Escalante from Hwy 12 to Coyote

[norcalhiker]

Hi, seeking some beta!

I'd like to walk from the highway on down the river to Crack in the Wall. Not finding too much information on it!

What's the mileage? I hear that it can be pretty tough bushwhacking and rock hopping. I'm not a hugely comfortable with climbing moves and my research indicates that I won't have any of that. Correct? How's the entrance out of the Escalante at the end? Isn't there a climbing move or three?

Any predictions on river conditions the first week of May? I now that people boat this.. but I'd like to walk it

What are the challenges? Where are they?

I'm an experienced long distance hiker (30 mile days on trail no problem), but I do realize that canyon country can be hard!

Beta found:
bogley.com/forum/showthread.php?30363-Utah-May-2008-Escalante-River

davidloome.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=104:e scalante-river-canyon-100-mile-hike-and-swim-may-2009&catid=55:2009&Itemid=87

Sounds awesome right??

[Byron]

Yeah, it's awesome, all right. When I hike in the desert I only pay attention to "miles" when I'm on the flats. Otherwise, forget it. Experience and the terrain will determine how many "miles" you travel. The whole thing is a walk down, generally. The exit at crack in the wall is a walk up, you may have to haul your pack up with a rope. It's about 25 feet, If I remember correct. You may have high water, so be prepared to get very wet. You would have to wade frequently anyway. I can't tell you how long it would take you. I did it many years ago in 6 nights. Go for it, but be prepared. There's no one to save your ass until you get south of Harris Wash, at least.

Have you done any hiking along the river before? If not, then do a shorter version for experience. Try going in at Scorpion Gulch. Two nights should do it and you'll get a real feel for the place. Walk, swim, wade, climb over rocks, zig zag around boulders, rinse and repeat. That's about it.

[norcalhiker]

Good tips!

I've walked the upper stretch of the Escalante, and have perhaps 25 days in similar canyons, but I've never been into the stretch that I'm aiming for. I've four or five trips off of hole-in-the-rock though. I have a feel for the experience, and some of what I've learned is that it can be quite difficult.

It sounds like there is little or no technical scrambling, just hard travel? I'm definitely prepared to get wet, but swimming swift currents isn't my idea of fun.

Are there pour offs in the main stem? Does one stay down close to the river the whole way or are you forced onto high steep side hills like a traverse of the Grand Canyon?

Thanks!

[Byron]

What you've experience so far is the same as what you'll get the whole way. Lots of scrambling close to the river. NO DROPOFFS. Maybe bring a short rope to lower packs in case you have to detour around a nasty pool, but otherwise you won't have to climb high above the river at any point. The nature of the canyon changes significantly below Scorpion. It gets deeper and you'll be dodging more boulders.
You make the call on the water level. Remember you'll be crossing many, many times...Go there and see how it feels. Perhaps pick up Mike Kelsey "Canyon Hiking Guide to the Colorado Plateau". It has most of the trails leading off the Hole in the Rock road to the Escalante. You can hike in from Fence Canyon to the river in just a couple hours, have a look around and make the call on whether to go for it from the bridge.

If you're nervous about all this then I highly suggest the "probing" hikes I've described above to calm you. Unless you only have so much time and you have to dive right in. Remember that if you take off from the bridge, after just one day you'll have a feel for the rest of it. If it sucks, just head back to the car...

[norcalhiker]

Thank you!

Sounds like a standard beautiful canyon hike. I feel like there are plenty of options. I can turn around, or bail out one of the side canyons.

I'll be hitching on Hole in the Rock at the end of my hike. Please pick me up

Trip reports are still highly welcome!

[Jammer]

It's 75 river miles down to Coyote Gulch. Some streches are easy as you go behind the brush around major bends, other stretches are downright tough with water crossings and deep brush with Russian Olive trees. If you have a big pack, the brush is a nightmare. For many stretches just walking down the river is your best bet -- assumming it's not running too high. Deep water is usually fairly rare, but I've hit a few spots before where I've had to get in up to my waist. 15 miles a day I think would be ambitious plan. I highly recommend saving a LOT of time to explore some of the side canyons.

- Jamal

[norcalhiker]

Any info as to what flows this hike is doable at? Does it go at 100cfs?

I've been looking at historical flow data. It's highly variable for my dates! What's the snowpack like this year? Any guesses for when melt will peek?

[Scott P]

This year you should be fine with water levels. It will probably peak in early May this year, but runoff will probably be well below normal.

