HITR Cottonwood Canyon, 09'

[xjblue]

Which Cottonwood Canyon? It's a popular name around here. This one branches off the Colorado arm of Lake Powell opposite the Hole in the Rock and was the means for that namesake expedition to get thier wagons back out of the Colorado River gorge.



It's hot and lonely country. The reason nobody does the Hole In The Rock Trail in August. Ok, almost nobody, but some good friends just had to experience it once. I agreed to tag along only if we did some hiking. I always wanted to hike from the end of the trail down to Lake Powell and on a couple previous trips wasn't able to fit that hike in the tight schedule. August? What was I thinking? Some good sweating to get back in shape?



View from camp with a distant goal for the mornings hike in the background.



Remotely situated opposite the distant, famous, historic Hole in the Rock.



Anticipating an early start I was awake pre-dawn snapping some short star trails.



My good friend Alex leading off, we made good time hiking down from Aladdin's Lamp Pass, quickly passing the marvels of wagon road engineering known as the Little Hole In the Rock, Cottonwood Hill, and a crazy steep sand hill all of which evokes wonder at how they ever got wagons up that way. Once we reached the floor of Cottonwood Canyon evidence of the historic trail all but disappeared and the bushwhacking and route-finding began.



Rare section of bare rock



Another rare respite, regular desert wash section, wasn't the norm.



A more representative scene showing some of the bushwacking we had just pushed through.



Running in to lake water at last.



Time for an early brunch in the shade by the shore.



The heat of an August day started to bear down and having had our fill of bushwhacking we changed strategy for our return hike, following a bench trail up-canyon.




The tradeoff now was deep sidecanyons to navigate around or scramble through.



We opted to scramble through.
Looking back at our route down one ledge.



Finally arriving back at the sand hill it was one foot in front of the other, then Cottonwood hill loomed large. Only the thought of cold drinks in the coolers waiting above kept us moving. Every tiny shade patch would be a rest stop.

If I ever do that one again, maybe from the lake via boat.

[oldno7]

Ahh, nice report, I was in there a couple of weeks ago, my venture was way less tiring than yours.(from the lake)

[accadacca]

Great report and photos! Nice job!

[xjblue]

Ahh, nice report, I was in there a couple of weeks ago, my venture was way less tiring than yours.(from the lake)

From the lake sounds nice Thanks.

Great report and photos! Nice job!

Thank you.