Left Hand Collet Rd, Not!! UT.

      Breaking camp in the morning I'm heading south on SR12, I crossed the River Ford exiting Capital Reef National Park (see previous post 01.04.22 Loop the Fold Capital Reef, UT) yesterday and now I have my sights set for Escalante Grand Staircase National Monument.  Camp was chilly last night at 8200ft so I was ready for some lower elevation camping.  But first a quick stop at the Wildcat Information Center hosted by a lovely couple George and Diana Wackerman their little cabin is a must, stop and say hello and get the latest info in the area, maps, fire wood, even a cup of coffee if they have any on their warming old-school pot-belly stove.  With the latest free maps in hand I was heading down SR12 through Boulder and Calf Creek I was looking for Hole-in-the-Rock Rd.  I wanted to explore Grand Escalante from the back roads to Big Water.  

    Left Hand Collet Rd was my way into the remote area.  The trouble being is that there had been several heavy rain storms that past this way and has made the tracks difficult, closed and down right washed away so this was going to be one heck of a adventure. 

   My first stop was at Devil's Garden off of Hole-in-the-Rock Rd about 22 miles from SR12.  No signs just a lonely turn off takes you to this incredible little place complete with a small camp area for registered campers (registration podium was at the trailhead).  Crazy rock formations lying about looked as if they were part of something bigger.  Layered sediment rock, washed away sandy footings revealing smoothed arches, standing monoliths and very cool carved out rock walls as if the water of millions of years ago was in such turbulence to shape the wavy smooth ancient rock.  What the Devil is going on here!  

    Some formation looked like a section of a gigantic set of dentures as if it was from a massive dinosaur.  Incidentally further down the trail is where my turn off and the Twenty Mile Wash Dinosaur Track Site is located.  A wonderful stop along the way Devil's Garden certainly gets your imagination going a great stop for lunch or even a overnight-er. 

      Navigating the washed-out turn off to Left Hand Collet Rd was remote and a great diversion for most people, I knew this was going to be epic.  Enjoying the feeling of being the only one out here I was cruising along absorbing the scenery when about 7 miles into it, my first obstacle was making sure I had a road in front of me GPS was saying yes, my eyes were saying I don't see you!!  

      Eventual I was back on the trail, when I was stopped in my tracks.  Erosion had got the best of the track, the ground under the trail was unsupported, water had eroded it and the base was gone leaving the thin top cracking waiting for the unsupported ground to give way, Holy Heck, Not!!  

    Leaving the track taking a re-route trail I made my way around that would-be devastating obstacle, only to find the trail completely gone a few miles further with no options, Dang!! 

      Looking for options I decided to backtrack find camp and start a different approach to Big Water through Grand Escalante in the morning, camp and a couple of cold frothies sound good to me. 

 

Hope To see you on the Trail!!..

🚙........