TR: Prickly Pear Point (above Calf/Pine Canyons)

[Udink]

Driving through Buckhorn Wash in the San Rafael Swell, I've often looked up Calf Canyon to see this point jutting out at the confluence of Calf and Pine canyons:

http://lh4.ggpht.com/_JpEWXOITrzw/SxNYhpzanTI/AAAAAAAAG0c/_eZ4OLa5Kjg/s800/IMG_1175.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/TGv0Bx5LNvYuy5eqxR2fvw)

For the past couple of years I've wanted to hike out to the point, and I finally got around to it this past weekend. The nearest road is really rough, so I drove my truck to where it gets bad, then rode my ATV the rest of the way to the wilderness study area boundary. I parked at a wooden barricade and started the hike. It started out as a pretty dreary morning.

http://lh5.ggpht.com/_JpEWXOITrzw/SxK9cTcFnwI/AAAAAAAAGtY/cFyU0ek5GfY/s800/IMG_0810.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/dvm7FhrnxgOmYjduAWWZEA)

The hike started off easy, over fairly level ground and through a couple of shallow washes. It eventually became steeper as I hiked down into a small valley then back up the other side. There were a few interesting things to see along the way:

A small arch in the Navajo Sandstone
http://lh4.ggpht.com/_JpEWXOITrzw/SxK9dXHMbPI/AAAAAAAAGtc/VmDZi0XVjJw/s800/IMG_0815.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/SrlPplsOaiCOUDGlyFsJgQ)

Chert chippings
http://lh6.ggpht.com/_JpEWXOITrzw/SxK9e3uANrI/AAAAAAAAGtg/AuT3FJp068k/s800/IMG_0819.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/yO_I6fbtZHxMEiDGUdGvqw)

A balanced rock
http://lh6.ggpht.com/_JpEWXOITrzw/SxK9f1TQJuI/AAAAAAAAGtk/2YEp6ETky_8/s800/IMG_0826.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/bydmnqG2tFvHcC9HhLe7Og)

http://lh5.ggpht.com/_JpEWXOITrzw/SxK9hHQiStI/AAAAAAAAGto/m992aC6nIGw/s800/IMG_0831.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/Ybe6KZSxQlOOUmkGAl-_JA)

I eventually reached the rim of Pine Canyon and followed it to the point overlooking the confluence with Calf Canyon.

Pine Canyon
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_JpEWXOITrzw/SxK9j7IR7II/AAAAAAAAGtw/IfxuRtCWCFE/s800/IMG_0846.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/a5BkJGvz42HsNhkzyuWwgA)

The confluence
http://lh6.ggpht.com/_JpEWXOITrzw/SxK9m5H8R6I/AAAAAAAAGt4/PGbJlAyBJb4/s800/IMG_0865_stitch.jpg (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/s2fik8NLHWcKgbUvImx98A)

Panorama showing the Wedge, Buckhorn Wash, and Calf Canyon
http://lh6.ggpht.com/_JpEWXOITrzw/SxK9o75QhvI/AAAAAAAAGuA/ErhV55Okp84/s800/IMG_0879_stitch.jpg (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/sQGfsqjvAlJKQt2gN_Z6ew)

I took a different route back to the ATV just so I could see some different scenery. The sun came out and I actually some blue sky.

Calf Canyon
http://lh4.ggpht.com/_JpEWXOITrzw/SxK9p9Vm8ZI/AAAAAAAAGuE/7AOEcLoD0is/s800/IMG_0909_stitch.jpg (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/C9rBnhZ9SS4h9U5Wsj2iYg)

Colorful Sandstone
http://lh4.ggpht.com/_JpEWXOITrzw/SxK9ri_XgZI/AAAAAAAAGuQ/YGUGnG8MBhw/s800/IMG_0929_stitch.jpg (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/2bQg5PnHDL3D3W0OXB9Qng)

http://lh3.ggpht.com/_JpEWXOITrzw/SxK9uVyjezI/AAAAAAAAGuc/GBLM6X9xoOQ/s800/IMG_0954.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/pfy2mfkfwKlFtrvIa_y--A)

The hike back was a lot more fun, with tons of bare sandstone to hike/scramble across...

http://lh5.ggpht.com/_JpEWXOITrzw/SxK9tIFyd1I/AAAAAAAAGuY/JZJouPki7Mg/s800/IMG_0942_stitch.jpg (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/C3Zbv2D79tL0iAayplThQQ)

http://lh5.ggpht.com/_JpEWXOITrzw/SxK9y4_HTkI/AAAAAAAAGus/P3vC9jhnZeo/s800/IMG_0973_stitch.jpg (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/Z9SKO2ZNW8YeH7A5VCGTUA)

...except for the last part across Prickly Pear Flat:

http://lh5.ggpht.com/_JpEWXOITrzw/SxK9z-7XXfI/AAAAAAAAGuw/M-t-KcXUcjg/s800/IMG_0976.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/mFtPB6wKdxRjWdDuFdQTCQ)

http://lh3.ggpht.com/_JpEWXOITrzw/SxK90ur2OZI/AAAAAAAAGu0/0BzH1wJWQF4/s800/IMG_0981.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/jXRjQk4R11XfbFHDN8I6YQ)

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

Google Earth .KML File:
http://castlecountry.org/geo/PricklyPearPoint.kml