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Thread: Moki steps?

  1. #1
    Moderator jman's Avatar
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    Moki steps?

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    This was sent via Facebook Messenger to me. Says it is in South-East Utah.

    Pretty cool!

    Feel free to PM if youd like to share. I have no idea where.
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    "He who walks on the edge...will eventually fall."
    "There are two ways to die in the desert - dehydration and drowning." -overhearing a Park Ranger at Capitol Reef N.P.
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  4. #2
    The big question on this is...where does it lead? There's a very similar set of steps leading out of Nasja Canyon near Lake Powell...the only way in or out of the lower end and it has what were natural holes that were added to. If I dig I've got a picture of it...looked like whole families moved up and down the thing. It was the "lake path" that went along closest to the water on the north side of Navajo Mountain.

    If this thing goes nowhere, then it might just be all natural. I'd be interested knowing where it is.
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  6. #3
    Moderator jman's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Byron View Post
    The big question on this is...where does it lead? There's a very similar set of steps leading out of Nasja Canyon near Lake Powell...the only way in or out of the lower end and it has what were natural holes that were added to. If I dig I've got a picture of it...looked like whole families moved up and down the thing. It was the "lake path" that went along closest to the water on the north side of Navajo Mountain.

    If this thing goes nowhere, then it might just be all natural. I'd be interested knowing where it is.
    Yea, I agree! I asked follow-up questions, but no response...yet.

    My guess, like yours, is that it leads to water sources?

    And the picture looks like the guy had in binocular set on it and took a picture of it with his cell-phone.

    Lake Powell, you say eh? I'll have to google Nasja and see what I come up with. Thanks!
    ●Canyoneering 'Canyon Conditions' @ www.candition.com
    ●Hiking Treks (my younger brother's website): hiking guides @ www.thetrekplanner.com
    "He who walks on the edge...will eventually fall."
    "There are two ways to die in the desert - dehydration and drowning." -overhearing a Park Ranger at Capitol Reef N.P.
    "...the first law of gear-dynamics: gear is like a gas - it will expand to fit the available space." -Wortman, Outside magazine.
    "SEND IT, BRO!!"

  7. #4
    Water may not be involved...it may just be a route. Most of the time I've seen (and in most cases climbed) Moki steps up on a wall like this (like at Nasja) is because it's the only way out of a canyon. Or at least the only way for quite a hike otherwise. If it's in a canyon with lots of entry/exits then it's likely natural...unless it leads to a ruin?

    Yes...Nasja. It's right next to Bald Rock Canyon, north of Najavo Mnt. The mouth of it is shared with Bald Rock and it dumps into the lake on the San Juan arm, just upstream of the junction with the lake and on the south side, of course. The moki step wall is about a mile up on canyon right...just before the place the canyon tightens up real good with some narrows and an obstacle pool. Climb out and head southwest to the next canyon, Lehi.

    The Rainbow Trail across the base of the mountain is fabulous, but there's another that snakes into and out of all those canyons leading to the lake...an ancient route (artifacts, campsites and 'glyphs) also used by the Navajo sheepherders back before the lake was made. Super remote, pristine backpacking with all kinds of goodies to discover. That route was the only way thru the area, so everybody took it.

    From Bald Rock west to Rainbow Bridge canyon is among the best backpacking in the world, IMO. Somebody with Hound Dog skills needs to find the routes, because the topo map looks like somebody vomited on it...but the "route" amongst these canyons is the only way in or out...so it's not hard to zero in on. Getting into the next one is the tricky part. I was just there a few years ago and there were a few older footprints and some girl had spelled her name in rocks at the bottom of the first rappel in Anazasi Canyon...there's a way to get up to this trail from the lake at Little Oak Canyon. Lots of moki steps in there.

    All of this is in Kelsy's slot book, too. That's were I met him, in fact...out in the middle of nowhere. Right at the mouth of Nasja...he had just come up from the lake, exploring. We were exploring too and exchanged info.

    His "description" of the route in his book is almost worthless...you gotta get up there and REALLY look around.
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  9. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by Byron View Post
    Water may not be involved...it may just be a route. Most of the time I've seen (and in most cases climbed) Moki steps up on a wall like this (like at Nasja) is because it's the only way out of a canyon. Or at least the only way for quite a hike otherwise. If it's in a canyon with lots of entry/exits then it's likely natural...unless it leads to a ruin?

    Yes...Nasja. It's right next to Bald Rock Canyon, north of Najavo Mnt. The mouth of it is shared with Bald Rock and it dumps into the lake on the San Juan arm, just upstream of the junction with the lake and on the south side, of course. The moki step wall is about a mile up on canyon right...just before the place the canyon tightens up real good with some narrows and an obstacle pool. Climb out and head southwest to the next canyon, Lehi.

    The Rainbow Trail across the base of the mountain is fabulous, but there's another that snakes into and out of all those canyons leading to the lake...an ancient route (artifacts, campsites and 'glyphs) also used by the Navajo sheepherders back before the lake was made. Super remote, pristine backpacking with all kinds of goodies to discover. That route was the only way thru the area, so everybody took it.

