Suggestions for 5-day backpacking in Utah

[r3biker]

May 9th through 12th I'd like to spend 5 days backpacking in Utah with my very fit 19 year old son. We would like to try a little fishing too. We expect snow in the high elevations and don't mind camping in it as long as we can get some fishing in.

I'm an experienced hiker but have not hiked much in Utah yet. I wanted to do 50 miles in the High Uintas but the Mirror Lake Highway won't be open in early May and the snow pack may make many other routes through Wyoming to the Uintas inaccessible. My heart is not set on the Uintas. We have good winter gear including snowshoes, probes, beacons, and shovels to use if we need them.

This may be one of the best times to backpack in the desert areas in Utah.

Any recommendations?

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[SKLund]

I think you will be near the end of the season for a lot of areas but the Escalante should be just right. The river should have come down from peak flows, allowing you to cross. Do some research on this and see if it works for you.

 

[r3biker]

I think you will be near the end of the season for a lot of areas but the Escalante should be just right. The river should have come down from peak flows, allowing you to cross. Do some research on this and see if it works for you.

Thanks for the recommendation. I was looking at maps and photos of Escalante and liked what I saw. Thanks.


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[r3biker]

I looked at trail maps, satellite images, and watched some YouTube videos on Coyote Gulch and I think this looks really interesting. I also looks like there are plenty of side trips we could take.


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[Nick]

That's primetime for most of the Colorado Plateau. Any of the Escalante canyons would be good choices.

 

[r3biker]

I watched several of Jamal Greens YouTube videos about his hikes in Escelante's Gulches. I'm super excited to do this hike with my 19 year old son one week from Monday. Normally I just hike in my Salomon boots, but after watching Jamal's videos I decided I needed a hiking sandal so I picked up a pair of Teva Omnium. I almost bought the Keen shoes but after trying both on I felt the Teva held my foot better. Any other gear recommendations for this hike?


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[SKLund]

I watched several of Jamal Greens YouTube videos about his hikes in Escelante's Gulches. I'm super excited to do this hike with my 19 year old son one week from Monday. Normally I just hike in my Salomon boots, but after watching Jamal's videos I decided I needed a hiking sandal so I picked up a pair of Teva Omnium. I almost bought the Keen shoes but after trying both on I felt the Teva held my foot better. Any other gear recommendations for this hike?


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Maybe a dry bag or two. One for your phone if you take it. I usually take one for my sleeping bag if I'm doing a bunch of crossings.

 

[r3biker]

Maybe a dry bag or two. One for your phone if you take it. I usually take one for my sleeping bag if I'm doing a bunch of crossings.

That's a great point. Plus having my sleeping bag and electronics in dry bags will make me less hesitant to explore some of the slot canyons.


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[Nick]

You don't need dry bags for 99% of the backpacking to be done in the Escalante region. They are hard to pack into and even harder to fit into your pack and are not at all worth the effort. Maybe a small lightweight one for your electronics, but that's the most you need. If you want to keep your other stuff safer then line your pack with a trash compactor liner. If you take a spill in a stream or wade just a bit too deep for a second, it'll take care of you.

 

[r3biker]

You don't need dry bags for 99% of the backpacking to be done in the Escalante region. They are hard to pack into and even harder to fit into your pack and are not at all worth the effort. Maybe a small lightweight one for your electronics, but that's the most you need. If you want to keep your other stuff safer then line your pack with a trash compactor liner. If you take a spill in a stream or wade just a bit too deep for a second, it'll take care of you.

I found an interesting article on using compactor bags here. http://sectionhiker.com/how-to-keep-your-backpacking-gear-dry-with-trash-compactor-bags/

Thanks for the tip.


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[r3biker]

So my son voted we go to Jones Hole in the south west side of Dinosaur National Monument. This way we can fish and camp. I called the ranger and they were kind enough to reserve the campsite for us at Ely Creek. I'll post a trip report.


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