We hike in to the middle of the gulch from the east to see if we can see several natural arches in the canyon. However, I leave the map in our vehicle so we end up just exploring the top of the canyon hoping we stumble across the arches.

In one area at the top of the canyon, we find a natural structure created by erosion in the sandstone. Water erosion has cut through the top sandstone in large blocks. Underneath, the stone is much softer and has eroded away tunnels large enough that a vehicle could drive through them. The tunnel walls are worn away in honeycomb patterns. These tunnels crisscross creating a labyrinth of many rooms, tunnels and passages. However, there is a thin crack in the ceiling of each room and tunnel so they do not qualify as natural arches.

Still, it was an interesting find.

David and I traveled to Zions National Park to try to hike to a large arch in Hepworth Wash, south of the Zions Tunnel. We hiked several miles up Gifford Canyon and then climbed up about 900 feet to a pass into Hepworth Wash. Along the way there were a lot of cliffs that required some overhand rock climbing. The pass is one of the highest points in Zions National Park and from there you can appreciate the part of the park that most people never see.

While we could see down into Hepworth Wash, we could not see the arch we were looking for and there is no way to descend into the canyon. It was growing late and we were exhausted. This turned out to be much bigger country than we were used to.

On the way back, I noticed movement out of the corner of my eye, about a half mile away. After a while we catch the sight of someone trying to climb down the cliffs at the very end of Gifford Canyon. From where we are it doesn’t look possible. I believe that they will probably be stranded up there for the night. However, some time later, a lone hiker catches up with us as we descend one of several dryfalls in Gifford Canyon. We stop to swap hiking stories with Karen T. from Salt Lake City, who did get up and then down the cliffs at the end of the canyon. She indicates that she enjoys hiking the canyons of southern Utah as often as possible.

Cool! — A canyon hiking girl!

We wanted to try, for the third time, to climb up to Camelhead Arch and Mystery Double Arch in the San Rafael Swell. We had tried several weeks earlier but were turned back by several tricky spots. We were going to try our original path again, but this time with ropes.

We parked on the east side of the San Rafael Swell, south of the I-70 freeway, at the mouth of Uneva Canyon. We then hiked for about a third of a mile up the canyon, to the base of a boulder strewn ramp that allowed us to climb up the north slope. That was rough climbing.

Finally we were at the top of the ramp which allowed access to a drainage that dropped to the east. This was the drainage that stopped us before when dry falls were more than we could climb down. Using short ropes, we were able to drop over the steep parts. There was even one stop that required belly crawling under a large boulder.

We found Mystery Double Arch within a hundred feet of our last failed attempt. That figures…

Mystery Double Arch is awesome! It’s gigantic! Easily a class ‘A’ arch. However it is really hard to photograph since you can’t back up far enough to get everything in.

I then decided to try for Camelhead Arch while David waited at Mystery Double Arch. This required some more tricky climbing including some over the head “stemming” using a low cliff shelf to push against, to get enough traction to climb the steep rock slope. I finally reached a “hanging garden” area and was then able to make my way northward over a few fins to Camelhead Arch. By then, the light was lousy for taking pictures.

I then headed back down the steep slope. David and I then made our way back up the drainage and down the boulder ramp. By the time I hit the bottom of Uneva Canyon, all I could do was collapse on a flat rock.

We drug ourselves back to the vehicle absolutely exhausted.

This is fun country!

Strike two.

We hike down the canyon to the “natural arch” only to discover that it is a small crack in some rocks. It was not even a real “arch”. We did find some interesting fossils in the drainage on the way out though.

As far as Arch Hunting was concerned, this was another “unprofitable pursuit of large, undomesticated aquatic water fowl” (Wild goose chase) but I enjoyed exploring new country.

We decide to vacation by tent-trailer in Canada. There we found lots of rain and cold. It even snowed on us on the Fourth of July in Banff National Park!

We came home frozen and grateful for the heat.

This trip requires that we gas up at the Dangling Rope Marina, 50 miles from Bullfrog Marina. Gasoline in town is $1.69/gallon. Gasoline at Dangling Rope Marina is $2.43/gallon. That is $70 per fill up. Ouch! The entire trip requires three fill ups and two $3 Rootbeer floats at Dangling Rope Marina. We had to use spare gas in a two-gallon can twice to make it to the marina docks so we could fill up again.

Besides a visit to Rainbow Bridge National Monument, we were able to visit many natural arches and bridges accessible only from the lake. And as hot as it is in June in southern Utah, on the lake it is quiet comfortable.

I love Lake Powell… as long as the wind isn’t blowing.

There HAS to be a way to get up there!

It is much too hot to be hiking anyway. We headed for home physically drained and sunburned.

Instead of hiking back the way I came, I choose to climb up a difficult slope so I could walk the rim back. It took a grueling hour of climbing to reach the top only to find a hidden rim of cliffs blocking my way. I spent quite a while bush-whacking to find a crack to crawl up to finally reach the top. Once on top, I just laid on the rock gasping for breath. (Maybe that climb wasn’t such a great idea.)

I then decided  to hike cross country to another canyon and explore it instead.

While hiking through the cedar forest between canyons, I start seeing Indian pottery fragments on the ground. Soon there were so many it was difficult to walk in some areas without stepping on them. I then stumble across a large collapsed, above ground kiva like structure. The pottery shards seem to circle this structure.

I am amazed at the quality of the pottery shards. Though these pieces have been sitting in the weather for hundreds of years, the intricate patterns and designs are bright and beautiful. Some were obviously bowls, some pots, some with handles, some with designs on the inside, some with designs on the outside. Wondrous

Again, I take lots of pictures and touch nothing.

Later while walking along the rim of the other canyon, I find indian cliff dwellings hidden just under the rim. Some of the dwelling that are hidden furthest from the outside are very well preserved. You can still see the finger marks of the ancient Indians as they pressed mud into the cracks between the rocks of these shelters. I almost expect the former inhabitants to still be there.

I LOVE these places!

Later that evening, I am barely able to drag myself back to my vehicle. Exhausted… Too much fun.