Day 3: Escalante River from the Mouth of Harris Wash to just Upriver from Neon Canyon
This was a long day along the Escalante with an extended break at Choprock Canyon where we did some exploration and inspection of a petroglyph panel near the mouth of the canyon. I don't know how many times we crossed the river but the crossings were so numerous that you soon lost count.
Photos ending in "r" taken by Roger
Troop 24 Kickass Trekkers: "The High Adventure Troop" Alumni Backpacking Trip
-Cascade Bill Mooseker
Date(s): March 2003. Album by Cascade Bill. Photos by WHM & Roger. 1 - 72 of 72 Total. 359 Visits.
enlarge 229KB, 800x600 1 ut03040r Danny - another in a string of tentless nights extending back to 1999. Danny had found a nice spot with a rocky overhang, but when Shelby caught a small scorpion where he was going to sleep, Danny moved to this spot - far away from any rock outcrops.
enlarge 82KB, 800x600 2 ut03041r Looking Southeast from our camp on the Escalante. The canyon below the mouth of Harris wash is wide and open as you can see here.
enlarge 122KB, 800x600 3 ut03042r Rock formation on our side of the river - All the camps in Harris Wash near the Escalante were occupied so we had to cross the Escalante with some trepidation because we had met a stream of people coming back up the canyon who told us the Escalante was too high for fording. We were pretty worried as we had to go a long ways down the river to get to 25 Mile Wash. Fortunately, the river was only mid thigh deep and we crossed without incident.
enlarge 102KB, 800x563 4 ut03043 Looking back towards the mouth of Harris wash, which is out of sight to the right of the picture. The "castle" we saw the previous day as we came down the was is visible here ont he right across the river. You can see that the guys have their packs on and are ready to roll.
enlarge 119KB, 800x600 5 ut03044r Another view of the "Castle" and the mouth of Harris Wash.
enlarge 171KB, 800x600 6 ut03045r Getting ready to pack up. You can see the overhanging outcropt that Danny wanted to sleep under before Shelby caught the scorpion.
enlarge 191KB, 800x600 7 ut03046r Kyle and Kevin - packs on.
enlarge 188KB, 800x600 8 ut03047r Kevin, Danny, and Shelby - ready to roll.
enlarge 218KB, 800x600 9 ut03048r A cactus at our camp.
enlarge 162KB, 800x600 10 ut03049r The canyon was ince and wide as we started out but it wasn't long before the river meandered over to our side of the cnayon, forcing us to cross to the other side. This view is looking down river.
enlarge 114KB, 800x601 11 ut03050 Our first crossing of many - Kevin in midstream.
enlarge 106KB, 800x564 12 ut03051 I'm glad the early morning sun was out as that water was cold.
enlarge 127KB, 800x600 13 ut03052r Danny clearing his head at the first crossing.
enlarge 103KB, 581x800 14 ut03053 Crossing No. 2 - and pretty soon you lost count of how many times you had crossed.
enlarge 106KB, 564x800 15 ut03054 Interspersed with the river crossings was hiking over several long sandy benches
enlarge 116KB, 800x580 16 ut03055 We took a break on this bench.
enlarge 185KB, 800x600 17 ut03056r Danny, Gary, Kevin - getting ready to head out after a short break. It was really warming up.
enlarge 207KB, 800x600 18 ut03057r Gary,Kevin, Kyle, and Shelby
enlarge 107KB, 800x600 19 ut03059r This was a pretty hairy crossing - we crossed from right to left and then had to go back to the right side past this rock outcrop. The water was very deep as it came around the bend up against the rock.
enlarge 89KB, 601x800 20 ut03060 Roger and Kyle entering the water at the outcrop. You can see from the wake at Roger's leg that the current was pretty swift.
enlarge 107KB, 800x601 21 ut03061 Garry, Kevin, Roger - Kyle is trying to find the best way in.
enlarge 64KB, 900x504 22 ut03062r Shelby and Kevin tried to make a go of it along the outcrop - you can see that the water has gone above their shorts - Mr. Commish won't like that. You can see the sandy beach at the end of the outcrop where we have to pull out. These double crossings wear you out.
enlarge 144KB, 800x600 23 ut03063r Another crossing - you can see that the vegetation along the banks is very thick which makes it difficult sometimes to get in or out of the river.
enlarge 125KB, 800x600 24 ut03064r Here is another "Double" crossing - you can see ahead that you have to stay on the left side but the outcrop forces you to cross to the right bank. There is no point in fighting the vegetation, so you just go along the bank and cross back over when you are opposite the beach up ahead.
enlarge 165KB, 800x600 25 ut03066r Garry coming across
enlarge 164KB, 800x600 26 ut03067r Here comes Kevin and Bill.
we had to cross this stupid river so god damn many times (04/15/04) - Danny
enlarge 133KB, 800x600 27 ut03065r Roger in midstream - you can see Danny up on the bank behind the bushes - He liked to cross barefoot, so he always took his shoes off. This is a typical crossing as you have a plunge down the bank into the water.
enlarge 127KB, 601x800 28 ut03068 Finally Danny comes across.
enlarge 197KB, 800x600 29 ut03069r While it was hard to get in the river at times, it was even more difficult to get out sometimes - here Shelby deals with a steep muddy bank.
enlarge 140KB, 800x600 30 ut03070r Another "Double" crossing - the river meanders between the canyon walls on either side. At least on this one we had a beach to pull out on before we did the second crossing.
enlarge 115KB, 601x800 31 ut03071 For most of the way there isn't much of a trail - you just haul out into the brush and keep heading down river. In a while some tracks will merge and there will be a trail of sorts.
