Hike a gorgeous and high Utah mountain range that relatively few know about. On Shelly Baldy's summit looking at Mount Baldy (left) and Mount Belknap (right), the Tushar Mountain's second highest peak after Delano Peak. Trip Stats Location: Southern Utah - Fishlake National Forest out of Beaver. Quick Summary (from Skyline/ Big John Flat trailhead on Forest Road #123, head northwest, ascend northeast ridge).
Difficulty: Easy - moderate Class 1, then moderate Class 2 scramble on stable talus ridge. Coordinates: Trailhead = 38.35910 -112.39317. Summit = 38.36911 -112.42528 Trailhead location: The Skyline-Big John Flat Trailhead is located 21 miles east of Beaver, Utah. From Beaver travel east on UT-153 road for approximately 16.2 miles. Turn left onto the FR123 (Sunset Drive) for 0.3 miles. Keep left on FR123 and travel another 4.5 miles to the Trailhead. Forest Service Interactive Map Maps/Apps: Fishlake National Forest - Beaver and Fillmore Ranger Districts map. Date hiked: July 26, 2023 Geology: Shelly Baldy summit is Mount Baldy Rhyolite, an extrusive igneous fine-grained silica-rich rock. Links: Mountain Forecast (weather) Fishlake National Forest Related Posts:
Descending Shelly Baldy's talus ridge looking toward the east and Delano Peak. Topo Map and profile for Shelly Baldy Peak accessed from Big John Flat/Skyline Trail trailhead. (Thank-you Caltopo). The Tushars: Ouiet, High, and Beautiful We keep returning to the less-traveled Tushars because of the forest, wildflowers, the variety of peaks to hike and the spectacular ridge scenery. And it's so green! We previously hiked Delano Peak, and a loop including Delano and Mt. Holly where we shared the mountain with the mountain goats. Copper Belt Peak was our original plan this trip, accessed along a beautiful ridgeline in the central Tushars, but we were blocked by a gate on the access road. We found out from a guy doing trail maintenance after finishing Shelly Baldy that there was still a snow slide blocking the road. Last winter (2022-23) saw record-breaking snowfalls in southern Utah. It's believed that Tushar came from the Southern Paiute word "T-shar", meaning "white". Mt. Belknap and Mt. Baldy, two of its highest volcanic-rock summits gleam white from a distance. Shelly Baldy is a fun peak and a not-too-difficult way to get stunning views of Belknap, Baldy and Delano. The hike is a combination of high-country creeks and waterfalls, meadows and forest, tundra and talus, and many wildflowers this July. The route is straightforward: you hike the Blue Lake Trail to its closest point near Shelly Baldy's northeast ridge and jump off to head cross-country towards it, having to negotiate a large talus field before embarking on a straight-up route on its ridge. It's a short climb on stable talus - not exposed - to the summit cairn, sign and mailbox that acts as a summit register. That night we stayed in the Mahogany Cove Campground, camping out of the back of our truck. We had driven up Forest Road 123 toward the trailhead the day before, but found all of the camping areas filled with RV's. The 275-mile Paiute ATV Trail, a network of trails and dirt roads runs through the Tushars. It ties together historic mining and native American sites, Mormon heritage sites, state parks and National Forests. Copper Belt Peak is still on our list. If we can't access it from Beaver, we can hopefully get to it from Marysvale, to the east. Comfort Kills In my Crossfit "box" (term affectionately used by Crossfitters to describe their gym which contains barbells, racks, rowers, jump ropes, kettlebells, etc.), a photo shows two athletes wearing shirts with the words "Comfort Kills." Intrigued, I read up on this "attitude." Forceful words, but they are true. We must go beyond our limits, our comfort zone. Going beyond what we think we can withstand, taking on risks in order to grow. "Our goal should not be to constantly remain in a sheltered place. Rather, in all circumstances have the ability to find solace." --Savage Gentleman website. I will keep on reminding myself. Growth and change happens in the extremes - Never Stop Climbing Mountains! Skyline/Big John Flat Trailhead just on FR 123. Some cool stuff on the trail. Griffith Creek near trailhead. Poison Creek - cold water and a bit tricky to cross! On the Skyline Trail walking out of the forest into higher meadows. Still on Skyline: first view of Shelly Baldy Peak with the two small snow patches near its summit. Intersection of Skyline Trail with Blue Lake Trail. From here we headed north (right) onto Blue Lake Trail. Blue Lake Trail: finding a point closest to Shelly Baldy's (peak with snow on it) ridge on the right. Looking for the best cut-off point from Blue Lake Trail. Looks like we found it. There's that big mound of talus to get over before heading up Shelly Baldy's northeast ridge. I think you could continue ascending Blue Lake Trail a little further and get off the trail to walk through the forest on the right and avoid so much of the talus. Faint trail through edge of forest. Hill of talus before reaching ridge. Wow! Pink!! Finally on steep, slippery ridge. Fred upper center. Pretty straightforward!! Mid-way up ridge looking at Mount Baldy, Tushar's third highest peak at 12,122'. At Shelly Baldy summit. Piece of cake! Looking west toward Mineral Mountains north of Beaver, Utah. On summit: Mount Baldy (left) and Mount Belknap (right). You can see why "Tushar" may have come from "T-shar," the Southern Paiutes' word for "white." Never tire of this beautiful forest. Reference
Cunningham, C.G, et. al. 1983. Geologic map of the Tushar Mountains and adjoining areas, Marysvale volcanic field, Utah.
2 Comments
A four-mile journey across pristine slickrock brings you to this wondrous geologic feature in remote Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. Nearby, a huge petroglyph panel representing various cultures looks over the Escalante River near Neon Canyon. The Cosmic Ashtray, aka Cosmic Navel - a huge 200-foot wide pothole filled with orange sand. Small sample of many petroglyphs on huge panel near the confluence of Neon Canyon and Escalante River.
