TR: Balanced Rock - Helper, Utah

[Udink]

Despite the cold and snowy weather, some friends and I set out to hike from Helper up to the balanced rock above town. The balanced rock is a pretty prominent fixture above Helper, visible from the highway as you travel the mouth of Price Canyon. The total hiking distance was 5.8 miles, with an elevation gain of 1,700 feet, and it took 5 hours to complete.

This is near the start of the hike, showing the drainage we scrambled up. There's a ladder on one of the cliffs, otherwise this wouldn't be a viable hiking route.

http://lh5.ggpht.com/_JpEWXOITrzw/Sv-Fj5dOjAI/AAAAAAAAGhs/aPM9n1Qw87c/s800/IMG_0537.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/MxWtWQ70MINbMuNPWRhbjA)

The route took us along a very steep and scary ledge in order to reach the ladder.

http://lh4.ggpht.com/_JpEWXOITrzw/Sv-FnNbQSOI/AAAAAAAAGh4/Cb0ZgkcRnQ4/s800/IMG_0560.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/jwfMUdywjWMdfuOdbV4M5w)

http://lh3.ggpht.com/_JpEWXOITrzw/Sv-FoS8eMHI/AAAAAAAAGh8/RX6OJcjpF1E/s800/IMG_0562.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/Qp0THdN0rTX6DgGUVqQYFw)

The ladder:

http://lh4.ggpht.com/_JpEWXOITrzw/Sv-FquOKyxI/AAAAAAAAGiE/-Dj0wGjiIN0/s800/IMG_0568.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/1u2m3XW3DPSQis49uQdQVg)

http://lh6.ggpht.com/_JpEWXOITrzw/Sv-Fry1fAXI/AAAAAAAAGiI/ELjbVRJVkUc/s800/IMG_0570.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/miymEo5w9nclzpqK4K6fGg)

After the ladder, it was a steep and loose scramble to the top of a ridge.

http://lh5.ggpht.com/_JpEWXOITrzw/Sv-FslOPH_I/AAAAAAAAGiM/LbTctV9sn10/s800/IMG_0574.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/b79SLimm6_9g9euAIO1eUA)

Some nice views down into Helper:

http://lh6.ggpht.com/_JpEWXOITrzw/Sv-FulMQR4I/AAAAAAAAGiU/2HiKlNh7ytw/s800/IMG_0597.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/-DbbjpR9LwR85Orexx9rsA)

http://lh4.ggpht.com/_JpEWXOITrzw/Sv-Fy-Udx5I/AAAAAAAAGiw/iBp4Z_cJdgo/s800/IMG_0624_stitch.jpg (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/qDXVTE9LQv-RLcVy4KrelQ)

At the top of the ridge, we followed game trails along the ridge line all the way to the balanced rock.

http://lh3.ggpht.com/_JpEWXOITrzw/Sv-FvfL6NwI/AAAAAAAAGiY/yunX4Os-110/s800/IMG_0600.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/rMWSZK8OhGMAUxMbFos1Vw)

http://lh3.ggpht.com/_JpEWXOITrzw/Sv-Fw_Aw0MI/AAAAAAAAGik/26NMnh7ITOk/s800/IMG_0609.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/rB0koKsnFn3v5FoYZGD99Q)

http://lh3.ggpht.com/_JpEWXOITrzw/Sv-FyeteAsI/AAAAAAAAGis/_beMVffrVe4/s800/IMG_0619.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/mkGzEQqGivMk2OsYFXlMPQ)

This is as good as I could see the balanced rock from above:

http://lh4.ggpht.com/_JpEWXOITrzw/Sv-F5L2M7hI/AAAAAAAAGjI/qrkxKUgoWsY/s800/IMG_0663.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/6VHRRbJGwYB9CYj6iAV6zw)

Lots of nice views from up top:

http://lh4.ggpht.com/_JpEWXOITrzw/Sv-F0PWw9-I/AAAAAAAAGi0/MDbWD_hqeOI/s800/IMG_0639.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/Xp_kVsG6_DMC_J04pVz2UA)

http://lh5.ggpht.com/_JpEWXOITrzw/Sv-F1KAlJ1I/AAAAAAAAGi4/gjAp3EObR00/s800/IMG_0641_stitch.jpg (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/x9cxGhnGfXS_N40c3hBrbg)

http://lh4.ggpht.com/_JpEWXOITrzw/Sv-F1lXysFI/AAAAAAAAGi8/d5pe5d83nBw/s800/IMG_0648_stitch.jpg (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/mGAl8VtElia0QiLYQ9I11w)

