My Journey
- Thread starter YukonMontanaTannerTrapper
- Start date
ghostdancer
Member
Maybe our new commander in chief will reinstate all the land in Bears Ears that was annexed by the last one?
YukonMontanaTannerTrapper
Explorer
JD.....loving southeast Utah.....
ghostdancer.....I have thoughts to share on that very subject as I continue to explore and learn more & more.....
Now we were closing in our objective but it would take yet one more day.....nearly a week to travel one hundred miles.....
Even on this last day we had been traveling so slowly.....I was anxious to get to our planned destination yet something attracted me to these lands.....
Another sign along the roadway slowed our progress once again.....the Mule Canyon Ruins.....
When you travel as slowly as we have been doing lately you really are able to immerse yourself in your surroundings and you have the time to think deeper and to look even farther.....
That evening we walked up and down the highway.....
.....several miles in either direction.....
We stayed the night here parked next to the ruins.....we went out with the stars overhead and with the near silence that surrounded us.....coyotes barked and howled.....and we walked through this sacred place and I swear to you that I may have felt the spirits that night.....
The early morning sun was bright again and the ruins now took a different look.....
I find myself reading every single kiosk that I come across and I almost now am studying what I see.....
That morning we continued west on the highway and just as we pulled onto the highway.....the same place that we had walked the evening before.....we spotted the body of this dead deer. Obviously the deer had been dragged and left here.....look at his body and you see his ribs have no meat. Then my eyes scanned further up the highway and there he was.....much like the sly fox on Trico Peak.....the mountain lion dashed across the highway.....
ghostdancer.....I have thoughts to share on that very subject as I continue to explore and learn more & more.....
Now we were closing in our objective but it would take yet one more day.....nearly a week to travel one hundred miles.....
Even on this last day we had been traveling so slowly.....I was anxious to get to our planned destination yet something attracted me to these lands.....
Another sign along the roadway slowed our progress once again.....the Mule Canyon Ruins.....
When you travel as slowly as we have been doing lately you really are able to immerse yourself in your surroundings and you have the time to think deeper and to look even farther.....
That evening we walked up and down the highway.....
.....several miles in either direction.....
We stayed the night here parked next to the ruins.....we went out with the stars overhead and with the near silence that surrounded us.....coyotes barked and howled.....and we walked through this sacred place and I swear to you that I may have felt the spirits that night.....
The early morning sun was bright again and the ruins now took a different look.....
I find myself reading every single kiosk that I come across and I almost now am studying what I see.....
That morning we continued west on the highway and just as we pulled onto the highway.....the same place that we had walked the evening before.....we spotted the body of this dead deer. Obviously the deer had been dragged and left here.....look at his body and you see his ribs have no meat. Then my eyes scanned further up the highway and there he was.....much like the sly fox on Trico Peak.....the mountain lion dashed across the highway.....
ntg1988
New member
Hi Jerry,
I've been following along for a good part of the journey but have just now caught all the way up to your latest post. Thank you for taking the time to write and upload all these posts with amazing pictures and stories. This has helped me and I'm sure a lot of others on XP with a little adventure dreaming while this pandemic has it's way with the world. I look forward to continue to follow along your adventure.
Thanks again and stay safe!
Nate
I've been following along for a good part of the journey but have just now caught all the way up to your latest post. Thank you for taking the time to write and upload all these posts with amazing pictures and stories. This has helped me and I'm sure a lot of others on XP with a little adventure dreaming while this pandemic has it's way with the world. I look forward to continue to follow along your adventure.
Thanks again and stay safe!
Nate
Pacific Northwest yetti
Expedition Medic
Those ruins look amazing, especially how remote and dog friendly they seem to be!
Perfect, i have added them to my list.
Perfect, i have added them to my list.
Let's hope so?
YukonMontanaTannerTrapper
Explorer
Nate.....thanks so much, I sure appreciate that. I see you liking my posts and that I appreciate as well. I guess all of us enjoy a good slap on the back at times.....
PNWY.....there's so much here to see.....make sure you have at least a month to explore.....
JD.....thanks.....
From the internet.....