Cosmic Ashtray The Cosmic Ashtray, AKA "Cosmic Navel" is an astonishing sight to behold after a suspenseful four-mile hike across a sea of slick rock, when it suddenly appears as a huge white sandstone pothole filled with deep orange sand, a large rock stashed inside it. This "weathering pit", also called "Inselberg (island mountain) Pit" because of its 10-meter high rock pedestal is the largest on Earth. It has erosional features that resemble similar discoveries on Mars. Wind continually changes the pit dune's orange sand shape and depth. Based on Colorado River erosion rates, a study estimates this pit is 216,000 years old. We talked to a bartender, a life-long Escalante rancher who had hiked Cosmic a few times. He has climbed into the pit sand by tying a rope to a shrub! We didn't find a hook in the pit wall. We got to talking about Hole-In-the-Rock Road, one of the few that gives access to Grand Staircase-Escalante and the Egypt trailhead we used for Golden Cathedral. After we complained that the road was very wash-boardy and rough, he said the county (Garfield) used to keep it in better condition before it became a National Monument. We've been down this road several times and this time it appeared to be in the worst condition. If you look at an aerial photo of the Cosmic Ashtray (check out the Netoff study), an open tunnel into the pit indicates wind has carved this channel smooth, creating wind-abraded flutes on its sandstone walls. Cosmic Ashtray is situated on a topographical high, between bedrock knobs. Wind funnels through these sandstone knobs enhancing wind speed (the Venturi effect). The orange dune sand comes from distant areas; it's larger-grained and therefore heavier than the sand of the eroded pit walls, so it accumulates in the pit. Fred hadn't seen photos of the Cosmic Ashtray weathering pit so he was amazed when we came upon it. The beautiful journey across miles of undulating bare Navajo sandstone makes you feel small and remote in the middle of the Jurassic-age buttes, knobs, and deep, narrow canyons. Moqui marbles, black embedded half-shells of iron concretions, and weird stained patterns pop up in the bleached and orange slick rock. Polygonal fractures that resemble honeycombs decorate the white sandstone all the way to the top. It will be fun to take friends next time without showing them a "preview" of Cosmic Ashtray just to see their astonishment at the sight of it. A sequence of ducks (small rock pile trail markers) led us up a steep pitch where Cosmic slowly came into view as we climbed to a lookout (Point 5847). At first, the northern-facing pit wall appears, followed by the tip of the pedestal rock in its center, and then finally its orange sand pit. Great vantage point for photos. Then you can climb back down and access the pit from its north entrance.
Deeply pecked abstract geometric petroglyphs from the Archaic culture (3,000 BCE) have been on this wall for so long that they are "re-patinated," or covered with dark desert varnish. Glen Canyon linear style anthropomorphs (resembling humans), and animals make up most of the glyphs. Bear paws and human feet march to the top of the slab. Ancestral Puebloans pecked bighorn sheep and broad-shouldered anthropomorphs during 1,000 BCE - 550 CE. We approached Neon Canyon from the Egypt trailhead along the "standard" trail which entailed three or four Escalante River crossings. BEWARE OF QUICKSAND when walking in low water levels. Our plan next time is to hike the Beeline route from Egypt trailhead to Golden Cathedral - this means only one river crossing near Neon Canyon entrance. With each Grand Staircase/Escalante visit, our list of places to explore expands as this spectacular ever-changing land seems to do. As I write this, I'm sitting in Las Vegas airport waiting for a Chicago flight. I keep thinking of the magnificent land of Grand Staircase-Escalante, feel a yearning to return to it. As its silty yellow and orange rivers flow, the scent of pine and juniper fill its air, and its landscape turns bright orange and vermillion with sunrises and sunsets, I wish I was there to see it. As always, so much to see and do, so little time.... Cosmic Ashtray Images The "Cosmic Ashtray" is an inselberg pit (insel = island, berg = mountain in German). The orange sand blows in from remote places. The center pedestal is ~ 10 meters high. Climb knob 5847 to the north for a good view of its sand dune. photo by Fred Birnbaum View of Red Breaks during first mile of hike. Vast juniper-dotted slickrock sea to the north. Indian Ricegrass haven and the Red Breaks. One beautiful reminder of life cycles in the slickrock desert. So many eroded Navajo sandstone features. Looking north toward flat "meadow." Potholes, tinajas, waterpockets, ephemeral pools are all names for these eroded sandstone depressions. Following duck trail markers to the top of Point 5847 that looks directly into Cosmic Ashtray. The "unveiling" of Cosmic Ashtray, aka Inselberg Pit from Point 5847. Moqui marbles and other weathered-out iron concretions making an interesting pattern. Movement of fluids through sandstones, especially Navajo Sandstone can create "bleaching" or removal of hematite (white bands). Neon Canyon/Escalante River Petroglyphs Looking down at "Egypt" from the trailhead. The route goes through alternating sand and slickrock. Aim toward the dark round dome upper left in photo - along the Escalante River. Neon Canyon's opening is at the base of this dome. I couldn't find the origin of the name "Egypt". This is an old stock route, so possibly an original rancher, upon seeing this wide, sandy bench said, "Sure the heck looks like Egypt!" Walking from Egypt Bench into Fence Canyon, which empties into Escalante River. Dropping into Fence Canyon, where a short hike leads to Escalante River for a short river walk. Short Escalante River wade before catching trail on right side of river. These abstract petroglyphs are more deeply incised and re-patinated (covered with desert varnish); they probably older than the anthropomorphic (representing humans) petroglyphs seen on left side of panel. Lots of petroglyphs superimposed over older ones. Some of the more recent are from cowboy Charles Hall in 1881, who made his cursive signature under the undulating snake petroglyph. These petroglyphs are located toward the left part of the panel and are lighter (desert varnish has not fully re-covered them), so they are probably made more recently than the abstract, re-patinated images. Hiking on Beeline Trail out of Escalante River, back to the trailhead. Petroglyph panel on left side of photo, Neon Canyon opening in notch below the round dome, aka Point 5,270'. Duck (left) marking the Beeline Trail back to trailhead. Related posts
A memorable climb up a famous sandstone precipice with 1,000-foot drop-offs on either side of a narrow trail, and an up-close view of a California condor.
