The Great Traverse

[hatchcanyon]

There is a pretty long unpaved stretch of roads and trails from Green River to near mile post 17 on Utah Highway 95 south of Hanksville.

The length is about 130 miles. We call it The Great Traverse. The last time we run it was in May 2013 under pretty good conditions. This was not always so. Sometimes part of the trails might be damaged and not passable, some times Dirty Devil River has simply too much runoff. To prevent standing on the river bank and see an amount of water not passable look at the USGS Gage Page für the Dirty Devil River Gage nearby the ford. For me a runoff of more than 100 cfs is not feasible but others may do better.

With good conditions one have to calculate with 8 to 10 hours from pavement to pavement. Worse conditions? Nobody knows but be always disposed to spend a night on the trail - or even more.

In 2013 we traveled from south (UT 95) to north (Green River Airport Road). If you start in Green River go from Main Street into Long Street and there down to th railroad. A short distance to the left is the railroad crossing on Airport Road. At 12S 0570415 4312655 a road goes left and gravel begins.

My wife driving the Jeep Wrangler on UT 24 southbound

Some danger on UT 95 south of Hanksville

Poison Spring Canyon

From Hanksville it is more or less exactly 17 miles to a gap in the left guard rail wher Poison Spring Trail starts (at 12S 0534242 4221412)

Other dangers in Poison Spring Canyon

The road leaves Poison Spring Wash after a short distance. We were told that years ago a flood clogged the wash and a bypass was build. This new road goes to Butler Wash, a tributary of Poison Spring and returns eventually to the main wash.

The Road in Butler Wash

Back in Poison Spring Wash

The gray rocks on the wash bottom are strangers here coming down from the Henry Mountains.

There are two cattle gates on the road down to the River

Windblown deposits

Within Navajo Sandstone

We call this stretch "The Channel"

Deeper down in Poison Spring Canyon - still gray gravel

Sand dune

Carmel(?) capped Navajo Sandstone

Not really hoodoos

Remains from the last runoff

Now we are in Kayenta Sandstone

Erosional details

Poison Spring has a number of springs but the "Poison Spring" is not here it is on the west side of UT 95 - towards the Henry Mountains.

A first spring horizon

Hanging gardens

The springs are forming a little creek

In times there is much more water making travel more difficult. We also have seen in the past ducks and frogs in the area.

Still in Kayenta Formation

Erosion

Mineral deposition

Going back in geological time. Dark Kayenta on top but now we are digging into Wingate Sandstone.

To be continued....

 

[Martinjmpr]

I'm trying to picture where this is. Sounds like it's running more or less parallel to UT 24 between I-70 and Hanksville but maybe about 10 miles East? I drove on some of that going to the Maze District back in 2008.

 

[hatchcanyon]

Poison Spring Road starts on UT 95 17 miles south of Hanksville and runs eastward to the Dirty Devil River.

 

[Martinjmpr]

Oh, Ok so the southern portion of this route goes through the Maze District, at least past Hans Flat Ranger Station and then down the Flint Trail switchbacks, right?
.
That makes more sense, I was trying to figure out how you crossed the Dirty Devil River closer to Hanksville but if you're crossing at Poison Spring then I know exactly where this is.
.
Thanks again for the great trip report and photos.

 

[hatchcanyon]

It is not really the Maze Distict but it goes along Hans Flat Ranger Station and Flint Trail.

 

[hatchcanyon]

The Great Traverse - Part 2

Lower Poison Spring Canyon

The name Poison Spring Canyon has its own story. Locals say that the real historic name is "Pissing Spring Canyon" but this one was inappropriate for the USGS. So they modified the name on their maps.

The road within the canyon seems to be graded from time to time, maybe for the gage down on Dirty Devil River. With a lot of water flowing from the springs it might be partially muddy.

Another year with much more water

We had to rescue our rig....

Digging is difficult, we prefer to lift the vehicle

More mud

Take these pictures only as an alert. The road can be easy or even not.

Now more pictures from the tour in 2013:

Erosional features

Now we are deeper than Wingate Sandstone but the gray gravel from the Henrys is still there

Chinle Hoodoos with Wingate caprocks

The canyons widens

A trench cuts deeper

It is called "The Black Jump"

The wash cuts into harder dark brown rock. For a while the road travels on to of the hard layer, the a dugway leads back into the wash down in the cut.

Black Jump

Back in the wash. The dark brown layer is above.

Presumably Moenkopi Formation

Down to Dirty Devil River

Easygoing

At 12S 0551624 4215867 the road leaves Poison Spring Wash

The road now climbs up a hill - call it a pass -on the north side but one can follow the wash down to Dirty Devil River Bank. It is half a mile away and we have seen a fire place there. People seems to camp occasionally at this point.

