Bogley

[trackrunner]

Last Saturday 4/12/2008 my friend Nate & I hiked the start of Icebox Canyon in the Kolob Canyons section of ZNP. We used Tom Jones' beta and it was spot on. We hiked downhill on the La Verkin Creek Trail at Lee’s Pass for about a mile until we came to a wash. At the intersection with the wash we hiked down the wash (left) about 100 meters until we met the main wash (Timber Creek). We then made a left & hiked up the canyon for about a 1.5 mile following social & game trails. There was not much leaves on the brush. Because of this we were able to weave in and out of the brush easily, but we got scrapped some. I would say pants might be nice when the brush is full of foliage. Eventually we came to a fork in the drainage with one fork from the north (left up canyon) that cliffed out in about 100 feet. The left drainage and the right drainage formed an alcove. We ascended between the two to obtain a ridge at the top portion of the alcove. We hiked along the ridge until an easy up climb (4th class maybe easy easy 5th class) was found. Here the brush became thicker and the terrain much steeper. At first the goal was to hike the ridge to the first rappel. But it was steep and we were only scouting for the correct route so we took a break instead. I took some pics here (provided below). I noticed an arch not too far away and we decided to hike to the arch and then back to the car.

[tanya]

Cool arch and frog shots! I love Icebox Canyon!

[trackrunner]

tanya wrote: Cool arch and frog shots! I love Icebox Canyon!
Yes it's another canyon on my list, but then again all canyons are on my list. :nod:

[Win]

Nice TR and pictures. I really like hiking in the Kobob Canyons, this will go on a must check out list. I better take the wife soon, before the snakes come out to play.

Win

[tanya]

Shaun....

Where was that arch? I don't remember seeing one on the way to Icebox Canyon?

[trackrunner]

Win wrote: Nice TR and pictures. I really like hiking in the Kobob Canyons, this will go on a must check out list. I better take the wife soon, before the snakes come out to play.

Win
If you do go consider pants. There is a lot of brush low scrub oak. There is no leaves on the brush so I could easily weave in and out of the brush. I wore shorts and got scrapped up, but not too bad. But I imagine you could be scraped real bad if there is foliage on the brush. I also got my first tick. I found it crawling around on my arm so I flicked it off before it imbed in my arm.


I think there are better trails/areas in the Kolob Canyon section. I wanted to do something in the back country, so pick this one to see the start of Icebox. If I ever do go back I would check out the giant alcove (in my pics, not the small alcove in the trail description) you pass it along the way. Again it would be a steep scramble up through the brush to get there, but I wonder if there are ruins or petroglyphs in there? If there was a place in the area it seems like this would be it? :ne_nau:

[trackrunner]

tanya wrote: Shaun....

Where was that arch? I don't remember seeing one on the way to Icebox Canyon?
My friend had a GPS with him we took cords of it because I never have heard of an arch in there either. Maybe I'll get an arch named after me. :banana: I can see the arch from a satellite image though (I know where to look). I'll get them from him and post them later.

Where is the arch located? See if you can follow my directions. While hiking along the Timber Creek bottom you come to a drainage from the north (left) that ends in a couple hundred feet (it's in your and Tom Jones beta) and a drainage to the right forms a small alcove. Above the dry fall (north drainage) and to the south along the cliff is the arch. Finding the weakness up the cliff band we came to the steep wooded ridge. We decided to quit hiking from there (not going to the pass into Icebox) but I wanted to get a better view of the area so I hiked east (left up canyon) to a ridge (spine) within the wooded ridge. From there I had a great view and spotted the arch to the southwest along the cliff wall. So if you were to follow the drainage from the north above the dry fall you would spot not too far off from the drainage the unknown/unnamed arch.

For reference, Tanya, the top part of the arch can be seen in this picture. Notice the tall cliff walls. On the lower right side of the picture there is a hump that juts up against the cliff wall (hump covers about the lower 2/3 of the picture). At the lower left corner of this hump is the top of the arch.


Close up of the arch. Pic from the same location as the previous picture. Notice how the lower left of the first picture and the top of the arch in the second picture match. Does that help now?

[tanya]

trackrunner wrote: tanya wrote: Shaun....

Where was that arch? I don't remember seeing one on the way to Icebox Canyon?
My friend had a GPS with him we took cords of it because I never have heard of an arch in there either. Maybe I'll get an arch named after me. :banana: I can see the arch from a satellite image though (I know where to look). I'll get them from him and post them later.

Where is the arch located? See if you can follow my directions. While hiking along the Timber Creek bottom you come to a drainage from the north (left) that ends in a couple hundred feet (it's in your and Tom Jones beta) and a drainage to the right forms a small alcove. Above the dry fall (north drainage) and to the south along the cliff is the arch. Finding the weakness up the cliff band we came to the steep wooded ridge. We decided to quit hiking from there (not going to the pass into Icebox) but I wanted to get a better view of the area so I hiked east (left up canyon) to a ridge (spine) within the wooded ridge. From there I had a great view and spotted the arch to the southwest along the cliff wall. So if you were to follow the drainage from the north above the dry fall you would spot not too far off from the drainage the unknown/unnamed arch.

For reference, Tanya, the top part of the arch can be seen in this picture. Notice the tall cliff walls. On the lower right side of the picture there is a hump that juts up against the cliff wall (hump covers about the lower 2/3 of the picture). At the lower left corner of this hump is the top of the arch.



I think you are so adorable you do need an arch named after you. :five:

[trackrunner]

Through best trial and error this gives me the cords of the arch. When I plug the cords into a map the arrow crosses over the arch.
N 37.44674 W 113.17333

Edit: bad spelling & grammar

Edit 2: this cord puts the arrow right on the arch. Notice on the satalite image the shadow from the arch to the west (left).

[tanya]

~smooch~

Thanks! :2thumbs:

[trackrunner]

Found out the name of the arch. Elephant Arch:

Elephant Arch
Elephant Arch is south of Cedar City, in the Kolob Canyons section of Zion National Park on the north side of the North Fork of Timber Creek in section 35, T. 38 S., R. 12 W. The arch can be seen from the terminus of the Kolob Road, or reached by hiking the first mile of the Kolob Arch Trail, then heading east towards the cliffs and along the creek until the canyon narrows. From the creek, scramble up the steep north side then east toward the west side of the arch. Located in the base of the Navajo Sandstone and the top of the red Kayenta Formation, the arch spans approximately 40 feet and is about 20 feet high.
http://www.ugs.state.ut.us/surveynotes/geosights/ccarches.htm


Elephant Arch
Location 1:
Location 2:
County:
Arch Hunter:
Notes: Lee Pass
Zions NP
Washington
Lynn Sessions
aka Lee Pass Arch 7.5 Topo:
Latitude:
Longitude: Kolob Arch
N37°26'52.749"
W113°10'20.733"
http://www.utaharches.com/ArchHunter.php

[tanya]

Thanks! :2thumbs: