​​In The Shadow of Longs Peak

San Rafael Wanderings

26 November 2003 -  27 November 2003

Wanderings, East Side San Rafael Swell

From our camp, we walked east to the Tidwell Draw track, then north toward the Smith Cabin road, then west into a wash until the bushes got too thick.  So we hopped out, then back down once past the bushes and the bottom was slick rock, wide and sandy.  We continue up and the canyon to the left comes into view.  The walls of the wash are higher and we step up into the canyon on the left then up again on the rib between it and a second canyon then left again.  Now we are in a wide park, surrounded by domes and gnomes.  We go left, into a wash that we think would place us near the bottom of Horsethief Canyon.  Upward we go, north, around another rib, then down into another sandstone canyon.  These walls are steeper and higher.  Gary scrambles down to a place where I will not go.  He checks further down but the bottom is too far down and he comes back.  We turn back west and hike south over a saddle then down the canyon and return to our camp.

The next day, we hiked straight west from our camp.  There, the canyon starts out as a wash (as they all seem to) and is wide with steps of slickrock.   In yesterday’s outing, the slickrock was all grey but today there are a variety of colors:  grey, yellow and purple.  In some places, there are pebble gardens with all small pebble of all the colors.  In 45 minutes or so, we come to a park enclosed by canyon walls which seems like the end of the canyon.  We can escape easily to the right (looking up canyon) but straight ahead looks more interesting, sort of a slot and very chimney-like.  Gary clamors up then traverses left.  The final step is high, so Gary removes his pack and makes his way up.  I remove my pack, attach a haul string, and he pulls it up.  I move up, and traverse left.  Making that final move as he did seems off balance.  I step into a hole and move straight up – voila!