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 Cascade Bill (William Mooseker) | Home > Backpacking Trips > 2001 - 2004 Trips > Escalante Canyon - Utah > 
Escalante 2003 -Days 1-2
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Escalante Canyon, Utah
Days 1 & 2

Roger Going Down Harris Wash

Day 1: Harris Wash to Camp 1
Due to a lucky break by getting our shuttle ride switched from Monday morning to Sunday afternoon we didn't have to camp at the trailhead as planned but were able to go down the wash almost to the Glen Canyon NRA boundary for our first camp.

Day 2: Camp 1 to Escalante River (Camp 2)
This was a long day down the wash with a side trip exploring a side canyon opposite the Narrows. Most of the hikers coming up the wash told us the Escalante was too high for fording but we ended our day with a nerve wracking ford of almost crotch deep Escalante to our best camp of the trip a little down stream of the mouth of Harris Wash.

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 Mooseker. Photos by WHM & Roger. 1 - 40 of 40 Total. 641 Visits.
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Day 1: Hiking down Harris Wash from the Trailhead to Camp 1
The online version of this Caltopo map can be found HERE.

Due to a lucky break by getting our shuttle ride switched from Monday morning to Sunday afternoon we didn't have to camp at the trailhead as planned but were able to go down the wash almost to the Glen Canyon NRA boundary for our first camp.



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Our original plan was to camp at the Harris Wash trailhead Sunday night and meet Escalante Outback Adventures shuttle on Monday morning to transfer the car to the 25 Mile Wash trailhead. Fortunately, the EOA guy was in his store in Escalante when we arrived and he agreed to do the shuttle that afternoon.  Here we are unloading the Suburban at the Harris Wash Trailhead.

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While Bill and Gary drove to the 25 Mile Wash TH to meet the EOA shuttle to bring them back, the guys had a little fun at the Harris Wash Trailhead - Here Danny and Shelby have tied branches on their heads and are impersonating deer.
"these are the sexiest deer i've ever seen... except t..."
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Danny as deer.

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Shelby browsing.

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Shelby, Kyle, and Danny atop a little mound near the Harris Wash Trailhead.  You can see that the country is fairly open with no discernable canyon.

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We got a late afternoon start down the wash. This is in the wash very near the trailhead.

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Soon sandstone walls appear on our right heading down the wash.

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Gary, Shelby, Kyle, and Roger.

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The "fence" mentioned in the guidebooks to keep cows out of the lower wash - 3 miles from the trailhead. However, We did see some very wild cattle later that trip down in the Escalante Canyon.

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We found a sandy spot opposite a side canyon just short of the NRA Boundary  for our first camp.

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Shelby and Kyle have fun with a deer backbone they found in camp.

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Day 2: Camp 1 to Escalante River (Camp 2) Part 1
The online version of this Caltopo map can be found HERE.

This was a long day down the wash with a side trip exploring a side canyon opposite the Narrows. Most of the hikers coming up the wash told us the Escalante was too high for fording but we ended our day with a nerve wracking ford of almost crotch deep Escalante to our best camp of the trip a little down stream of the mouth of Harris Wash.

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Day 2: Camp 1 to Escalante River (Camp 2) Part 2


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Breakfast at Camp 1 - Danny and Shelby.

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Bill at Camp 1
"bill, you are immortal"
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Packing up - You can see the good use Shelby puts his lawn chair to.

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view of camp - you can see the canyon walls across the wash.

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Super Tiogas for Kyle and Shelby.

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The Gang: Danny, Roger, Gary, Kevin, Kyle, Shelby, and Bill.

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Garry on a rock outcrop at Camp 1. This outcrop provides a good spot to sit - a lot of Escalante camps don't have any such spots.

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Danny getting his music ready for the hike.
"here, my walkman is broken, causing me to panic"
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Heading out - this is just down canyon from our camp.  You can see the canyon walls are quite impressive here.  The NRA boundary is just around the bend.

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Gary and Kevin take advantage of the NRA sign at the NRA boundary.

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As you can see, the wash has quite a flow of water here - the water shoes sure come in handy.  Just down canyon you can see the Harris Wash narrows (noted on the map above as D2-05 Rincon Narrows).

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Harris  Wash Narrows - This is the narrowest spot in Harris wash.  The river has pinched out a meander and left it high and dry as it carved this channel through.

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Looking back upcanyon from the Narrows.  A side canyon joins the wash here on  the left.  We dropped our packs and explored up this side canyon.  We didn't notice it at the time but the scratches on the rock behind Gary could be writing - Enlarging the photo, I can make out "Wayne"  on the first line, then .......UR on the second.  I can't decipher the 3rd (Maybe 1934??). - It's definitely not an ancient pictograph but could be historical.

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We explored the side canyon coming into Harris Wash at the narrows.  It was rough going  but with good views. Note the fallen cottonwood spanning the wash.

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If you look closely (Enlarge thumbnail) you can see Roger standing on the cottonwood that has fallen across the wash.

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Shelby, Kevin, and Kyle at the big cottonwood.

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Bill exploring side canyon.

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The stream from the side canyon has cut this alcove.

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Shelby, Danny, and Kyle - Leaving the Narrows - as you can see the sky is clouding up.

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Another shot of the narrows

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Close up.
"we appear to be forming a wall in hopes of stopping a..."
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Roger - at bend in wash.  You can see that you wouldn't want to be here during a flash flood.

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Gary heading down the wash.

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Shot showing the stream coming down.

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We lost our sun and soon had some showers - here we are taking a break almost all the way down the wash.

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Danny crossing over the bench. From here  you can see the next bend, which is where the Harris Wash meets the Escalante.  The magnificent rock formation on the right looks like a castle guarding the entrance to Harris wash.  You can see this formation from the Escalante as well. Contrary to what the other hikers told us, we were able to cross the Escalante (although it was pretty daunting the first time as it was almost at crotch level).

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