Do you think that the desert is a boring, desolate wasteland? If so, you've obviously never been to southern Utah. Red rock and water make for an outdoorsman/woman's playground. Whether it be day-hiking, climbing, mountain biking, off-roading, skydiving, canyoneering, backpacking, boating, fishing or stargazing, it's anything but boring. I am constantly amazed by the beauty that I find there.
In the past, I have stuck to the five national parks located in Utah - where dogs are not allowed. I am only recently discovering the state parks and national monuments found in southern Utah, where our four-legged friends are welcome (with a few exceptions). A few months ago, I was looking into the Grand Staircase - Escalante National Monument, an area that I had never explored, and saw a picture of the Jacob Hamblin arch in Coyote Gulch. Cue Google search to look for more pictures of this amazing discovery.
A quick look at the BLM's website showed that dogs are allowed pretty much everywhere in the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument,
but not in Coyote Gulch. Totally lame. After hiking it this past week, I would say it's probably for the best though - depending which trail in you take. Also, side note to that dude that I saw with his dog down there: you are why we can't have nice things. Please keep your pup on a leash on every popular trail where you will be in close quarters with other hikers - you never know how another hiker or dog may react to your dog and visa versa. And pick up your dog's crap. End soap box.
So, I was talking with a friend about hiking this summer and she happened to already have a trip planned to Coyote Gulch, which she generously invited me on. Yay! I definitely wouldn't suggest this as a solo hike. Also, at almost two hours drive from the remote town of Escalante, Utah, it's a few hours drive from most anywhere - enjoy the drive. Get some good car karaoke in. Play "I Spy." Check out the beautiful scenery that you are passing. There is an amazing stretch of road on Hwy 12 just before you get to Escante that rides the spine of a mountain and gives amazing views of the area. There is a pull-out just before the road starts to go downhill - take a second to check it out. We did. We were there when the moon was only half full and were still able to see for a few miles.
We got in late that night, camped at the trailhead and set out the next morning. We decided to change plans from splitting the hike over two days and camping down in the canyon to doing the whole hike in one go. Either way, for those hiking this trail in the summer, I would recommend getting an early start. The first few miles, whichever trail you take, will be completely exposed with no water or trees of any kind to find shade under. Be safe kids.
There are three main trails through Coyote Gulch. I would recommend going the OPPOSITE direction we did. Save your thighs the troubles, you'll thank me.
What we did was hike from the Red Well trailhead to the appropriately named Crack-in-the-Wall trailhead. The last 1.5 miles in the canyon, the way we did it, are a grueling march up a steep sand hill. The first two miles or so on the Red Well trail are through a large wash with very little shade, but are otherwise smooth sailing. It's a very gradual descent into the canyon and we joked that we were just out for a stroll. The view starts to pick up just about when you hit the "no dogs" sign above. The bottom of the gulch starts getting green, the stream gets steady and the walls get taller and picturesque. The stream comes from water springing from the walls. It creates a natural swamp cooler-effect against the heat.
During this whole hike, I was dreaming of giving up on civilization, setting up a hammock and living my life in this heavenly scene of red rock and green vegetation. I think I'd be quite happy. It's peaceful. Even the people you meet along the trail are the perfect kind of neighbors - quiet, they keep to themselves and are friendly when you have to interact with them.
If anyone could identify these in a comment, that would be great and would certainly further my idea of setting up shop at the bottom of a canyon in the middle of a gorgeous nowhere. I think I found some wild grapes? This guy didn't help me much... (Note to self: read up on edible plants and their look-a-likes.)
About 7-8 miles from the trailhead, you come to the Jacob Hamblin arch, also known as the Lobo arch. It is breathtaking. Sierra Trading post has been using images of it to announce their new Salt Lake store opening. There are so many pictures of this, I wanted to be a little original and thought to use my app of choice, Bubbli, to show you what it's like to be there. I love this app for this kind of stuff and took a few while I was down there. Check them out - especially on your mobile devices. You can definitely get a sense of being right there that isn't possible with a flat image. I'll be doing a write up next week on how to use this app yourself - stay tuned. ;-)
From the Jacob Hamblin arch, the trail gets even more gorgeous as the canyon gets deeper, the vegetation is greener, and waterfalls start popping up out of nowhere. Campers and other day hikers start to get more common as well. You can cool off under waterfalls. I did. I'm not sure if there is a more wonderful feeling than standing underneath a cool, fresh waterfall in the middle of nowhere with no one around.
I started off the hike in my Chacos sandals. Once we hit the water, one of my companions complained I was splashing all over him with my flippers and I did the next 12 miles barefoot. Those were 12 heavenly miles on a streambed of sand. I looked around at other hikers we passed to see what they were doing - in many parts of the gulch there is no getting away from the water. You may as well prepare for getting wet feet. Many were barefoot. Some had hiking sandals. A couple had gaiters on their hiking boots (probably the least comfortable option to me.) The smartest option that I saw, if you are going to wear shoes when wet, was to bring two pairs of shoes - hiking boots for dry land and a pair of hiking sandals for the water. Tevas and Chacos seemed to be the brands of choice, but go with whatever your heart tells you. It was one of the first hikes of the season in my trusty Chacos, so I hadn't built up calluses and I ended up with some small blisters. I do have to say, along the entire hike (we ended up hiking 19+ miles), I didn't get any pricklies or rocks in my sandals and was quite happy about that.
The exit for us was Crack-in-the-Rock. A quite aptly named 15 inch x 10 foot x 50 foot crack that leads up to the top of the wall after climbing the huge hill overlooking Steven's Arch. The best way to get through this crack is to have a friend to hoist your packs to, or to have rope to pull your bag up with. Think skinny thoughts while going through the narrow crack and stay calm. Starting here would certainly be easier than finishing. We raced against sunset and an incoming storm to get to the top. Up top, it can be quite windy. Follow the cairns to the parking lot and you're golden.
This was certainly one of my favorite hikes to date. It was long. I was barefoot most of the way. I was in good company. I got to take a shower under a waterfall and make a sand-shark with a friend in the sand. I got to enjoy the beauty of the desert to it's fullest. After coming home, I promptly told everyone I knew about how awesome it was. Two of my siblings and their spouses have already been recruited to go back with me on a return trip at the end of the summer. Maybe I'll see you there?
Pro-Tips:
- Research the trail beforehand. We didn't and ended up hiking about six miles further than we'd planned to because the exit out of the canyon we'd planned on using was beyond the skill level of some in the group.
- You'll be walking along a stream for most of the hike. Save on pack and bring a water filter.
- It may be tempting to only bring "the basics" food-wise, but don't undervalue the importance that food has on your morale. I was so stoked when a friend offered some dried fruit. I'd had all the calories, protein and carbs that I'd needed, but I was sick of bland food by the end of an almost 20 miles hike.
- Along with that, don't forget electrolytes. Hiking up that final hill, all I kept thinking of was how awesome a red, room-temperature Gatorade would be right then. Guess what the first thing I bought at the gas station on the way home was.
- Trekking poles can make a makeshift bipod for your camera in a pinch. Loop the straps over the other pole to create an X and place your lens in the cross. This can give you a little more wiggle room with slower shutter speeds.
