Utah day #2.
After a perfect morning spent climbing Angels Landing in Zion (see previous post), my buddies and I drove a couple hours east to spend a chilly night in our tents at Stateline Campground on the edge of the Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness. The next morning the three of us enjoyed a totally different hiking experience as we followed the Wire Pass Trail through some of the most impressive slot canyons Utah has to offer.
Top shelf stuff.
Several years ago someone showed me Neat Coulee, a slot canyon in the White Cliffs along the Missouri River in central Montana. It was one of the coolest things I’d ever seen, and over the years I have enjoyed showing it to friends during canoe/kayak trips through that area. However, Neat Coulee pales in comparison to the slot canyons we walked through as we followed the Wire Pass Trail to Buckskin Gulch on day #2 of our Utah trip. The Utah slot canyons were simply more amazing – longer, taller, more numerous, more colorful, and way more interesting geologically!
Blowin’ in the wind.
I was especially awed by the beautiful cross-bedding in the reddish walls of Navajo formation – the same sandstone we hiked on and climbed the previous day to reach Angels Landing. The cross-bedding was caused by wind-blown sand in an ancient desert – believed to be the largest known sand desert in the history of our planet, covering the area of today’s Colorado Plateau and beyond. To see photos of the cross-bedding and learn more about the forces that shaped this unique landscape, check out the photo tour.
Plan B.
After the canyon hike we were hoping to spend the next 2-3 days hiking and backpacking in the Bears Ears National Monument, but a spring snowstorm there inspired us (all senior citizens) to change our plans. So instead, on day #3 we drove through Garden of the Gods (UT) and Monument Valley (AZ). Then on our final day we explored the ruins at Hovenweep National Monument, before heading home to Montana. What a great trip it was!
FYI – Check out my Instagram account at rodbenson406.
- Photo tour of our Slot Canyons adventure.
Wire Pass – Buckskin Gulch.
Below: This map marks hikes that have been featured on bigskywalker.com so far, including several in Glacier Park – Select full screen to expand, zoom in for more detail, or click on a marker for a link to the post.
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