A Hit and A Miss

Thursday, September 5
Day Off

We did two hikes in Zion today--Shelf Canyon, the 'hit,' and middle Pine Creek, the 'miss.'

The Hit

Shelf Canyon is a pretty little wash just east of the long tunnel on Route 9.  It's possible to travel about half a mile by ascending broad ledges (shelves) before encountering a jumble of large boulders blocking the narrow passage.  It was fun to scramble up, over, around and through the obstacles and to watch the towering sandstone cliffs change color as the morning sunlight struck them.

Although parking can be a problem because all the tourists want to 'do' Canyon Overlook, this trail is virtually unknown.  We had a delightful 45-minute jaunt in a beautiful little canyon all to ourselves.

 

 

 

 

The Miss

 

The Pine Creek trail system is divided into three sections.  Upper Pine Creek is an easy, pleasant southerly wash that turns west at the creek's junction with Route 9, just east of the long tunnel.  Middle Pine Creek is a difficult, technical slot (permit required) which parallels the tunnel and switchbacks.  This portion ends at the third switchback from the west end of the tunnel, where the Lower Pine Creek section begins. 

 

Since we'd previously hiked from the Pine Creek bridge to the waterfall, we decided to tackle the upstream segment to the pools beneath the Great Arch.  To begin, we slip-slid down a precipitous bank from the parking area at the third switchback to the creek then headed north.  We quickly found that there is no trail.  One scans the landscape and tries to discern the best path forward.  Progress involved a great deal of rock-hopping, creek-crossing, boulder-climbing, bush-whacking and did I mention the bentonite clay?  When that stuff gets wet, walking on it is like trying to roller-skate on greased glass!  Adding to the challenges of following the creek, was the heat--Zion was forecast to reach 101*.  At lunch we agreed that neither the surrounding hillsides nor the creek had beauty sufficient to warrant continuing.  Lucky for us we discovered a quicker though steeper path up to the parking lot, turned on the Jeep's A/C full-blast and took off for Kanab.

 

 View of Tunnel Windows from Pine Creek
 

 Great Arch
 



 Rocks and More Rocks

 

After a quick dinner, we hurried into town for DocUtah, a free three-evening documentary film festival.  In a rush to be on time and forgetting that in Kanab any stipulated time is understood to be followed by -ish, we locked both sets of keys in the car.  The extra key was in the RV and both keys to the RV were...locked in the Jeep.  The only bright spot was the car repair shop across the street from the theater was still open.    Twenty minutes and twenty-five dollars later, we strolled inside, keys in hand, and took our seats.

 

 



Has Anyone Seen 50,000 gallons of Water?

Wednesday, September 4



 

This is how the pond above the dam looked on Monday.

 

 

 

This is how the same pond looked on Wednesday.



To Wonderland

August 30th
Day Off #4

We have wanted to see White Pocket ever since we heard about it soon after arrival but the directions for getting there (4WD, high clearance vehicle required; deep sand; unmarked roads; no cell phone service) scared me.  Fred has gotten us safely to similarly remote destinations over equally bad roads so when he said the recent rains have made driving through sand easier, I agree to make today White Pocket Day.

We started down House Rock Valley Road at 7:45  and two grueling hours later parked at White Pocket.  The shaking, bumping, thumping, rocking , bucking and washboarding were worth it!

 I lack the words to describe this place; all I can offer is our pictures which cannot do its harsh and unique beauty justice:

 

 

 

 

 

We spotted Fred Flintstone's vacation home!

 

 

Turning Lemons into Lemonade

August 29th
Day Off #3

OK, today we were supposed to be hiking in Capitol Reef but that didn't work out.  How many people live 30 minutes from Zion's east gate and have access to some of Earth's most wondrous scenery and plentiful trails?  Count us fortunate.

A reference to 'The Barracks' led to a write-up about Parunuweap Canyon.  The entire route is a tough 10-mile round-trip from Checkerboard Mesa to the East Fork of the Virgin River, requiring equipment and skills we don't possess.  But the trail can be done as an out-and-back of whatever length and difficulty desired. 

We began the hike with a happy accident, choosing the wrong wash.  It was a U-shaped chute of colorful sandstone with an ascending line of pools strung along the bottom.  Rain overnight had intensified the sandstone's colors and filled the pools. 

 

 

 

 

 

Realizing our error, we crossed a ridge and dropped into the wash on the other side.  Although this was the right one, it was very different from its neighbor:  cool, dark and more narrow.  Its sand floor was still wet and leaves on the over-hanging branches still held raindrops.  (We appreciated both of  these much more on the way out than on the way in!)

 

Moving along the drainage was easy for half a mile until we reached the first obstacle, a large chockstone looming over a deep pool. 

