Reflection Canyon
Days One, Two, & Three - Grand Staircase - Escalante N.M & Glen Canyon N.R.A. - 2019
An attempt to see the elusive and rare s-bend at Reflection Canyon.
Map Credit: OpenStreetMaps
Map Credit: OpenStreetMap
1. Straight Cliffs of Kaiparowits Plateau
The Reflection Canyon Trailhead is accessed by traveling down the 55-mile (88-kilometer) -long dirt road named “Hole-in-the-Rock Road.” This road sits on the the Fiftymile Bench underneath the Kaiparowits Plateau.
The Reflection Canyon Trailhead is one of the most inaccessible trailheads in the United States, and reaching it requires planning, patience, … and four-wheel drive. After arriving at Salt Lake City airport and driving most of the way across the state of Utah (not before picking up backpacking stove fuel), we arrived in the town of Escalante, home of the Escalante Interagency Visitor Center where one acquires free Reflection Canyon trail permits; however, we unfortunately arrived a few minutes after the Center closed. Thankfully, a kind employee answered the telephone and told us we could file our permit at the Hurricane Wash Trailhead, about halfway down the bumpy Hole-in-the-Rock Road from Escalante to Reflection Canyon. Realizing we had some free time on our hands, we decided to grab an early dinner at the Circle D Eatery in town (now an Escalante favorite of mine!) in lieu of breaking out the dehydrated pouch meals early. This meant we headed down Hole-in-the-Rock Road right as the sun was setting.
2. Looking Towards Fiftymile Mountain
The Kaiparowits Plateau is believed to be the remnant of the former shoreline of the Western Interior Seaway, a great body of water which covered much of the central North American continent.
Travel down Hole-in-the-Rock Road is slow-going not only due to the rutted nature of the dirt road; looming in the back of your mind is the knowledge that tow trucks won’t be able to help you for hours should you get a flat or de-rim a tire … and that’s if you can reach them at all since cellular service is spotty, at best. Best to plan for two hours of travel from the tarmac near Escalante to the Reflection Canyon Trailhead. About 2/3rds of the way down the road at Dance Hall Rock is a toilet facility, and I recommend you stop here since it is the last piece of porcelain you will see for some time.
3. Desert Sunsets are Always the Best
That’s not just my opinion - less particulate matter in the air results in a greater diversity of sunset color.
I took this photograph from Hurricane Wash Trailhead while we were filling out our permits at the register.
4. Reflection Canyon Arrival
The beautiful s-bend in Reflection Canyon is only visible when the water level in Lake Powell drops below about 3580 feet (1091 meters) above mean sea level.
I realize there is quite a timeline jump between “driving down Hole-in-the-Rock Road” and “arrived at Reflection Canyon!”, so bear with me here….
After securing our permit, we drove down Hole-in-the-Rock Road in relative darkness as it was a new moon. We pulled off the road where we guessed the trailhead was, being mindful to not beam other campers at the trailhead with our headlights. We could faintly see another couple of vehicles in the distance, so we assumed we were close. Shortly after arriving, the wind blew fiercely and probably pushed the windchill factor to down near 0-degrees Fahrenheit (-18 Celsius). Not a great way to start…. A couple belts of whiskey later, and we were sound asleep.
Having woken earlier than anticipated, I calculated it would be better to get moving just around sunrise when the temperature would be around 40 Fahrenheit (4 Celsius) to avoid the mid-day heat, when the temperature would be closer to 90 Fahrenheit (32 Celsius).
Probably the most important part: Realizing time was a factor (time = heat = water consumed), I thought it best to not take any photographs on the way out to Reflection Canyon; rather, I decided it best to “scout” locations on the way out and focus my attention on navigation, and worry about taking pictures on the way back since I would be retreading the same ground. So, as much as I wanted to pull the camera out of the bag, it stayed tucked away for the whole journey.
Setting off overland, we crossed some wasteland until we intersected what faintly resembled a worn dirt path along the edge of cliff face to our right. We followed this for some time, occasionally cross-checking our maps and phone GPS applications to ensure we were on track. Arriving at a blocky face along the cliff’s edge, we knew it was time to turn east towards Lake Powell. This path ceased being a dirt track, and rather turned into slick rock with no visible cairns (which I appreciated, mind you!) Dead-reckoning across this landscape, we did finally find Reflection Canyon! However, upon arriving, I realized something was wrong, and what I was seeing didn’t match all the amazing top-down photographs I had seen previously. Turns out we were on the “wrong” side of it, separated by a shear rock face from the more frequented viewing location only a few hundred yards / meters away. After taking a needed break (we had traveled 12 miles / 19 kilometers in the desert sun by the point), and after reorienting ourselves, we headed out to find the “real” Reflection Canyon view … but not before I took this photograph, of course!
