[John Morrow]

The rest of a very looong loop!

Overview

Day 4

Day 5

Day 6

April 13: In the morning we departed Water Canyon for the confluence overlook of the Green and Colorado Rivers. A bit out of the way but very worthwhile.

Water Canyon moonset

Canyonlands National Park, UT

Departing Water

cool narrow exit

the exit

Bench above Dolls House/Confluence

Green/Colorado confluence overlook

Canyonlands National Park, UT

Once back at our packs it was time to head for the Doll's House. We thought we were still 8 miles from next water but delightedly found a pothole to add a quart to get us across the big hot open of Ernie's Country.

onto the Dolls House

terrain

a pothole!

Beehive Arch

The Dolls House!

up close

Canyonlands National Park, UT

Last Dolls House look

Places called "Main Flat" and "Wide Valley"...Hence to say, we were thankful for a constant breeze. Clell's Spring and its' somewhat reliable water was the night's destination. Despite the hot wide open, the ancients left quite a mark on the area.

Bear Panel 1

BP 2

BP 3

BP4

BP5

BP6

BP7

BP8

BP9

BP10

BP11

BP12

BP13

BP14

BP16

Onto Main Flat

BP15

Another Barrier Canyon Style Panel

The Fins Ahead!

Canyonlands National Park, UT

Sweet Alice Canyon in the Fins

Heart of Wide Valley

Just came upon it walking the wash below.

more petros

interesting

toward Clells Spring; some awesome crypto

Clells Spring alcove

the spring

April 14: Out of Ernie's Country after a quick side trip up a headwater fork of Range Canyon to view a ancestral puebloan granary. Most of the rock art on this trip was from archaic ancesters of the puebloan cultures. Not much habitation of the Basketmaker/Pueblo cultures dated after 500AD on this west side of the Colorado River.

Clells Spring area sunrise

Toward the Golden Stairs

Lou's Spring

Granary Canyon bridge

Granary Canyon (N. Fk. Range Canyon)

the granary

granary roof

granary view

Departing N. Fk. Range Canyon

snake!

To the Golden Stairs

Mother and Child

Then it was time to climb a constructed trail out of the bottom to teh top of a mesa complex with a narrow band called the "China Neck". From there we left jeep road and trail and climbed through a break in the vertical mesa lip (maybe the mossback member of the moenkopi formation) to access the mesa I'll refer to as Elaterite Mesa.

the Stairs to China Neck

Canyonlands National Park, UT

love this trail!

heart of Fins/Ernies Country below

China Neck

Onto Elaterite Mesa x-country

Fins/Ernies far below

Distant views

Land of Standing Rocks

Headed there to Big Water Basin

Time to find a route off

Then it was time to descend back into Elaterite Basin that we passed through on Day 1. We reentered it in Big Water Canyon basin. Found more water for future reference and set ourselves up for the last night back in North Trail Canyon for a final day retrace of our original descent from the TH.

Good descent route

Looking at "The Gap" of Elaterite Mesa

flower

neat side canyon of Big Water Canyon

colors in the White Rim sandstone

a watered narrows in the White Rim!

Big Water Wash and Elaterite Butte

lines and colors

Big Water Spring...ugly water

North Trail Canyon nearing the end

North Trail Canyon sunset last night

April 15: Finally a short-ish day! Simply retrace our steps up North Trail Canyon Trail the 6 to 7 miles back to the vehicle and a successful initial exploration of the renowned Maze District of Canyonlands National Park. I've now grown somewhat intimate with all three districts, with the help of David's very impressive pace and endurance.

Last day sunrise color

last morning

Moonset on canyon

N. Trail Canyon walking out

time to climb

pothole six days later

narrowing

back where it all began

[olderthanIusedtobe]

I've only barely poked around in desert SW canyon country. Long trips like you did are a frontier I haven't dove into so far. Looks amazing!

[Gimpilator]

As you know, I love your reports John. Thanks for another stunner.

[frahminator]

Great post John! Wanted to ask about the pothole over near Beehive Arch... if you had to guess, how deep was it? If you were to go back there, say next week, do you think it would still have water we could pump? (We'll be passing by there on Tuesday!) Thanks!

[Matt Lemke]

mmmm, I love the Maze! Haven't been back there in a while now. Thanks for the stroll down memory lane!

[Matt Lemke]

One of your photos looks eerily similar to one of mine from 2010!

[Abert]

A good trip made better by John's company. The remoteness is probably overhyped. With the proper vehicle it could just be a series of day hikes. Then again, we saw very few people so maybe the jeepers are mostly content to gaze from above. We were told to make sure that we didn't camp within sight of the car campers on the Maze Overlook lest we spoil their wilderness view. My Maze photos

Walking In

940

992

1007

1023

Chocolate Drops

1037

1099

1114

1121

1126

1139

1146

1191

1199

1245

1306

Ernie's Country

1395

North Trail Canyon