Trip Stats Overview: Begin on West Rim Trail from The Grotto at Zion Canyon shuttle stop #6; cross bridge over the Virgin River to access it. Walk along the Virgin River before climbing steep switchbacks that take you through Refrigerator Canyon. From here, work your way up short and steep Walter's Wiggles to Scout Lookout where a 0.4-mile spur trail extends over sandstone and straight up the ledges to Angels Landing. Distance/Elevation gain: 5.0 miles out and back/1,488' gain. Most recent date hiked: 7/06/23. Special Considerations: You must apply for permit via lottery system through recreation.gov. There are two check-point stations on the trail to verify your permit. Map: Trails Illustrated Map - Zion National Park #214 History: The 21 short and steep switchbacks leading to Scout Lookout were constructed by Walter Ruesch, the first Zion Park superintendent, in 1926. Geology: Angels Landing is a resistant fin of Jurassic age (~ 170 million years ago) Navajo Sandstone, carved by the North fork of the Virgin River. NPS link for permits Related Posts
Described as "one of the most dangerous hikes in the country", and also "deadly", the hike to the precarious perch known as Angels Landing is in high demand. It looks impossible to climb, but it turns out that it isn't: 200,000 Angels Landing permits were issued in 2022, according to Zion National Park Service's website. As many as 1,000 hikers/day make the chained journey on worn sandstone to one of the most coveted and iconic views in the country - a 360-degree view of Zion Canyon. Actually, this hike is not as scary as it looks. The first time I hiked Angels Landing was 30 years ago, on a trip with the Coachella Valley Hiking Club. It held a certain mystique and peril among my fellow hikers. Back then, the chains that you hold onto for balance on the dizzying heights were thinner and it seems like there were less of them. I've hiked it a few more times since then, and hinted that it was not for those afraid of heights in a post I wrote a few years back: Angels Landing: Not for the Faint of Heart. Two years ago my sister Jen from Omaha, Nebraska, gave Angels Landing a try. She, Fred and I set out to conquer this beast. Just about everyone who arrives at Scout Lookout to gaze upon this narrow fin of sandstone towering 1,500 feet over Zion Canyon floor has to wonder how the heck they'll get to the top. Not having any experience with this kind of hiking, she made commendable progress to Angel's base, where the first drop-offs and slick rock test your resolve, but when we got to the vertical climb, the intimidating precipice got the best of Jen, so we didn't summit. Back in Omaha, she vowed that one day soon she would conquer Angels Landing. So she did. Pretty easily, I might add, with my brother-in-law Ray, coaching her from behind, and Fred leading the way. Our permits through recreation.gov allowed us to be at the permit checkpoint by 9:00 am. This July morning was perfect - just the right temperature and no clouds. By the time we descended, however, the trail was getting too crowded; but patience, good spirits and comradery worked well to get everyone up and down safely. Almost like a celebration. Now, I'm not surprised Jen made it this time. She's a conquerer, a goal-setter and achiever, not a person to sidestep challenges. Just do it. This was the best Angels Landing hike by far. I wouldn't have predicted, thirty years ago, when I was a beginning hiker, that I would be experiencing this with my sis and bro-in-law. But I did, and that is awesome! Years go by so fast and most things in life are unpredictable. Another "conquer" of sorts was when she and I finished a Spartan Sprint challenge in Boise a few years ago (we've got photos on my Fit After 50 page). As a bonus, we saw what I believe to be a California condor. It was a big black hulk of feathers with a small head, perched on gnarled pine tree branches on the summit. This one appeared to be a juvenile because of its black head - adults have a vibrant pink and orange-colored head. The photo below shows that condors have thick pointed ruff feathers that they raise to warm their necks in cold temperatures. The number of California condors plummeted to only 22 by the 1980's. In 1967, they were listed as an endangered species. Captive breeding has helped increase their numbers. We were pretty lucky to get our Angels Landing permits - apparently only 43% of applications are awarded. The lottery system to apply for permits began in 2022. As a great add-on to this already stellar experience, I recommend continuing to hike up the West Rim Trail past Scout Lookout; the views, in my opinion, are even more spectacular as you climb higher. Thanks for visiting. Keep on Moving - Keep on Exploring! California Condor 2022 Population Status
Total World Population = 561 (total captive = 214, total wild = 347). The Arizona/Utah flock has the largest number of California condors at 116 with 4 wild fledglings. There's also flocks in Southern, Central and Baja California. Numbers got as low as 22 birds in the 1980's. Condors today still die of lead poisoning, consuming litter and microtrash, and electrocution from power lines. Sources: National Park Service: All About Condors, World CA Condor Update Partial topo map of Zion NP. Angels Landing hike begins across the Floor of the Valley Road from the Grotto on West Rim Trail. Hike north for 2.1 miles to arrive at Scout Lookout, where a 0.4 mile spur trail goes south to the top of Angels Landing. Fred , Jen and Ray starting the switchbacks out of Zion Canyon floor. Angels Landing above! Switchbacks up to Refrigerator Canyon and Walter's Wiggles. Zion Canyon floor below. I took this photo on another Angels Landing climb....when it was not as well-traveled. Not scary at all! Angels Landing. A bit of easy Class 3 climbing. Probably a juvenile California condor near the summit of Angels Landing. I read that these are very curious birds. At the base of Angels Landing near Scout Lookout. Looking down on Virgin River, the erosive force that created the narrow fin of sandstone known as Angels Landing. Really is a great feeling of lightness when you are on Angels Landing. Virgin River below. Ray, Fred and Jen on top of Angels Landing! Perfect day. Half of the fun of this hike is talking to people at the top! The Great White Throne towers in the background. From Angels Landing looking at Big Bend. Two awesome sisters! (I tried to Photoshop the phone out of my hand......too much work!) Ray, Jen, Fred, and Sue on Angels Landing - piece of cake! Top of Angels Landing looking down Zion Canyon. Ray and Jen - these guys made it look easy! Heading back down this beautiful Navajo Sandstone. West Rim Trail winds up on top of the vertical sandstone slab upper right in photo. I highly recommend continuing north up this trail. Walter's Wiggles and Refrigerator Canyon below. View of Angels Landing (center) and Floor of the Valley Road from Cable Mountain. From West Rim Trail - waterfall after snowstorm. References
California Condors. National Park Service website.
The Fremont culture's expressions in volcanic rock, explosive geology, and a peaceful stay at Castle Rock Campground.
Fremont Indian State Park's Sheep Shelter, an alcove that uses a mirror to view its petroglyphs. Semi-circles and dots pecked on a line that extends the length of the alcove wall may have represented observations of the sky.
"Castles" at Castle Rock Campground weathering out of the Sevier River Formation that's made of sediments including ash, sandstones, siltstones, and lava flows.
Trip Stats
Overview: Massive volcanic ash ejections 19 million years ago provide the "canvas" on which the Fremont peoples carved numerous petroglyphs along Clear Creek Canyon, an ancient passageway between Utah's northern Pahvant range and the southern Tushar mountains. On the other side of Clear Creek, Castle Rock Campground's weathered sediment hoodoos make a unique backdrop to explore. Location: Central Utah - Fishlake National Forest - Tushar Mountains - Clear Creek Canyon along Interstate 70. Dates visited: May 27-30, 2023 Trails: most petroglyph sites involve short hikes on dirt/gravel. The Alma Christensen Nature Trail is a one-mile loop that hooks up to the petroglyph-viewing trails close to the museum. Google Map for Fremont Indian State Park and Castle Rock Campground: Closest town is Richfield, Utah. Exit 17 from Interstate 70 - take FR478: on south side is Castle Rock and on north side is Fremont Indian SP. Additional links: Fremont Indian State Park Brochure, Castle Rock Campground, Geologic History of Fremont Indian SP Books to Read:
- Kenneth Olsen Kohler
Related Posts:
As mysterious as some of their rock art is, much of the ancient Fremont culture who lived in Utah ~ 300 - 1,300 A.D. also remains an enigma. Archaeologists use the word "Fremont" to refer to a "culture" or a "label," not a homogenous people because the Fremont territory included many ethnic groups and linguistic variation. "Fremont" is a generic term for people that lived in varied geographical locations, and had a diversity of lifestyles but seemed to have shared behavioral patterns such as subsistence. Some people were settled farmers; some were nomads that hunted and gathered; and some may have moved between these lifestyles. David B. Madsen, in his book Exploring the Fremont describes the Fremont lifestyle one of "variation and flexibility." They lived in natural rock shelters and pit houses dug into the ground, covered with brush roofs.
