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Enjoy solitude and unique volcanic terrain when you hike this fully forested, obscure peak whose trail intersects with Summit Trail leading south into the Pine Valley Mountain Wilderness.
Leaving Long Flat Trail to hike towards Rencher Peak summit.
Trip Stats
Location: West of New Harmony, Utah - Dixie National Forest - just north of Pine Valley Mountain Wilderness Distance/Cumulative elevation gain: Out and back 9.2 miles/2,460' Upper Grants Ranch TH = 6,608', summit = 8,781' Coordinates: Trailhead = 37.53596 -113.37819. Summit = 37.50178 -113.41146 Prominence: 781' Date hiked: 8/09/25 Maps/Apps: National Geographic Trails Illustrated #715 - St. George/Pine Valley Mountains. Cal Topo Map Geology: Rencher Peak is a vent that erupted lava flows of latite during the Pine Valley Mountain laccolith eruptions. Pine Valley Latite is a gray, black and pink flow-foliated rock, 20 million years old. Flow foliation is a layering and banding of volcanic lava, created by frictional drag and temperature gradients; as the outer edges of the lava cools, the inner layer is still flowing, creating a layered effect. Quote: "And many a fire there burns beneath the ground." -Empedocles Hike Summary via Upper Grants Ranch Trail 0 - 2.2 miles: Upper Grants Ranch Trailhead to intersection with Summit Trail 2.2 - 2.6 miles: Intersection of Summit Trail and Long Flat Trail 2.6 - 4.1 miles: Long Flat Trail to turn-off to the southeast to climb Rencher Peak 4.1 - 4.6 miles: turn-off to summit
I can't believe I'm saying this, but Fred and I actually needed a change from hiking the usual gorgeous southern Utah red sandstone wonders like Zion and Red Mountain Wilderness so near to us.
So, we started hiking in the ash, crystal and glass-filled igneous rocks in volcano country. Rencher Peak fit the bill - something different with substantial elevation gain. It's a pretty obscure peak north of Pine Valley Mountains' Signal Peak and Burger Peak, the higher, more popular destinations. It reminds me of Mount Baldy, another obscure summit in the vicinity of the Pine Valley Mountains. Both Baldy and Rencher's trailheads are out of New Harmony, a small town to the west of the Kolob section of Zion National Park. Both require cross-country navigation off an established trail. We're discovering there's a lot more to be seen in southern Utah besides "Utah's Mighty 5" national parks - Arches, Bryce Canyon, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef, and Zion. Extensive igneous intrusive and extrusive (volcanic) terrain spreads in a northeast-trending mass north of these parks. Near Fish Lake and Torrey, we discovered the extensive aspen groves and volcanic rocks of the huge Marysvale stratovolcanic field and hiked Hilgard Mountain and Fish Lake Hightop. All of these places we have been exploring have one big thing in common: Rencher Peak, the Pine Valley Mountains, Hilgard and Fish Lake Hightop share the same deep, underlying magmatic system where 20 million years ago, injected magma became quartz monzonite and ejected magma became rhyolite and dacite during huge pyroclastic events. The intrusions grew so fast that the rock over them "unroofed", causing enormous gravity slides, exposing vents that spewed magma, including what is now Rencher Peak. Some geologists call this huge territory the "Iron Axis", because of the iron ore found and mined in this area. For the "Geocurious": almost identical magma, different names Not a lot of people know that the Pine Valley Mountains, just south of Rencher Peak, may be the largest exposed laccolith in the world. A laccolith is formed when magma is forced up through a conduit and spread between sedimentary layers, forming a dome-shaped top and a flat bottom. The magma spreads horizontally, forcing the layer above it to dome upward. Erosion over time or "unroofing" by rapid and voluminous flows peels away the overlying layers, exposing the laccolith, which is more resistant to erosion. Rencher Peak's and the Pine Valley Mountain's rocks have nearly the same chemical composition since they were formed during the same igneous event 20 million years ago. The only difference is the amount of quartz in each rock. Pine Valley Mountain's rocks were formed underground (intrusive) and are made of quartz monzonite. Rencher Peak's rocks were volcanic (extrusive) and formed after being erupted from a vent and are latite. Latite is the volcanic equivalent of monzonite. Possible reasons for the lower quartz content in latite is that it has a lower silica content to begin with and/or it didn't undergo the same differentiation/evolution of minerals during the cooling process because it cools faster than intrusive magmas, limiting time for large crystals to grow. Our Hike The first few miles of Upper Grants Ranch Trail is very silty and dusty. I kept wondering why the trail was cut so deeply into the ground with high sides. At 1.3 miles the very rocky trail begins to climb as it contours around a high point climbing the right side of a wide, highly vegetated gully. At about 2.2 miles, on a saddle, it intersects with Summit Trail which leads southward to the big peaks in the Pine Valley Mountains: Signal and Burger. You follow Summit Trail south for 0.4 miles to its intersection with Long Flat Trail. You take a right (west) onto Long Flat Trail. This is the access trail to the base of Rencher Peak for the summit approach.
Interesting volcanic rock towers and formations line up along each side of the trail. This has to be one of the most unique trails I have been on because it's a grazing area combined with weird rocks that definitely weren't granite or tuff. Some of the rocks had "layers" in them - "flow bands" - I found out after reading more about latite, the rock unit present here. Flat rocks near a gully with lots of trees had symmetrical holes that looked like mortar holes that native Americans may have used, but they also could have been potholes formed by water and algae - altered chemicals.
Another unusual aspect was the lack of other hikers in this area despite the interesting terrain and the network of trails. Perhaps hikers knew of the devastating Forsyth Fire this year (2025) that closed Pine Valley Mountain Wilderness. We saw only one other hiker on Summit Trail. Long Flat Trail that takes you to the base of Rencher is faint in some places - my Topo Maps US app helped me find the general direction. The trail was marked in places with rock "ducks". Once we reached the northwest flank of Rencher Peak, we saw a faint trail leading up towards the summit and followed it until we came across pretty open meadows filled with rubber rabbitbrush and its golden blooms. We hiked to the highest point we could find - a few boulders surrounded by trees and brush. Most of the summit was forested with occasional pockets of openings to view meadows and grazing areas below us. Not a magnificent summit, but glad we discovered new territory, new volcanic rock, and got some decent elevation gain. I'm sure we'll explore more of this area. Glad we have options! 
Trailhead sign for Upper Grants Ranch Trail. The red outline on the map below illustrates the extent of the recent and devastating Forsyth Fire in the Pine Valley Mountains.
Starting off on Upper Grants Ranch Trail.
Gordon Spring - an old trough with algae-covered water 0.5 miles in.
Trail beginning to climb as it contours around a high point, first south, then northwest.
Out of the forest, heading up through gully toward saddle on top of ridge.
Getting closer to saddle and intersection with Summit Trail.
Pretty meadow on the pass with lots of curl-leaf mountain mahogany trees and sagebrush.
Looking back at Kolob Canyons section of Zion National Park, town of New Harmony in the valley.
Trail becomes a two-track. Nearing the intersection with Summit Trail - follow it to the left (south) to Long Flat Reservoir.
First view of Rencher Peak ahead. The approach is up the right side of the peak.
Curl leaf Mountain Mahogany - the fuzzy stems are its seeds that with strong winds detach and propagate. These trees grow well in shallow, rocky soil and their extensive root systems stabilize this soil. They can live hundreds of years.
Cercocarpus ledifolius 
Double track leads down into Long Flat with its now-dry reservoir. The trail goes around this to the right.
Sign at second intersection with Summit Trail and Long Flat Reservoir. Take a right (west) onto Long Flat Trail.
Heading west between large volcanic rock formations.
Hiking west through grass and juniper meadows.
There's a few cow trails leading here and there, just stay on the main trail and walk around to the southwest.
An example of flow-banding in the Pine Valley Latite rock. You can see the flow lines of the lava as it solidified and cooled. This lava is high in silica which makes it thick and viscous. The bands could be due to friction of the lava against a more solidified rock, or alignment of crystals into layers.
Pine Valley Latite!
Rencher Peak ahead! Heading to the right side of it.
