After our hike yesterday we still have a calorie deficit so we decide to buy some breakfast in town. We found a drive through place that serves breakfast which is quite cheap and the food is quite good. As a bonus as we are returning we notice a hot air balloon flying right over our AirBnB, neat!
The hike is closer to our accomodation than the previous outing in Lee’s Ferry however it is in a different state, Utah. We have descriptions of the hike and parking area from the AirBnB folder and we can find the parking place relatively easy. The views already are cool and we are looking forward to the hike.
Before going towards the Blue Pool Arch we first want to explore the canyon downriver and find a cache nearby.
The canyon is quite technical and you need ropes to descend it, we are neither equipped nor willing to risk our lives so we enjoy the views from above before returning to the road and starting towards the Arch.
It is supposed to be an easy walk to the Arch on dirt roads so the going is fast and we have time to enjoy the many birds alongside the dirt road.
And then we reach a private property boundary. It was not in our description and we weren’t aware of it. It also looks new and extends in the distance seemingly closing off any access to the Arch. Research both then and afterwards solved the mystery, a super luxury resort, Amangiri, bought the land from the BLM and then fenced themselves in. Luckily our map shows that the expected boundary still allows, maybe, access to the Arch which is on public land. So we follow the fence through the desert towards the cliffs hoping that we are right.
As we are detoured anyway we decide to try a tough cache which is near the top of one of the rock formations. It is not clear if it is accesible from here but why not try at least? The climb is breathtaking, literally, and we decide to catch our breath and enjoy the views for a while before moving on.
We are getting close to the cliff face and the cache still is about 30 ft away, but is there any way to get higher up? As we ponder the solution we enjoy the beautiful stone fortress, it is like a volcano cone surrounded by sheer walls with a gap that allows views inside, quite scenic.
And then we notice a stone ramp further up. Following it we make almost to the top of the rock formation and the cache. Only geocachers and bighorns likely frequent this quite interesting climb to a beautiful viewpoint of the valley and caldera interior.
Descending we follow the cliffs towards the next canyon which is supposed to hold the arch. We keep an eye for the fence but luckily we can proceed unimpeded, except for the hawks that keep a curious eye on us.
And then just like that after one more hill we meet again with the road we were supposed to take and the fence. We made it, the canyon is accessible without tresspassing, phew. This parking, inaccessible now, seems to have been used by targetshooters to destroy the surrounding cacti and clif faces, at least something good has come from the closure.
We enter the canyon and it is surprisingly scenic. There are toadstools everywhere, interesting rock formations and of course the arch looking in the background.
Really looking as it is impressive and huge from up close. It is impressive how many attractions these area has, that this arch is so little known. We choose a toadstool with shade for our snack break, it is a great place to enjoy the wilderness.
It is now time to return trying to avoid fake dragons and real annoying prickly Russian thistle, more commonly known as tumbleweeds. They are everywhere, the tumbleweeds not the dragons, and they are almost impossible to avoid. And when you brush one then you are stuck for minutes trying to clean yourself or you will feel it the rest of the hike.
There is some nice geology in the area, unfortunately we are no experts but the rocks look special.
Returning we take a different route via washes and it is the better route avoiding most of the tumbleweeds and also being cooler. It is also quite popular with birds, mostly house finches, that we scare a few times as we make our way back to the car. And then it is time to go back home, relax a bit and then explore the area near the AirBnB.
