November is the perfect time for a desert outing and last Sunday six friends and I hiked the Horsethief Canyon Trail in The San Rafael Swell. I've
posted stories from this hike before, but this was the first time the goal was the overlook—a 7 mile out-and-back trek. Our group spent four hours exploring this part of "The Swell" and during that time we encountered only two other hikers.
If the San Rafael Swell was located in another state—Iowa for instance—it would be
the premier tourist attraction. In Utah however, The Swell competes for visitors with our state's 5 national parks and 7 national monuments. Therefore those of us who live in southeastern Utah have this 1,280,000 acre recreation area mostly to ourselves. And that's okay with me.
Below are the photos from last weekend's Swell hike.
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| The trail into the canyon. |
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| This trail has it all, a sandy wash, desert vegetation, rocky spires, and... |
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| ... slickrock hiking. |
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| Also plenty of interesting rocky shelves along the way. |
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| The view from the overlook. |
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The dogs—Annie (left) and Lucinda—loved this hike too!
As a matter of fact, Horsethief Trail was Annie's first desert hike.
Read about it here. |
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| The group hangs out at the overlook. |
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| Weather-sculpted features along the trail. |
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| Annie (left center) leads the way out of the canyon. |
8 comments:
Hi Rita,
I was thinking of you today, because of the news about the de-protecting of two of Utah's natural wonders, and then this post popped up in my email!
What a great weekend adventure to enjoy with friends. Amazing that so few people were out catching these views, which look like picture post cards - or something out of a cowboy movie.
I love your photo of the doggies. :) And the weathering almost looks like petroglyphs!
Thanks for sharing your beautiful photos on a day when we need to be reminded that nature's bounty is worth preserving.
All best,
Vickie
Yes, I certainly agree about nature's bounty and beauty being deserving of all the protections we can give.
I don't know what will happen with the shrinking of two of Utah's natural wonders, as I suspect there will be legal challenges to this executive decision.
In the meantime, we need to get out there and enjoy and advocate for the public lands we still have!
You mention that the photos look like something out of a cowboy movie. The trail we hiked got its name because outlaws rustled horses through that canyon in the early days of settlement. And there are remains of an old homestead at the trailhead.
The doggies sure did love this trek! And speaking of doggies, I hope your new dog is doing well.
Thanks for your thoughts and comments, Vickie.
At the risk of sounding “corny”, it’s difficult to imagine that any hike in the San Rafael Swell could ever be anything less than “swell”. The vistas are stunning and almost like something from another planet, especially when viewed through the eyes of a New Englander like me.
And last, but certainly not least, I fully agree with your statement that “we need to get out there and enjoy and advocate for the public lands we still have”! Here in NH, there is a proposal supported by ‘big business’ for a huge power line project. Although it would not remove any land from our White Mountain National Forest, it would desecrate portions of this pristine public parcel with huge transmission towers that would be visible from many of our mountaintops.
John
Not corny at all, John! But, does anyone really use the word "swell" anymore? As in those 1960s TV shows where the kids were always saying: "Gee that'd be swell!"
On a more serious note I fear that, with our burgeoning population and its attendant housing and energy demands, our wild lands will be under siege for the foreseeable future. I guess we can only hope for small victories here and there on the preservation battlefront.
I donate to 'The Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests'. It's a worthy cause.
Thanks for all you do for our public lands, John!
I especially alike the weather-sculpted features along the trail; I'm thinking a person's imagination could have fun with them. The other thing that impresses me is all that beautiful space and you and your friends only saw two other people. What a marvelous thing to think about. As always, Rita, I admire the way you take advantage of your surroundings.
Yes, while some of Utah's other wide open spaces are being "loved to death" the San Rafael Swell is not one of those places....yet. And that's one of the things I like about it—and also why I've blogged about it three times!
Have a Very Merry Christmas, Janet, and a Happy New Year!
Those rocky desert vistas look like a movie setting Rita and there must be lots of stories associated with some of those shelves, nooks and overlooks.
Merry Christmas Rita!
I'm sure there are lots of interesting stories from the old cattle rustling days in the San Rafael Swell. It's a fascinating place.
Thanks for reading and commenting Soumyendu, and Merry Christmas to you too!
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