POT O’ GOLD

I was up early again the next morning. After another egg and sausage sandwich breakfast, I packed up and headed out. I wasn’t even completely out of my campsite when someone else was moving in. It seems like that area is a little too popular for a 5-site campground to be adequate.

I headed out to highway 89 and went east a few miles. Then I turned north on Cottonwood Canyon Road. This good dirt road runs 47 miles, from highway 89 north to Cannonville. The scenery started out good and only got better. Initially I traveled through a vast expanse of desert, heading towards a line of impressive cliffs in the distance. Then I crested a hill, and the wide valley of the Paria River spread out below me. The river was lined with Cottonwoods and other trees shining a brilliant gold. Red and white cliffs towered above the river, topped by that immense blue desert sky.

I dropped down into the valley, but stopped on several occasions to take photos. This road offered a beautiful drive, but it didn’t make for very good time. It was hard to focus on the actual driving, thanks to the distracting scenery.

Eventually I left the river, but quickly descended into the valley of Cottonwood Creek. This was just as pretty, and I noticed several nice primitive campsites under the Cottonwoods along the stream. The valley ultimately gave way to another climb, and soon I was traveling through the high desert. After a couple of hours, I finally reached the signed turn for Grosvenor Arch. After 1 mile down this side road, I reached a small parking area at the trailhead.

The arch is visible from the parking area, but a short trail offers a closer view. I walked that way, towards the immense double arch high up in the cliffs above. After a short walk, I reached the very base of the arch. I enjoyed the view from there, and took photos of the arch from multiple angles.

I returned to the car, and resumed the journey north. After a few miles, I reached pavement, and the turn to Kodachrome Basin State Park. I headed that way and paid the $6 entrance fee. From there, a short drive brought me to the Panorama trailhead. I parked there, gathered my gear, and hit the trail right at noon.

I crossed the road, turned left on the well-trodden path, and headed towards a series of rock formations in the distance. A few minutes later, I reached the first pinnacle, which is named the Fred Flinstone Spire. Shortly beyond, I reached a junction. There is a sign here with an arrow pointing to the right, but this junction is actually the beginning of the Panorama Loop. I imagine you could go either way, but I followed the sign heading counter-clockwise.

The park brochure lists the Panorama Loop as 3 miles. However, it doesn’t state whether the many side trips along the loop are included in the mileage. The first took me to the Old Indian Cave, which is a small recession in a cliff. Next up was the Hat Shop, which featured some hoodoos and other rock formations. Last was the Secret Passage, which led back into a cool, narrow path between a cliff and a large rock formation. The Secret Passage was a dead end, but the exit route did lead across a slickrock ridge between a pair of teepee shaped rocks. The slickrock provided a warm, sunny place to rest, so I stopped for a late lunch.

Afterwards, I hiked to a junction with Bear Geyser / Cool Cave Trail. The park map lists this route as 2-miles, and it sounded interesting, so I added it to my hike. A steep descent led to the base of some cliffs, where I passed some blooming wildflowers. Small lizards scampered in every direction as I hiked through the sand under scattered Junipers. After a mile or so, I arrived at the Bear Geyser, at the mouth of a small, narrow canyon. It isn’t a geyser anymore (this is the desert), but the rock formations there are reminiscent of Yellowstone. It was probably just my imagination, but I swore I could smell sulphur there, too.

I didn’t have any luck finding the loop trail to the Cool Cave from there. The trails and junctions in the park are poorly marked, and unofficial trails run in every direction (many of them through sensitive cryptobiotic soil). The map on the park brochure is nearly worthless for navigation. Eventually I gave up on the cave and headed back.

On the way, I did take the short trail to Mammoth Geyser. Initially I snickered at the name, but it is appropriate. The rock formation there is immense! It was worth taking the short side trip.

I only got lost once returning to the main trail. Once there, I enjoyed some more fine scenery on the way to Panorama Point. The last few hundred yards to the overlook required a significant climb on switchbacks. This was quite a change after two days of hiking through flat canyons.

