Area Map (Southern Utah)
Trip Summary:
This ended up being a great trip through some classic Glen Canyon country in southern Utah, hitting Neon Canyon, Choprock Canyon & Harris Wash Canyon, which feed into the Escalante River. These kinds of trips make me depressed about what was lost when Glen Canyon was flooded to create Lake Powell. James and I flew out of Austin to Denver on Sunday, March 23rd. Matt, who is finishing up his engineering degree at C.U.-Boulder, picked us up at the airport and we drove all that day to Escalante, Utah.
I had made reservations for us to stay that Sunday night at the Escalante Outfitters, which has tent sites behind the store. (Their tent site rates were cheaper than the state park there in Escalante). I also chose for our group to stay there because their little restaurant connected to the store makes really great pizzas and stays open until 9 pm on Sunday, which worked out great for us arriving so late.
The route we did was not a loop. To fit the amount of days that the three of us had available for this trip, I chose the route shown on the map below. Because I wanted to see Neon, Choprock & Harris canyons all in one 5 to 6 day hike, we had to use a local shuttle service to drop us off a the start of the hike (Egypt Bench) after leaving Matt's car at the end of Harris Wash, where our adventure would come to an end. The road to Harris Wash was sandy and did require high clearance, but not 4WD if dry. The dirt road we took in the shuttle driver's car across Egypt Bench (a 1980s Chevy Suburban with a lift - I know a little something about those) did require 4WD. Near the end of the Egypt Bench on the rocky dirt road we were on we did get stuck and Mark had to get out and lock the front hubs to put the old suburban into 4WD to get us to the rim of the bench.
I had figured that the route we did (map below) would take us 5 days and maybe the morning of a 6th day. (We did get back to Matt's car at about 5 pm on the fifth day). I knew we would camp in the area of Neon or Fence Canyon on night one, but other than that I played it by ear, knowing we would find good water in Choprock Canyon, Fence Canyon & Harris Wash Canyon. I just packed enough food for up to 5-1/2 days and set pretty loose goals for mileage we needed to knock out each day. In all I would figure our route over the five days was somewhere in the neighborhood of 36 to 38 miles. The weather was ideal, night lows were in the high 20s/low 30s and afternoons were 65 to 70. After we got back to Matt's car we drove back to Escalante and spent the night there (Saturday, March 29th). The next morning we headed back to Denver, where Matt dropped James and I off at a hotel near the airport. The next morning (March 30th), James and I flew back to Texas.
Day 1 -- After being dropped off on the Egypt bench the route immediately descended 450 feet on fairly steep slick rock before leveling out on a flat, sandy bench. We worked our way down the wash of the south fork of Fence Canyon close to the point where it ends with a 200 foot pour-off. From there we worked our way cross country several miles using the prominent peak in the distance located at the mouth of Neon Canyon as a bearing point. Following that bearing led us to a sand slide which we could easily walk down off the rim into the Escalante River canyon and the mouth of Neon Canyon. A mile or so up that canyon is the "golden cathedral". We found some pools of water inside Neon Canyon and used them to replenish our water and for that night & morning. We camped near the confluence of Neon Canyon and the Escalante River.
Day 2 -- The mileage we did on this segment of the route wasn't much, but I wanted to devote an entire day (day three) exploring Choprock canyon. We left our camp at Neon Canyon and headed up river to the mouth of Choprock Canyon, which is easy to pick out since it is first major side canyon coming in from the right after leaving Neon. There will also be a small amount of water flowing out of it into the Escalante River. We set up camp there early in the afternoon and just took it easy, saving the length of Choprock for the next day.
Day 3 -- This was the day we used to hike, without weighted down packs, the north fork of Choprock Canyon and its narrows. As you can see in the pictures below this canyon just by itself would have made this entire trip worth the effort. Our turn around point in the canyon was just after the north fork forked again and about where the creek in the canyon went dry. The water level in the canyon & narrows was not very high for the most part. We did do some stemming in a couple places to avoid a few deeper pools. We camped a second night near the confluence of Choprock Canyon and the Escalante River. We stayed at a really great spot on the right side of Choprock Canyon maybe a hundred yards or so in. There are some old cowboy inscriptions and Moqui steps at this site. During this day a front moved through, dropping the temps down just a few degrees, but the day we spend inside Choprock and the narrows was very, very windy.
Day 4 -- This was the least interesting part of the route - the Escalante river canyon segment between Choprock Canyon and Harris Wash Canyon. This part of the route required numerous river crossings. In some areas the shallowest crossings we could find were just above waist deep on me (6' 2"). The biggest pain about a lot of the crossings was the height of the river banks. To scramble up several of these banks we had to do some real climbing, looking for foot holds and weeds and roots to pull ourselves up with. (But on the bouldering scale I'd still give it a V0). The benches we walked on between river crossings were thick with vegetation in some places and sandy in other areas. Occasionally we would find faint 'social' trails that others had used over the years. We did get some light sprinkles of rain and brief light sleet during this day. Near the end of the day we arrived at the mouth of Harris Wash Canyon. This canyon is prominent coming in from the left, but you will pass several side box canyons on this side before you reach Harris. You will know Harris because near its mouth there is a recognizable rock spire and a flow of water coming out of its mouth into the Escalante River. The creek in Harris does not flow perpendicularly into the Escalante at the confluence. Harris Wash turns sharply to the south before it empties into the Escalante and from its mouth its creek looked to me to flow almost parallel into the river. We camped about 3/4 mile inside Harris Wash Canyon.
Day 5 -- This day was spent soaking in Harris Wash Canyon and using it as our route back to Matt's car. Many segments of Harris Wash Canyon rival any canyon I've been in to this point. The lower section is especially awe inspiring. What the canyon lacks in arches or narrows, it makes up for in deep alcoves and high colorful canyon walls. After a 10 to 11 mile day in Harris Wash we arrived back at Matt's car. The last mile or two of Harris are typical of an open wash, but not typical of a desert wash. The last few miles of Harris wash are open to cattle grazing. So the last few miles before we got back to the car were muddy and smelled like manure.
Map of the route we did (in red)
PICTURED BELOW: Looking towards the Escalante River canyon (far background) at the starting point of our 5 day hike
PICTURED BELOW: Matt above the south fork of Fence Canyon -- during our cross country trek to a sand slide that would lead us off the canyon rim to the Escalante River canyon bottom -- Day 1
PICTURED BELOW: The latter portion of the cross country trek to the rim of the Escalante River canyon. We started the day on the top of the plateau in the far distance -- Day 1
PICTURED BELOW: Giant Rock - 1; Patrick Forbis - 0 (Neon Canyon -- Day 1)
PICTURED BELOW: James (L) & Matt (R) in the "Golden Cathedral" (Neon Canyon) -- Day 1
PICTURED BELOW: Me giving praise at the altar of the Golden Cathedral; Neon Canyon -- Day 1
PICTURED BELOW: About as easy as the numerous Escalante River crossings got -- Day 2
PICTURED BELOW: Escalante River between Neon Canyon & Choprock Canyon -- Day 2
PICTURED BELOW: Our Night #2 & #3 campsite; just inside Choprock Canyon
PICTURED BELOW: Horace Hall 1918 inscription at our campsite. I googled this guy and I think he was a rancher in the Escalante area (born 1881 & died 1965). He was the great nephew of the "Hall" that operated an early Ferry on the Colorado River ("Hall's Crossing"). Today there is a modern ferry service called Halls Crossing, which is located near Bullfrog Marina on Lake Powell.
PICTURED BELOW: Moqui Steps at our campsite. (Wikipedia: "Moki steps, sometimes spelled alternately as Moqui steps, are a recurring feature found in areas of the American southwest previously inhabited by the Ancient Pueblo Peoples and other related cultures. The steps consist of alternating hand and toe holds carved into vertical or near-vertical sandstone surfaces........... Moki steps are often found near cliff-dwellings and water sources. They may have allowed relatively quick access to difficult-to-reach areas such as slot canyons, look-out positions, and granaries.")
