Myer

I'd like to thank those who responded to questions and helped make this another great Utah trip. Special thanks to Dayle, utahtea, spirobulldog, sharondi, peterboy and katyslc.

Last year I went to Bryce Canyon, Zion and Grand Canyon National Parks and Sedona. Immediately upon my return I began to plan a trip that would include the Moab and Escalante areas.

Several months later my wife (who didn't go on the 2007 trip and wasn't planning on going this year) mentioned that she had spoken to a friend (who lives a couple of thousand miles away) while I was on the previous trip and she mentioned that her husband would have been interested in going with me.

I decided to invite him on the trip I had planned. I mention this because I have never gone on a trip with anybody other than my wife. So, any references to "we" include myself and this friend.

Last year I purchased a Senior Lifetime National Park pass. Once again it got considerable use as we visited four National Parks.

While the motivation for planning last year's trip was Bryce Canyon this year's focus was Arches National Park.

Lodging and Meals
Moab (4 nights) - Best Western Canyonlands - Recently renovated. Has the look and feel of a new motel. Pool, hot tub and breakfast included. Definitely recommended.

Meals - Buck's Grill (good), Zax Pizza (good), Szechuan (fair), Sunset Grill (good)

Torrey (2 nights) - Best Western Capitol Reef - Closest motel to the Park. Slightly below BW Canyonlands but still quite nice. Very good pool, hot tub and on-site restaurant. Recommended.

Meal - Café Diablo (good but over-priced)

Boulder (1 night) - Boulder Mountain Lodge - Beautiful setting with large rooms. The only room on the trip that had a slightly musty odor. Hot tub broken.

Meal - Hell's Backbone Grill (good but very restrictive menu. Some of the few menu items not available. Over-priced)

Salt Lake City (1 night) - Little America. For some reason room was upgraded. I had asked for a motel style room for a quick airport get-away. The upgraded room was also of this type. The hotel and rooms were a lot more luxurious than I had expected. Definitely recommended.

Meal - Market Street Grill. (Diverse menu - good).

Myer

Day 0
I go my luggage and auto rental at SLC very quickly. The drive to Arches NP took almost exactly exactly 4 hours and we arrived at 5:45PM. Even though it was quite cloudy we were psyched to get started.

While there are absolutely no difficult parts in the hike to Delicate Arch, it's quite long, uphill all the way and somewhat strenuous. Getting up at 4AM, flying a good part of the day and a long drive into about 5,000 feet of elevation took its toll.

The clouds didn't break for a sunset but the view of Delicate Arch was spectacular none-the-less. In the back of my mind a return trip was required.

Day 1
Sunny, warm and quite windy. Arches NP. On the way into the Park we stopped at the Visitors' Center and signed up for the Fiery Furnace Ranger led hike for 4PM on Day 3.

Windows section (North & South Windows, Turret Arch, Double Arch, etc). I was most impressed with Double Arch. It's mind-boggling how large the structures really are. When viewing my photos, make sure to look for people to get a proper perspective of relative sizes. In many photos the people look like small dots.

Balanced Rock, though not an arch, is one of the highlights of the Park. I'm convinced that somebody comes in at night and reinforces this amazing structure. It's a lot larger than it appears in photos.

Devil's Garden. Viewed several arches and spent some time at the impressive Landscape Arch. This is one amazing arch. Too bad you can't get right underneath it. The hike continued up to Partition Arch that also gave great views looking down. I had decided in advance not to go all the way to Double O Arch.

Park Avenue. The different characteristics of each park section give the appearance of a totally different location. This section is characterized by majestic fins. Anybody with an imagination can identify different rock shapes (see photos).

Myer

Day 2.
Started cloudy and turned sunny and hot by 10AM. Agenda included Canyonlands NP and Dead Horse Point (DHP). I felt Canyonlands was an obligatory trip to a nearby park. It was definitely more than that and worth the drive.

Shaffer Canyon Overlook offered some tremendous views. How can a car drive on that road?

Mesa Arch is very different from any of the arches at Arches NP. Although it's smaller than I expected, it suddenly appears and you're at the top of the arch rather than the bottom looking up. Look carefully thru the Arch and to the left to see the Washerwoman.

The Green River Overlook was quite interesting as was Grand View Overlook where we encountered a ranger talk on the history of the Park. Very interesting.

