killer
11-19-2007, 12:58 PM
I had been out in this area a few days before (ride tale to come) and discovered it's much bigger than it looks on the map
So on this day - 5th November 2007 - I got out of the house a bit earlier to cover some more ground.
Also available on my Blog (http://www.bobpalin.com/blog/2007/november/20071105.php)
Rather than unloading outside the park this time I drove in and found a parking place at Frenchman's cabin, that eliminated some of the less interesting sand road but it did mean driving the truck over some rough rocky road with the CRF in the back. In case you are wondering the CRF is street legal so is allowed to be ridden in the park. It was still 11:30 before I mounted the bike, it's about 130 miles from my house to Frenchman's Cabin. No messing about with viewpoints today, straight off to find the Flint Trail.
The Flint Trail, this is the view from the overlook, the steep part of the trail is on the right side in the shadows and continues out into the valley.
http://www.sleepingrainbow.com/websupport/spacers/whitespace24x1.gifhttp://www.bobpalin.com/images/2007/20071105/framed/20071105_sd800_0642_f.jpg
Halfway down the trail, it has come from the left of the picture, zig-zagged around the central buttress and then back to the left. The trail's surface comes in many varieties from solid rock steps to loose rocks to quite deep sand which I really didn't expect to find on a trail this steep. Compared to the zig-zags on the Burr Trail it is twice as steep, half as wide and ten times as rough!
http://www.sleepingrainbow.com/websupport/spacers/whitespace24x1.gifhttp://www.bobpalin.com/images/2007/20071105/framed/20071105_sd800_0650_f.jpg
At the bottom, the viewpoint is just to the right of the central buttress on the cliff top, the trail comes from behind the large bump on the left, across the central buttress and back again then across the tallus in front of it and back again.
http://www.sleepingrainbow.com/websupport/spacers/whitespace24x1.gifhttp://www.bobpalin.com/images/2007/20071105/framed/20071105_sd800_0651_f.jpg
Out on flat land there was quite a lot of petrified wood.
http://www.sleepingrainbow.com/websupport/spacers/whitespace24x1.gifhttp://www.bobpalin.com/images/2007/20071105/framed/20071105_sd800_0666_f.jpg
Of course the flat land tended to end rather abruptly...
http://www.sleepingrainbow.com/websupport/spacers/whitespace24x1.gifhttp://www.bobpalin.com/images/2007/20071105/framed/20071105_sd800_0668_f.jpg
There were several minor descents on the way out to the Maze.
http://www.sleepingrainbow.com/websupport/spacers/whitespace24x1.gifhttp://www.bobpalin.com/images/2007/20071105/framed/20071105_sd800_0670_f.jpg
Good thing the brakes work, and it's not a KLR.
http://www.sleepingrainbow.com/websupport/spacers/whitespace24x1.gifhttp://www.bobpalin.com/images/2007/20071105/framed/20071105_sd800_0681_f.jpg
This panorama was made from 12 full shots in 3 rows, this was my first view of the north arm of Horse Canyon which runs down to the Green River.
http://www.sleepingrainbow.com/websupport/spacers/whitespace24x1.gifhttp://www.bobpalin.com/images/2007/20071105/framed/pano_8237_f.jpg
This is another small arm of Horse Canyon.
http://www.sleepingrainbow.com/websupport/spacers/whitespace24x1.gifhttp://www.bobpalin.com/images/2007/20071105/framed/pano_sd800_0697_f.jpg
And finally I reached the Maze Overlook.
http://www.sleepingrainbow.com/websupport/spacers/whitespace24x1.gifhttp://www.bobpalin.com/images/2007/20071105/framed/20071105_8282_f.jpg
Brimhall Point - in order to bring you the best views possible I jumped across the gap between these two tops, it's only 640 feet to the canyon bottom...
http://www.sleepingrainbow.com/websupport/spacers/whitespace24x1.gifhttp://www.bobpalin.com/images/2007/20071105/framed/20071105_8330_f.jpg
The next jump seemed a little too challenging, maybe if I hadn't hurt my knee!
http://www.sleepingrainbow.com/websupport/spacers/whitespace24x1.gifhttp://www.bobpalin.com/images/2007/20071105/framed/20071105_8318_f.jpg
Here's a satellite view of Brimhall Point, you can actually see the rocks I jumped between and the lonely rock.
http://www.sleepingrainbow.com/websupport/spacers/whitespace24x1.gifhttp://www.bobpalin.com/images/2007/20071105/framed/brimhallsat_f.jpg
The Chocolate Drops, looking over the south fork of Horse Canyon.
