Laccolith Tour | La Sal Mountains

August 21-22, 2010

Since Amanda had to work this weekend and I didn't want to travel too far from home, I headed out to explore the La Sal Mountains as part of my Laccolith Tour this year. I have been to the La Sals a number of times before, so I have driven most of the main trails, so my goal this trip was to explore some new ones. From my house I headed up Unaweep Canyon to Gateway and then took John Brown Canyon up into the foothills of the La Sals.

Before getting started on my first trail, I stopped along the Castleton-Gateway Road and found some dinosaur footprints that I knew were in the area.

The best print
http://www.myxj.net/g2/d/178795-2/IMG_2408.jpg

One filled with some dirt with the other one in the background
http://www.myxj.net/g2/d/178798-2/IMG_2414.jpg

Overlook near the dino prints
http://www.myxj.net/g2/d/178801-2/IMG_2426.jpg

My next destination was to check out the trail on Fisher Mesa. This one had been on my to-do list for a while.....
http://www.myxj.net/g2/d/178744-2/IMG_2612.jpg

Along the trail I stopped and made a short hike to a geocache that was hidden near an old cabin on the rim of Fisher Mesa
http://www.myxj.net/g2/d/178804-2/IMG_2447.jpg

Great view from the old cabin
http://www.myxj.net/g2/d/178807-2/IMG_2450.jpg

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An open area of the mesa, looking over Castle Valley in the distance
http://www.myxj.net/g2/d/178816-2/IMG_2491.jpg

http://www.myxj.net/g2/d/178702-2/IMG_2516.jpg

A little further along the trail I got to drive under this large overhanging rock
http://www.myxj.net/g2/d/178705-2/IMG_2523.jpg

I wouldn't want to be under it when it finally comes down....
http://www.myxj.net/g2/d/178714-2/IMG_2534.jpg

http://www.myxj.net/g2/d/178717-2/IMG_2536.jpg

View from the end of the trail
http://www.myxj.net/g2/d/178723-2/IMG_2548.jpg

http://www.myxj.net/g2/d/178726-2/IMG_2555.jpg

Heading back
http://www.myxj.net/g2/d/178732-2/IMG_2576.jpg

From another overlook along the trail
http://www.myxj.net/g2/d/178735-2/IMG_2580.jpg

Fisher Towers
http://www.myxj.net/g2/d/178738-2/IMG_2588.jpg

Next I took the La Sal Mountains Loop Road around to Warner Lake
http://www.myxj.net/g2/d/178747-2/IMG_2633.jpg

Warner Lake
http://www.myxj.net/g2/d/178750-2/IMG_2641.jpg

Reflection
http://www.myxj.net/g2/d/178753-2/IMG_2667.jpg

Then I headed up to Geyser Pass
http://www.myxj.net/g2/d/178756-2/IMG_2678.jpg

Making my way to the Burro Pass trailhead
http://www.myxj.net/g2/d/178759-2/IMG_2683.jpg

On my way down to the Taylor Flats Road
http://www.myxj.net/g2/d/178762-2/IMG_2702.jpg

Since I was unable to top off my fuel in Gateway earlier that day, I needed to stop in Moab for some gas and I grabbed a bite to eat while I was there, too. Then I followed the Sand Flats Road back up into the La Sals.

View from the Castle Valley overlook along the way
http://www.myxj.net/g2/d/178765-2/IMG_2723.jpg

Driving through the burn area in Pinhook Valley
http://www.myxj.net/g2/d/178768-2/IMG_2741.jpg

http://www.myxj.net/g2/d/178774-2/IMG_2758.jpg

Memorial at the end of the Pinhook Battleground Road for those who were massacred by Indians in 1881
http://www.myxj.net/g2/d/178777-2/IMG_2771.jpg

I decided at the last minute that I wanted to hike around the Fisher Towers in the morning, so it might be a good idea to camp there for the night. As I was heading to the towers, I caught a glimpse of the glowing mountain and mesa behind me in my rear-view mirror, so I had to stop and take a few photos.

http://www.myxj.net/g2/d/178780-2/IMG_2782.jpg

Adobe Mesa glowing bright orange
http://www.myxj.net/g2/d/178783-2/IMG_2788.jpg

http://www.myxj.net/g2/d/178786-2/IMG_2808.jpg

When I arrived at the Fisher Towers, the moon was shining between them
http://www.myxj.net/g2/d/178792-2/IMG_2833.jpg

After a good nights sleep I did some hiking around the towers before heading out

Hoodoo silhouette
http://www.myxj.net/g2/d/178870-2/IMG_2863.jpg

After completing the hike and making it back to my Jeep, I was going to take the Onion Creek Road back up into the La Sals. Those plans were changed when I reached this...
http://www.myxj.net/g2/d/178819-2/IMG_2871.jpg

Apparently this road was washed out by the recent storm, too.

Instead I took a few short side roads in Castle Valley
http://www.myxj.net/g2/d/178825-2/IMG_2886.jpg

http://www.myxj.net/g2/d/178828-2/IMG_2892.jpg

..and then a few more short trails near Willow Basin that all seemed to end at private property before making my way up to Polar Mesa.

There was a large field of sunflowers I passed through right before the climb to Polar Mesa, so I took a few photos.

http://www.myxj.net/g2/d/178834-2/IMG_2918.jpg

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Plenty of old mining relics on Polar Mesa
http://www.myxj.net/g2/d/178846-2/IMG_2943.jpg

Nice view from the end of the mesa, too
http://www.myxj.net/g2/d/178849-2/IMG_2955.jpg

Before heading home I did a little exploring on North Beaver Mesa, but the storm clouds started rolling in, so I started heading home after that.

http://www.myxj.net/g2/d/178858-2/IMG_2971.jpg

http://www.myxj.net/g2/d/178861-2/IMG_2978.jpg

It was a nice weekend exploring some new trails close to home.

Holy COW. You did a weeks worth of trip over the weekend. Thanks for sharing an area I have never been off pavement in.

:2thumbs: :clap:

Nice report Randy, how many miles do you have on the Rubi already?

Over 16,000....