Utah, Green River: Book Cliffs

[hatchcanyon]

This is about the first stretch of a tour we made in May 2013, the thread will have several parts

Tusher Canyon

or to be more precisely: Right Hand Tusher Canyon for most of the time spent.

Years ago we visited Left Hand Tusher Canyon for some pictograph panels but pictographs are not our primary interest. This time we decided for Right Hand Tusher Canyon and the road that goes up to 7,500 feet. Our maps told that it ends at a gas well. From there a pack trail continues into Nutters Hole on more than 8,500 feet.

Starting point is in Green River at the intersection of Main Street and Hastings Road on the east side of the Green River (12S 0575064 4315991). Hastings Road runs up into Gray Canyon. These days it is blocked not far away from the so called Nefertiti, a natural rock sculpture resembling Egyptian pharaoh Echnatons wife. (Distance from Green River to road end: some 18 miles)

This time we use Hastings Road for the first seven and a half miles only. After crossing Tusher Wash the intersection to Tusher Road is at 12S 0576041 4326969.

Gunnison Butte on the west side of the Green River (from Hastings Road)

Battleship Butte

Tusher Canyon Road

The Cliffs and Buttes on the west side of the Green River (from Tusher Road)

The pretty good road proceeds south east (at the beginning), circles around a hill and reaches Tusher Wash after about one and a half mile.

Some scenery besides the road

This is not Red Rock Country. It is grey and tan brown at most. Sediments near the Green River Valley are mainly Mancos and from the Mesa Verde Group.

The low lying sediments are soft but separated by some distinct harder layers separating then into several storys.

The sandstone on top is much harder

Lower Tusher Canyon

Lower Tusher Canyon is framed by the Tusher Canyon Bench on both sides. This nearly level bench rests about 600 feet above the canyon floor in the lower canyon.

Tusher Canyon Bench on both rims

Seems to be a fallen rock from Mesa Verde levels.

Mormon Tea

Purple Sage

You don't need a Jeep Wrangler to travel this road

Now we are not far away from the place where the canyon separates into Left- and Right Hand. We visited Left Hand Tusher Canyon years ago.

At 12S 0584700 4327742 we turn right (south). As usual the road seems to be something like a mining road. Our Topomaps show the road for another 14 to 15 miles ending near a gas well. After that it seems to be a pack trail up into Nutters Hole.

Mineralized Road

Not an official name: We call it Boulder Bridge

Another Jeep is coming down the road. The couple tells us there is not much change in scenery traveling farther up. They found something like a campsite where the road ends. We meet these nice people again some days later at the Westwind Gas Station in Green River.

Their report does not discourage us immediately. The map shows a Showerbath Canyon (and Spring) some miles ahead. Give it a chance!

Dry waterfalls but the white minerals show where they are in case the water runs

We are at the mouth of Showerbath Canyon and nothing has changed. We feel this is hunters territory only. It is early in the afternoon and we decide to turn around. 12 miles down the canyon there was another promising trail....

Not far away from Showerbath Canyon

 

[hatchcanyon]

Coal Canyon Bench

Second part:

This is more or less a follow tour report from our trip into Right Hand Tusher Canyon and the name Tusher Canyon Bench is not an offical one. We derived it from Coal Canyon Bench a connected close relative more to the east. The trip dates from May 2014

Start Point is 12S 0585060 4326810 at the Right Hand Tusher Canyon Road. This point is ,7 miles away from Left Hand Tusher Road intersection. Tfinding the turnoff might come a bit tricky as it is not easy to see. Once found you can't go wrong anymore. It seems to be the only trail in the area and it connects to Coal Canyon (Bench) Trail.

Our first stop was not far away from Right Hand Tusher Road:

Looking back to the fork of both Tusher Canyon arms - in the background Suluar Mesa

The trail circles around these hills. On the far side is Gunnison Valley.

Cliffs in Tusher Canyon

A nameless Mesa (as far as we know)

On both sides of the trail we found a great many of flowering plants. This is something my wife cannot resist.

