​​In The Shadow of Longs Peak

Thursday 21 April 2022

I stayed in camp today and work on writing.  Brookie and Sharon packed up and drive home.  Gary, Carol and Werner hiked up Mule Canyon, going further than Gary did on Monday.  On Friday, we packed up to return home since the forecast called for rain starting today.  Carol and Werner were going to head back to Kane Creek.

Writing Practice:

I want to sit here and see if I can describe the scene in front of me.  First, where am I? At the Comb Wash BLM campground.  Second, in general, what is it that I want to communicate? For one, the scene itself.  For another, the ambience of the scene.  And finally, how do I feel about what I see?

The comb wash campground is in a plain below Comb Ridge just to the south of UT 95.  The plain is wide, open, flat on a plane of soft red sand, criss-crossed by rough 2 tracks.   Where it has not been torn up by vehicle tracks, there is sage brush, rabbit brush, clumps of scrawny grass and ample tumbleweed.  Along the wash are cottonwoods, tall, with limbs twisted into gnarled appendages.  For the most part they have not leafed out here and tree tops blend to into a silvery haze. Farther away from the wash are mounds of red dirt, gently rounded and supporting stands of juniper and pinon.  Beyond these on the west side is a low rounded ridge of white Navajo capstone with layers of red folded in.  Gullies have eaten into the capstone and these are studded with more pinon and juniper.   To the north, the ridge starts out as white Navajo capstone, softy rounded to into islands of stone bordered by shallow ravines and gullies, supporting more stands of juniper and pinion.

As it gains elevation and moves Southwest,  the white capstone is layered with red Navajo Sandstone which form vertical walls, but again intersected by ravines and filled with stands of juniper and pinon.  Then beyond only sky.  And this is the gateway to Cedar Mesa.

To the east is comb ridge.   Its upper section is a steep wall,  divided into undulating layers of red and creme sandstone;  vertical fractures further segment the rock , which whose face is shearer as you look south toward the notch where UT 95 cuts through. 

The ridge seems to sink as it moves a northward, and the pink & creme are their topped by a layer of darker red and more at crème.

 Below the vertical wall are steep scree slopes, dotted with small pinons, which gives way to rounded mounds covered in sagebrush and silvery-green grass.  The mounds then drop into the wash.     

Today is warm and sunny.  There is a nearly constant wind which qusts enough to pick up and blow sand around.  Airplanes fly overhead. Gravel trucks rumble up & down the road.

Birds sing. 1) one sounds like an an-ah-ab- chopo o so 3 short tweets and I long; (2) Another, I long & 3 short 3) Another, a shrill multi-call.

Back at camp, the cottonwoods are not quite leafed out, so are like ghost trees and Silhouette.  Some birds.  The waves of red and white rock in the distance.  Cars, trucks and trailers rumbling down the road from the gap in Comb Rodge.  Wind flapping the sunshade.   

​​Monday 18 April 2022

Our destination today is Lower Mule Canyon.  We start from our camp, hike west a short distance then south along a wash.   This is not straightforward walking, so we hike up and out of the wash, find an open plan, which brings us to the Comb Wash Road and much easier hiking, and before long, we are at the Mule Canyon Road and turn and walk down toward the wash where there are a couple of groups camped.

We continue down the road.  The ruin is of interest in particular since it is in an area where there is lots of chert here. Some of the guidebooks mention this but I will need to re-read those entries. 

We continue past the ruin but turns out we are in an alcove so we turn back into the main canyon.  Sharon turns around.  Looking back toward Comb Ridge, there is a line of cottonwoods greening up which I photograph.  Then we continue hiking till 1:15 when Brookie and I also turn around.  Gary continues till 2 pm.  His perseverance pays off as he sees another ruin. 

We meet back at camp.  I am glad I turned around when I did.  As always, the last 30 minutes are grueling.  But once back at camp, all the ache and pains go away, so a good hike. 

We have beer & snacks.  Gary works on supper - italiano bake in the dutch oven - very tasty and there are left overs.  Then tidy up and turn in.

​​Tuesday 19 April 2022

A driving outing today, but we have coffee and breakfast and do dishes before leaving.

Our first stop is the Mule Canyon Ruin Interpretive Site, about 10 or so miles west on UT 95. It is One of the restored sites. The sign mentioned it was probably for 2 - 3 family groups and consisted of a tower, a kiva and a pueblo.  There was a tunnel connecting the tower and kiva.  Tunnels are not a common feature in the primitive sights in this area.  Also, the tower for this site can be seen from another site to the south, the Mule Canyon Cave Towers site.

