Sidetrip up Deer Canyon
Misc. Ruins
Bannister Ruin
Nick T. Exploring Ruin
Leaving our Camp at the Big Pouroff, we headed down canyon in the cool of the morning, often in the shade. When we got to the mouth of Deer Canyon, we stashed our packs and headed up the north fork of Deer. This fork of Deer is very pleasant, with a nice spring at the end. The Nicks did some exploring of the upper reaches.
When we got back to our packs, we met another group taking a break. They were also heading down canyon - the first people we had seen since our first day. We headed out, taking advantage of what shade we could find as the temperature was creeping up.
The Nicks spotted some ruins high up on the canyon walls and broke off to explore them. Will, Mike, and I continued on down canyon. It wasn't long until we came to Bannister Ruin. I would have kept on going and missed it if Mike hadn't put his hiking stick in the path, causing me to look up and see the ruin. In 2000 there was a great camp here in a grove of huge cottonwoods, but now most of them had died and the ground was littered a jumble of dead branches with no shade. However, we found an adequate spot nearby and parked ourselves in the shade and had lunch. Later on we went over and explored the ruins.
Note photo takers are given in the titles under the thumbnails: Bill (bm), Mike (ms), Nick M. (nm), Nick T. (nt)
Kickass Trekkers on this trip were: Bill Mooseker, Will Stong, Mike Stong, Nick McMahan, Nick Tuggle
The descriptions under the photo thumbnails in the album sometimes contain links to maps or additional information. These are identified by "Blue” text for links. I've also inserted links to Google Maps to show where certain photos in the album were taken or to locate features shown in the photos. Click on the link, close the sidebar, and choose satellite view. Basically, you can then zoom in and out using the mouse wheel or drag the map by clicking and holding.
For panoramic photos, I would recommend clicking on the thumbnail photo to enlarge. View at original size for most detail. The thumbnails do not do justice to petroglyphs and pictographs, so I would recommend enlarging them as well. Please take the time to view the many videos to better experience what it was like to be there.
Troop 24 Kickass Trekkers Backpacking Trip
-Cascade Bill Mooseker
Date(s): May 24, 2017. Album by Cascade Bill. 1 - 121 of 121 Total. 1073 Visits.
enlarge 335KB, 995x1024 1 picsnvids
To get the plugin just Google "videolan" or CLICK HERE FOR DOWNLOAD for Windows. There is a MAC version as well. Disable the Quicktime plugin if you use Videolan. To view fullscreen videos click the icon on the top right of the video when it starts playing.
If you want to save photos to your computer, click the box under the thumbnails of the photos you want to download. Then click the "Download" button at the top of the album. Pick the size you'd like to download (Original is best)and the photos will be downloaded to a folder of your choice.
enlarge 143KB, 1024x768 2 05-24 05-10-01 - ms DSCF4941 Mike was up before sunrise and got this photo of our camp while most of us were still in our sleeping bags. Mike's tent is at center and Will's coffin is at the lower right. Bill's is the green one and the Nick's is the blue one.
enlarge 66.35MB, 1152x648 Download MPEG4 3 05-24 06-03 ms.mp4 VIDEO - Click Photo to View. Early morning action (or inaction) at our camp at the Big Pouroff.
enlarge 147.77MB, 1152x648 Download MPEG4 4 05-24 07-03 ms.mp4 VIDEO - Click Photo to View. A slow panorama of the Big Pouroff in the early morning.
enlarge 97.28MB, 1152x648 Download MPEG4 5 05-24 08-01 ms.mp4 VIDEO - Click Photo to View. Ready to head out, Will puts on his pack using the "Lost Ranger Flippy" method.
enlarge 75.49MB, 1152x648 Download MPEG4 6 05-24 08-15a bm.mp4 VIDEO - Click Photo to View. Heading down canyon from our camp at the Big Pouroff
enlarge 187KB, 1024x768 7 05-24 08-17-37 - ms DSCF4943 Bill, Will, and Nick T heading down canyon.
enlarge 164KB, 1152x647 8 05-24 08-17-42 - bm DSC01965 Going over a slickrock section - Will and Nick T. Photo location is HERE
enlarge 148KB, 1024x768 9 05-24 08-19-28 - ms DSCF4944 Bill on slickrock section.