 

The work-around was the obvious path up the steep hill to the left.  Walking in the wash to the next barrier, scrambling upward to avoid it then returning to the wash was the pattern for the first segment of the hike.  Until we reached the point where the canyon's sides converged below saddle more than 100 feet above.

Getting up and over the saddle entailed making a difficult, almost vertical climb through deep sand.  From the summit, we had stunning views of Zion's East Rim to north and Parunuweap to the south.  The rocks, geography and plant-life south of the saddle was more desert-like than what we'd passed through north of it.  A vast expanse of sandstone, bare of most vegetation, swept out from Checkerboard Mesa's immense base towards far canyons dark and deep. 

Southern end of Checkerboard Mesa

 

 

 

We gradually descended and worked our way southeast around Checkerboard in order to see Checkerboard Arch, which was disappointingly small and distant.

The return trip was considerably faster because we could substitute following our footprints in the damp sand for way-finding.

 

Better Weather

August 28th
Day Off #2

The weather has improved significantly since yesterday.  Good thing, too, because being confined to the RV was taking its toll on our spirits.  Fred guessed that all the rain we've received in the past few days would serve to stabilize the sand road to the Indian Canyon rock art site near Coral Pink Sands State Park.  He was right!  We negotiated the deep sand, rock ledges and steep grades with no trouble. 

The difficulty of the approach limits the number of visitors; we saw and heard no one from the time we left Route 89 until we returned to it.  Finding the alcove in which the petroglyphs and pictograms are located was a bit tricky but well worth the search.  The majority of figures decorating the back wall were colorfully painted rather than pecked and many wore a head-dress (?) or hair style (?) that we haven't seen in other depictions.  Unfortunately, a modern 'artist' has seen fit to add his own touches to the panel.

Looking down the South Fork of Indian Canyon from the trailhead.

 



Large alcove containing the petroglyphs and pictograms.

 



Some of the 'ghostly' pictograms.

 



 

 

 

 

 Mother Nature does rock art, too:

 

Rain, Rain, Go Away

Tuesday, August 27th
Day Off #1

When the work schedule showed four consecutive days off, we planned a trip along Route 12: 

Day 1--drive Skutumpah Road to Cannonville then proceed east to Boulder, UT and spend the night.

Day 2--drive the Burr Trail Road, hike the Upper Muley Twist trail then proceed to Torrey and spend the night.

Day 3--hike in Capitol Reef then return to Boulder for the night.

Day 4--hike Phipps Arch and return to Kanab.

You know that old saying about the best laid plans...?   The weather report contained strong warnings of thunderstorms, heavy rain and flash floods for the remainder of the week.  Traveling and hiking in remote areas under such adverse conditions seemed unnecessarily risky so we reluctantly we canceled our reservations and resigned ourselves to staying here.

By afternoon the rain diminished slightly but our cabin fever increased.  We drove the
paved stretch of Johnson Canyon Road, approximately 15.5 miles, to its intersection with Skutumpah.  Johnson Canyon is stunning in any weather but days of  rain had  intensified the color of its rocks and 'greened up' the fields and hillsides making it especially lovely.

In order to avoid spending a long, boring evening in the RV, we had dinner in town, took a walk and then went to Parry Lodge's Old Barn Theater to see Calamity Jane and Sam Bass, filmed in the area in 1949.

Western Legends Round-Up

August 22-24

The Western Legends Round-Up is Kanab's biggest whoop-de-doo of the year and Parry Lodge's busiest weekend.  Being located smack-dab in the center of town plus housing most of the stars in attendance makes Parry Lodge 'command central' for the annual festival--a great opportunity for us to meet all the celebrities and see all the goings-on.

On the eve of Western Legends Round-Up, we happened to be in town when a huge 'chainsaw sculpture' grizzly bear was being placed in front of Denny's Wigwam.  The operation involved a heavy-duty forklift, four men, lots of straps and many sidewalk superintendents.  One of whom was western actor Dan 'Grizzly Adams' Haggerty. 

 

 After the bear was more or less upright, Grizzly suggested that Fred take a picture of me with him and Robert Fuller from "Laramie" and "Wagon Train."

Parry Lodge is in the background.

 

The Western Legends Round-Up included numerous types of events over the three days:

 

We saw In Cahoots perform twice and enjoyed their music and talking with them.

Neil Summers, actor and stunt man, at the celebrity autograph site.

 



Young Paiute dancer.

 



One of the tractors in the Saturday morning Parade of Power.

 

Jan with Dr. James D'Arc, author of When Hollywood Came to Town:

A History of Moviemaking in Utah

 



Stars of the 2013 Western Legends Round-Up in front of Parry Lodge

[including Mike Moroff, James Hampton, Ed Faulkner, Stan Corliss, Dan Haggerty, Darby Hinton, Wyatt McCrea, Neil Summers, Lana Wood]