http://www.sleepingrainbow.com/websupport/spacers/whitespace24x1.gifhttp://www.bobpalin.com/images/2007/20071105/framed/20071105_8327_f.jpg
Closer to the drops, strange spire in the background.
http://www.sleepingrainbow.com/websupport/spacers/whitespace24x1.gifhttp://www.bobpalin.com/images/2007/20071105/framed/20071105_8363_f.jpg
Chimney Rock - I wonder why they call it that?
http://www.sleepingrainbow.com/websupport/spacers/whitespace24x1.gifhttp://www.bobpalin.com/images/2007/20071105/framed/20071105_8351_f.jpg
Looking more to the west, there is a hiking trail from here to the canyon bottom.
http://www.sleepingrainbow.com/websupport/spacers/whitespace24x1.gifhttp://www.bobpalin.com/images/2007/20071105/framed/20071105_8368_f.jpg
The bottom is actually quite inviting, there was a park ranger out here, he told me that the trail involves some 'hand over hand' climbing, maybe next year. He also told me that it wouldn't be a problem to drive the Tundra out here, he was in a Chevy Silverado, on the other hand I had found his spare wheel in the middle of the trail a few miles back, he didn't even know he had lost it.
http://www.sleepingrainbow.com/websupport/spacers/whitespace24x1.gifhttp://www.bobpalin.com/images/2007/20071105/framed/20071105_8369_f.jpg
The topo map makes it quite obvious why this area is called The Maze, Brimhall Point is right at the top with the Chocolate Drops directly south of it.
http://www.sleepingrainbow.com/websupport/spacers/whitespace24x1.gifhttp://www.bobpalin.com/images/2007/20071105/framed/mazetopo_f.jpg
Here's a satellite view of the same area
http://www.sleepingrainbow.com/websupport/spacers/whitespace24x1.gifhttp://www.bobpalin.com/images/2007/20071105/framed/mazesat_f.jpg
I wandered around Brimhall Point for a while taking lots of pictures but all the turns in a maze look the same.
So it was time to head back, the sun was getting low anyway. This rock face would prove interesting for a long vehicle like a Tundra.
http://www.sleepingrainbow.com/websupport/spacers/whitespace24x1.gifhttp://www.bobpalin.com/images/2007/20071105/framed/20071105_sd800_0691_f.jpg
But the sun's not completely down - so I turned off on a side route that looked interesting. It skirted along the north fork of Horse Canyon which came up close to the cliffs up to the next level, at some points the road was cut into the cliff face.
http://www.sleepingrainbow.com/websupport/spacers/whitespace24x1.gifhttp://www.bobpalin.com/images/2007/20071105/framed/20071105_sd800_0696_f.jpg
I didn't really know how far this road went and after a while it became obvious there was a lot of country out there, this is as far as I got, looking out on the unexplored territory.
http://www.sleepingrainbow.com/websupport/spacers/whitespace24x1.gifhttp://www.bobpalin.com/images/2007/20071105/framed/20071105_sd800_0705_f.jpg
That's the way back.
http://www.sleepingrainbow.com/websupport/spacers/whitespace24x1.gifhttp://www.bobpalin.com/images/2007/20071105/framed/20071105_sd800_0706_f.jpg
Bagpipe Butte
http://www.sleepingrainbow.com/websupport/spacers/whitespace24x1.gifhttp://www.bobpalin.com/images/2007/20071105/framed/20071105_sd800_0707_f.jpg
By the time I got to the top of the Flint Trail the sun was well low, it was still several miles back to the truck and it was almost dark by the time I got there.
http://www.sleepingrainbow.com/websupport/spacers/whitespace24x1.gifhttp://www.bobpalin.com/images/2007/20071105/framed/20071105_sd800_0712_f.jpg
In the dark it took me an hour to cover the first few miles out from Frenchman's Cabin, the road is very rough and I really didn't want to launch the CRF out of the back of the truck, it was after 9pm when I got home, long day but well worth it. There is still a lot of country to explore in the Maze, the intriguingly named Doll's House for instance.
The Route
http://www.sleepingrainbow.com/websupport/spacers/whitespace24x1.gifhttp://www.bobpalin.com/images/2007/20071105/framed/routetopo_f.jpg
http://www.sleepingrainbow.com/websupport/spacers/whitespace24x1.gifhttp://www.bobpalin.com/images/2007/20071105/framed/contexttopo_f.jpg
So on this day - 5th November 2007 - I got out of the house a bit earlier to cover some more ground.