Some pretty aspens
At first glance these holes look like mortar holes that native Americans used to grind seeds, because they look so symmetrical. But they may just be potholes eroded by water.
Getting closer to Rencher Peak's northern flanks, which we will climb in a southerly direction to its summit.
There's a few "ducks" or trail markers on this Long Flat Trail section.
Leaving Long Flat Trail at 4.1 miles into the hike to climb southward to the summit.
There's a trail until you reach the open meadows on the north flank of Rencher.
Once we reached open meadows, we lost the trail and just headed straight up to the summit.
A view to the west.
From near the summit, a view to the south in the direction of Pine Valley Mountains of Timber Mountain on horizon, and White Rocks Reservoir in valley bottom.
The summit is forested with some brush to wade through.
References
Cook, E. 1957. Geology of the Pine Valley Mountains Utah. UTAH GEOLOGICAL AND MINERALOGICAL SURVEY. Biek, R., et al. 2010. GEOLOGIC MAP OF THE ST. GEORGE AND EAST PART OF THE CLOVER MOUNTAINS 30' x 60' QUADRANGLES, WASHINGTON AND IRON COUNTIES, UTAH. Utah Geological Survey. Mc Nair, B. 2023. What You Must Know about Monzonite Rocks. Geology Base
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Hike this eight-mile journey to stand on barren Charleston Peak, the most prominent in Nevada, and the eighth-most ultra-prominent summit in the contiguous U.S.  It's very windy on Charleston's summit, but there is a rock shelter where we could eat lunch out of the wind, to the right of Fred.
Interactive Google map.
Google Earth image of our GPS tracks via South Loop Trail - north points to 115 degrees southeast on this photo.
From Charleston Peak's summit - 11,913'.
Hike Summary via South Loop Trail Mile 0 - 4.10: Cathedral Rock Trailhead to saddle and intersection with Griffith Peak Trail at 10,700' (3,100' gain). Mile 4.10 - 7.0: Griffith Peak Trail intersection to saddle just under Peak 11,476' and just out of burned area (700' gain). Mile 7.0 - 8.35: final approach to Charleston Peak (500' gain). Charleston is one of our top hikes for 2025, after Grand Canyon Rim to Rim for a lot of reasons: pretty forest, long distance, challenging elevation gain, a really barren, exposed ultra-prominent summit, and bristlecone pines. Any hike with bristlecone pines is extraordinary and special, although unfortunately the Charleston Peak pines were scorched in a large fire in 2013. Six more summits is all we need for the rest of 2025 to top last year's summit count. The 8.3-mile hike to Charleston Peak summit begins in a pretty forest on rocky switchbacks that crosses through a steep cliff, followed by more switchbacks to an intersection with Griffith Peak Trail, gaining 3,100 feet. A cold wind greeted us on the ridge to the southeast of Charleston, where we had a straight, but long walk to the summit. We hiked Charleston Peak about 20 years ago with our long-time friend Scott, beginning at the ski area, to find the summit enveloped in clouds with no view. It was good this time to see an all-encompassing view of southern Nevada and into California this time. More recently, we summited Pahrump Point near Death Valley with Scott, and soaked in the Tecopa Hot Springs afterward. This time we stayed in Kyle Canyon Picnic Area and Campground the night before, a few miles down-canyon from the Cathedral Rock Trailhead, sleeping in the back of our truck. This is a very tidy and clean campground; we drove in at about 3:00 on this weekday afternoon and found a few sights still available. 6:15 a.m.: At the Cathedral Rock Trailhead. The trailhead kiosk is lower right. This trailhead and parking is clearly marked and has recently been re-done. It's located right off Highway 157 up Kyle Canyon Road, past Kyle Canyon Campground. We arrived at the Cathedral Rock Trailhead parking lot by 6:15 a.m. This is a sparkling clean and organized new trailhead; the previous trailhead seems to have been a short drive further to another parking lot which is now blocked off. We had been checking Mountain Weather Forecast for clear days on Charleston Peak. With a good-sized moon hanging over glowing Cathedral Rock, we set off on the long hike to the summit. After a few hundred yards on South Loop Trail, reach intersection with Cathedral Rock Trail. Continue straight. Sunrise on Echo Cliff (left), and first look at Mummy Peak and burned trees from 2013 Carpenter 1 fire (right), as the trail steepens. Getting most of our gain in the first few miles up to the saddle and intersection.  The first glimpse of Charleston Peak's gleaming summit - it seems so far away! After 4.10 miles, reach intersection with Griffith Peak trail and take a right onto Mt. Charleston National Recreation Trail no. 145. A strong, cold wind greeted us as we took a break from the steep climb at the intersection. I wore my windbreaker for the rest of the hike. The next few miles trekked through the major burn area, where I could hear occasional whistling of the wind through the bare trees. Great views of Mummy Mountain, a summit we attempted a few years ago but did not make, continued to dominate the skyline to the north. We lost sight of Charleston along this trek, but knew we would soon turn a corner to find its high, solitary summit waiting for us. Walking for a long way at 10,000 feet. Past the intersection, on the long 4.25-mile and 1,200' elevation gain to the summit, seeing the remains of trees burned in the Carpenter 1 fire of 2013.  We started to encounter what looked to be bristlecone pines; very sad to find these majestic trees that survive the harsh conditions of winters above 10,000 feet had perished.  Looks like a bristlecone pine - some of these burned trees were huge! After seven miles from the trailhead, you reach a saddle with Peak 11,476 on your right - you pass under it to find the trail divides as it nears Charleston. The top trail is closed-off by some rocks: keep going on the lower trail. One more shot of a high mini-forest of beautiful trees, then you rise to above the tree line. From here, you're exposed, walking on the bare expanse for another 1.2 miles, past the remains of a 1955 plane crash.  Getting closer to the eighth-most prominent peak in the lower 48 states, and the most prominent in Nevada!  After going up and down a saddle under peak 11,476', you run into these two trails: The rocks on the right trail indicate you do not go on it - take the lower trail.  One last bit of forest to get through until the terrain opens up and becomes almost completely bare of vegetation. These beautiful trees appear to be bristlecone pines.  A look back at Fred and southern Nevada and California. We slogged up the final approach to Charleston Peak, a good, light-colored trail that looks like a ribbon through the darker angular chunks of rock. The torn flag wrapped around a three-legged, reinforced pole on the summit had become a victim of the whipping wind. With the feeling of elation on the summit comes a slight feeling of vulnerability. Fred found the rock shelter - usually there is one on major summits like this - that was totally out of the wind. The peak register seemed volumes-long. This must be the best place to view Mummy Mountain. Kyle Canyon, where we slept the night before, is far below. From the summit, we can see into southern California, we were guessing we could see parts of Death Valley. We celebrated at The Virgin River Casino's dinner buffet in Mesquite, Nevada, on our way home to St. George, Utah. We're fortunate to be able to do these tough hikes - may summits like this and more be our destiny for years to come! 🤞🙏  Last approach to Charleston summit - at about 11,400'. Still have ~ 500 feet elevation to go! The summit of Charleston Peak! A good look at Mummy Mountain left of the flag.  Looking toward north Las Vegas, to the east.   Mummy Mountain from the summit.  Fred found the shelter and the register. Out of the wind for lunch. Summit register and a last look at this remarkable summit on the way down. Corals in the Bird Springs Formation geologic unit. A photo I took at ~ 11,000 feet (left), and a photo of a sample collected for the study Stratigraphy and Paleogeographic Significance of the Pennsylvanian-Permian Bird Spring Formation in the Ship Mountains, Southeastern California (right, cited below). These seem to me like bristlecone pines..........  Another look at Mummy Mountain - we attempted that summit from the other side of it but ran into a steep gulch filled with snow as our only route to the top.  Related Posts References
My Nevada 5: The Dramatic Events that Shaped Our Land. 2014. University of Nevada, Las Vegas News Center website. Stone, P. et al. 2013. Stratigraphy and Paleogeographic Significance of the Pennsylvanian-Permian Bird Spring Formation in the Ship Mountains, Southeastern California Staying in Sun Valley or Ketchum? Galena Peak is close by and a great way to get an immense perspective on central Idaho mountain ranges.  Lunch on Galena Peak's summit. Looking north at Castle Peak (center horizon) and the White Cloud Peaks.
Trip Stats
Overview: This straight-up, steep hike from Senate Creek climbs through wildflower-filled meadows to a moderately narrow talus and rock-spire ridge with spectacular views of the Boulder, Sawtooth, Smoky and White Cloud mountain ranges near Ketchum, Idaho in mountain goat country. It climbs an average of 1,400 feet every mile. Begin near Galena Lodge on a snowshoe/ski trail, then turn off to ascend Galena's west ridge. Location: Sawtooth National Recreation Area - Hemingway-Boulders Wilderness - southwest Boulder Mountains near Ketchum, Idaho. Elevation/Prominence: 11,153'/733' Date hiked: 7/20/25 Distance/Elevation gain: 5.2 miles/3,500' out and back. Coordinates: Galena Peak = 43.88966 -114.60415. Our trailhead = (near Miner's Yurt) 43.87704 -114.63937 Maps/Apps: Topo Maps US (iphone app), AllTrails, USGS Galena and Galena Peak 7.5 minute topo maps, Lists of John topo map. Driving Directions: from Ketchum, Idaho: Travel 22.4 miles north from Saddle Road near Sun Valley on Highway 75 toward Stanley to Senate Creek Road (NF 182) on the right side, just before Galena Lodge. Take the right onto dirt road (passenger car ok if good road conditions, but prefer 4x4). At ~ 0.3 miles reach an intersection in a large meadow and take the right (#409), driving ~ 0.4 miles to a few camping spots and park near a sign "Wildlife Need Your Help". We had to park at Miners Yurt a little further down the road due to camping spots occupied. Geology: The Boulders have complicated metamorphosed Paleozoic and Cenozoic volcanic geology and make up part of the Idaho batholith. Galena (lead sulfide) was mined in this area. Galena is a major source of lead and silver. The mineral is used today in lead-acid batteries. History: This wilderness is named for famous author Ernest Hemingway, who lived in nearby Ketchum, and loved hunting and fishing in these beautiful mountains.
If you want to see astounding views from an Idaho summit, and you don't have all day, this relatively short, sweet and steep trail to Galena Peak is for you. It's uncomplicated as far as Idaho summit trails go with views of some of Idaho's major ranges: Castle Peak and the White Clouds to the north, the Sawtooth Wilderness to the west, and Ryan Peak, the Boulder's highest to the east. This describes the Senate Creek west ridge approach; another approach is Cherry Creek road, utilizing Galena's south flank. We did this out and back hike in 5 1/2 hours with ample time on top for lunch. I wouldn't call this an "easy" or even a "moderate" hike, though. It gains an average of 1,400' for every mile. We first hiked Galena 13 years ago, when I was attending Idaho State University's summer geology field camp in the Lost River Range, one of the most rigorous classes I've ever taken. With complicated geology spanning Proterozoic through Cenozoic times, the Boulder Mountains have a rich galena mining history. You can hike to old mining buildings in Boulder City near Ketchum.
Hike Summary 0 - 0.3 miles: We parked at Miner's Yurt, taking a right at the filled-up campground towards Miners Yurt. The preferred place to park would be at this camping site near the "Wildlife Need Your Help sign. We walked north toward the campsites (see gold star on Galena ski trail map below). There seemed like plenty of space to park multiple vehicles at this yurt, but not sure if it's against Galena Lodge rules. We walked the Spring Creek Ski and Bike trail near Miner's Yurt that intersects with Senate Creek and Road 409 near the campsites. At Senate Creek, we headed east toward Horsefly Hill trail and the west toe of Galena Peak. 0.3 miles - 0.6 miles (toe of west ridge): Hike east up closed road past the Senate Creek Smelter Site - there's some mining equipment - to a meadow with a large gray tree stump at intersection of Senate Creek and another creek on the right, where you find the trail leading up the west ridge. 0.6 miles - 2.6 miles: entire west ridge to summit. We saw mountain goat fur shed on the ridge. I looked for goats but didn't see any. Firm talus dominates the the last 1/2 mile of the ridge. I didn't find a peak register. There's an adjacent high point a short distance to the east: I hiked there to check out the elevation, but found it lower than Galena Peak. We were lucky on this July day to have fluffy clouds with no threat of thunderstorms, although we always make sure to summit before noon on exposed peaks. The clouds made for great lighting conditions for photography.  From the gold star on this Galena Lodge trail map, we hiked toward Horsefly Hill trail along Senate Creek, and found a trail up Galena's west ridge, out of a beautiful meadow. We were pretty darn proud of ourselves and enjoyed this hike immensely. At 64 years old, both Fred and I, we are still feeling pretty strong, although we may have been a bit slower this time around. For celebration, we stopped at Power House - Bikes, Burgers and Beers in Hailey (we went there almost every day on this vacation). It has a bike repair shop as well as very nice, expensive bikes inside the restaurant. But the best part is their large selection of draft beer and their hand-made batter-dipped corn dogs, the best seared ahi tacos, and burgers. It gets crowded by 6:00, so get there early! Although we also did some mountain-biking on this trip, Galena Peak was the highlight. We've hiked many peaks in Idaho, including Borah, the highest and Leatherman, the second-highest when we lived in Boise. I love our new place - St. George, Utah, but I sure miss the Idaho forests and summits in the summer! Keep on Exploring!
Head east onto this closed-off road up Senate Creek through beautiful meadows and trees until you find this old tree stump, a good landmark, to get off road and start climbing the west ridge of Galena Peak, just above the trunk in above photo. Galena's summit is seen from the meadow (right). Starting up Galena's west ridge where there is a faint trail (left). Looking back at meadow along Senate Creek (right). The trail becomes more defined the higher you climb (left). Getting higher on the ridge (right).  A look back down the ridge toward the Sawtooth Mountains to the west on the horizon and the Smokys on left. The trail is mighty steep!
Lupines and shed fur from a mountain goat. Look at the ridge we get to climb!  The last 3/4 mile or so to the summit. Massive Castle Peak, directly north, in the White Clouds takes up a good portion of the horizon (middle top). Google Earth image.  Many Idaho summits are more loose and have trickier Class 3 moves. Talus is firm and the Class 1-2 route straightforward on Galena. Summit is upper right. Well-traveled path!  From near Galena's summit looking southeast at Galena's Cherry Creek approach and the Boulder Mountains and the Big Wood River Valley and Highway 75 on the right. Smoky Mountains right horizon.  Looking northeast toward more Boulder Peaks. Glassford Peak is one of them. Hiking back down Galena's ridge.  We still got the legs and the lungs, so I guess we'll keep summiting great Idaho peaks!  Looking north to Castle Peak and the White Clouds.  Coming back from Galena's summit.   Looks like Rocky Ledge Penstemon - penstemon ellipticus Descending to tree line, buckwheat (eriogonum), snowshoe trail by winter, bike trails by summer, a really nice bike at Power House Bikes, Beers and Burgers restaurant in Hailey, Idaho.  Beautiful Idaho forest and meadow on the way down.   Cal Topo map and elevation profile.  Google Earth map showing main dirt road off of Hwy 75, right turn on road leading to campsites and Miners Yurt. West ridge gained at toe just left of Senate Creek, which descends on the left side of the ridge. Related Idaho Summits Zebra Slot, Devils Garden and Escalante Natural Bridge: A Weekend in Grand Staircase-Escalante7/15/2025 Directions and photography advice for timeworn sandstone monoliths and water-cut slot canyons in the remote wilderness areas accessed from Hole In the Rock Road.  Zebra Canyon in Grand Staircase - Escalante National Monument Trip Stats
Overview: Devils Garden, Zebra and Tunnel slots are some of the first hikes off of Hole in the Rock Road when traveling south from the town of Escalante, Utah through remote canyons and wilderness areas. Pass by colorful sandstone formations, like Cruise Ship Crag on the way to Zebra Slot, and observe the hoodoos and natural arches at Devils Garden where sunset and sunrise are the best times to capture their dramatic color and forms. Location: Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, south-central Utah. Coordinates:
Date Hiked: May 30, 2025 Fun Fact: "Hole in the Rock" was the name given to a narrow v-shaped crevice in the cliffs that the San Juan mission of Mormon pioneers encountered on their expedition in 1879, coming down from the town of Escalante. This was their only passage leading to the Colorado River, over 1,000 feet below them. They used picks and axes to carve out a larger opening in which they lowered 83 wagons. By locking the wagon wheels and placing blind folds on horses, they successfully reached the river, which is now Lake Powell in the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area. Hole In the Rock Trail is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Considerations: cross-country navigational skills (a topo map, GPS, and route-finding skills) are necessary if you want to hike the overland slickrock connection between Zebra and Tunnel slots. This trail was cairned or marked in only a few places. 
