Exploring/Calf Creek

[Writhdar]

re: I assume you did this as an out and back day hike.

yes - both as day hikes. For the slickrock circum. of McGath, parked about 2 miles down McGath Rd - before the steep sand uphill.

 

[canadug]

That's the way I see it as well. Does "Canadug" mean you're from Canada? Southern Utah and the Canadian Rockies are my two favorite places to hike. I have more trips lined up in those two places than I have time left in my useful hiking career.

Canadug = Vancouver, Canada........ I try to make it down to Utah every March provided it is still not Winter-like

 

[canadug]

That branch looks like a pour-off in the sat view. It looks like there may be some more promising opportunities further south though.

View attachment 118389

Where do you live?

 

[MikeP]

Chicago. Friend of mine is Canadian and bought a place in Canmore a few years ago. So my hiking life now is - Summer hike in the Canadian Rockies, Spring or Fall in Southern Utah. I imagine I'll do that every year as long as the good lord allows. Hike this summer still to be determined (Parks Canada slow in opening up the reservation system this year), but we may well wind up in BC. For anyone who needs a little inspiration to do some hiking up north, below is a picture from last year's hike. This could be done as a very simple over-nighter if you want, and you'll share the place with eight or ten other people tops. As opposed to say, Lake Louise, which is even more overrun with people than Bryce or Zion,

 

[SteveR]

Baker Lake! Back to the original topic @MikeP - that would be a great route if it goes. We did briefly explore the area west of the upper falls once, and have plans to return and check out Debra Van Winegardens "Peak 6420".

 

[TrailScot]

I recently had the chance to check out the potential route out of the Calf Creek drainage, to reach the higher benches (from the trail heading to the lower falls) that we discussed earlier this year.

And, the good news is: It goes !

The lower section is very straightforward; just a walk up a sandstone slope really. The upper part is a little trickier though, since the slickrock gets considerably steeper, and angles away awkwardly. However, with a decent pair of sticky shoes and a degree of confidence, it's perfectly manageable for the hiker with some experience in traversing slickrock.

I did, of course, in my excitement at reaching the top, forget exactly what my initial ascent route was, and spent my usual 10 minutes staring over the edge, wondering how I would get down ... I then built a cairn for future reference !

Kudos to the Gaia GPS slope-angle tool, for allowing us to locate the potential route on a 2D map.

I've attached a few photos from the hike up the slope, and from the top looking north. Unfortunately, it was late in the afternoon when I visited, so I didn't have the chance to hike much further, but it did look that there were some cool areas to explore up there.
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[canadug]

That's the way I see it as well. Does "Canadug" mean you're from Canada? Southern Utah and the Canadian Rockies are my two favorite places to hike. I have more trips lined up in those two places than I have time left in my useful hiking career.

Live in Vancouver........Rockies are pretty sweet for sure.

 

[jholmes01]

I recently had the chance to check out the potential route out of the Calf Creek drainage, to reach the higher benches (from the trail heading to the lower falls) that we discussed earlier this year.

And, the good news is: It goes !

The lower section is very straightforward; just a walk up a sandstone slope really. The upper part is a little trickier though, since the slickrock gets considerably steeper, and angles away awkwardly. However, with a decent pair of sticky shoes and a degree of confidence, it's perfectly manageable for the hiker with some experience in traversing slickrock.

I did, of course, in my excitement at reaching the top, forget exactly what my initial ascent route was, and spent my usual 10 minutes staring over the edge, wondering how I would get down ... I then built a cairn for future reference !

Kudos to the Gaia GPS slope-angle tool, for allowing us to locate the potential route on a 2D map.

I've attached a few photos from the hike up the slope, and from the top looking north. Unfortunately, it was late in the afternoon when I visited, so I didn't have the chance to hike much further, but it did look that there were some cool areas to explore up there.
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View attachment 126882

Thanks for closing the loop on this. It's always nice to find out whether something that looks like it might go on a map actually does. I don't suppose you captured an actual track of your route up? I guess if you did, it wouldn't have been quite as challenging to find it on the way back down...

I've found the slope angle shading to be incredibly valuable in planning off trail routes, i.e., "if it's green it goes". Example:

 

[desertvic]

I stopped on Hwy-12 the other day to try to see the route from the other side of the canyon. Looks steep! I will have to go to give it a try.