ATV Trip Out To Visit Tower Ruin

My dad is so afraid of heights its almost laughable - sometimes. Now I know that sounds horrific to say and not very nice, but I'm not sure how I ended up OK at heights where he is terrified. We never did anything as kids growing up at heights, because he wouldn't allow it. I learned at a young age to be able to make repairs to the swamp cooler on the roof because he wouldn't get up there to do it. One time I couldn't figure something out on the cooler so he climbed the ladder in an attempt to help me and as soon as his foot hit the roof he went spread eagle flat faced down trembling and wouldn't move. We had to drag him back wards towards the ladder and guide him off roof. (I think we then had to hire someone to make that repair later).

Why am I telling you this story, well, there is no way I'm going to ever get me dad to rappel into a slot canyon and join in on one of those adventures. I did grow up loving the outdoors because of him. We spent a lot of time on the mountain camping and fishing and even attempted hunting a couple of times (that a story for another time.)

My dad has really gotten a lot of enjoyment these past few years from riding his ATV. After all the kids moved out and he had money to burn now, he bought himself and ATV and he and mom have been riding trails all over Utah. Living in San Juan County there are lots of places to ride and we have talked about him coming down and riding some trails int he area. Finally we were able to make that happen. This video is a short compilation of the ride we took out to Tower Ruin. It's not a rough ride and can be actually accomplished with a decent clearance on a vehicle, but the concept of being able to jump on your ATV / UTV and leave from your home and go visit some of these locations is fantastic. Check out the video of my dad's first ride in San Juan County and go check out his You Tube channel: Utah ATV Adventures. He is starting out new sharing his riding experiences and the trails he has visited. 

 https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAZrtme-LYihiBg_gXg4C8g 

San Juan Wonderland

By Brian Wrabley

Owner - Treks West Tours

A visit to San Juan County, Utah is a fantastic adventure to a land full of the most stunning collection of natural wonders I know of! Other regions to be sure have their own beauty, but I can’t think of one county, by itself, that has more to offer in outdoor recreation than San Juan! I've been aware of the area since I was a little kid, when I’d become enthralled by the landscape of Monument Valley. The western’s directed by John Ford, starring John Wayne had captured my imagination, and came to symbolize the West to me. For the next 30 years I had no idea that Monument Valley was just one small part of this vast and stunning county. I first made it to the area in 2007, and made my pilgrimage to Monument Valley, it was then that I learned about all the other treasures there were here!

In exploring what San Juan County had to offer, I came across a veritable wonderland of natural creations! Fantastically sculpted sandstone, deep canyons carved by a serpentine river, jaw dropping views comparable to any I've ever seen! On top of the natural wonders, there’s a deep, rich human history here as well, to be found in the most amazing locations! The ruins, and rock art of the ancient Puebloans adds texture to this land! The Navajo, Paiute, and Ute people who came later and still reside here, show how life can be sustained, and thrive in this beautiful, but harsh landscape! The Mormon settlers who overcame amazing hardships to settle and carve out a place to live, and practice their faith! All these elements are woven together to create this fabulous tapestry of natural and human history, it enriches anyone who comes into contact with it! It was the inspiration from places like this that lead me to start my own adventure tour company, Treks West Tours www.TREKSWESTTOURS.com.  I knew I wanted a tour to Monument Valley, but the 2007 visit made me understand how many other great places there were to offer on the tour!

The array of places to see and things to do can overwhelm you! It’s good that once you come here you’ll be hooked, so you’ll keep coming back again, and again to experience more of it! The tours I offer are active ones with plenty of hiking, horseback riding, and river rafting in them and San Juan County has all of that and much more! In addition to Monument Valley the list includes Canyonlands National  NP, Natural Bridges NM, Lake Powell/Glen Canyon NRA, Hovenweep NM, Grand Gulch Primitive Area, Valley of the Gods, Moki Dugway, Edge of Cedars State Park, Goosenecks State Park, Cedar Mesa, Manti La Sal National Forest, 3 of the west’s most iconic rivers, the San Juan, the Colorado, and the Green, scenic views like Muley Point, and the Needles Overlook! This isn't everything, I touched on a few, but there are innumerable BLM lands with ruins, and petroglyphs, some of the best in the world! The hiking is phenomenal, with all types of terrain! A horseback riding experience in Monument Valley has no equal on the planet in my opinion! The Colorado is the most renowned river in the west, and runs through many states, but the San Juan is the heart of this region! A rafting trip on the San Juan from one day to a week is a special adventure you’ll never forget! Deep canyons, peace and solitude, ruins, and wildlife along the shore it is a seminal event! In addition to all of this, there’s biking, climbing, ATV touring, fishing, 4x4/jeep tours, hot air ballooning, boating on Lake Powell, and much more!

