Sunday, October 28, 2012

2012 - May 1st - Perseverance Arch, McInnis Canyons National Conservation Area/Black Ridge Canyons Wilderness

In March of 2012, I was doing some research on area canyons and stumbled upon a photo from Rough Canyon which I did not recognize.  It had been posted by a man named Stan Wagon whose natural arch images I had viewed before while doing other research.  I e-mailed him about Rough Canyon but the topic of conversation turned to Perseverance Arch.  Stan had been there once before but planned a return visit in April to approach it from the bottom.  After discussing our mutual interest in the area's arches, he invited me along.

As March ended and April began, I found myself quite excited by the prospect of the journey as well as being slightly intimidated by the 17+ mile length.  The longest hike I had been on before that was the 14.5 mile trip to the Rattlesnake Arches the previous April (2011).  As the day approached, however, I felt pretty confident that I wouldn't hold everyone up, so I was ready to go!

After a last minute planning change, we ended up meeting early on the morning of May 1st.  Stan had two companions with him, John and Elke.  I left my car at the Lunch Loops parking lot and we drove up into Glade Park with our destination being the Jones Canyon Trailhead.

It was a cloudy day and within an hour or so of sunrise when we arrived and began to hike.  The trail is made of sandy double-track lined with grassland and patches of previously burned and never reclaimed piñon-juniper (p-j).  Originally overlooking Sieber Canyon, the trail then follows the canyon carved by the Little Dolores River, eventually approaching the rim as it continues west.

Eventually, we were in live p-j.  After a few miles or so, we stopped for a break along the canyon's edge.  I had an apple and some pumpkin seeds and we sat for ten minutes or so.

Back on the path, the p-j started to get a little more thick and the road a little more rocky.  Eventually, it was to drop quickly in elevation and intersect an old airstrip on the Utah border.  But we weren't there quite yet.  We continued to pass Entrada sandstone monuments which rose from the side of the path. I also found myself in preoccupied with black splotches on the road which I originally thought to be tar.  I eventually realized that they were scat from some animal.

The road was obviously once used more frequently, but it now exists as the boundary and within the Black Ridge Canyons Wilderness and the McInnis Canyons National Conservation Area.  Thus, no motorized travel is permitted in the area aside from the occasional "official" vehicle.

Finally, the trail began to descend over rocky switchbacks affording us a view into the Jones Canyon drainage and Utah.

We took our next break at the airstrip, which was mostly overgrown.  A fence bound the end of the airstrip and a home or ranch was a bit beyond to the southwest.  I snapped a few photos of an Entrada monument to the west which doesn't seem to have an official name as far as I can tell.


Down the airstrip

Unnamed monument over the Little Dolores River

The road that led to the airstrip disappeared off to the west and we were left to continue on, cross-country to the northwest.  Perseverance Arch exists in a side-canyon of Jones, just west of the Utah border.  As I mentioned, Stan had been to the arch before, viewing it from the top.  His objective this time was to reach it from the bottom and had scouted a cliff break that he though we would be able to descend.  It was our goal to find that break on the far side of the canyon.

We had to navigate around the small north-south gulches draining into this "southwestern" fork of Jones Canyon.  The group was occasionally steering astray but we kept together and soon found ourselves with a view north, into the canyon and the stunning Perseverance Arch!

The first view of Perseverance Arch

Stan's scouting turned out to be correct.  The break in the cliff was steep but not impossible to descend without trouble.  Once at the bottom, we followed the wash for a while.


We did eventually leave the wash and continued along on a bench above it all the way to the base of the arch.  There was another break over the slickrock at the base which we scaled up.


It's difficult to explain the awe which this arch inspires.  It's just hard to believe one of such size goes virtually unknown to the world.  I was a little winded on the way up, so I took a few breaks to catch my breath and an image or two.  The sun seemed to come out at the right moments to really add some color to the scene.

Perseverance Arch is comprised of Wingate Sandstone with a Kayenta cap.  Its opening is 55ft wide and 100ft tall and is considered a "buttress natural arch."






Elke and John were content to have their lunch under the arch, while myself and Stan, both quick to grab our cameras continued capturing frames of the enormous arch.

Stan, making a portrait of John & Elke



Finally, I sat down under the arch's span for my lunch which consisted of an other apple, a protein bar, some wheat thins, more pumpkin seeds and plenty to drink.  The wind occasionally picked up, blasting us with sand leaving it easy to understand how such a feature could be carved!

