[John Morrow]

5th trip with Kimberly, 3rd with Robert and we stitched another great one together! Ed joined us for one of his first desert backpacks. He's a natural desert traveler! Overview maps

LDH-Wolverine Days 1 and 4

LDH-Wolverine Days 2 and 3

April 22: Down Little Death Hollow Canyon:

Petroglyphs

Entering Little Death Hollow (LDH)

High in Little Death Hollow

arch!

Mowed by cows

great slot at times, dry, couple easy chokstone descents.

getting narrow

lots of petrified wood

texture of stone

narrow!

continuing down

umm!

gravel bottom

reminds me of Red Breaks

Love slots!! Little Death Hollow

such color in a Wingate slot

very tight

on our way

Little Death Hollow

does it get any better?

The Gulch/Escalante Canyons WSA, UT

opens up

Roberts descends a chokstone

tightens again!

Happy Kimberly!

hmm, limestone chokstones?

tightens yet again!

Camp in Horse Canyon 1/2 mile from Escalante River.

Navaho formation domes come into view

another arch!

entering Horse Canyon

Day 3 overland re-entry

pleasant Horse Canyon

April 23: Down the Escalante River a couple miles to a sand slide exit climb.

Horse Canyon morning

admiration of the ancient's work

Robert loving the Escalante

Upper sandslide exit

climbing out

Ed leads on

Our peaks and destination

flower

Across The V (mesa) to a camp between sandstone peaks 5981' and 5932'. Scramble Peak 5981' in late afternoon.

Ed starts for Peak 5981'

Spencer Country from Peak 5981'

overlooking the river

North Escalante Canyons/The Gulch Wilderness Study Area, UT

Class 3 north ridge route (Pk 5981')

April 23: Morning scramble of Peak 5932' with an excellent traverse to its lower 5820 peak.

Morning glow

Robert starts up Peak 5832'

topping out! N. Escalante Canyons/The Gulch WSA, UT

Our traverse ahead, over stone

the hogback/knife-edge traverse

cool route

Robert and Ed on the hogback

Ed looks to camp

Pack up camp and descend to the Escalante River via Steve Allen's "Ladders Standard exit".

Descending back to Escalante River

Class 3 moki step descent! "standard ladders route"

final gully to river "standard ladders route"

river crossings

river

Up the Gulch a mile to an excellent slot canyon ascent onto King Bench. Class 4 dryfall (no water in pool) was solid and fun and the slot was great!

Up The Gulch

Slot 2 Class 4 dryfall exit

Ascending slot 2

Allen's Slot 2 Escalante Overland Route

to the King Bench

Descend back into Horse Canyon and a camp on the cattle trail route we scouted on day 1.

On King Bench looking back

Descending King Bench toward Horse

Gulch/North Escalante Canyons WSA, UT

North Escalante Canyons/The Gulch Wilderness Study Area, UT

Camp in Horse

my last desert sunset glow

April 25. Finish the loop up Wolverine Canyon.

Entrance to Wolverine

Wolverine Canyon

Wolverine tightens

Grand Staircase National Monument; North Escalante Canyons/ The Gulch Wilderness Study Area, UT

Wingate makes for great canyons

Wolvernine scene

Gulch/North Escalante Canyons WSA; UT

sand ripples

South Fork Wolverine to the Trailhead

Chinle formation color

Complete the loop via the S. Fork Wolverine and its excellent array of petrified wood.

lots of this around

Wingate over Chinle

about to top out of S. Fork

colorful wood

big log!

root wad?

grand petrified wood natural area

log

Robert celebrates a trip with everything to offer

April 26: Sunrise at Bryce, with a quick ascent of Boat Mesa 8076' after saying goodbye to the crew. Sad to leave.

First light

glowing

arch

arch

timefor Lodge breakfast

Fairyland Canyon

From Tip of Boat Mesa

Fairyland

last look

goodbye Utah!

[Nancyann]

Wonderful pictures! I’ve never been there, but it sure makes me want to go!

[Yana]

Love these SW trip reports, John! Thanks for sharing.

[John Morrow]

[silence]

Sweet! I'd love to do Little Death Hollow Canyon ... awesome! Here's sunset in Bryce Canyon

Sitting Among the Hoodoos

[some names]

Thank you for the excellent reports and really beautiful pictures!

[John Morrow]