Four distinctive artifact classifications distinguish the Fremont from other prehistoric societies:
Since I love pottery (Fred says that our home can't fit any more pots!), I found an interesting Masters thesis, Fremont Ceramic Designs and their Implications by Katie K. Richards that was well worth the read if you are interested in the Fremont pottery and the evolution of research and archaeologists' changing philosophies about the Fremont throughout the decades since the late 1920's, when this culture was first identified along the Fremont River in south-central Utah. This article has a lot of great museum photos of Fremont pottery.
Fremont Indian State Park
I got the idea to visit Fremont Indian State Park after seeing it just off Interstate 70, coming back from the San Rafael Swell near Green River, Utah. I had read about this park in Geology Underfoot in Southern Utah, an informative book that features 33 "vignettes," three of which describe geology at Fremont Indian State Park and nearby Castle Rock Campground, where we stayed a few nights. Fred and I had already explored some of the places highlighted in this book, and I vowed to explore the rest of them, using it as a guide. Well, here's the first! I've seen petroglyphs carved into sandstone, basalt and granite, but not into tuff, a type of rock made of compacted ash as these are at Fremont Indian State Park, along Clear Creek. Why did the Fremont peoples carve so many petroglyphs along this Clear Creek Canyon corridor? Clear Creek provided ample water, and an old village with artifacts was uncovered during the excavations for building Interstate 70. This valley was a natural route between northern and southern mountains.
Voluminous amounts, ~ 150 cubic kilometers of ash flow explosively extruded from present-day Mt. Belknap to the south to fill the ancient Clear Creek Valley 19 million years ago. The ash was so hot - at least 1,100° F - that it "welded" and produced solid rock - hence the name "welded tuff." This rock, on which the Fremont peoples carved their petroglyphs is called the Joe Lott Tuff, named for an early Mormon pioneer who settled in this Canyon, building a cabin with orchards in the 1880's. When you look closely at this rock you can see the angular rock fragments of granite, biotite, feldspar, and pumice.
Petroglyphs carved into tuff at Fremont Indian State Park.
Being the geology nerd I am, the towering columnar cliffs, part of the Joe Lott Tuff near the east end of Clear Creek Canyon Road proved interesting. The six-sided columns are broken off at various heights along the walls where weaker bonds in the rock succumbed to erosion. These are jointed ignimbrites - thick, massive, lava-like sheets of volcanic rocks made mostly of glass particles. The process for this columnar jointing: volcanic eruption and ash flow --> cooling lava --> stress caused by cooling --> contracting lava forming cracks --> growing crack perpendicular to surface of flow --> columns are formed --> erosion and change --> columns break and tumble.
Columnar jointing in the volcanic Joe Lott Tuff. When this lava flow was cooling, vertical fractures developed to create the six-sided columns. Clear Creek Canyon has cut down through this tuff; erosion continues causing the columns to fall.
Claret cup hedgehog cactus and circular petroglyph on the Canyon of Life Rock Art Trail.
I liked the many petroglyph sites and their variations; some were close to the road but most involved short-distance hikes, enough to keep us busy the entire day. Outdoor interpretive signs at the museum present a time-line of the petroglyphs in this canyon and key components to look for in the designs made during different time-periods, with the Great Basin Abstract style being the oldest type (1,000 B.C.E.) in this area.
Fremont Indian State Park Petroglyphs
Cave of a Hundred Hands has 31 handprints. Metal bars protect it from further defacing.
Unless you want to climb the rocks across the freeway, you view this pictograph from binoculars or the view pipe provided at the viewpoint. It's called a blanket because it reminded the first Mormon Settlers of a blanket design.
Castle Rock Campground (Map)
Castle Rock Campground is located just a few miles from Fremont Indian SP, in the volcanic Tushar Mountains. Last year we shared this range's highest peaks, Delano Peak and Mount Holly, with mountain goats in a wind storm. It felt good to be among the pines, cottonwoods and junipers in this clean campground. Eroded rock towers, AKA "hoodoos" or in this case "castles" provide an interesting backdrop. Mix in the soothing sounds of Joe Lott Creek flowing near many campsites and you've got a relaxing, back-to-nature getaway. Geology Underfoot instructed us to go behind campsite 23 to view the sediments of the hoodoos from the Sevier River formation, deposited between 15 and 4 million years ago by streams and sculpted by wind, water and ice. Right away I saw a pile of white ash mixed with sediments on the ground along with dark grey rocks that had weathered out of the walls. These hoodoo walls, when touched, crumble easily because these sediments have poor cementation. Periodic ash fall deposits blanketed these sediments; you can actually see two bright white ash layers, one near the top and the other near the bottom of these hoodoos. Another striking feature of these hoodoos is their interesting shapes caused by vertical carving and channeling. This Clear Creek drainage was uplifted because of Great Basin faulting that continues today. This uplift produced a slope, and the stream was invigorated, washing away the soft, poorly-cemented rock of this formation. Where there is a weakness in the rock, a small channel is started; heavy rains become concentrated in these channels, causing them to grow. So, the Sevier River formation was deposited onto an eroded Joe Lott Tuff, illustrating the law of superposition in stratigraphy - that is, the older layer of rock is under the younger layer. This principle is turned on its head, so to speak, however in the presence of compressive thrust faults that push older rocks over younger rocks, but not in this area. Oh be Joyful This is the actual name of a trail out of Crested Butte, Colorado that Fred and I have hiked a few times in July among the wildflowers. "Joyful" and "grateful" describe how I feel when we get to explore these intriguing Utah places, are able to use our legs to see incredible sights in person, and our imagination to wonder about the person who carved the petroglyph in the tuff hundreds of years ago. We've got 30 more Geology Underfoot locations to explore, including Valley of the Gods, the Goosenecks of the San Juan River, and the Virgin Anticline. Plus getting up to more Utah summits! How are we going to fit everything in?
