silver falls and choprock

[regehr]

a buddy and I plan to do the Silver Falls / Choprock loop, hopefully with an excursion to the Golden Cathedral, this coming Saturday-Tuesday, October 4, 5, 6, 7. if you happen to be in the same region and see us, please say hi!

 

[fossana]

Please report back on the water situation. We've at least been getting some rain in SW UT.

 

[regehr]

Please report back on the water situation. We've at least been getting some rain in SW UT.

yeah I'm expecting plenty of surface water and not resorting to drinking from the river. but we'll see!

the Escalante flow gauge shows some recent activity

 

[regehr]

the GSENM road report was last updated in March. guess they got DOGEd. love to see the efficiency!

GSENM-Road-Condition-Report | Bureau of Land Management

*****WEATHER RESOURCES***** Visit Monument Travel Advisories to help plan and prepare for your next adventure. Attention Monument Visitors, The Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument Road Report is typically updated weekly, more frequently if road conditions warrant. However, we regret to...

www.blm.gov

 

[Janice]

the GSENM road report was last updated in March. guess they got DOGEd. love to see the efficiency!

GSENM-Road-Condition-Report | Bureau of Land Management

*****WEATHER RESOURCES***** Visit Monument Travel Advisories to help plan and prepare for your next adventure. Attention Monument Visitors, The Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument Road Report is typically updated weekly, more frequently if road conditions warrant. However, we regret to...

www.blm.gov

I saw that old report, too. This one (https://www.nps.gov/glca/learn/news/road-conditions.htm) is newer, but still too old to be helpful. I called today to find out about conditions and left a message. Given the fact that tomorrow is Oct. 1, I'm guessing I won't get through to anyone any time soon...

 

[Bob]

Generally, with no reports the roads are usually decent

 

[fossana]

The monsoonal rainfall has been spotty here (SW UT). I've seen some unexpected sections of local desert get arroyoed out; other stream beds w/in a few miles are still completely dry.

 

[regehr]

Please report back on the water situation. We've at least been getting some rain in SW UT.

Silver Falls canyon seemed wet -- small pools started appearing about halfway down and persisted sporadically all the way to near the Escalante. We needed to make some time after a late start on Saturday and didn't checkout Emigrant Spring.

Choprock felt drier-- no water below the confluence with the technical (south) fork, but there's a large (perhaps perennial?) pool below the big dryfall a half mile up the technical fork. Then, just a few breakouts of surface water in the lower half of Choprock. Some of it very clayey and nasty.

Escalante itself was running turbid and warm, we spent a very pleasant hour soaking in a sunny spot near the mouth of Choprock on Sunday afternoon. Were not interrupted by packrafters. In fact, didn't see anyone at all between Saturday and today.

Quite a bit of traffic on the Burr Trail through Long Canyon, then very sparse on the eastern side. The "Little Bone" food truck on the premises of Hells Backbone Grill / Boulder Mtn Lodge served up an excellent lunch for us and seemed to be doing a solid amount of business.

 

[fossana]

Nice to know there's a food truck now.

 

[regehr]

randomly, we walked a chunk of the Overland route south of Choprock, this was super nice although we didn't push all the way to Neon Canyon

 

[Janice]

randomly, we walked a chunk of the Overland route south of Choprock, this was super nice although we didn't push all the way to Neon Canyon

When you did the overland route, which side of the river were you on, east or west?

 

[regehr]

When you did the overland route, which side of the river were you on, east or west?

we climbed up to bench level near the mouth of Choprock Canyon, so on the east side of the Escalante. there's a super obviously constructed cattle trail leaving Choprock to the south, just a bit up-canyon from the Escalante. it requires one or two easy climbing moves since presumably there was a bit of wooden structure that has long since washed away. then, a bit higher up there's some obvious dynamite work. this trail is super easy to follow.

 

[James and Amy]

When you did the overland route, which side of the river were you on, east or west?

Steve Allen's Overland Route stays almost entirely on the east rim above the river, but occasionally drops to the Escalante level itself when it crosses the many side canyons draining to the river.

