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Pass Patrol's quest to conquer Big Pocket began years ago. Several of us had spent the week traveling over Elephant Hill and into Beef Basin. On the way to Dugout Ranch, we camped on the mesa just north of Cathedral Butte. The view of Big Pocket was spectacular from our 1,000 foot high perch.
Leadfoot had backpacked into Big Pocket a few years earlier and told us of a cabin and of Canyonlands pride and joy called Big Ruins. Using 21x power binoculars, we were able to pick out both, but they were so tiny we could not make out any details. On that day, I decided I just had to see Big Pocket "up close and personal" before I took that long journey to the happy 4Wheeling grounds.
In order for me to get in (and back out of) Big Pocket, would take careful planning. As Dirty Harry would say, "Man's gotta know his limitations". Well, I've exceeded my limitations lots of times. After all, how can you determine your limitations if you never exceed them. Of course, those times were under controlled conditions with a backup plan ready to implement. In the case of Big Pocket there can be no backup plan. Once you go in, the only way out is under your own power.
My first limitation to overcome is that I am not able to carry a backpack. A back injury dating back 30+ years ago while working on the family farm, left me with something called a herniated disk. It rarely bothers me unless I irritate it. One way to get it irritated is to carry a backpack or anything else weighing more than about thirty pounds. That means if I'm going to hike in and stay overnight, it better be a warm night.
That's where the second obstacle comes in. I also have a form of arthritis that flares up without warning. When that happens, I'm exceeding my limitations just getting from the house to the car. If I were to hike in, stay overnight, and wake up the next morning with that problem, it could mean big trouble.
None of these
limitations would be a problem if it were not 14 miles across Big Pocket from the
Trailhead at Cathedral Butte to the Trailhead in Salt Wash near Angel Arch. Based on past
experience of hiking in Utah's desert, I figured that hike would take about twelve hours.
During the year following my decision to get across Big Pocket, I began looking for shorter routes. To determine the distance of those routes, I took GPS readings at both trailheads and from the overlook on the mesa where we had camped. I then tried to get closer by going up Lavender Canyon. That route ended at a 1000 foot high vertical wall. I tried Davis Canyon with the same result. Blue Moon and I tried to get in from the overlook but ended up at the top of a 300 foot vertical cliff. No matter which way I approached Big Pocket, there just was no way to get closer than the designated park route. If was impossible to go in from either end, hike the entire route and get back to the vehicle in one day. Time for a teamwork plan.
I managed to find several people willing to participate in Operation Big Pocket. Our plan consisted of two groups. One group of hikers and one group of drivers.
We camped at the trailhead beside Cathedral Butte. That point is outside the park boundary and does not require a permit. At daylight, the hiking group left camp and began the hike. The drivers could sleep late. They had twelve hours to get around to the trailhead in Salt Wash.
Each hiker had designed his own day pack to suit his needs but most of them envied my setup long before the day was over. The heaviest but most critical item for a hike in the desert is water. I determined long ago that the maximum amount of water I need on a hot day is two liters. I took two (one liter) bottles that were frozen solid before I left Denver. By keeping them in the cooler for the trip to Utah, they stayed frozen. For the hike, each bottle was stuffed into a thermal sock with a shoulder strap. You can find those socks and the bottles in most any K-Mart, Walmart, or Target as well as in any outdoor supply store. The thermal socks zip up around the bottles. The bottles are reusable or can be replaced by the standard one liter water bottles available in any grocery store.
One bottle stayed on my shoulder and other stayed in my day pack. As the hike progressed, the ice melted providing cold drinking water for the entire day. The most envied item in my daypack was my lunch box. I found a soft sided thermal lunch box at K-Mart. It was perfectly sized for two 16oz Pepsi bottles, a cup of pudding, a can of fruit cocktail, and a generous supply of turkey meat. One of those bottles was a frozen bottle of water which kept the inside of the lunch box cold. As the day went on, the ice in that bottle melted forming more drinking water. By noon, the chunk of ice in the bottle was half gone. When lunch time arrived, I simply poured the Pepsi from the second bottle into the one with ice providing cold Pepsi to have with my sandwich, cold fruit cocktail, and pudding. The perfect lunch.
Seven hikers
descended the 1000 foot high wall into East Fork Salt Creek. Going down was easy. It took
only about thirty minutes to reach the park boundary. Within two hours, we had reached
Kirk Cabin.
Kirk built the cabin in the late 1890s. He was a squatter meaning he never officially purchased the land. He simply moved in, built a cabin, and stayed. There was a wagon road to the cabin following Salt Wash north to the current Needles Ranger Station and then to Moab. In some places, that road is still visible but most of it has completely returned to nature. The park service closed the road when the park boundaries were established. The park became official in 1964.
The first official ownership of the land where Kirk Cabin stands came in 1942 by some cattle ranchers. They were eventually forced out by the park service.
Just past Kirk
Cabin was a trail going right. It led to some really great cliff dwellings.
By noon, we had reached Big Ruins. It was not as spectacular as I had hoped, but there are the remains of several ruins high up on the cliff. It is easy to see where many more ruins once existed on a lower level, however, they are all gone now.
The All
American Man was very impressive. The park service has a steel box at the site with some
history stuffed inside. Apparently, there is lots of disagreement among archeologists
about just how old the drawing is.
Four faces was also a special treat. Those drawings are very well preserved and the cliff dwellings beside them are in good shape. They are located beside a small waterfall where Salt Creek flows freely. By the time we reached that point, one member of our group could think of nothing more than soaking his aching feet.
