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View Full Version : Trip Report San Rafael Swell - Spring 2011



Udink
04-24-2011, 06:06 PM
This was my 14th semi-annual geocaching event in the San Rafael Swell, and it was a great one, with almost 30 people in attendance. The group camped near South Salt Wash just off exit 108 on I-70, and we went to a lot of nearby places, including Lone Tree Wedge overlooking the upper Muddy Creek gorge, the Dike and Horizon Arch, Kimball Draw and Cat Canyon, and the Sid and Charlie rock formation.


http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=http:%2F%2Fcastlecountry.org%2Fgeo%2FSanRafaelSw ellSpring2011.kmz&aq=&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=33.572881,86.572266&ie=UTF8&t=h&z=11
http://castlecountry.org/geo/SanRafaelSwellSpring2011.kmz


I arrived Wednesday evening to stake a claim on our campsite, but spent the evening in the trailer because of some nasty wind and a bit of rain. The next morning I went for a 4-wheeler ride south to Lone Tree Wedge and eventually found myself overlooking the upper Muddy Creek gorge. That afternoon people started showing up, and we had a nice night around the campfire.


Alone at camp on Wednesday evening
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_JpEWXOITrzw/Ta8GL0ScAAI/AAAAAAAASn0/3PyOrkuOBuQ/s640/IMG_2837.JPG

Bridge over Muddy Creek at Lone Tree Crossing
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_JpEWXOITrzw/Ta8GOoHxXbI/AAAAAAAASn8/Dp9iNgVEnHs/s640/IMG_2842.JPG

Muddy Creek north of Lone Tree Wedge
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_JpEWXOITrzw/Ta8GSa6O09I/AAAAAAAASoI/qZ1kMij45W4/s640/IMG_2848.JPG

View along Muddy Creek from the eastern point of Lone Tree Wedge
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_JpEWXOITrzw/Ta8GWFweznI/AAAAAAAASoY/P6JVM7o9bzA/s800/IMG_2864_stitch.jpg

Interesting clouds
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_JpEWXOITrzw/Ta8GYraKEEI/AAAAAAAASok/JpkYl1cYEuQ/s640/IMG_2884.JPG

Slab of pavement in Devil's Canyon left over from an old I-70 gravel quarry
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_JpEWXOITrzw/Ta8GezWOf4I/AAAAAAAASpA/ONFORFwyODA/s640/IMG_2906.JPG

Camp on Thursday evening
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_JpEWXOITrzw/Ta8GgVfT5_I/AAAAAAAASpI/CRkqMhdvKak/s640/IMG_2912.JPG

Campfire on Thursday night
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_JpEWXOITrzw/Ta8GiaBv6OI/AAAAAAAASpU/Wy-aVSZBBzg/s640/IMG_2938.JPG


On Friday a few of us rode/drove out to the Dike, hiked around the Horizon Arch area, and found a few geocaches near the end of the road. It's a very interesting drive to the arch, and the views from there are amazing. That evening we got crazy around the campfire and blew some stuff up.


Driving to Horizon Arch
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_JpEWXOITrzw/Ta8GkYIgphI/AAAAAAAASpc/3rawfPYQjVU/s640/IMG_2953.JPG

Near the end of the road at Horizon Arch
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_JpEWXOITrzw/Ta8GlV_cSmI/AAAAAAAASpg/4_0cMQyEZ6k/s640/IMG_2955.JPG

Horizon Arch
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_JpEWXOITrzw/Ta8GqF3p_kI/AAAAAAAASp0/B7I-fKtIA7w/s640/IMG_2979.JPG

The canyon north of Horizon Arch
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_JpEWXOITrzw/Ta8GrUv_K4I/AAAAAAAASp4/nbJ0e9SQSWA/s640/IMG_2980.JPG

Cliffs southwest of Horizon Arch
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_JpEWXOITrzw/Ta8Gt1SojUI/AAAAAAAASqA/tZYyKtC_hnc/s640/IMG_2992.JPG

Horizon Arch
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_JpEWXOITrzw/Ta8GxuKRepI/AAAAAAAASqM/3g5T-q1Phzg/s640/IMG_3001.JPG

Jeep on the way back to camp
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_JpEWXOITrzw/Ta8G4WpwuQI/AAAAAAAASqk/VqkeQBmgDyw/s640/IMG_3026.JPG

Kimball Draw
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_JpEWXOITrzw/Ta8G7XjIVfI/AAAAAAAASqw/mdhttsmaOIs/s640/IMG_3046.JPG

Camp on Friday evening
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_JpEWXOITrzw/Ta8G8hjlaEI/AAAAAAAASq4/RXp1cjlYhJY/s640/IMG_3057.JPG

Around the campfire
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_JpEWXOITrzw/Ta8G9L_bB_I/AAAAAAAASq8/IpnHwjwq3UY/s640/IMG_3064.JPG

A 1-gallon can of green beans in the fire
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_JpEWXOITrzw/Ta8G-CZquRI/AAAAAAAASrE/clUkHfkwQyY/s640/IMG_3067.JPG



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jn5VkjmF8n4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jn5VkjmF8n4


Everybody split up into little groups on Saturday, and since I only needed to find two geocaches within 20 miles of the area, my wife and I rode our ATVs from camp through Kimball Draw and Cat Canyon. We saw some pictographs right along the road in Kimball Draw, and stopped at an awesome area at the head of Cat Canyon. Somebody had build a steel dam at the end of a small slot canyon there, and there were tall ponderosa pine trees surrounding the area. It was a beautiful place, one that I'd like to return to and camp for a few days while hiking around and exploring.