Sego Lily:

Claretcup is abundant too:

There is another type of cactus, but we cannot clearly identify ist. It looks like an Hedgehog but the colors differ somewhat:

My wife and her favorite hobby at times we travel

She also found these flowers:

???

An Onion (Allium textile)

A last view back on Suluar Mesa

Cliffs on the southeastern part of the trail

Impressive structures

At 12S 0582430 4323590 we define the end of Tusher Canyon Bench and the beginning of Coal Canyon Bench due to the fact that the trail leaves Tusher Canyon but the decision is somewhat arbitrary.

 

[jgraphix73]

Beautiful shots! Thank you for sharing!

 

[gringo m]

Great pics. Thanks for sharing your experience.

 

[Willman]

Those flower shots are great! Keep up the great work!

 

[hatchcanyon]

Coal Canyon Bench

Thanks for compliments!

Here comes the third part:

My recent tour reports were from the Book Cliff area east of Green River.
- Right Hand Tusher Canyon
- Tusher Canyon Bench

This is the third part of our trip to the east.

Coal Canyon Bench​

Tusher Canyon Bench and Coal Canyon Bench are traveled by the same dirt road. We defined the transition between both benches at 12S 0582430 4323590 but this might be arbitrary. The road was in good conditions on both benches.

Just around the corner of the point mentioned is a hill from which we heard that locals call it either The Sphinx or alternatively Fat Mama. Location 12S 0583014 4323554.

Fat Mama or The Sphinx

Only some spots around the upper reaches of canyons from the right (south) we slightly more rough, but never hard to drive. One will not need a Jeep Wrangler as we had one.

To our left a ridge with sheer walls rises some 1,500 feet above the bench level. Everything is grey, tan or shades of yellow. Definitely no Red Rock Country.

Right Hand Tusher Canyon on the other side of the ridge

Definitely no red rocks!

A branch of Coal Canyon

Unfortunately we had a lot of haze over the Gunnison Valley. No clear view!

Impressive to us

Simply a layered rock. I love the color nuances.

Another impressive wall

Panoramic view

The road has a southeastern direction. At 12S 0586354 4322305 a spur to the right descends into Coal Canyon. At 12S 0586735 4322109 another one goes straight and seems to be a dead end. We didn't test it.
​

The very good road between these branches

Some flowers:

Common Globemallow (Spheralcea coccinea)

We don't know much biology (???)

Not that easy to break free from the scenery

Stub Canyon

Near Stub Canyon the Coal Canyon Bench ends at a rock corner. You can see Stub Canyon and the road to Horse Canyon

 

[peneumbra]

Very nice pictures, especially the flowers. Put a little Tabasco on those Sego Lilies, and they're quite tasty...

 

[hatchcanyon]

Thanks!

My wife is in charge for all these flower pictures.

 

[hatchcanyon]

Green River, Book Cliffs: Horse Canyon

This is the last part of our trip to the Book Cliffs east of Green River. It will us bring back onto I 70.

The other parts:
- Right Hand Tusher Canyon
- Tusher Canyon Bench
- Coal Canyon Bench

Coal Canyon Bench ends approximately at 12S 0587390 4319130 where the road winds around a cliff. Nearly a shelf road at this point. The following canyon with several branches limits the width of the road in some places but not too much to become scary. The scenery is governed by impressive grey and tan cliffs.

Between Coal Canyon bench and Horse Canyon

After a while Horse Canyon opens up. Its appearance is different from the benches to the west. It is a more or less wide open valley what might be caused by the fact that the canyon branches into serveral arms.

Wide open Horse Canyon

The road turns south and into the much narrower lower part of Horse Canyon. Eventually it reaches Gunnison Valley, the railroad tracks and old US 6.

The first mile of Lower Horse Canyon is a bit narrow but not deep

Log Cabin

What was the cabin good for?

Interesting: The wash in Horse Canyon is called Browns Wash.

Eight miles to the south is an underpass of the railroad, two miles more old US 6 , in the 1950ies the longest road in the US. Today it sinks into oblivion, is no longer maintained.

Old eastbound US 6