Before we headed back, I hiked to the other side to capture one poorly-lit image of the arch.

The other side

John and Elke were quick to head down into the bottom of the canyon while Stan and I lingered, trying to get a few more angles. These turned out to be my favorite shots. 



We met John and Elke at the canyon's bottom where they were cooling their toes in the clear water of running length of the wash.

As we continued onward, there was some discussion as to whether we could find an alternative route out of the top of the canyon, but in the end we traced our footsteps.  I was grateful for this since I knew we had a long way to go and wasn't looking forward to experimenting with other routes.

Looking back
It was a tiresome climb back out of the canyon but I still had quite a bit of energy for the trek back.  I stopped to catch my breath and get one more image of the canyon and arch from the rim.

Back on the rim

Our cross-country route back to the airstrip wasn't quite the same... perhaps a little more southerly, which was probably for the better.  Oh, I also saw some cacti in bloom, so here are my "pretty flower pictures" of the day...




As we approached the airstrip, I realized one of my water bottles was missing.  I had finished its contents while we sat there, so I figured I had left it there but I could never find it.  I think it must have fallen out while we climbed back out of the canyon.

Back on the road now, I continued on with Stan while John and Elke led the way out of sight.  I was beginning to tire and Stan nursed a sore hamstring.

The last seven miles of that road seemed to stretch on forever as I steadily worked through my water supply.  Aside from the two ascents in the canyon, my lungs were never really tested but my legs and especially feet grew fatigued.  Still, our spirits remained high with the accomplishment of seeing such a dramatic natural feature. 

The canyon of the Little Dolores

An Entrada monument from the southwest

Now from the southeast

Two miles to go!

Down Sieber Canyon toward the Little D

My feet became quite heavy and I ran out of water nearing the end.  We hadn't seen John or Elke in two hours or so but did see their footprints in the sand.  We almost stepped on a Great Basin Gopher Snake which was lying across the path.  It escaped before I could snap a picture.

The last two miles were grueling.  On any other day, they would have been an easy trot, but with more than fifteen miles on my feet, I was exhausted.  The lack of water wasn't helping matters either.  I carried roughly 3.5 liters with me and managed to go through it quickly despite being hydrated at the start.

Eventually, we reached the car and Stan was kind enough to share some ice-cold seltzer water with me which tasted amazing.  We arrived roughly 20-30 minutes after John & Elke and around 9 hours after embarking. 

Here are a couple of maps:



I believe Stan measured 17.3 miles via GPS, though my crude Google Earth measurements show less.  I'll defer to his length.

Trailhead elevation: 6126ft
Bottom of the canyon: 4730ft
Arch base: 4900ft

This is still one of the most satisfying and accomplishing hikes I have ever been on!

Here's some information from Stan: http://stanwagon.com/wagon/Utah/BlackRidgeCanyonArches/HTMLLinks/BlackRidgeCanyonArches_1.html

Dann.

Sunday, October 21, 2012

2011 - July 19th - Family Vacation Day 1 - Falls On Pole Creek

July is a "sweeps" month.  In the television industry, that translates to "no vacations"... even though July is largely regarded as the "throw-away" sweeps. 

My extended family (on my mom's side) gets together biannually for a big vacation.  We've done this since I can remember, visiting places from Coeur d'Alene, Idaho to Lake Tahoe, California to Oglebay, West Virginia to Depot Bay, Oregon and many places in Montana.  For the last two trips, we've gathered at the
Snow Mountain Ranch near Tabernash, Colorado. 

I was concerned that I would be unable to make this trip as it was in sweeps and while I didn't ask for any time off, I realized I would be able to attend a couple of days on my normal days off.  If we weren't gathering in Colorado, it probably wouldn't have happened!
 

Intro is from previous entries of 2011's family vacation.
See them here:
http://blog.bigskyconvection.com/2012/08/2011-july-19th-family-vacation-day-1.html
http://blog.bigskyconvection.com/2012/10/2011-july-19th-family-vacation-day-1.html

Despite already having been on a decent hike earlier in the day, I was ready for more.  Don't get me wrong, I wanted to spend as much time with my family as possible, so I tried to maximize my time by heading out for my next hike after dark.