Then we are off to the South Branch of Mule Canyon.  We travel east about 2 miles then turn off on the Texas Flat Road.  This is now a fee area and our Senior all parks and federal lands pass is not valid.  We pay the fee, $5 per person, then drive down to where the road crosses Mule Canyon and up the other side to a small parking area as all the spots along the road are taken.

We gear up and hike back down to the canyon.  As at the campground, there are lots of people (comparatively) here, maybe a dozen or so groups.  Mostly they look to be retirees (our age) but there are 2 or 3 groups of young adults.

The trail from the road to the bottom of the wash and trailhead is short but steep, mostly soft red sand but with a couple of small boulders to step down about halfway.   A couple of people step over these with difficulty but with hiking poles for additional balance, it’s a cinch. 

The canyon walls are a mixture of blocks of red & white Navajo sand stone, not vertical, but steep enough that climbing would require lots of scrambling.  The bottom of the canyon is blanketed with a fine red sand.  There is an information post and sign-in box at the trail head.

Overall, the trail is only very moderately inclined. It first descends into the wash, while is mostly fine sand along with gravel and pebbles.  There is a beaten path above the wash along the edge.  At times, it crosses the wash to the opposite side.  The canyon is boulder, rock and tree filled, mostly pinon's and juniper with some ponderosa.

There are ruins in this canyon which is the draw.  The first we see is about a mile up the canyon on the right (looking up canyon).  The literature says that at certain times of day, this ruin does look like a ‘House On Fire, and is named thus.  It is set back in an alcove.  The rock layering is turned on its side, which creates an illusion of flames.

We grab a snack here, take photos and continue upstream.  The trail continues to weave back and forth across the streambed.  The canyon walls line the sides and are dotted with alcoves and large boulders.  A scramble would be required to climb.  There are lots of birds singing but I fail to find any in my binocs.

We hiked up for an hour, and on the right is a 2nd ruin (looking up canyon).  This one is only 1 room and sits in a shallow alcove fairly high above the wash.  At this point, I turn around and retrace my steps.  Sharon and Brookie continue, meet up with Gary and they all turn around.  We meet back at the road, head up the hill to the cars and return to camp.

Once at camp, we have snacks and a beer.  The wind picked up today and we are feeling the effects of 30mph gusts. 

 We wonder about the wisdom of staying or aborting our trip.  Sharon, Brookie and I drive up the road, back to the Texas Flat Road.  They have cell service though I do not.  Brookie calls Lindsay.  After that, we call werner saying we are unclear of the next days’ plan.  But, Werner and Carol will be coming down regardless of the wind and weather as they wanted to get an annual Cedar Mesa Pass at the Kane Creek Ranger Station.  We leave it that Brookie will send an in-reach message if indeed we abandon camp on Wednesday.

 Back to camp we go.

Once there, I see that Gary has been unloading the tent.  I look in to start in on my stuff and see there is what seems to be an inch of fine sand over everything. The tent we are using is the big 3-season 6-person, North Face.  It has a fly but the walls are mostly mesh and not fine enough to keep out the fine sand and dust.

Despite how tired we are, we proceed to empty and take down this tent and put up the 4-season tent.  It sits lower to the ground and has solid walls.  Eventually this all gets done.  We climb inside and it seems that I am immediately asleep.  I sleep much better than the previous night.  Maybe I am simply worn out.  ​

Comb Ridge

April  2022

18 April 2022 - 22 April 2022

​Sunday 17 Apr 2022

Gary came over and stayed Saturday evening and we loaded most of my stuff in the truck.   On Sunday, we packed the remaining gear and coolers and were on our way around 9 am.  There was a brief pit stop in Georgetown, then we were on our west west to Grand Junction for sushi at City Market on Road 24 then gas at the Conoco on the west side of town.

Our adventure partners, Brookie & Sharon, are about 30 mints ahead.

We continue west on I-70 to Crescent Junction then south on US 191 through Moab, Monticello and Blanding, where we gas up.  It’s a bit further to UT 95, where we turn west and through Comb Ridge then down to the Comb Wash Road.  Just south of the paved highway is a BLM where we stayed over Thanksgiving in 2017.  We pull in.  There are lots more campers here than last time, but it is springtime.   

It is Sunday, so I expect it will not be too crowded.  We pull into a site, less than inviting, and explore on foot.  Gary hikes down past the outhouse and finds to sites that would be good for 3 tents and a camper (Carol and Werner will be joining us as well). 

Drive time was nine hours, though we expected it to be 10 due to the last part being on secondary roads.  We work on setting up our tent.  Before long, Brookie and Sharon arrive.  They like our chosen spot, and they proceed to setup. 

We have a beer, then sushi and sake for supper.  We chat for a bit then turn in.

Wednesday 20 April 2022

The wind has calmed overnight.  It is calm in the morning and seems warmer than the previous two mornings.  I get up and make coffee.  Gary sleeps until the sun is up and over the ridge.

Moving to the smaller tent was a wise choice.  In making the change-over, we simply wadded up the sunshade and larger tent and stuck it in the back of the truck.  Other gear is scattered between the back of the truck and the cab.  We have a bit of cleanup to do.

We make breakfast, do dishes, then proceed to shake out and fold out up the tent and sunshade; bag up the big air mattresses and sort thru and reorganize clothes and gear.  We are done in time for a quick lunch of leftover green beans, oranges and cheese & crackers.

I have had my eye on a couple of pictograph / petroglyph panels that don't seem to be a long drive.  We select the Walnut Knob panel. It's about 2 miles north on the Comb Wash road, then about 1/2 mile hike/scramble to the panel which is at the Knobs.

As we are head out of the campground, a white 4x4 with a camper is coming toward us.  It turns out to be Carol and Werner.  They are on their way to the Kane Creek Ranger Station but have stopped along the way to see where we are camped.  Since our spot is not obvious, we turn around & lead the way.   We sit and chat for a while.  They still want to go to Kane Creek for their permit and we still want to check out the Walnut Knob Panel so we go our separate way.

Gary and I cross UT 95 and head north on the Comb Wash Road.  This is another good gravel road lined with cottonwoods with several pull-outs and areas that have been used for remote camping but for the most part are not currently occupied.  Other than the cottonwoods,  most of the vegetation is sage brush, rabbit brush and scrawny grass.  The east side of the road becomes a no trespassing zone.  I cannot tell if its private property or if its part of a wilderness study area.

Just past 2 miles, there is an intersection.   Right goes to Arch Canyon and Arch  Canyon Ruins; left is our route, which is part of the original UT 95 thru Comb Ridge. A mountain biking outfit is parked there, we proceed and find a spot to pull off the road and park.

Since the hike is short, I think about not bringing a pack and water.  But it is hot, so I bring it.  A good decision!  We hike up the road a bit, into and out of a wash, then hop of onto the slickrock.   This is one of those really cool Utah hikes, across and up low-angled slickrock.  My kind of hike!  There are several ribs of white Navajo sandstone to traverse up, then over and up again; each bordered by a small, shallow gulley that we cross to the next. This is fun hiking!

The area just below the knobs is a bit steeper.  I try one spot that is not steep but covered in loose rotten rock so I back down.  Gary finds another spot but it's not to my liking.

The overall shape of this area is an upside-down bowl that is tilted down ward to the north.  I traverse around the rim to see what is beyond and indeed the angle is a bit shallower so we again start upward.  At each level there is a shallow angled spot to move up to the next level.  Then,  we start seeing footprints and roughly follow those to the knobs.  I continue up and around and seen to have lost Gary.   And more importantly, there are no panels though I do see a flat rock with a number of pot shards but forget to take a snapshot.   

 I turn back.  Gary has found the panel!  I look up to the left and see a pecked circular spiral and head that way into the notch between knobs. Right is a panel with a few pecked animals, using  a method where each peck was circular gouge.  Then a couple of snake-like figures and a circular image that almost looked like a dream catcher.  Sad to say, lots of contemporary initials & dates, covering other older images.  Now I turn around and there are two exquisite panels with various images including a large amoeba,  animals with horns similar to an ibex, and some with horns like elk.  There is also one image, an animal with a rider, but it does not look quite like a horse, the neck is not long enough and the ears seem too rounded.  There are images of horses with riders and bows and arrows.

 Gary comes up to take a look.  I take photos.

 Looking down the back side of the knobs, the angle of the rock is much more shallow so we head down that way after I stop and take a photo looking north.  We head down.  This way is much easier and traverse south back toward the truck.  We are now on the road and up ahead is Carol and Werner’s truck.

When we were first climbing, we saw Carol & Werner’s truck drive in. I did not spot them climbing up but now I can see they are at the knobs and looking for the panels.  I hollered out that they need to go thru the cleft and am surprised that they heard!  I wonder how much further but then see the truck about 25 yards further.  A delightful outing which took about 2 hours.