An 800 Mile Hike from Nevada to Colorado

From late April to early June this 12 months, Kate “Swept Away” Pickett and I accomplished an roughly 800 mile (1,287 km) hike throughout southern Utah.

Overview map of our hike throughout southern Utah.

We started our journey on the Nevada border WSW of Enterprise and completed seven weeks later at Hovenweep Nationwide Monument on the border with Colorado. Alongside the way in which we traversed canyons, plateaus, badlands, and mesas, being wowed each day by the limitless array of purple rock wonders and archeological gems.

Start line on the Nevada border.

The ending level at Holly Tower in Hovenweep Nationwide Monument, a 5 minute stroll east of the UT/CO border.

Each Kate and I had beforehand spent giant chunks of time exploring Utah on foot, each on the Hayduke Path, together with a bunch of different shorter excursions. That being the case, an enormous consider placing this journey collectively, was the chance to expertise elements of the state that neither one in all us had beforehand visited. One among these locations was the unbelievable Canaan Mountain Wilderness, situated between Hurricane and Kanab.

Canaan Mountain Highpoint

The White Domes of Caanan Mountain Wilderness.

A windblown Eye of Heaven (Water Canyon Arch) within the Canaan Mountain Wilderness (photograph by Kate Pickett)

One other place that was excessive on our ambulatory agenda was Bears Ears Nationwide Monument. Each of us had hiked by way of the northern sections of this protected space, however this was our first time visiting among the archeologically wealthy southern sections equivalent to Cedar Mesa’s Collins Canyon, Grand Gulch, and Bullet Canyon, together with the incomparable Comb Ridge.

Contained in the “Good Kiva”, Bullet Canyon.

Procession Panel, Comb Ridge.

Monarch Cave Ruins, Comb Ridge.

Highlights

Choosing a handful of highlights from an extended hike throughout Utah is like making an attempt to select the very best pub in Eire – a nigh on not possible job that’s nonetheless enjoyable to analysis. Listed here are some locations that instantly come to thoughts (from west to east):

• Snow Canyon
• Pink Mountain Wilderness
• Gooseberry Mesa
• Canaan Mountain Wilderness
• The Barracks
• Nice Chamber

The Nice Chamber (Photograph by Kate Pickett)

• Bryce Canyon NP – Below the Rim Path, Peekaboo Loop, and Fairyland Loop.
• Powell Level
• Demise Hole
• Egg Canyon
• Higher and Decrease Muley Twist Canyons

One among a number of unbelievable alcoves in Capitol Reef’s Decrease Muley Twist canyon.

• Cliff Level on the Waterpocket Fold
• Stevens Canyon
• Fold Canyon
• Coyote Gulch

A fantastical grotto in Stevens Canyon (photograph by Kate Pickett)

• The Lizard Route out of Halls Creek
• Grand Gulch and Bullet Canyon
• Comb Ridge
• Hovenweep Nationwide Monument

Jacob Hamblin Arch, Coyote Gulch.

Route Notes

Our route was a mixture of cross nation journey, 4WD tracks, rock scrambles, river wading, filth roads, established trails, and a minimal quantity on pavement. As a rule, directional decisions had been dictated out of geological and historic curiosity, slightly than expediency.

We break up the hike into eight levels, which typically coincided with our resupply factors (see beneath). Within the coming weeks I’ll do a stand-alone publish for every stage (or two), which is able to embrace maps, pictures, fundamental route descriptions, and random musings. The stage breakdown (with approximate distances) was as follows:

• Stage 1 – Utah/Nevada Border to Ivins/St George / 60 mi / 3 days / Through Dixie Nationwide Forest and the Pink Mountain Wilderness.

• Stage 2 – Ivins/St. George to Mount Carmel Junction / 135 mi / 7 days / Through Snow Canyon State Park, Pink Cliffs Conservation Space, La Verkin, Gooseberry Mesa, Canaan Mountain Wilderness, and the Barracks.

Splashing by way of the Barracks (photograph by Kate Pickett)

• Stage 3 – Mount Carmel Junction to Bryce Canyon Village / 83 mile / 4.5 days / Through Diana’s Throne, Pink and Peekaboo Canyons, Nice Chamber, Skutumpah Canyon, Grand View Path, Below the Rim Path, and the Peekaboo Loop.

Peekaboo Loop, Bryce Canyon Nationwide Park.

• Stage 4 – Bryce Village to Escalante / 80 mi / 3 days / Through Fairyland Loop, Pine Lake, Powell Level, Water Canyon Path, and Canaan Peak.

• Stage 5 – Escalante to Burr Path Street, Capitol Reef NP / 70 mi / 4.5 days / Through the Boulder Mail Path, Demise Hole, Boulder Creek, Lengthy Canyon, Egg Canyon, Lampstand, and Higher Muley Twist Canyon.

