The sequel . . .Final spring (2025) a pair pals (Jerry and Jim) invited me to hitch them for some hikes in Utah. The highlights of that journey had been Angel’s Touchdown and Buckskin Gulch – each had been enjoyable adventures (featured on earlier posts). Jim couldn’t make it this 12 months, so it was simply Jerry and I. Jerry, who has a few years of expertise climbing in Utah (I don’t), prompt we discover the Bears Ears Nationwide Monument – an space in southeast Utah barely bigger than Glacier Park acknowledged for its cultural, archaeological, and pure significance. The monument options cliff websites, Pueblo dwellings, rock artwork, and the long-lasting Bears Ears buttes.
The primary occasion . . . Our precedence was to do a 3-day, 2-night backpacking journey known as “The Fish and Owl Canyons Loop”, a 17-mile trek that begins close to the top of 1 canyon and ends on the head of the opposite. We left Helena on Monday (5/4/26) at 5:30 am, and made the 790-mile drive to Blanding, Utah the place we spent the night time in a motel. After a 45-minute drive to the trailhead, we had been on the path by 9 am Tuesday morning. (see hyperlink beneath for instructions to trailhead, and many others.) Strolling and tenting beneath the gorgeous 500 foot partitions of colourful Cedar Mesa Sandstone for 3 days was a beautiful expertise. Alongside the way in which we had been always handled to quite a lot of weathered textures, indifferent towers, pinnacles, frequent dry waterfalls and spectacular undercuts.
What’s lacking? . . . Two issues we didn’t see a lot of had been water and wildlife – aside from lizards. Resulting from an absence of winter precipitation we had been restricted to filtering water from stagnant swimming pools close to the higher 4-5 miles of the 2 canyons – not supreme. In reality, there was a stretch of a number of miles in the course of the loop that was utterly dry. As for wildlife, we noticed an occasional songbird, three harmeless whipsnakes, and MANY dozens of side-blotched lizards scurrying throughout the path.
Recreate, calm down, repeat . . . Though the loop is 17 miles, we took a number of side-trips, together with one 3-4 mile stroll to some Pueblo ruins south of the Fish-Owl confluence. With all of our exploring the full mileage ended up being 27 miles over the three-day journey. Jerry and I received again to Blanding late Thursday afternoon in time to bathe, eat, and calm down with a pair Coronas (lime included) as we watched the unique True Grit film and deliberate our adventures for the subsequent day.
We’re burning daylight . . . We did two hikes on Friday – the primary was a 5-mile hike to the Citadel and the second a 3-mile hike to Moonhouse Ruins. As soon as once more each hikes had been unbelievable, however the 9-mile street from the freeway to the Moonhouse trailhead was terrible! Jerry’s Ford F-150 made it, however the 9-mile section that inlcuded a number of stretches of strong very uneven rock took us 50 minutes. I wouldn’t advocate driving it except you will have a Jeep or one thing related. For the ultimate day of Utah Half II we drove west of the Bears Ears Monument and loved a pair hours of wandering by the unusual sandstone formations at Goblin State Park. We spent the night time in Inexperienced River, then drove again to Helena on Sunday. It was an amazing journey – I’m already wanting ahead to a doable half III!
See hyperlinks beneath for the picture excursions.
Under: This map marks hikes which were featured on bigskywalker.com up to now, together with a number of in Glacier Park – Choose full display screen to develop, zoom in for extra element, or click on on a marker for a hyperlink to the put up.
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