The summit provided a fine view of the park and the surrounding area. It wasn’t a 360 degree vista, but it was still well worth it. I looked out over the sandy basin, dotted with juniper trees and occasional spires, hoodoos, and other rock formations. Beyond were the vermillion cliffs of the Grand Staircase, rising out of the desert in the distance.

After a short break, I headed down and back to the car. Once there, I took a few minutes to clean out the car and pack my luggage. Before I left though, I decided to drive to the end of the park road. I headed up past the campground, which features a number of relatively open sites partially shaded by Junipers. Just beyond, I reached the end of the road at the Eagles View Trailhead.

According to the park map, the Eagles View Trail runs ¼ mile to the top of the ridge overlooking the basin. Over that distance, it probably climbs close to 500’. I wasn’t going to hike it, but the park sign warning of hazardous conditions along the trail antagonized me. I couldn’t ignore it.

I grabbed a water bottle and my camera and headed up. The climb was stout, as the trail features grades of up to 42%. The path was a bit hazardous in places. Most of it was only a foot wide, and some spots were narrower yet, due to erosion. The path clings to the side of the cliff, so it isn’t a good hike for those afraid of heights. I’m not a big fan of them myself, so I spent most of the hike studiously not looking down.

I reached the top in 12 minutes. From there, I enjoyed a fine view looking out over Kodachrome Basin. I could see the campground far below, decorated with a handful of gold Cottonwoods. In the other direction, I had a fair view of the cliffs in the direction of Escalante. It was a nice vista, but probably not as good as Panorama Point. I doubt I’ll do this trail again, and I certainly wouldn’t recommend it to anyone that is uncomfortable with heights or bad footing.

I drove on to Cannonville, enduring a 30 mph speed limit on a good, paved road. Ironically, I drove some of the dirt sections of the same road faster. In Cannonville, I picked up highway 12 east towards Escalante. This wasn’t the fastest way back to Salt Lake City, but it was too scenic to pass up. Some folks claim it’s the most scenic highway in the country, and I might be inclined to agree. In fact, my drive from highway 89 on the Paria River, all the way to Torrey outside Capitol Reef National Park, was probably the most incredible ride of my life.

I enjoyed good scenery to the town of Escalante, but after that, it was astonishing. On the winding descent to the Escalante River, I passed a view that was so jaw-dropping, I swerved onto the shoulder to take it in. The entire river valley, lined by sheer, bright red cliffs, had turned gold. Beyond my improvised overlook, I drove along a rocky ridge with spectacular views across a vast landscape of sculpted rock. At one point, the ridge I followed was barely wider than the road, with sheer drop-offs on each side. To my left, I followed high above the canyon of Calf Creek. Calf Creek is lined by Cottonwoods, and the valley looked like a pot of gold, squeezed between brilliant white canyon walls.

In the town of Boulder, the golden Cottonwoods gave way to golden Aspens. I enjoyed more spectacular fall foliage as I climbed higher on Boulder Mountain. The Aspens were well past their peak, but the colors were still quite nice. The scenery was limited here though, thanks to a surprising snow storm. The temperature had dropped 25 degrees since I’d left Escalante. According to my car’s thermometer, it was 33 degrees. Heavy, wet snow was falling hard, but luckily it wasn’t cold enough to stick to the road. It was sticking farther up the mountain though, where some accumulation was already evident.

On the far side of Boulder Mountain the weather cleared, and I was treated to some nice views over the desert to Capitol Reef. Beyond, I descended into the pretty town of Torrey. The main street through town is lined with ancient Cottonwoods, which had turned a lovely gold. After Torrey, darkness fell, and the scenery ended. The drive was still exciting though. On several occasions, I dodged deer in an along the side of the road.

The rest of the drive was tedious, and traffic got heavy beyond Provo. I reached the Motel 6 at 10, but I didn’t manage to fall asleep until after midnight. That was unfortunate, as I had to get up before 4:30 to drive to the airport. It was a tiring end to my trip, but it had been worth it. Already I’m looking forward to my next visit to Utah. I still want to get into the Maze district of Canyonlands National Park, and I’m eager to explore more of Capitol Reef. Mostly though, I’d like to get back to Escalante. I hope I can get there in October next year, so I can enjoy the fall foliage once again.

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