Sandy bench campsite in Demise Hole.

• Stage 6 – Burr Path Street to Bullfrog Marina / 140 mi / 9 days / Through Decrease Muley Twist Canyon, Pink Slide, Waterpocket Fold, Stevens Canyon, Fold Canyon, Escalante River, Bobway Canyon, King Mesa, Coyote Gulch, Stevens Canyon, Baker Route, Halls Creek, Lizard Route, and the dry as a bone northern reaches of Lake Powell.

Strolling on the Wingate above Fold Canyon.

• Stage 7 – Bullfrog Marina/Halls Crossing Marina to HWY 163 (close to Bluff) / 140 mi / 7.5 days / Through Moqui Canyon, Collins Canyon, Bullet Canyon, Grand Gulch, Kane Gulch Ranger Station, Fish Canyon, Owl Canyon, and Comb Ridge Rd.

• Stage 8  – HWY 163 to Hovenweep Nationwide Monument / 95 mi / 3.5 days / Through Comb Ridge (Websites included Wolfman Panel, Double Stack Ruins, Procession Panel, Cathedral Ruins, Monarch Cave, Chilly Spring Cave, and a few secret squirrel panels), Tank Mesa, Dry/Sizzling/Crappy street stroll on HWYs’ 191 & 262 (or marginally higher adjoining filth roads), and Black Steer Canyon.

Late afternoon view from the highest of Comb Ridge.

Maps & Sources

• The first on-line useful resource for the route was a hiker by the title of Jamal Inexperienced. For the previous 20 years, Jamal has been placing collectively lengthy distance mountain climbing routes all through Utah, and his web site and YouTube channel, are a treasure trove of logistical and cartographical info. Within the phrases of my outdated pal, Paul “Mags” Magnanti (who did his personal cross-Utah route in 2017), “it’s onerous to think about anybody has hiked extra extensively round Utah than Jamal.”

• Two different helpful web sites for folk focused on planning a cross-Utah ramble are the aforementioned Pmags.com, and Doingmiles.com. The latter incorporates a great deal of info on a bunch of various hikes, not solely within the States, however different locations around the globe as properly.

Ascending from Grand Gulch/Halls Creek by way of the “Lizard Route.”

• Through the strategy planning stage, I pieced the route collectively on the Gaia GPS web site, utilizing a mixture of the USGS, Nat Geo, Gaia Topo, Public Land (US), and Satellite tv for pc map layers.

• On the navigation entrance, we used a mixture of the Gaia app on our iPhones (downloaded layers had been USGS, Nat Geo, and Gaia Topo), overview paper maps, and my trusty outdated Suunto M3.

Trying west in the direction of Stevens Canyon from the Waterpocket Fold.

Water

As with all lengthy hike in Utah and the 4 Corners area, water was one of many main concerns when planning the journey. Of the varied map layers, USGS proved most helpful in figuring out potential sources (e.g., tanks, springs, windmills). Jamal Inexperienced’s web site was additionally useful on this regard.

As a result of there have been numerous sections of the route the place we couldn’t discover any pre-trip beta, we erred on the facet of warning at any time when doubtful. We each had a most capability of 9-10 liters, which we employed on a couple of totally different events. That stated, general, the H2O state of affairs was pretty much as good as we might have hoped for throughout the journey. On that word, we had been assisted by a few well timed storms, which allowed us to acquire adequate water from potholes and streams that may have in any other case been hit and miss.

A really welcome water supply on an in any other case dry stretch alongside the Waterpocket Fold (37.56471, -110.92024).

Resupply

A mix of mail drops and shopping for as we went. We additionally left a cache at Burr Path Rd, to separate up the lengthy stretch between Escalante and Bullfrog Marina.

• St George – Field
• La Verkin – Purchase (Davis Meals & Drug Grocery store)
• Kanab (Hitched in from Mount Carmel Junction) – Field
• Bryce Metropolis Submit Workplace – Field
• Escalante Submit Workplace – Field
• Burr Path Street – Cache
• Bullfrog Marina – Field
• Blanding Submit Workplace (hitched in from Kane Gulch Ranger Station) – Field
• Bluff Submit Workplace (brief hitch in from Jct. Comb Wash Rd/HWY 163) – Field

Within the case of St George, Kanab, and Escalante, we had pals/household who had been form sufficient to obtain and maintain packing containers for us.

Having fun with the views over St George from Pink Mountains, earlier than descending to our first city cease (photograph by Kate Pickett).

