Escalante, Utah

Road construction put us on the bike path

After dinner we decided to take a short hike in the Petrified Forest

Over looking the town of Escalante

 A 19 foot climb guards the entrance to Peek-a-boo. The climb has carved steps and is a little tricky.

Getting a little help from my new best friend

See that crack down there?  That where we were.

Checking out the View Point

Posey Lake

Great Western Trail - Pine Creek section

John Allen Bottom

See the wild turkeys?

Hell's Backbone Road is a 38-mile gravel road that was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s, and connects the towns of Boulder, Utah and Escalante, Utah. Halfway along the road is Hell's Backbone Bridge, which is 109 feet long, and 14 feet wide. A 1,500-foot drop is on either side.

Hells Backbone Bridge

McGath Lake

Herding cattle down Hwy 12 with a quad

Headed to the Cosmic Ashtray

We're headed for that notch up there

Climbing the slick rock

Almost there

There it is.  A big hole in the ground.

Cooling off and catching our breath before checking it out

The Cosmic Ashtray is a hidden gem. The dome itself is hollow with an island in the middle. Size is difficult to grasp from pictures. Imagine a pothole 83 ft. deep and 99 ft. across, with a 33 ft. tall island in the middle. The bottom filled with sand.  If you're adventurous, the bottom of the dome can be visited, but beware you could end up stuck in the bottom!

Trying to get that perfect shot without the sun and shadows

There are carved steps at the hardest section, but the climb in/out is still a bit tricky, and you don't want to get trapped inside! It is suggested if you plan on entering the dome, you need to bring a 132 ft. rope and leave someone outside to anchor the rope for use as a handline. 

Shading the camera from the sun

Wish we had the drone

Taking a break from the sun

We're ready to head back down

Devil's Garden

As part of the Grand Staircase–Escalante National Monument, this desert destination features hoodoos, natural arches, and various sandstone formations

Metate Arch

Mano Arch

Four Hoodoos

Now there's five Hoodoos

Headed out hoping to find Weaver Caves and Petroglyphs

There are two ways.  One is shorter but has an unknown obstacle.  We chose the longer way.

The trail was not marked and we had a hard time keeping on track

We find on ourselves on the other side of the canyon from the caves, with no easy way across.  It's late in the day and our second hike, so we head back to the Jeep. It was tough being defeated.

Cryptobiotic soil

We stopped for dinner at the 4th West Pub

Headed out on a 6 mile out-and-back trail to Lower Calf Creek Falls

We're getting close!

We made it.

  Where else can you walk in the desert and come upon a 126 foot waterfall?

See the pictographs?

 There are three human-like figures painted in red wearing headdresses and holding hands. These pictographs were created by the Fremont people, who lived in this area from about 700 – 1300 AD. 

The pictographs are about two miles from the falls.