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The Grandest of Gulches: Back Into Lower Grand GulchThe Grandest of Gulches: Back Into Lower Grand Gulch

The Grandest of Gulches: Back Into Lower Grand Gulch

Cedar Mesa Chronicles: Chapter 11 | Thursday – Sunday, March 21-24, 2024

This week Diane and I took Thursday and Friday off from work so we could meet up with our friend Jared and spend a couple of days backpacking into lower Grand Gulch within the Bears Ears National Monument. While this would be Diane’s first time hiking into this part of Grand Gulch, Jared and I had hiked here about nine years ago and I was really looking forward to the return visit. From the very start of the hike we could tell there was a lot of water in the canyon from recent storms and that it might have even flash flooded recently, but all that water also created a lot of quicksand and mud in the wash that significantly slowed down our progress and forced us to follow brushy deer trails across the benches in many places. The weather during the first three days of our hike was great and the nights even stayed pretty warm, we only encountered wet weather during our final night in the canyon and during the hike back out of Collins Canyon. Here are some photos taken during our four days in Grand Gulch.

CONTINUE READINGThe Grandest of Gulches: Back Into Lower Grand Gulch
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Moab Meanderings: Arches on Amasa BackMoab Meanderings: Arches on Amasa Back

Moab Meanderings: Arches on Amasa Back

Sunday, March 12, 2023

I was originally planning to go hiking on Saturday this weekend, but the rain in the forecast made me change those plans late in the week. So instead, I opted to stayed home on Saturday to work on my Jeep a little and start getting prepared for an upcoming backpacking trip. The weather forecast was looking better on Sunday, so after moving the clocks up an hour for Daylight Savings Time I got up early and drove down to Moab for a day hike on Amasa Back. I had hiked onto Amasa Back with Diane over the 2021 Christmas weekend, but we didn’t make it as far as I would have liked that day, so I was hoping to reach a couple new arches this time. As I drove through The Portal and along the Colorado River shortly before sunrise, I could tell that spring break had definitely arrived since all of the campsites were occupied, which was not the case just a few short weeks ago. When I reached the trailhead at the mouth of Kane Springs Canyon I started hiking up the Jackson Trail as the sun came up over the cliffs. It was turning out to be a very beautiful morning!

CONTINUE READINGMoab Meanderings: Arches on Amasa Back
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Lower Waring Canyon & Pole CanyonLower Waring Canyon & Pole Canyon

Lower Waring Canyon & Pole Canyon

Sunday, December 20, 2020

I was originally planning to spend this whole weekend out and about around the San Rafael Swell, but when I woke up early on Saturday morning to leave I wasn’t feeling very well (non-COVID symptoms) and decided to stay home for the day instead. Since I was feeling much better in the afternoon and at least wanted to try to get some local hiking in this weekend, I decided to head over to the Dewey Bridge on Sunday morning so I could explore a pair of canyons in the area. It was pretty cold out early on Sunday morning when I left home before sunrise, but was supposed to warm up into the 40’s in the afternoon. I started out the day by hiking a few miles into Waring Canyon from the Entrada Bluffs Road and then I took a short drive down to the Dolores River before hiking up Pole Canyon from the River Road along the Colorado River.

CONTINUE READINGLower Waring Canyon & Pole Canyon
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Windy Weekend in The SwellWindy Weekend in The Swell

Windy Weekend in The Swell

Saturday & Sunday, April 29-30, 2017

After staying up late the last four nights in a row to attend concerts and then getting up for work early the following mornings, it was finally time for me to sleep in on Saturday! I woke up around 9:00am (I really cannot recall the last time I slept in that late), packed my camping gear into the Jeep and started driving west to the San Rafael Swell where I would spend the rest of the day hiking in canyons and searching for rock art. It was very windy out all day, which is pretty typical of springtime weather on the Colorado Plateau, but a cold front had moved through the area and the temperature was pretty cool out, too. I could have done without the wind, but the temperature was perfect for hiking! Here are a few photos from the day…

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