The Finger Rock Canyon trail to Mt. Kimball, one of the highest in the Santa Catalina Mountains, treks through gorgeous Sonoran landscape, meandering through wash and canyon lowlands, close to saguaros, gaining 400' in the first mile.  That easy grade ends abruptly at mile two, when you encounter the first of many rock steps on a steep trail that climbs an average of 950' per mile to the summit.  The south summit slope bestows a birds-eye view of Tucson, the north side a perched outcrop view of canyons below your feet and the rugged peaks of the western Santa Catalinas.
​
Fred and I have been hiking this mountain ever since we started visiting Tucson to get out of Idaho high country's somber and snowy springs.  This established Class 1 trail was a welcome change from the past few months of non-trail, route-finding, scrambling  ascents in Utah and Nevada.  Great to not have to navigate or continuously hunt for a route or the trail, but instead let the trail take us to the top.  On this trip, we first stopped near Kingman, Arizona to attempt Mt. Tipton, but the unmarked 3,500' gain entailed miles and of shrubby terrain clogged with scrub oak and junipers, so we turned around.  

Islands in the Sky
The ability to see the changing scenery of multiple life zones is one of the great features of southern Arizona hiking.  The rewards are saguaros and yuccas at the beginning and end, and pine and juniper at the top of your hike, if you are willing to make the thousands-of-feet elevation journey.  The Santa Catalina Mountains are but one of the many "sky islands"  that rise above the desert. From the Chiricahua mountains in southeastern Arizona to the Sierra San Luis Mountains in Mexico's  Chihuahua mountains,  these unique, rugged environments support some of the highest levels of biodiversity in the world.  Below is a summary of what I learned about biomes and sky islands.  I also wrote about this in my Tanque Verde Peak - Saguaro Wilderness post.

Southern Arizona mountains are a hiker's paradise.  With waterfalls, rugged gneiss and granite rock outcrops to climb over, and wildflowers in spring that represent all of the color spectrum, this desert is surprisingly lush.  It is a spectacular land where all elements work together in harmony through monsoons, rains, and killer heat waves, and cool winters.  On Mt. Kimball's descent, the other side of the canyon is strewn with hundreds of saguaros clinging to rocky ledges, illuminated by the setting sun.  This sight makes you forget about your tired legs.

References
Bezy, J. V.  2016. A Guide to the Geology of the Santa Catalina Mountains, Arizona:  The Geology and Life Zones of a Madrean Sky Island.  Arizona Geological Survey.

Mt. Kimball.  Summit Post website.

Dimmitt, et al.  2015.  A Natural History of the Sonoran Desert.  Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum Press and University of California Press.
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The Sky Islands.  From website:  Sky Island Alliance.

The First Inhabitants.  From Mt. Lemmon General Store and Gift Shop website.

Moapa Peak, included on the Sierra Club Desert Peaks Section list is a distinguished, stand-alone hulk of narrow limestone noticeable on the north side of  I-15 north of Las Vegas.  It's a classic desert peak, well-fortified by a series of almost vertical ramparts at its base.  It's one of the more memorable and exposed hikes I've done.   Trip reports reveal hikers who have summited, as well as those who reportedly turned around when they saw the final exposed "knife-edge" ridge to gain the last 160'.  After skirting around the south cliff face, the route wraps briefly to the north at a saddle, where the Class 3 climbing up the final ridge begins.  Although the narrow ridge proved too daunting for Fred and I, the hike was worthwhile because the steep drop-offs give the slight feeling that a few missteps may plunge you into the chasms and canyons below.  We found the "trail" mostly stable and easy to follow.  The views of the ribs of dark and sharp mountain ranges rising from flat and buff-colored desert washes are spectacular.
​
Occasional fossils appear in this Paleozoic limestone (see photos below).   I'm not sure what they are, so if someone knows, please contact me!  One of them looks like fish, another looks like petrified wood.

Harder than Mt. Katahdin's knife edge?
​Maine's Mt. Katahdin, it's highest, has a famous "knife's edge" traverse to the summit.  Fred and I summited Katahdin when we lived in New England and felt it wasn't too scary.  Reports say that it narrows to four feet of width in a few places.  I think Moapa Peak, which reportedly narrows to one foot, is more intimidating. 

Side note:  Mt. Katahdin is the northern terminus for the Appalachian Trail.  While we were on the summit, we saw a hiker who had just completed the entire trail arrive at the famous terminus sign.  I'll never forget the look on his face!  Some of his family was there to greet him.​

I would avoid doing this hike in the summer months.  I know from experience, since we roasted on this hike last summer and turned around at the saddle because of the heat and intense sun.   

This is a unique hike that not many get to experience.   This beautiful mountain won't make it easy for you to gain its summit, or even get to its approach ridge.  The Nevada desert is stark and hard and the limestone unforgiving.  And, the only flat spot is found briefly on the saddle above the approach drainage.   Fred and I are lucky to be able to explore this exquisite part of the southwest.  Now when we see Moapa from I-15, we can see how high we got on that very vertical mountain.