It was on my visit to the area last Spring that I got to try a new experience that had been on my list for a while, canyoneering! I had a chance to try it up in Moab a few years before, but the trip got canceled do to weather, and I didn't get to make it up. In researching my recent trip I came across North Wash Outfitters, and Jared Hillhouse. My wife and I were going to give it a try, and after telling Jared our particulars, age, experience, fitness level, he decided Blarney Canyon would be the right place to have our first canyoneering experience. Blarney is located in Glen Canyon NRA and take a while to get to, but the drive on its own is stunning! After arriving, and getting our gear on we hike up a steep slick rock slope to the canyon rim, from the top you have amazing views of the Henry Mountains! The rappels on this outing are long in the 25-40 foot range, perfect for a beginner! Jared and crew ensure your safety every step of the way, and instill you with confidence as you try something so new. It’s an amazing experience between the rappelling, and the scrambling and scurrying down through the narrow slot canyons, some that don’t get any sunlight! It’s not easy but it’s invigorating as you prepare for the challenges that await you around every corner. Long story short, our canyoneering experience was awesome, one of the most thrilling of my life! Needless to say canyoneering is now a part of my Monument Valley tour, I can’t recommend it, and North Wash Outfitters enough! In my business I work with a lot of outfitters in a various fields, non are any better than North Wash!

The moral of this story is, if you’re looking for an awesome western experience and don’t want to have to drive hundreds of miles in between, look no further than San Juan County! There is so much to see and do you could spend a lifetime visiting and not do it all!   

The Writing On The Wall

“It is also a warning. It is a warning that, if nobody reads the writing on the wall, man will be reduced to the state of the beast, whom he is shaming by his manners.” - Mahatma Gandhi

There have been many a man try to interpret what the writing on the wall means.  In biblical times Daniel was summoned to interpret the writing that was left upon the palace walls warning of the end of times for the current rule. 

The Troops on the War Path!

Now days, we have many signs of the ancients who have left writings for us, but we are alas left with no one like Daniel to interpret them for us.  Many archaeologists speculate and attempt to decipher them and put meaning to them, but we may never know what was intended by the works creator.

Living in the Four Corners region there is a rich history and heritage of the Native American people here.  This heritage is present in our everyday lives and is seen during many of the recreational pursuits we now enjoy. 

  

Many times in canyons while rigging ropes at drops we see steps that have been carved into the sides of the canyon walls leading down into the abyss.  We can only assume that maybe the ancients once sought shelter there or looked for water from the numerous pot holes that lie in the slot canyons.

 

Negotiating some light rolling slick rock areas.

On this year’s Presidential Holiday we gathered the troops together and headed out to see one of those places where the writing was left for us to interpret to our own devices.  We headed out to the famous Processional Panel.  After a short drive on pavement we turned off onto the dusty county road.  At this time of year it generally is a hit or miss as to the pass ability on these lone roads, but the lack of snow in this region this year has left the roads dry and usable.  We were all alone most of the 15 mile drive only passing one vehicle parked and one that came into our pathway a few miles out.  This area is quite a popular spot for many travelers and explorers.  Most of the little side roads lead to some sort of ruin or panel site and is always a treat for those interested in diving into history. 

Our 6 year old trying to give her interpretation.

For us, mostly me and my 12 year old daughter, this excursion was a quest.  We once attempted to find the Processional Panel with only the parking location given to us then.  We started our hike and ended up in the wrong drainage and peering down the side of a 300 ft. drop.  We vowed that we would once again hunt down this elusive site.

This time armed with some good directions from our own Ruin Guide Aaron, we headed out with the full force of the troops pushing us along.  Aaron’s directions were spot on and we were able to locate the place with minimal ease this time around.  The hike up was fantastic and our 6 year old daughter had a great time with only a few minor spots that she needed some help with.  The hike took us just over an hour and could have easily been quicker without frequent water breaks going both in and out.

The 9 year old protecting the panel in a fierce warrior pose.

After sitting and being mesmerized over the petroglyphs for a little while we headed back to the vehicle at a much quicker pace than going up was.  This left us time for me to show them one panel that is just off the roadway and a quick 15 min walk from the car.

