Escalante, UT Trails Recon Mission

[dzJeepChic 2,517]

Russ Chung joined us in camp that night, and he used his code-reader to diagnose what might have been ailing e!. Two codes came up; both oxygen sensors related, and of course the check engine light went off after he cleared the codes.

 

Friday we and Phil had to start for home while the other guys were still going to continue exploring the area around Escalante. From Escalante, we took Utah 12 west through Henrieville and over to Cannonville (the check engine light came back on right after we left the campground). We stopped in at the GSENM Visitor Center at Cannonville and found out how to get to the Cottonwood Road, which we had planned on taking back to 89, and that we MUST take the side trip over to Grosvernor Arch when we come to it. “It’s only a mile back,” the Visitor Center Lady said, and “it’s so worth it, it’s a beautiful arch”.

 

Our 1st stop as we traveled south down Cottonwood Road was at the Kodachrome Basin State Park, so named by a National Geographic team of photographers in 1949 because of the richness of color in the rock spires and formations. This park would really be better suited to a day-long stay so you could hike to the many spires that dot landscape. Only a few are accessible by car, but we were in too much of a hurry to spend enough time there. But for $6.00, it’s a bargain if you’ve got the time and your boots!

 

 

 

The Cottonwood Road is beautiful and fun to travel.

 

 

We got to the turn off for Grosvernor Arch at about 11:00. Plenty of time to take a break and see what it’s all about. So, I go cruising up the road and get to a small dirt parking lot, and pull up next to a big Juniper Tree and the Restrooms. Now, mind you, my Jeep has been running hot for several days and it’s a beautiful day out, so all my windows are down. As soon as I stop the Jeep, I notice bees hovering all around the windshield and coming in the windows. Not just a few bees. A LOT of bees!

 

My first instinct was to get the Jeep out of there, and I proceeded to do that until I realized there were bees on my hands and in my face and hair, so I just freaked out and jumped out! So here we are: my Jeep is running, the driver’s door is open, all the windows are open, bees are everywhere: in it, on it, on us! I tell Phil to get the heck out of here with his Jeep, so he drives back out to the road. As he’s walking back to us, he says, “Diane, they’re all over you!” And they were! George said my back was covered with bees, so he started swatting at them with the towel he had in his hands (nice excuse, Honey).

 

We didn’t know what to do. Nobody wanted to go near the Cherokee. Then I came up with a plan: I told George to put on Phil’s sweatshirt and gloves, put the towel over his head, and then get in that Jeep and get it out of there!

 

 

So he got in, and with his left foot hanging out, put it in gear and got it out of the parking lot and down the road a ways. Just as he was making the bend onto the road from the parking lot, a family in an SUV came up the road and onto the scene. I can’t imagine what they thought when they saw this hooded and be-toweled adult male half-way hanging out of a speeding Jeep, but they didn’t even slow down as they made the turn into the parking lot and right back out again and on down the road.

 

It took a while, but the bees got out of my Jeep. As they lost interest and dissipated, I ran back to get at least one picture of the darned arch. Keep in mind, this shot is taken from the road, not even the parking lot, much less the little path that goes by the restroom:

 

 

Further down the Cottonwood Road you start running close to Hackberry Creek for a while until it gives away to barren wasteland again as you approach Hwy. 89.

 

 

 

 

We got to Hwy. 89 just east of Big Water at about 1:00 Friday; too hot to set up camp, so we headed for home.

 

What an awesome trip! We are ever grateful to our friend Sam White who never seems to mind showing us around some of the cool places he knows about. Thanks to Sam, we have enough information to begin planning a trip for OffroadPassport members next year! We can’t wait to go back!

 

So until next time, remember:

 

 

See you on the trail,

 

GnD

[Number7 87]

Great trip report Diane. I'm still chuckling about the bees. George:cool:

[theksmith 4,029]

great report guys, makes me jealous that i missed this one for sure!

[peshaw48 6]

Diane what a good trip report, you have out done your self. I still cant believe you guys didnt get stung by the Bees.

[GRUNT 87]

x4 on the trip report! I am a definite on all your trips if we are going to "sacrifice an RV by fire" to the jeep gods.

[theksmith 4,029]

x4 on the trip report! I am a definite on all your trips if we are going to "sacrifice an RV by fire" to the jeep gods.

 

me too, they are impressive fires, saw this one last year on the way up to payson area to cut down a christmass tree... you could feel the heat quite strong even with 4 lanes between us:

 

[dzJeepChic 2,517]

Dude, I think that's the same kind of motorhome!

[teddyearp 0]

I know this thread is supercalifragilisticly old, so forgive me for his. But I just had to say, WOW. Cool pics. I am planning a road trip between WA and AZ in May this year with most side trips in AZ and maybe southern UT and stumbled across Johnson Canyon road. Whenever I have gone through Kanab/Page on my way, the area and side roads there have always intrigued me.

 

But now in my 'google'ing of Johnson Canyon on AZVJC I found this thread linked at the AZVJC site.

 

Hmmm. . . . so many trails, so little time. Oh Damn. What to do now? Maybe just Johnson Canyon or through the last section from Cannonville. . . . .?

 

Thanks for messing my plans up for that day, George and Diane, lol.

[Number7 87]

I know this thread is supercalifragilisticly old, so forgive me for his. But I just had to say, WOW. Cool pics. I am planning a road trip between WA and AZ in May this year with most side trips in AZ and maybe southern UT and stumbled across Johnson Canyon road. Whenever I have gone through Kanab/Page on my way, the area and side roads there have always intrigued me.

 

But now in my 'google'ing of Johnson Canyon on AZVJC I found this thread linked at the AZVJC site.

 

Hmmm. . . . so many trails, so little time. Oh Damn. What to do now? Maybe just Johnson Canyon or through the last section from Cannonville. . . . .?

 

Thanks for messing my plans up for that day, George and Diane, lol.

 

Make sure you watch out for bees! George:cool:

[CoDawwg 0]

Your trip looked way cool,, thanks for sharing.