Coyote Gulch & Golden Cathedral
Days Five, Six, Seven, & Eight - Grand Staircase - Escalante N.M. & Glen Canyon N.R.A. - 2019
Exploring two of America’s most serene and remote locales.
Map Credit: OpenStreetMap
Map Credit: OpenStreetMap
Map Credit: OpenStreetMap
1. Hurricane Wash
Of the four routes into Coyote Gulch (Red Well, Hurricane Wash, Jacob Hamblin Sneaker Route, Crack in the Wall), Hurricane Wash is considered the easiest and most direct.
Returning some six months later to Grand Staircase - Escalante National Monument, I set out to tackle as much of Coyote Gulch as I could in one day. Unseasonably cold weather (high temperature around the freezing point) ultimately proved a limiting factor as it created a dangerous situation for river crossings. Nonetheless, after departing the stealth site I discovered along Fortymile Ridge Road months earlier, we set out from the Hurricane Wash Trailhead down towards Coyote Gulch. Immediately, I wondered how such a small trickle of water could wear down such massive cliffs.
2. Desert Oasis
Spring water feeds Hurricane Wash near its confluence with Coyote Gulch.
About 2/3rds of the way down Hurricane Wash, the trickle turned into a stream, revealing an oasis in an otherwise unforgiving desert. I was relieved that, unlike Reflection Canyon, I did not need to worry about drinking water.
3. Confluence of Coyote Gulch & Hurricane Wash
Once in Coyote Gulch, you are surrounded by cliffs dozens of yards / meters tall. Generally, this would result in a welcome break from the heat of the desert, but -in our case- the great shadows cast by the cliffs dropped the temperature even further below freezing. Nonetheless, we pressed on.
4. Coyote Gulch Meander
Coyote Gulch’s ever-changing route along the valley floor has resulted in giant meanders and large sediment deposits.
5. Jacob Hamblin Arch
Jacob Hamblin Arch is 150 feet (45 meters) wide and 100 feet (30 meters) tall.
Around mid-day, we arrived at the amazing Jacob Hamblin Arch. While this is hardly the most impressive natural arch I have seen in terms of size, it is one of the few I can recall where the body of water which carved it is still active.
6. Coyote Gulch Amphitheater
Not only is Coyote Gulch able to carve natural arches, it has made gigantic natural amphitheaters from the canyon walls.
7. Life Finds a Way
The tallest walls of Coyote Gulch are 900 feet (270 meters) tall.
In this spot just past Jacob Hamblin Arch, the little trickle of water flowing in the gulch is enough to support hundreds of trees and shrubs.
8. Coyote Natural Bridge
The small Coyote Natural Bridge is still being carved by Coyote Gulch.
After a very long, cold day of hiking down Coyote Gulch, we reached the serene Coyote Natural Bridge. Having seen a perfectly peaceful campsite on the west side of the natural bridge (in the background of this photograph), we decided to stop for the day. I think in hindsight this was the right call for two reasons. First, not far beyond Coyote Natural Bridge is what backpackers have dubbed “Sketchy Ledge”, a spot where a rock flow has blocked the path down Coyote Gulch, necessitating a scramble along a precarious, sand- and often ice-covered ledge with a 10 yard / meter long drop. Second, as Coyote Gulch gets deeper the further you go, the likelihood of hypothermia similarly increases. At that point in the stream, it would be nearly impossible to get medical attention should you need it. Content with the 10 mile / 16 kilometer hike we made, we set up camp. The break was a welcome one, as neither of us had slept particularly well in the blisteringly cold temperatures the night before.
9. Swiss Cheese Falls #1
Swiss Cheese Falls gets its name from … well, you’ve already figured that out….
Returning back the way we came towards Hurricane Wash, we walked back past the so-called “Swiss Cheese Falls”. The previous day, I declined to photograph them because 1) the lighting was not ideal, and 2) I knew it would involve standing in water for a long period of time, and I didn't want to worry about wet clothing overnight.
Photographer’s Comment: This is one of the best locations I’ve come across for ND-filter photography, and if you are second-guessing carrying a tripod out here due to the weight, don’t - it’s totally worth it for just these few shots.
10. Swiss Cheese Falls #2
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11. Light & Shadow
I spoke a bit earlier about the temperature difference in the shade versus in the sun in the gulch, and here is a good example of just how drastic the light difference can be depending on where you are.
12. Wrong Way!
The Golden Cathedral Trail is littered with rock cairns for alternate routes - plan your route carefully and, if something doesn’t feel right, it probably isn’t.
The following morning, we made our way to the Golden Cathedral Trailhead to take the short but challenging trek down and across the Escalante River. The route begins with a very steep downhill section (not great news for the return trip, unfortunately) before leveling out across an exposed slick rock plateau. The route drops again as you approach the Escalante River, but be careful of more direct alternate routes, such as the one pictured above. This alternate would have you scuttle along the ledge to the right above what ultimately turns into a few dozen yard / meter drop on the left. Not a good spot to be in, trust me. It was at this time we double-checked the GPS and discovered we needed to be left of the giant boulder on the left side of this photograph.
13. Escalante View
The Escalante River runs for 90 miles (140 kilometers) before joining the Colorado River.
Make sure you take the switchback route down to the Escalante River Is it longer? Yes. Does it involve many more river crossings? Yes. But is it a safe, well-walked hiking path? Absolutely. And the views are pretty amazing.
14. Neon Canyon
After five river crossings, you come upon Neon Canyon. Part-way up Neon Canyon is the so-called Golden Cathedral, our destination for the afternoon. Now, since information on the matter is not terribly explicit, I will be: you want to orient yourself on the Lower Neon Canyon Trail if you want to leisurely hike to Golden Cathedral. If you take the Upper Neon Canyon Trail, you will end up on the cliffs above Neon Canyon, and double-back around to a point where you need to rappel down into the Golden Cathedral. If you see videos of people heading to Golden Cathedral with climbing equipment, they are taking the Upper route. Trust me when I tell you Golden Cathedral can be reached with no special equipment; in fact, is is a fairly leisurely walk from the Escalante River.
15. Golden Cathedral #1
Golden Cathedral is a large rock amphitheater in Neon Canyon which features two large openings in its roof from which water cascades down during flash floods, resulting in a generally present pool of picturesque water.
Finally, we made it to Golden Cathedral - and just in time for the sunlight! I honestly didn’t plan that to work out the way it did, we just got very lucky in that regard. There isn’t much to say about Golden Cathedral: it’s pretty, it’s peaceful, and it is worth the trek to get there.
Three extra Golden Cathedral photographs follow.
16. Golden Cathedral #2
17. Golden Cathedral #3
18. Golden Cathedral #4
19. Escalante River Crossing
The water depth in the Esclanate River varies from month to month, year to year; however, the water level during crossing was generally between knee- and waist-deep.
In all, we spent about an hour in Golden Cathedral before heading out so as to not be on the wrong side of sundown on our way back to the trailhead. This necessitated a second set of five crossings of the Escalante River. I did my best to keep dry, but after ten crossings my shoes and socks were completely and totally soaked. If I weren’t immediately headed back to the car and -ultimately- a hotel room later that evening, I would have more strongly considered taking them off before crossing. Anyway, since I was already soaked, I took a spare moment to snap a photograph.
And like that, the second of two trips in 2019 to Grand Staircase - Escalante National Monument and Glen Canyon National Recreation Area were done. I have no doubt I will be back - it is one of my favorite parts of the world, for sure, and I’d recommend it to anyone with a sense of adventure!
