Once through Buckhorn and across the San Rafael River bridge, we headed south several miles to the Oil Well Flat road where we drove southwest up Cane Wash. A jeep trail then takes us north until it drops down into the head of Saddle Horse Canyon. Here we pass Eclipse Arch, hanging on the cliffs a short distance to the north.

Once we arrived in Saddle Horse Canyon, we discovered that the trail that dropped down into the sandy wash had been closed. Saddle Horse Canyon is now a “Wilderness Study Area”, which is just a sneaky way to designate wilderness and close it to access.

Several years earlier, we had driven the sandy dry wash north to Propped Up Arch. We had made a mental note to come back and explore the surrounding area. Now that was no longer an option. Propped Up Arch was now MILES away and the area we wanted to see was miles further.

Anger!

We tried to drive over FixIt Pass into Coal Wash but the road down the pass was WAY to rough now. Instead we turned around and headed out of the area the same way we drove in.

The day turned out to just be a long drive.

It was a wonderful time to enjoy the park and the fall colors. The day was clear and calm and the hot days were over for the year.

Before entering the park, we visited Grafton Utah, a ghost town just west of Rockville Utah, on the south side of the Virgin River. The buildings are not looking too bad compared to the last time we visited several years prior. In fact, they had some some work on the main house. You could go inside without fall through the floor boards.

Zions National Park was fairly quiet during the middle of the week with only a few visitors. The main tourist season was over so they were letting cars drive the road clear to the mouth of the Narrows. We did walk up the path leading into the Narrows but turned around when the improved path ended and the wading began.

Wonderful. Absolutely beautiful!

We also drove out for a ways  on the road through Zions tunnel and through the highlands towards Mt. Carmel. Here there aren’t many trees that turn to the Fall colors so it wasn’t quite as colorful.

On the way home again, we were treated to an orange sunset as we went through Rockville and Virgin Utah.

Really nice day!

After arriving at Ernie’s Bridge near the bottom of the canyon, we began the climb up a broken rock ramp and across rather rough country to remote Hurst Bridge.

We had been here before but Hurst Bridge was just a stop on our way to look for another natural arch futher up. However, simply climbing further up the broken country, was not the way to get into the area with the area. We were going to need to approach from the south side of the mass of sandstone fins. At this point, were were out of strength and daylight was getting short. We had to take a few pictures from the top of the deep crack that stopped our progress before heading back down again.

Maybe next time.

And what did I want to do on my birthday?

Go hiking in southern Utah, of course!

(The family “celebration” would be on Sunday anyway.)

So David and I drove down to Calf Creek near Boulder Utah and just north of the Escalante River. We then hiked to the head of Deer Canyon which is a short side canyon in the Escalante River canyon complex. We wanted to visit Bowington Arch from the top, which required a moderate hike along the top of the cliffs.

After seeing Bowington Arch, we hiked a distance to the northeast to see some pictographs on a sandstone dome. These pictographs were marked on the 7.5′ topographic maps and we were surprised to discover that they were fairly minor compared to other pictographs/petroglyphs that we have stumbled upon.

Oh well. It was a great day to be hiking in southern Utah.

After breakfast and loading up the Explorer, we spent some time taking pictures of the wonderful fall colors before seeking warmth at lower altitudes.

It was still fairly early Saturday morning when we were almost to Boulder Utah and found a large flock of wild turkeys in the fields next to the road.

Once in Boulder Utah, I had to spend some time taking pictures around town but that doesn’t take long in a town as small as Boulder.

Our next stop was where highway 12 crosses the Escalante River between Boulder and Escalante Utah. Here we parked and began walking the trail that follows the river down stream several miles to the mouth of Phipps Wash. We then hiked south up Phipps Wash to a small side canyon to the west. Less than half a mile up this side canyon was a class C natural bridge called Maverick Bridge. While there we were surprised when a man and woman hikers joined us. We aren’t used to seeing anyone when we are out in places like that.

We then hiked a little further up Phipps Wash where we made the challenging climb up the cliffs to Phipps Arch. Along the way we ran into the former hikers again as well as yet another small group. Suddenly, the canyon was too crowded to be enjoyable.