Keep in mind that much (not all) of it is a miserable hike (unless the floods of 2006 reamed it out enough). This is especially true between Scorpion Gulch and Coyote Gulch. Also keep in mind that by hiking the 75 miles along the river (I'd plan on 10 days) you are going to be missing some great stuff. The best part of the Escalante region is the side canyons. If you are hiking the river and only have say 10 days to spare, you are going to spend most of your time in the miserable parts and missing out on all the really good stuff.

I think Steve Allen said it best (some text shortened):

Over the years, I have come to realize that as wonderful as the Escalante Country is, the worst part is the river itself. Contantly wading over slippery boulders, groveling up steep river banks, fighting off biting insects (and this year they will come early-I would expect early May to be horsefly/gnat season) and long stretches of bushwhacking. I wince at the numbers of young me and women I run into along the river. It is a rare group that is having fun. More often, their feet look like raw hamburger and their clothes are ripped and torn. After a few days they no longer marvel at the splendor of the vertical walls or take time to explore side canyons. Their heads are down and they only want to make it to camp. My brother's wife is typical. She hiked the length of the Escalante from Calf Creek to Fortymile with a university group many years ago. It was her last backpack trip; the physical discomfort outweighed the granduer of the area and it ruined her love of long hikes.

The Escalante area is spectacular and one of the best areas in the world, but sticking to the river hike is a poor choice IMHO. There are so many better long backpacking trips to be had in the area, including ones that incorporate sections of the river without the entire river. Steve Allen's Canyoneering 3 is great if you can find it. Kelsey's Non-Technical Guide to the Colorado Plateau is pretty good for the area, but is more in tune to day hikes. You can combine them into loop hikes though.

The Egypt/25 Mile Loop, for example is a great backpack with lots to explore along the way. Silver Falls to Choprock too. For more excitement, you can combine Little Death Hollow with Silver Falls or Choprock, etc. If it really is the river hike you want, consider hiking down from Calf Creek and exiting at Harris Wash, Egypt or 25 Mile. I haven't done the section between 25 Mile and Scorpion so can't comment. I do know though that much of the river between Scorpion (actually below Scorpion; haven't been down Scorpion yet because of poison ivy) and Coyote is (or at least used to be-floods do occasionaly clean things out) really miserable. We did it one March when it was too cold to stick in the river the entire time. In May, the water will be warmer and you may be able to just stay in the river and avoid the bushwhacking.

I've walked the upper stretch of the Escalante

If you mean Escalante to Calf Creek, then it bears little similarity to much of the rest of the river, IMHO.

[Byron]

Good post, Scott. I hiked the whole thing back in '93, before they chased all the cows out. It was actually pretty easy because of the trails. I know it's more of a bushwhack now, especially from The Gulch to Harris Wash. Indeed, the flood of '06 made it more of a boulder hop from Scorpion (where the Wingate starts to dive deep) to Coyote. In my posts above I'm also trying to steer him into the side canyons (loops) rather than the whole thing, but hey, It's a free world.

Norcal, I would buy one of the books mentioned by Scott and go in at Fence and out at Scorpion. A nice little primer for ya. Hitchhiking? Is this a solo trip?

[norcalhiker]

Good advice gentlemen. I have Allen's book on the way and haven't been helped terribly by Kelsey's for this trip.

What's a 65-100 mile trip (pretty much anywhere in the region) that I can access with a rental car? I will indeed be going solo. I'm also a glutton for suffering and have 8,000+ miles underfoot. If I had time, I'd be off on a solo Hayduke Trail thruhike. Not this year. In short, I like risk and challenge. There is no danger in me giving up backpacking because a trip was hard.

I like that few people recommend walking the Escalante. I see from packrafter's reports that the terrain looks manageable and stunningly beautiful. And, there are clearly people that have walked the route.

What do you mean by "really miserable"? What's the area below Scorpion like? Boulders and brush I hear. The entire way? No "respite"? Just thrashing through brush 100% of the time? I'm someone who LOVES talus fields. What's different or more miserable about these boulders?

Still, I'm VERY open to alternative long hike suggestions! Looking forward to getting Allen's book..

I'd happily head to Choprock etc but I believe those trailheads don't work in a rental car.

[mtnman]

I'd happily head to Choprock etc but I believe those trailheads don't work in a rental car.

Might be a good idea to rent an SUV. High clearance will be very nice because those Escalante roads can get nasty in a hurry.

[norcalhiker]

Can't and won't rent an SUV for various reasons. I'm on a 2K mile 2.5 week road trip and it'd be much more expensive.

[Scott P]

What's a 65-100 mile trip (pretty much anywhere in the region) that I can access with a rental car?