Setting out for a ride on Saturday
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_JpEWXOITrzw/Ta8HBQpZKwI/AAAAAAAASrQ/eNEoZ8lZqH4/s640/IMG_3087.JPG

Pictographs in Kimball Draw
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_JpEWXOITrzw/Ta8HE-xv23I/AAAAAAAASrc/8ffZVSOVVPU/s640/IMG_3094.JPG

Pictographs in Kimball Draw
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_JpEWXOITrzw/Ta8HKINQ0iI/AAAAAAAASro/1D_KyZA9h9Q/s640/IMG_3098.JPG

Pictographs in Kimball Draw
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_JpEWXOITrzw/Ta8HMyBFbgI/AAAAAAAASr0/eRWrkoK7N68/s640/IMG_3100.JPG

The road where it enters Cat Canyon
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_JpEWXOITrzw/Ta8HbRInAaI/AAAAAAAASsU/ChULM6nt1jc/s640/IMG_3116.JPG

Cat Canyon
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_JpEWXOITrzw/Ta8Hc3K_anI/AAAAAAAASsY/BCrSShg0BC0/s640/IMG_3117.JPG

Near the head of Cat Canyon
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_JpEWXOITrzw/Ta8HfdDwKdI/AAAAAAAASsg/c9YMWLLf0Ho/s640/IMG_3120.JPG

Steel dam
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_JpEWXOITrzw/Ta8HgtCDeHI/AAAAAAAASsk/SjkEF8H8_-U/s640/IMG_3123.JPG

My youngest climbing the steel dam
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_JpEWXOITrzw/Ta8Hks-GaAI/AAAAAAAASsw/zjivv0OkAOg/s640/IMG_3130.JPG

The kids heading up the canyon above the dam
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_JpEWXOITrzw/Ta8Hq4AJw2I/AAAAAAAAStA/WE3SBB3O9K4/s640/IMG_3135.JPG

The dam canyon
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_JpEWXOITrzw/Ta8HuXpLjwI/AAAAAAAAStM/IOqK__KKtPg/s640/IMG_3166.JPG

The dam canyon
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_JpEWXOITrzw/Ta8Hw1wrcsI/AAAAAAAAStU/_GxeNPYVgUQ/s640/IMG_3179.JPG

My dog got really crazy at camp Saturday night
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_JpEWXOITrzw/Ta8H3DsiOvI/AAAAAAAAStw/OJ_qoXjBFgc/s640/0417010051.JPG


On Sunday I only went for a short 4-wheeler ride north of the Moore Cutoff Road, along Sand Bench toward Sid and Charlie. After returning from the ride, I pulled my camp trailer home, then fueled up and returned to pull a friend's trailer home because his truck was having engine problems. It was an awesome, fun filled weekend.

The Red Ledges and Lookout Point on the way north along South Salt Wash
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_JpEWXOITrzw/Ta8H4HF420I/AAAAAAAASt0/qpqlnA7v5ho/s640/IMG_3216.JPG

Crossing a wash near Sid and Charlie
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_JpEWXOITrzw/Ta8H5_aYVnI/AAAAAAAASt4/WauEpEO-xiw/s640/IMG_3218.JPG

Sid and Charlie
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_JpEWXOITrzw/Ta8H7PTXqnI/AAAAAAAASt8/cy_S038D_3w/s640/IMG_3221.JPG

Gopher snake in the rocks near a geocache
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_JpEWXOITrzw/Ta8H8EAIKvI/AAAAAAAASuA/dETlvknVsxE/s640/IMG_3223.JPG

Sid and Charlie
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_JpEWXOITrzw/Ta8H8zC7rkI/AAAAAAAASuE/IgwhwcDYZE4/s640/IMG_3225.JPG

Pulling my friend's trailer to Price
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_JpEWXOITrzw/Ta8H-t4vJ1I/AAAAAAAASuU/b5Ph4pmmZso/s640/0417011948.JPG


SanRafaelSwellSpring2011
https://picasaweb.google.com/Dennis.Udink/SanRafaelSwellSpring2011#

mjmusil
04-28-2011, 10:04 AM
I just moved to Price and I am already diving into the incredible landscape that surrounds us! Thanks for your trip report! I will be definitely referencing it the next time I head down into the swell. Also, thanks for the information on Gordon Creek Falls; i'm going up there today!:mrgreen:

Udink
04-28-2011, 11:06 AM
I just moved to Price and I am already diving into the incredible landscape that surrounds us! Thanks for your trip report! I will be definitely referencing it the next time I head down into the swell.
There's definitely some awesome scenery around here. Maybe not Carbon County so much, but Emery County is great. :nod:


Also, thanks for the information on Gordon Creek Falls; i'm going up there today!:mrgreen:
Cool, let me know how the falls are running. I would expect that runoff should be pretty nice right about now. I might get out for a quick ATV ride out there some day next week after work.

mjmusil
04-28-2011, 08:23 PM
Cool, let me know how the falls are running. I would expect that runoff should be pretty nice right about now. I might get out for a quick ATV ride out there some day next week after work.

Wow, my wife and I really loved the area! Unfortunately we only had time to see the lower and middle falls but it was well worth it! We hope to head back up there soon and finish our hike. ~ The falls are running nicely, plenty of water flow.

accadacca
04-29-2011, 02:33 PM
Awesome report! Looks like a great time. I love the video...PYRO!