On the way back out of the canyon, I took a short hike up a trail to confirm that it was another way into the wash from highway 12. That would have saved us from making the river crossings and hiking in soggy boots. However, we would also have missed the wonderful fall sites along the river and the Indian cliff granaries.

I have been down this trail several times now and seem to enjoy it more each time.

However, that was all the hiking we were going to be able to do that day. We headed to Escalante to get a motel room for the night and try to regain some strength that we could use the next day.

The next day we had a big breakfast at a local cafe before gassing up the Explorer and heading south down a dirt road just below Fiftymile Ridge. This road would take us to a natural bridge or tunnel called Covered Wagon Bridge that was hidden out in the cedar hills. (The last time we were here, we hiked up the wrong wash and ended up missing the bridge completely.)

The hike to Covered Wagon Bridge was fairly short once you know where to go. We also visited a nearby “tunnel” in the wash. In the tunnel, someone had etched “SUWA Sux” in a rock which made me smile. (SUWA = Southern Utah Wilderness Association. One of the more troublesome environmental groups in Utah that is trying to turn the wilds of Utah into their own private museum for their own enjoyment. Mostly they just waste our tax dollars as the local and state government have to protect themselves in court against their incessant lawsuits.)

It wasn’t long before we were back in the vehicle and heading south and then east until we were above Cedar Wash. Here it was a short hike out to the edge so we could take pictures of Cedar Wash Arch.

By then, the day was getting long and it was time to begin the long drive back home. We continued on the road until it hit the Hole-in-the-Rock road which took us back to the highway. Even though we were heading home, it was still early enough that we could stop occasionally to take pictures of the fall colors and enjoy the view. We also took a short drive out to Lion Canyon to see if there was passage through some private cabin areas. There wasn’t.

It all made for another enjoyable weekend in southern Utah.

Along the way, we had the time to stop to take pictures at places like the old Bicknell Mill building.

After driving through the main part of the Capital Reef National Park (the part the tourist see) we headed south down the Notam road which is on the east side of the Waterpocket fold and parallels the Oyster Shell Reef.

Driving out to the Brimhall Double Bridge overlook took us down a dirt road that was rougher than I remember.

We then continued south until the road left Capital Reef National Park and entered Glen Canyon National Recreation Area and the Lake Powell area. Here we quickly located the small class D natural arch that was indeed almost next to the road.

We had passed Ticaboo Utah heading north east when I decided that we really should have picked up gas there since it was still a LONG way to Hanksville. We drove back for the gas. Once on the road again, we took a side road at the Henry Mountains pass to drive north to the Star Ranch.

By this time, it was getting late and we needed to get serious about heading for home again.

We made it as far as Moab Utah that night and drove to The Needles visitor’s center for Canyonlands National Park the next morning. There we purchased access permits for the Canyonlands National Park end of Lavender Canyon. We then spent the next several hours bumping our way along the jeep trail up Lavender Canyon to the park boundary. (At 2 mph, it is a long, long drive.) The trail from Davis Canyon, around the mesa into Lavender Canyon was especially challenging because of the flooding damage that had occurred this year.

Once we arrived at the park boundary, we unlocked the gate and continued driving up the dry creek bed. We drove as far as we could up Lavender Canyon, visiting a wonderful class A natural arch called Cleft Arch and nearby Lavendar Point Arch as well as Teapot Arch.

We also hiked up a short side canyon to take pictures of Indian ruin hiding in the cliffs. On the way back we also took pictures of Musk Ox Arch.

We ended the day hiking up another side canyon to the southeast to look for a natural arch called Elusive Arch that we understood was up there. The late afternoon shadows kept the hike from getting too hot and about the time we were going to give up looking for the arch, we found it.

We set up our camp just outside of the park, near a natural arch we called Campsite Arch. This was a natural, protected area next to the cliffs that is a perfect place for camping. After setting up camp, we still had a little time to explore the local area before sunset.

What a wonderful canyon to be in as the shadows grow long and the sky turns to stars. It was magical!

Then a nearly full moon came up that was bright enough to almost be able to read by. In fact, it was so bright all night, it almost made it hard to sleep.

The next morning after breakfast, we loaded up the camping gear again and opened the locked gate into the park again. We then drove up the dry creek bed to the West Fork of Lavender Canyon. Here we hike up the West Fork to take pictures of the natural arches called Long Arch and West Fork Lavender Arch.

