Southern Utah Wanderings | Canyons of the Escalante
Friday, October 10, 2014
After visiting a few short slot canyons in the morning we still had plenty of time to find something else to do for the rest of the day. First we stopped in Escalante for a bite to eat and then found a campsite along the Old Sheffield Road so we could get camp setup early and not have to worry about it later. We decided to spend the late afternoon hiking to Upper Calf Creek Falls since we had visited the lower falls earlier in the week. The hike was a short but steep descent to the falls from the top of New Home Bench. After visiting the main waterfall, which wasn’t flowing very much this late in the season, we climbed above to visit a few small pools. This would make a great place to swim when the temperature is warmer.
While not as impressive as the Lower Calf Creek Falls, this waterfall is still located in a beautiful setting. I bet it looks even better in the spring when it’s flowing more.
Upper Calf Creek Falls by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr
A nice pool above the main waterfall with it’s own smaller waterfall.
Swimming Hole by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr
A lone tree that caught my eye as we explored the area.
Tree by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr
Clouds reflected in a pool of water just above the upper falls.
Pool & Clouds by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr
Nice clouds moved into the sky as we hiked back to the trailhead on top of New Home Bench.
Hike Scenery by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr
Back to the Top by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr
After reaching my Jeep at the top we started driving back towards our campsite, but we had to stop along The Hogback to photograph the beautiful sunset that was unfolding in front of us. We had a great view from up there.
The view towards Durffey Mesa from The Hogback.
Durffey Mesa Light by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr
Virga in the distance.
Virga Over Canyon Light by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr
Nice light and clouds this evening.
Hogback View by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr
The view down Dry Hollow from up here was just amazing with the beautiful magenta sky above the cottonwoods in their early stages of changing color lining the creek below.
Dry Hollow Cottonwoods by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr
Dry Hollow Sunset by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr
When the color in the sky was finally gone, we finished the drive back to our campsite and went to bed. It had been another good day!