- Joined
- Aug 9, 2007
- Messages
- 12,949
Short days, long nights and wonderful low angle sunshine. I love late fall in the desert. These trips never are the most productive when it comes to actually accomplishing anything, but it's still great to get out there before winter settles in and spend a couple nights around the fire with friends.
Because of the short days, it was well after dark as we started down the San Rafael Desert Road out of Green River. The mood was jubilant as my headlights lit the way through the vast, empty space ahead of us. It was myself, @gnwatts, @slc_dan and our canine companions, Sage and Mya along for this trip. Greg's birthday was the next day and neither of my friends had visited this particular area, at least not from the rim. We didn't expect to see many, if any, people so we were surprised to see headlights pointed our way just 10 or 15 miles down the road. We'll slowed down to find a car buried in the mud with a jeep behind trying to pull them out. The car was an older Camry or something like that. California plates with a lone guy behind the wheel that looked like he'd had better days. The guys in the jeep I gather did not know the man but were helping out (and perhaps weren't very happy about it).
We offered assistance but they were already in the process so I took advantage to finally change out of my work clothes. Midway through the extraction operation, we asked if we could 'play through' and get around them. It was taking a while because they first had to pull the car out backwards, and then again frontwards. The front of the car was too sunk to attach anything to where it was.
On we went to an old favorite campsite on the rim of Labyrinth Canyon, overlooking the Green River. All I could do was tell the guys how good the view was. But then morning came.
After a lazy morning in camp, we made our way to Keg Knoll where we stumbled across the only other vehicle we'd seen since the mud hole near Green River. And of course, it was fellow BCP'er @Udink!
We left him a note hoping to connect later and proceeded to wander out toward Colonnade Arch.
It's a short, easy hike but with views like this, it will never get old.
It was more than a bit chilly as we rested inside the arch.
After leaving the arch, we decided to wander up and find the top of it. Greg approaches one of the windows.
And Dan near the edge of another.
A little bit of fall hanging on.
I got a text from Dennis that he was back at his truck. I had invited him to come camp with us but he didn't have his gear. Just out for a day hike. So instead he hung around while we hiked back so we could at least say hello and have a beer. We took the direct route on the old road across Keg Knoll. I don't think it's really any faster than the lower scenic route.
After meeting up with Dennis we headed back to camp and had a nice sunset.
That second night was particularly cold. We started rationing our wood supply so we wouldn't be out for the 3rd and final night.
The next day we packed up camp and moved on. We had a more ambitious hike planned this day but a surprise and somewhat sneaky road closure courtesy of the NPS changed our plans. If the days had been longer or we'd been up earlier, I suppose we could have still done it, but by this point we only had 5 or 6 hours of light left.
The view from the edge of the Orange Cliffs.
With our hiking plans scrapped, we decided to head out toward the rim of the Dirty Devil. Along the way we stopped at the dramatic entrance to Alcatraz Canyon. The first rap is a 200' drop into the slot below. The customary anchor is to chock your tires and tie a rope to your vehicle.
Looking down into Alcatraz. Way too skinny for me to ever consider.
We ran into some pretty nasty mud puddles between Keg Knoll and here. Some of the finest mud coverage I've ever seen. Naturally, I had to sell my truck after this trip (not joking).
A little further down the road we found ourselves at a dead end with an amazing view.
Strange little camp in a pothole.
Relaxing at the edge of a canyon that might as well have no name.
Soaking in the sun in camp.
The evening view was fantastic.
Dan strumming on the guitar as the light fades over the Dirty Devil.
Mount Hillers
Earth shadow.
Sometime after dark, Dan had gone to the truck, I believe to get his tripod. I believe we were talking about something and then he just blurted out "What the f*%k is that?!?!". Again. And again. We looked to the southwest to see a huge dome of light in the sky. That phrase must have been repeated at least 100 times in five minutes. I ran for my tripod and got in position to get a shot. The dome of light began to dim and 'deflate'. We left our cameras running to capture a time lapse and caught the phenomenon in various stages.
This second image was caught shortly after the first, but I included it because of the strange swirling figure on the right.
We spent the rest of the night drinking, talking, looking at our photos and wondering what we had seen. When we got back we found out there was a missile test. Or at least that's what they say it was. Still so strange to me. I would put together my time lapse and share it, but it's nothing compared to this one by Taos Imagery:
The next morning I awoke in the back of my truck to a beautiful view and angry dogs. I rolled over and rubbed my eyes just in time to see two figures in camouflage walk through the edge of camp. We were camped on a neck of land with nowhere to go at the end, and that's where they were headed. Odd.
An hour or two later, they walked back through and did not reply to our 'good morning' greetings. They left in a Ram pickup with a 4 wheeler in the back. As we left camp, we noticed they had placed a Wilderness Study Area boundary marker right at the turn into our camp. I guess that's one way to reserver a campsite.
On the way out we stopped at a few places.
And then it was back to Green River to reconnect Greg with his car and start our trip back to Salt Lake.
But not before making the Tundra street legal again.