The only area I would skip is Upheaval Dome and the hike to get there. Really nothing worth the effort.

On the way back we stopped at DHP. I was surprised at how developed this state park is. Directly behind the Visitors' Center is a short walk with excellent views.

Then on to Dead Horse Point with spectacular views of the Colorado River making a U-turn. For some reason (due to the angle) the signed viewpoint doesn't give the best view. There's a sign indicating a shelter (?) about a quarter of a mile beyond. This location has a constructed viewing deck with a better angle of the River turning.

On the way back to Moab we turned up Route 279 (Potash Road), passed some rock climbers directly above us and continued on to Corona Arch. I managed to photograph the potash train going by.

The hike "toward" Corona Arch is not difficult, very scenic and passes the award-winning cairn (see photo).

This is where we suffered our only defeat. The first set of chains posed no problem. While the second set of chains caused some hesitation due to the steepness, I made it up fairly easily. From there I could see the small ladder about 20 feet in front of me. That really didn't cause me much concern.

Unexpectedly, the side-slope between the top of the chain and the ladder caused me to stop. A slip here would result in a roll off the edge of a cliff. I know where to stop. I really didn't feel bad about this defeat. At least I'd live another day to continue.

It was now about 5:30PM, sunny and warm, and a perfect time to return to Delicate Arch for what was sure to be a spectacular sunset. Being acclimatized to the elevation probably helped. There's really nothing more I can say about this except to direct you to the photos. The moon coming up also didn't hurt the spectacle.

Myer

Day 3
Sunny and hot. Agenda included a morning of rafting on the Colorado River and the Fiery Furnace hike.

Rafting was a lot of fun on the mostly calm river. Essentially it's a river float until you hit rapids which we did four or five times. The rapids were just rough enough so that we all had fun. In one of the rapids I noticed a back-current near the shore. The speed of the rapids was sucking the water back up stream along the shore. We steered over to the side and paddled upstream where we rode those rapids again. Put on sun tan lotion. The sun is hot and strong.

The Fiery Furnace hike is not fiery nor is it a furnace. It does provide many excellent views and a few challenges. When signing up at the Visitors' Center they show photos to make sure you are aware of what's coming. I think it looks more difficult than it really is. A few ledges with drop-offs and some squeezing between and over rocks but nothing really there to stop anybody. Recommended for anybody who is reasonably active and has the time.

Day 4
Sunny and hot. Today's agenda included a drive down the very scenic Route 128, a Fisher Towers hike and a drive on the La Sal Mountain Loop.

While Route 128 is very scenic it becomes repetitive. There was a campaign to fund the restoration of the Dewey Bridge. Recently, a boy playing with matches burned the bridge and all that's left are the hanging steel cables.

Fisher Towers. This turned out to be not only a very scenic hike but ended with a spectacular bonus. Some rock climbers were near the summit of the Corkscrew and one of them was pulling himself to the top. He stood at the very top with his arms spread. I yelled up for him to turn and then took some photos. He called down with his email address and asked me to send the photos. Not for the faint of heart.

La Sal Mountain loop. As we drove the temperature dropped. We must have been over 10,000 feet up and we stopped to throw a few snowballs.

We left Moab about an hour earlier than expected so a late afternoon visit Goblin Valley moved into the agenda. This is a very worthwhile and fun stop with many relatively small, interesting rock formations. Just the place for a family to stop for an hour or two during a long drive to climbing all over the "characters".

Myer

Day 5
Sunny and hot. Capitol Reef NP. Agenda consisted of the Chimney Rock, Hickman Bridge and Grand Wash hikes.

The views from above Chimney Rock are amazing. I also realized I was in pretty good shape for the trip as there was quite an elevation change that was handled quite easily. I thought the Hickman Bridge hike was not difficult, quite scenic and ended with a walk under and thru the Bridge.

For some reason I switched from Grand Wash to Capitol Gorge. I think I pictured something that looked more like a slot canyon rather than a hot dirt road. Well, you can't win them all.

Day 6
Sunny and hot. Agenda included Lower Calf Creek Falls, Burr Trail Road and Devil's Garden Escalante in that order. I wanted to get to Lower Calf Creek Falls as early as possible because of the heat and to make sure parking wasn't an issue. For some reason I had it in my mind to wander Devil's Garden late in the afternoon. Had I realized that on Route 12 "scenic" means "steep hills and sharp curves" I would have been more efficient with the sequence and placed Burr Trail Road last since it's located near the motel.

