What are good Utah hikes in the Fall --- chilly/warmish days

[tanya]

What are some of the ones you guys like to do this time of year and why? Does anyone go to Bryce ---- while its cool and the snow has not hit yet? What about the GSENM? :fishing:

[Mtnbiker]

Wow I am in LOVE with that picture. I think it's the blue in the sky and way the cloud streaks mingle with the branches. That is sweet! :2thumbs:

The Swell in the fall is breath taking to me. Watching the sun come up in the desert over the reef is really something. Can't wait to go there this week :) Oh yeah and american fork Canyon ain't too bad this time of year either.

[tanya]

Some day I will go and see this Swell you guys talk about.

You would think with a birdseye view of Zion National Park I would be taking pictures of something besides a dead tree and clouds, but I thought it looked cool too. :cool2:

[Sombeech]

Cool pic. I think it may be an image bar candidate. :nod:

[TreeHugger]

I LOVE Zion in the fall. We go every year, either in October or November. Great temps, no crowds. Last time we went at Thanksgiving, it was 70-72 and perfect during the day, 40 at night.

[stefan]

i think cedar mesa is quite nice this time of year, especially with the cottonwoods changing colors. just LOVE that groovy colorful sandstone.

the roost is quite nice too with all the cottonwoods, though a bit of a hike in, unless you're doing slots (upper tribs).

the needles is ALWAYS cool when it's not terribly hot

have you done yellow rock yet tanya? i know we talked about it earlier this year.

pretty much all of southern utah ROCKS in the fall. though a fair bit of escalante (one of the best places EVER) is inaccessible at the moment due to the floods, as well as numerous other areas it sounds.

how is the cottonwood wash road currently fairing? i imagine that got washed out in a number of places.

[tanya]

I LOVE Zion in the fall. We go every year, either in October or November. Great temps, no crowds. Last time we went at Thanksgiving, it was 70-72 and perfect during the day, 40 at night.


Those shots are outstanding. :2thumbs: I love the colors! I agree Zion is wonderful in the Fall. But what if you had done most of the hikes and are looking for something new and off the beaten track. Any ideas?

[tanya]

i think cedar mesa is quite nice this time of year, especially with the cottonwoods changing colors. just LOVE that groovy colorful sandstone.

the roost is quite nice too with all the cottonwoods, though a bit of a hike in, unless you're doing slots (upper tribs).

the needles is ALWAYS cool when it's not terribly hot

have you done yellow rock yet tanya? i know we talked about it earlier this year.

pretty much all of southern utah ROCKS in the fall. though a fair bit of escalante (one of the best places EVER) is inaccessible at the moment due to the floods, as well as numerous other areas it sounds.

how is the cottonwood wash road currently fairing? i imagine that got washed out in a number of places.

I have not! I went out looking for White Pocket last weekend and went swimming in the land rover instead. I kept running into Yellow Rock in the books when trying to find something on White Pocket. Is it something worth checking out?

No idea on the road.

[stefan]

I have not! I went out looking for White Pocket last weekend and went swimming in the land rover instead. I kept running into Yellow Rock in the books when trying to find something on White Pocket. Is it something worth checking out?

so yellow rock is not as expansive an area as the coyote buttes or white pocket. BUT it's got a short vigorous hike upto a very nice area with great views.

the route starts in the western side canyon of cottonwood canyon immediately downstream from hackberry. so when you climb up, i recommend that initially you walk to the edge of hackberry and follow it up to the highpoint. then walk the spine up to the peak of yellowrock. from here you have expansive views in all directions. if you then walk a little ways further to the south, yellow rock dives dramatically downward in a fantastically steep slope with swirling colors. you can walk down this slope along some angle you feel comfortable. it's easy to kill some time checking out different views from above or below.

during sunset the rock glows dramatically.

the vein of this rock continues along this spine of the cockscomb and you *could* make a long day trip out of it with a loop. but it's good enough to just check out yellow rock itself. you could easily do cottonwood wash narrows with it, or possibly round valley draw (if started early enough).

henk's suggestion might be to drive up on the east side of the cockscomb, but i am curious if any of these roads are in decent condition right now.

[tanya]

Hmmm..... I just might head out there this weekend before the roads get too bad! Thanks Stefan :cheers:

[tanya]

Wow I am in LOVE with that picture. I think it's the blue in the sky and way the cloud streaks mingle with the branches. That is sweet! :2thumbs:


Here is another blue Zion sky. The clouds are not as nice as the Checkerboard Summit shot but I like it. The photo is from a Many Pools hike in ZNP today. All that rain (and waterfalls) perished, replaced by clear, gentle pools.