Lucy had been begging to go on another backpacking trip. (I don't think we did any last year. . . ) So I put together a small group (5 of us) and organized a trip back to Coyote Gulch. Our family did it four years ago and loved it and so I thought it would be great to do again. So it was myself, Lucy, Ruby (Lucy's best friend), Jaymie (Ruby's mom and a good friend of mine), and Molly (my cool neighbor/ward member/good friend). It was hard trying to figure out what route to take as there are several options for entering and exiting the gulch. And, as Hurricane Wash was not our favorite the last time we did it, Lucy and I wanted to try something different. I had figured out a plan (in and out through the Jacob Hamblin arch area), but was given some information that made us choose a different plan. So plan B or C or something came to be!
We left Wednesday morning at 6 and it just took so long to get there! Maps said 7 hours, but - including a 60-minute detour due to missing a turn - it took us closer to 9! We parked at the Water Tank trailhead and hiked the road to the Crack in the Wall trailhead and then officially started our hike into the gulch. We backpacked in about 5 1/2 miles to the gulch and that is where we set up camp. It was a perfect and lovely site! The two girls shared a tent and we three women shared one. It was soooo warm! Like, I have never ever been that warm camping! It felt like it was 70 outside and 80 inside our tent, haha. I was just walking around and sleeping in my garments by the time night came upon us. That being said, once the heat retreated a tiny bit and we were able to fall asleep - I slept amazing! As in, I didn't wake up once until 4:30am which is a camping miracle.
On Thursday we woke the girls up a little after 8 and then began our day-hike into the gulch a little after 9. We hiked about 7 miles in - to the end/beginning of Coyote Gulch - passing by Cliff Arch, lots of cute waterfalls and swimming holes, Swiss Cheese falls, Coyote Natural Bridge, and ending at Jacob Hamblin Arch. It was awesome and a great hike!
Once at the arch, we were going to break for lunch and then head back. Which we did, but someone (Lucy?) decided it would be cool to eat our lunch inside the arch. And for some reason all of us adults agreed. Well. . . the going up was okay but as soon as we were up in the arch, Ruby asked, "How are we going to get down?" Ugh! It was much easier scrambling up - the way down was super sketchy, but we survived and then ate our lunch and headed back the 7 miles to camp. We stopped at a few spots to jump in the water and such and so that made it fun!
Also, on our way back we came upon another backpacker who was searching for a camping site for his family and friends - a group of about 12, I think. He was a really nice man, named Jacob, and we ended up taking his car keys (!) so we could drive his suburban from where we would exit the trail at Crack in the Wall trailhead and drive it to where our car was parked and where Jacob and his group would exit at Water Tanks trailhead. It was fun plan and made the going out hike seem not so horrible. We ended up hiking about 14 miles on Thursday and came back to camp, ate dinner, talked, then went to bed.
We had mice at our campsite, which I thought would destroy me but it didn't bother me too much actually! Bats swooped over us as it got dark. Lizards crawled all around the whole area. We had a frog at our site, too. Bullfrogs went crazy that last night. It was full and creatures and it kind of made it all the more fun. (Oh, Molly and I did see a snake in the water that day as we were hiking through. It was probably 3 feet long - definitely the biggest snake I have ever seen in the wild. Yuck, not a fan!) The coolest creature we saw, in my opinion, was a lightning bug!!! It was so awesome and I think everyone thought I was crazy until they saw it themselves. It flashed about half a dozen times and then was up and over the cliff. It made my youthful heart so happy. :) We just don't have lightning bugs in the west! Well, obviously we do . . . check out this link I just found.
We set our alarm for 6 the next morning as we wanted to be up and out on the hike as early (and thus as cool) as possible. We packed all up and ate our breakfast and began the hike out by a few minutes after 7. Our first section of the hike included a 700-foot climb up a sand dune. It was hard work - especially with packs on. But not horrible. From there, it was going through three cracks - two of which you can't go through with your packs on. So,we had to drop/lift them (depending on if we were hiking in or hiking out) and that was kind of fun. One of the cracks (slot) was so narrow - we all had to go sideways the whole time. The cracks are only like 15 feel long, so nothing too crazy. From there, the hike was just a walk in slick rock and sand until we reached the parking lot.
We found the suburban and enjoyed our drive (instead of hike) back to our trailhead and car. Unfortunately, when we got out we noticed that we cracked the car's bottom bumper (most likely on a cattle guard). We all felt so sick and saddened by this - well, I think the young girls were over it pretty quickly, ha. But we women were just kind of devastated by it! :( Jaymie was driving it and she's had some similar auto insurance stuff as we have had - minor accidents, tickets, etc. So the thought of another claim was no fun. But mostly we just felt badly for Jacob - sweet, innocent Jacob who let a group of women use his car. We didn't get his number but he has Molly's number and we are all anxiously awaiting to hear from him . . . If he doesn't reach out, we have found him on Facebook and will contact him. Anyways, such a bummer way to end such a cool trip! Furthermore, just as we were about to enter back into Colorado on I-70, my car got a flat tire - like a bad one! Torn in like 4-5 areas. It was crazy. Jaymie and Molly managed to get the process started, but none of us could get the last few lug nuts off. We waited for quite some time (it wasn't a grand location to have someone pull over as we were right around a curve), but a nice man finally stopped and took a whole of 2 minutes to finish changing out our flat, ha! We had to drive slowly into Junction and our car now has 4 new tires! (AWD usually requires you to replace all tires . . . such sadness, but also whatever . . . ). Anyways, a crazy way to end it, but overall it was a fantastic trip!
Now on to many, many pictures:
On our way there, we took a few-minutes detour to stop at Capitol Reef's pie shop - so fun and so delicious!
The group ready to head out from the trailhead Wednesday afternoon. Ruby, Lucy, me, Jaymie, and Molly.
Another fun group shot. Molly is creative like that. :)
Jaymie and I lowering our packs in one spot.
Cute Molly working on getting our packs down.
Making our way down the sand dune to the gulch.
This is Stephen's Arch that we could hike to - but we didn't. It would be a big hike to reach it. The view of it was enough for me. :)
This is us on Thursday hiking through the gulch. We spent maybe half the time in the water? It was nice!
Molly, Jaymie and I at a cool waterfall.
Lucy and Ruby at the same spot.
We tried many times to get a silly panoramic where people are in it twice. This was our best effort, ha.
There were several spots where a natural spring was - pretty!
Just hiking along the gulch.
We nicknamed these guys Adam and Eve, hehe. There were billions (literally) of tadpoles in the water - it was insane!
Coyote Natural Bridge - pretty!
This place really is something special!
Ben and I swam in this spot the last time we came as a family. The water was way deeper in 2020! (The kids hiked up and over on some trail.) This time, the water only got up to my waist. Side-note: It was right around this corner (and on the way back) that Molly and I saw the snake. Gross! I ran through this spot screaming afterwards, haha.
Jacob Hamblin arch - so cool!
Lucy inside the arch. She wasn't phased by the dangers it presented in getting down, ha.
Obviously the picture doesn't do it justice, but it was definitely dicey!
One of the spots the group got in at. (Except me, ha. I had already gotten wet going through the rocks and I didn't feel the need again. But they had fun. :) )
Drying off/warming up after the dip. :)
The girls played and swam around in here, too. Fun stuff.
Jaymie joined in and loved how her sandals floated. :)
14 miles - well-done girls! Soaking their feet back at our campsite.
The girls' tent - with the adorable lights (that is also a phone charger if I would have remembered the cord...).
Up and at it early Friday morning - ready to backpack up and out!
The long slog up the sand dune - it doesn't look like much, but it is. Trust me.
Another shot of us coming out of the gulch and up the sand dune.
And just a couple of fun videos to end on. :)
Here and
here.
A gorgeous and just super-fun trip with some great gals.