The Lower Calf Creek Falls hike is a relative long 2.5 miles each way on a sand covered trail with little shade. Although very HOT, there's really nothing difficult about the hike. The prize at the end is the spectacular (I realize spectacular and amazing are used quite often) view of the Falls. What a sight! Being in a shaded area surrounded by trees, the setting provided a cool change from the trail. Swimming or walking in the pool below the Falls looked like a good, refreshing idea.

After backtracking to Burr Trail Road, we found Long Canyon slot about 11.5 miles down the road. There's no marker however, there's a small paved pullout on the left (north) side of the road. The slot canyon is very close to the road just across the dry wash and is only about 100 yards long ending in a "V". Well worth the drive for my first view of a slot canyon. Driving further we saw a car that had gone off the road. The sheriff was there and nobody was hurt. Although very scenic, the road became repetitious.

Devil's Garden Escalante. Located about 12 miles down the dirt Hole-in-the-Rock Road. By now we were getting used to "steep hills and sharp curves" on Route 12. Devil's Garden is a fun place with very interesting rock formations that are somewhat larger than those at Goblin Valley and more difficult to climb. It felt like Goblin Valley would resemble Devil's Garden when it grows up.

The weather forecast for Day 7 was not good with a cold front expected to bring rain and wash out the Memorial Day weekend.

Myer

Day 7
Woke up to a slightly cool sunny day. A pleasant surprise. Agenda included the Willis Creek slot canyon hike, Bryce Canyon NP and a drive to SLC to end the trip.

Driving west from Boulder towards Cannonville I could see thick clouds approaching. The temperature was also dropping and by the time we reached Cannonville it had started to rain lightly and the clouds looked ominous.

My plan was to hike Willis Creek and finally see a real slot canyon but I was a bit concerned about being caught in a slot canyon with heavy rain. A stop at the visitors' center and a check of the radar indicated that a storm didn't appear to be an imminent threat. Changing into jeans and a sweatshirt was a good idea as the temperature had dropped quite a bit. Fortunately, it didn't rain while we were there.

I was a bit surprised at how steep the road was to Willis Creek. This starts off as the same road to Grosvenor Arch but you take the right fork instead of the left one. We followed the instructions and found the unmarked parking lot and register box.

The Willis Creek hike is easy. A fairly level shallow stream runs thru the sections of slot canyon. The smallest canyon appears within minutes of leaving the parking lot. There are two small sets of waterfalls (about 6-8 feet high) and the following slots become quite impressive, tall and narrow. Finally a real slot canyon. Since the stream took up about half the width of the canyon (between 5 and 10 feet) and kept meandering from side to side, we kept jumping across the stream to keep out of the two inch high water.

Two people on horseback coming towards us in the canyon added to the scenery. This was a great scenic hike and we decided to return to the car after about four or five sets of slots.

I was in Bryce Canyon last year but decided to add it to the itinerary since it was in our path and my friend had never seen it.

The drive to Bryce Canyon was fairly short and uphill. By the time we entered the park the temperature had dropped to 35 degrees (that's a drop of 60 degrees from the previous day) and a thick drizzle had turned to snow flurries. We stopped at Bryce Point for a very cold and windy view. Then we drove back to Sunset Point and hiked Navajo Loop. Last year Wall Street was closed due to a rock slide but it has since been reopened. Being sheltered from the wind made the hike very pleasant and scenic. For a short hike Navajo Loop has several interesting rock formations including Thor's Hammer, Twin Bridges and the Sentinel). Just before leaving Bryce I decided to make another very cold, short stop at the Natural Bridge (it's actually an arch).

In my opinion, those with limited time can get a good feel for the Park by visiting Bryce Point, Natural Bridge and hiking Navajo Loop. With a bit more time add Queen's Garden.

The drive back to Salt Lake City was a pleasant four hours on a very level Route 15.

With about three hours to spare in the morning before going to the airport to return home, we visited Temple Square, the Capitol Building, Brigham Young's Beehive House (where two Sisters gave us a quick tour and made it a point to differentiate between LDS and FLDS), made a quick stop at the Geniology Center to get internet search instructions and a five minute stop at the train station.