"One night, a full moon watched over me like a mother. In the blue light of the basin, I saw a petroglyph on a large boulder. It was spiral. I placed the tip of my finger on the center and began tracing the coil around and around. It spun off the rock. My finger kept circling the land, the lake, the sky. The spiral became larger and larger until it became a dance of stars in the night sky above Stansbury Island. A meteor flashed and as quickly disappeared. The waves continued to hiss and retreat, hiss and retreat. In the West Desert of the Great Basin, I was not alone."
Terry Tempest Williams - from Exploring the Fremont
Never Stop Exploring!
Sevier River formation - layers of basin-fill deposits
Crumbling hoodoos (left), and a close-up of large rocks embedded in the walls (right), indicating more powerful water flow caused by storm events when these were deposited.
A chunk of ash (foreground) mixed with sediments that has weathered out of the eroded Sevier River formation. Note the layer of white ash present near the bottom of these hoodoos.
Interesting shapes in the Joe Lott Tuff.
"Castles" at Castle Rock Campground. Large dark volcanic rocks that protrude from their walls attest to the power of water flow during large storm events.
Claret Cup Hedgehog
Tuff texture - honeycomb weathering
Joe Lott Creek - Trail #051 goes from the south end of Castle Rock Campground to the Silver King Mine interpretive area.
One source said that Joe Lott helped build the arastras that ground the silver ore produced from the mine.
References
Case, W. Geosights: Fremont Indian State Park, Sevier County, Utah (from Utah Geological Survey website, vo. 42 #2, May 2010. Cunningham, C.G., Steven, T. A. 1979. Mount Belknap and Red Hills Calderas and Associated Rocks, Marysvale Volcanic Field, West-Central Utah. U.S. Dept. of the Interior - Geological Survey. Fremont Indian State Park Trail Guide. State of Utah Office of Museum Services. The Historical Marker Database - Pioneering Utah Madsen, D. B. 1989. Exploring the Fremont. Utah Museum of Natural History. Orndorff, R.L., et al. 2006. Geology Underfoot in Southern Utah. Mountain Press Publishing Company, Missoula, Montana. Simms, S. R. 4/22/2016. The Fremont Period. From historytogo.utah.gov website.
Crack Canyon, with its narrows and soaring sandstone walls is a non-technical, scenic joy to hike. It's one of the over 30 remote and hidden canyons transecting the San Rafael Reef. Bonus: you might have it all to yourself.
Entrance into Crack Canyon, San Rafael Reef.
Trip Stats
Location: Central Utah, Bureau of Land Management - Price Field Office - Southeast San Rafael Swell - Crack Canyon Wilderness Study Area. Overview: Penetrate the San Rafael Reef through one of its spectacular slot canyons as waters have for millions of years, with new discoveries around every corner, including a few narrows. This delightful "hands-on" hike navigates boulders, walls and slick rock. A cool cave awaits at the mouth of Crack Canyon, if you go far enough. Distance/Elevation gain: We began 0.4 miles from trailhead. Our hike = 8.0 miles round-trip. Elevation goes from 5,600' at top to ~ 5,000' at mouth. Difficulty: Easy/moderate with a few Class 3 moves and one Class 3-4 on short walls and boulders (one has a bypass). Coordinates: Trailhead on Behind the Reef Road: 38.64315 -110.74504 Maps/Books: Trails Illustrated #712 - San Rafael Swell - BLM - Price Field Office/Hiking and Exploring Utah's San Rafael Swell, 4th Ed., by Michael R. Kelsey. Caltopo map of our GPS tracks at end of post. Directions to Trailhead: From Green River, Utah on I-70 head west and take Hwy 24 exit toward Hanksville. At milepost 135 on Hwy 24, follow signed road toward Goblin Valley State Park (west). Follow this road to junction (5.1 miles); continue straight. At 7.2 miles from Hwy 24, turn left on a good graded road (Behind the Reef Road). Reset your odometer and travel 4.1 miles to Crack Canyon TH, passing the TH to Wild Horse Creek at 1.6 miles. We drove the old sandy road 0.4 miles down canyon in our 4x4 truck. High clearance 2WD ok on Behind the Reef Road. Date Hiked: May 11, 2023.
Our tracks down-canyon and back, beginning in the north just off of Behind the Reef Road.
The northwest Colorado plateau's San Rafael Swell and its huge, tilted reef of sandstone has much to offer the intrepid explorer who will boldly go where not a lot of people go. It's an extraordinary place of sublime topography and deep, dark canyons, some that contain pools to swim through. I've heard of this area for years, especially with reference to Native American petroglyphs and pictographs. Fred and I stayed at Goblin Valley State Park years ago to hike Canyonland National Park's remote Horseshoe Canyon to witness the amazing Great Gallery/Holy Ghost pictograph panel and dinosaur print. Relatively unknown compared to Utah's well-visited parks like Capitol Reef, there's a lot to do and see as evidenced in Michael Kelsey's book Hiking and Exploring Utah's San Rafael Swell.
Mexican Mountain, Sids Mountain, Devils Canyon, and Muddy Creek are among the seven wilderness study areas in the San Rafael Swell. The reef on the eastern side of San Rafael is bisected by around 30 slot canyons, many of them requiring technical climbing and navigating skills. A few days before Crack, we went to see the amazing pictographs in Black Dragon Canyon and walked up-canyon from there past an old uranium mine. I'm not exactly sure how Crack Canyon got its name but I can guess two reasons. At the beginning, as the canyon begins to narrow, there is a "crack" in a tunnel ceiling, only a few feet wide. Further down, the honeycombed walls are so tall on each side at portions there is a "crack" of sky, especially in the narrows. What sets this canyon apart from other slots is the amount of extensive weathering in the form of honeycombs and caverns.
Features of Crack Canyon Hike
Although there's parking at the trailhead to Crack Canyon on Behind the Reef Road, we drove our 4x4 truck ~ 0.4 miles and parked when the canyon narrowed. It was a stellar day - azure skies with tall glowing, cavernous-weathered sandstone walls on both sides. We encountered only eight people on this Thursday. We ran into two older San Rafael-experienced gentlemen who recommended the Little Wildhorse Canyon/Bell Canyon loop, a bit further to the southwest. We've got lots of plans for when we return to this unique, contorted and high-cliffed desert less-traveled.
“Standing there, gaping at this monstrous and inhumane spectacle of rock and cloud and sky and space, I feel a ridiculous greed and possessiveness come over me. I want to know it all, posess it all, embrace the entire scene intimately, deeply, totally...”
- Edward Abbey, Desert Solitaire Never Stop Exploring!
The graded Behind the Reef Road on the west side of the San Rafael Reef that takes you to Crack Canyon Trailhead. Looking northeast toward Temple Mountain.
Start of hike after we drove ~0.4 miles down canyon from trailhead on Behind the Reef Road.
