Completed: 2 Weeks through the West

[tzdevill]

What a beautiful trip!

[Trail X]

From Hanksville, we headed towards the Capitol Reef National Park. Prior to this trip, I hadn't ever heard of this park... but when I was planning my route between Moab and the GC, I stumbled upon this gem (it's no secret, but it's rather remote, so it doesn't get the same attention). So after an hour of driving through some pretty diverse landscape, we entered the park.





It was at this point that I realized I had left the key from our prior night's motel in my pocket. This was a key key too... none of that plastic stuff. So we hightailed it back to Hanksville, dropped off the key, then high tailed it back... all in all, putting us about an hour and 50 minutes behind. Oh well... just annoying.

Anyways, now that we were back in the park again, we skipped some of the other parts of the park, and instead turned towards the main attraction of the day... the Burr Trail. So left we go!









This is where we basically entered the Waterpocket Fold. The fold is a "monoclinal fold" formed from an ancient fault line. The rock layers on one side of the park have essentially been raised more than 7000 feet, and the top layers have been eroded away. So it leaves interesting linear 'stripes' of exposed rock through the area of the fold. The resulting exposed layers in the fold jut out at impressive angles, often around 45 degrees from horizontal.

This picture from the National Park Service helps explain what you'll be seeing in some of the upcoming photos.















From here, we took the Burr Trail through it's switchbacks up to the top of the monocline. You'll see a bit of these switchbacks in the video. It is an impressive road, but not very scary despite the heights. The road is well maintained and wide. I wish I had stopped at the overlook at the top, but it was occupied by another vehicle, and I don't really like disturbing other's solitude.



So from there, we took a side trail through the Upper Muley Twist Canyon.



You'll see more of this road in the dash cam video, but basically it was a trail that followed a wash up to a small parking area. From there you could hike to an overlook.





We did hike out there, but by the time we got to the overlook, it was raining pretty hard, my wife was soaked, and my photos did not turn out very well. So there's no reason to include photos of that...

So onward we pressed, and eventually transitioned into the Grand Staircase area. I had overlooked this area in my planning, and much to my surprise, this portion of the trip was very beautiful.













As we climbed out of the canyon, along more of the Burr Trail, we could see the rain beginning to close in.



There's still a beauty to rain in the desert, and I enjoyed all of the little waterfalls that sprang up along the rocks.





We ended the trail in Boulder, Utah and grabbed a late lunch/early dinner at the Burr Trail Grill. I really enjoyed the spicy twist on the burger. Almost everything was made local, including the beef. Megan didn't really enjoy the sauce that was on the burger - but she doesn't really like mayo-based stuff, nor raw tomatoes - and the burger was slathered in it.



The road from Boulder into Escalante is impressive. Some good drop offs along it's length - you can see some of it in the dash cam footage, towards the end. It felt much steeper while on the road, than it looks in the video.

We had planned to camp in the Dixie NF that night, but sometimes plans don't work out. The rain set into the Escalante area, and we were running ragged. So we furiously scoured the maps for a local hotel (Megan was instant that she wanted a good bed - so we agreed that a standard roadside motel just wouldn't do)... everything was booked within a 100 mile radius. I ended up finding the last room in a Holiday Inn in Kanab... a super-deluxe suite.

So we ended up spending the next two nights there, resting up before pushing on. Sometimes you just need some good rest, and a nice day to relax here and there. We had certainly been pushing it hard lately with most days spending 8 to 10 hours in the truck. So it was actually nice to sleep in and not have to go anywhere the next day. Note to self: for future trips, plan in a rest day here and there...

Here's a peek at the dash cam footage from the day, set to some more lyricless music:

Enjoy.

[Trail X]

So after our day of rest in Kanab, we crossed the border into Arizona. Today's destination was one of the most anticipated stops along the trip. We were worried however, that the Grand Canyon wouldn't be as grand to us, since we had been tainted by the previous places we'd been. We both discussed this during the drive... what if the Grand Canyon would just be another stop? That would be rather disappointing.

Anyways, after a short drive (ok short to us now is anything less than 3 hours)... we entered the park boundary. At the entrance gate, signs indicated the campgrounds were full. No problem... I had a special destination in mind.

We hit up the back country office, and got our backcountry permit. We got extremely lucky, as we learned that the point had just been opened the night before due to a very large forest fire (http://www.nps.gov/grca/parknews/2011-1 ... t-fire.htm). The night before, the first vehicle had ventured out to the point since July. They, however, didn't make it to the point, as there was a tree down along the road. The lady at the office said not to worry, as a truck had already been dispatched to the tree, and had probably already removed it.