This was a delightful morning hike that kept us in the cool shadows of the cliffs for most of the day. Along the way, David found a number of spent bullet slugs from someone that appears to have fired a number of times directly into the ground. I wondered if someone had eliminated a rattlesnake problem at some time in the past.

There were a few challenging spots in the side canyon but we reached the natural arches that we had been looking for.

By the time we started down the canyon, the canyon walls no longer provided much shade. In fact it got hot quickly making the hike down the canyon not quite so enjoyable. On the way back, we also took some time to take pictures of two more natural arches called Wallpaper Arch and Sun Shade Arch, which were just around the corner from our campsite.

By the time we reached the Explorer again, we had used up most of our hiking strength for the day.

I LOVE THIS AREA! I really would like to spend more time here so I could explore every side canyon and every cliff.

Unfortunately, the spirit is willing but the flesh is week. We had hiked as much as our bodies were going to let us. It was time to head for home again. Heading home on Saturday evening allows us to recover all day Sunday and be rested enough for work on Monday morning again. (Oh boy…)

The vista I was looking for was called Canyonlands Overlook and required several miles of rocky four-wheeling to access. Near the end of the jeep trail, we took the east fork of the road so we could re-visit Wingate Window Arch.

We then took the west fork which took us to the Canyonlands Overlook and the end of the trail.

Along the way we passed a Chevy Blazer that had been tricked out for off road use. It was full of beer drinking youth. We thought they were stuck in a mud bog so we stopped to help. They weren’t stuck but were just trying to figure out different ways to throw mud around with the Blazer. They caught up with us again at the Canyonlands Lookout and we were glad to have them turn around and leave, trailing empty beer cans along the way. I hope they made it home that afternoon.

Canyonlands Lookout was a little breezy but the light and the clouds were perfect for pictures. I was able to just sit, enjoy the scenery and de-compress for while. I really needed that.

After a rather colorful sunset, we again headed for Utah Valley and home.

One of our first stops was at the Needles Overlook that allowed impressive views into the southern Canyonlands National Park area. I love that area but when you can view the immensity of the area, I get depressed because I know I will never be able to explore it all.

On our way to the Anticline Overlook at the far north end of Hatch Point,  stopped at a sandstone rock to take pictures of the unique clouds and light on the sandstone waves.

We also stopped at a small class D arch called Hourglass Arch.

By the time we made it to the Anticline Overlook, the wind was blasting over the cliff edge. This made it rather tricky when walking along the cliff edge and when trying to hold a camera still.

At the sun shelter that had been built at the overlook, we watched large carpenter bees working on dime sized holes that they had drilled in the timbers. There weren’t many of them but they were certainly big!

Carpenter Bees video

We then headed for and stopped north of Moab to enjoy the sunset. I arrived home after midnight… again.

After navigating a confusing route of oil field roads, and after stopping to watch a small herd of wild horses, we stopped at an area on the north side of the gravel road where there were rock formations similar to Fantasy Canyon.

When I had camped here with fellow boy scouts years ago, we called the area “Modern City”. If you think the area is interesting by daylight, you should experience it by moonlight! We played night games most of one night until most of the group was injured in one way or another. (Only one boy, Blair had to be taken to town to visit the hospital.)

A few miles further down the road, we arrived at Fantasy Canyon, a small wash hidden in the gray hills along Coyote Wash.

At the trailhead, there is a parking area and information board. Someone has laid out a loop trail that guides hikers up one ravine and down into the main “Fantasy Canyon” area. Along the way you can observe nature’s serendipitous erosion effects on the gray sandstone that is exposed in the area. By turning on your childhood imagination, you can truly make this a Fantasy Canyon.

Unfortunately, a unique structure called “The Teapot” had collapsed several years previous. There was nothing left of it but a pile of rocks.

The most difficult part of taking pictures of Fantasy Canyon is dealing with the light grey rock which can cause pictures to wash out and lose detail. Waiting for better light in the evening can cause the shadows to overwhelm the rock formations. If the sky is overcast, the gray sandstone and the sky all look the same.

After a couple of hours wandering about the “canyon”, we headed north in search of paved roads and civilization again.

Fantasy Canyon is yet another interesting area of Utah that can be best described only in photographs.