Spring Break 2016
We wanted to packraft - but the Dirty Devil flow kept dropping. The word is that anything less than 150 cfs lends to boat dragging.
So @ 10 PM on a Thursday night we called an audible and decided to hike a little known trail from Burr Point down to the Dirty Devil river to explore some side canyons. Dani (above) @ Burr Point overlooking the river.
We stopped in Hanksville to pick up some topo maps - and traced the route that we remembered from the WWW. Our memories were poor - because we spent the day wandering around the slick rock playground trying to find a way down to the river.
So we set up a camp w/ a good view.
and tried to stake out our new "no poles required" tent in one inch of sand.
Somehow the wind always blows when you camp in the desert - but we made it through the night for an incredible sunrise and blizzard.
Snow dumped for about 30 minutes and then the sun came back out.
Me (below) above the great alcove. Very close to the trail in the x-y plane, but very far in the z.
The real trail traverses under the large cliff band. Now we know the exit track for our future river trip.
After getting shut down by the Burr Point trail - we took off down the BLM roads to explore a potential side canyon of the Dirty Devil called "Beaver Wash".
"Beaver Wash" was a complete bust - it was the poopiest parcel of earth that exists do to extensive cattle ranching. It also is completely full of tumbleweeds because it was a very dry wash. We decided that even if we hiked far enough to find water that we probably didn't want to drink it.
So we bailed up into the desert country to make a beeline back to the car. On our way back we found this dead cow carcass, which symbolizes our time in "Beaver Wash".
At this point we had no plans at all - but the afternoon was still young. We started driving and decided to hang a left to head towards our favorite National Park, Capitol Reef.
10 miles down the Notom Rd - we found "Sheets Gulch" and decided to give it a shot.
We love "Sheets Gulch" and Capitol Reef!
Dani teaches middle school science and loves igneous intrusions into sedimentary rock.
We loved this rock formation too - but how this happens is not covered in the 7th grade curriculum.
Sheets started as a dry stream bed in open desert. After 5-6 miles you're enclosed in soaring Navajo sandstone.
Sometimes things don't go according to plan and it's better that way.
