Side Canyons of the Escalante River, Utah
Sierra Club Outings Trip | Supported Trekking
Highlights
- Hike in the wilderness of a newer national monument
- Enjoy the rewards of a llama-supported hike
- Help care for the llamas
Includes
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Transportation to/from SLC airport and guest house
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Llama/guide service (includes tip to the guide)
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Camping gear (tent, pad, and sleeping bag)
Overview
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
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 (toiletries, clothing, daypack, 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 as much as we can that take into consideration activity level, special needs, health conditions, or 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. Pre-trip bulletins will have suggestions for this.
We will explore canyons like Silver Falls, Harris Wash, and the Escalante River canyon depending on conditions of the trailhead, the weather, and the canyons. As may occur in any trip focused on the natural world, local conditions and weather may cause trip leaders to change the itinerary’s order or specific details.
Itinerary
Day 1: You will be picked up at the Salt Lake City airport and driven as a group to a guest house (price of transportation and lodging included), in Teasdale, Utah. 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 the guest house 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. The drive to our trailhead will take us east on the beautiful Burr Trail road, where we'll soon turn south for a long drive on dirt roads to our trailhead
Day 1: You will be picked up at the Salt Lake City airport and driven as a group to a guest house (price of transportation and lodging included), in Teasdale, Utah. 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 the guest house 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. The drive to our trailhead will take us east on the beautiful Burr Trail road, where we'll soon turn south for a long drive on dirt roads to our trailhead. 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 trailer. Then we help saddle and load gear onto the llamas’ panniers (llama packs). With gear and llamas in tow, we will start a five- to seven-mile hike to our basecamp. 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 into 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 five to eight miles. That may not seem like much, but the terrain will make our hikes all-day adventures! Our agenda today focuses on exploring Harris Wash. We’ll enjoy a packed lunch in the field. 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 4: After a hearty breakfast, our plan is to hike back up Silver Falls for a closer look at pictographs and evidence of the passage of Mormon settlers. Most famous of these is the inscription by George Hobbs, a pioneer stranded in the canyon by snowstorm in February 1883. We’ll pause to admire beautiful narrows and pools along the way. Contrasting with Harris Wash, this extraordinary canyon is generally dry, so carry all the water you may need. We will eat a packed lunch in the field.
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.
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. Saying goodbye to our llama pals, our ETA to the trailhead is after 3:00 p.m. We expect to be back in Teasdale and settled in the Teasdale guest house by 5:00 p.m. Tonight we will spend the night at the same guest house in Teasdale (lodging included) and share a good-bye dinner (included).
Day 7: After breakfast, you will be transported from Teasdale, Utah to the Salt Lake City airport. This is a four-hour drive, so scheduling an afternoon/evening flight would be best.
Logistics
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 Teasdale, Utah, where we will stay together at the Teasdale guest house (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
The Teasdale guest house has a nice living room area for our first night group meeting and a fully equipped kitchen. It’s located in a residential neighborhood and has multiple bedrooms with shared bath and a large kitchen, dining, and living room area. Some will sleep upstairs, some in basement quarters
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 Teasdale, Utah, where we will stay together at the Teasdale guest house (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
The Teasdale guest house has a nice living room area for our first night group meeting and a fully equipped kitchen. It’s located in a residential neighborhood and has multiple bedrooms with shared bath and a large kitchen, dining, and living room area. Some will sleep upstairs, some in basement quarters. The flanks of Boulder Mountain and the Aquarius Plateau loom to our south. Wow, what a view!
Our hike will begin in the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, but most of our hiking and camping will be in the adjacent Glen Canyon National Recreation Area. 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 20 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 carrying your daypack. For our crossing of the Escalante from Silver Falls to Harris, the water depth is unpredictable and could reach anywhere from your knees to your upper thighs. It’s also likely that we’ll wade through more water in the lower reaches of Harris.
Most people will find the first hiking day the most difficult due to the longer distance.
Equipment and Clothing
Your basic responsibility is for your daypack, clothing and, toiletries. Shared tents, a sleeping bag, and a mattress will be supplied. A more detailed equipment and clothing list will be supplied to approved participants.
References
Maps:
- The Trails Illustrated "Canyons of the Escalante" map gives a good overview of the entire area. However, it's not sufficiently detailed for navigation.
- U.S.G.S. 7.5-minute topographical maps have all the detail. These are not necessary, unless you really enjoy maps. Our route is shown on the Utah quadrangles "Silver Falls Bench" and "Red Breaks."
Books:
- 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."
On several evenings, 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.
Staff
Important Notes
- Carbon Offsets
- Carpooling
- Electronic Billing and Forms
- Electronic Devices
- Equipment
- Essential Eligibility Criteria
- How to Apply for a Trip
- Leader Gratuities
- Medical Issues
- Non-discrimination Statement
- Participant Agreement
- Seller of Travel Disclosure
- Single Supplements
- Terms and Conditions
- Travel Insurance
- Trip Feedback
- Trip Price
- Wilderness Manners