Backpacking Utah

“Can anyone recommend an outfitter or org. than runs backpacking trips in southern Utah? I know of the Sierra Club, but no one else. I want to go this spring or summer, and make an informed decision about the group I choose. Any input would be appreciated.”

“Why do you need someone to "run" your backpacking trip for you? I'm a native Utahn, and I'm sure there are others here who are very familiar with all the best spots in southern Utah. We'd be happy to make lots of recommendations, and let you make your OWN informed plans without paying someone your hard earned bucks to take you somewhere you can go on your own.

Of course, if you're willing to pay enough, I'LL be your outfitter. 'specially if you're female and beautiful. *grin*”

“You're incorrigible.

Steamer...if you wait till late September, I'd be your guide, I am going, with 2 friends, to Escalante Grand Staircase and Zion and Bryces. Your welcome to join us.”

“I'm going to be in S Utah around the middle of July, and I was thinking about the San Fran Mtns in AZ. Hobbit, have you ever been there? Would anybody like to go then?”

“I agree with Hobbit, plan your own trip, I frequent S. Utah a lot and it's quite easy to get all the info you need to plan a trip from the National Parks or the BLM.

Sherpa, the San Frans are really cool mountains. I backpacked there in 98. By July you might be running into water problems if it's a low snow winter.”

“Wanna go? I'm also open for other suggestions. This will be my first trip out west.”

“...since when do we accept strangers in our clique without a Counsel....”

“I'd love to but I'm blowing my whole years vacation on my honeymoon in June.

By July it's hot out here, so you either want to get high in elevation or deep into the canyons. If you want to hike a canyon - Coyote Gultch in Escalante is a good 3-day beginers canyon. For the more experienced try 5-6 days in the Paria River Gorge. But July is the begining of flash flood season so keep an eye on the weather. If you want mountains, the San Frans are good, or Fishlake National Forest, or Pine Valley Mountains, or head into NV and check out Great Basin NP or the Rubies.”

“like Stikmon said...we're planning a trip to the Grand Staircase in Sept/Oct and Coyote Gulch and the Paria Gorge were 2 of the probable places we're gonna do....so you say Coyote is more for beginners?....Which one would you recommend overall? Tell me which has the better "wow" factor since it doesn't look like we'll be back that way for awhile....thanks...”

“reptiles, thanks for the help. stratusloop, didn't mean to piss on your territory, just wanting to know if someone would like to hike with me when I'm out there this July.”

“....dude...like lighten up man....this isn't rocket science...so don't ever take anything on this board to be of a serious nature....it's all meaningless...dig it?”

“Ditto”

“you're more than welcome to join us.....like the cliche goes..."the more the merrier"....”

“Never hiked the San Frans myself. I did explore quite a bit of the Superstition Range east of Phoenix one January with a backpack. It was cool, but no-place I'd go back.”

“GWS...in our "clique" ya gotta be a bit on the quirky side....Sooooo most of the TTers would qualify.

Reptiles...what is the water situation in Coyote Gulch in Sept/Oct?”

“There is ALWAYS water in Coyote Gulch. Year round. But, the most dependable drinking water is at Jacob Hamblin arch from a seep there where the Kayenta and Navaho sandstone layers meet. As for the majority of the rest of the gulch, you can always use a bucket to settle the sediment, and pump outa your bucket. (canvas or nylon works nicely.)

Do NOT go into Coyote Gulch without talking to one of us who has done it many many times. It's a wonderful beautiful place, but it will kick your a$$ if you head in there the wrong time of year, down the wrong wash, without the right equipment/clothing. The same goes for the other more demanding canyons in So. Utah, but it's more obvious with them.”

“I almost forgot to mention the time we stumbled upon a man in Coyote Gulch who was just hanging out close to the creek and waiting for someone to happen by so they could go get help. He had a broken leg and had been lying there like that for a couple of days. Hard to believe nobody had seen him in there, but it's so. Must have been because he was so far down the creek. Another couple came across him about 100 feet before we did, and they split up, one of them staying with him while the other went out for help. A few hours later, we heard the thump of the rotor blades as a chopper landed down close to where Coyote Creek dumps into the Escalante river, and they loaded him up and hauled him away, broken leg and all. And that's all I have to say about that.”

“Thanks for the advice. Expect a conversation with Stratusloop and myself in aug and sept.
we are expecting to go last week/first week in Sept/oct.

Dude, you catch the info???”

“yeah...last I checked I'm still able to read...the mind hasn't failed me yet.....

Hobbit...thanks for the heads up....btw....did you enter the gulch via Hurricane wash? ....like stikmud said...one of us we'll toss some more detailed questions at you later....again thanks..”

“I've been into the Gulch every way that there is to go. Entered and exited almost every route. My favorite route is to go DOWN the crack, and UP at Jacob Hamblin Arch. Make sure you take a GPS with you to find the crack from the 40 mile trailhead if you go this route. It's very difficult to locate from on top. The scramble up the rock at Jacob Hamblin Arch is a bit nerve racking the first time, but it's definately better than the long hike out to Red Well, or the even worse hike up Hurricane Wash.