So off we headed... we would be the first people on the point since July 15th.



We had been driving for about an hour, maybe more, when suddenly Megan shouted, "What is that?!"... I stopped the vehicle immediately, and out stepped a buffalo into the trail. He was maybe 25 feet away. He lowered his head a couple times, looking like he was considering a charge at ol' Coop. I was ready with my hand on the horn and the high-beam stick (I couldn't think of much else that would scare him).



Luckily we remembered to snap a photo of him before he vanished into the woods. Later conversations with park workers said they hadn't heard of the buffalo ranging that far into the woods. Megan and I think maybe he was a lone male that had been driven from the herd. Who knows.

Anyways, back to the road. I was taking it pretty easy... the road was pretty rough, and I needed low gear a few times to take the stress off the engine for some climbs. You wouldn't expect to hit any climbs along the road, but they were certainly there. I also relied on low gear a good many times for help on the steep, rocky decents. Now, I didn't document it well, and didn't even take video, because going slow up a rocky slope doesn't make for good video... but believe me, it wasn't all smooth going like in the video.

We had made it to about the 14 mile mark in about an hour and 45 minutes. And we ran across the tree that was supposed to be cleared. Not even a small tree that I could easily pull out of the way with a strap... but a 150' long tree, with a max trunk diameter of 3'.

We had three options. Wait (I'm not a patient man)... go back to the back-country office, and talk to someone (no cell service, and it would be a 3 hour loop minimum!)... or try to move it.



Luckily, with the way it fell, I formulated a plan. Now, I don't bring a chain saw, nor a bow saw. But I do bring a reciprocating saw with me... but it's used mainly to assist with cutting firewood. So I set out to make a good scoring cut around the tree to give it a weak spot. I was able to get a good 9" deep on one side, but that finished off a battery. I stuck in another... dead (note to self - check all batteries before packing next time!). I keep another, and it had a half charge or so. So I scored the rest of the tree, maybe 2" deep. So that still left with a good uncut chunk of wood, about 7" x 10".

With the gear I carry, I was able to rig up a change of direction pull for the winch. The plan was to break the tree, then pull it off of the path. There was a nice thick tree just far enough away to use as a good anchor point. So I set about methodically rigging everything into place.

Below, everything is rigged, just trying to use the last little bit of juice that the batteries held to help the winch out ever so little.



Success!



You can pretty much see the whole layout here. Pretty routine setup, but it worked beautifully (you can see a sped up version of the tree breaking on the video, below).



So after clearing it off the path, on we went to the point. And we were not a bit disappointed at the view. It was the most incredible place I had ever seen.



Now is when I let the pictures do more talking.







Out on the tip of the point, I cannot describe the beauty. The only sounds are your own breaths and the wind whistling through the gnarled trees. It was so silent, the wind passing over the wings of the Swallows was clearly audible. They would rip up and down the embankments, enjoying the sun and updrafts. They looked like top gun fighters, these birds were not afraid to pull a few Gs. Sadly, I couldn't capture any well on film.











Couldn't have a better view from the kitchen.



Here's the mounting location for the edgestar fridge. Definitely nice to have a fridge, but I realized my charging system lagged behind a bit. I believe I need to up my wire size... but that's for another discussion!



Yum, Megan cooked up a wonderful lasagna pasta. Nice to get a good hardy meal in my belly after sweating so much on that downed tree.



Gorgeous views while we ate.













And watched the sun go down... over the canyon... it was such a peaceful location. Even though I've been there, it's still going on the bucket list. I want to go again.







Here's the best image I could capture of the stars... they were truly incredible.



Here's some video from the day. Some dash cam mixed with some hand held video from the canyon. Enjoy!

[BSalty]

Great write-up, awesome pictures! What kind of camera did you use?

I have been waiting for your write-up on this trip. I was curious to see a different perspective of the western lands than what I have. I guess you get so used to seeing it that you almost come to expect it when you go off the paved roads. Both the red rock and the high elevation mountains, you can *almost* begin to take it for granted, but not quite.

Thanks for sharing the trip!

[Trail X]

Thanks for the compliments Brandon.

I use a point and shoot Sony Cybershot DSC-H55. Saving up for a DSLR, but those things are expensive!

[bartonmd]

Awesome views!