PICTURED BELOW: Matt in the kitchen area of our campsite
PICTURED BELOW: The water source for our camp for nights 2 & 3 in Choprock Canyon. This pool was about 75-100 yards up canyon from our tents. I'm filtering into my water bottle & Matt is filling the bucket.
PICTURED BELOW: Matt taking it easy at our Choprock Canyon camp after the easiest day of the route -- Day 2
PICTURED BELOW: Matt and James in Choprock Canyon -- Day 3
PICTURED BELOW: Matt and James in Choprock Canyon Narrows -- Day 3
PICTURED BELOW: James in Choprock Canyon Narrows -- Day 3
PICTURED BELOW: James in Choprock Canyon Narrows -- Day 3
PICTURED BELOW: Choprock Canyon Narrows -- Day 3
PICTURED BELOW: Matt and James in Choprock Canyon below a log jammed from a flash flood -- Day 3
PICTURED BELOW: log jammed from a flash flood; Choprock Canyon Narrows -- Day 3
PICTURED BELOW: Matt and James in Choprock Canyon Narrows -- Day 3
PICTURED BELOW: Me in Choprock Canyon Narrows -- Day 3
PICTURED BELOW: James in Choprock Canyon Narrows -- Day 3
PICTURED BELOW: Matt and James in Choprock Canyon -- Day 3
PICTURED BELOW: Matt and James in Choprock Canyon -- Day 3
PICTURED BELOW: Choprock Canyon -- Day 3
PICTURED BELOW: James in Choprock Canyon Narrows -- Day 3
PICTURED BELOW: Matt and James at our Choprock Canyon camp (nights 2 & 3)
PICTURED BELOW: Escalante River - between Choprock Canyon and Harris Wash Canyon -- Day 4
PICTURED BELOW: Matt taking shelter from what I would call light sprinkles of rain during Day 4 between Choprock Canyon & Harris Wash Canyon. There was a big chunk of petrified wood near where Matt was sitting.
PICTURED BELOW: Our night #4 camp inside Harris Wash Canyon
PICTURED BELOW: Our night #4 camp inside Harris Wash Canyon with Matt (lower right) bringing up water from the creek
PICTURED BELOW: Matt & James at our night #4 camp inside Harris Wash Canyon
PICTURED BELOW: Our night #4 camp inside Harris Wash Canyon
PICTURED BELOW: Camp kitchen in Lower Harris Wash
PICTURED BELOW: Back-country drier (back of my pack) for my wet & sand laden disgusting socks hung out to dry.
PICTURED BELOW: Doing a little backcountry bandaging of my left foot. I had hoped that at worst I would be using this duct tape on my boots.
PICTURED BELOW: Matt & James in a nice big alcove in Lower Harris Wash Canyon -- Day 5
PICTURED BELOW: Matt & James in Lower Harris Wash Canyon -- Day 5
PICTURED BELOW: Matt & James in another nice alcove in Harris Wash Canyon -- Day 5
PICTURED BELOW: Matt & James in another nice alcove in Harris Wash Canyon -- Day 5
PICTURED BELOW: Lower Harris Wash Canyon -- Day 5
PICTURED BELOW: Matt in a good alcove in Harris Wash Canyon -- Day 5
PICTURED BELOW: Matt & James in Harris Wash Canyon -- Day 5
PICTURED BELOW: Matt & James in Harris Wash Canyon -- Day 5
PICTURED BELOW: Matt & James out in from in upper Harris Wash Canyon -- Day 5
PICTURED BELOW: James in another good alcove in upper Harris Wash Canyon -- Day 5
PICTURED BELOW: Matt & James in upper Harris Wash Canyon -- Day 5
PICTURED BELOW: James near the end of Harris Wash Canyon -- Day 5