Our Zebra/Tunnel slot hike ~ 6.5 miles - (orange line), with trailhead on Hole In the Rock Road. The yellow = amount of sun exposure at 10:00 a.m., late June. In other words, at least 95% of this area does not have shade! We were very warm coming back on the hike in late May. Caltopo Maps. Photographer Mike Shedlock getting to work in Zebra slot. He uses focus stacking (taking multiple shots of the same scene focusing from near to far), especially in situations like this where the image requires a large depth of field to get everything into focus. MishMoments.com This was a great weekend spent with fun friends Mike and Liz. We rented a "tiny house" in Escalante, Utah with killer views, drinking wine on the deck by night and exploring slot canyons, natural bridges, hoodoos, and petroglyphs by day. We have adventured with Mike, A.K.A. Mish, on other gorgeous hikes: Golden Cathedral in Grand Staircase, and trips to Zion NP. Photographer Mish has helped me brush up on my photography skills - he's passionate about his art and knows when and where to capture the best images. The first morning, we were out the door by 6:30 a.m. to get to Zebra Slot Canyon for the perfect light. Zebra/Tunnel Slot Canyons Hike Summary - Two slots on one hike! The Zebra slot is short but dramatic with sinuous, striped walls that hold occasional protruding iron concretions. It's a 2.5 mile walk to its opening from the trailhead 7.8 miles down Hole In the Rock Road out of the town of Escalante, Utah. Its walls allow only enough space to squeeze one body through. In one spot, so narrow we had to a bit of chimneying and scoot up and across the left-hand wall. The trail to Zebra is pretty easy to follow and occasionally marked with rock cairns and ducks. When we reached Harris Wash, we walked a combination of the wash and the sand bar next to it. Cruise Ship Crag towers above you on the left after you pass a fence across a wash. When you get to wide Harris Wash in about two miles, Zebra is to the left, north of Harris Wash and Tunnel slot to the right continuing through Harris Wash. We entered Tunnel slot from the north after hiking overland across amazing slickrock, abundant moqui marbles and boulders. This overland route is accessed immediately to the southeast (left) at Zebra's opening as you face away from it. I used Topo Maps US app to navigate to Tunnel, following a faint foot trail.
Photography advice: the early morning light (8:00 a.m.) was perfect. Mid-morning is good, before the sun hits the walls. You need a fast ISO and a tripod is a must, however, only one tripod can fit at a time. Large depth of field and/or focus stacking is needed since the side walls are so close.
Is it a Bridge or an Arch? I also photographed Escalante Natural Bridge on this trip, along the clear Escalante River, as well as the petroglyphs near the Escalante River trailhead accessed 13 miles east of Escalante on Highway 12. A natural bridge is a type of natural arch. According to the website The Natural Arch and Bridge Society, there's no fundamental difference between a natural bridge and natural arch: "a natural bridge is just one of many types of natural arch. A natural bridge is a type of natural arch where a current of water, such as a stream, clearly was a major agent in the formation of the opening (hole)." When you see a natural arch, you can consider these five attributes used to classify them, and there's many classification schemes for natural arches. The observable attributes are (from The Natural Bridge and Arch Society):
I struggled to set up my tripod amid a vicious swarm of mosquitos, getting bit numerous times. I hiked up the steep, rocky slope directly under the bridge but they followed me, so I didn't get many images before I was driven out of there. Autumn would be a good time to photograph Escalante Natural Bridge because of the golden cottonwood trees in front of it. Keep on Exploring!!
  Zebra Slot
Zebra slot  Devils Garden  Above two images: Hoodoos in Devils Garden
Metate Arch (left) and Tunnel Slot Canyon. Oil paint filter applied to the arch image captured with my Sony mirrorless camera.  A "pavement" of moqui marbles, iron concretions that have weathered out of sandstone. Concretions form when minerals like iron oxide (hematite) that are carried through the porous sandstone by groundwater precipitate and form concentric layers around a sand grain.  Escalante Natural Bridge Captured with Sony alpha a7c mirrorless, full frame camera.  A bit too late to capture the setting in the middle of these hoodoos in Devils Garden.  Metate Arch at sunset.  Petroglyph panel near the 100 hands pictograph, accessed from Escalante River Trailhead, 13 miles east of Escalante on Highway 12. The line with the circle around it appearing to be attached to the arm of the left-most figure may be an atlatl or spear thrower, man's first efficient hunting weapon. The use of the atlatl continued until ~ 500 A.D. in the southwest. The circle depicted the hand grip. Source: Rock Art Symbols of the Greater Southwest by Alex Patterson.  Liz and Fred near petroglyph panel, east of Escalante, Utah.  Mike heading to Escalante Natural Bridge along the Escalante River.  Along the Escalante River.  Escalante Natural Bridge, an easy walk from the Escalante River Trailhead, on Highway 12. Related posts Recommendations to prepare for one of Earth's greatest hikes.  On the West Rim Trail in Zion National Park. Quotes: "Nowhere else is the simple act of putting one foot in front of the other so provocative, so destabilizing, so densely freighted with rich and interlocking layers of meaning.” - Kevin Fedarko, from his book A Walk in the Park: The True Story of a Spectacular Misadventure in the Grand Canyon. "They (people) love to complain about how soft people are today. Then I look at their profile photo and realize the last time this person did a push-up was probably when Commando was in theaters. If you think people are soft, start by not being soft yourself. You have the power to do something hard and train every day." - Arnold Schwarzenegger To hike the Grand Canyon rim to rim in one day requires mindful and effective training. It can make the difference between a positive, enjoyable experience and one that is a once-only, miserable experience. This will be our fifth Grand Canyon rim to rim hike. In 2024, we hiked north to south with our friend Jeff (Epic Grand Canyon Rim to Rim Hike In One Day). This year we will hike south to north, with an increase of at least 1,000 feet elevation gain compared to last year, over a shorter distance. These are our recommendations for an enjoyable and safe rim to rim hike in this incredible canyon, one of the seven natural wonders of the world, based on our experiences:
The hip strengthening exercises below create stability and endurance necessary for long distance hiking, scrambling, and climbing. I also threw in some of this year's photos. Fred and I, in our mid-60's are so grateful to be able to do these hikes, especially with our friends. Many people are unable to experience the awesome grandeur of the changing colors and terrain descending and climbing back out of the canyon. To be able to cross the green and blue Colorado River, see 1.7 billion-year old basement rocks and walk along Bright Angel Creek's rushing white water is something we'll never forget. Hip Strengthening for Better Hiking and Injury Prevention - Sue Birnbaum, MPT
These are some of the exercises I do to create strength and endurance in my hip stabilizers: the gluteus medius, gluteus maximus, piriformis, and deep core muscles.
Your gluteus maximus (largest butt muscle) is described by a physical therapist as "a steering wheel and stabilizer for your legs." (from the book ROAR; see reference below). Your glutes kick into action first to keep your pelvis stabilized and then direct your knee and quadricep movements. Up the chain, your abdominal muscles, back muscles, and obliques help you keep moving in a solid, stabilized unit (optimally, if they're strong!).