    From Bald Rock west to Rainbow Bridge canyon is among the best backpacking in the world, IMO. Somebody with Hound Dog skills needs to find the routes, because the topo map looks like somebody vomited on it...but the "route" amongst these canyons is the only way in or out...so it's not hard to zero in on. Getting into the next one is the tricky part. I was just there a few years ago and there were a few older footprints and some girl had spelled her name in rocks at the bottom of the first rappel in Anazasi Canyon...there's a way to get up to this trail from the lake at Little Oak Canyon. Lots of moki steps in there.

    All of this is in Kelsy's slot book, too. That's were I met him, in fact...out in the middle of nowhere. Right at the mouth of Nasja...he had just come up from the lake, exploring. We were exploring too and exchanged info.

    His "description" of the route in his book is almost worthless...you gotta get up there and REALLY look around.
    Wow. Thank you for all of the information Byron. I've been to Lehi, but I didn't realize Nasja was right next to it.

    I have a Powell canyoneering trip in August and will see if I can include a trip over there.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
    ●Canyoneering 'Canyon Conditions' @ www.candition.com
    ●Hiking Treks (my younger brother's website): hiking guides @ www.thetrekplanner.com
    "He who walks on the edge...will eventually fall."
    "There are two ways to die in the desert - dehydration and drowning." -overhearing a Park Ranger at Capitol Reef N.P.
    "...the first law of gear-dynamics: gear is like a gas - it will expand to fit the available space." -Wortman, Outside magazine.
    "SEND IT, BRO!!"

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    Moki steps?

    Speaking of Moki steps, my brother and his gf were exploring Kanab this last weekend and came across these steps that lead to a mine entrance.

    He said the steps were very steep and sandy and was unable to reach higher. There is a way to go above it and rap down to the mine below, maybe something like 150ft or so. I'm not sure on location exactly but if I go there with him in the near future, I'll post an update here.







    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
    ●Canyoneering 'Canyon Conditions' @ www.candition.com
    ●Hiking Treks (my younger brother's website): hiking guides @ www.thetrekplanner.com
    "He who walks on the edge...will eventually fall."
    "There are two ways to die in the desert - dehydration and drowning." -overhearing a Park Ranger at Capitol Reef N.P.
    "...the first law of gear-dynamics: gear is like a gas - it will expand to fit the available space." -Wortman, Outside magazine.
    "SEND IT, BRO!!"

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  12. #7
    ^^^Hmmmm...I wonder what they're mining for there? That sandstone looks like Navajo sandstone, which is almost always barren of any exploitable minerals.

    Almost all of the uranium mined in southern Utah came from the Chinle and Morrison formations.
    It's only "science" if it supports the narrative.

  13. #8
    @jman...here's a picture of those moki steps that lead out of Nasja Canyon I was referring to...

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  15. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by Byron View Post
    @jman...here's a picture of those moki steps that lead out of Nasja Canyon I was referring to...

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    That's pretty awesome - thanks for sharing the picture! Pretty neat to see.

    Also, here is an update on the Moki picture that I initially posted about. Since my brother was contacted on his website about the Moki steps somewhere in "Southeast Utah", we searched and searched the interwebs for any clue or hint about them. A bunch of people on several Discord channels any other Utah forums were interested but have not seen them either. So my brother reached out to Google Earth slueths on Reddit and paid a guy something like $30 or $40 to spend two hours looking in "southeast utah" for them. Well...that Reddit guy found it! I won't post the location quite yet as we have a trip planned there in March, but it is around the Blanding area. And measuring the distance on Google Earth from the top of the steps to the bottom is around 250 feet. So sit tight, as we will have a drone video and GoPro footage of our adventure in the next month or so.
    ●Canyoneering 'Canyon Conditions' @ www.candition.com
    ●Hiking Treks (my younger brother's website): hiking guides @ www.thetrekplanner.com
    "He who walks on the edge...will eventually fall."
    "There are two ways to die in the desert - dehydration and drowning." -overhearing a Park Ranger at Capitol Reef N.P.
    "...the first law of gear-dynamics: gear is like a gas - it will expand to fit the available space." -Wortman, Outside magazine.
    "SEND IT, BRO!!"

  16. #10
    /\/\/\...alright, I'll be looking forward to when you cough up the goods! It'll be interesting to see what those steps lead to...a way out or a ruin?

    Funny thing about the drones...back in the 90s before they were even a thought I considered that one day people will be "flying" or "hovering" around in some kind of chair...they could go up the canyon walls and look around in the nooks and crannies...which would be awesome because I know for a fact that there are small ruins and granaries yet to be discovered, because I've discovered some...it just involves a lot of climbing and exploring. These things can be in places that you'd never imagine. There's one in particular in the Escalante area that contains the remains of several finely made tightly woven baskets...another in Cedar Mesa that has a sandal and part of a belt. Found a few pots, too.

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    The end of the world for some...
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