A Desert Wander...

[mtnbike28]

Great report. I was thinking there are too many posts about lifts/tires/for sale and I wanted to read some trip reports. Yours was perfect!

 

[matthewp]

Wow! I really enjoyed your trip report! It also great to see children excited to be out in nature.

 

[mph]

Thanks for the kind words...yeah, it's a pleasure to rally around with Lilly and Mom Never know what we are going to find and do!

.......it's a genuine pleasure to see y'all "airing out" the young'un. Thanks for sharing.

Foy

Great report. I was thinking there are too many posts about lifts/tires/for sale and I wanted to read some trip reports. Yours was perfect!

 

[njtacoma]

Thanks so much for sharing.

Looked like a fun trip for the family.

I liked the balance of pictures of grand vistas and people.

 

[JCMatthews]

Looks like you had an awesome trip. We were down there the same time. We obviously need a guide, because we only saw a few of the larger road side ruins. Do you guide for clients who are willing to cook dinner?

 

[mph]

That would be fun...No need for dinner. Let me know when you want to leave

Looks like you had an awesome trip. We were down there the same time. We obviously need a guide, because we only saw a few of the larger road side ruins. Do you guide for clients who,are willing to cook dinner?

 

[outback97]

Fantastic pictures and trip report! Thanks for sharing these.

Any advice for someone that hasn't visited the Cedar Mesa area and would like to view some of these dwellings and pictographs? How difficult is it to find them?

 

[mph]

Your first time? I would recommend stopping at the Kane Gulch ranger station. They can fill you in on the usual, but great spots! Hiking Grand Gulch will definitely wet your appetite. The other thing the Mesa is setup for exploring. You can drive to the head of any of the canyons...You probably won't see anything but J and P trees on the way there. Get out and hike...You will find the goods. The best way to explore the mesa is by foot. Grab a National Geographic map...pack the car and drive to a canyon head. Hike...repeat...Places like Mule Canyon, Butler Wash, Grand Gulch are prime! Shoot me a pm when you get a map

Fantastic pictures and trip report! Thanks for sharing these.

Any advice for someone that hasn't visited the Cedar Mesa area and would like to view some of these dwellings and pictographs? How difficult is it to find them?

 

[pmatusov]

A great trip and beautiful photos - thanks!

 

[outback97]

Your first time? I would recommend stopping at the Kane Gulch ranger station. They can fill you in on the usual, but great spots! Hiking Grand Gulch will definitely wet your appetite. The other thing the Mesa is setup for exploring. You can drive to the head of any of the canyons...You probably won't see anything but J and P trees on the way there. Get out and hike...You will find the goods. The best way to explore the mesa is by foot. Grab a National Geographic map...pack the car and drive to a canyon head. Hike...repeat...Places like Mule Canyon, Butler Wash, Grand Gulch are prime! Shoot me a pm when you get a map

Thanks, yes, we've never been there before but are excited to visit! My wife gave me the Nat Geo Grand Gulch / Cedar Mesa Plateau map for Christmas but we haven't had a chance to get down there yet. Great idea about visiting the ranger station.

I will send a PM after perusing the map, thanks again.

 

[DVD]

I'd suggest the book Non-Technical Canyon Hiking Guide to the Colorado Plateau, by Mike Kelsey
http://www.amazon.com/Non-Technical-Canyon-Colorado-Plateau-Edition/dp/0944510272

This book has enough info for weeks of exploring in just this area. But if you do get it, you'll hate the book and the author if you don't study and plan beforehand. The book is dense and somewhat loosely organized (actually it is well organized, but he describes multiple options for each hike, so you have to skip paragraphs for the options you don't take to get to the next step on your path), so I suggest reading the book and then plotting hikes on a map.

Another tip: The Valley of the Gods Bed and Breakfast is right in the area and a very nice respite from the dusty trail.

For another perspective, here's a TR I recently posted for an overlapping adventure in Cedar Mesa area: http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/141590-Anasazi-Adventure-in-SE-Utah

 

[JCMatthews]

That would be fun...No need for dinner. Let me know when you want to leave

I would love to go back and will get ahold of you, but it will have to be late summer or fall. We are going to Alaska June and July.

 

[mph]

Keep me posted...Have fun up North!!!

I would love to go back and will get ahold of you, but it will have to be late summer or fall. We are going to Alaska June and July.

 

[outback97]

I'd suggest the book Non-Technical Canyon Hiking Guide to the Colorado Plateau, by Mike Kelsey
http://www.amazon.com/Non-Technical-Canyon-Colorado-Plateau-Edition/dp/0944510272

This book has enough info for weeks of exploring in just this area. But if you do get it, you'll hate the book and the author if you don't study and plan beforehand. The book is dense and somewhat loosely organized (actually it is well organized, but he describes multiple options for each hike, so you have to skip paragraphs for the options you don't take to get to the next step on your path), so I suggest reading the book and then plotting hikes on a map.

Another tip: The Valley of the Gods Bed and Breakfast is right in the area and a very nice respite from the dusty trail.

For another perspective, here's a TR I recently posted for an overlapping adventure in Cedar Mesa area: http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/141590-Anasazi-Adventure-in-SE-Utah

Thanks for the book recommendation and trip report, I appreciate it! Yeah, Kelsey's books are so densely packed. Sometimes they remind me of reading a bottle of Dr. Bronners soap.

 

[1leglance]

Another amazing trip report & pics...
So cool seeing the family out on jaunts like this.
In a couple of weeks I plan to be in Utah and this gives me a place to go check out.
Thanks for taking us along for the ride.