My Journey

[YukonMontanaTannerTrapper]

wyowandering.....yep I agree.....only once in my days of wandering in the wilderness have I ever seen such a high volume of hunters (northern Utah was the other) in one location. There was non stop traffic on the forest service roads nearest the river (not near so bad beyond). The field biologist that I mentioned previously told me that there's a real problem now with hunters driving around in their vehicles and shooting from their trucks.....interestingly she also mentioned that it's typically other hunters that turn in the scoundrels.....

Mayor Mike.....welcome to our world.....lots of good people here.....



Our next stop would be in Bluff, Utah as I wanted to get some local knowledge about the places to go to see more of the Ancient Ones world. So I pulled into the visitors center where I was able to snag a map and get a recommendation of where to go.....



As I passed through town I noticed a building with a sign that said Bears Ears Foundation so of course I pulled in.....I spoke with a woman there that was a thirty year resident of Bluff, Utah. I asked her where were the secret places that most people don't go to.....and she said that she never tells.....and I was actually pleased with that response.....just think of all the knuckleheads like me that ask the same question.....



With our new map in hand we drove south out of Bluff, Utah and just a few miles outside of town we stopped at the Sand Island Petroglyphs.....



This rock wall & the petroglyphs were easily accessible by car.....









I watched cars pull up here, some people didn't bother to get out of their cars, others did a quick jump out & snapped a few pictures.....while I lingered here.....it was interesting for me to see how I was becoming entrapped into this world.....

 

[YukonMontanaTannerTrapper]

I took way too many pictures.....





.....and I would imagine that I lingered here way too long as well.....







Eventually we moved on.....we continued south along the highway and utilizing our newly acquired map.....it took us to the Lower Butler Wash.....



We had finally arrived at Cedar Mesa and the Bears Ears National Monument.....





Another day was passing us by.....



.....and we were grateful to have finally made it back here.....

 

[pkripper]

I could spend a month in that area hiking and exploring. Can't wait to get back!! Safe travels.

 

[YukonMontanaTannerTrapper]

pkripper.....it's a special place for sure.....



Last night I was standing on a rock ledge at Moki Point overlooking The Valley of the Gods.....several thousand maybe more feet below.....I watched the sunset and as it disappeared into the horizon I watched thousands of stars as they magically appeared for three hundred & sixty degrees into my night sky.....I was in total awe of the beauties of this world......the silence here was overwhelming.....



Then my world of total silence was interrupted by the sound of a text message received.....it was one of my sons and this is what he said...."what would you think about going to Everest ? Maybe not a summit but training over the next two years to visit and climb up it ? We can train, keep each other accountable, meet the goal together".....



I've always wondered if his love of the mountains persisted over the years as he too, much like me, stayed busy with family & work.....



The thought of one last trip to an old man is certainly intriguing.....dusting off the pack which now hangs on the wall in my old Montana barn.....



Last night I fell asleep thinking about the days of the past.....





Here in southeast Utah I do love exploring this place.....but the truth is that I constantly find myself looking at the surrounding peaks.....Navajo Mountain sits in the distance.....a sacred mountain that the Navajo Nation forbids one to climb.....





This morning I sit here with my two best friends and a hot mug of black coffee.....warm but not totally content.....



.....thinking that I need to pursue a son's dream.....I'll need to return to Montana to my little cabin and hire a physical therapist to help me heal this persistent muscle pull.....and then maybe return to snow covered Montana peaks in the spring.....and get on with some real training.....

 

[tgil]

Before I get to your last post, the one before it stirred my envy again! I wish I had the opportunity to be concerned about "lingering too long". Unfortunately, with my current way of life, I blast out of here to a destination and try to cram as much as I can into about 4 or 5 days, only to turn around and rush back home so I can get back to work and start dreaming about the next rushed trip. I took a solo trip, back in October, to fish some "new to me water", in the Texas Hill Country. Just me and Scout, no real plan except to see some rivers we never had. It was the closest I think I've ever come to experiencing just a hint of your way of life. I LOVED IT! Yeah, I know know you hate fishing!
On to your last post, what a great text to get! My only kid is 18, and making her own choices. I hope some day, to get a similar invite to share the things we loved so much when she was younger!

Mayor Mike, welcome to the adventure!

 

[ITTOG]

Wow, what a wonderful text to receive from one of your children! I tried to get my son to go with me for the Teton's backpacking trip but that just isn't his thing. Whatever you decide, I hope it works for you and makes you content.

PS I am very envious of all those patches on your backpack. I am sure a lot of wonderful memories.

 

[ghostdancer]

My wife and I spent some time this fall in Southeast Utah, absolutely love it there. We stayed in Monticello and wanted to visit Bears Ears and Natural Bridges. SR 95 out of Blanding was closed due to bridge damage so we drove south through Bluff and up the Moki Dugway. Really glad that bridge was out.[/QUOTE]

 

[blanketslayer]

What an awesome text to receive from your son and at that moment. I'd be ecstatic. Not sure any of my 3 will have my same drive for that sort of thing, but can always hope.

 

[YukonMontanaTannerTrapper]

tgil.....I was thinking this morning how the words "blast" & "rush" are pretty much not a part of my vocabulary.....maybe something like this....."the dogs blasted out of the camper in their rush to hike & play".....hmmmm.....I guess that doesn't include me. And yea, it was a welcomed message.....

ITTOG.....my other son is just like yours.....he thinks it's all nonsense. Regarding patches & I'll add stickers (scars & tattoos too) I love them all even though the real overlanders (at least in their minds) on this site think they're rubbish. They've opened the door to so many conversations during my travels.....people comment on them often (positively).....and I like that actually.....

ghostdancer.....I just drove The Moki Dugway last night on my way to The Valley of the Gods.....

blanketslayer.....Forrest Gumps momma said it best....."My mama always said, life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get." .....



Our first visit to a rock art panel and a ruin came by chance as I had noticed a stone cairn on the rim of the canyon wall nearby our campsite. I wondered why it was there.....



As I peered over the ledge I could see a definite way down so off we went.....



It was rough going for most of the way.....



I was well aware that The Wolfman Panel was located in the direction that we were headed but it didn't occur to me that it could be accessed from this direction.....the first thing that caught my eye after about a mile hike were small ruins along a rocky cliff.....



We were able to get fairly close to the ruins but access was denied by the steep cliffs (with 2 dogs I try not to take unneeded chances).....





At that point I still did not understand that this was a part of The Wolfman Panel but when I turned my attention one hundred and eighty degrees I saw the panel on the smooth rock wall above us.....



Lots of cool rock art here.....





.....and this was just the beginning of eight fulfilling days exploring the Lower Butler Wash.....

 

[YukonMontanaTannerTrapper]

The next ruin that we visited was named Split Level Ruins.....located at Milepost 9.8. For access to every ruin in this wash, one parks on the east side of Butler Wash and then hikes in a westerly direction down into said wash.....



.....then up and out continuing west into one of the many smaller canyons that drain into Butler Wash.....these smallish pools of clear water were seen often and obviously were welcomed by the pups.....



We continued up into the canyon.....



.....and it was absolutely amazing the things that we got to see.....





Incredible rock art.....





.....as well as incredible ruins....



.....and often incredible views of the multi colored stone walls.....

 

[YukonMontanaTannerTrapper]

From there we headed to Fishmouth Cave.....at Milepost 13.0.....this was the furthest that we drove from our campsite to access any of these ruins.....often route finding was difficult as nothing is marked here.....random trails left by lost hikers seem to be everywhere.....obviously not the case right here.....



Access to this one was not up another canyon but here we hiked up slick rocks instead.....





It was easy to see Fishmouth Cave in the distance.....funny thing was that the cave had nothing to do with the ruins.....







Originally I had not planned an eight day stay here so I was trying to knock these off my to do list as quickly as possible.....





I was thoroughly enjoying myself as were the dogs so we went without our lunch and continued on our quest.....with two visited so far that day.....we decided to go for a third.....

 

[jgaz]

The next ruin that we visited was named Split Level Ruins.....located at Milepost 9.8. For access to every ruin in this wash, one parks on the east side of Butler Wash and then hikes in a westerly direction down into said wash.....

Sir, Is this the same Split Level Ruin that you refer to above?

I know many of the sites in the area have several names and I could be mistaken about what I thought this one was called.
I just wasn’t aware that the site I pictured above was able to be accessed in the way that you wrote about.
Time to get out my maps and notes.

 

[Sierra Valley]

I watched 14 Peaks on Netflix last night and it was a great documentry on the climber Nimsdai Purja and his quest to do all 14 8000 meter peaks in 7 monts. Quite an accomplisment for him and his Nepal team.

Had thinking what is the tallest mountain you have summited?

 

[YukonMontanaTannerTrapper]

jgaz.....well, I don't know. I thought I knew what I was talking about. If I'm wrong it's not my fault.....my odometer being broken was a major pain for me. There's tons of side roads off the main road that parallels the wash & there are no signs so it sure wasn't easy finding anything actually.....

Sierra Valley.....climbing the biggest mountains was never really my thing.....I just enjoy being out there hiking & climbing stuff and I prefer lesser known mountains (or unnamed) over well known mountains. The tallest mountain that I attempted was Aconcaqua at 22,837'. I've already asked my son to reconsider the Everest treking / climbing idea and I sent him several links to a place that I think would be far superior. Mustang Valley in Nepal is where I'd really like to go to explore & climb. I was right on the fringes of Mustang Valley on my last trip to Nepal when I treked the Annapurna Circuit. Nirmal Purja.....he's just an amazing human being & I've heard that his film is sensational.....and now.....I just can't get this stuff off my mind.....






Our last hike of the day was to the Monarch Cave Ruins at Mile Post 6.9.....







The Monarch Cave Ruins were possibly the best overall representation of the Anasazi way of life that I saw in the Lower Butler Wash.....there's a little bit of everything here to see.....





I think this may have been the only ruin that had these corn grinding pits.....there were quite a few of them here.....



What a fantastic way to spend a day up in the mountains.....we all three slept like logs that night.....it was a very, very long day.....

 

[YukonMontanaTannerTrapper]

A few days later we were back out.....next up for us were the Double Stack Ruins at Mile Post 4.0.....









I'd say that at this point in our exploration that these sites were beginning to look the same (maybe that's why I'm having so much trouble identifying each one ?).....







Amazing that these logs have survived here for hundreds of years.....





Also hard to believe that the Jeep continues to get us to all these sites.....that damn thing just keeps on going.....