Crack Canyon's immense wall entrance.
Crack Canyon starting to narrow.
Cavernous weathering (tafoni) in sandstone caused by salt crystallization ("salt weathering") and physical processes such as wind and water weathering. Dissolution of the calcite cement between sand grains may take place, weakening the bonds between sand grains. The factors influencing cavernous weathering are seasonal wetting and drying, aeolian (wind-blown) salt, and water vapor.
Entering "tunnel" with crack in its ceiling.
Log to ascend/descend sheer boulder wall (top of image in the sunlight).
Fun things in the canyon: a log helps to descend a sudden drop-off.
Fred going down, Sue going up.
After descending a short wall above in this photo, you skirt around this pool of water walking on sandstone.
Looking at both ends of this boulder-navigating obstacle.
Climbing down short wall.
Really cool rock formations in a wide part of the canyon.
Walk by this huge alcove.
Cairned-marked up-canyon bypass around the most exposed Class 3-4 section. The bypass is short and well-marked.
Looking down at the most difficult obstacle with tree branch to help ascend/descend and webbing around boulder (left) and view looking up-canyon of same obstacle (right). There's a bypass around this obstacle a few hundred feet up-canyon on the east wall. Look for cairns that lead up through a crack to a ledge.
Canyon opens further down.
Carved slickrock at bottom of canyon.
Sign at intersection of lower Crack Canyon with overland trail to lower Chute Canyon (2 miles from Crack to Chute).
Rock arrow pointing toward steep trail (above) that leads to a great lookout.
Lookout over the San Rafael Desert toward the southeast.
Looking down into Crack Canyon.
Heading back up-canyon.
Some cool stuff on the trail.
The purple flower is actually from the Red Mountain Primitive Trail near St. George, Utah.
North points straight up - beginning of hike at top just south of Behind the Reef Road (CR 1016): hike down canyon SSE direction.
We hiked to the mouth of Crack, just beyond the intersection with trail leading to Chute Canyon (next canyon on the left), so a loop could be done.
Utah's quiet San Rafael Swell has awe-inspiring Archaic Period pictographs and the alleged "winged monster" high on the walls of Black Dragon Canyon.
Temple Mountain Wash pictographs near Goblin Valley State Park
These figures are Barrier Canyon Style and date to the Archaic Period: several proposed dates include as far back as 8,000 BC or a younger time of 1,100 AD (see interpretive sign below).
Trip Stats
Black Dragon Canyon: (Northeastern San Rafael Reef) Driving west on I-70, 12.5 miles from Green River, Utah, turn off at mile marker 147 onto a dirt road with a closed gate. Close the gate after entering. The road quickly crosses over the wash on the left. We went a short distance along the right side of the wash until we found a better crossing and got back on the main, well-traveled road that heads north in the direction of the reef. The entrance to Black Dragon Wash is on the left at the Mexican Mountain Wilderness sign, 1.1 mile from the interstate. We drove 4x4 truck on good sand to the fenced at base of pictographs and parked. Temple Mountain Wash: (Southeastern San Rafael Reef) From Green River, Utah on I-70, travel west to the junction with highway 24 that goes to Hanksville. Go toward Hanksville (south) for about 25 miles to Mile Post 135. Turn left (west) at road to Goblin Valley State Park and drive 5.1 miles to junction. Drive straight for 1.0 mile - the panel is on your right with an interpretive sign. Maps/Books: Hiking and Exploring Utah's San Rafael Swell by Michael R. Kelsey/San Rafael Swell Map (Price Field Office)- National Geographic Trails Illustrated #712. Dates Hiked: May 9-11, 2023.
Utah I-70 piercing the San Rafael Reef (tilted light sandstone).
The Swell was caused by a vertical fault in ancient Precambrian basement rocks that lifted the western block higher than the eastern block of the fault, causing the younger layers of overlying rocks to drape over the fault zone creating an anticline, or "swell".
The San Rafael Swell and its near-vertical tilted sandstone beds named the San Rafael Reef is a Utah adventurer's paradise. Many steep and scenic canyons like Crack, Chute, and Zero Gravity cut through the reef. There's the Upper and Lower Black Boxes, old homesteads, mines, the San Rafael Knob, pictographs and petroglyphs from Archaic and Fremont cultures. The last time Fred and I visited this area, we stayed in Goblin Valley Campground and explored the Archaic Great Gallery/Holy Ghost pictograph panels in remote Horseshoe Canyon.
You're on your own in this remote part of Utah; there aren't many services, campgrounds or signs in the San Rafael Recreation Area (which has several official Wilderness Areas). And not many people ;). We barely scratched the surface with a few hikes and petroglyph/pictograph viewings. We trailer-camped in nearby Green Valley, Utah. One day, we stumbled upon the amazing Temple Mountain Wash pictographs when driving to hike Wild Horse Creek Trail. You can see where much of the pictograph panel has spalled off because of the elements of water and minerals. On another day, we drove the sandy roads to see the Spring Canyon petroglyphs and the Black Dragon Canyon pictographs and then walked up-canyon from there. It was here we saw the fabled "winged monster", a disconcerting pictograph that prompted scientists to unravel its mystery.
Temple Mountain Wash panel
These pictographs are Fremont style (AD 100 - AD 1300) and located to the left of the Barrier Canyon pictographs (above). Spalling, the breaking off of the surface of the rock, has removed previously-painted pictographs.
Interpretive sign at the site.
The "Dragon" Controversy In Black Dragon Canyon: a winged monster, a man, a grebe - what is it?
The sandy road leading to the pictographs in high-walled Black Dragon Canyon was in good shape, so we were able to park in the large space adjacent to these astounding pictographs. The left-most figures are in the characteristic Archaic Barrier Canyon style, with tall dark red mysterious-looking figures. To the right of these are Fremont Style pictographs featuring animals, abstract lines including concentric circles, lines, dots and zig-zags. It's always fun to imagine how the native peoples applied these red pigments. In this case, however, it wasn't fun to see the annoying white chalk lines drawn around some of the weathered pictographs. A large rockfall under the Archaic pictographs allowed the creators to paint their images high on the wall. There's a camera present with a sign. With apparent wings and a long tail, an unusual pictograph looks like a dragon/dinosaur creature, hence the name Black Dragon Canyon. In 1928, it got a reputation as a "winged monster", when amateurs discovered it. In the 1940's, John Simonson drew a chalk line defining his interpretation of a winged monster or dragon, and published a paper describing his methods. Decades later, a geologist said it resembled a pterodactyl, so the Young Earth Creationists started using this as evidence that Native Americans and pterodactyls lived at the same time.
