trip I have planned in mid May. Would appreciate any other specifics you care to offer for our mid May trip. I'm looking for special campsites around Moab and Cedar City doing the southern swing through Natural Bridges, up to Capital Reef, and wind our way down Hwy 12 over to Cedar City. We're allowing 4-6 days for that stretch. I know it would be easy to spend the entire 12 days there. I've allowed 2 extra tourist days to spend around Moab. Greatly appreciate any goodies you're willing to give up. PM to me if you like.
Enjoy,
2 Llamas


Cathedral valley is a cool place. Its at the northern tip of Capitol Reef.

Access is 4wd only. From the south, the road starts east for fruita and the main campground. Its a haul @ 60 miles IIRC. There is a small primitive campground with a pit toilet up there. one river crossing near the south enterance which was no problem last april. There is a small wash also if you exit from the north to I-70.
B
Also, the Nohom-bullfrog road to Burr Trail to Boulder is spectacular and an easy dirt/oiled dirt drive with small primitive campgrounds here and there. Remember to bring poo bags if you go into the Escalante Grand Staircase.

No toilets and they ask us to pack out everything, including our, um, human waste.

The capitol reef park service map shows a few campgrounds.

PM me if you need more info.

Have fun.

Stephen

 

[chnlisle]

Brett,
I've been on Butler Wash Rd from the airport up to the 95. Its a very scenic drive with lots of over looks. I think for the most part it can be done with 2WD as long as you don't do any side canyons. I've never taken the 261 from Mexican Hat to the 95. The 95 is a piece of cake. Comb Wash rd to the 95 is a great trip also with lots of camping places and some ruins. Although now that Reuss' grave has been found its not so compelling. Marrcus Nez a guide from Wild Rivers in Bluff http://www.riversandruins.com/ is some how related to the folks that found Ruess' grave site. Marcus is a great young guy and that one day trip is well worth doing. The folks at Wild Rivers are very nice and if you go tell them you know me and Gene Rubin. Genes done the trip 4 or 5 times.

We drove out the Staircase to Hole In The Wall about 7 years ago. I have no idea how they did that road in covered wagons it was a struggle in my Nissan 4X. Great camping spots though we stayed at Dance Hall rock going in and some little grove coming out. At the Hole it started raining like mad and Pam didn't want me climbing down much further than 40 or 50 feet. Smart woman. There were some folks down in the lake that left their cars up at the Hole.

As far as the Burr Trail goes its almost completely paved now from the 12 all the way to Capitol Reef. Its been several years since I've been there it could be all pavement by now. Too bad.

Here's a pic of Dance Hall Rock. FWC used to have a pic of the T-100 on Butler Wash Rd but I couldn't find it.