References:
Indian Names in Utah Geography.  From Utah Historical Quarterly Volume 1, Number 1-4, 1928 by Utah State History.

Carpenter, J.A., 1989. Structure of the southern Mormon Mountains, Clark County, Nevada and regional structural synthesis : fold-thrust and basin-range structure in southern Nevada, southwest Utah, and northwest Arizona.  Master's thesis dissertation from Oregon State University.

Recently, on March 24, 2023, Utah broke its snowfall record.  The Great Salt Lake's water level rose 2 feet and as a result Utah's "severe drought" status has greatly decreased.   My favorite ski resort, Alta, recorded its most snowfall ever, with 749 inches of the fluffy stuff.  Outside my windows, snow blankets the mountain ranges to the north and west of St George.  For a few seconds the other day, I thought I was in Boise, Idaho, my former domicile with its surrounding winter mountains.  Red and orange sandstone cliffs quickly confirmed that I was in southern Utah.   

The southwestern Utah snowpack basin received the largest increase above normal snowpack - 300% - the highest percentage of all 16 Utah snowpack basins.

St. George long-time residents tell me that this is a "really unusual winter" (with an emphasis on "unusual").   Every week brings days of rain.  Our local reservoir is filled!  Temperatures are 10-15  degrees below normal.  We are now at the end of March, but living in January temperatures.   This has created a unique opportunity for photography.  I've been fortunate to see snow against the warm hues of sandstone, mosses rehydrated to bright green pillows dotting north rock faces and hidden canyon grottos, and, by sticking around places long enough, the beginning of waterfalls during a rainstorm or sun snow melt.

​The "Triple Junction" at St. George, Utah
St. George is a unique place because it's situated right at the intersection of three distinct geographical provinces, or regions that have indicative geology, physiography, botany, and climatic attributes.  This triple junction is a transition zone between the Great Basin desert to the northwest, the Mojave desert to the southwest, and the Colorado Plateau to the east.  St. George's downtown is located in the Mojave desert.  A short drive from downtown St George northwest brings you to Snow Canyon State Park, whose geology is that of the Colorado Plateau province, and one of my favorite places to go wandering with my cameras.

The 6 Keys to Longevity and Mental Health
Hiking and meandering solo with my cameras is a great form of meditation, a time that combines creativity with connection to nature.   I get to  achieve 3 of the 6 keys to longevity and mental health:  exercise, meditation and purpose.  If you're interested in finding a good discussion of mental health and longevity, click on the link above to an article on Roxiva's website.  Walking in nature is a great form of meditation and research has shown that people who live near green spaces tend to live longer, have lower rates of illness, and better mental health.  Getting away from stress is fundamental to health, but we need to have ways to find stillness and silence ourselves, because it won't find us! 

One of my best days this winter included a hike to see the rare waterfalls in Hell Hole, a deep canyon on the boundary of Red Cliffs National Conservation Area (BLM) near Kayenta, a development northwest of St. George, on a very rainy day.  I got to witness the spectacular sight of towering waterfalls spilling down sandstone cliffs, and the downstream wash, churning with salmon-colored water.  It was a sight I will never forget, and as I stood there alone, it started pouring.  Deep in the canyon, close to the orange walls and cascading water, I watched as more waterfalls developed and spilled in ever increasing amounts, elevating the roar of the falls and the creek.  It was a gift to see nature change so quickly and beautifully in solitude.

It's time to move on to warmer and sunnier days.  At least one bonus besides replenishing our reservoirs:  the wildflower show should be spectacular!

​ When I'm out making images, I remember a few of my favorite quotes:

References
The Triple Junction of Southern Utah.  a You Tube video from BackRoadsWest1.

​Great Comments on this Post
​If it wasn't for a petroglyph enthusiast who commented on my post In Search of the Rattlesnake Petroglyph, I might not have known about the fantastic Corn Springs rock art.  He gave me good tips about where to find extraordinary petroglyphs and suggested I read the book, A Field Guide to Rock Art Symbols of the Greater Southwest, by Alex Patterson.  I'm sure glad he contacted me; it's great to find someone who shares the same passion, curiosity, and appreciation of petroglyphs and the Native Americans' way of life.

James Ponder also contacted me with links to two awesome feature articles he wrote for Inland Empire Magazine:
-Aztlán in Our Backyard:  The Southern California Origins of a Vanished Empire.  (May 2023, p. 54).
-Touring Coyote Hole:  A look at Efforts to Preserve Ancestral Lands and Sacred Spaces in the California Desert. (January 2023, p. 62).​  He loves the Corn Springs site and writes about the work of the Native American Land Conservancy.  Check out his Aztlán article - he reveals a concept that I hadn't heard of before - that the Aztec culture birthplace was near Desert Center (30 mins drive from Corn Springs site) and Blythe in California.  He introduces Alfredo Acosta Figueroa's book, Ancient Footprints of the Colorado River:  La Cuna de Aztlán, one that I'm planning to read.  (His comments at end of this post).