enlarge 159KB, 1024x768 10 05-24 08-18-56 - bm DSC01966 Will and Nick prepare to negotiate a small pouroff - you can see the logs and other detritus left by the summer floods.
enlarge 178KB, 768x1024 11 05-24 08-20-05 - nt IMG 0101 Looking back at the small pouroff and the last water we would see till Deer Canyon. Pouroff is located HERE.
enlarge 184.41MB, 1152x648 Download MPEG4 12 05-24 08-23 ms.mp4 VIDEO - Click Photo to View. Will going down the small pouroff - Mike investigates the water pools.
enlarge 188KB, 768x1024 13 05-24 08-28-00 - bm DSC01967 Going down around the next bend.
enlarge 161.55MB, 1152x648 Download MPEG4 14 05-24 08-27 ms.mp4 VIDEO - Click Photo to View. Going around the bend below the small pouroff - Mike and Will discuss "flood debris" left high above the wash. Also the lilting song of a Canyon Wren can be heard. It is nice hiking in the cool shade of morning.
enlarge 268KB, 1024x768 15 05-24 08-34-39 - ms DSCF4945 No question about this flood debris - wouldn't want to be here during a flash flood!
enlarge 173KB, 1024x768 16 05-24 09-32-50 - bm DSC01968 At the mouth of Deer Canyon, we dropped our packs and hiked up the northern fork and found this nice pool of water about HERE.
enlarge 215KB, 768x1024 18 05-24 09-35-37 - nm IMG 2291 Nearing the head of the NF Deer Canyon.
enlarge 240KB, 768x1024 19 05-24 09-37-41 - nm IMG 2293 A Closer shot of a feature shown in the previous photo.
enlarge 220.37MB, 1152x648 Download MPEG4 20 05-24 09-40 ms.mp4 VIDEO - Click Photo to View. Mike finds and unusual rock formation while hiking up the canyon.
enlarge 263KB, 768x1024 21 05-24 09-42-30 - bm DSC01970 While Mike, Will, and Nick T went climbed up the right (south) side, Nick M. and I followed up the creek to its terminal spring - a pool with lush vegetation shown here.
enlarge 229KB, 1024x768 22 05-24 09-49-50 - bm DSC01973 View of the pool.
enlarge 180KB, 1024x768 23 05-24 09-44-19 - bm DSC01972 Behind the pool was a jumble of huge boulders was a cool shady spot with breezes coming down from the canyon above.
enlarge 303.57MB, 1152x648 Download MPEG4 24 05-24 10-51a ms.mp4 VIDEO - Click Photo to View. Mike later came down and filmed this pleasant grotto.
enlarge 232KB, 1024x768 25 05-24 09-52-15 - bm DSC01974 Looking back to the head of the canyon above the grotto.
enlarge 140KB, 768x1024 26 05-24 09-53-36 - nm IMG 2299 Close up of the pouroff above the grotto - Nick M. left me in the cool shade of the grotto and climbed up the steep walls to the upper canyon.
enlarge 125KB, 1024x768 27 05-24 09-55-33 - bm DSC01975 If you enlarge this photo (click on thumbnail) you can see a white splotch high up, which is Nick T. on a ledge.
enlarge 245KB, 768x1024 28 05-24 09-56-14 - nm IMG 2311 View of Nick T on upper ledge.
enlarge 166KB, 1024x768 29 05-24 09-56-50 - nt IMG 0102 Nick T's view back down canyon from his ledge high above the canyon floor.
enlarge 349.67MB, 1152x648 Download MPEG4 30 05-24 10-01a ms.mp4 VIDEO - Click Photo to View. Mike and Will discuss ruins and pictographs they see. Also watch Nick M reach a ruin (you'll have to look closely to see him!)
enlarge 180KB, 1024x768 31 05-24 10-06-09 - ms DSCF4948 If you look closely you can see Nick M at a ruin (in the shadow) far across the canyon (see previous video).
enlarge 91KB, 1024x768 32 05-24 10-11-19 - nm IMG 2320 Nick M's fisheye view of the ruin.
enlarge 77.52MB, 1152x648 Download MPEG4 33 05-24 10-05-nm.mp4 VIDEO - Click Photo to View. Nick M's video of the ruin in Deer Canyon and panorama view from the ledge. Nick T can be seen on the opposite side of the canyon.
enlarge 147KB, 1024x768 34 05-24 10-06-13 - ms DSCF4949 Nick T hiking up the canyon
enlarge 181KB, 1024x768 35 05-24 10-06-21 - ms DSCF4950 Mike's shot of the upper canyon
enlarge 195KB, 768x1024 36 05-24 10-15-58 - nm IMG 2323 Meanwhile, Nick M climbed up further - you can see Nick T at the pool on the lower ledge below.
enlarge 110KB, 1024x768 37 05-24 10-16-17 - nt IMG 0103 Pool seen in previous photo
enlarge 83KB, 768x1024 38 05-24 10-16-30 - nt IMG 0104 Frog in pool.
enlarge 230KB, 899x1024 39 05-24 10-19-13 - nm FullSizeRender Nick M photo while hiking up the upper canyon
enlarge 114KB, 1152x459 40 05-24 10-20-56 - nm IMG 2333 Pouroff pool in upper NF Deer Canyon
enlarge 263KB, 1024x768 41 05-24 10-21-05 - nm IMG 2329 Downstream end of the pouroff pool
enlarge 87.43MB, 1152x648 Download MPEG4 42 05-24 10-20 nm.mp4 VIDEO - Click Photo to View. Life in the Pouroff pool - by Nick M.
enlarge 202KB, 1024x768 45 05-24 10-23-14 - ms DSCF4955 Mike and Will take a last look up canyon.
enlarge 193KB, 1024x768 46 05-24 10-23-22 - ms DSCF4957 Looking down canyon.
enlarge 245KB, 1024x768 47 05-24 10-23-19 - ms DSCF4956 Will steadying his camera to get a shot of the "man and dinosaur" pictograph on the opposite wall.
enlarge 154KB, 1024x768 48 05-24 10-26-01 - ms DSCF4959 View of the "Man and dinosaur" pictograph - it is very large and very visible from afar.
enlarge 141KB, 1024x768 49 05-24 10-26-41 - ms DSCF4965 Just to the right of the pictograph - if you enlarge this thumbnail to "original size", you can see a row of smaller pictographs (also white) including another white bird pictograph.
enlarge 248.63MB, 1152x648 Download MPEG4 50 05-24 10-27 ms.mp4 VIDEO - Click Photo to View. Mike and Will discuss ruins and pictographs they see.
enlarge 182KB, 1024x768 51 05-24 10-36-04 - bm DSC01978 Telephoto of the "Man and Dinosaur" or could it be "Corn and Turkey". Enlarge thumbnail (Original size is best) and make your own mind up.
enlarge 289KB, 1024x768 52 05-24 10-40-51 - nt IMG 0105 Unusual formation on the rock.
enlarge 253KB, 1024x768 53 05-24 10-47-30 - nm IMG 2345 Another similar formation.
enlarge 227KB, 1024x768 54 05-24 10-47-34 - nm IMG 2346 Hand shown to scale for size - possibly a fossil eroding out.
enlarge 224KB, 1024x768 55 05-24 10-22-16 - bm DSC01977 I found a nice place in the shade and waited for the guys to come back from their explorations. This is just above the first spring pool that we found in the canyon.
enlarge 72.16MB, 1152x648 Download MPEG4 56 05-24 11-11 bm.mp4 VIDEO - Click Photo to View. Hiking back down canyon past the spring noted previously.
enlarge 231KB, 1152x647 57 05-24 11-11-01 - bm DSC01979 View down canyon from just above the spring.
enlarge 188KB, 768x1024 58 05-24 11-18-47 - nt IMG 0106 Spectacular yellow cactus blooms along the way.
enlarge 258KB, 1024x768 59 05-24 11-18-52 - nt IMG 0107 Looks like a Prickly Pear cactus.
enlarge 161KB, 1024x768 60 05-24 11-20-09 - nt IMG 0108 We found a small ruin complex with this granary with the back wall collapsed.
enlarge 137KB, 1024x768 61 05-24 11-30-00 - bm DSC01983 Nick M and the ruins.
enlarge 170KB, 1024x768 62 05-24 11-32-48 - nm IMG 2363 Ruin with unusual placement of door.
enlarge 152KB, 1024x768 63 05-24 11-32-52 - bm DSC01981 This is the other end of the granary with the broken wall.
