Bullet Canyon

[IntrepidXJ]

Arizona Strip & Southern Utah Wanderings | Day 8
Saturday, October 13, 2012

The Original Trip Report on ADVENTR.CO (http://adventr.co/2012/10/bullet-canyon/)

It rained again on Friday night. Not near as much as the previous night, but enough to make everything wet when we took down camp in the morning. Once we got our camp packed up into the Jeep and had a little breakfast, we drove over to the Bullet Canyon trailhead so we could start our hike for the day. Our main destinations for today would be Perfect Kiva and Jailhouse Ruin, but we would explore the canyon along the way, too.

About seven miles to Grand Gulch from here, but we weren't planning on going that far this time. I'm definitely going to have to check out the full canyon on a future backpacking trip.

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8335/8137097327_9edee37703_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/rlngstrt/8137097327/)
To Grand Gulch (http://www.flickr.com/photos/rlngstrt/8137097327/) by IntrepidXJ (http://www.flickr.com/people/rlngstrt/), on Flickr

Shortly after descending into Bullet Canyon from the rim, Jared spotted these pictographs.

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8326/8137237697_f9340c620d_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/rlngstrt/8137237697/)
White Pictographs (http://www.flickr.com/photos/rlngstrt/8137237697/) by IntrepidXJ (http://www.flickr.com/people/rlngstrt/), on Flickr

We also passed the remains of a tower up on the rim of the canyon.

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8196/8137126656_87b732ac95_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/rlngstrt/8137126656/)
Rim Tower (http://www.flickr.com/photos/rlngstrt/8137126656/) by IntrepidXJ (http://www.flickr.com/people/rlngstrt/), on Flickr

Jared was spotting the rock art left and right on this hike. He spotted these faint red pictographs on a small ledge above us.

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8045/8137127822_d2b7d392e4_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/rlngstrt/8137127822/)
Red Anthropomorph (http://www.flickr.com/photos/rlngstrt/8137127822/) by IntrepidXJ (http://www.flickr.com/people/rlngstrt/), on Flickr

Eventually the canyon opened up a bit, the hiking got easier, and there were plenty of nice campsites to be found.

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8055/8137101487_8d70212e0c_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/rlngstrt/8137101487/)
Bullet Canyon (http://www.flickr.com/photos/rlngstrt/8137101487/) by IntrepidXJ (http://www.flickr.com/people/rlngstrt/), on Flickr

The trail down Bullet Canyon.

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8328/8137129720_5b08564789_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/rlngstrt/8137129720/)
Bullet Trail (http://www.flickr.com/photos/rlngstrt/8137129720/) by IntrepidXJ (http://www.flickr.com/people/rlngstrt/), on Flickr

Soon we found ourselves climbing up to the large alcove that houses the Perfect Kiva. This rectangular room was found along the back wall of the alcove.

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8049/8137277878_d38489a88b_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/rlngstrt/8137277878/)
T-Door (http://www.flickr.com/photos/rlngstrt/8137277878/) by IntrepidXJ (http://www.flickr.com/people/rlngstrt/), on Flickr

The second Perfect Kiva we had visited in the same number of days.

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8055/8137255791_e929c12933_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/rlngstrt/8137255791/)
Perfect Kiva Entry (http://www.flickr.com/photos/rlngstrt/8137255791/) by IntrepidXJ (http://www.flickr.com/people/rlngstrt/), on Flickr

I climbed down the ladder into the kiva and was happy to find a nice beam of light shining through the opening to the floor. I took a few photos...

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8465/8137305545_3c7122f715_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/rlngstrt/8137305545/)
Kiva Ladder (http://www.flickr.com/photos/rlngstrt/8137305545/) by IntrepidXJ (http://www.flickr.com/people/rlngstrt/), on Flickr

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8196/8137305827_bee3e01c5c_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/rlngstrt/8137305827/)
Beam of Light (http://www.flickr.com/photos/rlngstrt/8137305827/) by IntrepidXJ (http://www.flickr.com/people/rlngstrt/), on Flickr

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8330/8138195201_6b8b47cb61_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/rlngstrt/8138195201/)
Light Beam (http://www.flickr.com/photos/rlngstrt/8138195201/) by IntrepidXJ (http://www.flickr.com/people/rlngstrt/), on Flickr

There were a few pictographs found on the back wall of the large alcove, too.

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8334/8137319946_d1437d9179_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/rlngstrt/8137319946/)
Small White Man (http://www.flickr.com/photos/rlngstrt/8137319946/) by IntrepidXJ (http://www.flickr.com/people/rlngstrt/), on Flickr

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8043/8137127392_4fdb9abe10_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/rlngstrt/8137127392/)
Red Hands (http://www.flickr.com/photos/rlngstrt/8137127392/) by IntrepidXJ (http://www.flickr.com/people/rlngstrt/), on Flickr

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8332/8137281783_b61b88777e_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/rlngstrt/8137281783/)
Red Paint (http://www.flickr.com/photos/rlngstrt/8137281783/) by IntrepidXJ (http://www.flickr.com/people/rlngstrt/), on Flickr

After leaving the kiva, we hiked just a little bit further down the canyon to visit the Jailhouse Ruins. You might be able to guess where the name comes from? I've never seen a window like this before which makes me wonder if this section of the wall has just fallen apart revealing the interior structure?

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8474/8137302199_2fa12d06b2_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/rlngstrt/8137302199/)
Jailhouse Window (http://www.flickr.com/photos/rlngstrt/8137302199/) by IntrepidXJ (http://www.flickr.com/people/rlngstrt/), on Flickr

An interior room at the Jailhouse site with a smoke-stained ceiling.

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8334/8137129096_cae73f5af2_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/rlngstrt/8137129096/)
Inside Room (http://www.flickr.com/photos/rlngstrt/8137129096/) by IntrepidXJ (http://www.flickr.com/people/rlngstrt/), on Flickr

Some painted designs and handprints on the ceiling above.

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8326/8137128498_079d186a5b_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/rlngstrt/8137128498/)
Jailhouse Design (http://www.flickr.com/photos/rlngstrt/8137128498/) by IntrepidXJ (http://www.flickr.com/people/rlngstrt/), on Flickr

When we were done visiting the Jailhouse Ruins we hiked back up the canyon to my Jeep and started the drive back home. We had completed yet another excellent October trip!

>> Bullet Canyon Photo Gallery (http://flic.kr/s/aHsjCDsNc8)

[peterb]

Amazing kiva...all original?

[IntrepidXJ]

Not this one. The roof has been replaced and the ladder is not original.

[BaitForTheBuzzards]

Love the kiva shots. The beam of light entering through the roof is very nice. What time of day did you shoot these?

[clikrf8]

Been lurking for sometime (over a year) getting trip reports via email. I just want to say that I really enjoy your adventures and photography. You have inspired me to return to the 4 corners next spring and do more exploring. Thanks for sharing. I especially like the shafts of light; well done.

[IntrepidXJ]

Been lurking for sometime (over a year) getting trip reports via email. I just want to say that I really enjoy your adventures and photography. You have inspired me to return to the 4 corners next spring and do more exploring. Thanks for sharing. I especially like the shafts of light; well done.

Thanks!

[ozwald]

Very, Very nice photography Randy. I (and probably everyone else on the site) love your trip reports and wanderings. Keep up the great work and keep the cool stuff coming. Thanks again. Oz....