Fred and I were headed down to our annual Palm Springs, California visit anyway, so we added it to our agenda.  Corn Springs is a 1.5-hour drive from Palm Springs, east on I-10, past the entrance to Joshua Tree National Park, near the Salton Sea, and well worth the trip if you are interested in American southwest history.  

Corn Springs was a reliable water source for Chemehuevi, Cahuilla, and Yuma Native Americans traveling between the Colorado River to the east and coastal areas and the Coachella Valley.   Petroglyphs date as far back as 10,000 years, according to the BLM.   This ancient trail has been traced to the Mule Mountains near Blythe, California.  

Steamboat Influences
A noteworthy petroglyph appears to be a river paddle-wheel steamboat.  My post reader suggested I try to find this petroglyph and sent me an interesting report, "Steamboats on the Colorado River, 1852 - 1916" by Richard E. Lingenfelter.  Uncle Sam, a small steam tug was the first of many vessels to run the Colorado River, transporting miners, soldiers, ranchers, and merchants and their tools, supplies and millions of dollars of gold and silver extracted from mines.  Native Americans, such as the Yuma and Mojave, depended on Colorado River resources witnessed the invasion of the Gold Rush of 1849. This steam boat mode of transportation caused the change and suppression of these ancient river peoples.  Interestingly, the Yumas operated their own ferry at Yuma Crossing.

Extensive steam boat travel on the Colorado and its tributaries ceased when the Southern Pacific Railroad completed tracks to Yuma in 1877, providing faster and cheaper shipping of goods.  But river commerce still held on after that with the introduction of gas-powered boats and gold dredges.  All river trade was finally ended with the damming of the Colorado River.

Vision Quests and Ringing Rocks
In my quest to learn more about the Corn Springs petroglyphs, one article or research paper led to another and then another and soon I found myself reading about shamans, hallucinogens, and trance states.  Sort of like falling down the Google Scholar rabbit hole.  I hadn't intended on writing about suppositions that these petroglyphs are a result of vision quests and that one rock might have been used for acoustics, but it's too interesting and fun to pass up.

Unlike Utah rock art with its many representational human- and animal-like forms, Corn Springs petroglyphs are geometric and abstract shapes and patterns that some rock art researchers believe are illustrations of trance-state mental imagery.  The realm of neuroscience more formally defines these patterns as "entoptic" (within vision) and phosphenes, which some say is the universal language of the human brain throughout all cultures, since our nervous system has remained the same through human history.  Entoptic images are visual effects that originate within the visual processing system anywhere between the eyes and the brain cortex.  Certain symbols are common throughout locations all over the world.  There seem to be quite a few entoptic images etched in these boulders.

Rituals using dance, music, chanting and psychoactive substances to induce trance states where ancestors were visited and wisdom was enhanced may have occurred at Corn Springs.   Visions and images were then recorded in the rock etchings. 

Grid, parallel lines, dots, zigzag lines, nested curves, and filigrees (thin meandering lines) are the six common forms seen in Upper Paleolithic art as a result of drug-induced visions, according to some researchers.  Some say that a shaman would act as an intermediary between mortals and the supernatural by gathering power through the spiritual world. I attempted to correlate some of the petroglyphs in my images below to information I found in my search.  But we can't assume that we know for sure what the intent was of the people who engraved these petroglyphs.  We can only speculate.

Some of these symbols may have been made to create communication for a good food harvest or for fertility.  These ancient symbols were here long before the advent of formal language (for an interesting book on human relationship to the natural world and language, check out The Spell of the Sensuous:  Perception and Language in a More-than-Human World  by David Abram).

Fault (seismic) activity influences the water table and hence the availability of water for California fan palm trees.  The infamous San Andreas Fault, a horizontally-moving fault where North American and Pacific tectonic plates meet extends just southwest of the Chuckwalla mountains.  This desert has two personalities:  peaceful, quiet and sedate, while at the same time unstable, waiting for its earth to move and shake things up.

​The Chuckwalla Mountains have an interesting gold mining history from the late 1800's, and in a separate hike in adjacent Orocopia Mountains (Spanish translation:  "lots of gold"), Fred and I found what looked like an old miner's dwelling at the top of a long wash (see below), now called "Hotel California."  Corn Springs was so named because early white visitors found feral corn plants grown by Native Americans, who at times were able to use the springs for growing food during years when water was abundant.

The Love of Deserts:  Liberation and Peace
Nearby Chuckwalla Mountain and Black Butte, accessed by the historic Bradshaw Trail (now the Bradshaw Trail National Backcountry Byway), are two summits we added to our "to do" list.  William Bradshaw built this trail in 1862, the first route across Riverside County, California to the Colorado River; it was used to transport miners to Arizona.

​"The love of mountains is best," a quote included in my Quotes on Nature page, was inscribed in Greek on one of the Swiss Alps summits in 1558.   Perhaps I will inscribe "the love of deserts is best." on a lonely and bare desert summit someday.  