If you have lots of time, and prefer not to stick your necks out the first time, I'd recommend hiking in from Red Well, then explore the canyon both ways in and out all the way down to the Escalante River, then back out the way you came in. It's the least risky, and that canyon looks different when you hike it different directions. You'll notice things coming out that you never saw going in. It's about 13 miles I believe from Red Well to the Escalante, but there's no reason to haul all your gear all the way to the river if all you're doing is day hikes and exploring. A good area for a base camp is just across from Coyote natural bridge, up on a bench safe from the possiblities of flooding. I like to put my camp there for a day or two and just explore both directions with a day pack. Get a good map and do some research. Trails Illustrated has the best one I've seen to date, except their latest version no longer has marks for indian ruins and petroglyphs the way the earlier ones did. Digest all that, and when I have time I'll tell you how to best care for your feet in that canyon. Much of it you'll be hiking in water. I've pretty much tried everything in that regard.”

“Okay, here's the deal; I've hiked the gulch barefoot, in Tevas, socks with Tevas, canvas shoes, you name it I've tried it. As I mentioned last night, you'll be walking in water much of the time, but it's shallow water. Walking with wet feet, no matter if you have them protected with shoes or not, will get you some really buggar'd up feet. (first hand experience talking here) I finally tried the waterproof Vasque Sundowners, combined with some tight fitting gators. Works like a charm. In fact, I got along so well that way that I've started wearing those gators for brush, snow, marshy hikes, you name it and I've probably got my gators on. They keep the water from splashing over the tops of my shoes, and the stream is seldom deep enough to go over the tops of your boots. If you come to a deeper spot, skirt around it or step quickly and you'll still stay dry. Any waterproof full grain leather shoe combined with some decent tight fitting gators should do the trick. Works for me anyway.”

“Oops, forgot the visual aid”

“One more link for you; This is a few photos of the gulch on this site's photo gallery.”

“Just joking back with ya on Fri Stratus. Thanks for the invite. Will any of you guys be able to go in July?”

“hey Great White...Cape Hatteras is were i'll be in July.....and we've planned on being in Utah at the end of Sept, beginning of Oct...

Hobbit....thanks for the info...i've been reading, studying maps and talking with the BLM people about the area....i'm not sure if i'm up to hiking with all that water. In fact that was a concern I had when I first started learning about Coyote Gulch....the idea about using GPS...we don't expect to use it....the BLM people say that Hurricane Wash is the drier of the 2 entry ways from Hole-in-the-Rock Road...what's your experience? And your idea of base camping near the "bridge" was what I had in mind, with day hiking and exploring thereafter. There are some other places in Escalante that i'm considering such as:

Bull Valley Gorge to Paria

Lick/Park Wash to No Mans Mesa

Round Valley Draw to Hackberry Canyon

Any experience with these places?

thanks....peace”

“Maybe some other time. I'll be making the annual pilgrimage to visit the in-laws in July, so those dates are pretty much set. Hope you have fun @ Cape Hatteras. Take care. If you guys are backpacking here in the Southeast anytime, just give me a shout.”

“I have driven in the Lick Wash and Bull Valley Gorge areas. Was in early April and it had snowed. That road was very bad!! On the bright side, I only saw one vehicle parked at Lick Wash. I'd love to go hiking in this area. You're within site of Bryce's magnificent amphitheaters... but yet miles away (so to speak) in a different type of land that not many go to.

I never did get to Bull Valley Gorge. DANG!”

“Great White, I am trying to be up in your (sort of) area. Have you done anything near Pine Mountain Ga? I think I might go in May...”

“I've never done anything around Pine Mountain. Is that around Warm Springs (FDR's get away home)? If you want to do a trip in GA, Western N Carolina, just let me know. Where are you from Tango?”

“Pine Mountain is North of Columbus near the western border in central part of the state. 23 mile trail and yes, the trail crosses FDR's farm. Orlando FL area.”

“that's what I thought, I heard that was really nice there. I wouldn't go there past May though, it can get really hot and humid there. I might be interested in going, just let me know. Have you hiked any of the AT in N GA?”

“No, I was looking into Chattahoochee NF probably in the fall. I have a 17 day trip to the Utah and Wyoming in June so, I wanted to stay close to home but get the mountainous terrain. None here!”

“Let me know what you have going on. I'm in Atlanta, so I'm not too far from the Chattahoochee NF, so I could prolly go on fairly short notice. Hope you have fun on your trip in June.”

“...come join us for the trip...maybe we'll do Bull Valley Gorge just for you.....btw...the word I heard from the BLM guys about that area is it's visitation rate is really low compared to the popular Escalante area....In fact, human contact in No Mans Mesa is seldom and very infrequent..

thanks...peace”

“Thanks for all the input, Hobbits, Reptiles, other netherworldly creatures, etc. One reason I'm looking for a group, outfitter, etc., is that I'm in New York. Also, I'd like to go with others and not by myself. Yeah, it costs more and you're more dependent on others, but I'm willing to make that trade-off, to a point. A few of you mentioned recommendations; I'd be glad to hear them. Thanks-”

“Coyote Gultch is more for "newbies to canyoneering" because it's wider, shallower, has more benches for camping and escaping flooding, fairly well traveled depending on the time of year. While Paria on the other hand is a 5-6 day one way trip down though some very narrow twisted gorges with few benches for camping, more flowing water, and a lot less traveled.

There is at least one waterfall in Coyote Gultch that you will need to raise/lower your pack by rope and scramble up/down about 10-15 feet.”

“gotta get the rope, so ya'll can tie me up and beat me with a wet noodle when the moon comes up full...hhhhhooooooowwwwwwwwllllllll”

“Just got word today that I have to spend a week in Snowbird in June for our company franchisee meeting. Meeting is Tuesday through Friday, but I am planning on leaving Memphis on the Friday before and having at least 3 days for bp'ing or trout fishing. What are my options in the SLC area?”