The "dragon" in Black Dragon Canyon - mistaken identity
Chalk lines drawn around separate Fremont style pictographs to define a dragon. Modern diagnostic techniques revealed five separate pictographs that were previously outlined together as one "winged monster" - possibly a pterodactyl. For instance, the "head" of this creature is actually a supplicating man. (I didn't include the furthest-left pictograph in this photo).
Enter modern technology: diagnostic tools to image the red pigment and iron that has faded over the years and not seen by the human eye. Dstretch enhances photographs of pictographs by revealing faded pigments, and x-ray fluorescence measures the iron concentration in the red pigment to see where Native Americans applied the pigment to the rock.
Conclusion: There are five separate pictographs encircled by the white chalk outline (see Dstretch illustration below), so the single "winged monster" pictograph has been debunked. From left to right: a bighorn sheep, a dog, a large, bug-eyed anthropomorph with a snake in his hand, a small man bent at the waist in supplication with his arms outstretched, and a large, sinuous horned snake. All five are the Barrier Canyon style. Simonson had converted the small man pictograph into the head and neck of a dragon.
I also found a paper (no date, but spoke of trips to the site in the 1990's) that stated this pictograph is a representation of an eared grebe, a type of waterfoul that breeds in the area and may have been hunted. The person who painted it may have been summoning the spirit of the grebe to bring more water. But now this interpretation has been debunked.
Photo of an eared grebe courtesy of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology - Macaulay Library.
Dstretch technique illustration of all five of the images found in the "dragon" pictograph in Black Dragon Canyon
(from left to right): Bighorn sheep, dog, a tall figure, a smaller figure with arms outstretched in supplication, and a horned snake. Chalk lines currently include all of these pictographs into one image of a "dragon". Compare this to the now-discredited "dragon" above. (I drew this image from a photo in "The Death of a Pterodactyl," by Jean-Loïc Le Quellec, Paul Bahn and Marvin Rowe, from Antiquity, Volume 89, p 872-884, 2015). Here is the link to the real picture: https://www.livescience.com/51886-winged-monster-rock-art-deciphered.html
The largest Archaic Barrier Canyon style pictographs seen in Black Dragon Canyon.
Black Dragon Canyon pictograph panels
We walked up-canyon a few miles toward the Swell. Black Dragon Mine (uranium) is located on the south side of the canyon. We saw what looked to be the remains of an old truck and some mining tailings. We saw a few mountain bikers riding down-canyon; there's some great biking routes in the San Rafael Swell. So many reasons to love Utah and the American West: intriguing Native American rock art, infinite forms of warm-colored weathered sandstone, so much open area to move around in, and its beautiful peace.
As I write this post, I look forward to sharing our Crack Canyon adventure in this majestic and silent land. Silent, and I can feel every once in awhile the spirits of those who traveled these canyons and plateaus, who painted and pecked images on walls hundreds and thousands of years ago.
"Time and space. In the desert there is space. Space is the twin sister of time. If we have open space then we have open time to breathe, to dream, to dare, to play, to pray to move freely, so freely, in a world our minds have forgotten but our bodies remember. Time and space. This partnership is holy. In these redrock canyons, time creates space--an arch, an eye, this blue eye of sky. We remember why we love the desert; it is our tactile response to light, to silence, and to stillness."
- Terry Tempest Williams from Red: Passion and Patience in the Desert.
Both images above near Black Dragon Canyon at dusk.
Fertility petroglyphs?
Driving up Black Dragon Canyon a little further to park and hike up-canyon, we spotted these petroglyphs high up on a huge boulder - supposedly a man and a woman and Kokopelli, the fertility deity and flute player. The only reference I could find was a hiking website that described these as a "fertility scene". Kokopelli has a backpack with what might be seeds and the same small peck marks are arranged in a crescent shape beneath each figure, and on the man.
The hike up Black Dragon Road passes near the Black Dragon Mine, whose main commodity was uranium.
This road is a mountain-bike route to the plateau area of the San Rafael Swell.
Wild Horse Creek in the reef south of Black Dragon Canyon.
A camping spot surrounded by tall walls of honeycomb weathering in Wild Horse Creek Trail, a creek south of Black Dragon Canyon that transects the reef.
Sandstone detail in Wild Horse Creek.
Along the mining exploration road leading out of Black Dragon Canyon. A great road for mountain biking.
Arches in Spring Canyon, on the way to Black Dragon Canyon.
Some cool stuff on the trail and in the Green River State Park Campground.
Juniper tree trunk blending with sandstone cross-beds.
References
Allee, P.A. et al. The Black Dragon Solar Solstice Markers and Calendar. utahrockart2.org. Demarco, E. 'Winged Monster' on Ancient Rock Art Debunked by Scientists. Science website, August 25, 2015. Geggel, L. 2015. "Winged Monster" Rock Art Finally Deciphered. from LiveScience website. The Eared Grebe. From the Cornell Lab All About Birds website. Mitton, J. 2020. Controversial Interpretations of the Black Dragon Pictograph. Colorado Arts and Sciences Magazine. University of Colorado - Boulder. Sucec, David. The B.C.S. Project: Barrier Canyon Rock Art Style. www.bcsproject.org/barrierstyle.html The unusually cold, snowy 2022-23 winter in southwestern Utah provided opportunities for interesting photographs. Snow Canyon State Park along the Red Sands Trail. 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: "As long as you are making images, you are living the dream." - Michael Kadillak, photographer and friend who taught me black and white "Zone System" film processing. "Nature, time, and patience are the three best physicians." - Ann Zwinger - The Art of Wandering in The Nearsighted Naturalist Keep on Exploring! Pine Valley Mountains - the largest laccolith in the U.S. - rising above Snow Canyon State Park near St. George, Utah. A laccolith can be thought of a volcano that never erupted because molten magma was injected between layers of sedimentary rock. The pressure of the magma pushed the layers into a dome. The layers overlying the magma have since eroded away, exposing the laccolith. (this photo was taken last winter). Hell Hole at the head of Kayenta Wash. The waterfall on the right began while I was there in a rain storm. Snow Canyon State Park Red Cliffs National Conservation Area Looking over basalt flows south of Snow Canyon State Park. One of the smaller, scrub oak-filled side canyons in Snow Canyon State Park. Along the Hidden Pinyon Trail in Snow Canyon State Park. One of my favorite chollas on the Red Sands Trail in Snow Canyon State Park. The same cholla as above in late spring. Approaching storm near Johnson Canyon in Snow Canyon State Park. Early season hike up Red Mountain with Dan and Fred to an overlook of Snow Canyon SP and Pine Valley Mountains on the horizon. Three types of rock: basalt flow, Kayenta sandstone, and the sandstone and limestone of the snow-covered Beaver Dam Mountains. Hell Hole - these waterfalls appear only with a lot of rain or snow on top of the walls that melts. Much more rain this season afforded more opportunities than usual to see this beautiful sight. Scouts Cave overlooking St. George, Utah and the Beaver Dam Mountains. Snow Canyon State Park The oldest sedimentary rocks of Snow Canyon SP are the stream deposits of the Kayenta Formation (190 million years ago). The famous Navajo Sandstone layer was deposited over the Kayenta (183 million years ago) and are the most impressive orange, red and white cliffs as you ascend in the park. The Navajo sandstone is also the prominent layer seen in Zion National Park. Rains left pools and bright green hydrated moss mats. Another storm coming! Gila Trail, Snow Canyon. A large pool of water and bright green moss at this grotto hidden behind immense sandstone walls. Walking into Hell Hole. Engelmann's hedgehog cactus Walking out of Hell Hole: three waterfalls. Whiterocks amphitheater, Snow Canyon SP Whiterocks amphitheater Snow Canyon State Park This hidden pool extended between two towering walls with dripping water It sounded so peaceful! Three rock types: Navajo Sandstone, basalt flow, and snow-covered Pine Valley Mountain's monzonite porphyry (granite with large crystals) that formed as a result of slow cooling underground. Red Mountain from our front yard. Sunrise on Beaver Dam Mountains - from our back yard. References
The Triple Junction of Southern Utah. a You Tube video from BackRoadsWest1. Images of sensational slickrock journeys in southwestern Utah. 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).