** It's important to recruit your deep core muscles by getting into the habit of automatically contracting or "zipping up" your abdomen, pulling your navel toward your spine before you start moving with these exercises.** Check with your physician before performing these exercises. There's thousands of foot steps on the 22-mile GC rim to rim trail. Strong hip stabilizers will help prevent hip pain! Side Steps onto Box and Side Step-Overs
Keep your pelvis level throughout the step up, prevent your knee from bending (caving in) toward midline, keeping your knee tracking over your foot. Box step-overs train your ankles, knees, hips, core and dynamic balance functionally for scrambling over rocks. Reverse Lunges with Dumbbells
The further away from your spine you hold a given load, the more spinal loading (torque) occurs, the stronger your trunk muscles - including core muscles - have to be to keep your spine stable and strong. I contract my scapular stabilizers to keep the shoulders down away from my ears, keeping my chest elevated. Keeping an erect posture gets those spinal muscles to work! Knee should not go in front of your toes as you lower down. Banded Squats with Dumbbells into Thrusters
I am trying to prevent my knees from moving toward each other - overcoming the force of the band squeezing inward by contracting my gluteus medius to abduct my hips, keeping knees tracking over ankles. Keeping your arms extended forward creates a big challenge for your back and abs. Thrusters are an explosive movement by the glutes to push dumbbells up, requiring scapular/shoulder control and core stability. Bridging with band-resisted leg movements If my hips start to get sore, I do this basic physical therapy exercise. The key is to push outward against the band, keep your hips up and not to let your pelvis dip down to the side. Think of it as a reverse plank - I could do a little better keeping my hips up in line with shoulders and knees. Zion National Park with Lindy and Jeff. We hit slippery snow so we couldn't get as much elevation as we wanted! Clockwise from top left: Walking up West Rim Trail to Scouts Lookout, Lindy's "little men", Fred on plateau after Scouts Lookout, Sue and Fred, heading back, Walter's Wiggles looking over Refrigerator Canyon on the way up to Scout Lookout. Training in St. George area Clockwise from top left: Robin on ridge to Peak 4416 - Red Cliffs Desert Reserve, Sue and Robin on Padre Canyon Trail, Jeff near Three Ponds Trail in Snow Canyon SP, Robin looking at Peak 4416, celebrating Scrub Benchmark's summit, lost on the Whiptail Trail, Snow Canyon, Walter's Wiggles - Zion, Fred on the ridge to 4416, petroglyphs on Land Hill near Ivins, Fred coming up canyon in Snow Canyon, the "Vortex", cholla in Snow Canyon. Related
References
Sims, S.T. 2016. ROAR: How to Match Your Food and Fitness to Your Female Physiology for Optimum Performance, Great Health, and a Strong, Lean Body For Life. Rodale Books. RodaleWellness.com See spectacular views of three states: extreme southwestern Utah, Arizona's Virgin River Gorge and Nevada's Virgin Peak from the summit of one of the highest points in the Beaver Dam Mountains.  On Scrub Benchmark's summit: the view to the north of West Mountain in the Beaver Dam Mountains (left), and the Pine Valley Mountains on the right horizon to the northeast. Location: Beaver Dam Mountains - Beaver Dam Wash National Conservation Area, managed by Bureau of Land Management, west of Ivins, Utah.
Distance/elevation gain: 7 miles out and back/2,550' gain. Terrain: steep gravel service road to summit with loose rocks. Coordinates: 37.053315, -113.817280 Prominence: 2,065' Date Hiked: March 28, 2025. Trailhead: Coordinates: 37.015882, -113.817280. Accessed from Mojave Desert Joshua Tree Road Scenic Backway (Bulldog Pass/Apex Road). Maps and Apps: AllTrails, Stavislost, Beaver Dam Wash National Conservation Area Map. Vehicle: 4 WD best on gravel road to trailhead. Geology: Callville Limestone of the Pennsylvanian Period (~300 Ma). This sedimentary rock was laid down in a time of swampy forests and shallow seas that advanced and retreated over millions of years. The Beaver Dam Mountains are a northwest-trending anticline (an arch-shaped fold in rocks) located in between two major provinces: the Basin and Range and the Colorado Plateau. History: the Mojave Desert Joshua Tree Road Scenic Backway follows the Old Spanish Trail - a trade route that extends from California, Utah, New Mexico, Nevada, Arizona and Colorado. Quote "The finest quality of this stone, these plants and animals, this desert landscape is the indifference manifest to our presence, our absence, our coming, our staying, or our going." - Edward Abbey, in Desert Solitaire, reflecting on his last day as an Arches National Monument park ranger in the 1960's. Related
Because this hike has one of the most elevation gains in the St. George, Utah area, Robin, Jeff, Lindy and I tackled it to train for our upcoming Grand Canyon south rim to north rim hike on May 21. The magnificent views on the summit of this highest point in the Beaver Dam Mountains near the Arizona border more than made up for the straight-up steep gravel road with its annoying loose rocks and heart-pounding pitch. There's an advantage to living in St. George if you love geology: if you go west, you can explore Basin and Range territory. If you go east, you get to explore the Colorado Plateau province. Since I am inclined to want to hike in the Red Rock Country of the Colorado Plateau, I thought we would try something different and venture into the limestones of the Beaver Dam Mountains, which straddle these two provinces. This hike is about as straightforward as a hike can be. In our 4 WD, we turned onto Bulldog Pass/Apex Road (AKA Mojave Desert Joshua Tree Road Scenic Backway) from Old Highway 91 out of Ivins, Utah. We parked at the unmarked road that goes to the peak (see coordinates above) in a wide flat area. Driving back afterwards, we continued southwest on this road until we reached its southern entrance onto Highway 91, passing Tabeau Peak and driving through Bulldog Canyon, with the Bulldog Knolls rising overhead to the north. The hike passes by interesting limestone ledges and a few caves. It starts out on a pleasant incline, but then becomes really steep as you enter an old burned area close to the communication-towered peak. There's nothing to block the incredible 360-degree view of three states. Seeing the Virgin River Gorge below, in northern Arizona from the top was spectacular, as I usually see it when I'm IN the gorge, driving on Interstate 15. To the south rises snow-covered Virgin Peak above Mesquite, Nevada.
Grateful for my Hiking Buddies This was a pretty good training hike for the Grand Canyon rim to rim hike, since you can get a decent gain (>2,500') without snow in early spring. I'm lucky to hike with Robin, Jeff and Lindy. They're really fun and make hiking an even more positive experience! Next time I do this hike, I want to include Tahoari Peak. From Scrub Benchmark, you would follow its west ridge and then drop down south to hike Tahoari's north ridge, like Stav Basis did (stavislost). Keep On Exploring!!
 Starting on road leading to Scrub Benchmark.  Limestone ledges.  Looking on the left side of the road while ascending.  Road begins to narrow and steepen.  Jeff on steep and loose section.  Robin and Lindy. Tahoari Peak is the third "bump" from the right on the ridge above.  It's a steep one!  Last steep section to the summit of Scrub Benchmark! Cool Stuff on Scrub Benchmark's summit: peak register, Jeff, Sue and Lindy, Lindy's "little men" posing next to the benchmark survey disc, communication towers. Note: this survey benchmark has an arrow on it. Usually these arrows point to a disc with a triangle on it, called the "triangulation station", or the main survey point. A triangulation station usually has 2 or 3 reference markers surrounding it. This particular disc says "No. 2". I measured the direction of the arrow pointing to 150 degrees.  Lindy, Jeff and Robin - trois randonneurs exceptionnels!  Looking south from near the summit into Arizona and the Virgin River Gorge (left), and Mt. Bangs and Virgin Peak in Nevada (right horizon).  Scrub Benchmark survey disc looks over the service road at the top.  The rest of the crew descending the slippery road. I am the slow one going down. Another look at Tahoari Peak, highest on the ridge in this photo.  Almost to the car - just around the corner!
