Grand Staircase-Escalante: Yellow Rock

[tanya]

We did it.....







-----------but don't ever go in December without neoprene socks!!!!!!!!!!!


We crossed the river near the end of the hike..... and it was so COLD! Not COLD actually ---- FrEeZzInG!!!!! :frustrated: :frustrated:

The only thing worse was having to do it over and over again!!!! We rolled up our pants to try and keep them dry, which did not work since the water was so deep in places.

We are even all cut up from the ice...... You would have to do this to understand! I mean this hurt!!! It was all shady too, not a drop of sunlight to warm us!

:sad: :shock: :bash: :cry: :ahhh: :dropmouth: :help: :eek7: :eek1: :cry1: :cold: :wallbash: :scared: :chairshot: :angryfire:

But we still had fun :five: --- oh my aching legs! :cripple:

Photos and trail report to come.

[Scott P]

-----------but don't ever go in December without neoprene socks!!!!!!!!!!!

We crossed it several times (at least a dozen) on a February trip while doing the Hogey/Sam Pollock/Hackberry loop then up the Box. Water can be a bit chilly. :cool2:

[DiscGo]

I was going to go this week but I bought a car instead. I would love to see some pictures if you have them.

[R]

Yes, I would also definitely like to see pictures. -R

[tanya]

-----------but don't ever go in December without neoprene socks!!!!!!!!!!!

We crossed it several times (at least a dozen) on a February trip while doing the Hogey/Sam Pollock/Hackberry loop then up the Box. Water can be a bit chilly. :cool2:

Scott!!!! Please tell me you had neoprene socks!!!!! :popcorn: If not, you are my idol! :hail2thechief: :hail2thechief: :hail2thechief: I always pack those in the winter, but its been so warm I am not in winter mode yet. :snowguy: It was brittle cold up there on that hike. My body was toasty, due to all those high tech underwear gadgets, but when I touched my face, which was chilly, I could tell the temperature was not all that warm anymore!

Do you have a write up of your hike? :fishing: I have done Hackberry, but not as a loop. I would love to read it --- But I am avoiding water until its warm again. :cold: I love walking down streams like Hackberry, but for me doing them in the winter takes the joy out of them.

[tanya]

I was going to go this week but I bought a car instead. I would love to see some pictures if you have them.

Bring ... LONG... THICK neoprene socks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :2thumbs:

Bo will have a good map and trail report written up soon. I have not found the hike in Kelseys book yet....... maybe Bo has my copy? But anyway there is suppose to be some Cache hidden in a canyon down at the Paria --- we did not find it, but gave up searching in canyons and figured it was one of the last ones we came upon. I would love to see what's in that box and read Kelseys story of it. Do you have his trail report? Does anyone have a trail report of their own?

I always have pictures :mrgreen:

[tanya]

Yes, I would also definitely like to see pictures. -R

Pictures! :2thumbs:

I should have time to complete a photo album of the hike today and will post a few more.

See that ice in the Paria! COLD!!!!! :cold: :cold: :cold: :cold: :cold: :cold: :cold:

[Sombeech]

Brrrrr, looks freakin cold!

[tanya]

Brrrrr, looks freakin cold!


Want to go wading with me? There is nothing like a nice, brisk toe dip in the Paria :lol8:

[greyhair biker]

That area looks just like up here from Sheepcreek Canyon(south of Manila) north to Devils Playground all along Flaming Gorge...rock and all, exept for the severe lack of moisture here and the fact that it's 0 to -18 right now down there with a 15MPH wind...no safe hiking for me!

[tanya]

That area looks just like up here from Sheepcreek Canyon(south of Manila) north to Devils Playground all along Flaming Gorge...rock and all, exept for the severe lack of moisture here and the fact that it's 0 to -18 right now down there with a 15MPH wind...no safe hiking for me!

I would have enjoyed a lack of moisture on Sunday :haha:

My Yellow Rock Album

http://www.zionnational-park.com/images/album2/index32.htm

--- We are just writing the hike to Yellow Rock and back rather than the loop we did. We are going to do a different one that involves this arch and maybe an exit at the canyon with the hidden cache. This Red Dome can be seen from Yellow Rock, but we hiked over near it. The Arch was at the end of the wash the map we followed led us to. We had to find an alternate exit though.

[Win]

Nice, Tanya, thanks. Sorry you had to freeze to get these great pictures. I love it out there and can't wait to get back in the Spring.

Win

[tanya]

Nice, Tanya, thanks. Sorry you had to freeze to get these great pictures. I love it out there and can't wait to get back in the Spring.