As in Slickrock Nirvana - Part One, the following slideshows contain images from our unique excursions. More images follow the slideshows. “Instructions for living a life. Pay attention. Be astonished. Tell about it.” ― Mary Oliver Yant Flat and areas around St. George, Utah Red Mountain Wilderness Snow Canyon State Park - basalt flows, Navajo Sandstone, and snow-covered Beaver Dam Mountains (limestone). For more on petroglyphs: In Search of the Rattlesnake Petroglyph Don't Walk on the Crypto! A subscriber to my posts asked a great question: "I wonder if you worry about the cryptobiotic crusts?" We had to dodge and maneuver around these amazing stabilizing soil crusts to avoid stepping on them. They're an important part of the ecology in desert ecosystems, and take many years to rebuild if destroyed. Cryptobiotic (biological) Soil Crusts
Cryptobiotic (biological) soil crusts, made of cyanobacteria, lichens and mosses. These form on easily eroded soils and increase stability and help provide more water infiltration and are the dominant source of nitrogen in pinyon-juniper ecosystems. These crusts hold the soil in place. Recovery of crusts that have been destroyed takes at least 45 years. ![]() References
Loope, D. et al. 2016. Sandstones and Utah’s canyon country: Deposition, diagenesis, exhumation, and landscape evolution. University of Nebraska - Lincoln. One day's journey into southern Utah's wild slickrock paradise.
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. Slickrock Slideshow Create your own exploration of this quiet, transcendent wonderland surrounded by ancient limestone mountains. Walk for an hour or all day and you will understand why it is called "bowl of fire". Trip Stats - Bowl of Fire Overview: Hike a long loop through rugged north and south sections of Bowl of Fire, or a shorter out-and-back journey to sample this unique Jurassic-age sandstone terrain. Either way, you will find yourself in a wonderland of washes and small canyons, exploring a land of grey, orange and red scattered boulders, water-filled potholes and honeycombed-eroded slickrock. Muddy Mountain's looming limestone backdrop adds to the drama. Location: Muddy Mountain Wilderness (NRA), Northern portion of Lake Mead NRA, southern Nevada. Access from two trailheads on Northshore Road: Northshore Summit Traihead and pull-out 2.4 miles west of this trailhead. Nearby Peaks on our wishlist: Muddy Mountain, Bearing Peak, South Gate and North Gate Peaks. Maps and Apps: AllTrails tracks, Lake Mead map from National Geographic Trails Illustrated no. 204. Date hiked: 11/12/22. 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.... Never Stop Exploring ! For the Geo-curious: The Bowl of Fire "window" after older rocks are pushed onto younger rocks
Bowl of Fire is early Jurassic-age Aztec Sandstone (~180 mya), the equivalent to Utah's Navajo Sandstone. Muddy Mountains are made of sedimentary rocks (limestone) of Cambrian, Mississippian and Devonian age (500-400 million years ago). The Muddy Mountain Thrust layered older limestone over younger aeolian-deposited (wind) Aztec sandstone. Erosion of this overlying layer has revealed "windows" of the bright orange Aztec sandstone.
Our GPS tracks to southern Bowl of Fire. Complete tracks not recorded: we made a loop passing tinajas (pools under dry waterfalls) and ultimately walked down the wash seen above. Northern section of Bowl of Fire seen upper right, Muddy Mountains upper left. But first: A stop at the Virgin River Casino in Mesquite, Nevada for a free lunch on our way to Lake Mead (Fred is an Army vet). Sunsets create magical landscapes at Lake Mead National Recreation Area. USGS geological map of Lake Mead quadrangle. Each color represents a different rock unit. Oldest rocks are 1.8 billion year-old early Proterozoic gneiss. The magenta-colored units in the Jimbilnan Wilderness are from the Cleopatra Volcano and are much younger than the green-colored Jurassic units in of Bowl of Fire. The thin yellow lines in the Cleopatra rocks represent dikes where magma rose to fill fractures in existing rocks to produce an eruption of igneous rocks. Notice three distinct magenta sections including Jimbilnan: they used to be one huge stratovolcano more than 3,000 feet high now named Hamblin-Cleopatra. Two faults have since split the volcano into three parts and fault blocks have moved. Following a trail toward Bowl of Fire. Muddy Mountains on horizon. Porous, weathered sandstone reminding me of giant Rice Krispies treats! This section had a few dry waterfalls and pools of water. The view from a high point in the Bowl of Fire. Lunch on high point. Some cool stuff on the trail. A small glimpse of Lake Mead on left side of photo in the Jimbilnan Wilderness. Hiking down from high point in Jimbilnan Wilderness along the shores of the Overton arm of Lake Mead. Rocks are from 15-million year-old Hamblin-Cleopatra stratovolcano. The Black Mountains across the valley. We got to this pretty sketchy ridge in the volcanic Jimbilnan Wilderness, enjoyed the far-reaching views and then descended. Echo Bay, Overton arm of Lake Mead. Echo Bay - Overton arm of Lake Mead. Our GPS tracks into the southern Bowl of Fire. 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 |
Categories
All
Sue and Fred
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.
To Subscribe to Explorumentary adventure blog and receive new posts by email:Happy Autumn!
About the Author
|