"The original name for the monument was also the product of much deliberation and inter-tribal cooperation. Since Diné Bikéyah did most of the early work, the coalition briefly considered using those very words, which mean “people’s sacred lands” in Navajo, as the name. But each of the five tribes had their own names for the twin buttes of Bears Ears: Hoon'Naqvut, Shash Jáa, Kwiyagatu Nukavachi, Ansh An Lashokdiwe. And each of those names means, roughly, “bears ears.” The coalition concluded that the English name was best, to show unity and to avoid conflict between the tribes."
When I first set out to climb the twin buttes known as the Bears Ears, I had no idea that this decision would lead me into somewhat of a quest.....
The forest service road led us up a steep mountain grade and at the top of that steep grade the terrain changed completely into a nearly flat mesa covered in stunted pines.....the road up there was still snow & ice covered from those recent storms so we left the truck and camper behind.....and took the Jeep to the start of our climb.....
I chose the higher of the two buttes for no particular reason.....our first challenge of the day.....Bears Ears West (9,058').....
There may be a trail up that butte.....I'm not sure. There were tons of unused game trails that I do know and none of them seemed to be the one to take us to the summit of Bears Ears West.....
I had read on the internet that the route to the top was up & along the north side of the butte.....of course it's the north side that sees little sun.....ice & snow all the way to the summit.....and a very steep climb.....
It took just about an hour to complete that short, steep climb.....
The views ? Of course spectacular.....we didn't stay long up there.....
The plan was to descend this butte, grab my daypack and have lunch on the summit of Bears Ears East.....
PNWY.....there's so much here to see.....make sure you have at least a month to explore.....
JD.....thanks.....
From the internet.....
"The original name for the monument was also the product of much deliberation and inter-tribal cooperation. Since Diné Bikéyah did most of the early work, the coalition briefly considered using those very words, which mean “people’s sacred lands” in Navajo, as the name. But each of the five tribes had their own names for the twin buttes of Bears Ears: Hoon'Naqvut, Shash Jáa, Kwiyagatu Nukavachi, Ansh An Lashokdiwe. And each of those names means, roughly, “bears ears.” The coalition concluded that the English name was best, to show unity and to avoid conflict between the tribes."
When I first set out to climb the twin buttes known as the Bears Ears, I had no idea that this decision would lead me into somewhat of a quest.....
The forest service road led us up a steep mountain grade and at the top of that steep grade the terrain changed completely into a nearly flat mesa covered in stunted pines.....the road up there was still snow & ice covered from those recent storms so we left the truck and camper behind.....and took the Jeep to the start of our climb.....
I chose the higher of the two buttes for no particular reason.....our first challenge of the day.....Bears Ears West (9,058').....
There may be a trail up that butte.....I'm not sure. There were tons of unused game trails that I do know and none of them seemed to be the one to take us to the summit of Bears Ears West.....
I had read on the internet that the route to the top was up & along the north side of the butte.....of course it's the north side that sees little sun.....ice & snow all the way to the summit.....and a very steep climb.....
It took just about an hour to complete that short, steep climb.....
The views ? Of course spectacular.....we didn't stay long up there.....
The plan was to descend this butte, grab my daypack and have lunch on the summit of Bears Ears East.....
YukonMontanaTannerTrapper
Explorer
From the internet.....
"When President Obama designated Bears Ears National Monument in December 2016, protection for the region was long overdue. Monument protection for southeast Utah had been considered since the 1930s, but it took the coordination, persistence, and sovereign status of five Native nations (the Hopi Tribe, Navajo Nation, Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, Pueblo of Zuni, and Ute Indian Tribe) for the Bears Ears Inter-Tribal Coalition to ultimately gain protections for 1.35 million acres of their ancestral homelands. Less than a year later, President Trump ignored overwhelming public support for Bears Ears and slashed the monument by 85 percent."
So an hour later we were back at the Jeep.....we grabbed my daypack and we were off to another climb.....
We headed north up the snow covered road.....
Not too far up the road we turned up a trail to start our ascent of Bears Ears East (8,929'). Now this climb was much longer than the first and with the summit elevation being lower.....the hike was not near so steep.....
We crossed paths with a rabbit.....we saw frequent signs of deer.....as we climbed higher the views before us were absolutely stunning.....
.....and we kept on hiking upwards.....
We hiked along the edges of the steep stone cliffs.....
And maybe it was along these steep stone cliffs that I began to understand what my quest was about.....but I had no idea why.....
