In early July we invited some friends to join us for a hike up West Fork Oak Creek. This is a hike we used to do almost every year until the Slide Fire in 2014 . We made a short trip up the canyon when it reopened and were pleased that the canyon had not burned but saddened by all the silt and ash that had clogged the deep pools.
West Fork Oak Creek—First Narrows
Earlier this year we did our first hike up the canyon in many years. Our main interest was to learn if the heavy rains of this past winter had successfully flushed out the silt and ash from the 2014 Slide Fire. As reported in a previous article here, the heavy rains had done a fine job of returning the canyon to its former pristine condition.
First time in West Fork!Wading through the water in the first narrows in West Fork.Above the first narrows in West Fork.Water is channeled into this narrow and shallow slot in the canyon.Enjoying a break in the cool shade above the narrows.
Now, with warm weather and sunny skies, it was time to hike as far up West Fork as time would permit. In the past, we have made it up and just beyond the “Camping Permitted” point which is around six miles up canyon. Years ago, we also did an end-to-end starting at Woody Mountain Road and hiking the entire length in a day. But since that “boot camp” day back in 1999, we have only hiked up from the bottom. This day was no different—except that we traveled farther up the canyon than any of our previous hikes. That’s a successful day. We spent about six hours hiking up and returned in about five hours.
Our friends were not able to commit as much time so they turned around after about 3.5 miles (i.e., after the “End of Trail” and just a bit beyond the first narrows).
Another narrows section.Tree and sandstone wall.
The wildflowers were great. There were masses of Monkshood and Monkey Flowers—so I was motivated to get a photograph of both “monks*” in one shot. Nope. Apparently, they prefer slightly different conditions and while they would sometimes be close, they were never clustered together. Columbines were also in great abundance. And there were a few flowers we could not immediately identify but could certainly enjoy.
Monkshood wildflowers.Columbines line the shore of West Fork Oak Creek.Stream orchid.
About a mile or so above the “camping permitted” sign we began to encounter thickets of brush from one side of the canyon to the other. These made forward travel very difficult. They also brought back memories of how challenging this section was back when we did the entire canyon. And, with that in mind, we declared that location to be our turn-around point.
Deep pool with overhanging sandstone wave.Reflection pool.The crux move. If you slip, you swim.Hiking through the narrows.Cairn marking the trail.
Springtime! Most of the snow in the high country has melted and has been moving downstream into the lower elevations and the desert. This means that many of the normally dry washes and low-flow streams now have abundant water in them. In addition, the bountiful precipitation this winter has allowed wildflowers to bloom and populate the desert.
A deep pool in the Agua Fria River.
We took a day hike down the Badger Springs Trail and then along a section of the Agua Fria River within the boundaries of the Agua Fria National Monument.
Tyler Williams, in his Canyoneering Arizona, has this to say about the canyon:
The Agua Fria is a gem of a desert canyon. The bottom of this canyon is granite, sitting below rocky saguaro-studded slopes beneath a basalt rim. Proceeding downstream, you will be scrambling around, over, and under polished gray and white boulders that surround lovely pools.
Petroglyphs along the Badger Springs Trail.
We were disappointed in the wildflowers as there were only small patches here and there rather than the full hillsides of flowers I was hoping to see. On the other hand, there was plenty of water in the river creating deep pools and small cascades as the water plunged over the numerous boulders. The water in the river was not particularly cold so crossing or standing in the water was pleasant. If the air temperatures had been just a bit warmer and without breezy winds we might have enjoyed jumping in for a springtime swim.
Mexican Gold Poppy.Mexican Gold Poppy.Cascades on the Agua Fria River.Deep pool on the Agua Fria River.Deep pool on the Agua Fria River.
Beautiful weather, easy hiking, lots of water, and wildflowers. Great day!
Just like our previous trip, this was a spur of the moment decision. Except, this time, there were no campsites available at Capitol Reef National Park. In fact, all campsites were reserved for months in advance. This is quite different from our last visit here in 1988 (a long time ago, I know) when we just rolled in to the campground and grabbed a great site. Those days are long gone, I think.
We did some research online and found a nice Bed & Breakfast located just a few miles outside of the park; we made reservations for three nights at the Sunlit Oasis B&B in Notom, Utah. It’s very nice and we enjoyed our stay there.
