Comb Ridge: Up One Side, Down the Other

[woodwizard]

View attachment 20496It has been exciting with all of the new adventures to explore after moving to the 4 Corners. A 150 mile circle (1 tank of gas out and back) drawn around Durango revealed an absolute wealth of places to explore. In the past, I had wondered were the dirt roads gone as I passed through the Comb Ridge area on my way to Valley of the Gods or Monument Valley. On Friday afternoon Jeff and I lit out of Durango heading west through the Navajo Nation to Comb Ridge to meet up with Scott. Scott had had enough of work and left Denver behind early on Friday to catch us. Is there any getting use to the C-note at the gas station? The views, discoveries, adventures and friends certainly lessen the sting. The Friday rendezvous was the “Wolfman Panel”. According to Scott’s secret map we were to begin from the south on Butler Wash Road, west of Bluff; the directions were to pass through the closed gate at the southern start, drive to the barbed wire fence and turn left; drive to the end and park. On foot head due west the 200 yards to the Butler Wash drainage. As you look over the ruins on the opposite bank, turn left heading south. Find the faint trail as you follow over rocks the rim of the drainage. It will eventually drop down diagonally and contour around to the panel. Shhhh…..it’s a secret.View attachment 20497

 

[woodwizard]

After quickly catching up with each other, we went back to Butler Wash Road, headed north to a spring under a large cottonwood to make our camp for the night. The steaks, the beer, the blazing sunset and great friends made for a wonderful evening.
View attachment 20498The next morning over cowboy coffee, Scott had a plan of searching out a number of ruins and rock art panels defined in a guide book of the Comb Ridge area. He had picked the book up in a small museum at the Edge of the Cedars on his way down- it was the only guide book and was 25 years old and not updated. All weekend we found ourselves fighting the wrong stated mileage. Everything we started out to find, we eventually did. Between times we found so much more. Over the entire course of Butler Wash Road and Comb Ridge Road, none of the ruins or panels are signed. The only indications of features were short spur roads to small turn-around parking areas. From there it is all unmarked foot trails with an occasional cairn. We were on the trail early looking for our first target “the Procession Panel”. As we climbed up Comb Ridge we stayed high on the slick rock and avoided the drainage up to the summit. View attachment 20499From our higher vantage point we located a small set of ruins and petroglyphs down in the drainage and not in the guide book. After we picked our way down, we spent time looking them over pretty well and taking a break in the shade. We knew we were in the wrong place so we climbed to the summit of Comb Ridge for the grand view.View attachment 20500 Reading the description a few more times we traversed the ridge to the next drainage and followed it down heading for the trucks. As we neared the bottom, Scott convinced us to cross over and head back up the original trail but this time in the drainage. We then came across Monarch’s Cave. The 1st time up we were less than 100 feet from it but our vantage point prevented us from seeing it. We were most grateful for his insistence. It’s hard hiking in 100 degrees.

 

[woodwizard]

View attachment 20505Back at the trucks we soaked our heads, hydrated, had a late lunch and took a siesta in the cottonwood shade waiting for the temps to drop. The air conditioning was feeling pretty good as we pulled into the next area. We were determined to find the “Procession Panel”. Well hydrated and a change of shirts we were off. This time we found the panel near the summit; theorizing what it meant as we crowded under the shade of a nearby juniper. As with most theorizes, no one is wrong; it’s all in who can spin the bigger yarn.
The seats of the truck felt pretty good as we were kicking up dust heading north to a new camp site. We slept hard after another round of steaks and beer.

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[woodwizard]

View attachment 20510Sunday we had time to explore some of the ruins in Arch Canyon and chase another panel at Power Rock. The marked ruins were classic south facing in an over hanging alcove. The following ones we found after we worked our way through the thick under brush of the stream and negotiated the water crossing. Around every bend in the canyon there seamed to be more and more. Reluctantly we turned around because we were running out of time and we still wanted to find the panel at Power Rock. View attachment 20509Back at the trucks a cloud of horse flies motivated us to double time it up Comb Ridge looking for the panel. This time we spread out over a 100 yards as we climbed. We found it after we traversed over to a large rock formation. The ground was littered with pot shards which is a good indication of few visitors. After hydrating in the shade along with more theorizing, it was time to go. After we said our goodbyes, Jeff and I kicked up a rooster tail of dust heading south on Comb Ridge Road toward Bluff as Scott climbed the road cut heading to Blanding. It didn’t have to be said, we were all thinking it- more time for friends and travel, less time spent at work…..View attachment 20511View attachment 20512

 

[desertgirl66]

Awesome write up and pictures! What a great adventure! Truly one of my favorite places. A great book to read about Comb's Ridge is called "Sandstone Spine" by David Roberts. Also by the same author "In Search of the Old Ones."

Thanks for sharing :arabia:

 

[ttora4runner]

Awesome photo's. I'm coming back though that area on my way back from Ouray in Septemeber.

That area has alot to offer. Esp. if you know where to go.

 

[mph]

Great trip and pictures! That place is magical!!! I have spent a lot of time in the area. I won't tell you any specifics; because that is the fun for me...Exploring and finding ruins, rockart, pottery, kivas,etc. without looking at a guidebook. All that I would say is explore every road in the Cedar Mesa area. Get a good topo and hike every canyon. There is hundreds of wonderful spots. It is truly a place that you don't know what you are going to discover around every corner!

Enjoy the discovery...Mike

 

[woodwizard]

As with too many good-fun things, there's never enough time. The guide book helped us be somewhat efficient with limited time. I'm all about just coming across discoveries but it's nice to increase your odds. This weekend was about finding and bagging. Perri

 

[cruiseroutfit]

Great report, one of my favorite areas