IMPORTANT NOTE: This trip is currently FULL. If you would like to be placed on a WAITING LIST in the event of cancellations, please follow the instructions below for sending in a trip deposit. (see the COST section below).

TRIP DATES:

saturday, september 30th through sunday, october 8th, 2006

"I only went out for a walk, and finally concluded to stay out 'til sundown, for going out, I found, was really going in." - John Muir

Join the Austin Sierra Club on hiking/photography trip to the fabulous and colorful Escalante slot canyon area of southern Utah.

• Hike and explore Zion National Park;
• Photograph the world-famous Antelope Canyon and Horseshoe Bend of the Colorado River;
• Hike Wire Pass and Buckskin Gulch in the Paria River watershed;
• Camp at colorful Kodachrome Basin State Park and visit Willis Creek canyon, Bryce Canyon National Park and nearby Grosvenor Arch;
• Camp at Escalante State Park and explore the canyons and formation along Hole-in-the-Rock Road;
• Hike to and Photograph the spectacular Lower Calf Creek Falls.

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IMPORTANT CAVEATS: This trip is not considered STRENUOUS. (There are no day-long, extended death marches scheduled at this time, but we'll entertain this if there is enough demand.) On the other hand, like any trip to a primitive wilderness area, there are dangers not to be taken lightly. Slot canyons are not only extremely beautiful, they can be dangerous. Flash flooding is a serious threat and the storms that cause them can come up quickly and without warning. Many of the hikes involve serious rock-scrambling, boulder-hopping, chimneying down narrow clefts or working your way through narrow slots with the assistance of ropes. If there has been recent rain, canyon obstacles may include pools of cold water that must be waded. The opportunities for falls, slips or stumbles abound. Participants should be in reasonably sound physical condition and some experience with wilderness hiking is required. Now that you have been frightened witless, understand that your leaders have been trained and certified in Wilderness First Aid and have traveled these hiking trails at least once, sometimes several times and have always returned with live and uninjured participants. PLEASE review the HIKE DESCRIPTIONS for this trip carefully and ask yourself if you can safely participate in each of them. You always have the option to opt out of a hike that strikes you as beyond your capabilities and on several days you will have a choice between strenuous and less-strenuous hikes. Know you own capacity and make sure you do not risk either your own personal safety or that of your fellow hikers. Bob wanted me to add that "while we certainly hope to return with everyone, remember that the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the one."

TRIP LOGISTICS:

Dates: Saturday, September 30th through Sunday, October 8th, 2006

Cost: $395 per person ($420 for non-members). Note that this cost does not include air fare to the Las Vegas airport. You should budget roughly $350 -$300 for round-trip air fare, although cheaper fares are available if you reserve soon enough in advance (see the getting there section below)

Trip leaders:

• Chuck Byrd ( cbyrd4@austin.rr.com )
• Bob DeVor ( rdevor@yahoo.com )
• Dave Senecal

Meet the trip leaders: Qualifications and Experience

This will be a mostly basecamp trip. A one-night backpack option is available for experienced backpackers. If you are interested in this option please contact Chuck or Bob immediately since spaces and permits are very limited.

GETTING THERE:

Participants will arrange their own air transportation to Las Vegas for this trip. A reasonable fare is about $350 - $300. The important thing is to make sure that you do not schedule a flight that arrives in Las Vegas any later than 45 MINUTES prior to the van departure time on Saturday, September 30th. (i.e., 09:15 or 9:15 AM). Also, we will return to Las Vegas on Sunday, October 8th by 13:30 (1:30 PM), so make sure your flight does not depart before 15:00 (3 PM) [Allows 1 1/2 hours for security and check-in]. There is one possible exception to the departure time if enough people want to book the flight (see American Flight 1538 below).

CALCULATING COSTS:

Trip cost: $395 (members) $420 (non-members)

You must submit a $100 deposit per person to reserve a space on this trip. Deposits can be mailed immediately and will be accepted until the trip is filled. Deposits received after the trip has filled will be held uncashed and the sender will be placed on a waiting list against the likelihood of a cancellation.

The remainder of the trip fee will be due in full no later than September 15th.

Participants who must cancel prior to September 10th will receive a full refund of any monies received as long as their place on the trip can be filled from the waiting list. Cancellations after September 10th will be subject to charges based on any trip costs incurred on behalf of the individual up to that point with any remaining money returned to the participant who must cancel.

Trip cost covers:

• All park camping fees (both state parks and national parks)
• Park Entrance fees (Zion National Park and Bryce Canyon National Park) and trailhead fees (except Antelope Canyon, see below)
• All meals in camp (this will be most meals)
• Transportation by minivan

Cost DOES NOT cover:

• Personal expenses (souvenirs, snacks, etc.)
• Showers and/or laundry at campgrounds (if a fee is charged)
• Entrance fees to Antelope Canyon (there are two canyons, the more-popular Upper Antelope Canyon and the narrower Lower Antelope Canyon. Both are on Navajo land and owned by two different families. There is a base price of $6 to enter Navajo land and then an additional $13 for entrance to the Lower Canyon or $15 to enter the Upper Canyon. These costs vary, but were current in 2005. The backpack group will probably not have time to visit these canyons.)
• Restaurant expenses (any meals on the road - probably no more than 3 meals)
• Optional recreational choices such as horseback rides, bike rentals, rafting trips, etc.