We arrived at the B&B in late afternoon and sat down to dinner a few minutes later—then watched the fading light on the eastern hills. With a really nice wraparound deck, we found ourselves outside watching the darkness settle in until it got just a bit too chilly.
Sunset view from the deck at Sunlit Oasis Bed & Breakfast.
The next morning, we were off early for a day of hiking in the park. Our plan was to do a couple of short hikes in different sections of the park. What we did, instead, was one long hike.
The Elijah Cutler Behunin Cabin in Capitol Reef National Park.Narrow section of Grand Wash in Capitol Reef National Park.
We started in Grand Wash—a canyon with some narrows along the short hike. Early morning provided deep shadows in the narrow sections so I spent a fair bit of time shooting photographs. At the upper end of the wash is another trailhead and parking area. Instead of turning around, which was our plan, we continued up the Cassidy Arch Trail. Whereas the Grand Wash Trail has little in the way of elevation gain, Cassidy Arch trail wastes no time in climbing up out of the canyon onto the upper sandstone benches. Apparently, the arch is named after Butch Cassidy who may have had a hideout in these regions.
First view of Cassidy Arch.Cassidy Arch, Capitol Reef National Park.
Along the way, a couple passed us carrying ropes and other technical gear. We learned that they were headed to the arch to start a series of seven rappels into the slot canyons below. Sounds exciting! I managed to get several interesting photos of the two as they descended into the canyon below. Afterwards, we could still hear them as they set up for subsequent rappels but we were unable to see them.
We returned via Grand Wash in mid-afternoon. By this time, the sun was high overhead and there was little in the way of shade or photogenic scenery. After returning to the car, we drove farther into the park and along Capitol Reef Scenic Road towards Capitol Gorge. The last time we visited this park, this road was gravel. It is now paved. Progress!
Our plans for the next day were a bit more ambitious. We found a couple of interesting slot canyons that had their starting points just a short distance from our B&B, then traveled westward and into the park. The middle and upper stretches of these canyons had many narrows and slots. One might even have water in this dry year. We chose Burro Wash which has less water. On this trip, it had none.
The beginning section of Burro Wash, Capitol Reef National Park.Some climbing moves are required to get past the chockstones in Burro Wash.
The first part of the hike was through dry grasslands and sandy washes but soon enough we entered the confines of the canyon. Several locations had chockstones blocking the route and we had to find ways to climb up and over. Most were pretty easy; some were trickier. The narrows got really narrow. Several times we just barely had enough width for a boot at the bottom and we had to turn our shoulders slightly sideways. On top of that, the slot was actually tilted a few degrees so you could not stand up straight. What fun!
Approaching the first set of narrows in Burro Wash.Wide enough to walk. Not all the narrows and slot sections were this easy.Narrow and tilted! Burro Wash, Capitol Reef National Park.Looking back at what we had just traversed. This required ducking under some rocks and climbing others. And it’s tilted.A narrow but shallow section giving a view of the sky.
Eventually, we reached a chockstone that was more challenging that the rest. We took a lunch break at this spot. A few minutes later, a younger hiker ambled by and found a way up and over the chockstone. He returned about 15 minutes later and said we JUST HAD TO SEE THE NEXT SECTION! With his help, we ascended the large chockstone and found ourselves in a very narrow, deep and dark slot. After a short distance it ended in an open area with a large pouroff — and no way to continue. After a short time spent enjoying this spot, we returned to our lunch spot and packs.
End of the trail. Behind is a tall pouroff preventing further travel.A deep and dark section of the slot canyon in Burro Wash.A wavy section of the canyon on our way back out.
Clouds had begun to build. There was no threat of rain reaching the ground—and certainly no threat of a flash flood—but being in a slot canyon with rain nearby is never my idea of a smart thing. Fortunately, the clouds cut down on the intensity of the sun and the hike back out through the grasslands and sandy washes was much more comfortable than it would have been otherwise.
We arrived back at the car and began to put our gear away. I took off my shoes to empty out the sand and was astounded at how much sand was in them. How was it even possible for this much sand and my feet to coexist in the shoes?
Petroglyph panel in Capitol Reef National Park.Orchards and meadows in the main visitor area of Capitol Reef National Park.
