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Thread: Hell Roaring Canyon

  1. #1

    Hell Roaring Canyon

    I had a hell roarin' good time on Friday northwest of Moab. There's some rock art in Hell Roaring Canyon that I've wanted to see for more than a year and I finally got around to doing so. There are two routes into the canyon within easy hiking distance of the rock art: an old constructed stock trail in lower Dubinky Wash and another route zig-zagging over a series of ledges that requires one to crawl on hands and knees. I dropped my mountain bike and chained it to a tree near the top of the "crawl route" and continued driving the truck to near the top of the stock trail. I put the dogs' packs on them and shouldered my own pack and started hiking toward the top of the trail. There's an old corral at the top of the trail, and the first short stretch of trail had been blasted out of the sandstone, leading to a ledge that runs below the cliff. The trail then made a sharp turn and traversed a steep sandstone slope. Holes had been drilled and pipes pounded into the holes, then logs, rocks, and dirt had been piled up above the pipes to create the trail (though much of the dirt had washed away). Eventually the trail reached a talus slope and worked its way through boulders and rocks the rest of the way to the bottom of Dubinky Wash.




    Torrey and Boulder at the beginning of the hike



    Above the stock trail leading into Dubinky Wash



    View into Dubinky Wash



    Part of the stock trail that was blasted out of the cliffs



    Stock trail following a ledge below the cliffs



    Constructed stock trail



    Boulder and Torrey shading up



    View up the trail from near the bottom





    It was a one-mile walk down Dubinky Wash to the confluence with Hell Roaring Canyon, and I stopped at two small springs to let Torrey and Boulder drink. Beyond the confluence I found the large alcove containing the rock art. Pictographs and some faint petroglyphs adorned the walls, as did some late-1800s inscriptions. The most interesting to me were a large ghostly pictograph, a larger-than-life deer petroglyph, and, of course, the Comet Thrower/Yellow Comet panel. There was a narrow ledge with carved moki steps leading to the top of the alcove but I didn't dare climb it without anyone around to help me in case I got into trouble. Above the ledge I could barely make out some more rock art. I'll definitely have to come back with a partner so I can get on top of that ledge.




    The dogs at a spring in Dubinky Wash



    Riparian area at an intermittent spring in Dubinky Wash



    Tadpoles



    Confluence of Dubinky Wash and Hell Roaring Canyon



    Alcove in Hell Roaring Canyon



    Grinding marks



    View out of the alcove



    Broken grinding stone



    Small red pictograph



    Chert flakes in the alcove



    Large pictograph with a few indistinct figures on the left



    Dogs resting in the alcove with large pictograph on the right



    Sketchy climbing route above the alcove where there is more rock art



    Moki steps leading above the alcove



    White pictographs



    Arthur Wheeler, April 27, 1894



    Larger-than-life deer petroglyph



    Comet Thrower/Yellow Comet panel



    Comet Thrower/Yellow Comet panel, DStretch-enhanced to highlight the yellow pigment



    Comet Thrower/Yellow Comet panel



    Ruins in the alcove





    The rest of the hike through Hell Roaring Canyon was an easy-going three miles, with frequent stops to let the dogs cool off in the shade. There was no more water until just below the exit route. While looking at the exit route from the bottom it was unclear exactly how to get up each of the several ledges near the top. I got closer and found that each ledge had one or two spots where it was possible to ascend with a little bit of climbing. The dogs, especially Boulder, were growing fatigued. I lifted each of them up the ledges and gave them a push when necessary to keep them moving. The final ledge had a low ceiling and a large boulder choking it down to a crawl near the end. I crawled on my hands and knees until reaching the boulder, then I had to remove my pack and lie prone to wiggle the rest of the way through. Once past the crawl there were two more short climbs needed to reach the canyon rim.




    Hell Roaring Canyon



    The dogs resting in the shade



    Hell Roaring Canyon



    View up the escape route



    A muddy pool that was a huge relief to the dogs before the climb out of the canyon



    Climbing up to the canyon rim



    Approaching the crawl-route



    Torrey at the crux of the exit route



    Just past the crawl-route



    At the canyon rim looking toward upper Hell Roaring Canyon





    From the rim it was an easy walk to retrieve my bike, and I traded my hat for a helmet and started down the road. Boulder was really dragging. Her paws had a couple of sores on them, but I didn't see any alternative other than to slowly press on for another 2.5 miles until reaching the truck. The dogs made it back without too much difficulty and were eager to jump into the truck after I turned the A/C on. I had planned on camping right there and doing some mountain biking at Bartlett Wash the next morning, but considering Boulder's condition I decided to head home. Even if her muscles weren't sore the next day her paws would have been. Both dogs were limping when I got home, even though Torrey hadn't been doing so at any point during the hike. I think I have some work to do toughening the pups up before our next long hike. This one was only eight miles total, and with fall/winter coming up--prime hiking season in the desert--I'm sure our hikes will only become longer.




    The dogs in some water



    Hell Roaring Canyon



    Picking up the bike shuttle with 2.5 miles left to go



    Running along the road back toward the truck



    Hey, Joe!



    Back at the truck where Boulder collapsed





    Full Photo Gallery: https://picasaweb.google.com/Dennis....lRoaringCanyon


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  3. #2
    Nice. I like that route. One of the best in the Moab area in my opinion.

    Last time I was there however, there were several new signatures in the alcove. Luckily they weren't carved very deep.
    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.

  4. #3
    This route is very high on my to-do list. I'm just waiting for cooler weather.

  5. #4
    Outstanding. Groovy route finding there, too. This looks like a great hike!

    Have you considered those dog boot things? I would imagine the sand and rock get serious hot this time of year. My girlfriend and I put some on her Terrier on a 6 night backpack in the Dirty Devil canyons. They worked well, as we were concerned about that dog just tearing up it's feet with all it's energy...runnin' around all over the place.

    They did the job, saved his feet. You have to check them occasionally to empty sand, especially if they get wet. On the long, dry slogs I'd recommend them.
    The end of the world for some...
    The foundation of paradise for others.

  6. #5
    Quote Originally Posted by Byron View Post
    Have you considered those dog boot things? I would imagine the sand and rock get serious hot this time of year. My girlfriend and I put some on her Terrier on a 6 night backpack in the Dirty Devil canyons. They worked well, as we were concerned about that dog just tearing up it's feet with all it's energy...runnin' around all over the place.

    They did the job, saved his feet. You have to check them occasionally to empty sand, especially if they get wet. On the long, dry slogs I'd recommend them.
    I tried them on my older dog quite a while back, but since then she's gotten used to the desert--unless it's over 90 or so, then it's just too hot to take the dogs. I might try them on the pup and see how she does.
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  7. #6
    wow, those pictographs looks amazing. I love the colors you can pull out with the DStretch Enhancement. Very nice rendering. Makes me wonder if that's closer to what the pictographs originally looked like thousands of years ago. That's a technique I'll definitely try. I hope to be seeking out the comet thrower one of these days sooon!

  8. #7
    Nice report. So many things to do in that area.
    beefcake. BEEFCAKE!

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