Hike To Ruins Off A Creek

My month in Utah touring, exploring, and hiking with Joanne and Susan has come to an end for this year’s Travels.  

Oh what fun this year has been with the sheer volume of drives and hikes we have been on.  Two weeks north of Page, AZ and two weeks south of Bluff, UT.

Today’s adventure is a drive and hike up a creek to see ruins not labled on my map software and no hike paths.  This is not to say that we were the only people to have checked these ruins out today.  There was a large family who were also viewing the ruins.  There is also a path in areas but not clearly crossing the river.

 The road crew has sloped the river embankments on both sides.  The water crossing is about 8-10” deep today and Joanne’s Jeep had no problem crossing.  My Tacoma could have crossed today as well.  My Prius couldn’t!

This is a look back to where we parked the Jeep.

It is also where we had to walk across the river we drove over above.  The river was narrower, deeper, with high muddy bankings.  

Joanne hikes in toe shoes so she walks through the water.  Cafe was coaxed to jump in and out the other side.  Susan and I have hiking boots that are nasty when wet so we had tall kitchen bags with straps to pull up, but with backpack on, hiking pole in hand, slippery mud under foot, rushing water to an inch below the top of the bag it was difficult to cross to say the least.  My bag ripped at the bottom and was filling with water and mud as I climbed out.

I wish I had some pictures of that crossing but I had no extra hands and phone was in zip lic bag.

They worked but we really need tougher bags, or if we knew we would have brought our water shoes and towel to dry off to put our hiking boots back on.

More problem on the way back.

There is a trail but no trail route on AllTrails App.

We hike this kind of trail then cross the creek that is smaller than the river we first crossed.

The first ruin can be seen from a distance but you must cross the muddy creek.  I found some stepping stones and mud to slip on.



The ruin is nicely entact.

There are lots of chards of pottery left in this stone for allot see.

The second ruinwas nice as well.

I liked this rock formation.

Another view of second ruin.

These handprints are not like the transfer had prints we have seen before.  We couldn’t get close enough to tell but I thought this was the job of a white spray paint can.

You can get much closer to these ruins.

I find similarities and differences in the construction.



The last ruin was not where I thought it was.  It was in the distance.  Joanne found it but told me it was very small so after climbing up and down looking for it, I took this picture and we started heading back.

There was a spot were the trail seemed to be missing and we found what we thought was the trail but they were covered by fresh slippery mud.

It was difficult to walk through this mud for about the length of a football field.

It was a long hike, as our hike here go.  

I have enjoyed the exercise I get from the hikes this year.  My back pack is about 35 lbs.  I do this weight on purpose to build my hiking strength.

So, back to the deep river crossing in the trash bags with holes and now a second time.  It was harder the second time as I think the water was up about an inch. Water sloshed over the top of my trash bag, and water was coming in the bottom from holes, when I crossed the first time.  One boot and pant got wet a bit, but I didn’t get water inside my boot.  Susan wasn’t as lucky letting some water in her boot.

This is my last hike post.  I do have other posts that will deal with Utah but I will leave in the morning headed east.

Actually, I’m in the southeast US now and finally finishing up on all the hikes.  I catch you up overtime.

I couldn’t be more pleased with this this year and all the wet and cold.

Brent

macaloney@hotmail.com