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06-08-2010, 03:52 PM #1
4 days and 3 nights in the Coal Wash area
Thursday, June 3:
With the heat of summer fast approaching, I really wanted to get in one last camping trip to the San Rafael Swell, so I took last Friday off work and headed to the Coal Wash area on Thursday after work. My family and I camped just east of the Coal Wash staging area--it was a little wide-open, but it was close to all the action. After setting up camp, we had time for a short 4-wheeler ride before dusk, so we checked out the Yellow Seep area.
Our camp
Wildflowers on the trail
More wildflowers
Not much to see at Yellow Seep except for this old water trough
View east from Yellow Seep at sunset
View southeast
Friday, June 4:
The following morning we rode the Little Wedge loop, which follows the north rim of North Salt Wash, then the south rim of the San Rafael River, then follows the bottom of the Red Ledges back to Coal Wash. We stopped for a short 1.2-mile hike from the McCarty Canyon trailhead to the rim of North Salt Wash, and another 2-mile hike along a canyon that ends in a short slot before exiting above the San Rafael River. After lunch and again after dinner we spent some time less than half a mile from camp in North Salt Wash looking for frogs and enjoying the little oasis in the desert.
There were carpets of purple lupine all over the desert
View from the McCarty Canyon trailhead
North Salt Wash
Some flowers that I'd never seen before
A canyon that drains into the San Rafael River
A bend in the canyon ahead
View up-canyon
A tree in a sand-filled pothole
The very short narrows section
More narrows
The last bit of narrows before the canyon's end
View of the San Rafael River from the end of the canyon
More lupine along the Red Ledges
Looking for frogs in North Salt Wash near camp
Bradley holding a frog
A frog
Torrey hunting water skeeters
Frog eggs
The family in North Salt Wash at dusk
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06-08-2010 03:52 PM # ADS
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06-08-2010, 03:53 PM #2
Saturday, June 5:
The next day was the big ride--the Coal Wash loop. We did the loop counter-clockwise: from camp to the South Fork of Coal Wash, Eva Conover Road, Secret Mesa, Eagle Canyon, Swasey's Cabin, Head of Sinbad, Devil's Racetrack, North Fork of Coal Wash, and back to camp. It was a long day, with about 10 hours on the trail and covering over 50 miles.
Ready to leave camp
Splashing through North Coal Wash
The Drips
Hiking through a short canyon near the Drips
Coal Wash Fork
Looking at tadpoles in the South Fork of Coal Wash
Near the north end of the Eva Conover Road
Desert bighorn near the Eva Conover Road
Another bighorn sheep near the Eva Conover Road
View north toward Joe and his Dog
The south end of the Eva Conover Road on Secret Mesa
Lunch spot on Secret Mesa
View of the Eagle Canyon bridges
Under the bridges
Eagle Canyon Arch
A tree in the Ice Box near Swasey's Cabin
Me, the boys, and Torrey in the Ice Box
Swasey's Cabin
Dutchman Arch
Devil's Racetrack
A nice overlook along Devil's Racetrack
Three-wheel motion
Winching up a really ugly spot on Devil's Racetrack
The series of ledges we had to winch up
Twin Priests along Devil's Racetrack
Slipper Arch
Joe and his Dog
Finally at the end of Devil's Racetrack
Sunday, June 6:
On our last day there, we took it easy and went for a short ride and hike to a degree confluence (N 39
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06-09-2010, 10:42 AM #3
Wow! What a great trip! Epic win!
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06-09-2010, 02:46 PM #4
Sweet pictures. I have done Devils Racetrack several times but never from the top down always from the bottom up. I don't have a winch and could never imagine getting up that one spot It has given me enough trouble the other way.
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