Reflection Canyon // Utah

 I braved the Utah desert, ravines, and seemingly endless sandstone slickrock to watch a sunset and sunrise over Reflection Canyon. The trip began with a 2am wakeup in Leadville, Colorado. I dragged myself out the door and began the 7-8 hour drive to Escalante, Utah. The drive itself is always a classic roadtrip, and after gassing and snacking up in Escalante, I began a long 60 mile adventure down Hole In the Rock road, which becomes progressively sketchy with each additional mile, though not as bad as other roads I've encountered in the state. Finally I reached the trailhead for Reflection Canyon, and after a few minutes of prepping, hit the trail for the 7-10 mile journey out across the desert and toward the edge of Lake Powell.

I headed up the first rise of slickrock and after some searching found a well-beaten path that guided me along the edge of a broad area of canyons to my left and towering cliffs to my right. It was a warm mid March afternoon with temperatures near 80F. The heat was beyond anything I had experienced in Leadville over the winter, and that heat would cause me to throwup after reaching my Reflection Canyon destination toward sunset. But after throwing up once I felt great the rest of the evening, and found a tall towering cliff to sit upon while I watched the sun set and the sky turn various colorful shades. After sunset pictures I headed back down my perch, found a flat area of sandstone, and lay down on solid rock for a not-so-deep sleep. My reward for enduring painful desert sleep was a sky full of stars plus meteors and an endless series of satellites. 

I actually managed to get some okay sleep, and woke up an hour before sunrise. I walked to another cliff overlooking the canyon, and watched the sun emerge above the desert. It was a great experience for sure, but to be honest, Lake Powell is quickly drying up, and Reflection Canyon is not the dramatic epic scene it once was. I'm guessing in another year there will be no more water at this photographic destination, which may make it no longer worth the journey for some. Regardless, I was glad I got to experience the place, but not so glad I had to hike back to my truck as peak solar heating spread across the land. I got a bit of sun burn, I had to rest 30 minutes in a shady cliff overhang, and I regretted not bringing enough water. But I survived unscathed.

Google map location of Reflection Canyon.

 

Royal Gorge Cascade Trail

 I tackled the Royal Gorge Cascade Trail, a double black diamond bike trail that can also be hiked. The descent was a two hour leisurely jog to the Arkansas River, while the ascent back up to the canyon rim was a steep tiresome slog. I actually felt sick back at the top and had to lay down for a bit, only to notice possible thunderstorms approaching, which ended my nap and provided the encouragement I needed to quicken up the pace to my truck several miles away. Overall a nice hike, but it seems like it would be deadly hot in the summer, so perhaps better to attempt during the off-season.

  Google Map showing the start of the Royal Cascade Trail.

 

Monument Canyon // Colorado National Monument // Grand Junction, Colorado

 I drove three hours west out of the cold snowy Rockies and into the desert landscape of Grand Junction and the spectacular Colorado National Monument. The goal for the day was to hike Monument Canyon Trail, which is a total length of 12 miles out and back. The trail weaves through desert brush, with a few easy scrambles across sandstone formations, then sweeps around towering walls of red rock, before the final section ascends ledges that eventually give access to the canyon rim. That last section had some fun cat walks next to airy drop-offs, though the cat walks were fairly wide. A very fun day on an excellent trail in an excellent national monument.

Google map of Monument Canyon Trail.

 

Another Mount Sherman Winter Fail

 I drove up 4 Mile Creek Road during mid February to a point where the road became snow and ice covered. I then parked and started hiking up the remainder of the road, which it turns out could have been driven all the way up to ~12,000 feet to the official Mount Sherman trailhead. But oh well, I got extra exercise this day. I reached the col between Mount Sheridan and Sherman, and had to traverse a wind loaded lee-side snow-slope that seemed slightly avalanche prone, but I got across the slope safely and up and over a cornice, at which point I headed north up the southwest ridge of Sherman. The wind became extremely strong the higher I climbed, and by the time I reached the narrow summit ridge, I was being partially knocked over. This was concerning, as the ridge was pretty narrow and not a place to loose footing. Also, my face was being ripped off by the wind, resulting in increasing frost bite concern. So, I gave up the summit, which was only a short distance away from my windy ridge-line position. But that's okay, summer will soon be here and the peak will be a piece of cake by then.

Google map of Mount Sherman.

 

Big Horn Slot Canyon // Escalante, Utah

 I explored Big Horn Canyon, another one of the many slots canyons cutting their way through the sandstone surrounding Escalante, Utah, during early February. This particular canyon is actually a pair of slots, one going off to the right and the other off to the left when viewed from the main entrance. The one to the right is fairly boring in terms of twists, turns, and colorful rock. The slot to the left is much more interesting, though still not as amazing as other nearby slots such as Zebra. Nevertheless, the left member offered some fun tight climbing sections, particularly near a log jam that must be climbed over or under. After getting past the log jam, there is a dry falls, which was unclimable, and thus marked the end of my slot adventure.

Google map of Big Horn Slot Canyon.

 

Escalante, Utah Plus Cisco the Ghost Town

 I had the opportunity to travel to my favorite spot in Utah during early February...the town of Escalante and the surrounding Staircase. I stayed at a top-notch glamping site called Escalante Grande Resort, and I sampled some local Mexican food at Chihuahua Garcia Mexican Grill. Both establishments were well worth it...friendly, good quality, and generally gave you a taste of the local experience...plus colorful sunsets and deer-filled morning sunrises. The primary goal of my visit was to have an adventure in the local canyons and surrounding mesas. That goal was achieved. Just a generally relaxing, rejuvenating, wild Utah experience. Escalante never disappoints.

After my time in Escalante, I drove back to Colorado, eastbound on I-70. I stopped at a ghost town near the Utah/Colorado border called Cisco. The place seemed mostly deserted, though there were signs of some locals/artists eeking out an existence. Really a sureal place that was peaceful and lonely at the same time. A fun quick little side trip for anyone who has some time to kill. 

Google map of Escalante Grand Resort.

Google map of Chihuahua Garcia Mexican Grill.

Google map of Cisco, Utah.