Udink
09-20-2009, 11:55 AM
With the weather cooling off a bit, I just had to get back to the Wedge for some more hiking. It's been 11 months since I was there last, and this time I took my kids. I chose a canyon near the end of the west spur road from the Wedge Overlook, and it turned out to be a nice one.
My first view of the lower part of the canyon (after climbing out of the bottom to bypass a dryfall)
http://lh4.ggpht.com/_JpEWXOITrzw/SrWDvCGCRSI/AAAAAAAAGII/1mkltDWgj7k/s800/IMG_9573.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/ByUamH1cCjMAdPMwKFFZBg)
The kids waited at the dryfall for me to get back after looking for a possible route around it
http://lh5.ggpht.com/_JpEWXOITrzw/SrWDwkw1naI/AAAAAAAAGIM/dn88xK7NH8E/s800/IMG_9575.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/Nx5sNNqNQQiCFXrTqhfXlQ)
I could only find one way down into the canyon, and it was a steep scramble just below this part
http://lh6.ggpht.com/_JpEWXOITrzw/SrWDzYjnuKI/AAAAAAAAGIU/0ruiTabYnok/s800/IMG_9579.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/AE9biiuFSqAMflmp2afRvQ)
This is just past the steepest part. My oldest son slipped just after taking this photo and slid about 10 feet down before coming to rest against a bush.
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_JpEWXOITrzw/SrWD0mvDuqI/AAAAAAAAGIY/AjXjEXMDJ3E/s800/IMG_9583.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/ey2WTTdubJtrdKBbcfzeHw)
Once we reached the bottom of the canyon, there were several pools from the recent rains
http://lh4.ggpht.com/_JpEWXOITrzw/SrWD1p7s6QI/AAAAAAAAGIc/QBmeJ-aBF-c/s800/IMG_9585.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/9-vAA1h3WljFBZd-Bd1TXg)
Here's a view up the canyon. The first dryfall that we had to bypass is just around the corner to the left.
http://lh6.ggpht.com/_JpEWXOITrzw/SrWD20JpjCI/AAAAAAAAGIg/wWn8M8xz_2s/s800/IMG_9587.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/9vQ_MPAjHbu2fcLhhUEXfw)
We stopped here to rest in the shade. It's still a little hot in the Swell this time of year.
http://lh4.ggpht.com/_JpEWXOITrzw/SrWD7DQycOI/AAAAAAAAGIs/eq68eTViitU/s800/IMG_9591.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/zLzzFzZb4Yo3RwY1W6E8Vw)
Eventually we came to a place where there were a lot of spherical concretions in the Navajo Sandstone. They were similar to moqui marbles, but they're not as hard or iron-rich.
http://lh6.ggpht.com/_JpEWXOITrzw/SrWD8YPHqzI/AAAAAAAAGIw/gDDB_DdU0yc/s800/IMG_9592.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/-MwaxxsnYacErg3Htm71gg)
http://lh6.ggpht.com/_JpEWXOITrzw/SrWD9_DhWpI/AAAAAAAAGI0/6sVrO8h35M0/s800/IMG_9594.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/WKwhvHB5vLs9Rs8SCjqFqA)
http://lh6.ggpht.com/_JpEWXOITrzw/SrWD_LEMvyI/AAAAAAAAGI4/U1y2kCbJNl8/s800/IMG_9595.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/Y4S10ubP6hEp6M3ujzBycQ)
http://lh4.ggpht.com/_JpEWXOITrzw/SrWEAF26wZI/AAAAAAAAGI8/pPqR0LU0gjo/s800/IMG_9596.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/_4LrqXArGY1c82n6SCQ9Xg)
This is near the end of the canyon, where it drops about 450' down to the San Rafael River in the Little Grand Canyon.
http://lh6.ggpht.com/_JpEWXOITrzw/SrWEBP-MO7I/AAAAAAAAGJA/STdsZkHSgz0/s800/IMG_9597.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/f24v4tT-x-8Tuccqu9oiAA)
Here are some views into the Little Grand Canyon:
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_JpEWXOITrzw/SrWECt5_HII/AAAAAAAAGJE/2_C3UouOOis/s800/IMG_9606.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/7dsj1QirN9y2bXQux4Ep6A)
http://lh6.ggpht.com/_JpEWXOITrzw/SrWEE2AJfnI/AAAAAAAAGJQ/b1VnYzgY2vk/s800/IMG_9614.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/17yKcSEsDpB5g5r38kVDcg)
This is the view along the canyon during our exit hike
http://lh5.ggpht.com/_JpEWXOITrzw/SrWEGiRhIrI/AAAAAAAAGJY/s8kG7GNxSQ0/s800/IMG_9628.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/8KCVk59zUrDzlvflhUB9hQ)
After getting back to the truck, I drove to the end of the spur road and took a photo looking down into the canyon we'd just been in:
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_JpEWXOITrzw/SrWEIq_rOfI/AAAAAAAAGJg/k93041sqdJM/s800/IMG_9641.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/dIynRqbsBuT14LzoL7bomA)
The round-trip distance was 2.5 miles and we spent about three hours hiking. In another month, it'll be even better weather for hiking in this area and I've got plans for a few more hikes there.