To view photos go to:
www.travelwalks.com

Select Utah 2008

For additional photos of Bryce Canyon select the Bryce Canyon 2007 trip

Dayle

Myer,

Enjoyed the trip report! It sounds like you did have a good time. I think the weather Memorial Day weekend was better south than at my house!

I'm sorry you didn't get to Corona Arch, but you saw plenty of others for sure. Did you see the rock art along the Potash Rd? There is a high concentration right where the climbers are. Glad you got to do the Firey Furnace, it's definitely one of my favorites. So unique.

Willis Creek sounds interesting. That will be on my list for the area. I'm also hopping to do the Escalante River hike soon. It starts out of Escalante and is quite a few miles one way, so a shuttle is needed.

I agree with you on the limited menu at Hell's Backbone Grill, but it is a very small operation. I didn't think it, or Cafe Diablo in Torrey, were over-priced, but then maybe I've lived in a resort town for too long!!!

Your pictures are great! I only saw a few since my dial up is too slow to load, but you definitely have an artistic eye.

So where's the next trip?

Myer

Dayle,

Glad you enjoyed the too long report.

I don't feel bad about my defeat at Corona Arch. At least I lived for the next day.

I didn't really stop on Potash Road other than for Corona Arch.

Yes, Fiery Furnace is a lot of fun. Looks harder than it is.

Willis Creek was great for the effort.

Next trip?
Well I have an inventory.

NY & Boston maybe in September. We were in NY last year for Broadway on Broadway so we may do it again and this time add Boston instead of Philadelphia.

Then there Charleston & Savanah.

Or Seattle, Vancouver, Victoria.

Or Italy again (been half a dozen times).

Also, maybe another shot at the Southwest somewhere. Ideas?

ElendilPickle

I only saw a few of your pictures, but they are really nice! Thanks for posting a great trip report to go with them.

Lee Ann

spirobulldog

It sounds like you liked Double Arch as well as I did. It is one of my favorites. I found another favorite this past weekend not to far from where you were. Sipapu Bridge in Natural Bridges National Monument. It is very impressive once you get to the bottom of it. You 2nd picture has me a bit confused. A few of the things you saw I missed along the way last year. This makes me want to go back even more. Your photos of the climbers are cool.

Myer

Spiro,

There's no end to what's out there to see.

About my 2nd photo, I suspect that's not the 3 Gossips. Just another interesting formation.

I think I'll add what I think is the 3 Gossips and change the caption for this one.

Supercilious

We were in the same area at about the same time. Our plan was to visit Zion on Monday and Tuesday of the week before Memorial Day. When we arrived Sunday afternoon, it was 100 degrees and the campgrounds were full. So we opted to head to Bryce instead. There we enjoyed two wonderful days in the 80's but on Wednesday morning, the front moved in and we found ourselves driving in sleet and rain on our way to Capitol Reef. We decided to outrun the storm and headed for Moab which was at a lower elevation.

We spent Thursday and Friday in Arches and Canyonlands. Then on Saturday, we returned to Boulder where we had reservations at the Mountain Lodge. On Sunday, we did the Lower Calf Creek Falls. The day started out very cool and we almost wore jackets on the hike but, thankfully, the sun was strong and it eventually warmed the air. Near the falls though it was quite cool. The trail was pretty crowded and there were lots of dogs but the hike was well worth the effort.

We found the Lodge to be very nice. Not musty at all and the hot tub was working. The grounds are very nice but they are not being kept up very nicely. Did you notice the old chair in the pond? We also had some service issues. But, we did enjoy our stay very much.

We had three meals at the restaurant and thought it overrated and overpriced. We also had some service issues here too but it was a very busy weekend for them and they did their best.

After Boulder, we went over the mountain to Capitol Reef where we hiked the Grand Wash and up to Hickman Bridge which was the highlight for us of the park. The weather was deteriorating again, so we opted to stay in Torrey at the Wonderland Inn. This is a very nice motel with a good restaurant that is not overpriced.

The next day, we drove the Burr Trail back up to Boulder. We stopped at the Long Canyon slot also. Then we took the Hell's Backbone road over to Escalante. Boulder is an interesting place. There are four roads that lead in or out and all are highly scenic. Interestingly, I think Hwy 12 from Escalante over the hogsback is the most scenic of them all.