For future reference, my little gas chainsaw (Echo 330T), fuel/oil, spare bar/chain (in case you stick one, you can take the power-head off of the bar/chain, and cut it out with the other bar/chain, so you don't have to bring 2 saws), saw tools, and safety chaps take up about the same amount of room as a battery Sawzall, batteries, and charger... Though, really, taking both is really ideal, for the times you're just cutting up little firewood and don't want to mess with the chainsaw... Having said that, though, had all 3 of your batteries been charged, you would have been able to cut all the way through it, anyway...

What blades do you use? I found that the "wood" blades are really for cutting wood with nails in it, and don't cut nearly as fast as the "pruning" blades...

Mike

[Trail X]

I think I had a 12" wood blade or something... don't remember which brand I picked up. I couldn't find my dewalt 12" blade so as a last minute item I ran out and grabbed one. Really glad I did.

I could have cut through the whole thing with the blades, had the batteries been charged, but I think it would have still been a good idea to break it with the winch. That thing was heavy, not sure if I wanted to be that close when it dropped.

[bartonmd]

I think I had a 12" wood blade or something... don't remember which brand I picked up. I couldn't find my dewalt 12" blade so as a last minute item I ran out and grabbed one. Really glad I did.

I could have cut through the whole thing with the blades, had the batteries been charged, but I think it would have still been a good idea to break it with the winch. That thing was heavy, not sure if I wanted to be that close when it dropped.

Yeah, if you're unsure, or if you haven't cut up a lot of trees (I've been helping my Grandpa and Dad cut trees on Grandpa's tree farm since I was 10, though only running the saws since I was ~16 or so), it's good to leave a 3"x3" section unbroken, to break with the winch... As long as you can be far enough out of the way to be safe... What you did was exactly correct. You don't want to pull it toward yourself, because then you'd be in the in the path if something broke free with a lot of tension on it... It's also safer to go ahead and cut it in place, if you're going to be standing where it comes free, like if you are running a come-along or using a Hi-Lift as a winch... Want to make as little potential energy as possible when you're in the direction of the pulling... Says the guy who had 50' of 1" rope coil up and hit him in the chest so fast that he didn't even have time to blink before it hit him, when using a come-along to try and extract a vehicle (in High School)...

Mike

[02TahoeMD]

James, I am glad that you made it to Point Sublime. It was closed the last time I was out there and your pics have ensured that I shall try to make it out again. I guess you can understand now why I have gone out to Grand Canyon time and again? Truly a magnificent place and it never gets old and it shows you something different every visit.

Epic kudos on the brilliant use of recip saw and winch. I only carry a couple of hand saws and an axe with me in my rig, I guess I am gonna have to buy one now.

Great trip report.

[MrSmithsTB]

Looks like it was an amazing trip. Very inspiring.

[lupisnegris77]

Absolutely amazing pics and write up on this trip way to go James

[Trail X]

It's taken me a while to circle back on this, but I'm not done yet! Still two more really good stops. But I don't want to get too far ahead of myself.

The morning came on Pt Sublime, and we got to enjoy a different light. I think that's one of my big takeaways... the canyon really takes on completely different looks depending on the time of day and weather conditions.







Captured a falcon enjoying the sun.



The morning haze was minimal, but when you're looking miles down the canyon, it make for interesting pictures.



The moon was still up... tried to capture it... came out ok.



Megan got spooked after she read the Overland Journal article about the North Rim. Of course, they had to have a huge picture of a tarantula in their writeup. We saw no tarantulas, but she was always on the lookout.



We really had a fun time exploring the point, and made some good memories we won't soon forget.



Panorama from the tip of the point:







I really liked this shot:



Truck's packed up... time to head back down the road.







Video of the return trip down the Pt. Sublime Road. I had a good bit of dash cam footage, so I condensed it down by speeding it up a lot.



We took it at some higher speeds because we were pretty hungry. The result was the truck getting quite dirty. The only dirty vehicle in the North Rim visitor's center parking lot. Lot a lot of stares. As I aired up, Megan had a few people ask her what I was doing... as if it was some sort of foreign concept.



The visitor's center was very nice... they set it up to embrace the canyon as well as possible. We ate lunch there.



This is the view from our lunch table... it was a nice break. Megan says it's her most memorable meal.

We agreed that when we're 80, we'll come back and sit on those chairs and watch the sun set over the canyon again.



We headed back down the road to Lake Powell, and stayed there for the night.





The lake was an interesting contrast to the red rock. It sorta felt like seeing an iceberg in the Caribbean. Yet they still seemed to go together.



What's with the power plant? Looks like a promotional poster for a global warming movie.