The Wolfman panel was always a favorite of mine when I once patrolled the area.  I could get out and stretch my legs for a half hour and see some really cool petroglyphs.  The area has since been blocked off a little bit to vehicle traffic adding about an additional 10 min of walking to it, but the hike in and out is not very difficult at all.  All the kids enjoyed that day and no one had any complaints of the explorations and adventure that was had.

Wolfman Panel

Moonhouse Ruin as a Fortress in the Desert

Moonhouse Ruin

Moonhouse Proper

     It seems I can reach out and touch the low-hanging grey clouds that promise moisture on the mesa as I turn off the pavement onto one of the rut-covered sandstone trails that passes for a road in San Juan County, Utah. Driving in San Juan County is an experience that enlivens all of the senses: the stunning contrast between the harsh sandstone and the gentle curve of the sage leaf, between the spine-covered prickly pear cactus and the delicately painted yellow of the yucca flower, delight the eye. One hears the slithering sound of the wind through pine and cedar, over sandstone and soil, beating on the window and carrying with it sand demanding to be let in. The smell of the high desert is unlocked as sage releases its scent and the all-important moisture on the air is often smelled long before it is seen. The seemingly smooth sandstone jostles and jerks any vehicle that dares attempt to cross it. The subtle taste of soil, sage, sand, and cedar creates the sauce that covers this high country desert.

Contrast along the trail.

     All of this can be found as one traverses the trails that snake across the mesa. It takes little imagination to look across the mesa and see the ancient farms that would have been here. Corn, beans, and squash were grown here, irrigated from the canyon bottoms and tended with an eye towards the harvest. With that harvest came the plenty that all societies hope for when the seed is planted. These staples were stored against the lean years that would inevitably follow. The ruin I sought on a foreboding day in April was, at least toward the end of its life, used as this kind of depository for the harvest. Any who view this site recognize its defensive position. The overlook provides a wide-angle view of the site and it is easy to imagine this ruin protecting not only the people who built it but also the staples they stored there. Their food was a resource that had to be guarded and stored in a way that would keep out not only the pack rats, mice, and other rodents, but also those who would raid and seize the staples that were deposited in the canyon walls

View from the overlook.

So well-fortified is the site that a Twenty-first Century traveler must negotiate many of the same obstacles that were no doubt valued by the ancient inhabitants for their defensive qualities. High on the opposite canyon rim one can see that the slick rock rim extends as far as the eye can see both up- and down-canyon. This would funnel all approaching traffic down-canyon or across-canyon, forcing them onto one of two paths leading to the Moonhouse ruin proper. One path leads through a narrow window situated under a huge hoodoo, the other up a narrow crack that would require stemming and climbing with both hands.

Guardian on the path to the Northwest.

     Once the observer enters the site, a path leads west to a kiva and easily identified water seeps. Sealing this end of the canyon off is the window under the hoodoo. To the southeast are rooms so uniform the local rangers have named them “Motel 6.” Chinking with white rock and a footprint in the mortar lend flair to these rooms. This path quickly ledges out.

Kiva to the Northwest

Motel 6

     The most iconic collection of rooms-six rooms, including the Moon Room for which the ruin is named-is found behind a formidable façade. The façade is pocked with loop holes to view any friend, foe, or eager hiker approaching up- or down-canyon. Petroglyphs decorate this important space. On the inner courtyard wall, facing out, is a white band 14 or so inches high with downward facing triangles on the bottom and dots along the top. It is as magnificent as any Monet. In a time when elsewhere in the world gunpowder was being invented, the Song Dynasty was passing, and Genghis Khan’s rule was ending with his death, here in San Juan County some ancient was putting paint to sandstone canvas with a human-hair brush.

Inner courtyard wall

      Found on the far end is a T door to a treasure room. Here, inside the Moon Room itself, a similar white band encircles the space. But instead of the geometric design found in the courtyard, you are greeted by a crescent moon in inverted white and brown facing a full moon. This room is completely captivating. The light is filtered through strategically-placed windows and shines along the band, illuminating the painted moon.

I understand farming, cooking, hunting and other daily tasks that the ancients would have performed. I also understand that there is a sacred nature and ritual that gives life direction and suggests that souls yearn to be taught, to seek favor, to find meaning. I see this room as special, though I cannot tell exactly why and even the most educated and informed observers of today can only hazard a guess. This room and rooms like it hold different meanings for different people. That is the real power: that 800 years later this room still bids the traveler to ask questions and to seek meaning-not just from books and research, but from the canyon, and from our own souls. In that way Moonhouse is still as significant to us today as it was to those who built it.