Escalante South Loop in Allen’s book comes to mind and will be far superior than sticking to the river. You can make it even longer by extending in into places like Cow, Fence, Long and Bowns Canyon and even exploring over on top of and along the eastern base of the Waterpocket Fold. This will be way better in terms of scenery, excitement and enjoyment than sticking to the river.

His Escalante North Loop crosses or meets too many well used roads to be a viable backpack IMHO. It’s not worth hiking in its entirety for this reason.

As mentioned earlier, the side canyons of the Escalante are the real gems of the Escalante River country. Maximize time there and minimize time along the river.

Other areas I’d consider are the Aztec Creek/Forbidding Canyon area or Mancos Mesa.

We spent 8 days in the Aztec Creek/Forbidding Canyon are and really only saw a smattering of what was there. There are endless side canyons to explore, endless routes to explore, hidden pictographs to find and you can walk the benches all the way to Cathedral Canyon and beyond. You could easily spend weeks there. You will have to do some road walking to get there in a rental car, but not that much road walking.

Mancos Mesa is one of the most remote regions of the Colorado Plateau and also has an endless supply of canyons to explore and more to explore on the way out there as well. Hidden ruins too. Water isn’t as plentiful as places like Aztec Creek. You would need at least a week to explore.

Any of the choices above will be far superior to sticking along the Escalante River.

I see from packrafter's reports that the terrain looks manageable and stunningly beautiful.

It still will be beautiful, but if you stick to the river, you will miss the most beautiful parts of all.

And, there are clearly people that have walked the route.

Only once and I’ve never heard of anyone doing it twice.

What do you mean by "really miserable"?

Bushwhacking, missing the best scenery (though still good scenery), bugs. Fine kayak/raft/pack raft trip in high water years though.

Boulders and brush I hear. The entire way? No "respite"? Just thrashing through brush 100% of the time?

Basically, yes (unless the floods of 06 took them out).

I'd happily head to Choprock etc but I believe those trailheads don't work in a rental car.

You can probably get to most of those trailheads with a rental car. On the west side, not the Scorpion Gulch Trailhead though and probably not Egypt either. On the east die, you could probably get to the areas to do a Choprock loop though (check for current conditions).

[Jammer]

Sounds like you are up for adventure!

Just to make sure... are you comfortable navigating cross-country w/o any trails? I met two guys on the Hayduke once who were surprised how there was no trail for long streches. They were expecting AT/PCT trail and signage. One needs to plan water stops a little more carefully too in many stetches of southern Utah.

Honestly -- I'd park at either Hwy 12 or Deer Creek or The Gulch (all paved) and take Allen's book with you and just set out to do some massive loop weaving in and out of the canyons. This way you can really make up the plan as you go based on weather, daily mileage and what you enjoy. Something like down Deer/Boulder Creek, down Escalante, up Harris, across Red Breaks into the Lower Gulch and back up would be a good sampler.

Read Allen -- then you will have plenty of options!

- Jamal

[reflection]

To Norcalhiker. I appreciate your interest in the Escalante region - my favorite place to walk, trek and travel in the spring and late fall. Decades back when the cow trails were still around (alluded to by other posters) one could, with much effort, make one's way down some/much of the Escalante. In the past decade I've been from the town of Escalante to Hwy 12, and from there down to Deer Ck. The Gulch and Horse Canyon (on various this and that way trips). From there it's down to Harris Wash/Silver Falls Ck., then to Choprock, 25 Mile Wash and then a long way to Scorpion and then Coyote. (I've traveled many parts of that corridor also (ouch).If you are intent on pulling it off, I'd take a raft, carry your gear in that, float and pull (low water yr. this May) and then travel and camp in side canyons. The pleasure and joy of such a trip would fade and falter after a couple of days thrashing in willow, russian olive, steep stream banks, boulders and crossings. Were you a close friend I'd recommend other horizons. A 3-4 day trip cross the Boulder Mail Trail (Boulder to Escalante) Or from the Boulder side to Death Hollow and down; then maybe the river walk back to Calf Creek. Another option; a trip down Boulder Ck. to Deer Ck. to the river, up to Phipps, then back up to Calf Creek. The quality of those experiences, particularly the travel and scenery, would far eclipse a tiresome slog down the river. If you are dialed in or locked in from A-B though, I'd consider other escape options; as I'd expect high probability that you would bail after 3-6 days. To me it's not a matter of being tough, but rather being efficient, understanding a region and connecting with it, and then really enjoying it. The river has some beautiful spots and corridors yes, but it's passage (to a hiker) is a tortured, tangled and tiresome endeavor that carrys little long term joy. Want a book re Escalante. Look at Rudy's classic route tome in minimalist black and white. Kelsey splashes more info in his texts and Allen even more in his Escalante curtain pulling pages.