The route begins at the state line near the ghost town of Uvada. Get it? Nevada+Utah=Uvada.
Once past the Pine Valley Wilderness, the route enters the Kolob section of Zion National Park. Snow can remain on the high mesas here well into spring.
Upper Harris Wash -- one of the many possible variations though the Escalante Region.
The Harvest Scene in The Maze -- one of the best pictographs panels around.
Golden Cathedral -- one of the coolest spots on the Colorado Plateau.
The La Sal Mountains are the 3rd and final mountain range along the route. If the weather cooperates, one should go to the summmits of Mt. "Tuk" and Mt. Peale.
An excursion from the route will take one into the Needles of Canyonlands.
A condor circles above the Paria River.
Volcanic bombs along the slickrock above The Gulch
Diana's Throne is just east of Hwy 89 and as the route heads toward Kanab Creek.
An short side trip from the route will take one to the top of Zion's Cable Mountain seen here in the fall of 2005.
The descent into Upper Muley Twist Canyon with the Henrys in the distance.
Death Hollow east of Escalante is an awesome short side hike.
The desert in bloom in May.
Checkerboard Mesa. The route climbs around the icon of Zion National Park.
Yum -- granola! Freeze-dried meals provide much of the energy for such long treks. Re-pack them first to save space.
Sand slide in the Escalante area.
Happy Canyon with a great slot at its lower end.
Devil's Garden -- just south of the Escalante bypass route.
Great sunsets are common along the West Rim of Zion.
The Dollhouse in Canyonlands.
The route passes right by Grosvenor Arch in Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument.
The route travels up Kanab Creek -- there may or may not be water.
The area near Hole-in-the-Rock Road.
The route travels through the Henry Mountains, home to one of the last free-roaming herds of Bison in America. I stumbled across part of the herd in 2009.
The red-rock canyons of Escalante.
Mt. Peale is the highest point in the La Sal Mountains -- the third range along the route.
As the route descends into Zion Canyon, one will likely want to do the fun diversion of going out to Angel's Landing.
Having caches of extra food, fuel and clothes along the route is a great alternative to mail drops or scheduled meet-ups for re-supplies. Always return for your empties!
The Aspen are plentiful in the Pine Valley Mountains and the La Sals.
Choprock Canyon is one of many canyons one can travel through the Escalante Region.
Overlooking The Maze and the Land of Standing Rocks in Canyonlands National Park.
One will likely need an assist to cross the Colorado River at Spanish Bottom.
Pritchett Arch along the Moab alternate route.
One is likely to see a lot of petrified wood along the journey.
The route descends through the narrows of Willis Creek.
Mr. Jack Rabbit.
Spring brings water and water fowl to The Onion Beds west of Capitol Reef.
Yellow Rock -- which is really yellow. A great excursion from the route.
Great Western Horned Lizard -- aka Horny Toad.
Typical contents of one of my caches.
The route travels along a portion of the Paria River.
Zebra Slot along the more southern Escalante-Bypass Route
One will likely see many great sunsets along the way.
The route does travel through bear country -- though I've never seen a bear in Utah, only prints. This little guy was in the Sierras.
Climbing up an obstacle in Rustler Canyon.
The barren Kaiparowits Plateau. One must cross from this point to as far as the eye can see -- that's about two days in this case.
Spring hikers are likely to see snow in Bryce.
A short side hike takes one to a great overlook of The Loop of the Colorado.
Pictographs in Deer Creek Canyon.
Watch out for rattlers along the way!
Harris Wash is a possible route through the Escalante region.
The Henry Mountains
The route travels through The Barracks in Zion -- a feature similar to The Narrows.
To do the entire route, one will likely see a full moon -- if not two and maybe even three!
Red sand dune near Escalante.
One must use care getting past this obstacle in The Barracks.
The route descends from the West Rim seen in the top left of this photo.
A rock-filled canyon on the Kaiparowits Plateau.
The Chinle rock formation is often home to petrified wood.
On the eastern end of the Moody Cliffs.
Overlooking the narrows of Boulder Creek
Escalante River is one of three major rivers one will need to cross.
One will likely travel through Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument for over a week.
Red Canyon east of Zion.
Finally Across Utah -- the CO state line.
all content (c) 2012 by Jamal Green unless noted
