Legs & Lungs - Big Hikes and Backpacking

Hey how about a short drive for a 15 miler through easy, pretty White Ranch this Friday? Weather looks OK and it'll be good to stretch the legs and get some fresh air.

Meet at the east trailhead and make a big loop around the park, through the forest, etc. White Ranch is always good for shoulder season.

15.1 miles
3,000 vert
https://www.alltrails.com/explore/legacy-map/white-ranch-loop-fc2d584
https://www.alltrails.com/explore/map/white-ranch-loop-fc2d584?u=i&sh=vyyiwc

Let's head out to Utah for 4 days of hiking during the height of fall colors in some spectacular canyon country! These hikes will give us the full experience of fall in the Escalante canyons. This will be 3 full days of hiking and one easy half day (Sunday) before returning to our regularly scheduled lives. I also encourage those with an interest in landscape photography to join, as I will be timing these hikes to put us in position to capture the best light and foliage conditions possible.

The hikes:
Coyote Gulch from Fourtymile Ridge to Redwell. Hiking in this direction will put us in position to photograph a spectacular panorama just above Crack in the Wall in the blue hour before dawn, and for non photographers, we will descend the steep sand dune to begin the hike as opposed to scaling it at the end. This hike will be a point to point and involve a shuttle needing high clearance and 4wd. I have a 4runner and can be one of those vehicles. 13-14 miles one way with gradual elevation gain from the Escalante River up to Redwell.

Neon Canyon and Golden Cathedral. The optimal time for photographing the Golden Cathedral is between 11 am and 1pm. Opportunities exist to photograph cottonwoods isolated against the beautiful streaked red sandstone walls along the Escalante River and in Neon Canyon. The cottonwoods along the river are best in shade and in the morning. Golden Cathedral is one of the most spectacular sights of the southwest.
https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/utah/the-golden-cathedral-trail

Escalante River from Highway 12 to town. We will hike this in the opposite direction from what AllTrails has listed, finishing with the most scenic stretch of canyon. This hike features a natural bridge, an arch, an old granary, and numerous petroglyphs, as well as plenty of colorful cottonwoods.
https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/utah/escalante-river-trail-escalante-to-ut-12

Finally on Sunday, an easy short hike to the spectacular Lower Calf Creek Falls, one of the most beautiful easy hikes in all of the southwest. This is such a lovely hike in the fall. Foliage abounds and a beautiful pool and waterfall await at the end of the hike.
https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/utah/lower-calf-creek-falls--3

Camping: Wednesday night I plan on camping just south of highway 12 in a large area on the right hand (west) side of Hole in the Rock Road. You will see a large dumpster right off Hole in the Rock and a blue sign with numerous tracks to your right leading into a large dispersed camping area. We will probably camp here prior to hiking the Escalante River and Calf Creek hikes.
For the Golden Cathedral and Coyote Gulch hikes, Camping at the trailheads will be preferential. If you do not have a high clearance vehicle for the Fourtymile Ridge trailhead, consider bringing a tent.

Gear and other things to bring: Consider bringing a camp stove and dinner for camping at the Egypt and Fortymile Ridge trailheads, as it is quite a distance back to the town of Escalante from these points, and restaurants close prior to 8pm here. Neoprene socks and hiking sandals/canyoneering shoes will be beneficial as all these hikes except Lower Calf Creek Falls involve hiking in water or numerous water crossings. Otherwise plan for hiking in cool fall weather. Mornings are typically at/near freezing and daytime temps warm into the 60s on average. The days we camp for Lower Calf Creek and the Escalante River we can grab supplies at the grocery store in town or eat out at one of the restaurants. Showers are available at Escalante Outfitters for a fee.

Photo gear to bring: camera (DSLR or mirrorless), tripod, ultra wide zoom such as a 14-24mm or 16-35mm, normal range zoom 24-70mm, and optional telephoto 70-200 or 100-400mm. A polarizer will help bring out colors and minimize glare from the water, and a neutral density filter will help in harsh light. A rocket blower will also be helpful, as Utah is a dusty place.

Any other questions or concerns feel free to reach out- Look forward to seeing you out there!