Corn Springs is a place to find solitude, and recharge if you need breathing space and respite from cities, televisions and smart phones.  The desert allows you this:  calm (usually), liberation, perspective and peace.​

References
Carter, L.  2021.  Ancient rock art and psychedelics.., The language that connects us all.  From website:  www.roXiva.com.
​
Corn Springs - Wikipedia.

Crowell, J., et al.  1979.  Tectonics of the Juncture Between the San Andreas Fault System and the Salton Trough, Southeastern California.  Dept. of Geological Sciences, University of California - Santa Barbara.

Devereux, P.  2008.  The Association of Prehistoric Rock Art and Rock Selection with Acoustically Significant Landscape Locations.  The Archaeology of Semiotics and the Social Order of Things.  BAR International Series #1833.

Freers, S.  2018.  Simply Scratching the Surface:  Petroglyph Chronology in the Colorado Desert.  San Diego Rock Art Association.  Rock Art Papers, Vol. 19.

​Gough, G.  Sacred Landscape and Native American Rock Art.

Lingenfelter, R.  1978.  Steamboats on the Colorado River:  1852 - 1916.  The University of Arizona Press.
​
​Powell, R. 1981.  Geologic map of the crystalline basement complex in the southern half of the eastern Transverse Ranges, Southern California:  Supplement 1 from "Geology of the Crystalline Basement Complex, Eastern Transverse Ranges, Southern California:  Constraints on Regional Tectonic Interpretation".

Ringing Rocks and Sonorous Stones. 2020.  From website Spooky Geology.  ​https://spookygeology.com/ringing-rocks-and-sonorous-stones/

We celebrated another Christmas with a sublime, scree-filled desert summit challenge and a Tecopa Hot Springs soak afterward.

Ascending wash to walk between the black hills to the right and the two small hills just to the left of Fred.  
Pyramid Peak is black and white - on horizon.
Death Valley got its name from a wagon party trapped in the valley in the 1849 California gold rush.  One man perished in this hottest place on Earth.  One of the travelers was said to have proclaimed, "Goodbye, Death Valley" as they traveled west over the mountains.

Overview
The words "Death Valley" may conjure up images of doom and foreboding, but it's really a land of mystique and fascination, and of extremes.  In winter, it's one of the warmest places in the country, making it one of my favorite places to explore.  You wouldn't want to be there in the summer, unless you want to experience an average July temperature of 116 degrees.  It has the record for the hottest temperature ever recorded on Earth — 134 degrees.  Last December, we hiked remote Pahrump Point with spectacular views of Death Valley's Telescope Peak on a cold and windy day, and warmed up in Tecopa Hot Springs Resort's hot springs.

​This year we "elevated" our summit challenge to hike the lonesome and talus-riddled slopes of Pyramid Peak in the Funeral Mountains, eastern Death Valley National Park.  It's listed on the Sierra Club's Desert Peaks section, hence the discernible trail.  I break this hike into four parts:  a long alluvial fan/wash approach, followed by three steep, loose-rock slopes.  Forbidding, massive dark grey limestone greets you at the top of the second loose-rock slope.  Pyramid's summit is not in sight until you get up this face and walk around it to the left, where you see more talus slopes under big black spires.
From its small quartzite perch, the summit affords a huge view of Death Valley's Panamint range capped by Telescope Peak, and into Nevada.  Stunning views surround you the entire ridge climb.  Sublime, raw, layered, folded, vast and lonely - the quintessential Mojave Desert.

Our Hike

• From old RV site on Hwy 190, walk up alluvial fan for 2.8 miles, towards two small hills on the left.
• Turn north/northwest (left) up wide drainage and walk 0.4 miles to the black rocks at its end.
• Talus slope 1:  A cairn was present, a faint trail leads up the steep rock/scree slope; follow this to the saddle, mounting Pyramid Peak's southeast ridge.
• At 4.0 miles, continue on easy ridge until the next steep climb.
• Talus slope 2:  Climb through a mini-gulley and reasonable talus slope to the left of a super-steep scree slope.  Gain is ~ 800 ' in 0.4 miles.  Top out on a saddle overlooking a short flat area with dark grey rocks ahead.
• Climb ~ 800' up black/grey rocks following trail as it leads to the left, around the outcrop's highest spire.
• Talus slope 3:  follow trail along base of a series of pinnacles/spires, staying relatively close to the base.  Summit is a quick Class 2+ climb.  

What more could we ask for?  The opportunity, legs and strength to summit a Death Valley peak, the views to remember forever, a natural hot springs soak, and one of the best steak dinners ever - all in the middle of the quiet Mojave.  

We're living the dream!   Keep on Exploring - it's good for the body, mind and soul!

Healthy creosote bush and lots of hedgehog cactus clumps on the way up this alluvial fan.

Almost at the small hills on the left - the approach continues along the base of these for 2.8 miles from trailhead where it turns NNW into a wide drainage/fan.

