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Thread: Cedar Mesa

  1. #1

    Cedar Mesa

    Anyone want to spill the beans on some cool ruins in Cedar Mesa? I'll be down with the family in a couple weeks and we are looking for something new to explore.

    All thoughts and ideas are welcome....


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  3. #2
    Zions the "s" is silent trackrunner's Avatar
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    I heard this site has some good beta on cedar mesa.

    climb-utah.com

  4. #3
    Quote Originally Posted by trackrunner
    climb-utah.com


    Believe it or not.... I've already been to those places.... I know a guy who has a friend that knows this other guy that hooked me up with the CoF.

    Actually.... some of the best Cedar Mesa stuff on Climb Utah came from members of Bogley.


  5. #4
    Bogley BigShot oldno7's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Iceaxe
    Quote Originally Posted by trackrunner
    climb-utah.com


    Actually.... some of the best Cedar Mesa stuff on Climb Utah came from members of Bogley.
    I'll second that thought. There are some on here that are extremely knowledgeable of the area.

  6. #5
    I don't know what places you have already been, so here's some I'm guessing you may not have seen.

    Bowdie Canyon (needs an overnighter)-but just outside Cedar Mesa
    Three Fingers Ruin/Hammond Canyon
    Hotel Rock
    East Fork Arch Canyon
    Upper White Canyon has lots of neat stuff as does Upper Armstrong
    Big Man Pictograph
    Todie Canyon
    Green Mask
    West Fork Johns
    Pine Canyon

    All those are nice places and enough to keep you busy a while.

  7. #6
    Quote Originally Posted by Scott P
    needs an overnighter
    Thanks for the ideas Scott....

    One thing to keep in mind.... I'll be with the hot young wife.... She is really a good sport about tromping through the woods and hanging from the end of ropes.... but if you want to keep her happy you will make sure she has a nice motel room and that you are back in time to hit happy hour at the local pub.....


  8. #7
    Bogley BigShot oldno7's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Iceaxe
    Quote Originally Posted by Scott P
    needs an overnighter
    Thanks for the ideas Scott....

    One thing to keep in mind.... I'll be with the hot young wife.... She is really a good sport about tromping through the woods and hanging from the end of ropes.... but if you want to keep her happy you will make sure she has a nice motel room and that you are back in time to hit happy hour at the local pub.....

    Those are not unreasonable request's

  9. #8
    Looking back through some of the old TR's posted by Brewhaha on Bogley I think we might try to hit

    Doll House


    Lewis Lodge


    Any more ideas or thoughts?


  10. #9
    Brewhaha and denaliguide - those are the guys to hit up, since Scott P has already posted! Man, those guys know their stuff...


  11. #10
    I PM'ed you Ice.
    The gostak distims the doshes.

  12. #11
    Thanks for the ideas Scott....

    One thing to keep in mind.... I'll be with the hot young wife.... She is really a good sport about tromping through the woods and hanging from the end of ropes.... but if you want to keep her happy you will make sure she has a nice motel room and that you are back in time to hit happy hour at the local pub.....
    Actually those are all day hikes with the exception of Bowdie.

    In fact, most are short day hikes. Other than Bowdie, Hammond Canyon/Three Fingers ruin is 9 miles round trip and Big Man Pictograph is 11 miles route trip, but all the rest listed are pretty short day hikes.

  13. #12
    Some pics of the Bowdie Kivas, and the Fortress in Fable Valley. If you take the short cut Bowdie can be done in one day, but there are other ruins all through. The Fortress can be done in a long day...lot to see there as well. Pictographs are not on Cedar Mesa but are well the best there is...........

    Bowdie Canyon - PourOff Kiva



    Bowdie Canyon Area


    Fable Valley - Fortress






    Pictographs South of Kanab





  14. #13
    My avatar is of my youngest son at hotel rock. How do you hike in there in a short day? It is a pretty good jaunt in a jeep. That and arch canyon are nice. I need to spend some time down there. Those pictures are amazing.

    Mark

  15. #14
    My avatar is of my youngest son at hotel rock. How do you hike in there in a short day?
    There are several ways to hike up there in a short day. From the mouth of Arch Canyon you can follow the track near the north rim of Arch Canyon to Hotel Rock. It's an easy 3 miles each way, shorter if you drive part of it.

    You can also hike up right from the east and Comb Wash. It's only two miles each way, but takes navigation skills.

    Both these routes are short day hikes for most.

    The best way however, if you like a little adventure and a more rugged alternative (Plus a longer hike) is to use the little north fork of Arch Canyon. There are some neat ruins up there as well. You can then come down the rfirst route mentioned above, but that's a 8.5 mile trip. Still there is some good stuff along the way.

  16. #15
    Zions the "s" is silent trackrunner's Avatar
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    Looks like I need to plan a trip in the fall



  17. #16
    I was just going to ask about Hotel Rock....

