Gooding City of Rocks, Coyote Creek

Ben

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We managed to get out this week end, finally, and we hiked about five miles around Gooding City of Rocks. I've been wanting to get back there for a while. I did an over night backpack there with my Dad and some of my brothers about fifteen years ago or so. It has hoodoos. This image shows the area we covered. Not as much as i'd've liked, but that's nearly standard.
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We drove to the end of the maintained road. There is a sign alerting you when you reach this point. We probably could have made it a ways farther, but we didn't need to. A high clearance vehicle is most likely necessary to do the entire road. From where we parked we walked back a little ways to drop into the canyon of Coyote Creek.

Looking from the parking area, all the way across the Snake River Plain to what i believe are the Albion Mountains.
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There were these little flowers around. DSCF9226.JPG

Above the head of Coyote Canyon. DSCF9228.JPG

Dropping in. DSCF9232.JPG

Hoodoos. DSCF9248.JPG

After just a little ways, we found our first arch. This was the largest one that we actually approached, and probably the second largest we saw. DSCF9259.JPG

When we walked through it we saw there was a second arch right next to it that we hadn't noticed from the other side. DSCF9261.JPG

Down canyon. DSCF9264.JPG

Looking up. DSCF9267.JPG

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Brittinei found this spring. I would have walked past it looking for pictures of the hoodoos. DSCF9314.JPG

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Across from the spring was this seep. DSCF9317.JPG

There was a sheet of ice that conformed to the surface. DSCF9321.JPG

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A high arch. DSCF9344.JPG

That same arch is on the left in this picture. DSCF9345.JPG

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A couple tiny windows.DSCF9391.JPG

The creek in the bottom. Here the bottom widened out, later it would constrict, it alternated a little bit. DSCF9392.JPG

This was probably the largest arch that we saw, looking like a cave above us. We did not go up to it. DSCF9396.JPG

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A small water fall entering from the side.
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It got late enough, we had to leave the canyon bottom to start making our way back to the car. We went cross country from the canyon over to the lower reaches of the road that we had originally been driving on. There's no real trail in the canyon either, just game.
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Along the way these three arches were all with in about 20 yards of each other.
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More flowers.DSCF9462.JPG

Back on the road, about a mile and a half from the car. DSCF9470.JPG

Along the road. DSCF9471.JPG

Looking to the Albion Mountains again in the low light. DSCF9474.JPG

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Glad you got out, I know you've had some cabin fever. I wish I had cool stuff like this around me. That fourth picture before dropping into the canyon is really cool. For some reason, that picture and a few others had me thinking that's what the bottom of the ocean probably looks like. Pretty cool how much the color of the rocks change to red when the sun starts to get low.
 
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Cool, Benito! Did you see any bolts/know of any climbing routes established there? or is the rock too soft/friable?
 
my impression. the rock should be great for climbing. but i don't actually know any thing about routes there. if you want to come find them, i'll come watch you.
 
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I've looked into this spot before, I've always assumed there was no water. I'll have to make time for it next time I Drive through.

Another good one Ben, thanks.
 
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it might dry up in august/september, but it's my impression that the creek runs for more of the year than it does not. while we were there this time there was water running in several of the draws there, not just Coyote Creek. but then it had rained just the day before, and there was still snow melt going on.
 
This looks like an interesting place to visit when we travel more North around last week of May.
Thanks for sharing Ben!
 
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I love the picture of your GF at the arch, with the dogs enthusiastically sprinting through!
 
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apparently i missed the petroglyphs out here. i'll have to go back some time.
 
This is a cool area and at least when a friend and I backpacked there about 16 years ago there was no one there. It was good we had 4 wheel drive because it rained pretty good and by the time we got back to pavement we had about 3 inches of mud covering the entire truck. I need to head back up to that area and explore some more.
 
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