More to come! Next is the Valley of the Gods.

[tzdevill]

Man I cant say it enough that is one awesome trip!!!

[BSalty]

James, seriously, I have lived here most of my life. Born and raised except for a couple of years I spent gone for work. You did an amazing trip! You really have an eye for capturing what it really looks like on film. I can't wait to see what you did in Valley of the Gods. I love that place.

Nice job so far.

[madmanvillain]

When i was in the Scouts, i went to philmont in new mexico. Since then, Ive told myself i will end up back out there somewhere. The most beautiful places I have ever seen.

In regards to the sawzall, I believe they are called Fire and Rescue blades, but they will cut through anything. And are a great backup if nothing else.

Anything you would have done differently?

[Trail X]

Thanks, I'll take a look for those blades next time.

Anything you would have done differently?

I assume you mean overall? I think my biggest takeaway was to slow down. We bit off a ton for this trip. Looking back, we missed a few things I would have liked to check out, but with the scope of this trip, it would have been impossible. Next time we'll probably choose a smaller area to concentrate on. However I don't know if I would do that to this particular trip... maybe just slow down a bit more.

Man, I still have a couple more days to cover. I've been slacking!

[Trail X]

The next leg was from Page to Valley of the Gods. It would take us through Navajo Nation, or "Dine" Nation (in Navajo tongue) (how did Dine become Navajo?)

Anyways, while we were eating breakfast on Lake Powell, I had made the comment to Megan, "How do they get those boats shipped in (because the house boats are really really big)? I'd like to see that". Well lo and behold, as we were leaving we got our answer. That thing was hanging a good few feet over the line. Anyways, it was impressive.



This is a good representation of the majority of Navajo Nation. This is a volcanic plug that has remained after much erosion, called Agathla Peak.



We stopped at monument valley and did some shopping for our families. We liked the authenticity of this place. The shop owners were really cool, all willing to chat about their families, and very friendly.



We passed Mexican Hat, turned north, and then took the short side road over to the Goosenecks. I was able to get one decent wide-angle shot of the river. Pretty insane path that the river chose.



So on we went towards the valley.



The valley of the gods road was one of the best maintained roads we had hit so far, and we made really good time. I was very surprised (and a bit annoyed) of the traffic on this road. Everything from cars to minivans. Wasn't as remote as I had expected after coming from Point Sublime. But it was still a really cool place, especially once we got toward our campsite.

I wasn't exactly sure where we would be camping, but we eventually found a nice spot right under Castle Butte. I think this is the same spot I had seen previously on Expo. You won't find a normal car camping here though, as the entrance is a bit tricky and off camber. Not sure why it had a fire ring either, because (I thought!) it said no fires were allowed.

Views: Castle Butte to the left of this image:





We went exploring a bit, and found beauty everywhere.



Below wasn't Castle Butte, but the other big rock formation above our camp. I can't find a name for it.



Megan was the lizard whisperer and made a few new friends.



I battened down the tent, because I figured we'd get some winds tonight. In retrospect, I shouldn't have because it was the stillest, warmest night yet. Perfect camping weather.



I can't seem to draw any more detail out of this image, but it gives you a good idea of where we were positioned. A truly amazing campsite.



We were losing light fast, so Megan jumped on dinner duty.











Our best dinner view the whole trip:



Night fell, and it was a warm, windless night. Perfect camping weather. You might be able to barely make out Castle Butte in this one (the camp lights kinda wash it out):



For some reason I woke up at about 2 am and enjoyed snapping a few more photos of the night sky. It was amazing what your eye could pick up in the darkness. The dark rock silhouettes really stood out against the blanket of stars. I think this one came out well (only after a lot of Photoshopping).



Sun came up the next morning, and brought different light to the land (compare this photo to the 7th one in this post!).





I attempted to make pancakes on the cast iron grittle we had... but failed miserably. I'm normally the pancake master, but this was my first time using the grittle. I wasted a good hour, two bottles of mix, and dirtied a bunch of cooking utensils - and we had no food to show for it!



So we headed off in search for food, but only found vistas.



We did eventually run across the Twin Rock's Cafe. We had a good experience there. The 'Indian bread' was pretty good too.



Video of the entire drive to the campsite (sped up really fast!):

[bartonmd]

Cool!

[djthumper]

You got some great shots!

[bgwolfpack]

Why so many damn pictures of food!

You've blown my diet darn it!



Hmm, What a wonderful trip.

Lil "Coop" did good by you two, too.