Also available on my Blog (http://www.bobpalin.com/blog/2007/november/20071105.php)
Rather than unloading outside the park this time I drove in and found a parking place at Frenchman's cabin, that eliminated some of the less interesting sand road but it did mean driving the truck over some rough rocky road with the CRF in the back. In case you are wondering the CRF is street legal so is allowed to be ridden in the park. It was still 11:30 before I mounted the bike, it's about 130 miles from my house to Frenchman's Cabin. No messing about with viewpoints today, straight off to find the Flint Trail.
The Flint Trail, this is the view from the overlook, the steep part of the trail is on the right side in the shadows and continues out into the valley.
http://www.sleepingrainbow.com/websupport/spacers/whitespace24x1.gifhttp://www.bobpalin.com/images/2007/20071105/framed/20071105_sd800_0642_f.jpg
Halfway down the trail, it has come from the left of the picture, zig-zagged around the central buttress and then back to the left. The trail's surface comes in many varieties from solid rock steps to loose rocks to quite deep sand which I really didn't expect to find on a trail this steep. Compared to the zig-zags on the Burr Trail it is twice as steep, half as wide and ten times as rough!
http://www.sleepingrainbow.com/websupport/spacers/whitespace24x1.gifhttp://www.bobpalin.com/images/2007/20071105/framed/20071105_sd800_0650_f.jpg
At the bottom, the viewpoint is just to the right of the central buttress on the cliff top, the trail comes from behind the large bump on the left, across the central buttress and back again then across the tallus in front of it and back again.
http://www.sleepingrainbow.com/websupport/spacers/whitespace24x1.gifhttp://www.bobpalin.com/images/2007/20071105/framed/20071105_sd800_0651_f.jpg
Out on flat land there was quite a lot of petrified wood.
http://www.sleepingrainbow.com/websupport/spacers/whitespace24x1.gifhttp://www.bobpalin.com/images/2007/20071105/framed/20071105_sd800_0666_f.jpg
Of course the flat land tended to end rather abruptly...
http://www.sleepingrainbow.com/websupport/spacers/whitespace24x1.gifhttp://www.bobpalin.com/images/2007/20071105/framed/20071105_sd800_0668_f.jpg
There were several minor descents on the way out to the Maze.
http://www.sleepingrainbow.com/websupport/spacers/whitespace24x1.gifhttp://www.bobpalin.com/images/2007/20071105/framed/20071105_sd800_0670_f.jpg
Good thing the brakes work, and it's not a KLR.
http://www.sleepingrainbow.com/websupport/spacers/whitespace24x1.gifhttp://www.bobpalin.com/images/2007/20071105/framed/20071105_sd800_0681_f.jpg
This panorama was made from 12 full shots in 3 rows, this was my first view of the north arm of Horse Canyon which runs down to the Green River.
http://www.sleepingrainbow.com/websupport/spacers/whitespace24x1.gifhttp://www.bobpalin.com/images/2007/20071105/framed/pano_8237_f.jpg
This is another small arm of Horse Canyon.
http://www.sleepingrainbow.com/websupport/spacers/whitespace24x1.gifhttp://www.bobpalin.com/images/2007/20071105/framed/pano_sd800_0697_f.jpg
And finally I reached the Maze Overlook.
http://www.sleepingrainbow.com/websupport/spacers/whitespace24x1.gifhttp://www.bobpalin.com/images/2007/20071105/framed/20071105_8282_f.jpg
Brimhall Point - in order to bring you the best views possible I jumped across the gap between these two tops, it's only 640 feet to the canyon bottom...
http://www.sleepingrainbow.com/websupport/spacers/whitespace24x1.gifhttp://www.bobpalin.com/images/2007/20071105/framed/20071105_8330_f.jpg
The next jump seemed a little too challenging, maybe if I hadn't hurt my knee!
http://www.sleepingrainbow.com/websupport/spacers/whitespace24x1.gifhttp://www.bobpalin.com/images/2007/20071105/framed/20071105_8318_f.jpg
Here's a satellite view of Brimhall Point, you can actually see the rocks I jumped between and the lonely rock.
http://www.sleepingrainbow.com/websupport/spacers/whitespace24x1.gifhttp://www.bobpalin.com/images/2007/20071105/framed/brimhallsat_f.jpg
The Chocolate Drops, looking over the south fork of Horse Canyon.