enlarge 89KB, 601x800 32 ut03072 Roger in a Kodak moment.
enlarge 208KB, 800x600 33 ut03058r Putting the camera away after a shot. - this is pretty typical of the travels across a bench between river crossings.
enlarge 87KB, 800x601 34 ut03073 Away from the river's edge it often opens up giving a nice view of the canyon walls ahead.
enlarge 90KB, 900x489 35 ut03074r We took a break for lunch - Roger and Shelby climbed up the southern wall of the canyon on a day hike.
enlarge 137KB, 800x579 37 ut03076r Roger - in photographer mode.
enlarge 103KB, 539x800 38 ut03077r In honor of Buckwheat (See 1998 Bridger Wilderness hike) Roger strikes a pose.
enlarge 91KB, 900x470 39 ut03078r Roger on outcrop.
enlarge 98KB, 491x800 40 ut03079r Close up of Roger.
enlarge 105KB, 800x519 41 ut03080r Shelby - They got pretty far up the side wall - you can see that there is a big bend in the river beyond Shelby.
enlarge 64KB, 900x379 42 ut03081r Shelby - A composite picture - there is a small side canyon coming in across the canyon.
enlarge 137KB, 800x565 43 ut03082r Lynnwood's answer to the Crocodile Hunter - Shelby and lizard. This was the grove of cottonwoods where we stopped for lunch. It was possible to get a little shade.
enlarge 129KB, 526x800 44 ut03083r Saddling up - Roger.
enlarge 156KB, 800x524 45 ut03084r Ready to hit the trail - Kyle, Shelby, and Gary leaving cottonwoods where we had lunch.
enlarge 156KB, 800x600 46 ut03085r Bill pondering the route downriver - this is at the mouth of Choprock Canyon, the first major side canyon coming in on the north side of the river.
enlarge 103KB, 800x601 47 ut03086 Even though we had taken a long lunch break a short ways up the river, we decided to stay awhile at Choprock for a little relaxation and exploration.
enlarge 89KB, 800x519 48 ut03087r Kevin in the mud - Choprock Canyon mouth. you can see the small stream beyond Kyle.
enlarge 134KB, 800x515 49 ut03088r Shelby and Kyle getting into the "mud" business.
enlarge 88KB, 800x566 50 ut03089 These are professional hikers on a closed course - do not try this at home.
enlarge 80KB, 800x510 51 ut03090r As usual the lawn chair has many uses - here it gives a perfect spot to cool down.
enlarge 108KB, 900x558 52 ut03091r The sestern wall of Choprock has a lot of wind eroded pockets - in this one a group of cacti have taken hole.
enlarge 152KB, 800x518 53 ut03092r A near and far shot (the same group of cacti beyond)
enlarge 89KB, 800x522 54 ut03093r There were enought pockets to make hand and foot holds - here Gary climbs up the side wall of Choprock.
enlarge 116KB, 601x800 55 ut03094 Kyle and Shelby - picking their way up the Choprock canyon sidewall.
enlarge 129KB, 601x800 56 ut03095 Shelby and Kyle find a spot to sit down in.
enlarge 78KB, 900x556 57 ut03096r Its pretty steep - Shelby going up the canyon wall.
enlarge 86KB, 800x521 58 ut03097r Roger and Kyle going up.
enlarge 119KB, 601x800 59 ut03099 You can see here the route the guys took up the side wall of the canyon.
enlarge 151KB, 800x601 60 ut03098 While they were climbing the wall, I wound this large hunk of petrified wood - a whole cross section of a trunk.
enlarge 145KB, 800x601 61 ut03100 A little ways up the canyon is a large Petroglyph Panel. Here are some Bighorn sheep.
enlarge 137KB, 800x602 62 ut03101 There were some very complex figures in this panel. Note the similarity of the ball and wavy line at the bottom of the photo to the pictograph from Slickhorn Canyon (2004 hiking trips).
enlarge 110KB, 598x800 63 ut03102 I tell you one thing, I wouldn't want to meet these guys some night in a dark canyon.
enlarge 105KB, 800x601 64 ut03103 Sadly, there was quite a bit of vandalism of the petroglyphs. Here someone has placed his initials on the head of the "Spaceman". From what I could tell, the vandalism was historical - local ranchers from the 1800's to the early 1900's according to the dates carved in the rock.
enlarge 110KB, 800x601 65 ut03104 An interesting pattern.
enlarge 115KB, 602x800 66 ut03105 As you can see, we spent a lot of time at Choprock and the sun is getting lower in the sky here as Roger and Garry are a few hundred feet from the mouth of Choprock.
enlarge 122KB, 800x700 67 ut03106 Close up of Roger and Gary.
enlarge 102KB, 800x536 68 ut03107r The sun is really sinking now - this is very near Fence Canyon. When we hauled out I sent Shelby and Danny ahead to find a campsite.
enlarge 147KB, 800x600 69 ut03110r Shelby and Danny in true "Butt Sniffing" tradition walk past a couple of camp sites that have everything - scenery, water, etc. and settle for this piece of crap - no view, far from water, - I wasn't too happy setting up my tent in this camp. Shelby is cooking dinner he is just finishing the pudding here - the Dragonfly and the FireFly roaring away. Gary is filtering water while Kyle looks on. If it weren't for the lousy camp all would be well.
enlarge 142KB, 800x600 70 ut03108r I'm pitching my tent - its a good thing there is no audio file as I was doing this.
enlarge 159KB, 800x600 71 ut03109r Danny as usual, hitting the books on his thermarest.
enlarge 196KB, 800x600 72 ut03111r The "Drying Tree" - no, it is not some new modern art work. Look at the color of the (white??) socks.
