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This_is_a_picture_of_me_close_to_the_trail_head..jpg
Dark Canyon - Utah
This is a picture of me close to the trail head.
Other images in post
Image Details
Poster TrekkerScott Offline
Posted 06/26/09 10:46 PM
Description
My backpacking trip that I went on with a friend from May 10, 2009 to May 15, 2009.
We decided to hike Sundance Trail, which is a very strenuous hike with a 1200 ft. descent into, and out of, Dark Canyon. Yet it is also one of the most spectacular hikes, affording far-ranging vistas en route to the Grand Canyon-like gorge of Dark Canyon.
One of the best parts about this trail is that it is on BLM land, and no back country permit was required. All you have to do is show up, sign the register, and take off. There was only one other car when we arrived, but about 10 when we left (including a large van of high school kids on a field trip). The bad part was that the trail head was a little hard to find since the roads were not well marked, and if we didn't have the two maps that we did, we may not have found it (don't rely on the national geographic maps to get you there), and we got high centered a few times in our non 4-wheel drive Hundai laugh.
A year-round stream flows in the lower portion of Dark Canyon, which offered numerous water falls with swimming holes below them, and cliffs in which to jump into them from (check the depth first before you dive in though wink ). The water is almost completely spring fed, seeping through the sandstone walls of the canyon into the stream, and is some of the cleanest water that I have ever seen. The sand is red in color, but the majority of it (70 to 80 percent) is live soil called Cryptobiotic Soil that can take more than 50 years to grow, so it made things difficult at times when we were hiking.
The trip was amazing, and I will definitely be returning some time in the near future to explore another portion of Utah!
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#117995 - 07/04/09 09:03 AM Re: Dark Canyon - Utah [Re: TrekkerScott]
scottyb Offline
member

Registered: 05/28/08
Posts: 278
Loc: Texas Hill Country
Very nice looking trip.
_________________________
Just because you don't take an interest in politics doesn't mean politics won't take an interest in you.... Pericles (430 B.C)

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#118052 - 07/05/09 11:12 PM Re: Dark Canyon - Utah [Re: scottyb]
revbillyg Offline
newbie

Registered: 07/05/09
Posts: 1
Loc: az
did dark canyon years ago! great hike! We took two cars and put one a few miles up the road and one by the big climb out. great spot!

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#118059 - 07/06/09 08:46 AM Re: Dark Canyon - Utah [Re: revbillyg]
TrekkerScott Offline
member

Registered: 04/21/09
Posts: 15
Loc: Lincoln, Nebraska, USA
Yea, we only had one car otherwise we would have done the same.

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#134931 - 06/09/10 10:58 PM Re: Dark Canyon - Utah [Re: TrekkerScott]
gregpphoto Offline
member

Registered: 01/15/09
Posts: 23
Loc: New Jersey
The second image really struck me. Gave me that chilly spinal feeling I get from thinking about primeval nature. You captured that essence in this image.


Edited by gregpphoto (06/09/10 10:59 PM)

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#201358 - 07/08/18 06:14 PM Re: Dark Canyon - Utah [Re: gregpphoto]
OregonMouse Offline
member

Registered: 02/03/06
Posts: 6799
Loc: Gateway to Columbia Gorge
Sorry to be so long discovering this excellent report--I didn't realize we had a second section for trip reports under Photography. My bad!

Interesting report about a part of the country of which I know little. Sounds like a wonderful place to explore while the Pacific NW is still under rain and snow!
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May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view--E. Abbey

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