RESERVATIONS:

• Payment of the trip deposit establishes your reservation.
• Reservations will be accepted on a first-come-first-served basis, based on receipt of deposit.
• The trip is limited to 21 participants.

Mail your DEPOSIT ($100) and/or trip fee, made out to THE AUSTIN SIERRA CLUB, to:

• Chuck Byrd
• 4207 Iriona Bend
• Austin, TX 78749

Information about Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument:

The Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument is located in South central Utah in one of the most pristine and isolated desert regions of the continental US. The area we will cover includes a large section of this part of Utah from lowland desert regions near Page, Arizona to the high plateaus around the town of Escalante.

The GSENM is under the control of the Bureau of Land Management and the areas we will be hiking are remote, pristine and primitive with few paved roads or facilities of any kind. (The exceptions, of course, are the state and national parks we will visit). While the hikes will not be extremely strenuous, hikers should be in moderately good physical shape and able to walk moderately long distances (4 to 8 miles, typically), including some moderately steep grades, carrying adequate water. If you are concerned about the hikes, please review the HIKE DESCRIPTIONS carefully and make sure you are confident you can complete the hikes without endangering yourself or your fellow hikers.

Here is a BLM website that describes the Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument: GSENM

The GORP website provides additional information from a different perspective: GORP GSENM

The American Southwest website provides brief descriptions and photos of several of the places we will be visiting: ASW GSENM

Finally, additional information about the area is provided on a Utah.com website devoted to descriptions of Utah natural wonders. UTAH GSENM

DAILY SCHEDULE:

Here is a quick overview of each days activities. For a detailed list of all the hikes for this trip, see hike details.

Participants will be met at the Las Vegas McCarran airport by the vans/minivans that will provide the transportation during the trip. We will pack the vans and depart Las Vegas by 10:00 AM; (earlier if all the participants have arrived before then). From Las Vegas, we will drive to Page, Arizona (roughly 270 miles) and our campsite at Wahweap campground in Glen Canyon National Recreation Area on the edge of Lake Powell. We will probably stop in Mesquite for lunch at a local restaurant/casino and arrive at the campsite in the afternoon.

After setting up our tents, we will have a little time to explore the shores of Lake Powell or drive to some of the nearby overlooks. Dinner will be on your own (probably in Page or Kanab).

Sunday, October 1st

After breakfast and lunch prep we will split up into the BACKPACK group and the BASECAMP group. Both groups will drive to the Wire Pass trailhead and hike to the confluence of Wire Pass and Buckskin Gulch, but from there the BACKPACK group will continue down river from Buckskin Gulch into the Paria River watershed for a one-day backpack while the BASECAMP group will explore upper Buckskin Gulch and return via the same route to the Wire Pass trailhead. If there is still time when we return to Page, we will make a quick side trip to the Horseshoe Bend overlook.

Coin-op showers and laundry facilities are available at Wahweap for the basecampers on their return.

Dinner in camp.

After breakfast and lunch prep, the BASECAMP group will break camp and drive to the entrance of either Upper or Lower Antelope Canyon and will spend one to two hours exploring and photographing these fantastic canyons. We will then turn West and take the Cottonwood Canyon Road to Kodachrome Basin State Park, visiting Grosvenor Arch on the way. We should arrive in plenty of time to set up camp and explore the Park, including Shakespeare Arch and the Panorama Trail. We will camp in the group campsite close to showers and modern facilities.

The BACKPACK group will complete the second day of their hike and exit the Paria watershed near the White House ranger station where their van will be waiting. They will then load up and follow the same route (Cottonwood Canyon road) to Kodachrome Basin State Park where they will re-join the BASECAMP group.

Dinner in camp.

Using Kodachrome Basin State Park as our base, we will drive the short distance to Bryce Canyon National Park and spend a long day exploring the park. Several excellent hikes are available from the rim down into the center of the Canyon and back out. Among the standout hikes are The Navajo Trail and Peekaboo Trail and the Queen's Garden. We will eat our sack lunches at one of the picnic areas in the park, probably at Rainbow Point. Drives along the rim afford magnificent views of the Natural Bridge and varied angles of perspective on the multicolored canyon.

