Hiking
Happenings January 2004
Walkabout
with Rory Tyler:
Catalogue of Quick Jaunts
Mill Creek Canyon & the
La Sal Mountains
(from the Dump Wall) |
January in Moab means that
people linger around the breakfast table and coffee shops
longer than in other seasons, leisurely burning their precious
moments of winter respite by sipping beverages, chatting with
friends, and reading most anything that comes to hand…like
this column, for example. Maybe they’re thinking about
going for a walk this afternoon when it warms up, some off-the-track
place for a few hours, someplace not too far away. They wouldn’t
want to waste a perfectly good afternoon in the car. After
the fourth cup of coffee and second crossword puzzle, I often
get a similar craving and begin to run through my catalogue
of quick jaunts. Leg stretchers. Breath fresheners. Mind benders.
Luckily, Moab abounds in these gems.
A word of warning. In the winter sandstone becomes very soft
and breakable. Don’t count on any thin ledges or insubstantial
handholds to support your weight. Make sure anything you step
on or grab is bombproof or pay the price.
The Dump Wall
There’s an inviting name for a walk…the Dump
Wall. (I make up my own names for places.) Actually, it’s
part of the Sand Flats area and you get there on Sand Flats
Road. On the right, about 100 yards past the Sand Flats
Entrance booth, are the termini of three sandstone fins.
You can walk up the little valley or climb up onto the middle
fin, where you will see below you “The World’s
Most Scenic Dump” (hence, the ‘Dump Wall). The
fabulous view of slickrock fins undulating away towards
the mouth of Mill Creek Canyon with the snow covered La
Sals as a backdrop will engage most of your attention. This
is a magnificent place for a sunset stroll. There are several
hours of fairly easy walking here and a nice little arch
known as Pocket that you might come across.
Sandstone fins at the top of
the Dump Wall |
Another word of warning. About a quarter
of a mile from the road the fins break up somewhat. This is
where you want to take a good look at your back-trail. The
rock is rather tangled here and, when you return, you want
to make sure you’re not taking the wrong route. It’s
easy to get rimmed-out on the way back and that means you’ll
be backtracking or, maybe, doing something risky. Don’t.
East Portal
Above the Colorado River bridge, on the north-east side about
half-way up the cliff, is a beautiful Kayenta sandstone
ramp curling around the nose of the headland as it soars
above the river. Access is inside Courthouse Wash, less
than a quarter mile on the right. The hardest part of
this moderate walk is the climb and scramble to the ramp
above. Once you’re
up there the views of the river, the wetlands, and the Moab
and Gold Bar Rims are spectacular. The ramp curves about
a mile above the jade-green winter waters. At this point,
it’s
possible to sneak down to the river or up to plateau, but
then you’re working a lot harder and taking a lot
longer.
For a lesser walk, go to the Moab Panel of Barrier Canyon
rock art at the right side of the mouth of Courthouse Wash.
Walk the base of the wall up and to the right. There are
a number of interesting shield-figure petroglyphs along
this wall and a good view of the river about a quarter mile
up.
Cryptos
(krip’ tose): The surface of Moab’s
desert is held together by a thin skin of living organisms
known as cryptobiotic soil or cryptos. It has a lumpy
black appearance, is very fragile, and takes decades
to heal when it has been damaged. This soil is a critical
part of the survival of the desert. The cryptobiotic
organisms help to stabilize the soil, hold moisture,
and provide protection for germination of the seeds
of other plants.
Without it the dry areas of the
west would be much different. Although some disturbance
is normal and helps the soil to capture moisture, excessive
disturbance by hooves, bicycle tires and hiking boots
has been shown to destroy the cryptobiotic organisms
and their contribution to the soil. When you walk around
Moab avoid crushing the cryptos. Stay on trails, walk
in washes, hop from stone to stone.
Whatever it takes, don’t
crunch the cryptos unless you absolutely have
to! |
Polka Dot Man
This walk takes a little more skill and effort than the other
two. Desert novices should proceed with caution or not at
all. Cross the river and go left on the Potash Road. After
the second “Indian Writing” sign go another 100
yards and pull over. You’ll see a mile marker sign with
“10” on it. Walk upstream 100 feet and there’s
your canyon. It’s a steep scramble and not for the faintly
agrophobic or “exposure weenies” as they (and
I) are sometimes known. After a quarter mile the trail comes
to a protected pocket of sand and stone, a beautiful alcove,
and some fantastic rock art, including the aforementioned
Polka Dot Man. Don’t forget the binoculars. Proceeding
up the canyon connects you to Poison Spider Mesa and you actually
loop to the right and back down to the Potash Road in two
or three hours.
Rory Tyler
leads custom rock art tours and backcountry hikes for people
of all skill levels for Canyon Voyages Adventure Company.
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