At the end of initial alluvial fan climb - taking a left around base of this hill to see large drainage.

Turning left into a major drainage with black rocks at the end of it - then the climb begins!

Finding a trail at the end of the wash that stays on the right side of the drainage to the left.

Trail heads up to the saddle above, with a good amount of loose rock.

Fred making his way up steep and loose rock to saddle (Talus slope #1).

Looking down the first talus slope to the wide wash  we had turned into from approach alluvial fan.

Done with the first talus slope!  Time for a break - looking back at the highway and valley we have just come up.
There's a few cairns to mark this first slope; afterwards, the trail is mostly discernible.

Looking ahead to the crazy, rugged mess of rocks we will ascend - glad there is a cairned trail!  Pyramid summit behind the ridge.  Go straight up the ridge in middle of photo, then bypass the brown-colored scree slope by hiking to its left, up through minor gully (center of photo).  Reach the top of this brown rock to ascend the dark grey rock.

Continuing on less-steep portion of southeast ridge in between the steep talus slopes.

Getting through a minor limestone outcrop and looking at the fan we hiked up; walking under the two small hills at the upper left.

Look at that lovely scree field!  Trail goes to the left of this, through a small gulley and manageable talus slope, through pink, deep red and yellow rocks.

Getting up and over this sharp limestone, where it flattens out somewhat.

View south from ridge.

This is "Talus slope 2" - photo is taken on the way down.  This is on the left of the very steep scree slope.

Upper part of "Talus slope 2".  This photo is taken on our way down.

Forbidding sight after topping off on ridge after the second steep talus slope.  You can see the trail running in the middle of this, leading to the top of the left prominence, then skirts around it to the left, where you will see Pyramid Peak summit.

Looking back from the black rock ascent to the saddle we just came over and brief flat area.

Working our way up the black rock.

View of Pyramid Peak as trail traverses under left side of ridge walls.  

Climbing "Talus slope 3" near the base of the summit.

Trail along left side of ridge near the summit.

Looking back to approach valley and the black "knife" ridge we had passed under.

The beautiful Eureka Quartzite on the summit of Pyramid Peak.

At Pyramid Peak's summit looking toward the east - Amargosa Desert.

Pyramid's summit!

Pyramid's summit looking down on our alluvial fan approach and Highway 190.

From the summit looking  east toward the Amargosa Desert and Nevada. 
"Amargosa" is the Spanish word for "bitter", describing water in the Amargosa River, which courses through Amargosa Desert.

On the summit looking toward Furnace Creek wash and Artist's Pallette in Death Valley.

View west of the Panamint Range and Telescope Peak, the highest summit in Death Valley at 11,043'.
The summit of Pahrump Point provides a closer view of Telescope.

Some cool stuff on the trail.

Celebratory rib-eye, beer and wine at Steaks and Beer in Tecopa, California - highly recommended for carnivores!!

That night after the hike, we walked into Steaks and Beer for our delicious ribeye and cherries jubilee.

Tecopa Hot Springs Resort - Tecopa, CA.

Early morning at Tecopa Hot Springs Resort's bath house.

Our tracks on the ridge portion of the hike to Pyramid Peak.  Leaving major wash (lower left) to walk to the end of side wash to begin ridge climb.

Our GPS tracks from parking at old campground on California Highway 190 to summit of Pyramid Peak (CalTopo maps).
Click on map for larger image

Elevation profile for out-and-back hike gaining 3,700' in 5.2 miles.  Hike up alluvial fan/wash for the first three miles.

References
Fridrich, C.J., et al.  Preliminary Geologic Map of the Southern Funeral Mountains and Adjacent Ground-Water Discharge Sites, Inyo County, California, and Nye County, Nevada.

Geologic Formations.  NPS - Death Valley website.
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​McAllister, J.  2009. Geologic Maps and Sections of a Strip from Pyramid Peak to the Southeast End of the Funeral Mountains, Ryan Quadrangle, California

We've made a refreshing change in our mode of hiking and exploring.  After years of using established trails, we are doing more hikes "cross-country" over slickrock or remote desert, where markers are few or none.  We've been fortunate to hike with a fellow southern Utah explorer who has discovered the routes illustrated in the slickrock slideshows below.
​I still appreciate rock cairn markers over miles-long treks in slickrock seas, like Boulder Mail Trail to Death Hollow in Grand Staircase-Escalante.  And, as the southwestern deserts heat up, we will find ourselves in higher elevations on signed forest trails.

Navigation through slickrock country is a fun way to explore, but extra precautions are needed.  You can use dead-reckoning and a compass to travel, but using a topo map helps you discover the canyons and plateaus between you and your destination.  I've started using Topo Maps US, an iphone and ipad compatible navigation application (version 12.0 or later).  With this app, you can download maps for areas in which you will be hiking, record and save your tracks.  I also always use my Garmin GPS to record our tracks, and occasionally Avenza Maps.

​Don't Walk on the Crypto! (more info at end of this post).

