Lake Powell Adventure 2006 – Day 6

Synopsis: Morning dayhike, then motor to Camp V at the Waterpocket Fold, then dayhike up the Fold. (Friday, November 24.)

In the morning, we went out for a short explore of the rocks near camp. There was a triple arch, and we wanted to climb up to it.

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Map of our Cottonwood Canyon hikes. Today’s was the short, squiggly hike near camp.

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Remains of my multi-megawatt tumbleweed bonfire. The large cleared area (which extends behind the tamarisk to the wash heading towards the camera) was totally choked with tumbleweeds before I cleared them into a pile.

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Leaving the boat. The high point in this photo is what some of us later climbed.

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Multiple arch we were trying to reach.

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We wandered in and out of canyons, but it was soon clear that we couldn’t reach the arch. We headed up a nearby ridge for a view instead.

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Our camp, the Kaiparowits Plateau, and Hole-In-The-Rock.

Photo by Erin Tatge.
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Several of us (including Erin and me) stopped partway up because it was too scary, but reportedly the view was very fine.

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Karl at the summit.

Photo by Bill Priedhorsky.
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Dad, Karl, and lots of Cottonwood Canyon.

Photo by Kathleen Gruetzmacher.
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Descending back towards camp.

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Our houseboat and the fabulous canyon country beyond.

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I’ll take the high road, you take the low road... Karl and I were so busy watching the others and admiring the view that we missed the way down from this ridge and had to backtrack.

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We piled into the houseboat and headed back north.

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First Mate Bill K. at the helm.

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Impending doom.

Photo by Erin Tatge.
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We stopped at the Waterpocket Fold with only a couple of hours of light left, so we quickly packed and headed up.

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Camp and the massive Waterpocket Fold beyond. This monocline begins here and snakes more than 100 miles northward.

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Map of dayhiking at the Waterpocket Fold. Today’s hike was the one westward from camp.

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Melissa and my dad ascending from camp.

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Tilted rock layers. Mount Ellsworth is visible in the background.

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Karl silhouetted at a false summit ahead.

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Kathleen on top of the Fold.

Photo by Bill Priedhorsky.
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At the top of the Fold was a wide plain dotted with scraggly bushes. Erin, Petey, and I climbed up a final lobe of rock and found awesome views, the best of the trip in my opinion.

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Looking southeastward from our little summit, with The Rincon and Navajo Mountain at center.

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Brothers.

Photo by Erin Tatge.
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Escalante Country.

Photo by Erin Tatge.
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Looking roughly northward, along the line of the Waterpocket Fold.

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Sunset over the Waterpocket Fold.

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Please continue reading on Day 7.

E-mail: reid@reidster.net
Copyright © 1999-2013 Reid Priedhorsky. Last modified: 2010-01-24 18:10 CST. Disclaimer.