The Best of the Escalante Canyons

Hey outdoor adventurers,
On this one we’ll enjoy two of what’s widely considered the best of the Escalante Canyons, each on a two-day, one-night backpack, with car-camping before, between and after. Plus, we’ll do the best slot canyon in the area. Plus, campfires and stars every night. Plus, a comfy room at the best hotel in Utah at the end of our journey.
Coyote Gulch: For hikers seeking an adventure in the remote red rock beauty of Utah, Coyote Gulch is a hard-won, bucket-list destination. This 18-mile hiking route winds around soaring sandstone walls, dips in and out of a usually shallow stream, and bypasses a litany of gorgeous red rock waterfalls and towering arches. A sublime experience like no other.
Reflection Canyon: A mostly slick-rock backpack leads to an overlook above twisting s-curves of Lake Powell, and a campsite on a ledge high above. Oh, the solitude.

DATES
April 8-15
Warnings:
1). Utah can be nippy in April. The high will be in the lower 60s and the low in the lower 40s, unless a system moves through or has just, in which case the high could be 50 and the low 35. Be prepared!
2). These are challenging backpacks designed only for those who know how to navigate the Utah backcountry without trails or signs, or the thirst to learn how. And the canyons require class 2 scrambling skills (hands, feet, and sturdiness working in unison).

ITINERARY
WED APR 8– Leave anytime and drive five hours to Green River State Park in Green River, UT
THUR APR 9 – Leave early and travel five hours to the convenience store just past the Hole-in-the-Rock Road (HRR), then enter the HRR and travel 26 miles to the Dry Fork turnoff, then two miles to the Peek-a-Boo TH. Then do Peek-a-Boo and maybe Spooky, then camp nearby or drive 14 miles on HRR to the Sooner Rocks Campground and make camp.
FRI APR 10– Drive HRR back to MM 35 and the Hurricane Wash TH and leave a car, then drive 30 minutes in the other car to Forty Mile Ridge TH, then hike 2.5 miles through Crack-in-The Wall and into Coyote Gulch, then hike six miles and camp.
SAT APR 11- Continue up Coyote Gulch to where cars are parked, retrieve other car at 40 mile ridge entry TH, then drive back to Sooner Rocks campground.
SUN APR 12– Drive 20 miles to HRR MM 60, and backpack eight miles to the Reflection Canyon Overlook and camp.
MON APR 13 - Backpack back 8 miles to the HRR, and then drive 20 miles to Sooner Rocks Campground.
TUE APR 14 - Drive HRR 40 miles to Highway 12, then six hours to the fabulous River Terrace Inn in Green River, on the banks of the ... wait for it ... Green River.
WED APR 15 – Drive 5 hours home.

HOW TO JOIN
Send an email to Ryan : mtnry@aol.com. You CANNOT register at meet-up because I'm recruiting from multiple sources.