Swimming through Utah

[RedRoxx44]

5 days Dirty Devil River region, 3 days lower Dark Canyon, and a few sunrise hours in a moonscape.

This springs' utah sortie involved water, lots of water. The climbing temps made it perfect for my plans, and although I don't enjoy backpacking in the heat, when you don't have to carry a lot of water and can lay down in it to cool off, why not go for it.

I leave Tucson under a meteor shower, saw a few despite city lights, and found my way to the Angel TH outside of Hanksville, Utah. I had taken my time and some side diversions, so set up a car camp here. The TH was terribly crowded, one car with Montana plates. The register indicated they had already been in 4 days of a planned 8 day trip. I didn't see anyone in the 5 days I was there, and the car was gone when I came up for air, so they got out safely.
Next morning on the slickrock wonderland of the Angel trail, seemed a little different routing than the last time I was here about 5 years earlier I guess. I made my way to the river with no mishaps, and had waterproofed my pack this time. It is not recommended to do this trip in May because of potential snowmelt runoff, but because it was a dry year I decided to go on with it. I checked into briefly the South Fork of Robbers Roost I had neglected my first time here, then went on down river. I had other fish to fry; so to speak. Lots of wading, at times waist deep in one moment, to ankle deep the next. Some use trails near Beaver Canyon, and then you are on your own. I learned quickly to bushwack through the river side vegetation, willow and tammies ( I would love to burn every one of them) to a canyon wall and walk there, much less brushy, unless the bench was lightly vegetated. It was hot, flowers were blooming, mostly cactii, and I relished my wet clothing cooling off my body. At one point you go high to avoid a big bow in the river, and climb a short wall with tremendous views, and a narrow trail full of interesting rocks. I looked down and up so much I wasn't making much time. I had a long day of about 11 miles so had to push it even though I was tired. It was slow fording the river, as it is heavily silted, and the water a little forceful, it was probe with poles and shuffle your feet. At times the mud bottom was soft and you felt yourself sinking, fortunately never very far. No friendly use trails penetrate the banks to guide you, so you just climb out and up, at times on hands and knees if its steep and soft. Backpacking sure ain't dignified.

I come to my chosen side canyon. As I trek up I am so tired I am virtually staggering. I promise to camp as soon as I get to spring water. I find a pool, a cottonwood tree, and as soon as I set up camp, eat, the dark comes.
The next day an exploration, I will move my camp the next day. To the heads of the branches of this canyon, to see what is here, and to experience what there is to be told to me. It takes me a day or so to shrug off civilizations restrictions. I feel myself relaxing this day. The stone hallway is narrow and towering, many alcoves, cottonwoods, some pools, not many, and contorted rock walls. At the end of one fork is a hanging garden and tall streaked wall of a seep, it must be 15 feet tall. I climb past the pour off, the canyon above is very rugged and large boulders. I tire of this and come back, up the other fork. It is different, more curves, more confined, more secretive. Then comes the closing down of the rock, and the cathedral that awaits. Time stops here. I take several photos before entering, it seems almost sacriligious to be here. Magic, it doesn't get any better than this. A crystalline pool, sand wedge to lay on, the rock twisting together and soaring away. I stay here what seems like a long time. I don't need to move anymore.
I am surprised to get back to camp at near dark once again. The canyon is not very long, not many miles, but so much to see. The next day I go back to the river, cross and enter a side canyon unnamed on the map. This one is a scrambler. Huge boulders and some pour offs, make it fun and problematic to find the way. The headwall is huge and alcoved, with some hanging plants promising some water leaching out of the Navajo sandstone. Its a restful day, I return to camp early and lay about and read my book.
The next day I move camp to another side canyon a few miles away. This one is longer and promises more serious hiking. I don't care at this point. It is all a Shangri-la to me. An alcove and a long ledge reveal poor remnants of supposed Fremont occupation. No picto or petroglyphs I can find. This canyon has a lot more water, therefore a lot more bushwacking. Several pouroffs require a little climbing around, but the worst that could happen would be I would be swimming, it was thankfully overcast this day, so I only dunked myself once. This canyon is so different from the other. The walls are not as tall on minute and more sculptured in the floor of the canyon, the next minute vaulting walls in large open areas. Several sections are unbelievably lovely, I couldn't picture anything else more perfect. The day is full with this trek, once more to my camp in lowering light.
Retracing my steps, I camp the final night at Angel Cove, a wonderful spring area just off the Dirty Devil River near the foot of the Angel Trail. The next day I cross again the river and hike up the other side of the Angel trail, which continues into the Robbers Roost Counry, near the Hans Flat area of the Maze. This route is almost never used now, as access is many miles of dirt ranch road driving. I find it interesting to look at a map and then see it on the ground. I return to the Cove, pack up and climb out, take a short cut and rope my pack up. Leaning into the steep angle of the slick rock, it strikes me what I loved about this trek. In the side canyons, there are no use trails, no "campsites" , no obvious visitation. I too left my tracks in the washes, where they will be swept away, so my visitation will also be erased, so the canyons will be as they have been without recent human visitation. This pleases me.