Tanner & I sat on the summit that afternoon and he ate his dog treats while I ate my sandwich.....and I looked to the north and saw the Abajo Mountains where we saw the mule deer, the elk and the wild turkeys roam.....and to the east we could see the Canyons of the Ancients and Hovenweep where the horses roamed free and where we hiked amongst the ancient dwellings of the Native Americans that have occupied these lands for centuries.....to the south and the west we had not yet explored.....
But as I sat there I began to see all these lands as a giant puzzle.....so many distinct pieces.....and I thought about their uniqueness and how perfectly they all fit together. I understood why 1.35 million acres had been designated as a national monument and I understand why it needs to be saved.....but I still had plenty more to see and to learn.....and that's what I've been doing.....
"When President Obama designated Bears Ears National Monument in December 2016, protection for the region was long overdue. Monument protection for southeast Utah had been considered since the 1930s, but it took the coordination, persistence, and sovereign status of five Native nations (the Hopi Tribe, Navajo Nation, Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, Pueblo of Zuni, and Ute Indian Tribe) for the Bears Ears Inter-Tribal Coalition to ultimately gain protections for 1.35 million acres of their ancestral homelands. Less than a year later, President Trump ignored overwhelming public support for Bears Ears and slashed the monument by 85 percent."
So an hour later we were back at the Jeep.....we grabbed my daypack and we were off to another climb.....
We headed north up the snow covered road.....
Not too far up the road we turned up a trail to start our ascent of Bears Ears East (8,929'). Now this climb was much longer than the first and with the summit elevation being lower.....the hike was not near so steep.....
We crossed paths with a rabbit.....we saw frequent signs of deer.....as we climbed higher the views before us were absolutely stunning.....
.....and we kept on hiking upwards.....
We hiked along the edges of the steep stone cliffs.....
And maybe it was along these steep stone cliffs that I began to understand what my quest was about.....but I had no idea why.....
Tanner & I sat on the summit that afternoon and he ate his dog treats while I ate my sandwich.....and I looked to the north and saw the Abajo Mountains where we saw the mule deer, the elk and the wild turkeys roam.....and to the east we could see the Canyons of the Ancients and Hovenweep where the horses roamed free and where we hiked amongst the ancient dwellings of the Native Americans that have occupied these lands for centuries.....to the south and the west we had not yet explored.....
But as I sat there I began to see all these lands as a giant puzzle.....so many distinct pieces.....and I thought about their uniqueness and how perfectly they all fit together. I understood why 1.35 million acres had been designated as a national monument and I understand why it needs to be saved.....but I still had plenty more to see and to learn.....and that's what I've been doing.....
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It's awesome when those moments of understanding hit. One I remember vividly was towards the end of a road trip when my family took 2 months to travel from L.A. to N.Y.
We travelled through 26 states (in a northward loop from CA to Yellowstone then east) and saw astonishing diversity of geography, geology, demographics, culture and economy on the way.
Our penultimate stop before New York was dc where the tour guide in congress explained the moto "e pluribus unum". In that moment the complexity and challenge of stitching together this wild diversity, the compromise and tolerance needed to build cohesion from difference became clear to me.
From a distance it feels like your country, has a huge challenge to navigate over the next few years and decisions about whether you want to try to reiterate the importance of the collective of the union or let these differences naturally settle into a more fragmented future. It will be interesting to observe.
Sometimes the illustrations from the past show the route to the compromise required for the present. In this case Jerry and to bring it back to bears ears park, I love the fact that settling on English to name the park was accepted as imperfect for each stakeholder, but the best solution for all.
We travelled through 26 states (in a northward loop from CA to Yellowstone then east) and saw astonishing diversity of geography, geology, demographics, culture and economy on the way.
Our penultimate stop before New York was dc where the tour guide in congress explained the moto "e pluribus unum". In that moment the complexity and challenge of stitching together this wild diversity, the compromise and tolerance needed to build cohesion from difference became clear to me.
From a distance it feels like your country, has a huge challenge to navigate over the next few years and decisions about whether you want to try to reiterate the importance of the collective of the union or let these differences naturally settle into a more fragmented future. It will be interesting to observe.
Sometimes the illustrations from the past show the route to the compromise required for the present. In this case Jerry and to bring it back to bears ears park, I love the fact that settling on English to name the park was accepted as imperfect for each stakeholder, but the best solution for all.