We took a different route down, along a very steep and rocky hillside. There were more good views of the balanced rock along the way.

http://lh3.ggpht.com/_JpEWXOITrzw/Sv-F5qzxx1I/AAAAAAAAGjM/ye5-vAp8u2I/s800/IMG_0669.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/lcLRzFZVeUxV2jgYcLpUAQ)

http://lh3.ggpht.com/_JpEWXOITrzw/Sv-F6CAnOKI/AAAAAAAAGjQ/BUEFqaeXV74/s800/IMG_0675.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/riQ3QKGZI2ZQy6GLbOmqqg)

http://lh3.ggpht.com/_JpEWXOITrzw/Sv-F6oRlygI/AAAAAAAAGjU/XPIfAwfez68/s800/IMG_0676_stitch.jpg (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/X8YNu88li4y5QgAzZx-Iig)

http://lh5.ggpht.com/_JpEWXOITrzw/Sv-F63RC_iI/AAAAAAAAGjY/2bB0-PAl1tM/s800/IMG_0681_stitch.jpg (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/iTgpX4PHYrdxKbfxeFfi8A)

Once at the bottom of the hill, it was an easy walk along the railroad tracks back to town.

http://lh5.ggpht.com/_JpEWXOITrzw/Sv-F7tfP7MI/AAAAAAAAGjc/Gvm7RGGjXzY/s800/IMG_0684.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/s5FZAsKkx9GwH-w_PQ41HA)

More photos here:
http://picasaweb.google.com/Dennis.Udink/BalancedRockHelperUtah#

Google Earth tracklog and waypoints (.KML format):
http://castlecountry.org/geo/BalancedRockHelperUtah.kml

[asdf]

We ran into our share of wet cold weather this weekend.
Looks like a fun hike, love this shot.
http://lh4.ggpht.com/_JpEWXOITrzw/Sv-F1lXysFI/AAAAAAAAGi8/d5pe5d83nBw/s912/IMG_0648_stitch.jpg

[Udink]

We ran into our share of wet cold weather this weekend.
I wish I could have made it down there with you, but I just didn't have all day to spare. Your photos from the Reef look nice. :2thumbs:

[Don]

Cool pictures. I've often noticed and wanted to hike up to that balanced rock. Thanks for sharing.

[IntrepidXJ]

Nice TR :2thumbs:

[tmartenst]

Very cool. Something most of us will only see from afar. How come you didn't unravel the flag while you were up there? Looks easy enough :lol8:

[Udink]

I wrote up a trip report for this hike for my website, and somebody from the local newspaper (the Sun Advocate) read it and asked if they could publish the report and some photos in the paper. It appeared in yesterday's edition:

http://lh3.ggpht.com/_JpEWXOITrzw/SxaO8u6Wv-I/AAAAAAAAG6A/xv2LVZnvHVc/s800/IMG_0989.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/4Phu_EfrtQhw2JrIuWTXpQ)

:rockon:

[accadacca]

Very cool. Your famous! :haha:

Nice report! Always enjoy them. :2thumbs:

[asdf]

woot

[Reedus]

Is it just an old wives tale or did someone actually fall to their death while atepmting to place that flag up there. The story I have heard is that a scout leader took a group of scouts up there. His son was one of them that went. The son fell and died, so the father somehow put that flag up there as a memorial? :ne_nau:

[Don]

I was thinking about this TR while driving by there a couple days ago. Makes me want to hike up...

[Brian in SLC]

Sweet gettin' published!

I,uhh, thought your user name was not your "real" name...ha ha.'

Seems like I recall seeing photo's of that rock in Fossets? (sp?).

I wonder how hard it is to actually get to the summit of the rock?

That other little spire (that looks like mr hanky or worse) looks interesting...

I gander at that big arete everytime I come down into Helper (really prominent fin of rock on the left). Crazy.

I hear tell the "dirtcicle" ice climb in "in". Hmmm...

Cheers!

-Brian in SLC