Win

Those kinds of hikes always end up being my favorite. I guess I like torture or something. :ne_nau: :haha:

The weather is suppose to be good this week --- no snow! The Staircase is still open to explore! :popcorn:

[greyhair biker]

I am not kidding - this area looks EXACTLY like the slickrock area north of Vernal...amazing stuff! I drool everytime I drive past it :haha:

[tanya]

I am not kidding - this area looks EXACTLY like the slickrock area north of Vernal...amazing stuff! I drool everytime I drive past it :haha:


Slickrock bike looking country ... but I don't think Bikes are allowed on these trails :lol8: Have to do them on foot.

[greyhair biker]

what I actually meant was Entrada and Navajo sandstone formations...only hikeable stuff...lots of vertical, lots of arches, only a little bit accessible via bike. From the Simplot Phosphates mining area down the south slope of the uintahs down to where Red Fleet State Park starts & then running east & west from Jones Hole/Dinosaur Natnl Mon area west into the Uintah Range( geological formations have always been a fascination with me) Also the Drive through the Ages goelogical loop runs this area from Manila UT south to Vernal...awesome area

[Scott P]

Right on Greyhaired biker! Vernal does have lots of the same geologic formations as farther south yet gets ignored. Anyway, you poked much around the Red Desert of Wyoming? I assume there must be some slot canyons in the area, but haven't had the time to poke around.

[tanya]

what I actually meant was Entrada and Navajo sandstone formations...only hikeable stuff...lots of vertical, lots of arches, only a little bit accessible via bike. From the Simplot Phosphates mining area down the south slope of the uintahs down to where Red Fleet State Park starts & then running east & west from Jones Hole/Dinosaur Natnl Mon area west into the Uintah Range( geological formations have always been a fascination with me) Also the Drive through the Ages goelogical loop runs this area from Manila UT south to Vernal...awesome area

Am I lost and confused. :lol8: It happens often.

I have no doubt you bike guys could easily do these trails, but I am not sure sure bikes are allowed-- is what I was thinking. The terrain looks similar to the bike shots you guys put up? On Cannan where you mentioned riding bikes before ATVs go, but its Wildnerss Study and they are not suppose to go there. As for the GSENM I have no clue? I know ATVs are not allowed on the trails, but I have never heard about mountain bikes one way or the other --- which means I assume they are not allowed on hiking trails. Scott? Shane? Anyone know? If they were you guys would have a ball! There are many trails in the GSENM that are open to mountains bikes and ATVs though --- just not the ones I posted. Anyone ever biked out there??

[greyhair biker]

Right on Greyhaired biker! Vernal does have lots of the same geologic formations as farther south yet gets ignored. Anyway, you poked much around the Red Desert of Wyoming? I assume there must be some slot canyons in the area, but haven't had the time to poke around.
Red Desert area is VAST! and largely open to any kind of travel but I havent had time to explore it much either..by explore I mean on foot or bike. It's too remote to risk being out in it without letting someone know where you intend on going, since there is rarely anyone out there. A jeep buddy of mine says there is an area just north of RockSprings that has lots of 'low altitude' canyons and crevasses that the indians used to use to corral the wild horses that are still living in the area but I have yet to explore them.
...as for Vernal, what an awesome area to explore! Someone from Vernal Geocachers has put dozens of caches out in the north area up in the sandstone & arches area that I have put an earmark on to find and explore next spring...SO EXCITED! :2thumbs:

[stefan]

Red Desert area is VAST! and largely open to any kind of travel but I havent had time to explore it much either..by explore I mean on foot or bike. It's too remote to risk being out in it without letting someone know where you intend on going, since there is rarely anyone out there. A jeep buddy of mine says there is an area just north of RockSprings that has lots of 'low altitude' canyons and crevasses that the indians used to use to corral the wild horses that are still living in the area but I have yet to explore them.
...as for Vernal, what an awesome area to explore! Someone from Vernal Geocachers has put dozens of caches out in the north area up in the sandstone & arches area that I have put an earmark on to find and explore next spring...SO EXCITED! :2thumbs:


certainly looking forward to any photos you will post on the areas you mention. sounds great. how long does it take for you to get there?


you're in rock springs right? man, rock springs-green river are pretty tough towns. some rowdy folks there .... once, unbeknownst to me at the time, i narrowly averted (by 15 minutes) a (small) bar room brawl there after the rehersal dinner of a good buddy of mine (as 3 of us left to get some food). the stories i heard the following day, including the interaction with the local police, were a li'l bit unnerving, to say the least. it was clear that, although some of us were locals from rock springs, the majority of us were "outsiders" in the old wild west sort of sense. wild stuff.

[greyhair biker]

AH, the barscene...that aint nothin man...you live here a while and you see EVERYTHING. I work with guys that go to the bars on the weekend JUST so they can fight. Barefisted competition is big up here too, but it's not for me! As for RockSprings, it's still a dangerous town if your not careful where you go, and even some mafia & gang action going on. I personally know several of the mafia families and that is as far as I will go on that one(IM not involved)
...luckily, I live in Green River, a much quieter town,comparatively speaking :haha:

[greyhair biker]

Tanya, we dont do wilderness riding, in fact the first thing I usually check is to make sure I am not in a wilderness area. Even when I'm not in one I look for fragile wildlife and growth...lots of cryptobiotic soils here too and in some places thats all there is holding the ecosystem together. I dont want to jeopardize loosing that too! I am one of the biggest advocates of 'leave no trace' riding,hiking,camping youre likely to meet. Man, I sound like a 'treehugger'- no offense TreeHugger, but thats just the way I was brought up :mrgreen:

[tanya]

Tanya, we dont do wilderness riding, in fact the first thing I usually check is to make sure I am not in a wilderness area. Even when I'm not in one I look for fragile wildlife and growth...lots of cryptobiotic soils here too and in some places thats all there is holding the ecosystem together. I dont want to jeopardize loosing that too! I am one of the biggest advocates of 'leave no trace' riding,hiking,camping youre likely to meet. Man, I sound like a 'treehugger'- no offense TreeHugger, but thats just the way I was brought up :mrgreen:


I like that :)

[greyhair biker]

Tanya, we dont do wilderness riding, in fact the first thing I usually check is to make sure I am not in a wilderness area. Even when I'm not in one I look for fragile wildlife and growth...lots of cryptobiotic soils here too and in some places thats all there is holding the ecosystem together. I dont want to jeopardize loosing that too! I am one of the biggest advocates of 'leave no trace' riding,hiking,camping youre likely to meet. Man, I sound like a 'treehugger'- no offense TreeHugger, but thats just the way I was brought up :mrgreen:


I like that :)
I guess its a challenge thing - I like to see how hard it is for someone to follow me 'cause they cant tell where Ive been.

[tanya]

-----------but don't ever go in December without neoprene socks!!!!!!!!!!!


We crossed the river near the end of the hike..... and it was so COLD! Not COLD actually ---- FrEeZzInG!!!!! :frustrated: :frustrated:

The only thing worse was having to do it over and over again!!!! We rolled up our pants to try and keep them dry, which did not work since the water was so deep in places.

We are even all cut up from the ice...... You would have to do this to understand! I mean this hurt!!! It was all shady too, not a drop of sunlight to warm us!

:sad: :shock: :bash: :cry: :ahhh: :dropmouth: :help: :eek7: :eek1: :cry1: :cold: :wallbash: :scared: :chairshot: :angryfire:

But we still had fun :five: --- oh my aching legs! :cripple:

Photos and trail report to come.


We have the trail report, map and photo album done for Yellow Rock. We just did it for the meander around Yellow Rock itself instead of the Loop that we did. Its just not too interesting past Yellow Rock until you get down into the Paria. We are going to do another trip through the Paria, because that area is gorgeous!

Trail Description
http://www.zionnational-park.com/staircase-yellow-rock.htm

Photo Album
http://www.zionnational-park.com/images/album2/index32.htm[/img]

[Win]

Thanks, Tanya, I'll be out there at some point. I really like it out there but the drive is too long to do it often.

Win

[tanya]

Thanks, Tanya, I'll be out there at some point. I really like it out there but the drive is too long to do it often.

Win

So true... and snow will come soon and make it tough this winter! I really enjoy those dirt road trips though. Bo was driving on the way to White Pocket last time though.. I was looking at a map or something and I hit my head hard on the roof of the rover. No more reading for me on those types of roads. :lol8:

[Win]

Funny, I do all the driving and watch my wife bounce around riding shotgun! We usually go south to Logandale, Valley of Fire and Gold Butte when the weather turns cold here. I do want to do a photography trip to Bryce/Red Canyon after a good snow, though.

Win

[tanya]

Funny, I do all the driving and watch my wife bounce around riding shotgun! We usually go south to Logandale, Valley of Fire and Gold Butte when the weather turns cold here. I do want to do a photography trip to Bryce/Red Canyon after a good snow, though.

Win

Your wife is brave. :lol8: Next snow we are going to do a Zion photo shoot. I want to redo my winter photo album. Its always fun to get out in the snow with a camera in hand! :nod: