Red Breaks Northeast & East Forks Loop? (Escalante area)

[Writhdar]

Has anyone done a loop hike of the East and Northeast Forks of the Red Breaks Canyon? I am curious what it is like particularly with regard o obstacles.

Last week I did the Cosmic Ashtray (Navel/Pit....) but didn't have enough daylight to try for the loop. Instead, I just went down and up stretches of each starting near their tops (i.e., near Dome 6015 and elevation 5887). I had parked at the end of the driveable portion of the Old Sheffield Road (this spur leaves the maintained road at ~5.4 miles and goes east ~0.9 miles).

Regarding a name for the Cosmic Ashtry - does anyone know what Native Americans named it? I certainly don't like Ashtray but i like it better than Navel or Inselberg (as mentioned in a scientific paper on it http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/...ionid=43BE3E5552D91AF3A328B60A91403B7B.f01t04 for abstract and http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/esp.1697/epdf for full article). In lieu of a Native American name, I think Cosmic Pit would be better than the other names. Anyway....

Writhdar

 

[Jammer]

Volcano!!! Sorry -- I just personally hate all names except for Volcano. But alas... they seem to be more popular.

I think the loop you are talking about is possible. I've walked the entire East Fork and seem to remember having read about others who have done the NE fork as well. There area a few different routes to connect the two via the slickrock (as it sounds like you did one.) Re: obstacles, the east fork is pretty easy and just requires a little friction walking to get up into via a bypass and then a short section of rim walking (though it might be possible to descend the main channel.)

 

[Nick]

Volcano!!! Sorry -- I just personally hate all names except for Volcano. But alas... they seem to be more popular.

I agree, Cosmic Volcano is the best. Ash tray is an awful name for such a beautiful place.

 

[Writhdar]

I agree, Cosmic Volcano is the best. Ash tray is an awful name for such a beautiful place.

Thank you re the route info. Definitely something I will do in the spring when I take my wife to the Cosmic.....

As for names, Volcano sounds very "cool" but if if it is to have a geological feature name, it should, in my opinion, be reasonably accurate. The geology paper I referenced calls it a weathering pit so I thought that perhaps Pit might work - but I admit it is underwhelming.