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Upper sections of South Fork of Robber's Roost |
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Andrew and I go to market
From Robber's Roost spring we walk down the wash for 100 ft to top of a pour over (cliff). This is the head of the south fork of Robber's Roost Canyon. Just above the poor over someone had wedged a log across the wash as a rappel anchor. I go first, wearing my pack, down a 20 ft cliff, across a sandy hole, then down a 30 ft cliff. The rope picks up a lot of sand and I think that this may be it's end.
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Upper sections of South Fork of Robber's Roost |
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We walk through moderately open canyon for a while, tracing bend after been. The walls narrow and we come to another large pour over created by a chock stone. Below the chock stone the walls of the canyon narrow considerably. We rap down awkwardly, first one, then packs, then the other. In the next section of canyon we come across several more chock stones which we are able to climb down. We learn to keep long webbing attached to our packs. At each chock stone one climbs down, we lower the packs, then the other follows.
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At one point we walk several hundred feet through a two foot wide slot, slanted 20 degrees to the left.
I am like a kid at an amusement park. Intricate holes in the ground fascinate me to no end. I want to spend forever poking around the details of every section, and want to rush forward to see what comes next.
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The canyon widens again. We stop for a break, then explore a short ways up aside slot canyon, making our way up by stemming across the walls. We do the 3rd and 4th rappel then take a longer break near a large side canyon with standing water. I sit and read a book while Andrew explores up the side canyon. He comes back and tells me stories of beauty beyond words. I walk up the canyon. A short ways up it becomes a sub-way, a section where water has under cut the sides. Here it is perhaps 30 ft wide. 15 ft up each wall is a 10 ft overhang, leaving a 10 ft. slot above. Further up the canyon opens up to a natural cathedral. All around me are tall cliffs of sculpted sandstone with blue sky above. An intricate slot high in the head wall admits water when it flows. I wonder how I could have lived my life up to now unaware that such natural beauty existed, and how many other places remain for me to discover.
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We make our way further down. There is one more rappel, this time into a shallow pool. From here the canyon opens up and meanders back and forth. We camp in the lower section of the South Fork.
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Though it would be interesting to explore some of the other forks of Robber's Roost we are both feeling like a relaxed day. We pick a camp site well out of the way, on a rock ledge at the edge of the canyon. Andrew reads, then wonders off to bath near the river. Latter I join him and wash myself.
Late in the afternoon I build up enough gumption to walk a ways. I head up canyon past numerous bends. At one point I find an interesting hill to the right. It has a large sandy trail cutting up it to what looks like a large ledge on the sandstone cliff. I wonder if it could be ruins from early inhabitants on the ledge.
Half way up the hill I discover the attraction: a large natural arch
The ledge turns out to be just large enough for me to walk along, ducking in places. It leads to the arch. I walk under it and discover that on the far side someone has constructed a rock ramp which provides a way out of the canyon.
Behind the ramp there is an under cut alcove in the wall which has been used as a camp. Camp fire soot darkens the ceiling. It is easy to step from the constructed ramp onto the natural ramp and up to the rim, but I take another route. After crossing under the arch I walk back toward the rim, turn, and walk up the top of the arch. This is also easy, but exposed as the arch slopes away on both sides. Above is a broad expanse of sandstone domes and with another rim a couple hundred feet higher. I walk to the top of a large dome and take this picture looking back down canyon.
South Fork of Robbers Roost Canyon
(The arch is in the rock peninsula to the right)
I start back toward camp to tell Andrew about my discovery. I don't get far when I run into him. I wait on the canyon floor while he climbs up to the top of the arch cliff where I photograph him:
Dinner after dark on beans and rice with bread (or brownies).
We make our way leisurely down stream to the junction of Robber's Roost and the Dirty Devil which we cross for the second time.
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We hike the left bank for a ways, then up on sandstone domes. We have to climb up a ways before we can drop into Beaver Box XXX canyon. (There is a trail from here up to a trail head, used by most Robber's Roost hikers.) We take a long afternoon break in a large alcove to wait out a light drizzle.
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At the river we fill water for a dry camp this night. We then grind our way (with full water sacks!) up to the table land and begin a long track back toward the car. When it gets dark we make a simple camp and cook dinner. The storm hits late at night and rattles the tent. I wake up to find a large puddle under my feet from a ground cloth sticking out into the rain.
We are up at first light and hiking again and by 8 a.m. back at the car.
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This mostly gives us an extra day to explore. We have breakfast in Hanksvill and talk about the prospects for living in a small town in southern Utah. We drive West from there into Capitol Reef. Andrew does a long loop hike while I do a short loop and relax with a book. In the evening we drive further and eat at the Aquarius restaurant in Lyman or Loa. We camp near there and I have a cold night of it at 8000 ft in my old down bag.
Day 10
We drive back to Salt Lake City (return the car with out getting in trouble for all the dirt), fly back to Seattle, and are met at the gate by Lorna. We use up the last of our film in the Seattle airport parking lot, flushed with excitement about our trip.
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[Coming next: Utah '98 - The Escalate and side canyons.]
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Page last modified: Feb 01 00:49 2003 by Tom Unger