    Several questions...

    First it looks like I can just drive to the ruin if I come off of Milk Point. Which will not be that bad since I'm planning to hit Lewis Lodge which is in the same neighborhood.... so my question... is that possible and how tough is the road? Can I get there in my pretty 4x4 without dinging or scratching?

    And it appears there are two trailheads. The most popular being the one at the mouth of Arch Canyon?

    And in MK's new hiking book there is a second one listed... I think... his crap is so confusing it gives my a headache trying to decipher it and the trail is not show on his tiny tiny map...

    FWIW: here is a map I found on the interwebs
    http://www.fototime.com/12FFE0826BD5B0F/orig.gif

    Recommendations for the best way to visit Hotel Rock?



  18. #17
    First it looks like I can just drive to the ruin if I come off of Milk Point. Which will not be that bad since I'm planning to hit Lewis Lodge which is in the same neighborhood.... so my question... is that possible and how tough is the road? Can I get there in my pretty 4x4 without dinging or scratching?
    I've never tried that route (from the north), but unless the track has been improved at the time we visited I wouldn't take a stock full sized pickup up the track from the south and from the mouth of Arch Canyon (at least not a new one you didn't want to possible bang up). Even if you did manage to get a big truck up there, you could have walked it faster than to drive it.

    That was a few years ago though, so maybe someone has an update. It could be better now (or not). Back then the track wasn't used much and we didn't know one was there until the return.

    I have no info on the route from the north, but I would guess it might be less rough.

    And it appears there are two trailheads. The most popular being the one at the mouth of Arch Canyon?

    And in MK's new hiking book there is a second one listed... I think... his crap is so confusing it gives my a headache trying to decipher it and the trail is not show on his tiny tiny map...
    I see only one route on MK's map/desciption.

    Recommendations for the best way to visit Hotel Rock?
    As mentioned, it depends on how much adventure and what type of activity you want.

    As mentioned there are ruins in the nearby in the canyon to the left, so it makes a good and scenic route, but it is rugged.

    If you want the easy way in you could walk in from the mouth of Arch.

    If you want a rough drive (if it is legal to drive) you could come in from the mouth of Arch.

    Comb Wash is the shortest way in without driving the track, but it's really not faster than the route from the mouth of arch.

  19. #18
    We came in to Lewis Lodge TH from the north in a extended cab, extended bed truck. No digging but it was rough dropping down off of Milk Ranch. We swore that the next time we would only come in on 4-wheelers.
    The gostak distims the doshes.

  20. #19
    Quote Originally Posted by Brewhaha
    We came in to Lewis Lodge TH from the north in a extended cab, extended bed truck. No digging but it was rough dropping down off of Milk Ranch. We swore that the next time we would only come in on 4-wheelers.
    I've been told to just park at the top of Milk Point and walk down to the Lewis Lodge Trailhead. Time wise I'm told you can walk the road as fast as you can drive it. Sound reasonable?


    Quote Originally Posted by Scott P
    I see only one route on MK's map/desciption.
    Correct.... and if you read the actual route description you will note the trailhead he suggests is 2.7 niles north of the Arch Canyon TH everyone else uses.

    So if I understand Hotel Rock correctly I'll probably see a heard of ATV rides enjoying the route? If that's true I might hike elsewhere. Let the ATV guys enjoy Hotel Rock and I'll go where they can't.

    .

  21. #20
    Correct.... and if you read the actual route description you will note the trailhead he suggests is 2.7 niles north of the Arch Canyon TH everyone else uses.
    No, Arch Canyon is actually 2.7 miles from Highway 95 rather another 2.7 miles from Arch Canyon. The directions could have been written better.

    So if I understand Hotel Rock correctly I'll probably see a heard of ATV rides enjoying the route? If that's true I might hike elsewhere. Let the ATV guys enjoy Hotel Rock and I'll go where they can't.
    Not when I went and the track was obscure at best, but with the increase in ATV's, I wouldn't know how it is now.

    Anyway, all the other suggestions would have zero chance of running into vehicles.

    To break it down by catagory:

    Overnighter

    Bowdie Canyon (as mentioned you could take the shortcut and see one of the ruins in one long day, but it would be a shame not to see the rest of lower Bowdie. Waterfalls, pools, ruins and highly beautiful in the middle and lower sections-the upper end above the confluence isn't as good, so the shortcut route is better).

    Pretty long day

    Big Man Pictograph
    Three Fingers Ruin/Hammond Canyon

    Moderate Day (length wise)

    Upper White Canyon
    Upper Armstrong Canyon
    Todie Canyon
    Green Mask

    Half Day

    East Fork Arch Canyon
    Hotel Rock
    West Fork Johns (could be made longer)
    Pine Canyon

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