For more on petroglyphs:  In Search of the Rattlesnake Petroglyph

References
Loope, D.  et al. 2016.  Sandstones and Utah’s canyon country: Deposition, diagenesis, exhumation, and landscape evolution​.  University of Nebraska - Lincoln.

Open Spaces 
If you relish wide open spaces with minimal human influence, like the freedom to chart your own path to discover features that others haven't, and don't mind the occasional cactus spine jabs and rough rock-hopping, this rugged land is for you.  It's a place for open space "aficionados".  Sunflower Mountain's summit allows you to see what's going on in the Great Basin desert of Nevada:  raw, contorted, ripped and tilted geography as a result of earth's spreading and faulting.  Some say this desert land is too spare, but each plant must fight for survival, changing to adapt. This clever determination earns respect and admiration.  Many times you find unexpected things like fossils, springs and weird rocks.  I've found what looked like a miner's crucible and pottery sherds in remote deserts.  Surprise and unpredictability separate this biome from others.
​
A scene from the t.v. series Yellowstone prompted me to pull The Solace of Open Spaces by Gretel Ehrlich out of my bookcase.  In this scene, Beth, the daughter of John Dutton, the Montana ranch owner, is reading this book, wondering how to find solace.  "Solace must be discovered," her dad tells her.   Early in the book, Ehrlich states "Space has a spiritual equivalent and can heal what is divided and burdensome in us.  Space represents sanity, not a life purified dull, or "spaced out" but one that might accommodate intelligently any idea or situation."  She writes about the extreme weather and landscapes of Wyoming, and its people.   Ehrlich found solace in Wyoming after a tragic event in her life .

Some people find solace and revitalization in remote, open spaces.  Others find the same in the hubbub of big cities.  Is it an acquired preference that grows out of an appreciation for open spaces after you spend some time in them?  Or are some people more naturally attracted to them?  At any rate, the American West is rich with opportunities for solitude, solace, freedom, discovery.  The list goes on....

I have often wondered why the term "slickrock" is used to describe smooth-surfaced sandstone.  My boots didn't slip on it; in fact I found it rather grippy while hiking across it, up it, or down it.  Unless it is covered by a thin coat of ice or damp moss, it wasn't slippery.  My mountain bike tires held firmly on Moab's Slickrock Trail.  "Slick" was the term that early pioneers of the southwest region gave this multi-colored, cross-bedded rock because metal horseshoes and wheel rims had poor traction on this terrain.

We have been fortunate to meet two friends who are showing us some routes in the magical and ever-changing southern Utah slickrock country.  These routes are not marked;  no cairns, no signs.  They are wild and untrammeled and untrampled, a welcome change from southern Utah's over-traveled national parks.  The landscape is remarkable because there are so many things to see - from small-scale ferns, moqui marbles, and mountain lion tracks, to large-scale towers, blazing orange temples, hoo-doos and spires.  Colors vary from black desert-varnished and stained sandstone to blue pool refections in white slickrock.  This land is unpredictable.  When you reach the top of a smooth sandstone bowl or cross-bedded steps, you may find a cliffed-out canyon, or more slickrock flats, or a rocky pass with gnarled ponderosa pines and junipers to negotiate to reach the sand washes below.

"Nirvana" is the final goal of enlightenment in Buddhism, a state of transcendence where there is no suffering, desire or sense of self.  It's also a term used to describe paradise, a place of perfect peace and happiness - an "idyllic" place.  After a few nights backpacking in the Sawtooth Mountains, I would call that range in central Idaho "paradise".  Low, green valleys and sawtooth peaks all formed by glaciers, and plentiful lakes, so many that you could walk to a few of them in a day or spend each night at a different one.  Southern Utah's Red Rock Country might be described as paradise, or nirvana, at least by me.  It's a place where you can immerse yourself in the extraordinary beauty that's the artwork of millions of years of shaping and carving an ancient sand sea.  I'm grateful to be able to experience these places - to have the companionship of my husband and friends, to have strong legs to get there and be able to share our adventures with others.  We have available limitless adventures, but limited time.

The slickrock slideshow and other images that follow highlight scenes from one day's journey into slickrock paradise.  

We have discovered, in exploring southern Utah, Nevada, and northern Arizona that our list of "to-do's" grows exponentially.  The Bowl of Fire is just one small place in the geologically complex Lake Mead National Recreation Area, where rock ages span 1.8 billion years.  Recognizable from trailheads on Northshore Road, the Bowl of Fire is a bright orange pocket of sandstone beneath the formidable-looking Muddy Mountains, made of 500-300 million year old gray limestone.  The summit of Muddy Peak, a ~ 3,000-foot gain is one of the "classic" desert peaks to hike.  It's on our list.  From its summit, we will be able to see our recent ascents up Virgin Peak and Signal Peak.

