Navajo Lake Bike Ride

August 2
Day Off #2

The drive to Navajo Lake took little more than an hour.  Because it was chilly and breezy as we unloaded the bikes, we decided to tackle the in-the-woods portion of the route first and let the day warm up before we rode out in the open near the lake.  Great plan except it didn't take into account two important factors:  #1.  the first leg is a steep uphill filled with roots and loose rocks; and #2. Navajo Lake is 9000' above sea level and we're used to Kanab's elevation of 4500'.

At about 3.5 miles, we intersected the Lodge Trail, one we hadn't ridden before, and took it--giving up all the elevation we'd struggled to gain.  It dropped us at the little camp store--well-timed for a rest and a snack.  I knew better than to ask my quads to do any more serious climbing so we took the flat-to-rolling section of the trail for an exhilarating ride.

Navajo Lake Trail Along the Lake

We stopped at Aspen Mirror Lake, a popular fishing spot, for a quick, easy walk.  Our neighbor recommended circling the lake but weaving through the many groups picnicking or fishing along the shore wasn't too appealing.

Red Hollow and Moccasin Mountain

August 1
Day Off #1

A question from our friend Linda led us to research Red Cave and Red Hollow, both near Orderville.  Red Hollow sounded more in line with our limited canyoneering skills so it went on the agenda for this week's days off.  

The directions to the trailhead, less than 40 minutes from Kanab, are straight-forward and the final, unpaved stretch is a short, easy drive.  A half-mile walk up the wash toward the Elkheart Cliffs east of Zion leads to the mouth of the slot and a lot of fun crammed into six-tenths of a mile.  Small puddles remaining from the recent storms marked the halfway point then came several obstacles to climb over, slither around or stem above.  At the next to last blockage, a family of four caught up with us.  The dad grew up in the area and remembered the slot from 30 years ago.  A rope which used to help hikers ascend the 25' dryfall broke years ago and now only a frayed, two-foot long tail hangs from the top.  Exploring mini-slots and tributary washes on the way back to the Jeep was almost as enjoyable as doing the main passage so we vowed  to return to investigate even more of the area.

First Obstacle

 A Little Rock Hopping

Some Squirming

Three Point Contact Required

End of Slot



Small Side Slot Canyon

 



We stopped at Soup Town in Orderville for a wonderful lunch--soup, sandwich and yummy berry pie a la mode--with a side of history.  The building had been the tiny town's general store.  After standing vacant for several decades, half is now the café and the other side is the town's museum.  The waitress recommended Spring Hollow slot canyon, a few miles north on Highway 89, and provided a contact for permission to cross the intervening private property.

The second destination for today was the Moccasin Mountain Dinosaur Tracksite near Pink Coral Sands State Park.  Warnings about the road's deep sand and steep slopes are somewhat exaggerated although a high-clearance 4WD vehicle is necessary.  The BLM's brochure isn't as helpful as it could be and we went about a quarter mile in the wrong wash.  By the time we found the right one, the clouds had darkened and the wind turned grains of sand into tiny, stinging missiles.  The walls and floor of the wash are Navajo sandstone, a dangerous place to be when lightning is a possibility.  We decided to postpone looking for the tracks until we had clear weather and better information about the location of the individual tracks.

 

Entrance to Dinosaur Track Protected Area



Transformers (not a movie review)

Wednesday, July 31st

When I drove into the RV park at 10:30 this morning, dark gray smoke was billowing from the transformer atop a telephone pole on the southeastern corner of the property.  911 promised to send the electric company right away.  Before they arrived, a loud noise rocked the RV.  A peek outside revealed our 78-year old neighbor aiming a too-short hose at ten-foot high flames leaping from sagebrush bushes at the base of the pole.  His wife called 911 as I filled a bucket from our site's spigot.  Just then, four electric company trucks pulled up and the men tackled the fire.  They speculated that lightning accompanying the violent weekend storms had damaged the transformer but didn't know what triggered it to blow up today. 

All in all, we're fortunate that the incident occurred while some of us were home because most of the time, all five residents are gone.  And we're lucky that the electric company responded quickly cause the fire department never showed up.

Burned area

(elderly neighbor's RV on left, ours on the right)

 

New transformer



This Ain't Disney World, People!

It has been a deadly week in this area:

-two people were killed and a third injured by a lightning strike at LeFevre overlook on Route 89A about halfway between Kanab and Jacob Lake.

-a hiker died at The Wave, the third fatality there in July.

-a passenger in a Model T was killed and three others were hurt when the vehicle overturned on Route 9 east of Zion National Park.

-a Colorado River guide was evacuated by emergency personnel from a campsite at the bottom of the Grand Canyon after being struck by lightning.  No information is available on his condition.

Model T At Kanab Show

 

After Accident

Above Kanab

Thursday, July 25
Day #3

One nearby trail that we hadn't hiked this summer was the Squaw Trail, winding up the cliff behind Kanab.  It's a 4-mile up-and-back but the ambitious can connect to
Tom's Canyon trail for a longer excursion requiring a shuttle.  From a brief attempt six years ago we surmised an early start would make the ascent more pleasant than that mid-day outing in 2007. The summit gave views of the town and south toward  Arizona, west toward Zion and north to the next step on the Grand Staircase, the White Cliffs.

 

 

 

 



 

 

 

 

 



Peek a Boo Re-do

Day Off #2
Wednesday, July 23

One of our first outings after arriving was an unsuccessful attempt to reach a nearby slot canyon the locals call 'Peek A Boo' although it is labeled 'Red Canyon' on maps.  Today we started off in four-wheel drive, with better directions, more accurate expectations, deflated tires and more experience driving in deep sand.  All that paid off because we reached the wash with no trouble.  From there, we decided to walk the final mile rather than to drive.  After the sun and heat of the wash, we appreciated the  cooler temps and shade of the slot.

Peek A Boo is a lovely little slot canyon, a fitting pay-off for the challenge of getting to it.  There's a wide portion halfway down its length, making you think you're at the end, but continuing brings you to the upper section which is as twisty and colorful as the first part.  The end of the hike comes suddenly.  Right before the canyon narrows to a mere crack are two large chockstones fifteen feet overhead which don't look securely lodged between the walls.

End of the canyon

(The point of contact between the chockstones and the wall is very small, especially on the left.)

 



 

 

Johnson Canyon Again

Day Off #1
Tuesday, July 22

We enjoyed last month's bike ride in Johnson Canyon so much that we returned for another ride yesterday.  We spotted a second advertisement, painted on the canyon's wall in the days when Skutumpah /Johnson Canyon Road was the primary artery between Tropic/Cannonville/Henrieville and Kanab/Fredonia, some petroglyphs and two arches.



Eagle Arch

 



As we unloaded the bikes, a few raindrops fell from thick clouds overhead but soon stopped.   The sky remained overcast, keeping the temperature down and limiting our sun exposure, but light rain resumed when we got within 1/4 mile of the Jeep.