Snow Canyon State Park, Utah
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Three Pools Snow Canyon State Park, Utah |
October 19, 2015
Today, Gary and I already have visited a superb petroglyph site and a tiny slot canyon. This park being new to us both, we need to select a trail, and there are numerous choices. Gary's camera is particularly partial to standing water, so we opt to visit something called Three Pools.
If only all trailheads were this pretty
Having a choice of routes, I opt for the one that traverses some petrified sand dunes, because that sounds like fun.
Up onto the dune
A sizable group is following us
Presently, a good photo-op appears. Gary waits patiently for the group to pass, which doesn't happen until a parent admonishes at least one child to "Get out of the way! Can't you see he's trying to take a picture?"
This scene is on the cover of the park brochure
And a great scene it is, too:
This is why I go hiking
It looks interesting across the road...
...but we're headed this way
I love traversing slickrock
We're running out of dunes
The trail is visible just beyond that pool
A signpost points straight ahead toward that little pool; yet the route is
unclear. A dropoff in the chasm prevents a passage there. I suppose
that we could simply remain on the hard rock to the left, but the slope is rather
steep. No, it seems that the suggested route must utilize the
right-hand side of the gully.
I think this is the right way...
...but Gary has another idea
Following my partner, we eventually do find a way down after a significant scramble. Perhaps it will be easier to locate the correct route on the return.
Those guys don't care one way or the other
Now that we are off the dreaded dune, we can concentrate on the task
ahead. The geology here is pretty amazing. After black lava
flowed over the sandstone, all but a thin layer has since eroded away,
leaving little flat black-topped 'muffins' everywhere.
I've not seen anything like this previously
Aha! There's the trail marker to a better route than the one we took. Above it, the big group of hikers is sitting in a row on the ledge. Too bad. They're missing out on all the excitement.
The big group up there apparently has gone far enough ⇔
I didn't bother to pack the park map, because the route looked pretty straightforward and I presumed that there would be appropriate signage in any case. I do recall that we must traverse through a little notch of some kind.
Great lighting in Snow Canyon
Presently we do encounter a trail junction, and the sign points us down the hill to the right.
Even the dry washes are beautiful
After crossing a gravel road that serves as a bicycle route, we begin trekking up a wash and through the anticipated notch.
Negotiating deep sand requires extra work, but at least it's easy on the feet
The walls of the notch
Large-flower Hairy Aster
Golden Hawksbeard
After trudging up the dry creekbed for more than a mile, both Gary and
I are beginning to question my assessment of the data on the park map,
wondering whether the published 3.5 miles actually was a one-way
distance. Perseverance pays off however; for after another quarter
of a mile, we encounter what must be one of the advertised pools.
Pool #1
Gary promptly disappears upstream, and I follow.
Searching for another pool
Great colors
A brief scramble proves fruitful:
The second pool is nicer than the first one
Going farther upstream appears somewhat problematical, but it possibly could be done without getting wet. We seem content to terminate our exploration here, however.
Even the butterflies are orange and black!
Back in the wash
He's meditating on a private perch
Been there
Done that
Back at the petrified dune, a couple says that they are watching to see which way we will come up; for they also are having difficulty finding their way. I simply head over to the left to what I felt was a workable route all along, making the necessary ascent in about one minute with a bit of scrambling.
I finally get over to that pool
In truth, I believe that the trail designers expected us to remain on the slabs through this section. The angle of the slope might be a bit daunting, but there would be no real exposure.
A nifty arch up there is begging to be explored
Gary follows me up; and eventually the two others make their way down the same path. Finishing the trek from here is a relative cakewalk.
I'll explore the Whiterocks area next time
Even the parking area is colorful
Only now do I remember that little arch. Oh well, I definitely will check it out on my next run through this wonderful park.
I dub thee Halloween Hill
§: This hike was a photographer's dream outing, and that's why we
came here. Every step presented a new great photo opportunity; and the
weather cooperated by putting a lot of photogenic clouds in the sky.
The two pools were just so-so as pools go, but traversing the slickrock
slabs was most enjoyable. This was a fitting conclusion to a memorable
hiking day.
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| Solitude | |
