Bogley

Cirrus2000 · Joined: 26 Mar 2006 Posts: 1036 Location: Vancouver, BC

It's about time I put something up here - almost 3 weeks since I got home, and not a word!

Grand Gulch solo backpack - 5 days from Kane Gulch to Collins Canyon.

Rather than my usual wordy, long report, I'll just put some short notes and a bunch of photos...

I flew into Vegas on March 30, and drove down to Bullhead City for dinner with denaliguide. He gave me some great maps & info. Thanks, denaliguide! Spent the night in Flagstaff.

Drove to the Kane Gulch Ranger Station, where I met Brewhaha. We drove to the Collins Canyon trailhead, where I parked my car, and he drove me back to Kane. (There was a snow shower on the way - made me nervous!) He wished me luck, and I was on my way at about 12:30. Thanks, Brewhaha!

Campsites were at: Day 1, mouth of Todie Canyon. Day 2, mouth of Bullet Canyon. Day 3, just west of Cow Tank Canyon. Day 4, just west of Bannister Ruin.

Emerged on Friday afternoon, and drove to Mt. Carmel, where I stayed courtesy of the Emperor. Thanks, ratagonia!

Spent Saturday morning on the east side of Zion, then the afternoon in Springdale. Dinner with ratagonia, then a drive back to Vegas. A night in an interesting & unusual hotel (and hours wandering the strip.)

Sunday, relaxing day, with a flight home at dinner time (that was delayed for an hour or two, 'til after dark. Love the lights of the Strip...)

Some photos:

Collins Canyon parking lot

Setting out from Kane

Approaching Junction Ruins

Stimper Arch

First night's shelter

Final night's camp

The Narrows of Grand Gulch

Halfway up Collins

Dugway out of Collins

Ah, the sights of Springdale

Artisan Hotel, Vegas

Boarding my flight home

If you're interested, more photos are available here

DiscGo · Joined: 07 Nov 2006 Posts: 3298 Location: Orem, Utah

Ahh Kev. You make me feel guilty. It was my anniversary this weekend and my wife and I were going to go camping but our son did not sleep on Friday night, so we just hung out most of yesterday and are doing nothing today. You live in Canada and do such an awesome job of taking advantage of an area to which I live much closer. You are an inspiration!

I love the picture of you in your tent with your headlight on. All of your hieroglyphics were also awesome. In the end, I loved your pictures. Thanks for posting, though be it late.

P.S. Hieroglyphics is hard for me to spell and I had to use the spellchecker.

denaliguide · Joined: 12 Feb 2007 Posts: 544 Location: new zealand/alaska

i was wondering how much longer i would have to wait to see this. looks like you had a great time. grand gulch and cedar meas is a magical area to explore. once you have been here you will be back for more. maybe next time we can hook up again. great photos. looking forward to seeing you again.

Brewhaha · Joined: 28 Oct 2006 Posts: 452 Location: Monticello, UT

Great shots. I'm glad your trip was good and it was really nice to meet you. Let me know when you're in the area again.

Wasatch · Joined: 08 Mar 2005 Posts: 389 Location: Layton, UT

Glad you had a great trip. Nice pics. I've done the Kane/Bullet over a weekend, very nice scenery.

Axpence · Joined: 17 Mar 2008 Posts: 65

what a writeup and trip. those hieroglyphs are sweet.

denaliguide · Joined: 12 Feb 2007 Posts: 544 Location: new zealand/alaska

for the uninitiated: :lol8:

slickrocker · Joined: 07 Dec 2007 Posts: 23 Location: moab

Looked like a great trip, thanks for the photos. Someday I'm hoping to make the 2 hour drive and do Grand Gulch.
So much Utah, so little time.

Rev. Coyote · Joined: 26 Oct 2006 Posts: 1549 Location: Location Location

Thanks for the great photos.

Damn I miss Utarrrrrr.

tanya · Joined: 18 Oct 2005 Posts: 5520 Location: Utah

Great photos and Rock Art! :2thumbs:

trackrunner · Joined: 27 Nov 2007 Posts: 728

How'd the shelter hold up

Cirrus2000 · Joined: 26 Mar 2006 Posts: 1036 Location: Vancouver, BC

The shelter was great! Silicone-impregnated nylon - like a Siltarp, but from MEC (kind of like Canada's REI) - and a tent footprint. Tried only the A-frame configuration, to help keep the cold out. Had some strong winds on a couple of nights, but it held up great. Pegged down on the corners and middle of the sides. I took along 6 regular pegs and 2 snow/sand stakes. One night the sand I was on was really soft, but some rocks on a couple of the pegs, and they held fine.

I've never been a trekking pole user (just bought them a couple months ago - hooray for SAC), but with the mileage that the knees are racking up, and the utility as tarp poles, I'm starting to really appreciate them.

Yes, those are technically not heiroglyphs. Petroglyphs (pecked) and pictographs (painted). Heiroglyphs can be painted or pecked, and are analagous to an alphabet or words (used as a written language).

DiscGo, I think that you're getting the outdoor bug more & more - I'm sure that as your parental duties permit, you'll be getting out there a lot! I never really started doing much backpacking/climbing/exploring until after my kids were born (they're 11 and 9 now), and it's taken a long slow process to be able to get out as much as I do - which is still less than I'd like. :haha: And, oh: Happy Anniversary!

Tanya - sorry I never got a chance to stop in & see you. Busy weekend, and I didn't really have a schedule that I expected to be able to keep to (all times were going to be subject to change - and they did!) I'm hoping to be down that way with the whole family in October, and we'll probably come for at least a night at the T-bird!

Shane - thanks again for offering to help out like that! It was great meeting & chatting with you (despite the brevity of the visit!)

accadacca · Joined: 02 Dec 2004 Posts: 7093 Location: The Interwebs

SWEEEET! Thanks for the epic report. :five: