My Journey

[YukonMontanaTannerTrapper]

tgil.....he finds the cattle interesting to look at but doesn't have much interest.....

fisher205.....you're probably correct about that. The interesting thing is that the prints were not there initially and 5 hours later they were. I never saw anyone else in that area that day so I made the assumption. It is more than reasonable to think that someone came there with their big mutt and hiked a much smaller section than we did.....

VanWaLife.....I agree completely.....I've been trying to convince myself to do a night in the tent for a few weeks now but I never do. The comfort of the truck camper is tough to give up.....and like you just said "Brrrrr".....

ripper1600.....thank you.....you could easily explore here for the rest of your life.....it's just incredible how much there is to see. Two days ago I planned to drive the length of Cottonwood Canyon Road (I think it was about 40 miles).....I only made it half way.....stopped three times.....could have stopped a thousand.....

Ace.....yep.....

JD.....yep.....




The next area within walking distance of our camp were the brown & beige cliffs to the south of Butte 5220.....more places with no names on a map (I think).....we hiked northward up a partially iced over dirt road for maybe 3 to 4 miles.....



Then we hiked west and cut across the open range where we watched a herd of maybe 20 antelope graze.....then continued on to explore the base of those cliffs.....





These stone cliffs went on for miles & miles.....this place reminded me of what we saw at the Valley of the Gods.....here it is nearly as stunning but here there are zero people and no well known road that brings the crowds.....just a lonely single track dirt road to hike along.....





Once we reached the base of the cliffs we began to really explore.....we went into each and every canyon, we crawled over & under boulder piles, we climbed up & down hillsides comprised of loose scree.....looking for anything interesting to see, or feel or hear.....my senses are always heightened in these types of places.....





Number one on my list is to see is a mountain lion.....I've never seen one in its entirety while I'm on foot.....it's a dream of mine.....we saw none.....





But honestly just being out there is enough for me.....

 

[YukonMontanaTannerTrapper]

It was this section of the rock cliffs that drew me to this area.....from several miles away they appeared to be Roman temples or something of that sort.....





But once I got closer they looked nothing of the sort.....





Deep into those cliffs we found the places where the water from the plateau above congregated and fell below in waterfalls.....now dry it was interesting to see that game loves to hang out in these confined areas.....the signs were thick.....





We hiked for the better part of the day along those cliffs.....as you can see in the pictures the sky was just perfect yet it was very, very cold (as I remember it anyhow).....





The Native Americans have lived and hunted here for centuries and they say that in these mountains live spirits.....I have no reason to doubt them.....just the opposite actually.....



The rocks told me so.....

 

[Mekcanix]

Amazing! Well I can tell you that Utah has jumped to the top of my must explore list once we can freely move again.

 

[tgil]

One of the pics you posted yesterday morning (rock had holes and depressions) made me think of Valley of Fire SP, outside Vegas.
It's amazing what wind and erosion can do!
Lighting doesn't do this justice. Hundreds, maybe thousands of holes here.

Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk

 

[Ace Brown]

Jerry backtracking a few days....we were on the same road. Different maps have different names. But it’s the same road I have driven up or down many times over the years. There are few roads in GSENM that haven’t set wheels upon. It’s one of my favorite spots to explore in Utah.

In your last set of photos you caught a hammerhead shark way out there in the dry desert. Neat photo!

Alan


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[longhorn1]

Those rock formations and walls are amazing. They really need to be seen in person to be able to appreciate their true beauty.

 

[YukonMontanaTannerTrapper]

mekcanix.....good move.....the possibilities are limitless.....

tgil.....I've never been there but I need to go.....

Alan.....thanks.....I liked the last 2 pictures a lot.....

JD.....yea, they're amazing alright.....it's difficult to express how enjoyable these days are right now yet at times I feel guilty with all the people that are struggling to put food on the table or that are burying their loved ones. Never before have I been so removed from society and now my days are spent marveling at features such as these.....




On another day Tanner & I took a walk down the same single track dirt road but rather than turn west this time, we turned to the east.....and turning to the east took us down a wash.....or is it a ravine.....or maybe a canyon ? I struggle to know the difference.....much like walking, hiking, or climbing.....



A Raven watched us descend and was cawing as they do.....they're quite beautiful in a place such as this.....





The skies were mixed that day.....I remember that day well.....more rain & sleet was in our forecast for the afternoon into the night.....





I find it intriguing to walk into these "canyons" when you have no idea where you are going nor do you have any idea if you'll find an exit point further down.....and this makes it all the more exciting.....





This canyon had no name, much like the butte that we climbed & the stone cliffs that we explored.....just a random canyon that we chose to walk down.....





More & more I seem to be finding the enjoyment in the places that have no names, no trailheads, no significance.....

 

[YukonMontanaTannerTrapper]

Sometimes while we're descending into the canyons we'll see interesting rock formations and then it's time to climb.....



And once we begin to climb these features we find the places where the small animals reside.....or it might be an interesting arch.....too small to have achieved a formal name.....still outstanding.....



The color of this common bush caught my attention.....living red in a brown & beige world.....



Eventually this canyon would connect with a larger canyon and it was unfortunate to encounter tire tracks in the sand.....I'm often dreaming that I'm the first man to walk here.....but that unfortunately is nonsense.....





And that was the point where we found our escape out.....just something about hiking across tire tracks in a wild canyon that ruins the appeal.....





We made it back to the camper maybe 10 minutes before the skies let loose with sleet & rain.....maybe I should be thankful for those tire tracks.....