Down the road a bit (Hwy 95) is Dark Canyon. The TH is the lowest elevation one, at desert level, other access high on the plateau in the mountains. I clean up at Hanksville at the usual spot, then leave early to drive to the Sundance TH. Tricky to find, and the BLM I have learned plans to move it due to a dispute with the permittee with the grazing rights. I find it after driving a maze of dirt roads, that lead to a vague turn off marked by two small cairns and a wooden post. The best landmark is a rock formation nearby called the "Squaw and papoose". If you can navigate to that you'll find the TH. Several vehicles are here. I know to expect a "tent city" at the base of this TH in Dark Canyon, and have planned my accomodations elsewhere in the canyon. The Sundance trail is famous as a tough trip, partly a 50 degree scree slope with an over 1000 foot elevation loss in less that a mile, with slippery footing all the way down. I found it slow and a pain, but not dangerous. I want to return and dry camp at the top, the view of the deep dark canyon is to die for here. In about 4 miles it dumps into Lake Powell. It is over 2000 feet deep here, and has running water its lower 10 or so miles that is perennial. That is all the info I had. I was not prepared for what I would find.
I thought after my previous 5 days this would be a hard act to follow. Boy, was I wrong. This area is so fantastic to border on the unreal. Amazing geology, a pristine, clean canyon depite moderate usage, and crystalline clear water and deep aquamarine pools flowing at times in blue gray limestone, or pink flat stone, imbued with fossils and concretions of chert and other stone. Every step you take here, every view you have is so scenic. It is never boring, and the hiking is not very tough. You follow basic use trails, either in the canyon bottom or up on benches when the stream starts to entrench. Usually cairns are there. I missed a few so had a couple of short wall climbs, but nothing too hard.
Once I left the hikers camped at the base of the trail into the canyon, I headed upstream, my goals Youngs' canyon confluence, about 6 miles upcanyon, for a total of about a 9 mile day. Again a full day due to the slowness of the trip, and my taking probably a million pics this trip. It was quite hot and as no one was about, I availed myself of several pools, a couple were jumpers and "screamers", when you hit the cold water. I saw no one else up the canyon, I finally got to my campsite, in a lovely area of cottonwoods, but I chose a venerable cedar tree as my shade maker, it seemed very old and substantial compared to the whimsical cottonwoods.
Young's has a 20 foot slide waterfall at it's mouth and a pool. I slept to the company of the waterfall that night.
Up to clamber around the waterfall and Young's to visit the famous pools. Deep, big and sunning rocks abounded. I played, swam, jumped, splashed, slid down some slides ( pants on for those) and in general behaved like I was 3 years old. The pools are so clear you can see the bottom, and some are so deep that holding my breath and swimming down seemed like a long reach to touch bottom, I was breathless when I surfaced.
I spent the night again, then up early to relocate my camp nearer the bottom of the Sundance trail for the hike out the next day. The morning light made for some incredible scenes with the water in its varied bed it flowed in. As the sun grew higher, I left my pack, backtracked, and swam some long golden hallways, at times my shoulders almost brushed the walls; at times I swam several hundred feet in narrows like the natural lanes of a pool.

I finally got serious about getting to camp and really started to hike. I round the bend and what do I see -----three gorgeous NAKED MEN!!!

Story degeneration here------what would you do in this circumstance??
a. what I did--make sure you are seen, then turn around to take a photo of something behind you so they can get some clothes on or decide what they want to do
b. what I wanted to do ---say "Wohoo------eye candy!!!"
c. Ignore them and hike by keeping your eyes on the trail and having no interaction
d. Say "Well, hi there, how's it going" keeping your eyes away from ---well you know---

We all survived the encounter of course, and I would see them later----
I found my last night's campsite at an exceptional sand beach with a rock wall with ledges handy for holding many items. The stream was nearby as a cottonwood useless for shade, but due to the curve of the wall of the canyon I had shade built in. The sand was cool so good for barefooted camp set up.
The night here was most memorable, as the full moon rose spectacularly between the canyon walls with a star above it. I experimented with the camera, but since no tripod didn't expect much. Great just laying on my side on the insul mat, warm so I didn't need the sleeping bag at all yet, and I just watched the moon make its' dramatic appearance and shed light all over the campsite and canyon.