enlarge 320.20MB, 1152x648 Download MPEG4 64 05-24 11-27 ms.mp4 VIDEO - Click Photo to View. Mike's video of the ruin complex and pictograph panel.
enlarge 234KB, 1024x768 71 05-24 12-03-45 - bm DSC01984 Back in the main gulch - ruins appear ahead. We met a group of 4 hikers at the mouth of Deer Canyon, which were the first people we had seen since our first day.
enlarge 223KB, 1024x768 72 05-24 12-03-53 - bm DSC01985 Telephoto of ruins, on two ledges- The two Nicks pealed off to explore these.
enlarge 220KB, 1024x768 73 05-24 12-20-34 - nm IMG 2364 Nick T on the ledge with the ruins
enlarge 205KB, 1024x768 74 05-24 12-20-16 - nt IMG 0112 View of ruins
enlarge 184KB, 1024x768 75 05-24 12-21-59 - nm IMG 2365 This ruin has seen better days
enlarge 86.98MB, 1152x648 Download MPEG4 76 05-24 12-21 mid level ledge nm.mp4 VIDEO - Click Photo to View. Nick's video of the ruins on the ledge.
enlarge 190KB, 1024x768 77 05-24 12-22-40 - nt IMG 0113 Corn cobs inserted into the wall?
enlarge 188KB, 1024x768 78 05-24 12-22-53 - nt IMG 0115 More corn cobs in the wall. Why put corn cobs in the wall??
enlarge 209KB, 1024x768 79 05-24 12-24-04 - nm IMG 2369 Very nicely preserved ruin with very stylized openings.
enlarge 111KB, 768x1024 80 05-24 12-24-51 - nm IMG 2370 Unusual pedestal at this opening - you can see the wood branch used as reinforcing where the mud as flaked away.
enlarge 127.02MB, 1152x648 Download MPEG4 84 05-24 12-42 upper level ledge.mp4 VIDEO - Click Photo to View. Climbing even higher Nick and Nick got this video of an upper ledge. This is not for those that are afraid of heights.
enlarge 202KB, 768x1024 85 05-24 12-48-27 - nm IMG 2380 Nick T on upper ledge.
enlarge 120KB, 768x1024 86 05-24 12-54-06 - nm IMG 2384 Nick and Nick - having fun livin' on the edge (literally).
enlarge 160KB, 1024x768 87 05-24 13-01-05 - nt IMG 0120 View across the canyon from the upper ledge.
enlarge 99.40MB, 1152x648 Download MPEG4 88 05-24 12-42 ms.mp4 VIDEO - Click Photo to View. Meanwhile back in the canyon, the old farts soldier along.
enlarge 343KB, 1024x768 89 05-24 13-41-25 - nt IMG 0121 Another hiker going down the wash - a four footed one. Don't want to meet Mr Bear. I guess he's looking for water like we will be.
enlarge 297KB, 1024x768 90 05-24 13-43-33 - nt IMG 0122 Hand showing scale of bear print.
enlarge 186KB, 1024x768 91 05-24 12-55-33 - bm DSC01986 Will and Mike forge on ahead - it's getting quite hot in the sun. I got a photo in this same spot in 2000 as well. We took a break just around the corner. My GPS was off a mite as I thought we had another 1 - 1.5 miles to go yet. Actually we were HERE and the Bannister Ruin was just a few hundred feet down canyon from our break. In fact I would have walked right by it if Mike had not put his hiking pole in the middle of the trail. I looked around and then saw the ruin.
enlarge 102.66MB, 1152x648 Download MPEG4 92 05-24 14-14 ms.mp4 VIDEO - Click Photo to View. I was looking for our 2000 camp that was in a shady grove of large cottonwoods, but in the intervening years, most of them had fallen down so there was no shade from the hot sun. We would a nearby spot that had some shade and whiled away the afternoon. Here we are shooting the breeze in the shade.
enlarge 204.86MB, 1152x648 Download MPEG4 93 05-24 16-45 ms.mp4 VIDEO - Click Photo to View. Soon the sun dipped below the canyon wall and we got a little shade - Mike shows some rocks he found along the way while Bill is replacing the bandages on his blisters (not for the faint of heart).
enlarge 156KB, 1152x467 94 05-24 17-11-32 - nm IMG 2395 Panoramic view of the Bannister Ruin. Will and Mike can be seen at the base of the cliff below the ruin.
enlarge 221KB, 1024x768 95 05-24 17-13-14 - nt IMG 0124 Photo of the ruin, which sits on a high ledge. The ruin gets its name from the two long poles extending across the front of the ruin. A supply of branches has been stored at the left edge of the ruin. Nick M has joined Mike and Will.
enlarge 66KB, 1152x293 96 05-24 17-23-57 - nt IMG 0125 A panoramic shot looking across the canyon from the ledge below the Bannister Ruin. Enlarge for best view. Up canyon is to the left. Photo location is near the apex of a bend in the canyon and is located HERE
enlarge 488.70MB, 1152x648 Download MPEG4 97 05-24 17-10 ms.mp4 VIDEO - Click Photo to View. Mike and Will inspect some pottery shards and hike up to the Kiva and Will reads from the Info about the site kept in an ammo cannister provided by the BLM.
enlarge 138KB, 768x1024 98 05-24 17-29-20 - ms DSCF4973 Will with the ruin in the background.
enlarge 162KB, 768x1024 99 05-24 17-29-27 - ms DSCF4974 Another view.
enlarge 196KB, 768x1024 100 05-24 17-39-19 - nm IMG 2407 The Nicks hiked along the ledge up canyon and found this unusual formation. Nick T in the photo.
enlarge 277KB, 1024x768 101 05-24 17-41-25 - nt IMG 0130 Yin and Yang rock!
enlarge 129KB, 1024x768 102 05-24 17-44-53 - nt IMG 0131 Nick M in the cave.
enlarge 99KB, 1024x768 103 05-24 17-45-05 - nt IMG 0132 View of Nick in the cave.
enlarge 167KB, 1024x768 104 05-24 17-46-15 - nm IMG 2414 Looking out from the cave.
enlarge 189KB, 1024x768 105 05-24 17-55-19 - nt IMG 0137 Nick M
enlarge 139KB, 1024x768 106 05-24 17-55-21 - nt IMG 0138
enlarge 180KB, 1024x768 107 05-24 17-55-27 - nt IMG 0140
enlarge 166KB, 768x1024 108 05-24 17-56-31 - nt IMG 0133 View of the caves from another "window" rock.
enlarge 113KB, 768x1024 109 05-24 17-56-50 - nt IMG 0134 Window view of cave.
enlarge 205KB, 1024x768 110 05-24 17-58-33 - bm DSC01988 Meanwhile, I hiked up to the ruin and got this shot.
enlarge 198KB, 1024x768 112 05-24 18-02-35 - bm DSC01989 The Kiva - now roped off. In 2000 it wasn't.
enlarge 178KB, 1024x768 113 05-24 18-04-36 - bm DSC01990 Roof of the Kiva - you can see the rebar posts and the chain.
enlarge 189KB, 1024x768 114 05-24 18-04-52 - bm DSC01991 Another view of the Kiva roof.
enlarge 94KB, 1024x768 115 05-24 18-05-18 - nm IMG 2422 Looking up canyon - if you enlarge the photo, you can see the camp of the group of hikers we saw earlier in the day at the center bottom of the photo. They had a better camp than we did but we wouldn't have been able to fit all our tents there.
enlarge 162KB, 1024x768 116 05-24 18-05-21 - bm DSC01992 Looking up canyon from the lower ledge. If you enlarge the photo, you can see the Nicks coming back from their cave exploration.
enlarge 169KB, 1024x768 117 05-24 18-05-33 - bm DSC01993 Telephoto view of the Nicks. If you enlarge the photo you can see the tip of one of the cave openings at the top of the talus pile to the left side.
enlarge 221KB, 1024x768 118 05-24 18-06-21 - nt IMG 0141 Bill at the ruin. It is possible to get on the upper ledge but there is a blocking defensive wall that prevents entry. On our trip in 2000, one of my scouts, Austin, got on the ledge and got this PHOTO from the ledge.
enlarge 69.64MB, 1152x648 Download MPEG4 120 05-24 19-00 bm.mp4 VIDEO - Click Photo to View. Dinner time: The chili is ready and Nick T is getting the Tea ready. Nick M searches for a Tick.
enlarge 593KB, 1152x576 121 next 2.png CLICK HERE for Previous Album (Day 2) CLICK HERE for Next Album (Day 4) CLICK HERE Back to Grand Gulch 2017 Folder