We stayed in Echo Bay campground in the northern portion of Lake Mead National Recreation Area.  We walked to the shores of Lake Mead and found the area pretty much abandoned.  Lake Mead is at its lowest level since 1937, filled only to 27% capacity.  An old boarded-up restaurant still stood.  I bet in its heyday it was a thriving place, but now signs say "Launch Ramp Closed."  It's eerie to see the "bathtub ring" of light-colored rock at the base of mountains, where there once was water.

​Besides the Bowl of Fire, we ventured up a high point in the rugged volcanic Jimbilnan Wilderness to get a view of Lake Mead.  Stark and dry, this is the Mojave Desert, dominated by creosote bush, mojave yucca and beavertail cactus.  "Jimbilnan" is a combination of names of three National Park Service employees who surveyed this area - Jim, Bill and Nancy.  This wilderness is made up largely of the rocks from the Cleopatra stratovolcano that erupted 13 million years ago.  This is an area of many small brown to grey "bumps", gnarly ridges and peaks, and we found ourselves climbing on unforgiving, crumbly, sharp rocks.
​
Two Parts to the Bowl of Fire
Upon entering "the bowl", you are free to create your own path and wander wherever your impulse takes you - maybe explore a rocky canyon, walk to a high point through sandstone blocks, climb into a "cave" of eroded sandstone, or pass by slickrock tinajas (pools).  We hiked just the southern part of Bowl of Fire (see Google Earth image below), our trailhead 2.4 miles west of Northshore Summit trailhead on Northshore Road.  We parked in a small pull-out and soon found a trail heading north, crossing Callville Wash.  Birdandhike.com describes an 8-mile hike that includes both north and south sections.  Just when I thought I had seen every kind of sandstone feature, we ran into some highly eroded blocks on the ridge of a high point that looked like Rice Krispies treats! (see below).  Here, the rocks have character and the land in this Lake Mead area just north of Las Vegas is sublime and transcendent.

Muddy Peak's summit is in the works - we will see some killer views of Nevada, Arizona and Utah.  Our to-do list grows....

References
Beard, L.S, et al. 2007  Preliminary Geologic Map of the Lake Mead 30' X 60' Quadrangle, Clark County, Nevada, and Mohave County, Arizona.  USGS website.
Hamblin-Cleopatra Volcano.  NPS - Lake Mead.
​​Lake Mead National Recreation Area - Geology,  USGS slideshow.
​Lake Mead Keeps Dropping.  NASA Earth Observatory
​Zuluaga, L.F., et al.  2017.  Structural and petrophysical effects of overthrusting on highly porous sandstones: the Aztec Sandstone in the Buffington window, SE Nevada, USA

Expansive views of southern Utah and northern Arizona, cool canyon narrows, Pueblo II petroglyphs, a deep sand slog and delicious quiche in Kanab, "Utah's Little Hollywood."

On the trail to Mansard Benchmark (mesa on the left).

Ancient Moqui steps carved into Red Canyon (AKA Peekaboo)
Also called "moki" steps, these were carved into sandstone to access alcove above.  The lowest step is about 5 feet from the canyon floor.  Handmade ropes and ladders were possibly used to access the steps, or sediment has washed away, making the access higher.  There may have been a granary in the alcove.
more Peekaboo photos below

Kanab, "The Greatest Earth on Show" is adventure-central for southern Utah and a nice little city with good restaurants, a museum, and a great bakery.  We stayed in an RV park with our small trailer for two nights, walked into town for dinner one night, and did two hikes.  Mansard Benchmark and East Mansard Peak were just out of city limits, and a great way to get the lay of the land for miles around.  The Peekaboo Canyon hike was a slog through deep sand to get to the slot canyon (we didn't have the right tires on our pick-up).  Kanab has adventure companies galore that will take you to Antelope Canyon, Horseshoe Bend, Peakaboo Canyon and the Grand Canyon.  It's not far from the now world-famous "The Wave" in Vermillion Cliffs, as well as Buckskin Gulch and Wire Pass.  It used to be easier to get into "The Wave";  Fred and I have gone twice about 20 years ago, when all we had to do was to be the first in line at the Kanab Ranger Station by 8:00 a.m. to get two of the limited number of permits.  Now you have to go through a lottery system.

​There's a reason you may feel invigorated after visiting Kanab.  There's a lot of orange.  Orange is the color of warmth, vitality, and creativity.  According to Color Theory, orange increases our activity levels and gives us a sharper awareness of our surroundings.

Mansard Benchmark and East Mansard Peak
This short hike combines most of the great attributes of southern Utah:  slickrock scrambling, spectacular views, petroglyphs, striking landforms and geology, junipers and pinyon pines, and some route-finding.  A couple of weaknesses in the north cliffs proved a bit daunting for me to climb, but then we found a rope that assisted me up and down the cliff band.

