Utah, Caineville Area: The 2nd Cathedral Valley?

hatchcanyon

Lancisti
In May 2013 we visited the Caineville area, but had no concept what to see. We left UT 24 for Caineville Wash Road and suddenly there was a spur going away from the road. After a short distance there was some pavement in the middle of the Caineville Wash Valley. A Road? I doubt!

Length of pavement might be some 1,100 to 1,200 feet and it is not completely straight. Might this be an airstrip?

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One end of the assumed airstrip

Nevertheless this was the wrong way. On the other end of pavement a spur let us across Caineville Wash and into a smaller colorful canyon with another wash. (We named it Red Desert Wash) It must have flown not that long ago. The bed was still moist. This canyon is short, the length of the pretty good road measures approximately 1,2 miles.

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Entering the small canyon

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Improvement by pioneer bridges

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Wild and colored

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Within the canyon

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Angled strata ascending to the West

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Looking back (east): banded Morrison Formation and Caineville Mesa in background

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Next layer is Summerville Formation

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Topomap tells us we are entering Red Desert. Seems to be!

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Red Summerville remnants on greyish Curtis Formation. Nice contrast!

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Entrada cliffs with Curtis caps

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At this point there is no need for a Jeep Wrangler. Even a sedan might work.

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Looking west out of the little canyon

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The last of at least three pioneer bridges

The wash in the little canyon drains a basin surrounded by Entrada sandstone cliffs. Seems to me that this was once an upwarp. The inclining strata from the east side starts to decline on the west side (we saw that later).

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The eastern Cliffs of the basin

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A view across the northern half of the basin

This is what the Topo Maps call Red Desert.

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Branch of the wash

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Cliff on the north end of the basin

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This is what is left from eroded Entrada sandstone

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Hoodoo and a small arch in the distance

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Still inclining strata

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Looks like a labyrinth

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Colorful cliffs

Part 2 follows immediately.
 

hatchcanyon

Lancisti
Part 2:



The road climbs up some 250 feet and we got acompletely different view backwards.

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Red Desert and blue shale on the Caineville Mesas

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Cliff line to the west

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Resembling Cathedral Valley - its the same geological setting

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The maps show a flowing well

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Moisture = flowers

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We haven`t seen the well but we saw the trees

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"Cathedral" walls - unfortunately in the shadow

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A bit better

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Egyptian temples?

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Remnants from volcanism

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Agate

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More cliffs

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Cliff height declines

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Looking back with better "cathedral" light

There is something like a gap on the west side of the basin. Topo maps show a prospect and a trail running up to it. We wanted to see whats there? The prospect must be in that gap.

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Western cliffs

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The former road is now a trail

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No name on the maps - we call it Red Desert Pass

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The Red Desert Basin from Red Desret Pass

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A tighter spot

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Red Desert Pass

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Last stretch to the summit

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From the summit to the west

Down in the valley runs Hartnet Road. It is only a mile away. (Junction at 12S 0491175 4241257) Strata is pointing down now to the west.

Red Desert Pass and Red Desert might be a solution for these coming from Cathedral Valley finding Freemont River running to high to ford. Driving back to Cathedral Valley to change onto Caineville Wash Road to reach UT 24 means 56 miles or so, the pass is only 12 miles. A big saver!

More details at "Red Desert"
 

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