Check out Greg's trip report from the same weekend here if you haven't already: http://backcountrypost.com/threads/robbers-roost-birthday.5296/
Because of the short days, it was well after dark as we started down the San Rafael Desert Road out of Green River. The mood was jubilant as my headlights lit the way through the vast, empty space ahead of us. It was myself, @gnwatts, @slc_dan and our canine companions, Sage and Mya along for this trip. Greg's birthday was the next day and neither of my friends had visited this particular area, at least not from the rim. We didn't expect to see many, if any, people so we were surprised to see headlights pointed our way just 10 or 15 miles down the road. We'll slowed down to find a car buried in the mud with a jeep behind trying to pull them out. The car was an older Camry or something like that. California plates with a lone guy behind the wheel that looked like he'd had better days. The guys in the jeep I gather did not know the man but were helping out (and perhaps weren't very happy about it).
We offered assistance but they were already in the process so I took advantage to finally change out of my work clothes. Midway through the extraction operation, we asked if we could 'play through' and get around them. It was taking a while because they first had to pull the car out backwards, and then again frontwards. The front of the car was too sunk to attach anything to where it was.
On we went to an old favorite campsite on the rim of Labyrinth Canyon, overlooking the Green River. All I could do was tell the guys how good the view was. But then morning came.
After a lazy morning in camp, we made our way to Keg Knoll where we stumbled across the only other vehicle we'd seen since the mud hole near Green River. And of course, it was fellow BCP'er @Udink!
We left him a note hoping to connect later and proceeded to wander out toward Colonnade Arch.
It's a short, easy hike but with views like this, it will never get old.
It was more than a bit chilly as we rested inside the arch.
After leaving the arch, we decided to wander up and find the top of it. Greg approaches one of the windows.
And Dan near the edge of another.
A little bit of fall hanging on.
I got a text from Dennis that he was back at his truck. I had invited him to come camp with us but he didn't have his gear. Just out for a day hike. So instead he hung around while we hiked back so we could at least say hello and have a beer. We took the direct route on the old road across Keg Knoll. I don't think it's really any faster than the lower scenic route.
After meeting up with Dennis we headed back to camp and had a nice sunset.
That second night was particularly cold. We started rationing our wood supply so we wouldn't be out for the 3rd and final night.
The next day we packed up camp and moved on. We had a more ambitious hike planned this day but a surprise and somewhat sneaky road closure courtesy of the NPS changed our plans. If the days had been longer or we'd been up earlier, I suppose we could have still done it, but by this point we only had 5 or 6 hours of light left.
The view from the edge of the Orange Cliffs.
With our hiking plans scrapped, we decided to head out toward the rim of the Dirty Devil. Along the way we stopped at the dramatic entrance to Alcatraz Canyon. The first rap is a 200' drop into the slot below. The customary anchor is to chock your tires and tie a rope to your vehicle.
Looking down into Alcatraz. Way too skinny for me to ever consider.
We ran into some pretty nasty mud puddles between Keg Knoll and here. Some of the finest mud coverage I've ever seen. Naturally, I had to sell my truck after this trip (not joking).
A little further down the road we found ourselves at a dead end with an amazing view.
Strange little camp in a pothole.
Relaxing at the edge of a canyon that might as well have no name.
Soaking in the sun in camp.
The evening view was fantastic.
Dan strumming on the guitar as the light fades over the Dirty Devil.
Mount Hillers
Earth shadow.
Sometime after dark, Dan had gone to the truck, I believe to get his tripod. I believe we were talking about something and then he just blurted out "What the f*%k is that?!?!". Again. And again. We looked to the southwest to see a huge dome of light in the sky. That phrase must have been repeated at least 100 times in five minutes. I ran for my tripod and got in position to get a shot. The dome of light began to dim and 'deflate'. We left our cameras running to capture a time lapse and caught the phenomenon in various stages.
This second image was caught shortly after the first, but I included it because of the strange swirling figure on the right.
We spent the rest of the night drinking, talking, looking at our photos and wondering what we had seen. When we got back we found out there was a missile test. Or at least that's what they say it was. Still so strange to me. I would put together my time lapse and share it, but it's nothing compared to this one by Taos Imagery:
The next morning I awoke in the back of my truck to a beautiful view and angry dogs. I rolled over and rubbed my eyes just in time to see two figures in camouflage walk through the edge of camp. We were camped on a neck of land with nowhere to go at the end, and that's where they were headed. Odd.
An hour or two later, they walked back through and did not reply to our 'good morning' greetings. They left in a Ram pickup with a 4 wheeler in the back. As we left camp, we noticed they had placed a Wilderness Study Area boundary marker right at the turn into our camp. I guess that's one way to reserver a campsite.
On the way out we stopped at a few places.
And then it was back to Green River to reconnect Greg with his car and start our trip back to Salt Lake.
But not before making the Tundra street legal again.
Check out Greg's trip report from the same weekend here if you haven't already: http://backcountrypost.com/threads/robbers-roost-birthday.5296/