View from top of the pass

The high cliffs on the east side of the river are from Buckacre Point.

Buckacre Point is a wonderful view point - if one mekes it to the westernmost tip

Now we have to ford Dirty Devil River. This year it's very easy, so easy that we did not take any picture. (Shame on us!)

18-20 years ago the eastern bank was high and soft. Pretty difficult to climb up.

Sometimes there is more water in the river

To be continued....

 

[20DYNAMITE07]

MOAR!!!

 

[chet6.7]

Thanks for the pictures of the rock formations.

 

[hatchcanyon]

The Great Traverse - Part 3

Dirty Devil River Canyon

Fording Dirty Devil River comes from easy to impossible. In May 2013 it was a snap. At least with our Wrangler.

Sandstone outcrop on the east side of the river

This is White Rim Sandstone. We are now in the Cutler Formation. But not for long, the road climbs into younger deposits.

Looking back to Poison Spring Canyon

It's an interesting place. The road on the west side of the river runs down from that little pass and it is in an old rincon of the Dirty Devil River. Near the river one can see the spur to the gage.

Dirty Devil River Canyon to the south

Dirty Devil River and the tip of Buckacre Point on the left

This notch gave us cover from some gusty winds. So we had a nice place for lunch.

Cedar Point on the west side of the River

Cedar Point is in our opinion one of the greatest view points in southeastern Utah. The top is more than 2.200 feet above the river. Best time to visit it is in the late afternoon with the sun behind you in the west. Two unpleasant things: If it is dry Cedar Point is difficult zu reach due to deep sand. If it is wet you may have gnats. The last time we were there was mid of June 2015. May and June had been pretty wet and the sand was not a real problem but we got the gnats!

A view from Cedar Point - June 2015

Can you see the old mining road in the gray Chinle band?

Also on the west side of the river: Bert Mesa

The trail on Bert Mesa can be reached from Burr Point.

Once again Poison Spring Canyon

View to the south

The cliffline on the horizon are south of Colorado River / Cataract Canyon.

Moenkopi on top of White Rim Sandstone

At this point the road turns east into North Hatch Canyon

Heading into North Hatch Canyon - Buckacre Point above the road

To be continued....

 

[hatchcanyon]

The Great Traverse

Part 4: North Hatch Canyon

Where is the name "Hatch Canyon" coming from? Seems that it has nothing to do with a trap door. In Navajo "atchee" means a red color or high cliffs and it is said that the Diné called the canyon "atchee atchee". Quite appropriate. (from Steve Allen: Utah's Canyon Country Place Names)

In 2013 the road was in excellent condition. We found it much worse in some years earlier. Simply some pictures:

Part of Buckacre Point

Chinle Hoodoos

More coloful Chinle

Ragged slopes

Good road....

....but take care of some hard to see ditches

This ditch is not very impressive. Years ago we found there some others 10 feet deep. Impossible to cross at least for us.

Small window on the brink of the inner canyon

Hatch Canyon System

The inner canyon is a steep walled trench

From the air: Hard White Rim Sandstone as a cover

From Kayenta on top down into Moenkopi

North Hatch Canyon Road

Chinle and Moenkopi: soft and colorful

Hoodoo

Mormon Tea (Ephedra nevadensis)

Cliffs of The Big Ridge

Middle of the picture: The dividing block between North and South Hatch Canyon

Looks like a smaller version of Monument Basin on White Rim Trail

"Atchee atchee" in Navajo

Two Pipe Spring Canyon is a tributary

Echinocereus triglochidiatus (Claret Cup Cactus)

Pituophis melanoleucus deserticola (Great Basin Gopher Snake)

To be continued....

 

[GR8ADV]

Most excellent. Thank you for sharing. Is it possible to stop and camp along here?

 

[hatchcanyon]

Most of the land is BLM-land, only the stretch from the very eastern end of North Hatch up to the top of Flint Trail and from there 2.5 miles to the north is within Glen Canyon National Recreation Area. A primitive camping area lies on top of Sunset Pass within GCNRA. Don't know about rules and regulations therefore. We never saw someone using it.

 

[Kerensky97]

This whole area has always been a blank for me. The only times I've been in the area was a drive to Horseshoe Canyon, and to the Maze District. I've always wanted to see more but didn't know what to expect. Thanks for the pics and ideas.

 

[Scott Brady]

Stunning images! Gotta love the Colorado Plateau.

 

[1leglance]

Totally agree on the pic quality...
I really wish I had your ability to remember all the geology stuff as you travel. Adds a neat dimension to it all.
Thanks to putting another Utah area on the map for me & the family to explore.
Very cool.