We left early the next morning and drove westward through the park and then on Utah 12. It’s been several decades since I’ve been on this road and it was fun to see again. There are some great views from many locations along the highway.
A section of Utah 12 northeast of Escalante.
We stopped in the small town of Escalante for lunch and then continued home.
It’s been a relatively warm and very dry autumn so far across northern Arizona. For example, Flagstaff recorded 0.42″ of rain for the months of September and October combined—normal is closer to 4 inches (4.04″). This combination of warm and dry might be responsible for the less-than-stellar autumn colors in the aspens and other trees. Or, perhaps it was actually pretty colorful and I just happened to go out at the wrong times. Either way, it’s been a bit of a challenge for me this year to get the high-impact, really colorful photographs.
A previous post highlighted some of the photographs of aspens taken across the higher elevations and also provides some comparison with previous years.
More recently, I’ve been shooting images in Oak Creek where there are plenty of maple, oak, sycamore, and other types of trees to provide a nice mix of colors.
Maple leaves in Oak Creek Canyon.
While wandering around looking for autumn colors, we saw this. I’ve walked by this rock face in Oak Creek Canyon several times and never noticed the name etched in the rock.
[Dr. B. Frankson Rugby, N.D.]We also found ourselves hiking up the North Wilson Trail in Oak Creek Canyon with hopes for some maples. Those we did find were not particularly photogenic because they were surrounded by dead/burnt trees—courtesy of the Brins Mesa wildfire of 2006. On the other hand, I enjoyed this view from the Wilson Bench near the intersection of North Wilson and Wilson Mtn. Trails.
A view of Sedona from Wilson Bench.
On our descent I enjoyed the quickly shifting patterns of light and shadow on the opposite side of Oak Creek Canyon. Perched high up on the canyon walls is the area known to rock climbers as “The Waterfall.” Visitors to Oak Creek Canyon during the spring snowmelt season have often looked up from the road to see water cascading down this rock face. They may not have known that it is also a world-class rock climbing site.
“The Waterfall” rock climbing area in Oak Creek Canyon.
As we descended the North Wilson Trail I was able to see that some of the best color was—where else—along Oak Creek and in the parking lot from which we had started. We still had some time so down to the creek we went. The light was very soft with no hard shadows or bright spots and autumn colors were nicely reflected in the waters.
Oak Creek.Oak Creek.
I’ve always skipped the North Wilson Trail in all the years of hiking around here. Now, I wonder why. It’s a steep trail, for certain, but very interesting views in all directions.
We spent about a week doing storm photography across the central and High Plains in mid May. Below are summaries with photographs.
May 15, 2017
A strong southwesterly flow aloft continues across the midsections of the country so that adequate wind shear is present across large areas. The best shear, however, is across the northern High Plains and upper midwest, with less shear across the central Plains. A dryline is present across western Kansas and southward with adequate moisture to the east and a plume of moisture has moved northwestward into western Nebraska, western South Dakota, and northeastern Wyoming.
After looking at too much model data, we decided to head to eastern Wyoming with hopes of storms developing over the Laramie Range and then moving to the northeast. Finding ourselves in Lusk, Wyoming, in mid afternoon, it became clear that the northern storms were too far away to reach. A storm we had passed earlier near Chugwater continued to develop so we backtracked south from Lusk to Lingle, then southeastward. We ended up in endless light rain and some small hail until we reached Mitchell, Nebraska. I took a few photos here of a weakly rotating updraft then headed east and north to watch the storm.
It wasn’t very impressive. We headed back to Scottsbluff, Nebraska, for a hotel and dinner. As we left the hotel, new storms to the west were producing continuous in-cloud lightning and occasional cloud-to-ground lightning. We went north of town and spent about 15 minutes photographing the storm and lightning.
Two-image panorama of a weakly rotating storm updraft.Laminar bands preceed the main storm while continuous in-cloud lightning lights up the storm.
We left the storms and headed back into town for dinner. While eating, we got to enjoy the storm as it moved across town with heavy rain, small hail, and gusty winds.
![[Dr. B. Frankson Rugby, N.D.]](https://www.dblanchard.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/20171024_1056_DBP_4298.jpg)