The remainder of the trip was spent camping at Kodachrome Basin and Zion in absolutely perfect weather. Kodachrome has some very scenic trails and the campground is outstanding. We also had a nice picnic at Grosvenor Arch and in Zion, we hiked up to the Upper Emerald Pool and along the East Mesa to Observation Point among others.

We hadn't been to Zion since 1990 and we were very impressed with the new Visitor Center and the shuttle bus system. They have done an excellent job in Zion in enhancing the visitor experience.

Myer

Super,
I had some of the same observations.

Hickman Bridge was my favorite at Capitol Reef as well.

I also thought the restaurant at Boulder Mountain Lodge is over-priced.

While there were many sights that were outstanding, most were expected.

Some minor surprises were Goblin Valley Park, Willis Creek slot canyon (I would pick this over Kodachrome Park any day and they're very close to each other) and Devil's Garden Escalante. I liked Canyonlands Island in the Sky more than I expected as well.

I also thought Fiery Furnace in Arches was better than I expected.


I guess we left Bryce just in time at about 4PM on the Wednesday before Memorial Day. The drive up to SLC was dry all the way.

Isn't the Lower Calf Creek Falls spectacular?

Supercilious

"Isn't the Lower Calf Creek Falls spectacular?"

Yes. It's a great hike. Next time we will do the Upper Falls trail. There is also a very nice campground at the trailhead. It's a beautiful and spectacular area.

We didn't even know about Willis Canyon. Will have to do that sometime too. If there is a next time. We spent a fortune on gas, driving from Northern California and found it went up another 20 cents a gallon while we were gone.

One thing about gas in Utah. They don't seem to rip you off as much in remote areas as they do in California. It's usually only about 10 cents a gallon more than in the bigger towns. Whereas in California, you can expect to pay 40 to 70 cents more a gallon in places like Bridgeport or Lee Vining than in Bishop or Lake Tahoe.

By the way Meyer, I forgot to thank you for the great trip report. I'm sure it will be helpful for those planning to visit the area.

ncounty

Thanks for the trip report. I hope to do this some day and had thought I might do it this year in late June but I realized it is too hot by then. Seems like early May or even late April might be ideal if you are shooting for high 60s to 70s temperatures.

Supercilious

"Seems like early May or even late April might be ideal if you are shooting for high 60s to 70s temperatures."

It really depends on where you go. Except for Zion, most of these parks are fairly high in elevation 5 - 8,000 feet. So places like Bryce, Boulder, Arches, Canyonlands and the North Rim of the Grand Canyon are fine in late June. Moab was just starting its season in late May.

This year, we kind of had some freakish weather - blazing hot in mid-May and then cool and wet around Memorial Day. Usually, the weather is a lot more dependable in June and July. Then, in August, the monsoons can occur. September and early October are also good times to go.

One thing we really enjoyed in late May in Zion were the wildflowers. They seemed to be at their peak and maybe the cool weather extended their show. For Bryce though, it was still a little early for the wildflowers peak. June would be better.

ncounty

Do you think late June would be okay for Bryce? How about Moab? I had read somewhere Moab would be in the 90s+ by late June. Thanks!

utahtea

Myer,

Thank you for the great trip report and pictures. You sure know how to pack a lot into a short time!

I was so sad to read that the old Dewey Bridge had burned down. We drove over the old Dewey Bridge back in the late 1970's when it was still open.

Utahtea

utahtea

ncounty,

Bryce should be nice in June, but Moab can be hot by this time of the year. Plan your hikes early in the morning and late in the evening and do your driving around during the heat of the day.

Utahtea

Myer

utahtea,

The only thing left of the Dewey Bridge are the vertical cable hanging, some concrete piles at each end and a marker indicating that funds had been raised to restore the bridge and until it was done weeding, etc would be maintaine on the site.

I expect that this notice was intended as a restoration and not a rebuild. I wonder if it will ever be restored/rebuilt.

Also, about a mile or so past the bridge on Rt128 there are some petroglyphs. While this isn't my thing, it's a shame that some people felt it necessary to write their names and date (I believe mid-60s) on the same rock.

I get a lot done in a short period of time. I always seem to get to everything on my list. I definitely do not rush just to check off a list. I take my time and stop whenever I want to to relax.

I'm just non-stop from morning to evening.