http://www.sleepingrainbow.com/websupport/spacers/whitespace24x1.gifhttp://www.bobpalin.com/images/2007/20071105/framed/20071105_8327_f.jpg
Closer to the drops, strange spire in the background.
http://www.sleepingrainbow.com/websupport/spacers/whitespace24x1.gifhttp://www.bobpalin.com/images/2007/20071105/framed/20071105_8363_f.jpg
Chimney Rock - I wonder why they call it that?
http://www.sleepingrainbow.com/websupport/spacers/whitespace24x1.gifhttp://www.bobpalin.com/images/2007/20071105/framed/20071105_8351_f.jpg
Looking more to the west, there is a hiking trail from here to the canyon bottom.
http://www.sleepingrainbow.com/websupport/spacers/whitespace24x1.gifhttp://www.bobpalin.com/images/2007/20071105/framed/20071105_8368_f.jpg
The bottom is actually quite inviting, there was a park ranger out here, he told me that the trail involves some 'hand over hand' climbing, maybe next year. He also told me that it wouldn't be a problem to drive the Tundra out here, he was in a Chevy Silverado, on the other hand I had found his spare wheel in the middle of the trail a few miles back, he didn't even know he had lost it.
http://www.sleepingrainbow.com/websupport/spacers/whitespace24x1.gifhttp://www.bobpalin.com/images/2007/20071105/framed/20071105_8369_f.jpg
The topo map makes it quite obvious why this area is called The Maze, Brimhall Point is right at the top with the Chocolate Drops directly south of it.
http://www.sleepingrainbow.com/websupport/spacers/whitespace24x1.gifhttp://www.bobpalin.com/images/2007/20071105/framed/mazetopo_f.jpg
Here's a satellite view of the same area
http://www.sleepingrainbow.com/websupport/spacers/whitespace24x1.gifhttp://www.bobpalin.com/images/2007/20071105/framed/mazesat_f.jpg
I wandered around Brimhall Point for a while taking lots of pictures but all the turns in a maze look the same.
So it was time to head back, the sun was getting low anyway. This rock face would prove interesting for a long vehicle like a Tundra.
http://www.sleepingrainbow.com/websupport/spacers/whitespace24x1.gifhttp://www.bobpalin.com/images/2007/20071105/framed/20071105_sd800_0691_f.jpg
But the sun's not completely down - so I turned off on a side route that looked interesting. It skirted along the north fork of Horse Canyon which came up close to the cliffs up to the next level, at some points the road was cut into the cliff face.
http://www.sleepingrainbow.com/websupport/spacers/whitespace24x1.gifhttp://www.bobpalin.com/images/2007/20071105/framed/20071105_sd800_0696_f.jpg
I didn't really know how far this road went and after a while it became obvious there was a lot of country out there, this is as far as I got, looking out on the unexplored territory.
http://www.sleepingrainbow.com/websupport/spacers/whitespace24x1.gifhttp://www.bobpalin.com/images/2007/20071105/framed/20071105_sd800_0705_f.jpg
That's the way back.
http://www.sleepingrainbow.com/websupport/spacers/whitespace24x1.gifhttp://www.bobpalin.com/images/2007/20071105/framed/20071105_sd800_0706_f.jpg
Bagpipe Butte
http://www.sleepingrainbow.com/websupport/spacers/whitespace24x1.gifhttp://www.bobpalin.com/images/2007/20071105/framed/20071105_sd800_0707_f.jpg
By the time I got to the top of the Flint Trail the sun was well low, it was still several miles back to the truck and it was almost dark by the time I got there.
http://www.sleepingrainbow.com/websupport/spacers/whitespace24x1.gifhttp://www.bobpalin.com/images/2007/20071105/framed/20071105_sd800_0712_f.jpg
In the dark it took me an hour to cover the first few miles out from Frenchman's Cabin, the road is very rough and I really didn't want to launch the CRF out of the back of the truck, it was after 9pm when I got home, long day but well worth it. There is still a lot of country to explore in the Maze, the intriguingly named Doll's House for instance.
The Route
http://www.sleepingrainbow.com/websupport/spacers/whitespace24x1.gifhttp://www.bobpalin.com/images/2007/20071105/framed/routetopo_f.jpg
http://www.sleepingrainbow.com/websupport/spacers/whitespace24x1.gifhttp://www.bobpalin.com/images/2007/20071105/framed/contexttopo_f.jpg