Dinner at Ruby's Inn, just outside of Bryce Canyon Park

Wednesday, October 4th

In the morning, after breakfast and lunch prep, we will drive to the Willis Creek trailhead and explore the Willis Creek slot canyon (or, alternately, the Bull Valley Gorge, depending on interest). We will return before noon to break camp and then drive to Escalante State Park. Once there we will set up camp and then drive to the Lower Calf Creek Falls trailhead, about twenty-five miles northeast of Escalante. We will park at the Calf Creek campground and hike to the Falls and enjoy the falls and pool before returning to our vehicles. If there is time, we can drive a few more miles up the road to the Upper Calf Creek Falls trailhead and hike the the short (1.1 mile) trail to the Upper Falls before returning to camp.

Dinner in camp.

Today we will explore the wonders of the Hole-in-the-Rock road. We will start early and visit Devil's Garden, then continue down the road to the Brimstone Gulch parking area where we will hike to Peekaboo Gulch and from there to Spooky Gulch, two difficult canyons that are well worth the effort. Make sure you bring plenty of water for these hikes since there is none available once we turn off onto the dirt Hole-in-the-Rock road.

Dinner in camp

On Friday, after breakfast and lunch prep, we will pack up and drive to Zion National Park, arriving at camp in time to take one of several hike options for the day (Hidden Valley and the East Valley Overlook are two possible hikes). We will camp at the Watchman Group camping site.

Dinner in camp

Saturday, October 7th

Today we will explore several remote areas of Zion National Park, including a hike down Taylor Creek to the Double Arch Alcove.

Dinner in camp.

Today we will pack up camp and leave our Zion campsite after breakfast and will drive west back to Las Vegas. If we have time, we can check out the bizarre sandstone formations of Snow Canyon State Park, close to St. George, Utah on the way home.

Lunch on the road.

EQUIPMENT:

[Plates, cooking gear and eating utensils as well as food will be provided by the Club for all meals in camp. You do not need to bring your own cooking/eating gear.]

A note on CAMERA EQUIPMENT:

Outdoor camping trips are notoriously hard on cameras. It is normally extremely dry in the Escalante region of Utah, but changes in elevation from desert level to high plateau elevations combined with the rare possibility of cold, windy, rainy weather are a challenge for any delicate electronic equipment, including regular and digital cameras. To protect your camera, bring along a large ziploc bag or a kayak dry bag for storage. Collect the packets or cylinders of silica gel (the ones that come in vitamin bottles or packed with new cameras for shipping and which say "do not eat") and pack them in the bag to absorb humidity. Keep your camera equipment in the closed bag when you are not using it and check the inside of the bag frequently for water vapor. Remember to bring extra camera batteries and be aware that cold temperatures at high elevations may reduce the power of your batteries. If you find that your camera is reacting sluggishly, tuck it into your jacket next to your body for about fifteen minutes to allow the battery to warm up and regain power.

RETURN TO TOP

MEALS:

The Austin Sierra Club has a well-deserved reputation for good meals in the field. Trip leaders plan the menu, purchase the food and supervise the preparation of all meals in camp from written menus that include preparation instructions. Participants help with the preparation and cooking and with the equipment clean-up afterward. In this way, we can keep trip costs down, provide nutritious meals and provide a group experience that makes sure no one is a stranger by the end of the trip.

The Club provides all the eating utensils, plates and drinking implements you will need. Participants need only bring their own water containers for hikes. Hikers need to plan on bringing adequate water supplies (at least two liters for a half-day hike, more if you drink more. Drinking water is available at all of our campsites, but with few exceptions, none is available on the trails or at the trailheads.) We also provide propane cooking stoves, tubs for clean up, recycle facilities and hotel sanitation chemicals for utensil sterilization. Participants will be asked to sign up for at least four KP assignments (Breakfast, Lunch prep or Dinner) and can normally choose between preparation, cooking or cleanup. We do not use disposable utensils, so all equipment is washed and sterilized after each meal.

Please make sure your trip leaders know of important food allergies or dietary restrictions. We frequently accommodate vegetarians or even vegan diets and our menus are designed to allow for these restrictions. Just let us know.

WEATHER:

At the end of September, the Utah Escalante region is typically warm in the daytime (highs in the 70's or even the low 80's) with cold nights (lows in the 50's or high 40's), typical of western desert and high plateau regions at these elevations (ranging from about 4,000 feet to 7,000 feet). Rain is rare and usually light when it does occur. The humidity is usually low to very low (normally around 30% or less with about 15 inches of precipitation annually) and Austin lowlanders should be prepared for dry skin and chapped lips. A good hand lotion with vitamin E and/or Aloe Vera normally helps a lot. Lip moisteners, especially on long, dusty hikes are strongly advised.

Here are links to current weather conditions at or close to our camping sites:

(use the BACK button on your browser to return to this page after viewing the weather)

Weather at ZION NATIONAL PARK

Weather in PAGE, AZ

Weather at BRYCE NATIONAL PARK

Weather in ESCALANTE, UT

Check the weather and the forecast regularly beginning about a week before the trip and keep checking for unusual weather trends in the predictions. BE PREPARED.

MAP: