Henry Mountains East

[Udink]

I'd been wanting to get out for a quick overnighter this past weekend, but nothing in the San Rafael Swell interested me. After reading Scott P's trip report from Crescent Creek, I started poking around that area in Google Earth and decided it would make for a nice couple of days. I ended up visiting Little Egypt on Friday evening and camped near Pysert's Hole. On Saturday, I checked out Crescent Creek and tried (unsuccessfully) getting to Bull Creek Pass. That afternoon I hiked up Leprechaun Canyon before heading home.

http://udink.org/geo/HenryMountainsEast.kmz


Little Egypt was small but interesting. One of the best formations was the also farthest from the road. I hiked a little under two miles and probably saw all there was to see there. Next I drove to some interesting-looking Morrison Formation hills. They'd looked awesome from above in Google Earth, but in person they weren't quite as cool. I drove toward my intended camp spot in Pysert's Hole, but one spot where the road followed the edge of the wash had been completely washed out more than a mile short of where I wanted to camp. The sun had already been down for quite some time and I didn't want to try finding somewhere else to camp in the dark, so I set up camp right there at the end of the road.

Little Egypt parking area


Little Egypt










Torrey blended in well at Little Egypt




Little Egypt with Mt. Hillers in the distance


Morrison Formation hills with Mt. Hillers behind






End of the road to Pysert's Hole


Camp near Pysert's Hole



I was disappointed not to get into Pysert's Hole, and early in the morning it was already pretty hot and I didn't want to make the boring hike to get to the good stuff in there. The bugs were really bad in the morning also, so I hurriedly packed up camp and hit the road looking for something else to do. I tried getting up Copper Creek to do some hiking, but the road was rough and faint and disappeared into the sagebrush before I got close enough to begin hiking. Instead, I checked out Crescent Creek. I'm sure I only saw a small fraction of what there is to see in Crescent Creek, but it was still a very interesting area. I hadn't originally planned on it, but after Crescent Creek I tried driving up into the Henry Mountains proper to Bull Creek Pass. As expected, I ran into some snow drifts less than a mile from the pass. The views from up there were great, and I only wish I'd have been able to peek off the west side toward the Capitol Reef area as well.


Inside a shallow adit in the South Fork of North Wash


Outhouse along Copper Creek


Disappearing road along Copper Creek


Stone cabin along Crescent Creek


Log cabin along Crescent Creek


Trail down into Crescent Creek


Bottom end of the Crescent Creek narrows


Crescent Creek narrows


Lecleed Spring turnoff


Crescent Creek above Lecleed Spring


Crescent Creek below Lecleed Spring


Mine workings and old bridge over Crescent Creek


Log bridge over Crescent Creek


Crescent Creek narrows


Road up Bromide Canyon


Climbing the road toward Bull Creek Pass


Panorama taken near the head of Butler Wash


Bull Mountain


Mt. Ellen


Getting into some snow drifts


This snow drift prevented me from going further



It was a stark contrast being stopped by snow drifts, then about an hour later being at the parking area at the bottom of Leprechaun Canyon with temps in the mid- to upper-80s. There was a vicious dog tied up (unattended) to a vehicle at the parking area that acted as though it wanted nothing more than to attack me and my dog. I was pissed that it was given a long enough lead that it could reach the road where people had to walk past to get into and out of the canyon. I passed a couple groups of canyoneers coming out of the canyon. I didn't quite make it to the bottom of the last rappel--there was a muddy puddle that I didn't want to walk through--but what I did see of the canyon was great. Someday I'll go back and do it from the top-down.


Parked at the lower end of Leprechaun Canyon


A fork in the canyon


Some light bushwhacking


Short narrows in the lower canyon






Snuffleupagus


Deeper into the canyon










Looking straight up









There are quite a few more photos here:

https://picasaweb.google.com/Dennis....yMountainsEast

Here's my blog entry with a bit more info:
http://udink.org/2011/06/13/henry-mountains-east/

[ibenick]

Very nice TR and pics. Can't believe someone tied their dog up and left them there. WTF.

[Jammer]

Nice write-up. I love your dog in in Little Egypt. Also, cool to see Crescent from this angle and pair it with Scott's earlier report.

That pool in Leprechaun is a lot smaller than just 3 weeks ago when I was there. Then it was really long and up to my waist... and definitely cold and muddy! Pic for reference:




<insert shivering emoticon>

- Jamal

[accadacca]

Coolness!

[gnwatts]

Nice TR and pics.

[Dr. Nebz]

Very nice! That looks like a sweet area where you can get variety of terrain in one trip. Very sick. Love the photos and the write up!

[rwpontius]

Good stuff Dennis, thank you for posting.
RP

[pigburner]

Nice pics! The Henry's look beautiful. And Leprechaun is a favorite stop of mine. The pool in the Subway section is new since last August.