Writeabove
07-01-2011, 12:46 PM
Our (Bob, Gary, Ricki, Sandy) three nights out backpacking trip started at the Boulder airport, on the Boulder Mail Trail and ended up at Micro Death Hollow (we shuttled). It was hot in the afternoons & it was slow to cool down at night. We cut from the BMT and crossed over Sand Creek to drop into Death Hollow. I had major toe-jam from the ascent and was glad to see cool, calf-depth stream. We changed into water shoes & found a flat, at times shaded, near the water, campsite, albeit had fields of Poison Ivy, 1/2 mile downstream. Next day we stayed in the water to avoid the Poison Ivy and sometimes there were no trails. We camped above Mamie Creek but played in the stream until it cooled down to walk up Mamie Canyon. Mamie ends at a a hushed cathedral-type of amphitheater, not a pour-off. Loose, steep boulders can get you further up Mamie Canyon.
The following day Death Hollow creek got deeper with huge swimming pools. The Narrows were challenging: we crawled onto a submerged narrow ledge over a deep pool while negotiating our backpacks under an overhang shelf. That was the only scary part of the trip (besides the Poison Ivy). We rewarded ourselves by frolicking and wading in jacuzzi-type pools in front of our 3rd camp spot, a deep alcove, the rest of the afternoon.
The last day we hiked-splashed our way to the Escalante River. Found Petro-gylphs and our very faint trail up Micro Death Hollow. A steep mile up slickrock and we saw the truck waiting for us.
This was a fantastic trip because there had been no cows in Death Hollow for decades. Despite the temps in the 90's we stayed refreshed with the cleansing, clear Death Hollow stream.
The following day Death Hollow creek got deeper with huge swimming pools. The Narrows were challenging: we crawled onto a submerged narrow ledge over a deep pool while negotiating our backpacks under an overhang shelf. That was the only scary part of the trip (besides the Poison Ivy). We rewarded ourselves by frolicking and wading in jacuzzi-type pools in front of our 3rd camp spot, a deep alcove, the rest of the afternoon.
The last day we hiked-splashed our way to the Escalante River. Found Petro-gylphs and our very faint trail up Micro Death Hollow. A steep mile up slickrock and we saw the truck waiting for us.
This was a fantastic trip because there had been no cows in Death Hollow for decades. Despite the temps in the 90's we stayed refreshed with the cleansing, clear Death Hollow stream.