"Full moon" 

Ringing in the New Year with a bit of Cold Psychotic Shenanigans

For those that aren't fully engulfed in the sport of Canyoneering, this whole idea seems a bit psychotic.  For those that are into the life of a Canyoneer, this post will draw up stirrings and feelings of jealousy and rage at not being able to be there and they will understand this feeling.

Canyoneering is often times thought of as a warm weather endeavor and rightfully so.  You are constantly swimming and splashing through narrow slot canyons where the sun doesn't shine and the earth seems to swallow you up.  When you get done with the cold water swims you quickly seek out the opportunity to bask in some warm sunlight and strip down the layer of neoprene that has protected your body for the past several hours.  This is what it's like in June and July, when it's 100+ degrees outside.  Now take away the sun and 100+ degree temps and do it all.  Now you have Freeze Fest.

The winter months can be somewhat agonizing for the Canyoneer to get through when it's cold out and all you do is dream about your next slot canyon adventure.  Freeze Fest was dreamed up 12 years ago by some die hard Canyoneers who just couldn't take sitting around the house during the winter months any longer.  Dubbed as "The Bad Idea that Caught On" Freeze Fest has been gaining momentum ever since.  The "Main" event as it has been dubbed is a trip through "The Black Hole" which is a section of White Canyon in south eastern Utah just north of Lake Powell.  While most of the Freeze Fest canyons done during the 5-8 day event are dry canyons, meaning there is no water in them, The Black Hole event is designed to completely mess with your body and test how much cold you can endure, or how much neoprene you can pack on in order to stay warm.

I don't always get to go out and participate in this event, but living only an hour away from it, I try to meet up with them each year as I am allowed between work and weather conditions.  For Jan 1, 2014, the weather forecast was set to be one of the best ever and I was not working so it worked out great.  Aside from that, it was my 10 year anniversary from the first time Dave Black took me out to this event and I met some of the best Canyoneers and later friends that you can have in this sport.

I took along Aaron who was eager to just get out of the house and play during his Christmas break.  We loaded up the Tahoe and hit the road at 8:30 a.m.  Knowing there is usually a 10:00 a.m. start time this would give us time to get out there and gear up.

As we arrived there were several cars already in the parking lot.  Turns out one would be Jenny who I have spent some time canyoneering with.  She was excited to see us and greeted us with great big hugs.  As more and more people arrived from their campsite in North Wash, we continued to greet old friends and start making some new ones.  We shuttled vehicles and made the start of the hike with 30 participants (a record number I understand).

Photo by Malia

The hike into White Canyon turned into a sweaty march and showed how warm it was for January.  Hats were removed and jackets stored for later.  We approached the suit up point and as the group had kinda spread out, we all started combining together again as we changed into wet and dry suits.  As small groups finished changing they set out through the water and off into the canyon.

Photo Sequence by Aaron

It turned out to be a great day.  Everyone kept moving and stayed warm.  One key was to keep your hands out of the water, but after a while that became tiresome and you started swimming just to get out and walk to warm up.  We kept calories going in to keep our internal core temps up and we kept moving as much as possible.  What a great 10 year anniversary for me and to be able to spend the day with some old friends and find some new ones, it was fabulous.

Photo Sequence by Jared

Warm Weather Canyoneering!

We got out for a little fun jaunt with some friend several weeks back.  We were looking at hitting a canyon that had been on my to do list for quite some time.  When you are as busy as we are you rarely have time to do something you haven't done before so this was a great opportunity to hang with some friends and meet some new ones.  We had a great day in Pleiades Canyon near Moab.  A lot of fun.  Would love to go back in a late spring time frame and get this canyon with a little more water running through it.  Enjoy the video.

Canyoneering / Canyoning in recent media

There have been several occurances or opportunities to view videos this week within the realm of Canyoneering.  Thought I would post links to them here for your viewing pleasure.   One is actually a few years old but still a good one.  Another is a trailer for an upcoming documentary on the Grand Canyon and Canyoneering with in its bounds.  The other one is a new video done by the San Juan County Economic / Tourism department highlighting the recreational activities in the area which include Canyoneering with North Wash Outfitters.

http://fiveten.com/community/445-jbro/videos/video/173-Canyoning+Its+what+i+do

http://www.utahscanyoncountry.com/videos.html

http://vimeo.com/37927326