We met lots of
other hikers at Four Faces. It is a designated campsite for those who are camping inside
the park boundary. A permit is required to use that campsite. Four Faces is the only place
we saw other people during our 14 mile hike.
The condition of the hiking trail from end to end varies drastically. About half of it is easy hiking in an open Canyon. Some sections are so overgrown with brush, it is necessary to stoop down so low you are nearly crawling through. One wash crossing requires sliding down on your seat and climbing out on your hands and knees. In some places, the trail is so grown over, the trail is not visible. Fortunately, you are in a canyon so as long as you continue downstream with Salt Creek, you are headed in the right direction.
We finished the hike in eleven hours. Sundance was waiting at the trailhead with his Bronco. Sunshine was in my Blazer. Nearly everything had been removed from both vehicles to make room for the riders. Fortunately, my chuck wagon box was heavy so it was still in the back of the vehicle. Hidden in one drawer was my emergency stash of Pepsi. The hikers attacked that 24 pack of Pepsi like they had never seen one before.
We were all in pain. The fourteen mile hike had pushed us to the brink of our limitations. The drive back to Cathedral Butte took another three hours.
Sunshine, Magnolia, and Miss Blue worked on getting the fire and dinner going. Those of us who had hiked sat around the fire going numb and occasionally dozing off. The only time we showed any sign of life was when the dinner bell was sounded. Immediately after dinner, we slipped back into our commas.
It was a terrific hike. Salt Wash Canyon was spectacular. Kirk Cabin, Wedding Ring arch, numerous other arches, Big Ruin, Four Faces, All American Man, and dozens of scattered cliff dwellings kept the trip very interesting.
I've already been asked the question, "Will you do it again?" I doubt it but I never say never. It probably depends on how much my limitations change as I get older.
I do have another hiking trip in mind though. It would be structured in the same manner with hikers and drivers. I tried the trail during my younger years and even then it was impossible to do a round trip in one day, however, one way in one day would work. The trail is part of the Castlegate Getaway. When Butch Cassidy, Elzy Lay, and Joe Walker made their getaway, Walker took the trail up the canyon wall to Smith Cabin. GPS air miles from Smith Cabin to Mexican Mountain is about 5 miles. Experience tells me that will be about 10 miles on the ground. We would camp at Smith Cabin. Hikers would leave at daylight. Drivers would make the two hour drive to the other end near Mexican Mountain. This would make a great March or April trip. It is entirely on BLM land so permits are not required. Anyone interested?
The first thing you need to know about these 4x4 trails is that a backcountry permit is required for entry. The gate has a padlock on it and the only way to get the combination is to pay the fee. Only ten permits are allowed per day so if you get there with two vehicles and only one permit is left, get ready to become real cozy. The rangers patrol the trail and they do check permits. If you are caught without one, the cost is at least $50. The price goes up from there depending on the mood of the rangers.
Now that we have
all that out of the way, lets talk about the trail. The two routes split off from each
other a mile or so past the gate. The right fork is Salt Wash and the left fork is Horse
Canyon. Both are moderate routes. 4wd is required because of the deep sand and several
rocky areas. High door handles are nice if the water in Salt Creek is up that day. We have
traveled the route when the water was over the headlights on a Tracker.
Thirteen Faces is accessed by a foot trail off Horse Canyon. The hike will take about twenty minutes each way.
Big Pocket can be accessed by a foot trail from Salt Wash. It is about a two hour hike through dense brush to get to four faces. Angel Arch is about a ten minute walk from the end of the road.
Maps and permits are available at the ranger station. Reservations should be made in advance by calling 801-259-4351. A National Park Campground is available for motorhomes. If you need hookups; a full service campground is available at the Outpost near the park boundary most of the year.
Happy Trails.
March 22 to 27, 1997 - Pass Patrol's first trip this year will be in outlaw country where Butch Cassidy and the Wild Bunch called home. We'll explore some new routes to Saddlehorse Canyon. One day will be spent hiking to a supposed hide-out of the Wild Bunch where remains of an old cabin stand. Membership is required.
March 30 to April 4, 1997 - Pass Patrol return's to Hole in the Rock. This is a trip into the east side and is extremely difficult and rated VDL. Membership is required to attend Pass Patrol trips.
Visit the Pass Patrol booth at
The Great Western Sports RV & Travel Show
in Anaheim, California
December 28th to January 5th, 1997
Anaheim Convention Center across the street from Disneyland.
We'll have our guide books and videos for sale at the booth including our latest edition,
"In search of the Outlaw Trail"
Special pricing at the show
Books - $13 Videos - $20
Autographs & dumb looks are still free
The new book is almost finished. It includes trails traveled in
Montana,Wyoming, Utah, and New Mexico while in search of the Outlaw Trail. Written by
Larry E. Heck, Published by Pass Patrol Outback Publications, Inc., it includes maps, GPS
positions,photographs, and lots of great stories about the outlaws known as the Wild
Bunch. Butch Cassidy, Sundance Kid, Kid Curry, and many others participated in bank
holdups and train robberies scattered from Canada to Mexico.
Pass Patrol's search for the Outlaw Trail began in 1988 and the research continues. This book is the first volume covering the search and research completed as of October, 1996. Next year we will begin work on a video for this volume while working on volume two of the Outlaw Trail.
The book retails for $14.95. Shipping and handling is $2 for normal
delivery. $4 for delivery by Christmas. Order yours today. Mastercard and Visa are
accepted.
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