Capturing beautiful images in southern Utah and Great Basin National Park with friend and photographer Mike Shedlock.  Mike Shedlock (Mish) photographing in Pine Creek, Zion National Park. Quote "Ancora imparo." (translates to "I'm still learning"). - Michelangelo One day a photographer who read my Golden Cathedral via Beeline Trail hike post contacted me through Explorumentary. Mike Shedlock, AKA Mish, wanted to know if Fred and I would join him on another trip to this awesome sky-lit cathedral at the end of Neon Canyon in April, just in time for the spring leafing of the cottonwood trees. Since then, we have gone on several photo adventures in southern Utah, including Water Canyon in Canaan Mountain Wilderness, Zion National Park, and a few petroglyph sites. On our second trip to Stella Lake in Great Basin National Park, we caught the perfect dusk sky, arriving just in time after hurrying up the trail from the famous thousands-years-old bristlecone pines. You've got to be on your toes when photographing with Mish. He sets up fast, knows his camera really well, and has a schedule - especially if we are to get to a place in time for the perfect light. He is a combined artist and superlative technician. Getting out with Mish has been good for me and Fred, who patiently waits and takes in the beautiful scenery while Mish and I create. It's motivated me to get out with my Sony DSLR camera more often and learn how to use it. I was a Canon girl before. We are talking about a trip to Cosmic Ashtray in Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument this spring. Check out MishMoments - Joy of Photography for some spectacular images of southern Utah, Iceland, night skies, "everything water" and more. Here are a few images I have gotten so far, some with Mish's help.
 Fred squeezing through the "secret passage" to the waterfall and pool along Zion's Pine Creek (image below).  Pine Creek in Zion National Park. The walk into this steep-walled canyon is through white sands and huge boulders.  A second trip to Pine Creek. Temperatures in Zion NP dip into the 20's at night in December.  Autumn in Zion National Park. Mish knows the best places to photograph.  We had to climb a short, slippery, ice-filled slope to get closer to these icicles in Pine Creek.  Water Canyon in Canaan Mountain Wilderness, south of Zion National Park. There's no trail markers in this gorgeous wilderness that is known well by "locals."  This woman in the blue dress scrambled up these slippery falls like she's done it many times before. Photographed at 0.5 seconds making woman out of focus, ISO = 250, f 16  Golden Cathedral at the end of Neon Canyon.  Reflections of Wheeler Peak (right) and Doso Doyabi (left) in Stella Lake - Great Basin National Park. Wheeler Peak's summit is 13,065' - the second-tallest in Nevada. There's a great trail to its summit. Nevada's only glacier lies at the base of Wheeler Peak.  We found big and beautiful Joshua trees in the Beaver Dam Mountains near Ivins, Utah. Nevada's Mormon Mountain range is in the background.  Mish and Sue at the Rattlesnake petroglyph.  Metate Arch in Devils Garden - Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument - Utah. Grand Staircase is my favorite place to explore because it has few paved roads. Most adventures require a rugged vehicle, lots of patience and navigation ability, and a lot of wanderlust. I added "sky replacement" in Photoshop.  Ancient Bristlecone Pine grove in Great Basin National Park's quartzite. These thousands-years old trees are fascinating and tough, withstanding freezing temperatures and ferocious winds that twist them into almost human gestures. They are the largest non-clonal species on the planet, and extremely rare.  Doso Doyabi (Shoshone language for "white peak") and its reflection in Stella Lake. This peak was formerly named Jeff Davis Peak.  Someday (soon?) Mojave Desert near Nipton, California in the Ivanpah Valley.  Virgin River Gorge petroglyphs. This huge boulder is near the da Vinci panel petroglyphs.  Blooming yuccas on the Skyline Trail in the San Jacinto Mountains above Palm Springs, California.
I included this shot with my iPhone because it's one of my favorites. Hike two of the highest summits on Snow Canyon's east rim for views seen by few.  Lindy near White Rock Peak's summit with the east fork of Snow Canyon below. Red Mountain Wilderness across, on the west rim with its highest point, Snow Benchmark, the brown dome mostly covered by the tree. Trip Stats
Location: Red Cliffs National Conservation Area and Snow Canyon State Park near St. George, Utah. Distance/Elevation gain: 4.2 miles out and back/1,150' cumulative gain. White Rock Peak = 4,870', Peak 5024' Maps/Apps: Topo Maps US, USGS Santa Clara Quad 7.5 min topo map Date Hiked: 11/30/2024 Trailhead: White Rocks Trail off of Hwy 18 north of St. George. Considerations: Experience in navigation using topo maps required as this route is not marked. Coordinates: White Rock Peak = 37.23908 , -113.64775. Peak 5024 = 37.24431, -113.64886 Geology: Navajo Sandstone, Lower Jurassic, ~180 million years ago. Native peoples: Virgin River Anasazi until ~ 1,200 AD, folowed by Shivwits Paiutes. There is a petroglyph panel nearby. Quote: "There are some good things to be said about walking. Not many, but some." - Edward Abbey Related Posts
 The view west from White Rock Peak The West Canyon Road snakes through petrified sand dunes and cliffs of Snow Canyon State Park, below.  Our GPX tracks starting from White Rocks Trail following canyon to White Rock Peak (bottom spur) and north to Peak 5024. These peaks rise above the east fork of Snow Canyon (left), with views of basalt flows and cinder cones to the east. North points up. One of the outstanding aspects of this hike is the magnificent views of the entire geography of Snow Canyon State Park that only a few get to see. We stand on top of its rim, while the burgeoning number of Snow Canyon visitors hike popular trails in the bottom such as Petrified Sand Dunes and Lava Flow. Now we've hiked the highest peaks on Snow Canyon's west and east rims. On the west rim, our Snow Benchmark hike reached the highest point in the beautiful Red Mountain Wilderness. On the east rim, we summited the highest peak in Snow Canyon Sate Park - Peak 5024 - along with White Rock Peak with an awesome view of the deep chasms and sheer cliffs of Snow Canyon to the west and the black cinder cones and basalt flows near the town of Veyo to the east. The gorgeous north/south Red Mountain Primitive Trail is the only rim trail in Snow Canyon State Park noted on maps. We took our friends Lindy, Jeff and Robin to White Rock's summit and Peak 5024 after we had found our way to them previously. We accessed the east rim via a pretty canyon via the sandy wash that borders Highway 18, at Winter Quarters, shown on a topo map. We found an animal trail leading up from the mouth of this steep-sided canyon to the right (north). At first, the head of this canyon looks to be blocked by a headwall, but we found a steep exit trail obviously made by hikers to avoid Class 3 or 4 obstacles. It brought us to the base of White Rock Peak where we scrambled up its north side. Our ascent canyon is unnamed as far as I know. It took a bit of navigating/maneuvering on rocky moderately steep slopes, avoiding the bouldery bed of the creek most of the way. I left a "duck" (rock trail marker using small amount of rocks, usually 2 - 4) at our creek crossing marking our entry into the creek, so we could see our way out on the return hike. However, even if we did miss this trail mark, I can still see our previous tracks on my GPS and phone on the Topo Maps US app. There was no water running at this time - only pools reflecting the yellow rocks above and the blue sky, with a thin sheet of ice in the morning. I bet the water flow after a rain in this canyon is beautiful. I'll run up here with my camera during the next rain. Pure delight awaits as you top out on the east rim. At the base of White Rock, there's a gorgeous flat area with curving ramps and flat rock stacks, and perhaps petrified sand dunes - all sorts of sandstone forms, and some highly developed biological crusts (see below). At White Rock's summit, Snow Canyon's deep chasms, made of striped white and orange Navajo Sandstone drop down to meet up with West Canyon Trail on its floor. So many Colorado Plateau elements to take in: white sandstone, accentuated with pockets of junipers, pinyon pines and prickly pear cacti undulates in many fun-to-walk forms. Orange rock-strewn peaks rise above, inviting a boulder-filled scramble to the top. I couldn't find a peak register.
Though it was almost December, the sun was warm and the day was perfect. We love hiking with Robin, Lindy and Jeff and I'm always amazed at the great friends we have met here in St. George. We did the epic Grand Canyon rim to rim hike in May with Jeff and plan on another one, this time south to north rim. We're grateful our legs can take us to these remarkable places!