The hike out I managed to pass through the campsite of the bare trio, they laughed and one said "we have clothes on today!!!". I ended up hiking out with these guys, all from Colorado, veteren trekkers, they blew by me up the scree part, but took a break at the top and let me catch up. Really nice guys. I got some email addresses and some invitations for trekking in Colorado--hehehehe-- Moral of this part of the story, if you go here to swim if you are shy bring a swim suit, or let it all hang out and be prepared for the consequences!!
My trip ends on a nice note, I take a side drive, and spend a few hours in a stark moonscape recommended to me. Another special place to bookmark in my memory palace to return to.

The fall utah plans----oh yes, already in the making. There are more side canyons to see off the Dirty Devil, and a big Dark Canyon loop possible. Oh, and a whole host of places in the Swell I need to get to. It really never ends. And No Man's Mesa!!! I need to not have a job----
_________________
You can rest when you're dead

[heather]

Sounds extremely beautiful where you went. The bare trio- they were probably having a size argument when you were out of ear shot. The swimming must have been awesome. Have you posted pics yet?

[azbackpackr]

It really never ends, as you said. Great write up Letty! I'm just glad I finally got to go to Utah! Of course, you get to a place and learn about 6 more places! Do those places and by then you've heard of 20 more places.

[GeorgAz]

Letty, you rock!! Awesome adventure with some "extras"!Always great to meet new friends,especially naked men!

[Arizonaheat]

[Shawn]

[IGO]

Wonderful. Wonderful. I love going to these places with you.
I only barely recall most of the place names you mentioned but Hanksville is an old port-o-call for me and long ago I did walk in the Maze.....someplace.....if Canyonlands is the Maze you reference.
The Grand Canyon is much more crouded than it used to be. I expect I will again migrate to the Staircase. I'm getting ready now. Utah is the prettiest state in the union overall, to me anyway.
_________________
"Surely all God's people, however serious or savage, great or small, like to play. Whales and elephants, dancing, humming gnats, and invisibly small mischievous microbes - all are warm with divine radium and must have lots of fun in them." John Muir

[azbackpackr]

[RedRoxx44]

Okay--all photo albums are up, digital is bad for me--too many photos

Link for Dark Canyon is here--others on same page

http://www.arizonahikers.com/forum/modules.php?set_albumName=albvh06&op=modload&name=gallery&file=index&include=view_album.php
_________________
You can rest when you're dead

[KIM*]

What a funny write up. I loved it.
It sounds like a wonderful trip.
Your description of Dark Canyon reminds me of what Katie Lee saw and experienced while traveling through Glen Canyon.
Thanks for sharing your trip with us.

[RedRoxx44]

The funny thing is I spoke to Katie Lee once on the phone about a year ago; mentioned I wanted to get into Dark Canyon---she was highly encouraging, saying it is one of the great places fortunately mostly not compromised by Lake Powell.
I'd go up there again in a heartbeat.
_________________
You can rest when you're dead

[kurthzone]

Amazing photos Letti!

Nice to know you got email addresses!
_________________
;o)>

[BoyNhisDog]

The photos are breathtaking and the description is of a sublime walk through what I call paradise.

The canyon surprise was like an experience I have had but the naked trio were females. the shy one gasped and grabbed a shirt to drape over herself when I dropped almost on top of them, coming down a remote canyon area. I averted my eyes, somewhat begrudgingly as these were nice looking, and said sorry mam. I turned to climb back out so as not to disturb them further and the sassy one started asking me questions so there I was in the middle of three beauties for ten minutes. The shy one had relaxed as well. You just never know whom you are going to meet out there.

Dark Canyon sounds wonderful. We had to miss So Utah this May because of a trip to a certain "moonscape" where you can study a continuous, terrestrial sedimentary record spanning the Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary which marks the end of a 150-million-year dinosaur dynasty and the beginning of mammalian rule. There are not many places on this planet where that is possible. There were huge tree stumps still in place where the tree fell so long ago when cypress-like conifers towered where dinosaurs roamed. Other very strange things were about. Fantastic.

Your journeys are an inspiration to me.
_________________
Seize from every moment its unique novelty and do not prepare your joys
- Andre Gide