Upper Paria-Hogeye-Hackberry-Yellow Rock

[RedRoxx]

My first TR for this website. I've been hiking in southern utah for over 12 years, first going to the parks, then the other fantastic lands of the Colorado Plateau. Hackberry Canyon now in the GSENM, was my first backpack in utah. So it has a special place in my heart.
Some hikers from Arizona were going up to hike around the upper Paria area and I decided to do a quick overnighter I had been wanting to get done. I have traveled up and down Hackberry, Upper and Lower Paria and Buckskin a couple of times, and never tire of this area.
I drove up from Tucson Fri after getting off work at noon, traffic cooperated and I car camped off the road just opposite Cottonwood Canyon road. Great view of the moon with Jupiter nearby showing as a slightly cream colored star. Gorgeous.
Up early the next day then drove to the Upper Paria TH, site of the old movie set, down to the river area and parked. A few campers and horse trailers around. I left a note on my windshield for the others; not sure of their plans but hoped to see some of them along the way.
I was traveling fairly light, no tent, no filter, just Aqua Mira and bleach for water treatment, and a couple of nights worth of food. I planned this loop, about 21 miles, as an overnighter but you can never tell what might happen.

I set out up the Paria, running just ankle deep, fast hiking in the broad flood plain, some sand slogging and no quicksand this time. It was cool but I soon warmed up and stripped down. I covered the approx 5 miles to the mouth of Hogeye canyon in what seemed a short time even with picture taking. Kitchen Creek flowed into the Paria carrying quite a silt load, the Paria itself was running a light gray in color and pretty clear. I turned up Hogeye, and immediately enjoyed the change of a narrow redwalled canyon. A little bushwacking, but nothing terrible. The walls were blood red in the reflected light, pretty with the backdrop of cottonwoods. A small spring fed stream flowed along the bottom, easy feet dry here. There were some delicate little waterfalls and then a larger rockfall. Go to the right and climb up for this; I went straight thru and had to take my pack off and squirm through.
The canyon is quite beautiful. The first spring is found, then the canyon is dry and sand bottomed. A little farther the second spring starts, it's flow is much less and I found some small pools to get water from. The canyon is now shallower and the walls are more buff colored and not as narrow. At the head, about 4 miles up Hogeye forks, the right is the main canyon. You have to ascend about a 15 foot dryfall to get to this point, no trouble. Once you make the turn, into the main canyon, you see massive sandstone buttes. A small sidecanyon gets you on white slickrock quickly and you hike steeply up to wrap around behind the prominent bluff. The views out are tremendous. Everything is white with some subtle yellows and red in the sandstone. Then head up past the impassable end of Hogeye out onto the mesa between Hackberry and Upper Paria; Lower Death Valley. Carlo Ridge rises to the south. I took a compass heading to a white whipped butte in the distance and hiked about a mile in the PJ terrain, that funnels down into a draw. No trails in this area except cow trails. Soon the draw becomes a wash and you have some dryfalls to negotiate, suddenly Sam Pollock arch is in front of you. It's a large marvelous white/buff colored arch with an alcove behind it. A deeper alcove/cave with some cowboy use and handy in bad weather is along the same wall as the arch.
I considered camping in the little cave but the sun was still high and the weather good. I continued on down the canyon, traversing along the wall past a pour off, watch your step here, then down the canyon sliding down boulders and squeezing past brush and rock. I finally make Hackberry's bottom, hike down a little, then set up camp under a huge cottonwood on a sand beach. About 12-13 miles for the day. I still had plenty of light and a nice supper and rigged my camp to avoid the wind that was kicking up off and on.
The next day I slept in a little, then down Hackberry, enjoying the little stream and watching the coming sun make the walls glow and the water red in some light. I met some dayhikers, but not part of my group, in the narrows. I love shooting in there as the wall colors in these narrows are the most amazing mosaic of colors, pastels, streaks, textures; it has it all, and walking in a gentle little stream.
I had time so out of Hackberry ascended the Yellow Rock trail, a grunt with a backpack, then took some pics at Yellow Rock, walking over it a little, before continuing on the Box trail to the Upper Paria. A section of the Box trail is littered with round river like rock-----several hundred feet above the Paria flood plain. So I guess these are "sea rocks".
I slogged back thru the Box to the Jeep. It was early afternoon and pretty warm. My note was gone but I didn't see any of my friends either. I know they had a good time.
This was a neat trip back to an area I consider a "home". I am still working on my pics and hope to have some up in a few days.

[RedRoxx]

Upper Paria looking toward Kitchen Canyon




In Hogeye







Sam Pollock arch





In Hackberry










Yellow Rock

[tanya]

Beautiful photos as usual

[accadacca]

Yep, stellar pix.

[Cirrus2000]

Fantastic - I was looking forward to the photos, after reading the write-up last night, and you certainly didn't disappoint! Sounds like a great trip. Thanks for sharing!

[Scott Card]

Very nice.... With all these TR's coming in, I am itching to get out. Darn all these soccer tournaments.

[Sombeech]

Gorgeous photos Thank you

[Shan]

I love it!

[Deathcricket]

Bah, that's not a good trip report....

That's a bonafied awesome hiking story!!! You should seriously consider writing a book or a collection of journals or something. Very nice writing style and easy to read.

I've not yet done an overnight camping experience like this, sheltered city slicker, I know. But the way you describe it makes me feel like I was almost there with ya. Hopefully, work will simmer down this summer and I can take the wife and kid out. Thanks for sharing!