Our first attempts at finding White Rock Peak - climbing fractured sandstone just off the White Rocks Trail. The polygonal and checkerboard fractures in this Navajo Sandstone are caused by temperature differences: the sandstone got hot on summer days, then the shallow surface of the rock cooled down at night. However, the deeper rock remained heated, and that created enough of a temperature difference to make the sandstone fracture.  Starting at bottom of canyon leading to White Rock Peak.  Making our way up canyon - passing a pool with a skim of ice on the surface. You can see the dark edges of it where there was recently water. We need more rain!!  The same pool as above, this time we were coming back from our first White Rock Peak hike.  We eventually dropped into the canyon around the corner of this big outcrop to the right, where we found a trail on the hillside above right that took us to the base of White Rock Peak.   Dropping into the bottom of the canyon to gorgeous lichen-covered sandstone, junipers and manzanitas.   Getting onto what looks like a human-made trail that leads up steep, rocky terrain on left side of canyon.  Fred (lower right) climbing trail leading out of canyon. We passed the dome above left on our way to Peak 5024.  Nearing the top of Snow Canyon's east rim and the base of White Rock Peak, looking at the canyon we just ascended. Diamond Cinder Cone in distance on left.  Another beautiful pool at the top of the canyon.  Arriving at the base of White Rock Peak.  Trail to summit of White Rock Peak (lower left) that goes by the large pinyon pine with stacked rocks under it.  A great-looking "chasm" on the way up. Looking at Deidre Peak on the west rim across Snow Canyon's valley.   Jeff and Fred near White Rock's summit.   Both images above looking at Snow Canyon's west rim from White Rock's summit. Images from White Rock Peak's summit (clockwise). View to the north of Pine Valley Mountains, Sue in her element, polygonal "pillows" at the base, West Canyon Trail in Snow Canyon's East Fork.  After White Rock, heading to Peak 5024 upper right.  Finding a way up to the saddle below Peak 5024.  Working our way to the saddle on Peak 5024's north ridge.  Almost at Peak 5024's summit, the highest in Snow Canyon State Park!  Peak 5024 summit: looking south at White Rock Peak upper left.  Jeff, Robin and Lindy heading down toward ascent canyon. Excellent hike today!  Fred heading down toward ascent canyon.  Elevation profile for White Rock Peak and Peak 5024, with a cumulative gain of 1,150'. References
Loope, D. B. 2019. Hexagonal Fracture Patterns On Navajo Sandstone Crossbeds At Yellow Knolls, Washington County. Utah Geological Association Publication #48. A Field Guide to Biological Soil Crusts of Western U.S. Drylands. Bureau of Land Management. Publication 4
Stellar views of the sheer cliff walls and chasms of Snow Canyon State Park from the highest summit of Red Mountain Wilderness.
From Red Mountain Trail looking down into one of Snow Canyon's "chasms."
This canyon traces a normal fault with the west side of it (right) dropped down from the east side.
Trip Stats
Location: The highest point in Red Mountain Wilderness, north of St. George, Utah Distance/Elevation gain: 7.2 miles out and back/900'. Trailhead = 4,688'. Summit = 5568'. Coordinates: Summit = 37.25134 -113.68304 Trailhead: Red Mountain Trail on Hwy 18 north of St. George. Date hiked: October 19, 2024 Maps/Apps: Topo Maps US Considerations: Red Mountain Trail becomes more faint beyond the turn-off for the Snow Canyon Overlook view. There are no trail signs. Experience with navigation/a good map are necessary. The summit of Snow Benchmark is a short scramble from the trail. Links: Red Cliffs Desert Reserve Geology: Large block of Navajo Sandstone deposited by wind in Early Jurassic period (same rock unit as Zion National Park). The "chasm" or canyon that drops into Snow Canyon traces a normal fault, caused by crustal spreading.
Related
Overview
Snow Benchmark, a brown juniper and pine-covered dome rises in contrast above the orange and white sheer Navajo Sandstone cliffs of northern Snow Canyon State Park near St. George, Utah. You can see it from town if you are near the opening of Snow Canyon to the south. I've been looking at it for a few years, knowing it was the highest point in the Red Mountain Wilderness. Finally, Fred and I took two friends to its summit via the northern end of the Red Mountain Trail just north of the Diamond Cinder Cone. This hike travels the first few miles of the 9.5-mile Red Mountain Trail that treks almost due north and south on a gorgeous plateau with spectacular views of Snow Canyon State Park to its east. Its northern trailhead is just north of Diamond Valley and its southern entrance can be accessed from 200 East Street in Ivins. It's notorious for search and rescue calls due to hikers getting lost, because there are no trail signs and it's easy to lose the trail and get off into a canyon or wash. It treks across areas of slickrock, through deep sand in parts. This is one of the most gorgeous areas of Utah and I would venture to say the country. I can't believe I live so close to it. A green blanket of pinyon pines and junipers, interspersed with austere patches of bare slickrock, rises and falls, covering eroded sandstone domes and ancient sand dunes, and then abruptly ends at sheer orange and white cliffs where waterfalls tumble after a drenching rain. From this perch 1,300 feet above the canyon floor, minuscule walkers and bikers move up and down West Canyon Road in Snow Canyon State Park.
Our Hike
The first mile of the northern Red Mountain Trail begins at a large parking lot and treks over a lot of big rocks scattered on the wide trail. At an elevation above 4,500 feet, you travel through pinyon pines and Utah junipers in an undisturbed forest. Lots of prickly pear, manzanita , sagebrush and scrub oak grow in the sandy soil and in sandstone cracks. I could just sit on a pink-orange sandstone slab for awhile and breathe in the juniper and pine of this lovely place. Maybe I would get to hear the "kaw" call of a few pinyon jays. At 0.8 miles, reach the fence for the Red Mountain Wilderness boundary. Another mile down the trail, at 1.8 miles from the trailhead, reach the intersection for the Snow Canyon Overlook, a spectacular view with a sudden drop-off with Snow Canyon 1,600 feet below. The hike to the overlook is 0.5 miles - a left turn (south) at the intersection. Instead of taking the left trail at the intersection, keep straight on the Red Mountain Trail heading west/southwest. At 2.3 miles into the hike, the trail runs close to the rim of one of Snow Canyon State Park's deep chasms. At 3.0 miles, we found a drainage to follow up toward the summit, arriving to it in another 0.5 mile. As with a lot of other hikes in this southern Utah area, there was a lot of biological soil crusts, AKA cryptobiotic soil to avoid stepping on.
Afterward, we celebrated on a tailgate with tortilla chips and three different kinds of salsa from our local farmer's market, supplied by Robin. She brought these because that was the tradition of my hiking buddies many years ago in the Coachella Valley. After most hikes we would celebrate with chips and salsa and Corona beer with lime! Great memories - relish the good times and good life!
Hiking south on Red Mountain Trail with Snow Benchmark (rounded tree-covered dome on right) in sight.
Interesting tilted sandstone cross beds on the trail.
The first mile of Red Mountain Trail is super rocky! Entering Red Mountain Wilderness at 0.8 miles from trailhead.
Getting further into Red Mountain Wilderness with Snow Benchmark on the right horizon.
Chasm into Snow Canyon: this stream empties into the main canyon, where West Canyon Trail is.
Leaving Red Mountain Trail heading south to take a right turn (west) to summit Snow Benchmark.
We found a beautiful drainage to follow to the base of Snow Benchmark. From here on, avoiding cryptobiotic soil that covered much of this terrain.
Beauty in a tree trunk on the way up.
After ascending the drainage, the topography flattens out before the final ascent.
Picking our way through the brush and trees near the summit.
Looking back at the east wall of the huge chasm during our ascent.
Pretty easy summit to get to!
From the summit looking south into Arizona (right) and Red Mountain plateau (left).
Snow Benchmark summit - 5,568', looking southeast at Snow Canyon. The Red Mountain Trail continues south through the light-colored slickrock upper right.
Some cool stuff on the trail: Biological soil crusts, iron oxide coating(?), Sue and Fred,
apres' hike chips and salsa courtesy of Robin!! 
Robin on the way down from the summit.
One last look down the chasm into Snow Canyon State Park on our way back.
A last look at Snow Benchmark from a patch of white slick rock.
Caltopo map of our tracks to Snow Benchmark from upper Red Mountain Trailhead off of Highway 18.
