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John Morrow Member
Joined: 03 Apr 2007 Posts: 1526 | TRs | Pics Location: Roslyn |
Island in the Sky District
Part 1 of my 2014 Canyon Country travels.
I have some firm dates later in the month but I had no specific plan as I drove through Salt lake on what to do first. I-15 through Provo means decision time at the forks. I heard that Canyonlands National Park got snow last week which could open up some longer hiking opportunities in its' driest district: The Island in the Sky.
Now, the Island gets an undeserving cold shoulder by the backpacking crowd, so I was even more determined to find some special stuff both, off the beaten path, and that I haven't tried. My thought was; do a loop hike around the tip of Grandview Point and Junction Butte, beginning at the Gooseberry Traihhead and ending at Murphy Trailhead. If you know it at all you are probably saying, "Who wants to walk the White Rim road??? Hoping that the White Rim sandstone potholes indeed held recent snowmelt for water, my idea was to find descents through the vertical White Rim and explore its hidden riches below.
Day 1, April 5, Government Trail:
OK, day one actually started with a day hike. Why? Well I didn't fully trust water availability so I figured I'd supplement. An unpublished trail... downclimb actually, called Gov't Trail or Murphy Basin Route would drop me down to the White Rim at about the 1/2 way point of the loop. With a special cache permit from the rangers I set out to cache 2.5 gallons of milk jugs and bottles of water down onto the rim for pickup a couple days later.
Yes, Government Trail... well, it is no trail! I put it at exposed Class 3 or even Class 4, with 20 pounds of sloshing water weight centered against my shoulder blades inside the daypack. Exciting it was. After carefully picking my way down, occasionally lowering the awfully weird weighing pack to ledges below, I managed to safely reach the scree below. it was done.
Murphy basin Route: good start Whoa, this is gritty Call this a trail? Com' on man! Finally through At the Monument rim Drop off the 2 gal cache
A short loop back via a wash leading to the Junction Butte-Grandview Point saddle, then up through the ledges, and I was ready to start the next day.
Cool tower That's the route Last look Grandview Point Time to go again The trail is not a trail..Gary Snyder Slight exposure I'd say Yeah, right..made it, whew Back on top
Camped at the Wllow Flat campground for the night I went up a nearby butte for sunset.
IMG_6486 IMG_6488 Incoming weather
Day 2, April 6, Gooseberry trail to Dogleg Canyon and Monument Basin:
Goal for this day was to descend the awesome Gooseberry Trail (previous report here: https://www.nwhikers.net/forums/viewtopic.php?t=8004825&highlight=) to the White Rim. Then I'd leave the road, and walk along the rim on great cryptobiotic free solid flat stone, to the head of dogleg Canyon. Here I hoped to find both water, and a safe entry into Dogleg Canyon for future walking. Last year I found an entrance into Gooseberry, which will connect nicely at the Colorado River with Dog Leg and form a loop trip. It went perfectly. I got water at the head of Little Dogleg, accessed and entrance into Dog Leg proper, and even saw water there as well.
Time to drop Gooseberry Gooseberry switchbacks bottom Gosseberry canyon proper Esay walking on the white rim Started up at the overlook Water! In little Dogleg Cyn Water in main Dogleg! Crazy Organ Rock formation Dogleg entrance...goes More Dogleg water, too
Then it was on to the edge of Monument Basin to find a camp on the hard rock of the rim. in th eevening I found the second route I hoped to find. This one I took as an evening walk: the Sheep Trail descent into Monument Basin itself. So awesome down there. Even a tiny pothole of water.
onto east rim Monument Basin Island in the Sky District, Canyonlands National Park, UT Cool...Monument Basin goes! one capful at a time! Evening among Monuments Colorado River view dusk Fantastic camp over river! From the tent! eve. stroll down Monument route The way in Far enough...it goes easy Colorful Monuments I don't like these...
A great camp and great sunset ensued.
IMG_6563 Needles area sunset over river fading light
Day 3, April 7, 2014, Monument Basin to the White Crack Trail
After a nice sunrise, I headed west, reunited with my water, and moved on to the White Crack Trail over a few miles of the White Rim Road. Since water had been plentiful, at that point I was carrying 3 gallons!
First light on Junction Butte Sunrise color, Monument Basin White Rim above Colorado River. Island in the Sky District, Canyonlands National Park, UT Best camp ever Yet more water! IMG_6598
Fortunately I ferried half of that only two miles to the White Crack Road jct for my final days later. At the White Crack Vehicle Camp I quickly found the "Crack Route", once blasted by ambitious uranium miners. It wasn't hard, follow the cairns to the 6 foot fence post drilled into the rock. I finished the day a few miles down this old trail to find a camp within a days walk to the Green River, hopefully. Camp located on perhaps my favorite formation: the Cedar Mesa Sandstone of Needles and Maze fame.
Another great sunset.
The "White Crack" to descend Into the lovely Cedar Mesa sandstone Lithics 800+ yrs old Sunset on the Cedar Mesa forms The Needles through there
Day 4, April 8, White crack Trail to Stove canyon to Green River. Retrace steps, find water, pack up camp and do the brutal 10 miles to Murphy Wash Trail with 8 on the road. I know one can do a traverse along the Chinle rim at the base of junction Butte but I was too tired.
After sunrise, I was off to the Green river. The trail led me right to the edge of Stove Canyon (unlabelled on map). Stove went fine and fun on trail and cairned route, and soon I was splashing off in the Green River.
Total confusion country Maze crazed Ekker Butte Wait...best camp ever?
Island in the Sky District. forget-me-not florals some yellow thing The Green River! Stove Canyon...goes? fun stuff! it goes! At the river Stove route above nice camp Soak and splash! Back out Met this one stately Sheep love views too Very friendly maybe, too friendly Cedar Mesa canyons water! Love these forms Tent along tree upper right Tent view
Yes the long walk to Murphy was a death march, but I wanted to get a predawn headlamp start on the last day to snag a campsite at Willow Flat campground. lately full by 9AM!
Leaving for White Crack Up the crack reunited with bumped up cache The twins Twins Basin to Needles and Grabens Heading north, endless road Last White Rim view 15 endless miles done!
I arrived at 7:30 to a rock flat enough to throw my pad and bag down on and set up to watch the sunset.
IMG_6710 IMG_6711 Canyonlands National Park, Island in the Sky District
Day 5, April 9, murphy Wash trail to Murphy Trail to the Trailhead.
Up and moving at 5:45AM the first 2 miles went fun via headlamp as I watched an incredible milky Way fade with morning light. Soon I was in the switchbacks and seriously bonking in sleep deprived extreme fatigue. But the sun color views made it easier. although, not faster, yet I was able to get the last available site at Willow Flat Campground for the night!
Canyonlands National Park, Island in the Sky District Sun coming up Murphy Trail climb NPS trailwork Nice bridge Sun shines Finally!
Gotta go...this establishment is closing. Maps and edits to follow at some point!
Maps added:
April 8 April 9
“Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?”-Mary Oliver
“A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual doom.”
― MLK Jr.
“Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?”-Mary Oliver
“A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual doom.”
― MLK Jr.
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bobbi stillaGUAMish
Joined: 13 Jul 2006 Posts: 8012 | TRs | Pics Location: olympics! |
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bobbi
stillaGUAMish
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Wed Apr 09, 2014 4:15 pm
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oh my…..what great hiking with awesome weather!
water may have been from some recent rains? very timely!
scorpion, nope
thanks for sharing your trip and fabulous photos!
bobbi ૐ
"Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting. So…get on your way!" - Oh, the Places You’ll Go! By Dr. Seuss
bobbi ૐ
"Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting. So…get on your way!" - Oh, the Places You’ll Go! By Dr. Seuss
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MyFootHurts Huge Member
Joined: 22 Nov 2011 Posts: 912 | TRs | Pics Location: Kekistan |
The Colorado Plateau makes the NW look like Detroit.
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GaliWalker Have camera will use
Joined: 10 Dec 2007 Posts: 4930 | TRs | Pics Location: Pittsburgh |
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GaliWalker
Have camera will use
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Wed Apr 09, 2014 5:48 pm
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And so it begins...John Morrow's annual spring series of superb, envy-inducing trip reports from the southwest.
Bravo to the first installment!
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ragman and rodman Member
Joined: 28 Apr 2005 Posts: 1219 | TRs | Pics Location: http://rgervin.com/ |
Simply incredible!!
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Rainie Too! Member
Joined: 12 Dec 2008 Posts: 377 | TRs | Pics
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John Morrow Member
Joined: 03 Apr 2007 Posts: 1526 | TRs | Pics Location: Roslyn |
Thanks everyone! Happy and hopeful that it will inspire adventures for others to come.
I added maps to the original post, at bottom, for anyone interested.
John
“Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?”-Mary Oliver
“A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual doom.”
― MLK Jr.
“Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?”-Mary Oliver
“A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual doom.”
― MLK Jr.
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olderthanIusedtobe Member
Joined: 05 Sep 2011 Posts: 7709 | TRs | Pics Location: Shoreline |
MyFootHurts wrote: | The Colorado Plateau makes the NW look like Detroit. |
Really? The desert southwest is cool no doubt, TOTALLY different than the northwest, but the NW rocks. I'll keep it, you can have Detroit. I'd say the NW makes the SW look like Mars.
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olderthanIusedtobe Member
Joined: 05 Sep 2011 Posts: 7709 | TRs | Pics Location: Shoreline |
Great pictures by the OP, sounds like quite an adventure. Nice when it all works out according to plan.
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Jim Dockery Member
Joined: 12 Sep 2007 Posts: 3092 | TRs | Pics Location: Lake Stevens |
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Gwen LO Girl-of-the-Month
Joined: 14 Feb 2010 Posts: 1673 | TRs | Pics
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Gwen
LO Girl-of-the-Month
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Tue Apr 15, 2014 1:17 am
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GaliWalker wrote: | And so it begins...John Morrow's annual spring series of superb, envy-inducing trip reports from the southwest.
Bravo to the first installment! |
Yeah, what he said!
Tomorrow's not promised to anyone, so be bold, scare yourself, attempt something with no guarantee of success. You'll be amazed at what you can achieve. -Olive McGloin
Tomorrow's not promised to anyone, so be bold, scare yourself, attempt something with no guarantee of success. You'll be amazed at what you can achieve. -Olive McGloin
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D. Inscho Not bored yet...
Joined: 28 Feb 2010 Posts: 973 | TRs | Pics Location: Bellingham,WA |
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D. Inscho
Not bored yet...
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Tue Apr 15, 2014 6:57 am
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I'm not surprised you were bonking John; manic coverage of the area! You really know how to sling a camera too. Very nice photo work. (I love seeing red BTW)
eve. stroll down Monument route
Thanks for taking the time to post the images and narrative.
http://david-inscho.smugmug.com/
The key to a successful trip is to do the planning during work hours. -- John Muir
“My most memorable hikes can be classified as 'Shortcuts that Backfired'.” --Ed Abbey
http://david-inscho.smugmug.com/
The key to a successful trip is to do the planning during work hours. -- John Muir
“My most memorable hikes can be classified as 'Shortcuts that Backfired'.” --Ed Abbey
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Gabigabs Trail Breaker
Joined: 07 Nov 2007 Posts: 841 | TRs | Pics Location: Seattle |
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Gabigabs
Trail Breaker
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Tue Apr 15, 2014 9:32 am
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Great adventure
Life is simple... Eat, Sleep, Hike!
Life is simple... Eat, Sleep, Hike!
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nuclear_eggset Member
Joined: 02 Jul 2006 Posts: 2206 | TRs | Pics Location: Eastside |
Very pretty! Thanks for sharing such a different landscape!
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