Sunset Arch, Fortymile Slot, and Willow Gulch | GEL Part 7
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 4 ต.ค. 2024
- More from my 33-day solo backpacking adventure in spring of 2023. In this episode I visit a string of arches along Fortymile Ridge: Sunset Arch, Moonrise Arch, Rocket Arch, and Passageway Arch. Then I find my way into Fortymile Gulch and enjoy hiking down through the amazing narrows and slot canyon. After a short diversion to a waterfall I make my way up Willow Gulch, past Broken Bow Arch and a skinny slot before exiting the upper wash to a great sunset.
This is the extended series for my hike and includes a bunch more footage and stories not seen in the original all-in-one overview video. This 12-part series takes a deeper dive into the route I dubbed the Grand Escalante Loop and covers over 400 miles through southern Utah's amazing canyon country, remote plateaus, and high elevations. It was a slow go at times, but still a great hike. 2023 was a unique year with record-breaking snowpack over winter and a rainy spring. Thanks for following along!
The original Overview Video:
• The Grand Escalante Lo...
Detailed map of the route on my website:
www.acrossutah....
I was relieved to see you expertly maneuver your makeshift raft down the slot canyon. All those crawdads made me want lobster for dinner! Enjoying this series immensely.
Thanks! I definitely had better luck floating the pack this time than compared to 2022! 👍 Thanks for watching and commenting. 🌞
I am always in awe of your positivity especially when the plan does not always work out…Seeing those first arches and later the slot canyons was special. Thank you for sharing your gifts with us. Be well, ll
Thanks -- I really appreciate that. Cheers to you. 🌞✌
Thank you to 17 previous viewers for watching and not living a trace. Brilliant. 😂
Thank you Jamal. Always a joy to watch.
Thank you for taking us on your amazing adventure! I always appreciate you!
Thanks, @Utahdan! Always appreciate the support of trying to rally those viewers for the likes! 😉✌
And thanks to you too @ekimpp! 🌞✌
The skill at photography is stunning.
Thank you -- most appreciated. 🌞✌
Fortymile Ridge is a place I wouldn't necessarily have thought about checking out - now it's added to my list. That list gets longer every time you post a new video.
Yeah -- I kinda expected it to be an semi-boring "connector" route, but the arches definitely make it an interesting walk. I'd try to avoid doing it when it's too hot though -- besides under the arches there would be very little shade to be found. 🌞✌
Awesome video!!! Great area to explore. Thank you for getting wet and cold for us watching in the comfort of our living room!!! I really enjoy watching these extended video. They improve a lot the feelings you had while exploring this magnificent region. Thanks again!
Thanks! Yeah... it's hard to find that balance between too much and too little in these videos. I think I'm happy with the system of doing an "overview" video which is more of a highlights reel set to music and then the extended series that dives deeper into the exploration and stories of the trek. I dunno -- the video creation is somewhat a journey in and of itself. Thanks for watching and the comment! 🌞✌
Thanks again. You always have the best videos.
Thanks -- I appreciate that. 🌞✌
Unlike your last trip, it looks like this one you have had no shortage of available drinking water.
Yep -- definitely had it much easier on that front this time around. I go through a dry stretch in some upcoming episodes -- but nothing like 2022! Thanks for watching and the comment. 🌞✌
That view at the end of Day 17…so great.
I agree! One of the pleasures of a long hike is getting to see the sunset almost every night. This greatly increases the odds of one getting to see some really great ones! Thanks for watching and the comment, T! 🌞✌
All the beautiful Arches.
Yep -- there definitely are several great ones in this area. Thanks for watching and the comment. 🌞✌
More memories, I wild camped at the foot of Dance Hall in the Rock with a pal in 2003 on our way to Hole in the Rock. Happy Times.
Very cool. I'd seen Dance Hall Rock from a distance before, but had never visited it until this year. Cool spot. It was when I was doing my caches though, so it won't be seen in the video. Thanks for watching and sharing your experience. 🌞✌
Hi Mr. Shadow! Beautiful scenes as always, thanks for sharing!
He says "Hi" back. 😉 Thanks again for watching and the comment. ✌
I would be afraid of getting my foot stuck in the bottom of the narrows... thanks for sharing your beautiful rock adventure...
Yep -- losing a shoe was probably my biggest concern in that mud. Thanks again for watching and the comment. 🌞✌
Wahoo! Finally more videos from Jamal!
Yay -- glad you are excited. Thanks for watching and the comment. 🌞✌
So many cool arches. Nothing interesting up here in this alcove... But... The view! Wow! Absolutely! Hey, you got a shower and a bath in the same canyon and same day!
The view was definitely worth the effort to get up there. It was facing the wrong direction and too high above water for it to serve other "interesting" purposes I guess. 😉 And yeah... shower and bath in one day was nice! ✌
"Life is good" under the waterfall was so authentic to that moment. That is such a treat to get relief like that in the desert. Those narrows just seemed to be endless, yet I'm curious if that canyon did in fact open up. The afternoon/evening sun at the end of the video was stunning, what a great open view to camp at.
Thanks! Waterfalls (or even just running water) truly can be refreshing on a big hike -- especially in the desert. Do you mean the side drainage slot at the end of the video? I didn't check it out from the top, but looking at SAT imagery afterwards it looks like I was very close to the top (ie I bet one could get all the way through with some scrambling.) Re: the lower ends of 40Mile/Willow -- the entire canyon system here is fairly entrenched and narrow, with occasional true narrows/slot sections which are fairly short. Thanks again for watching and the comment. 🌞✌
A Tall Boy for Mr. Shadow!
Yay -- thanks again for the SuperThanks A-K_Rambler! This is almost becoming a drinking game of sorts! 😉🍻👍 As always Mr. Shadow and I appreciate it! ✌
Thank you for sharing!!
Thanks YOU for watching... and the comment! 🌞✌
Hello Jamal,
another great day of hiking. It would be a dream of mine to go on a hike like this with you. I wouldn't dare to do it on my own, not enough experience with the terrain.
The animal encounters were also a blast. The fox, the frog climbing up, those land crabs - great experiences.
Thank you for letting us be part of it,
Greetings
Martin
Thanks! You know... re: solo in many ways I think I'm more careful when I'm alone. I recommend starting off on a few shorter trips to build confidence, but then before long at all I think one would have the experience to take on longer trips. But really... for many longer trips aren't really necessary as there's so much to see within a day or two of many trailheads. Thanks again for watching! 🌞✌
Jamal, I just LOVE your videos!! I first visited Utah back in 2015, and it's still my favorite place on Earth.
Very cool -- I appreciate the comment. I have to agree that southern Utah is my favorite place too. 😉✌
Outstanding scenery my friend! 👏👏
I agree, nothing quite like the canyons of southern Utah. Thanks for watching and the comment. 🌞✌
Good to see you successfully float your back through the slot this year. I also always carry large and medium dry bags to avoid mini-disasters. On occasion, I also carry a inner-tube and small hand pump for extra security to stay dry. It affords me the opportunity to gamble a bit more. Good stuff!
Thanks! Even though I added a pack liner to my bad this year, I definitely wanted a true dry bag for this section of the hike knowing that I'd likely encounter some pools. A small inner tube/pump would definitely be handy too, though when I'm careful the sleeping pad does work (luckily it held air long enough despite the leak!) Actually when I was planning this trip water was SO low it was possible to hike down the Escalante to Willow! There was evidently one big pool that needed to be crossed but otherwise not hard. However, the water went up too much by the time I even began my hike so I axed that part of the plan. Thanks again for watching! ✌
Everything found from the Ancestral Puebloan people just amazes me.
Anazazi
@@SantaFlor-ud4ln Anasazi is Dine’ (Navajo) in origin meaning “ancient enemies.”
I agree. It's fun to ponder what life must have truly been like for them and the meaning behind their art. Thanks for watching and the comment. 🌞✌
Love your videos. My goal this year is healing with my new knees, with the reward of going back to Utah and exploring!
Thanks -- I appreciated you for watching and the comment. Hope the new knees treat you well and you're back out exploring before long! 🌞✌
We've also been to Broken Bow Arch, from the harmless side of course.😊
I imagine it would be pretty stupid to put on wet hiking boots in the morning.
That was a crazy part.🎉
It's a great canyon and I guess I was lucky last time that that one particular stretch wasn't very deep (2019). When wet I try to prop up my shoes upside-down overnight at camp so they dry as much as possible. But... if getting right back in the water is doesn't usually matter that much. Thanks again for watching and the comment. ✌
another spectacular episode/ amazing ruins and more than average narrow canyon action, some of those slots were way too narrow for us wow! love the float action.we're counting down to our tourist trip to Monument Valley and Natural Bridges in July, seeing this is making us that much more excited thanks for sharing
Thanks! I'd hoped to get back to that area this spring, but it didn't happen. Hope you guys have a good trip. 🌞✌
I’m too claustrophobic for that slot canyon! Granny from the Beverly Hillbillies wants those crawdads to cook up a lil’ supper 😛
Ha -- she'd have plenty to choose from there! And re: the skinyy slots -- I'm not very claustrophobic, but when it gets really tight I understand why somebody would be! Cheers! 🌞✌
Love it! Thanks for all of the effort. I've been following since 2012 when I was a 19 year-old college kid learning how to backpack in St. George. I always appreciate your non-gatekeeping approach to the outdoors. Cheers from Alaska 🍻
Thanks MJ -- that's great! (even if it makes me feel a *little* bit old! 😉) Gatekeeping is an issue I think about often. I truly enjoy sharing these places with others -- many who can't get out there on their own. Most of the locations are documented in books or online so I'm not revealing any "secrets" and though many can be dayhiked, they still require some effort to find and get to. I like to believe anyone inspired by my videos who makes that effort will appreciate/respect the land. However, with the ease of the internet the floodgates can easily be opened. Therefore I do try to minimize my impact by obfuscating some material. IE... you won't see a "Top 10 Easy Utah Hikes!!!" video from me any time soon. 😉 Cheers and enjoy your Alaskan summer! 🌞✌
Very inspiring. Nice video. Thanks for sharing. sub & 👍100
Thanks -- very appreciated. 🌞✌
6:05 Whenever I see figures like that, I suspect they are mythological figures from Native American stories. I can easily imagine a scary story featuring a horned creature with gigantic claws.