 

[YukonMontanaTannerTrapper]

Sometime around the beginning of December I had told myself that I needed to slow down on my daily walks / hikes / climbs. Last year I did 5,000 miles and I swore never again. This year I will exceed last years totals and that's not necessarily a good thing.....but slowing down is not an easy thing to do.....

So on our last day camped here along the Cottonwood Canyon Road I gave thought to hanging out at camp all day and resting up my persistently sore legs but when I saw the sky that day we were right back at it.....the rain & sleet had moved on.....and Tanner.....well, he's always ready for some trouble.....



I had mentioned previously that when Tanner & I had climbed Butte 5220 last time that I had forgot to get my summit shots and so it was that Tanner & I headed back up that butte that day for one last climb.....



This day was much like the last time we climbed it.....although it was much later in the day when we started our ascent.....



The views from up there were majical that day.....and I gave thought to watching the sunset from the top of that butte but I had no headlamp to assist in the downclimb so that really was not an option......even once we were down we still had a 2 mile hike back to camp. The setting sun cast a shadow over the open range to the north and it almost made the ravines look like raised rows of consistent rock shelves as opposed to the deep ravines that were actually there.....



We hung out on that plateau for quite sometime that late afternoon. We looked for the mountain lion in the mountains fractured surface & we walked along the entire perimeter of the butte taking it all in.....and eventually we did indeed take those summit shots before heading back down.....





Once at the buttes base there was still a little sun left in the sky so we hiked around the remaining portion of the butte and began taking pictures of that days sensational sky.....

 

[YukonMontanaTannerTrapper]

It was one of those days you wished never came to an end.....







The air was cold that day as it always is now.....but the air is crisper & cleaner at this time of year and I swear I can even feel it in my blood.....I felt good while camped here.....





There was no lonlieness here.....but the solitude I found was outstanding.....





I needed to make a decision that night.....go south where it's warm or to continue north up Cottonwood Canyon Road.....the following morning we drove north.....

 

[jgaz]

Sometime around the beginning of December I had told myself that I needed to slow down on my daily walks / hikes / climbs. Last year I did 5,000 miles and I swore never again. This year I will exceed last years totals and that's not necessarily a good thing.....but slowing down is not an easy thing to do.....

So on our last day camped here along the Cottonwood Canyon Road I gave thought to hanging out at camp all day and resting up my persistently sore legs but when I saw the sky that day we were right back at it.....the rain & sleet had moved on.....and Tanner.....well, he's always ready for some trouble.....

View attachment 631971

I had mentioned previously that when Tanner & I had climbed Butte 5220 last time that I had forgot to get my summit shots and so it was that Tanner & I headed back up that butte that day for one last climb.....

View attachment 631972

This day was much like the last time we climbed it.....although it was much later in the day when we started our ascent.....

View attachment 631974

The views from up there were majical that day.....and I gave thought to watching the sunset from the top of that butte but I had no headlamp to assist in the downclimb so that really was not an option......even once we were down we still had a 2 mile hike back to camp. The setting sun cast a shadow over the open range to the north and it almost made the ravines look like raised rows of consistent rock shelves as opposed to the deep ravines that were actually there.....

View attachment 631975

We hung out on that plateau for quite sometime that late afternoon. We looked for the mountain lion in the mountains fractured surface & we walked along the entire perimeter of the butte taking it all in.....and eventually we did indeed take those summit shots before heading back down.....

View attachment 631977

View attachment 631976

Once at the buttes base there was still a little sun left in the sky so we hiked around the remaining portion of the butte and began taking pictures of that days sensational sky.....

View attachment 631978

View attachment 631979

View attachment 631982

That first picture of Tanner is priceless!
Thank you for posting these

 

[ITTOG]

View attachment 631971

That is cool. Any idea how wide those pedestals were from the side? Doesn't look like much holding that rock up.

I can't believe you went north. Heck, I have been shocked you have stayed in the cold as long as you have. Change is good.

 

[YukonMontanaTannerTrapper]

jgaz.....glad you liked it.....I did too.....

ITTOG.....I don't recall but the first picture posted today is the same fascinating rock formation taken from the opposite side.....stuff like that is remarkable with or without a dog.....

Everyday is a challenge when it's cold. We've now had 3 nights with no heat.....last one.....37 degrees inside the camper & 15 degrees outside when I awoke that morning. I've loved the solitude and the mountains so much here, that any challenges that we've faced have been rewarded a thousand times over.....






Driving Cottonwood Canyon Road through Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument is 46 miles of nothing but stunning scenery.....



I found myself looking to the left, and then to the right the entire drive.....the movements of my eyes were as constant as was the beautiful scenery that I passed by on either side of the roadway. My plan for that day had been to drive to Escalante, Utah to get a hiking permit but of course we never made it to Escalante, Utah that day.....



Our first stop of the day was at what appeared to be a cave in a canyon wall which I just happened to spot as we were driving along. To get there.....

.....it took some hiking.....



.....and then it took some canyoneering.....





.....and then it even took a little rock climbing as it was about 75 feet above the canyon floor.....



It turned out not to be a cave.....





.....and you know what.....we really didn't care.....

 

[longhorn1]

Pictures of Tanner are priceless. Love the sun shot and the last one. We can never get enough photos of our dogs. As always the land never gets old.

 

[tgil]

"It turned out not be a cave...and you know what, we really didn't care"

I can see why! Adventure after adventure, it seems like suffering through the cold nights is worth it!
Tanner is a model hound, in multiple ways! Such a handsome fella!