Grande Campo Velo Hiko: Colorado Plateau, Sept 2007



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Thanks to Bill Clinton, we have the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, the vast high-desert region in south-central Utah. The Grand Staircase gets its name from a series of benches and cliffs that step down in elevation from Bryce Canyon in the north to Paria Canyon in the south. Within this monument are many out-of-this-world landscapes and alien formations. It's a bizarro world at its best and weirdest. If you are a rock enthusiast, this place is nirvana. We camped at the Escalante Petrified Forest State Park, near the town of Escalante, for 4 nights. We used this lovely campground as a base to explore the surrounding region. Major highlights include hiking to Calf Creek Falls, biking scenic Hwy 12 between Escalante and Boulder, and Devil's Garden to name just a few. There is much more to see in the monument but we had to move on.


Devil's Garden The Garden is located off the "Hole in the Wall Road", about 15 miles south of Hwy 12. There are no trails here, you just wander and enjoy.


These guys look more like chubby dwarfs than devils. That's Jimmy Durante on the left.	Entrada sandstone is the predominant formation


Entrada fins erode to form individual formations


Group foto below Metate Arch


Lower Calf Creek Falls Hike The 7-mile hike (RT) to Lower Calf Creek Falls is relatively easy with no major ascents/descents. The trail follows Calf Creek as it meanders through lush riparian habitat, something rare in the dry high desert plateau.


Dramatic cliffs border Calf Creek Canyon


A newly forming arch and surface stained cliffs hang above a forest of oaks and cottonwoods


Lower Calf Creek Falls tumbles 126' into a plunge pool


Plunge pool forms semi-circle at base of cliff before it flows out Calf Creek


Scenic Highway 12 Ride One of the cycling highlights was a 46-mile (RT) ride from our campground near Escalante to the notorious "hogback" outside of Boulder on scenic Hwy 12. This section of Hwy12 takes you through some of the most spectacular sandstone landscape found in the monument.


Heading toward Boulder from Escalante


At one of the scenic overlooks. Note highway below as it winds over plateau.


Highway descends through stark Navajo sandstone




After crossing Escalante River, the road begins to tilt up toward the "hogback"


Overlooking Calf Creek Canyon where we hiked the previous day


A ribbon of cottonwoods line a creek


Riding on the hair-raising "hogback" as it winds on top of the ridge. No guard rails and the roads drops off 1,000' on each side. It's not so bad on a bike but very unnerving in a vehicle


It was a major grunt coming up but we enjoyed the 14% descent on the return trip.	Swooping down toward the Escalante River


Taking a break at the Calf Creek camground	Back to our campground after an incredible but long day in the saddle




Spending 4 great nights at small beautiful campground	The laundry dried in minutes in the dry desert winds


Checking out petrified trees that the park is named for	Pretty impressive how wood is turned to stone


Petrified stone weighs a ton according to Jay	You can even see worm tunnels on the outside of the bark


Impressive new visitor center in Escalante


We met some neat people at the campground. Jack and Linda Laughlin from Borrego Springs are proud owners of the 1957 Airstream Bubble and '57 Chevy truck hauling all their toys. They are nearing the end of a 5-month trek across the US.


Susie and Tom Bontekoe from Kalamazoo, MI. Very well organized campers as you can see.	Java break at the Kiva Koffeehouse overlooking the Escalante River


Great wildlife at the campground - a family of Chukars


Black-eared Jack rabbits are big as dogs

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