10/30/03:
After yesterday's hike I went into Price to do some chores then found a spot to camp. High winds came up and lasted all night. Radio said gusts to 35mph. This morning everything was hazy because of the sand and dust in the air.
Drove down to I-70 and then back up 18 miles to San Rafael River Gorge. Gorgeous views after the 10 mile mark. Then I went looking for more trailheads and finally found them south of I-70.
10/31/03 Hiking Eagle Canyon (about 15 miles round trip):
High winds last night and crunchy water this morning.
Followed directions for a hike yesterday and again this morning with no results. The directions are just wrong. I found Swasey's Cabin, which is no big deal, but I also found Eagle Canyon. The road continued past Swasey's Cabin but in 1/4 mile I was lucky enough to find a spot to turn around. You can probably get down in a high clearance vehicle but I didn't want anymore. Continuing farther by car is for the very macho or very lazy.
I didn't know this was Eagle Canyon until I returned and looked at the topo map again. The road went down into a canyon with beige walls 500-750 feet high. I'm not too proud to hike on a road.
About 3 miles out I was surprised by a large arch in the shape of a handle. That's what first made me think I might be in Eagle Canyon. I continued another mile or so, enjoying the steep cliffs and rock formations.
I met 4 ATV's and they told of spotting a big horn sheep along the way. I have to keep reminding myself to be more observant.
11/01/03 Hiking Black Dragon Canyon (6.5 miles round trip):
The problem with being in the backcountry like this is you have to plan gas consumption. This is no place to run out of gas. This morning I drove 30+ miles to Green River for a fill up. On the way back I figured out where Black Dragon Canyon was and stopped off there.
The main attraction here is a pictograph of what looks like a pterosaur, one of those huge, prehistoric birds, except its red and not black so I don't no where the name for the canyon came from. The pictographs are about .25 miles inside the canyon up on a wall, clearly identifiable by the wooded fence in front of it.
This pictograph is very well done, nice flowing curves, clearly defined outline, etc. Several other pictographs at this site also.
I continued on down the canyon for another few miles. It starts out with sheer, beige sandstone walls in a fairly close canyon. Then it broadens out a bit and the beige is mixed with red sandstone and some butte type formations. Red sandstone takes over and then peters out. That's about as far as I went.
Went looking for another art panel down Emery way but didn't find it. What I did find was a lot more San Rafael Swell to be explored. I had been hanging out around exit 129 on I-70. I drove all the way to exit 97 and passed 3 or 4 major mountain areas, some beige sandstone and some red sandstone. Not much doubt where I'll be the next several springs and falls.
11/03/03:
Drove from Price to Hidden Splendor Airfield deep in the San Rafael Reef. 20 miles back a dirt road I started seeing red sandstone canyons below and towering buttes and ridges above. The farther I drove the closer they came until I was right in amongst them. Hidden Splendor is 35 miles from anything and worth the drive.
I camped at the airfield hoping to do one of several hikes this morning but it was just too cold and windy. The hikes up and down the Muddy Creek require wading and maybe swimming to say nothing about possible rappelling. Two of the other canyons I wanted to do would also involve going up or down the creek too. I'll look for warmer weather next time. No sense walking around with wet feet in cold weather with flu season just beginning at my age.
Today I just drove around scouting things out for future reference. Almost got stuck in soft sand while exploring and then did get stuck on a rock. I was checking out a trailhead and came down off a ledge in a wash at the wrong spot and got hung up with that big round thing on the back axel of the truck. Winds were blowing about 30 miles an hour and don't you just know it, it started to snow?
After having been stuck in sand a couple of times over the previous couple of years I had been thinking about that situation. One of my solutions would be to jack the front or back of the truck up and then push the truck forward or backward or sideways off the jack, depending on the situation and gain a few inches in the desired direction and then repeat the process until I got out of that predicament.
Sand, rock, what's the difference? I was stuck and couldn't move. So I jacked the back end up wanting to push it forward. Well once the tire got off the ground the truck slid... backwards. I thought about it a little and realized all I had to do was jack it up and slide some rocks under the wheel so I could drive off. And that's what I did.
A little farther on I came to a short, steep, sandy drop into another wash and said no thanks. That experience and the weather killed any farther desire to explore the San Rafael Reef for this year. Huge, black clouds dictated I get away from any washes, gulches and canyons before camping. If it didn't rain on me it might be raining farther up country and I don't need to get caught in or behind a flash flood.