There was a 20 foot tall waterfall outside of the boundaries of the Snow Mountain Ranch that I had visited before.  (See account here: http://blog.bigskyconvection.com/2009/08/2009-family-reunion-day-one-august-5th.html )  I wanted to try something a bit different this time by visiting in the dark of night and using light to paint the falls.

After recruiting the company of my cousin Chase, we were off for the falls at just before 11PM.  The trailhead was only a couple of miles from our lodge and exists on a county road.  At the trailhead, we set off, me with my headlamp and Chase with a flashlight.

There was a sign that warned of large mammals, specifically black bear, moose and mountain lion which were known to be in the area.  That was comforting.

The moon wasn't up yet, so as soon as we were in the timber, it was pitch black out with only the light we were casting and the babble of the nearby stream to keep us company.  It became unnerving quickly.  Whether rational or not, my hackles were up.  We spoke loudly and I clanked the metal legs of my tripod together as we walked as to not surprise any large mammals proficient in biting or trampling.

The trail to the falls is a hair over a mile long with a 400 foot, gradual elevation gain.  We arrived after twenty minutes or so and I sent to work trying to make images. 



My shoes were still wet from the hike earlier in the day, so I had no qualms with standing midstream to get the shots I wanted.  They came out ghostly and I was relatively pleased... though having a stronger light source would have probably done the scene more justice.

We both posed for portraits before heading back.



Finally, while heading back, I could see the moon beginning to appear on the horizon through the trees.  We never did see any wildlife, but it sure felt like there were eyes on us most of the time!  ... and I'm certainly glad I didn't go alone!

Here's a useful map:


Dann.

Sunday, October 14, 2012

2011 - July 19th - Family Vacation Day 1 - Columbine Lake, Arapaho National Forest/Indian Peaks Wilderness


July is a "sweeps" month.  In the television industry, that translates to "no vacations"... even though July is largely regarded as the "throw-away" sweeps. 

My extended family (on my mom's side) gets together biannually for a big vacation.  We've done this since I can remember, visiting places from Coeur d'Alene, Idaho to Lake Tahoe, California to Oglebay, West Virginia to Depot Bay, Oregon and many places in Montana.  For the last two trips, we've gathered at the
Snow Mountain Ranch near Tabernash, Colorado. 

I was concerned that I would be unable to make this trip as it was in sweeps and while I didn't ask for any time off, I realized I would be able to attend a couple of days on my normal days off.  If we weren't gathering in Colorado, it probably wouldn't have happened!


Intro from my previous post which can be found here: http://blog.bigskyconvection.com/2012/08/2011-july-19th-family-vacation-day-1.html


I was excited to do a hike or two on my trip and many of my family members were gung-ho about doing the same.  So, I saddled up with my Uncle Scott and cousins Brian, Ashley, Stacey, Jo, Chase, Brad and his wife (fiancé at the time) Rita.  We were headed for Columbine Lake, which sits at just above 11,000ft on the west side of the Front Range. 

We took two vehicles and were at the trailhead by late morning and it was a beautiful day.


The trail follows Meadow Creek which at this time even in mid-July was still burdened with runoff.  In fact, we encountered meadows which seemed to be flowing themselves, the wildflowers and spongy  plants almost floating.  Occasionally, we had difficulty route-finding as the trail acted as a natural stream.  Early on, I gave up on trying to keep my feet dry.. 

Meadow Creek

The view up-valley to Mount Neva










Eventually, the terrain began to steepen.  We encountered patches of snow here and there, sometimes deep in the shade under trees.  Rita tripped up and cut up her leg but soldiered on.

We then came to an open area with a small waterfall, the trail beyond gaining elevation fast.


Brian taking a picture of the falls

Topping out into a hanging valley of sorts, we found several ponds filled with meltwater and ice bergs!













And just beyond, Columbine Lake...




I hiked around the south side of the lake for a while, looking for waterfalls while others fished, rested or snacked. 


Water, water everywhere



Brian trying his luck



I even took a moment to enjoy the snow...




After a while, it was time to head back. Despite being mid-July, it was a bit chilly out.

Here are several more shots from the return trip:






Whole meadows just seemed to flow

A ribbon cascade

Plenty of snow on the trail




Storm clouds began to brew over the higher terrain as we were finishing up.  I stopped at Meadow Creek Reservoir on the way pack to grab this shot. 


*Note: I don't have an accurate map for this trail because the satellite imagery on Google Earth is shrouded in clouds.  

Dann.