Grand Staircase-Escalante Llama-Supported Hike, Utah

The Trip

Our trip will emphasize enjoying the wilderness experience and learning to understand and appreciate the unique aspects of Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument while minimizing the impacts of our presence in the wilderness. The use of llamas will facilitate our ability to realize these goals. The llamas bear the weight of supplies and equipment that otherwise limit the scope and enjoyment of a wilderness outing. Because of their natural adaptation to the areas we will be exploring, llamas can have minimal impact on the environment. Working with the amusing llamas adds another dimension to your whole experience.

Our trip will be formulated on basic wilderness principles, but tailored to individual needs regarding distance, pace, interests, activities, and menu. You are responsible for providing personal items, such as toiletries, clothing, daypack, and waterproof camera (due to possible winds that can transport sand into your camera).

We will follow low-impact techniques in all phases of our treks. We emphasize leaving the wilderness resource in a condition that will be enjoyable for those who follow us. You will help with food preparation, camp setup, camp maintenance, and llama care. Our menus are planned to include fresh, wholesome foods, taking into consideration as much as we can activity level, special needs, health conditions, and preferences. Activities such as day-hiking, birding, swimming, and taking photos fill the time not spent on the trail or in camp.

Even though llamas lessen the physical effort required for these trips, you must prepare by increasing your physical conditioning prior to the trip in anticipation of altitude, temperature extremes, moisture, and unfamiliar exercise. 

You will explore several side canyons and high points.

Expect to get your feet wet, maybe up to your knees!

Day 1: You will be picked up at the Salt Lake City airport and driven as a group to our accommodations (price of transportation and lodging included). The drive will take roughly four hours.

Day 2: After an early breakfast, we’ll drive to the trailhead. You can leave excess luggage secured in our accommodations while we’re away. The trip starts with an alpine drive over the shoulder of Boulder Mountain, part of the Aquarius Plateau, to the small town of Boulder, where we’ll meet with the llama packer and guide. This leg will be about 1.5 hours. Our drive to the trailhead will take us to a location near the main canyon of the Escalante River that our llama concessionaire has found to be the best location for our hike and base camp. On the way, we’ll marvel at the variety of terrain and surrounding slickrock country. At our trailhead, you’ll help unload gear and llamas from the trailer. Then we help saddle and load gear onto the llamas’ panniers (llama packs). With gear and llamas in tow, we will start the six-mile hike cross-country over slickrock and sand to our base camp. You will carry approximately 20 pounds in your packs and lead your llama. Frequent breaks for photos, water, snacks, llama adjustments, and terrain considerations will make this trek to camp a full day. We will arrive to our base camp, where we’ll set up tents and the kitchen. This will serve as our base camp for the trip. Expect spectacular views!

Day 3: Every day we will go on a different day hike that varies in length and difficulty of terrain. All day hikes are subject to change due to weather considerations and group ability. Our average hike will be 5-8 miles. That may not seem like much, but the trail-less terrain will make our hikes all-day adventures! Our agenda today focuses on exploring a different location each day. We’ll enjoy a packed lunch in the field.

Day 4: After a hearty breakfast, our plan is to hike over historic trails put in by early miners and explore side canyons. Today's hike will take us on a loop and climbing out of the canyon.

Day 5: Today we will spend more time hiking along the main Escalante River. We’ll discuss destination options based on group ability and interest. Expect beautiful desert views and challenging routes as we cut across oxbows and complete multiple river crossings. We’ll eat a packed lunch on the way. Hiking in the Escalante River will require balance in moving water. Hiking poles are a good idea, but if you don’t have any you can borrow someone else’s. You’ll experience a lush riparian community of willows and cottonwoods. Leaders will assist those who are uneasy about the crossing.

Day 6: After a hearty breakfast together, we will pack up gear, load the llamas, and hike out to the trailhead, following the route we entered. After we say goodbye to our llama pals, we expect to get to the trailhead after 3:00 p.m., then return to the accommodations we stayed at on day one by 5:00 p.m. Tonight we will spend the night there (lodging included) and share a good-bye dinner (included).

Day 7: After breakfast, you will be transported to the Salt Lake City airport. This is a four-hour drive, so scheduling an afternoon/evening flight on Saturday would be best.

Getting There

Trip participants are expected to arrive at the Salt Lake City airport no later than noon on the first day of our trip. Participants will be transported by van to our accommodations (price of lodging and meals included). Please do not make non-refundable travel arrangements until notified to do so by the trip leader.

Accommodations and Food

We will stay in either a guest house in Teasdale or a hotel in Torrey, depending on the trip.

Our hike will be in the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument near Boulder. Our llama packer/guide will provide you a tent, sleeping bag, and foam pad. You need to provide your own small backpack or roomy daypack. All meals and cooking equipment are included for the seven-day trip.

We’ll try to incorporate as much fresh food as is reasonable, but as there is no refrigeration, we’ll also rely on typical but tasty backpacking fare for much of our food.

Trip Difficulty

This trip is rated moderate. But note that we will not be following maintained, signed trails. Rugged, uneven terrain is the rule, not the exception here. You’ll often be traversing over slickrock, deep sand, or wet, or loose stone as you travel through the canyons. The hiking elevations we’ll experience vary from 5,440 to 4,600 feet. Elevation gain and loss will vary each day, but will be nominal. Participants will carry day packs with approximately around 15 pounds of personal gear (including two quarts of water).

You must be steady on your feet on uneven terrain and able to hike up to seven miles while carrying your daypack. We may cross the Escalante River several times in order to reach a beautiful destination along the river. The water depth is unpredictable and usually no higher than your knees. Hiking poles are a good idea for crossing the river.

Equipment and Clothing

Your basic responsibility is for your daypack, clothing, and toiletries. Individual tents, sleeping bags, and camping mattresses will be supplied. A more detailed equipment and clothing list will be supplied to approved participants.

References

The Trails Illustrated "Canyons of the Escalante" map gives a good overview of the entire area. However, it's not sufficiently detailed for navigation.

• Lambrechtse, Rudi, Hiking the Escalante.
• Abbey, Edward, Desert Solitaire.

These items may be ordered from Escalante Outfitters at 435-826-4266 or www.escalanteoutfitters.com

Conservation

The real purpose of Sierra Club outings, which began in 1901, is to follow John Muir's example of bringing more people into the fold of protecting the earth's ecology. Muir wrote "if people could be got into the woods, even for once, to hear the trees speak for themselves, all difficulties in the way of forest preservation would vanish."

Throughout the trip we’ll discuss Sierra Club history, public lands background, the challenges they face, and what the Sierra Club is doing to protect them.

To protect this area as we move through it so the next visitors can enjoy it as much, we'll discuss and practice Leave No Trace (LNT) camping and ethics, and pack out all trash.

"The Utah deserts and plateaus and canyons are not a country of big returns, but a country of spiritual healing, incomparable for contemplation, meditation, solitude, quiet, awe, peace of mind and body. We were born of wilderness and we respond to it more than we sometimes realize. We depend upon it increasingly for relief from the termite life we have created. Factories, power plants, resorts, we can make anywhere. Wilderness, once we have given it up, is beyond our reconstruction." - Wallace Stegner

Sierra Club National Outings is an equal-opportunity provider and when applicable will operate under permits obtained from U.S. federal land agencies.