Every time I go to Utah's Cedar Mesa, I find myself wondering why I don't visit more often. When I really think about it, the answer is a combination of factors, with the largest being:
- Distance - It's a 24-hour drive from home. Anything over 19 hours is a slog - even for the younger me, who could conquer long drives and still hike the next day. Even when the Tacoma is stored in Las Vegas, it's a 9-hour trek - nearly a full day of driving - just to get there!
- Death Valley - Much of the time I'd want to be exploring Cedar Mesa - in the spring and fall shoulder seasons - I also want to be soaking in the sights at my favorite National Park. Only 2 hours away from Vegas, it's almost too good to be true.
Still, I can't let a little thing like distance keep me from seeing some of the most beautiful sights - and coolest history - this country has to offer. And yet, Cedar Mesa is a big place. Like Death Valley, I could spend my entire life exploring nothing but this place and still only scratch the surface. And so, I need a plan.
I'll start small. Or, small-ish. Meandering along the western edge, Grand Gulch is a serpentine canyon entrenched into the otherwise gently sloping surface. My plan is to hike nearly the whole thing. I'll do it a bit at a time, working my way in from various access points to enjoy the sandstone walls and Native American (Ancestral Puebloan) history that hides within.
And where better to start* than with Shangri-la?
* sort of. We hiked the Bullet-to-Sheiks Canyon loop a few years ago.
Visiting Grand Gulch for a day hike requires a pass, and camping below the rim requires an overnight permit. Both are inexpensive and help to fund our public lands. They need our support more than ever.
For more information, check out BLM Utah Cedar Mesa Permits and Passes Information.
- - - - -
Having finally found the Juniper Tree Ruin, we weren't far from Grand Gulch - at least, compared to usual - and after soaking in the late afternoon views along Comb Ridge, we soon found ourselves headed past the Government Trail trailhead under the watchful silhouette of Bears Ears National Monument.
Bears Ears Buttes.
It'd be another half hour - just as the sun dropped below the horizon - before we'd reach camp. In the middle of a large flat, it was boring, dusty, and completely unsheltered. Still, it was the closest we could get to Shangri-la Canyon, so hoping for a calm night, we set up the tent and got to dinner preparations.
Unremarkable.
The following morning...
With a long day ahead, we were up before dawn.
At 4 miles, the hike through Shangri-la Canyon to Grand Gulch is not - itself - long. However, accessing the canyon from the nearest trailhead adds another 3 miles, making for a minimum 14-mile day. This doesn't even take into account navigation mistakes, the meandering of the trail through the canyon, or the search for cultural resources along the way - elements that easily add 20-30% to the total.
And it's always important to keep in mind my insanity. We'll get to that in due time; for now, we prepped ourselves and the Tacoma for a full day of separation before setting off across the tundra in search of the hard-to-find entrance to Shangri-la Canyon.
Juniper Tree in search of a ruin.
Keeping our bearing was easy - we just walked directly toward Navajo Mountain.
As we finally reached the edge of the Shangri-la complex, the sun spilled colorfully across the landscape.
Lion King Rock.
Searching for a deer trail heading into the lower canyon - beginning 100m southwest of point 5017 on the Slickhorn West 7 1/2' quad - we first wandered into the wrong feeder for a half mile or so, our pride at finding the entrance "right off the bat" abruptly tempered as we peeked over the edge of a 60-foot dry fall.
We were doing so well, until there was no "there" there. (left) | After we found the actual correct route into the canyon, looking back up at our first attempt. (right)
Backtracking, we eventually found our way to the actual drop-in location, and then through a is-this-really-the-way crack that was a lot of fun.
Crack conquered, c'mon down!
Tafoni alcove.
Still a little worried that we'd run into another dry fall, we refrained from celebrating our success until we could see a trail along the sandy bottom of the canyon, and it became obvious that we'd found the way.
A spectacular introduction to Shangri-la.
From there, we headed downcanyon. Confined between towering walls, the views were consistent - consistently wowing - as we ticked away the miles between the head of the canyon and Grand Gulch. It's amazing how much variation can exist in a place like this, and yet how similar that variation can be.
Reflected corner.
First footprints (at least, since the last rain).
Spring green.
Tiny buds. (Cottonwood)
Big wall.
Towering pillars.
Having left camp just before 7:00am, it was a few minutes before noon when we reached the junction of Shangri-la Canyon with Grand Gulch. We'd only covered 7 trail miles in those five hours, but we'd spent more time route finding than we'd expected, and - as usual - one of us was endlessly stopping for photos.
What comes after Shangri-la?
These things - combined with the fact that we still had 7½ hours until sunset - meant that we were feeling pretty good on time, something I'd been worried about when I suggested the hike. In fact, we were doing so well on time that my excitement got the better of me and I asked @mrs.turbodb if she minded that I wander another 4 miles up Grand Gulch to Shaw Arch (previously, Grand Arch) in order to check it - and some rock art around it - out before we headed back to the trailhead.
She had no interest in going herself, but had no problem with me wandering off by myself and leaving her alone in the middle of nowhere, so after a few quick mental maths, I made my biggest mistake of the day:
"I'll be back in 2½ hours."
"If I'm not," I added, "feel free to start back without me."
Now, I know exactly how I came up with that number - there's a 6-mile loop around our neighborhood that I frequently walk, and I can easily do that loop in 1:45 minutes. Adding two more miles and 45 more minutes seemed totally reasonable to me when I made my estimate.
Surely though, most have already realized that a 6-mile walk along paved sidewalks with no pictures to take or new views to photograph is a smidge different than 8 miles on uneven, sandy terrain that is full of amazing views, rock art, and arches. And of course, I realized it too, about 10 minutes into my 8-mile trek. By that time, I had no way to communicate with @mrs.turbodb and it was too late to turn around. And that left only one solution: jog.
Into the Grandest of Gulches.
Not so different than the Mojave. Keep an eye on your birthday balloons, Molly.
Twin towers.
OK, so there was another - clearly smarter - solution than jogging, but turning around and admitting defeat just isn't in my nature. Plus, having eaten the turkey sandwich and chips that @mrs.turbodb had packed up prior to our departure - and having my first bit of water - during the first 10-minutes of my solo push, I was feeling refreshed, and my Mountainsmith Tour hip pack was lighter than ever. I could do this.
Note: I could not do this.
Future rincon.
Water line.
I admitted to myself that I could not do this well before I reached Shaw Arch. Even as I hustled through the sandy wash and jumped as quickly as I could from rock to rock, I resigned myself to the fact that I was going to be late. Still, I pushed along as quickly as I could manage, and after one hour and thirty-one minutes, I could see blue sky through the sandstone. I'd made it!
Through Shaw Arch.
Knowing that every minute I spent poking around the base of the arch was a minute later I'd be on my return, I rushed to take in as much as I could in as little time as possible. I had no idea what I was missing at the time, though I know now - after flipping through photos from others who've visited before me - that there were at least a few panels and glyphs that I'll be returning to see in the future!
Wall of hands.
Stick-em up!
Multi-color prints.
My favorite handprints were these swirls.
I'm not sure what this comb represented, but we saw another similar glyph the next day at the Red, White, and Blue Panel.
There were a few metate and mano slotted neatly into the sandstone, which I thought was extra neat.
Nearby twins.
After twelve minutes of madly snapping photos - and hoping I didn't miss anything amazing - I was headed back down the canyon. I had 47 minutes to cover a distance that twelve minutes earlier had taken 91.
There was no photography on the 4-mile race back to the mouth of Shangri-la Canyon. In fact, I looked for every trail shortcut I could find along the way down Grand Gulch, shaving off precious fractional distances on each bend in the wash. Technically downhill, I did everything I could to stay out of the soft sand, each step there more effort - and slower - than harder ground and rock-hopping.
Two-and-a-half hours came and went, but I still had about a mile of ground to cover. Wondering if @mrs.turbodb would head back exactly at 2:30pm - to give herself five hours for the return trip upcanyon - or if she would wait a while in the hopes that I was just a few minutes late, I pushed on, the afternoon sun beating down as I neared the last bend in the canyon.
"Hello!" I bellowed at the top of my lungs. Then, again, "Helloooooo!"
Echoing down the canyon, I had no idea if she heard me, but there was no arguing the magestic, acoustics of the canyon.
Ten minutes later, I trotted into the mouth of Shangri-la. There, waiting for me - having heard my shouts a few minutes after starting back toward the trailhead - was @mrs.turbodb!
After a short rest and consumption of an apple, we were back into the amazing light of Shangri-la Canyon.
Maidenhair fern.
Sandstone staircase under the watchful eye of the Shangri-la snail.
A closer look at the snail.
As we'd hiked down Shangri-la in the morning, both of us had been a little surprised at the lack of ruins and rock art contained within the canyon. As we returned, we pondered the name of the canyon, wondering why a place named for utopia wasn't more populated. We had no idea at the time - we hadn't yet hiked the adjacent Water Canyon - but it could have been for the experience of hiking the canyon itself. It was truly pleasurable.
Carved out.
Knowing we had a long way back to the Tacoma, I did my best to refrain from too many photos, but this Mourning Cloak butterfly (Nymphalis antiopa) (left), and Common Side-Blotched Lizard (Uta stansburiana) (right) got me to slow down.
Higher in the canyon, more light and a broader base allowed colorful vegetation to gain a foothold.
It was 4:52pm - only two hours after I'd arrived back from my crazy race up-and-back through Grand Gulch - when we arrived at the crack that would lead us out of Shangri-la. We'd been worried about having enough time in the day to complete this 14- (or in my case, 24-) mile foray into lower Grand Gulch, but with more than two-and-a-half hours before sunset, it was clear that we would have plenty of daylight.
Into the crack. (left) | Out of the crack. (right)
Lion King Rock looking good on our way back, sun streaming in under now-cloudy skies.
By 7:00pm - twelve hours after setting out - we reveled in the combination of Advil and seats as we started up the Tacoma for a short drive to a camp site near the following day's trailhead. Soon, we were on our way, the last of the light streaming in from the western horizon, its yellow rays accentuating the colorful rock under dark skies.
On our way to Water Canyon.
Exquisite evening light.
Soon enough we found a little spot in which we could nestle the Tacoma, with fantastic views of majestic mesas rising up in the distance. Over the next hour, we'd deploy camp, prep and eat dinner (chicken strip wraps with avocado), and get ourselves ready for bed. And then, horizontal bliss.
Water Canyon camp.
We had no idea at the time, but the next day - on a hike through Water Canyon, which my research suggested would be relatively easy - we'd get a tough lesson on why today's canyon had warranted the name "Shangri-la."
The Whole Story
Bucket List trip for sure. Can't wait to see all that you photograph!!
Thanks Bill! It won't all happen in one go, but *someone* might have realized that there's no way to do this as day hikes and so recently picked up a bunch of backpacking gear 😉. I've not backpacked since my days as an Eagle Scout, since I've found I don't like carrying weight on my shoulders (I prefer my hips), but I decided that this amazing spot was worth the "torture."
I am not backpacking anymore so I am glad you have decided to. Your reports are the next best thing to being there, so now I will not be missing out. This was a spectacular canyon, great photos. If my wife read this report she would say something like the following. You know maybe @mrs.turbodb needs her own InReach, (specs say you can message other InReach units) you know keep her up to date when your plans change. Many times you are both solo in very remote areas, but then maybe she is the better backcountry person.
Two inReach's would definitely be one way to go. Would mean two subscriptions though, and we aren't fans of subscriptions (even if they are relatively inexpensive).
When we're out in more open terrain, we carry little FRS radios which work well for a couple miles, but in the canyons they are useless so we just leave them in the truck. Really, even the satellite stuff isn't great down there and can take 20-30 minutes to send a single message (and who knows how long to receive). The better way would be to use cell-phone-based texting...
Frankly, to me, it feels a bit like the Iridium, GlobalStar, etc. (traditional satellite SOS/messaging companies) have mostly just been sitting on their butts and not improving things b/c there was no other game in town.
I think they'll be in trouble the next few years. Just as Starlink upset the satellite internet market - I mean, it's so much better/faster/lower latency than Hughesnet, ViaSat, etc. - I think the same is going to happen with messaging. Cell phone modems are already adding satellite-compatibility to their feature set, and T-Mobile already has some sort of contract with Starlink where you can message with satellite when there's no available LTE service. Right now, I think T-Mobile even opened that up to AT&T/Verizon users as a "try this out and then you'll want to switch" sort of thing.
(I'm on Verizon prepaid, so I don't think that T-Mobile offer works for me, but it's still crazy how fast this is all moving.)
Now, this is all beside the point of the *nutzo* in charge of Starlink. I suppose there's some chance that if enough people come to their senses and stop buying his stuff, that Starlink itself won't be the answer, but it (or some similar tech) is the way things will go in the future, I think.
Backcountry communication has been on a much slower ramp. I have done CB, FRS, Ham and cell but they have their limits. Cell has gotten a lot better, if one has line of sight. Example: Know if I can see Navajo Mt I will have cell coverage over a wide area. I think InReach and other emergency Sat devices don't fly enough satellites to have quick response in forests or canyons.
Cell to satellite seems like the end game for backcountry comm, but not there yet. Starlink has a head start on everyone and connection to cell phones is a feature of their most recent satellites. Couple that with their own launch vehicles and its hard for others to catch up. Once new satellites are in place for full cell coverage it should always be live, won't have to wait for a satellite to come into view like InReach. However expect some slot canyons will never get coverage.
Yeah, it's understandable that it's a slower ramp, there are just fewer people/smaller market, and I suppose the Iridium, GlobalStar, etc. has been fine for PLBs and the maritime community b/c they have much better exposure to the constellations. Cell to satellite surely seems like the future (and it'd be great to remove all those cell towers everywhere), but yeah, still a ways out.
And as far as the radios go - I think my group is finally moving off of CB and onto GMRS for most comms, which will be so much better. We all have ham as well, but it's a much more formal mode of communication, so we use it only when we need the distance it offers or for things like APRS.