 

[Janice]

Thanks for your responses, @regehr and @James and Amy. I'm collecting info for this trip because I hope to do it next fall when the cottonwoods will be yellow. I was just in Coyote Gulch too early for peak color but did a dayhike in the Upper Escalante on Oct. 9 and loved seeing some yellow cottonwoods there. Then while driving at higher elevation on Oct 10, I saw gorgeous stands of cottonwoods and was thinking about how to backpack amidst that golden color next year. I'm imagining a Silver Falls/Choprock/Neon/etc trip in mid-October, perhaps around the 20th. I realize there will be less daylight then and temps will be colder. I already stored away @John Morrow's info about going above the Escalante on the west side (going north to south - starting at a sand dune near where Harris & Silver Falls meet the Escalante and ending where Fence comes into the Escalante). At our hotel, Canyon Country Lodge, I just happened to chat with the owner, who was super nice and told me about that same sand dune at the north end (he referred to it as a sand slide) that he's confident I could do since he has ridden his horse down it!

Anyway, we like doing 5-6 nights on trail (when possible) and therefore want to find ways to extend the trip beyond just 3 nights. Wandering around on slickrock above the river is always thrilling to us, so figuring ways to get up there is very appealing.

Speaking of which, have any of you gone upstream in Harris from the Harris/Escalante confluence and gotten out of the wash onto the slickrock above? I found info somewhere about a possible exit on the north side, approx 2.8 mi up Harris, but I have a feeling it might be too challenging for us. If anyone knows about that (or other ways to get above the wash or river) I welcome your info!

 

[regehr]

I think around October 20th sounds great for changing cottonwoods.
our trip was Oct 4-7 and the cottonwoods in Silver Falls and Choprock were not even starting to change. but highway 12 over Boulder Mountain was sure pretty!

 

[Janice]

I think around October 20th sounds great for changing cottonwoods.
our trip was Oct 4-7 and the cottonwoods in Silver Falls and Choprock were not even starting to change. but highway 12 over Boulder Mountain was sure pretty!

YES - Hwy 12 around Boulder Mtn was incredible! We were there Mon Oct. 6 and I had no idea the aspens would be at peak then. We stopped a lot to admire the view!

 

[regehr]

wow! we only saw them in passing, were in hurry to get home!

 

[James and Amy]

Thanks for your responses, @regehr and @James and Amy. I'm collecting info for this trip because I hope to do it next fall when the cottonwoods will be yellow. I was just in Coyote Gulch too early for peak color but did a dayhike in the Upper Escalante on Oct. 9 and loved seeing some yellow cottonwoods there. Then while driving at higher elevation on Oct 10, I saw gorgeous stands of cottonwoods and was thinking about how to backpack amidst that golden color next year. I'm imagining a Silver Falls/Choprock/Neon/etc trip in mid-October, perhaps around the 20th. I realize there will be less daylight then and temps will be colder. I already stored away @John Morrow's info about going above the Escalante on the west side (going north to south - starting at a sand dune near where Harris & Silver Falls meet the Escalante and ending where Fence comes into the Escalante). At our hotel, Canyon Country Lodge, I just happened to chat with the owner, who was super nice and told me about that same sand dune at the north end (he referred to it as a sand slide) that he's confident I could do since he has ridden his horse down it!

Anyway, we like doing 5-6 nights on trail (when possible) and therefore want to find ways to extend the trip beyond just 3 nights. Wandering around on slickrock above the river is always thrilling to us, so figuring ways to get up there is very appealing.

Speaking of which, have any of you gone upstream in Harris from the Harris/Escalante confluence and gotten out of the wash onto the slickrock above? I found info somewhere about a possible exit on the north side, perhaps 4.5 mi up Harris, but I have a feeling it might be too challenging for us. If anyone knows about that (or other ways to get above the wash or river) I welcome your info!

Janice,

Please see https://doingmiles.com/2020-09-escalante/ for a trip report detailing an exit north from Harris Wash up Red Breaks. We did not do the segment between Red Breaks and the Escalante, but do not know of any significant obstacles along that route.

James (and Amy)

 

[Janice]

Janice,

Please see https://doingmiles.com/2020-09-escalante/ for a trip report detailing an exit north from Harris Wash up Red Breaks. We did not do the segment between Red Breaks and the Escalante, but do not know of any significant obstacles along that route.

James (and Amy)

Thanks, James. I made great use of your trip report when planning our 2022 LDH/Wolverine trip with extensions above the Escalante. On a Silver Falls/Choprock trip, if we go above Harris Wash, it would be closer to the Escalante than Red Breaks, perhaps around 37.65106, -111.26406. I'll be interested to see if this spot or some other spot will work...

 

[regehr]

does anyone know which Escalante canyons have flashed recently? seems like perhaps many of them