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Thread: Shortcut to Cliff

  1. #1

    Shortcut to Cliff

    I just returned from a well deserved and enjoyable vacation...although dodging snow, rain, mud and cold winds between the nice days was quite a challenge.

    One of the trips I did was a shortcut to the top of the southern end of the Waterpocket Fold. I've been up there many times, mostly coming in from either Coyote or Scorpion on a multi-day backpack or the airfield route at Halls Creek. The Halls route will get you up there in two nights, but I decided to try something different to get me up there in one.

    So I parked on the Bullfrog/Notom road, just up from the switchbacks above Bullfrog Creek and made my way cross country to the edge of the cliff on the east side of Hall's just upstream of Miller's canyon. There is a route through there, but it's tricky to find...especially from above.

    Anyway...the cross country trek only took 2.5 hours, which is considerably faster than the airfield route. From there, it took half an hour to go downstream to the upclimb...just past the mouth of Happy Dog slot. The climb to the top took 3 hours. It's pretty cool getting up there in just one day!!!! So I stayed the night and back to the truck the next morning. Excellent!
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  3. #2
    Nice--very nice! I love the "pretty rocks" you found.
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  4. #3
    Nice, and a cool area.
    Utah is a very special and unique place. There is no where else like it on earth. Please take care of it and keep the remaining wild areas in pristine condition. The world will be a better place if you do.

  5. #4

  6. #5
    Quote Originally Posted by Sombeech View Post
    Nice, a solo trip?
    Yeah...the longtime girlfriend and I hit the skids a while back, and my long time (20+ years) hiking buddy has become a raging, unreliable alcoholic. Also, because I'm self employed I can take off on these things with short notice...so friends being able to come with me at the drop of a hat is rare. Usually when I hike with friends it's planned well in advance.

    Solo hiking is fine, but having company is much preferable...especially when discoveries are made.
    The end of the world for some...
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  7. #6
    Quote Originally Posted by Udink View Post
    Nice--very nice! I love the "pretty rocks" you found.
    Indeed, the Indians were quite thick up there. The one on top looks to me to have been a type of drill.
    The end of the world for some...
    The foundation of paradise for others.

  8. #7
    Bogley BigShot oldno7's Avatar
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    Any "live" sheep encounters?
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  9. #8
    Quote Originally Posted by oldno7 View Post
    Any "live" sheep encounters?
    LOL!!!! I'm not quite that jacked up yet!
    The end of the world for some...
    The foundation of paradise for others.

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  11. #9
    Bogley BigShot oldno7's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Byron View Post
    LOL!!!! I'm not quite that jacked up yet!
    I'm not Spartacus


    It'll come back.


    Professional Mangler of Grammar

    Guns don't kill people--Static Ropes Do!!

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  12. #10
    good to see water in the potholes! i was thinking about going up there again in a couple of weeks. nice to know an alternate route.
    But if I agreed with you, we would both be wrong.

  13. #11
    Quote Originally Posted by denaliguide View Post
    nice to know an alternate route.
    Oh yes...it's definitely the way to go if carrying for a multi day is undesirable.

    If you've done the route from Cliff down the slickrock to Hall's, then you're good to go...if you haven't, then it's pretty straightforward except for on critical spot a little more than halfway up...there's a "pass" between two domes that you have to go through. If you're going up there, let me know and I can give you some info. Have a 7.5 topo in hand.
    The end of the world for some...
    The foundation of paradise for others.

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  15. #12
    Post #1000, whoopee!!! Sorry, had to do it. Looks like I've moved up to "Guru" status. About damn time, as I've only been hiking out there for 25 plus years!
    The end of the world for some...
    The foundation of paradise for others.

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  17. #13
    How did you spot the arrow heads? It seems like they would be really hard to find. Were they just laying the ground randomly or inside a ruin?

  18. #14
    Quote Originally Posted by nhopkin View Post
    How did you spot the arrow heads? It seems like they would be really hard to find. Were they just laying the ground randomly or inside a ruin?
    I'll have to make an assumption here and guess that you don't do much backpacking/hiking/exploring in the southern end of your state? There are many, many places where the Fremont/Anasazi/Navajo/Hopi would hunt, far away from established ruins. You'll find these things just laying on the ground, sometimes in great condition and sometimes just a bunch of flakes.

    This place I hiked to had lots of activity. In regards to ruins, if you look around to find the closest, most convenient place to climb up to the mesa top, you'll usually find sites up there, too. Usually, that is. Sometimes you'll find these things out in the middle of nowhere, like they launched one at an animal, missed, and then couldn't find the arrow. I once found a spearhead, as long as my hand, perfectly formed except for the very tip broken off. You don't find really big ones like that very often.
    The end of the world for some...
    The foundation of paradise for others.

  19. #15
    Yeah I have been to Coyote Gulch twice but that is it. I spend most of my time in the Uintas. Thanks for the info, that is crazy that you found one as long as your hand!

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