Hike Summary

• One mile of switchbacks from trailhead to arrive at top of Vermilion Cliffs, to see both summits.   
• Mansard Trail takes a left at the saddle between these two high points to end at a junction with a sandy road.
• Hike left up this road to find the signs for the petroglyph site.  Most hikers/runners stop here and return.
• Hike to Mansard Benchmark summit:  access is on the north side of the mesa, reached by hiking on the sandy road in the opposite direction, leading northeast.
• Hike on this road ~ 0.4 miles, then leave road and head up the slope toward the north side of Mansard Benchmark's cliffs.
• Walk along base of cliff until you find a spot you can do a Class 3 move to get over the cliff.  I eventually found a rope tied to a sturdy tree and used it to ascend onto ground above cliff band.
• We found cairns to mark the way through the brush on top to a nice lookout over petroglyph site to the south, making sure to take a visual of the descent point.  In this case, there is a distinct-looking juniper that is right over our entry point.
• Climb East Mansard Peak: Descend back down to sandy road; we bush-whacked from road to Mansard Trail to find a 0.2-mile social trail that went toward the base of East Mansard.  Class 2-2+ scramble on white slickrock to summit.

Peekaboo Slot Canyon (Red Canyon) 
​We didn't trust our truck's tires on the jeep/ATV road's  deep sand (Road 102 from the highway trailhead), so we walked that 2.8-mile distance to the entrance of Peekaboo, which admittedly got a bit frustrating on the last mile back.  But it was worth it.  Within the confines of towering 80-foot high walls, you enter a silent, almost mysterious world.  It's mind-boggling to consider how many millions of years it took for water to carve this Navajo Sandstone.  We walked through at optimal light that shifted orange, red and purple hues during our time in the slot.  So many compositions of curves, textures, lines can be captured with a camera.  It becomes darker as you progress to the end, requiring a tripod if using a digital camera to capture sharp images.  The moqui steps carved into a vertical wall by Native Americans were the most amazing feature.  They clearly lead to a ledge, at this time illuminated with a fiery orange.  Stripped and bleached tree trunks wedged between narrow sandstone spaces above attest to past waters moving fast enough to deposit them there.

Oh, yes.  I mentioned we had the best quiche at Kanab Creek Bakery, which prepares food using "traditional European" methods.  Their croissants looked so good.  We got there when it opened at 8:00 a.m., and soon after there was already a line for breakfast.  

The best modes of transportation to explore the desert around Kanab and Grand Staircase are jeeps and UTV side-by-sides.  White Pocket in northern Arizona's Vermilion Cliffs is our next goal - just outside of Kanab near the famous "Wave" in Coyote Buttes.  We just need to talk our neighbor, who has a jeep, into going with us.

Keep On Exploring!!

"The Wave" in Coyote Buttes North - Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness, Bureau of Land Management.

Mural in Kanab.
(more city of Kanab images at end of post)

Cairn a short distance from parking lot.  East Mansard Peak is center horizon.

Vermilion Cliffs:  first mile of trail switch-backs up to the top where it heads north toward saddle between Mansard Benchmark and East Mansard Peak.

Mansard Trail switchbacks.

Off the switchbacks, onto the plateau.   East Mansard Peak on the right.

 Mansard Benchmark seen once on top of the plateau.  The route to summit this is from the other (north) side of this mesa.

Pleasant stroll  - East Mansard Peak seen here.

On the way to petroglyph site on south side of Mansard Benchmark.

Mansard Trail petroglyphs are ~ 870 - 1,070 years old according to Bureau of Land Management Mansard Trail page.

Detail in sandstone wall near petroglyph site.

Some cool stuff on the trail.

Just had to photograph (in high dynamic range) this beautiful, huge juniper!

Point at which we left the sandy road and headed toward Mansard Benchmark's north cliffs.

Approaching north cliffs.

Looking for a route to the top.

Get to climb beautiful slick rock!

Walking along cliff base to find a Class 3 weakness.

Found this rope:  Fred used it only to climb down.  He climbed up a weakness in the cliff just before this.

At the top of Mansard Benchmark looking over Kanab and Kanab Plateau into northern Arizona.

Heading down:  large juniper marks where we ascended the cliff band.

Looking up at East Mansard Peak.

Social trail takes you from main Mansard Trail to base of East Mansard; begin climbing through sand/on sandstone to the left.

Maneuvering over sandstone to ridge and then following it to the right.

Summit at the right.

Cairn on summit.  View includes Mansard Benchmark (left).  Grand Staircase/Escalante National Monument on right in photo.

Base of East Mansard Peak.

Our GPS tracks and elevation profile 
click on map for larger view

The road leading to Peekaboo from the trailhead off Highway 89.  Sand gets deeper than this in some parts of this road.

Some cool stuff in Kanab.

More than 100 movies and television shows, like Gunsmoke were filmed in Kanab and vicinity.  It was the setting for The Lone Ranger, Billy the Kid, The Outlaw Josey Wales and even Planet of the Apes.  A walking tour of "downtown" Kanab presents many nice-quality plaques that feature actors like John Wayne, Frank Sinatra, Dale Evans, Jack Nicholson, Clint Eastwood, Ronald Reagan, and many other stars who came to Kanab to film movies.

"Love Thy Neighbor as Thyself"......Jacob Hamblin, Buckskin Apostle.