References
A Field Guide to Biological Soil Crusts of Western U.S. Drylands. Bureau of Land Management. Warren, S.D. 2014. Role of Biological Soil Crusts in Desert Hydrology and geomorphology: Implications for Military Training Operations. Biological Soil Crusts: Ecology and Management. 2001. U.S. Department of the Interior.
Walking through Tushars tundra and seeing mountain goats from afar on the highest mountain range in southern Utah.
The volcanic high Tushars looking west.
From left to right: Mount Baldy, Mount Belknap, Gold Mountain, Signal Peak.
Related Posts
Hike Summary
0 - 0.7 miles: Bullion Pasture Trailhead to first high point at 11,200' 0.7 - 2.0 miles: to highest point on hike at 11,500' (this is just to saddle; option is to summit 11,673' peak) 2.0 - 3.5 miles: highest point to Copper Belt Peak summit at 11,383'
Overview
There's something about this little-known mountain range that keeps us going back. Actually, lot of things. It's a striking high volcanic range where you walk on tundra above tree line to look over southern Utah and through aspens and meadows with wildflower-lined creeks in the summer. It's only a couple of hours drive from St. George. Often times we see more mountain goats than people on the trails. So far we've hiked four of the Tushar summits, all of them over 11,000 feet. The hike to Delano Peak, the highest peak in southern Utah, is a defined and short path if approaching from the west. Hikes to Mount Holly and Shelly Baldy require a bit of cross-country navigation. This hike starts and stays high, with fantastic views as you cross grassy ridges and a talus-riddled saddle to drop onto an old mining road that leads to the easily-climbed ridge to Copper Belt Peak. There's a good chance you will see mountain goats, and we did on this trip. The trail is not marked and is faint in some places, so having GPS tracks and a map is helpful. This peak gets its name from the significant copper ore deposits in this area, and in fact, Copper Belt Mine lies to its northeast. Other mines in the area are Bully Boy, Cascade, and Shamrock.
Our Hike (topo map and our tracks at end of this post)
We stayed in our favorite campground, Mahogany Cove, on Hwy 153 about 13 miles east of downtown Beaver, Utah, sleeping in the bed of our truck. It's ~ 6 miles from there to the turnoff for FR 123, a graded gravel road that goes past Big John's Flat and the trailhead to Delano Peak, and to Bullion Pasture trailhead in about 10 miles from turn-off. At this elevation, aspens had already dropped their leaves and it was chilly, but beautifully sunny. The trail begins east from the parking lot, where you see the mountain range you will be traversing through. It goes to the right of the dark copper-colored peak furthest to the left. To the right of that, a higher, broader light tan peak (Peak 11,673') is the highest on this trail. Copper Belt Peak is behind this summit. The trail starts out very defined for the first 0.6 miles, where you encounter your first "bump" on the ridge after walking through a wide grassy saddle. It traverses the right (south) side of this bump, where you see the next dark bump. Unless you want to climb it, the trail goes around it to the left, 1.0 mile into the hike. For another 0.6 miles, hike along a relatively flat path through grass and volcanic rock to drop down onto another grassy saddle with a close-up view of the climb to come. We met two hunters from St. George here, and we had a nice chat with them. One is also a wildlife photographer: mike_wildphoto64 on Instagram. From this saddle, it's a 250' climb to the saddle between the round dark brown peak on the left and Peak 11,673' on the right. The climb to this peak is just 100 feet above the saddle. The talus slope here is steep, so the trail climbs high towards Peak 11,673' summit to avoid too much traversing through the talus. Once past Peak 11,673', the old road to the base of Copper Belt Peak comes into view; follow it to the base of Copper Belt and then hike up its southern ridge to the summit at 11,383'!!
For the Geo-curious: Walking through Volcanic Terrain
The map below shows our tracks (blue) through a geologic map of the Tushar Mountains on Google Earth. Each of the different types of rock are recorded as map units, with their corresponding color and abbreviation. On geologic maps, yellow always denotes the youngest map unit - the Quaternary Period which is 2.5 million years ago (Ma) to present time. The oldest is the prevolcanic sedimentary rocks - 170 million years old - from the Jurassic Period (Ja) unit in blue on the right side. Even after the explosive volcanic eruptions that formed the Tushar Mountains 22 Ma, this old Jurassic unit is still revealed at the surface. Our tracks begin at the Bullion Pasture Trailhead (lower left) in rhyolite (Tmbl), an extrusive rock that's high in silica and the chemical equivalent of granite (an intrusive rock). It originated from the inside of the Mount Belknap Caldera. Quickly, the trail crosses over the wall of the Belknap Caldera (line formed by red "T's") After briefly crossing a Quaternary landslide (Ql), we headed into the Bullion Canyon Volcanic rocks (Tbm and Tbd), where we would spend most of the time for the rest of the hike, higher on the ridge. This hike is significant for trekking through Mount Belknap caldera (collapsed volcano following magma chamber emptying) rocks as well as Bullion Canyon volcanic rocks to the southeast, two different volcanic terrains. So much more to explore in the unique Tushars: more peaks to climb and trails to hike. We're grateful we are able to experience these beautiful places.
Geologic map of the Tushars with our hike tracks on Google Earth.
Truck shot: on our way to Bullion Pasture Trailhead on FR 123, AKA Paiute ATV Trail #01.
The trail begins at the left of this sign. Trailhead reached via FR 123 coming from the south.
Starting from the trailhead in the morning - heading to the peaks on the left with the dark "copper" colors.
Copper Belt Peak is behind the pointy peak on the left. 
A good night's sleep in our truck bed last night and we are ready to go!
Just past the trailhead. 
Looking back at the trail we have just ascended (far right). I'm on the first "bump" on the ridge.
Trail goes across saddle to the left and around to the left of this next bump on the ridge (11,450').
Not too many hikes do I have to wear my puff jacket: pretty chilly this morning at 11,000 feet!
Heading to the saddle between the two peaks above my head to the right. 
Looking at Peak 11,673', the highest peak on the hike, to the right of the copper-colored peak. Trail goes up through the pass between these two high points.
Approaching the lighter-colored mini-ridge where the trail descends through its low point into a lower saddle where it then ascends the flank of Peak 11,673' to the right, then traverses through the saddle on the left of the darker peak.
We ran into two fully-outfitted hunters. The man on the left is a wildlife photographer.
Trail goes up to the saddle separating the two high points above. You have the option of summiting the point on the right, which is Peak 11, 673', the highest on this hike. The trail is just to the left of this summit.
Getting closer to Peak 11,673' on the right. You can see a faint trail on the left side of it.
Looking back at hunters (left) and our trail. Mount Baldy on the right.
Ascending toward saddle with Peak 11,673', the highest point on this hike, on Fred's right. We didn't ascend this peak, but instead walked around its left side.
Mt. Belknap, the second-highest Tushar peak (left), and Gold Mountain in center.
Added to our peak-bagging list! 
Past the highest point on the hike, you walk toward the old (probably mining) road to the right of Fred. Copper Belt Peak is just on Fred's left with small dark dome on top.
Seeing mountain goats lying down on rock outcrop in the distance (lower center).
Looking back at old road along ridge, Mount Belknap on the right.
Copper Belt Peak ahead. Planning our ascent: we left road near saddle of ridge to the peak' right.
Heading toward saddle on ridge just under Copper Belt (left).
It's an easy scramble to the top of Copper Belt Peak.
Looking west at the volcanic Mount Baldy and Mount Belknap from near Copper Belt's summit.
From Copper Peak's summit: Looking east at Mt. Baldy (left) and Mt. Belknap (right).
Another Tushar peak conquered!
Copper Belt Peak register.
Post-hike celebration with fresh cantaloupe at the trailhead. We use the foam pads in the truck cab to sleep on.
Caltopo map of our GPS tracks from Bullion Pasture trailhead (lower left) heading northeast to Copper Belt Peak.
Elevation profile shows the one-way approach to the peak. North points up. |
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Sue and Fred
Happy Winter!
About this blogExploration documentaries – "explorumentaries" list trip stats and highlights of each hike or bike ride, often with some interesting history or geology. Years ago, I wrote these for friends and family to let them know what my husband, Fred and I were up to on weekends, and also to showcase the incredible land of the west.
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