My first view of the lower part of the canyon (after climbing out of the bottom to bypass a dryfall)
http://lh4.ggpht.com/_JpEWXOITrzw/SrWDvCGCRSI/AAAAAAAAGII/1mkltDWgj7k/s800/IMG_9573.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/ByUamH1cCjMAdPMwKFFZBg)
The kids waited at the dryfall for me to get back after looking for a possible route around it
http://lh5.ggpht.com/_JpEWXOITrzw/SrWDwkw1naI/AAAAAAAAGIM/dn88xK7NH8E/s800/IMG_9575.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/Nx5sNNqNQQiCFXrTqhfXlQ)
I could only find one way down into the canyon, and it was a steep scramble just below this part
http://lh6.ggpht.com/_JpEWXOITrzw/SrWDzYjnuKI/AAAAAAAAGIU/0ruiTabYnok/s800/IMG_9579.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/AE9biiuFSqAMflmp2afRvQ)
This is just past the steepest part. My oldest son slipped just after taking this photo and slid about 10 feet down before coming to rest against a bush.
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_JpEWXOITrzw/SrWD0mvDuqI/AAAAAAAAGIY/AjXjEXMDJ3E/s800/IMG_9583.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/ey2WTTdubJtrdKBbcfzeHw)
Once we reached the bottom of the canyon, there were several pools from the recent rains
http://lh4.ggpht.com/_JpEWXOITrzw/SrWD1p7s6QI/AAAAAAAAGIc/QBmeJ-aBF-c/s800/IMG_9585.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/9-vAA1h3WljFBZd-Bd1TXg)
Here's a view up the canyon. The first dryfall that we had to bypass is just around the corner to the left.
http://lh6.ggpht.com/_JpEWXOITrzw/SrWD20JpjCI/AAAAAAAAGIg/wWn8M8xz_2s/s800/IMG_9587.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/9vQ_MPAjHbu2fcLhhUEXfw)
We stopped here to rest in the shade. It's still a little hot in the Swell this time of year.
http://lh4.ggpht.com/_JpEWXOITrzw/SrWD7DQycOI/AAAAAAAAGIs/eq68eTViitU/s800/IMG_9591.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/zLzzFzZb4Yo3RwY1W6E8Vw)
Eventually we came to a place where there were a lot of spherical concretions in the Navajo Sandstone. They were similar to moqui marbles, but they're not as hard or iron-rich.
http://lh6.ggpht.com/_JpEWXOITrzw/SrWD8YPHqzI/AAAAAAAAGIw/gDDB_DdU0yc/s800/IMG_9592.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/-MwaxxsnYacErg3Htm71gg)
http://lh6.ggpht.com/_JpEWXOITrzw/SrWD9_DhWpI/AAAAAAAAGI0/6sVrO8h35M0/s800/IMG_9594.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/WKwhvHB5vLs9Rs8SCjqFqA)
http://lh6.ggpht.com/_JpEWXOITrzw/SrWD_LEMvyI/AAAAAAAAGI4/U1y2kCbJNl8/s800/IMG_9595.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/Y4S10ubP6hEp6M3ujzBycQ)
http://lh4.ggpht.com/_JpEWXOITrzw/SrWEAF26wZI/AAAAAAAAGI8/pPqR0LU0gjo/s800/IMG_9596.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/_4LrqXArGY1c82n6SCQ9Xg)
This is near the end of the canyon, where it drops about 450' down to the San Rafael River in the Little Grand Canyon.
http://lh6.ggpht.com/_JpEWXOITrzw/SrWEBP-MO7I/AAAAAAAAGJA/STdsZkHSgz0/s800/IMG_9597.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/f24v4tT-x-8Tuccqu9oiAA)
Here are some views into the Little Grand Canyon:
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_JpEWXOITrzw/SrWECt5_HII/AAAAAAAAGJE/2_C3UouOOis/s800/IMG_9606.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/7dsj1QirN9y2bXQux4Ep6A)
http://lh6.ggpht.com/_JpEWXOITrzw/SrWEE2AJfnI/AAAAAAAAGJQ/b1VnYzgY2vk/s800/IMG_9614.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/17yKcSEsDpB5g5r38kVDcg)
This is the view along the canyon during our exit hike
http://lh5.ggpht.com/_JpEWXOITrzw/SrWEGiRhIrI/AAAAAAAAGJY/s8kG7GNxSQ0/s800/IMG_9628.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/8KCVk59zUrDzlvflhUB9hQ)
After getting back to the truck, I drove to the end of the spur road and took a photo looking down into the canyon we'd just been in:
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_JpEWXOITrzw/SrWEIq_rOfI/AAAAAAAAGJg/k93041sqdJM/s800/IMG_9641.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/dIynRqbsBuT14LzoL7bomA)
The round-trip distance was 2.5 miles and we spent about three hours hiking. In another month, it'll be even better weather for hiking in this area and I've got plans for a few more hikes there.