I think I could sit there for hours. Spectacular views.
YukonMontanaTannerTrapper
Explorer
nathane.....cool story.....very interesting and well said.....thanks.....
JD.....same here.....
From here we continued west on the highway but not so far west.....our next stop was at the Natural Bridges National Monument.....
This place turned out to be a huuuuuge disappointment for me.....I could hardly believe my eyes when I made my initial stop at an observation point / trailhead.....the informative sign clearly said "NO DOGS on the trails". I looked down into those incredible canyons below and could hardly believe my disappointment.....
There are three natural bridges here.....the first is named Sipapu, then Kachina, and last is Owachomo.....
There is a nine mile long loop road that runs along the rim of the canyon.....and for people like me who prefer to take their dog along (and refuse to leave them in their truck).....well, they settle for driving around the thing.....
What's ironic here is that most people are satisfied with driving this loop.....although there weren't many visitors here that day, that's what I saw and it's generally what I see in my travels.....
In some way I felt that this place was the western edges of my search for the truth.....my quest if you will.....and to stretch things a bit further I felt that I been denied that truth. I haven't seen a park ranger in ages.....I gave thought to breaking the law but it's not something I could do.....so we drove.....we saw yet we didn't feel or hear.....
Maybe the highlight (actually too strong of a word) of this short loop drive was my conversation with the park ranger (there you go.....I finally saw one). We talked about my mountain lion sighting and he said that Mule Canyon is the place to go.....
JD.....same here.....
From here we continued west on the highway but not so far west.....our next stop was at the Natural Bridges National Monument.....
This place turned out to be a huuuuuge disappointment for me.....I could hardly believe my eyes when I made my initial stop at an observation point / trailhead.....the informative sign clearly said "NO DOGS on the trails". I looked down into those incredible canyons below and could hardly believe my disappointment.....
There are three natural bridges here.....the first is named Sipapu, then Kachina, and last is Owachomo.....
There is a nine mile long loop road that runs along the rim of the canyon.....and for people like me who prefer to take their dog along (and refuse to leave them in their truck).....well, they settle for driving around the thing.....
What's ironic here is that most people are satisfied with driving this loop.....although there weren't many visitors here that day, that's what I saw and it's generally what I see in my travels.....
In some way I felt that this place was the western edges of my search for the truth.....my quest if you will.....and to stretch things a bit further I felt that I been denied that truth. I haven't seen a park ranger in ages.....I gave thought to breaking the law but it's not something I could do.....so we drove.....we saw yet we didn't feel or hear.....
Maybe the highlight (actually too strong of a word) of this short loop drive was my conversation with the park ranger (there you go.....I finally saw one). We talked about my mountain lion sighting and he said that Mule Canyon is the place to go.....
Stopped there also and because of the no dog rule drove the loop, got out and took pictures, and left. It also happened be to be rather warm that day and no chance of leaving Sarah in the truck. Our love of the National Parks is definitely dampened with their "No Dogs on the trails" rule. A combination of being 70 plus Sarah near 11 and not up for long walks just mutes the issue?
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tgil
Well-known member
Such beautiful landscapes in the desert!
I don't get to travel and see the places you do, but each time I read about dogs not being allowed on trails in our NPs, it really irritates me!
There must be a way to get this changed? Someone on this thread knows what the process is? Enlighten me. This is something I can get behind, do my part, to TRY to have changes made. I boarded Scout in Ouray just to go hike a box canyon. The hike was "ok", but rushed as I couldn't wait to get back to Scout. She was having a good time playing with other dogs, when I got back to get her.
The clouds, in the pic at the "forbidden parking spot", made me think about Yukon. I know you miss that ol' girl dearly! I miss seeing her pics!
Be safe!
Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk
I don't get to travel and see the places you do, but each time I read about dogs not being allowed on trails in our NPs, it really irritates me!
There must be a way to get this changed? Someone on this thread knows what the process is? Enlighten me. This is something I can get behind, do my part, to TRY to have changes made. I boarded Scout in Ouray just to go hike a box canyon. The hike was "ok", but rushed as I couldn't wait to get back to Scout. She was having a good time playing with other dogs, when I got back to get her.
The clouds, in the pic at the "forbidden parking spot", made me think about Yukon. I know you miss that ol' girl dearly! I miss seeing her pics!
Be safe!
Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk