- Joined
- Jul 8, 2015
- Messages
- 250
I hope everyone had a blast at the BCP Fest this weekend! Wish we could have made it...
My wife Rose and I have been anxiously awaiting for the weather to break after a long cold winter. We planned our first trip for the year in Coyote Gulch, a place we had never been to before.
We both left work early on Thursday 3/28/19, packed up and hit the road about noon for Escalante. After getting to town and having diner, we drove out Spencer Flat road and found a spot just in time to set up to sleep in the back of the truck before the sun disappeared.
Friday morning was mostly clear and looked like it was going to be a perfect day to start our trip down HITR.
Morning view of our spot with Boulder Mountain in the background.
We stopped a couple of times on the way out of Spencer Flat to check out some cool formations and take some pics.
After an awesome breakfast in town, we headed to the visitor center and picked up our permit then headed to HITHR. We stopped at Devils Garden and climbed around until we realized time was slipping by, so we made our way. When we finally got to the trail head it was close to 3:00, there were clouds to the east and a good wind coming from the west.
We packed the final few items in our packs and hit the trail about 3:15.
We made quick time to crack in the wall and wondered around taking pics for a while. Here are a couple of hand held pano's from the rim.
Rose taking in the view before heading in.
A shot of the 2nd section of the crack.
Incredible views heading down into the canyon!
A view of Stevens Arch, we were planning a day hike to Stevens Canyon the following day.
Since we were planning to do a day hike to Stevens Canyon the next day, we found a campsite as soon as we made it down to the stream. We relaxed a little before making diner and it wasn't too long before the light was fading.
The next morning we slept in until well after sunrise, packed a few things and headed down towards the Escalante. The perennial stream was flowing mostly clear.
When we made it to the confluence, the Escalante was running quite silty and fast.
We went upstream on the beach to the open area and I dropped my pack and crossed to show Rose how deep it was. It was a little over my knees, which ended up being higher than Rose was willing to cross. So instead, we went back a little and found a place to sit in the sun and made a late breakfast and enjoyed the solitude.
Some smooth silky patters in the mud.
After breakfast and lounging around enjoying the weather, we headed back to camp to pack up and move further up canyon towards Jacob Hamblin, our exit point the next day.
A long stretch of tafoni.
After getting back to camp and packing up, we headed out.
Filling up a water bottle at a spring.
The canyon really gets much more beautiful as we head up, the waterfalls and canyon walls are gorgeous.
Passing through Coyote Natural Bridge.
This little family waited until we were very close before skirting around behind us.
The scale of this place is hard to comprehend!
Here's a couple of pano's trying to show some of the grand scale. Rose is in the lower right of this first one.
Such a gorgeous place! It's no wonder it's as popular as it is.
Time to go... Rose climbing out.
A shot from the top...the tiny dot is a person standing in the left side bend of this photo....
After climbing up to what we thought was the level that the trail head was on, we turned east and made a bee-line for the parking area.
An awesome first trip of 2019!
Cheers!
My wife Rose and I have been anxiously awaiting for the weather to break after a long cold winter. We planned our first trip for the year in Coyote Gulch, a place we had never been to before.
We both left work early on Thursday 3/28/19, packed up and hit the road about noon for Escalante. After getting to town and having diner, we drove out Spencer Flat road and found a spot just in time to set up to sleep in the back of the truck before the sun disappeared.
Friday morning was mostly clear and looked like it was going to be a perfect day to start our trip down HITR.
Morning view of our spot with Boulder Mountain in the background.
We stopped a couple of times on the way out of Spencer Flat to check out some cool formations and take some pics.
After an awesome breakfast in town, we headed to the visitor center and picked up our permit then headed to HITHR. We stopped at Devils Garden and climbed around until we realized time was slipping by, so we made our way. When we finally got to the trail head it was close to 3:00, there were clouds to the east and a good wind coming from the west.
We packed the final few items in our packs and hit the trail about 3:15.
We made quick time to crack in the wall and wondered around taking pics for a while. Here are a couple of hand held pano's from the rim.
Rose taking in the view before heading in.
A shot of the 2nd section of the crack.
Incredible views heading down into the canyon!
A view of Stevens Arch, we were planning a day hike to Stevens Canyon the following day.
Since we were planning to do a day hike to Stevens Canyon the next day, we found a campsite as soon as we made it down to the stream. We relaxed a little before making diner and it wasn't too long before the light was fading.
The next morning we slept in until well after sunrise, packed a few things and headed down towards the Escalante. The perennial stream was flowing mostly clear.
When we made it to the confluence, the Escalante was running quite silty and fast.
We went upstream on the beach to the open area and I dropped my pack and crossed to show Rose how deep it was. It was a little over my knees, which ended up being higher than Rose was willing to cross. So instead, we went back a little and found a place to sit in the sun and made a late breakfast and enjoyed the solitude.
Some smooth silky patters in the mud.
After breakfast and lounging around enjoying the weather, we headed back to camp to pack up and move further up canyon towards Jacob Hamblin, our exit point the next day.
A long stretch of tafoni.
After getting back to camp and packing up, we headed out.
Filling up a water bottle at a spring.
The canyon really gets much more beautiful as we head up, the waterfalls and canyon walls are gorgeous.
Passing through Coyote Natural Bridge.
This little family waited until we were very close before skirting around behind us.
The scale of this place is hard to comprehend!
Here's a couple of pano's trying to show some of the grand scale. Rose is in the lower right of this first one.
Such a gorgeous place! It's no wonder it's as popular as it is.
Time to go... Rose climbing out.
A shot from the top...the tiny dot is a person standing in the left side bend of this photo....
After climbing up to what we thought was the level that the trail head was on, we turned east and made a bee-line for the parking area.
An awesome first trip of 2019!
Cheers!