Yep -- I would LOVE to know their true meanings. There are definitely some motifs/patterns among various sites, but some art is very unique as well (like these guys I think.) So I just wonder if that was specific to a tribe or artistic flair or what. Thanks for watching and the comment. 🌞✌
Thank you for sharing you adventures with us. My weekly escape into another world. The landscape and sceneries are just stunning and mind blowing.
Thanks -- I appreciate you for watching and the comment. Five more episodes to go! 🌞✌
I enjoy your trips. I would enjoy watching your process in planning your trips. I am looking to plan trip of my own, but I haven't done a trip in Utah hiking camp other than just visiting Arches and Zion.
Thank you! Others have mentioned that they'd like to see that and I've pondered making such a video. I still might, but there tends to never be enough time. People have asked for a video on my gear selections too. I have also yet to make that video, but I did try to sprinkle in some gear tidbits along this hike series. But I agree -- stand-alone videos on these topics would be good (my photo and video gear/process is another common request.) So... we will see, maybe I'll make it happen this next "off season". Thanks for watching and the suggestion. 🌞✌
Super awesome route. Were those crayfish? Never ever thought of seeing that in the canyon, so cool.
Yep -- crayfish, or crawfish, or crawdads, or even crawdaddies (all the same, but the name changes based on the region I guess.) Evidently they can be found in side canyons of Lake Powell, but this is the only one that I've seen so many (on two occasions now.) Thanks for watching and the comment. 🌞✌
Jamal, thanks for sharing another great video of canyon country.
You betcha! Thanks for watching and the comment. 🌞✌
You mentioned Lynn Sessions, so I had to investigate who this was...amazing wealth of knowledge Lynn was...and now I'm crying.
Yeah -- he did some great work and will definitely be missed. If you haven't seen it already, check out Episode 2 of this series where I talk more about him at another arch in upper Phipps Wash. 👍 Thanks for watching! 🌞
Great videos. Have you done a video about what you carry in your pack? Especially interested in first aid, emergency communication, and self defense.
I haven't. People have asked about this before and think about making one each "off season", but never seem to find the time. I did try to talk more about gear during this series though. I still might make one in the future, but I maintain that I'm not really a "gear guy" and thus there are probably better sources out there for discussing the pros/cons of various equipment choices. Quick answers on those items though: I take a small first aid kit (rarely used for anything other than band aids or moleskin), I have an inReach for two-way communication and could serves as a PLB if needed, and only my two fists for self defense (hope to never need them!) 😉 Thanks for the questions and for watching! 🌞✌
Try snowshoes for the next time you encounter silt! :) All kidding aside, I tip my cap to you. I think I would have walked around Willow Canyon instead.
Haha -- at first I thought you might be serious! That same spot was only shin-deep when I was there in 2019. But... I guess that was the anomaly based on what I've read. Thanks for watching and the comment. 🌞✌
at 5'5 130 i'd like to try that wash, but yeah it would destroy your nice pack!
I bet you'd be able to make it! There really is no reason to take a big pack through the slot since the walk-around bypass is so easy/close. But... it's still one of my regrets from this hike that I didn't climb that final chockstone. I think I was very close to the top and it would have been nice to know for sure if it went through w/o the need for ropes. Thanks for watching and the comment. 🌞✌
Cool filming (guess it's digital) down the two gulches. That's where I wouldn't mind going- a place where I can get back up to the plateau instead of way down by the Escalante. Do you think there is drinkable water there in the fall?
Yeah -- the main gulches should have water all year long. Finding bonus water on the plateau or in the upper washes might be rare though -- unless it's soon after a big storm. The cottonwoods would be gorgeous in the fall. Thanks again for watching! 🌞✌
@@Acrossutah Cool, thanks, I would like to go there and check it out as I haven't been to the area since 2012. Didn't see many Cottonwoods in the video but I suppose they are there. They even grow up here around Yreka. 😀