Favorite Meals Stops

• La Verkin – River Rock Roasting Firm (Glorious baked items, espresso, and pizza).
• Kanab – Tons Motsa Pizza (AYCE pizza and salad for $6.99), Large Al’s Shakes, Brown Field Cafe (late evening ice cream), and Wild Thyme Cafe.
• Escalante – Escalante Outfitters (Unbelievable pizza, sandwiches, and desserts)
• HWY 12 (between Escalante & Boulder) – Kiva Koffeehouse – Filling and engaging breakfasts.
• Blanding – Vacation spot Awake (Nice espresso, fruit smoothies, baked items, breakfast burritos, and welcoming vibe).

The meal that by no means was………..hoping in opposition to hope that Veyo Pies (Washington County) would open 1.5 hours sooner than scheduled (photograph by Kate Pickett).

Permits

Together with the America the Lovely Entrance Go, in a single day tenting permits had been required for Bryce Canyon Nationwide Park, Grand Staircase/Escalante Nationwide Monument, Capitol Reef Nationwide Park, and Bears Ears Nationwide Monument.

Within the case of Bryce, it was potential for us to camp simply exterior the nationwide park boundaries for 2 nights. We additionally stayed one other evening in Bryce Metropolis. For Grand Staircase/Escalante and Capitol Reef we obtained permits on the Interagency Workplace in Escalante. We organised our permits for Bears Ears on-line by way of the Recreation.gov web site.

Leaving Bears Ears Nationwide Monument by way of Tank Mesa.

Gear Decisions

I’ll do a whole gear checklist within the coming weeks, however for now, listed below are a couple of of my favorite objects from the journey (together with some new ones):

• (New) ULA Extremely X Nexus Backpack – A very good stability of weight, construct high quality, sturdiness, and performance. I’m an enormous fan of the exterior pocket system, and the padded hip belt was helpful on a visit like this, the place largish water and meals carries had been frequent. The pack fitted me properly from the leap, and I personally discovered its consolation ranking of 20-25 lb (9.1-11.3 kg) to be conservative (although this may range from hiker to hiker). Tipping the scales at 19 oz (0.54 kg), it isn’t the lightest frameless backpack I’ve used, however after 800 Miles (1,287 km), it’s undoubtedly probably the most comfy below the pressure of heavyish masses (Word: In anticipation of the large carries, I virtually went with my Hyperlite Southwest 2400 (which has an inner body). In the end I made a decision on the Nexus, after taking it on a number of lengthy day hikes laden with 25 lb/11.3 kg plus).

• La Sportiva Extremely Raptor 2 – One pair of footwear for the complete 800 miles (1,287 km). I’ve been utilizing the Raptors frequently for the previous 5 – 6 years. Arms down, my all-time favorite path operating shoe for rugged environments.

• (New) MacPac Nitro Alpha Direct Fleece – I’ve had the Nitro for simply over a 12 months, however this was the primary lengthy hike I’ve taken it on. Double thumbs up. When mixed with the Houdini windshirt, I used to be positive all the way down to round freezing.

• Sony a6400 Digital camera – I’ve nonetheless received rather a lot to study optimising the 6400 for various circumstances, however on a journey like this in such a singular place as Utah, the load penalty was properly price it.

The most effective campsites of the journey within the Canaan Mountain Wilderness (Shelter – Tarptent Stratospire 2, Quilt – Katabatic Alsek 22).

Dropping into Coyote Gulch from King Mesa (Backpack – ULA Extremely X Nexus, Path Working Footwear – La Sportiva Extremely Raptor 2).

Acknowledgements

As is all the time the case with this type of lengthy hike, there are a bunch of oldsters who helped to make it potential:

• Initially, Kate, whose deep affinity for the Utah wilderness is matched solely by her uninhibited sense of surprise and curiosity.

• Kelli, Thomas, Wendy and Kent – Thanks for the superb hospitality pre and publish hike. An additional shout out to Wendy for driving us out to our start line west of Enterprise.

• Thanks to our pals Lynn and Fran in Kanab and Escalante for his or her kindness and hospitality.

• We solely needed to stick our thumbs out a handful of instances throughout the journey, however once you’re mountain climbing by way of areas through which hitching isn’t precisely the norm, you’ll be able to’t assist however really feel further appreciative. On that word, a particular due to Chuck, Gary and Tabitha, Morgan, Chad, and the “daughter of Utah.”

• Joel, Sean, and Rachel – the crack archeological restoration staff at Hovenweep Nationwide Monument.

• And, final however not least, Paul and Joan. Not solely did Mags drive 2.5 hours to select us up from Hovenweep (bearing a cooler stuffed with recent fruit, drinks, and yoghurt!), however he and Joan had been additionally form sufficient to host us in Moab for the following few days. We couldn’t have requested for a greater finish to the journey!

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