5. Reflection Canyon #1
Reflection Canyon went “undiscovered” for so long because access to the overlook from the water is nearly impossible for all but the most serious of rock climbers.
After about 30 minutes of wandering about, we found the “traditional” overlook of Reflection Canyon. I was relieved to see the beautiful s-bend in the river, as even just a few days earlier it had yet to appear. Having planned this trip about six-months prior based on water level trends in Lake Powell, I’d say I nailed it! There are only a few patches of very shallow sand on which you can set up a tent. Oftentimes, folks will climb down this hill to claim the single patch of dirt closest to water level; however, we decided that where we were was perfect (our tiredness probably factored into this decision greatly!) As we were the first to arrive, we claimed the small but adequate “prime direct viewing” location at the top of the hill.
6. Reflection Canyon #2
A motorboat travels the s-bend of Reflection Canyon.
Sometimes, you just get lucky….
I rather quickly (and somewhat sloppily) set up my tent and campsite, and immediately found a relatively flat patch of land where I could set up my Z-Seat, make a cup of coffee, and enjoy the amazing view. Part of me knew this serenity would be short-lived: I had seen the number of cars in the parking lot and knew company would be coming, so if I wanted a few minutes to myself to soak in this beautiful place, I had to take them as soon as I could.
My peaceful contemplation was almost instantaneously interrupted by the low rumble of what could only be a motorboat. Having just placed my Z-Seat on the ground, and having just lit my backpacking stove for some coffee water, I was not prepared for what I knew was coming. Frantically, I ran the short distance to my tent, grabbed my camera, and pawed fervently at the camera’s settings.
My instincts were rewarded as, a very short time later, the boat appeared around the bend to make its way through the canyon, resulting in what is certainly one of my favorite photographs of all-time.
There is some additional backstory which makes this photograph so special for me. As mentioned previously, Reflection Canyon was “undiscovered” until fairly recently. 2006, to be exact, when a National Geographic photographer by the name of Michael Melford was put on assignment for an article on Lake Powell. It so happened at this exact time the water level in Lake Powell was in one of its rare, brief low periods where one could see the s-bend of Reflection Canyon. Melford, wanting to capture the boat he had been traveling in on Lake Powell going through the s-bend, somehow (somehow!) climbed his way up to nearby this very spot, and took one of the most iconic landscape photographs of the 21st century.
I had (and still get) chills thinking about how fortunate I was to witness this.
7. Reflection Canyon #3
Sun movement throughout the course of the day causes differences in the reflectivity of the water in the canyon, resulting in each photograph looking unique.
Sure enough, within 30 minutes of us arriving at least a dozen other backpackers arrived at the location. The nice thing about traveling to such a remote location is that your fellow travelers typically have the same level of respect for your surroundings as you do. After coming to a tacit agreement about keeping lines-of-sight clear, I headed about halfway down the ledge between my campsite and the water and found a relatively flat patch where I could both sit and (precariously) set up my tripod, as well. The upside to this location was I was sheltered from anyone else’s field-of-view so long as I stayed seated. I spent what felt like a couple of hours there in peace - it was amazing.
Naturally, all good things must come to an end, and two tourists decided to set up camp at the very bottom of the hill instead of at the top. I won’t say where they were from, but I will say that their grasp of English was minimal (or, they at least feigned an understanding of the language to avoid us). Nonetheless, after some pleading we got these two tourists to set up their tent outside the field-of-view of everyone else. A few more instances of standing directly in front of the canyon later, and -unfortunately- we had to resort to yelling down at these two to get them to not stand directly in everyone else’s shot. There was a drone, as well, which I reminded them was not allowed in National Recreation Areas such as Glen Canyon. Please, please, please people: check the rules about drone use ahead of time before you use one. At a minimum, you can guarantee someone will call you out on YouTube for using a drone in a prohibited place such as Reflection Canyon.
It is a shame when the actions of the few ruin the experience of the many. I just can’t fathom why you would travel such a great distance at great physical expense and then show such blatant disrespect for your surroundings. I won’t belabor the point any longer. Moving on….
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Now back to the travelogue!
8. Reflection Canyon #4
Sunsets at Reflection Canyon come quickly - blink and you may miss it.
Having sorted the two tourists out, I settled back in for a nice relaxing sunset. At this point, my legs were atrophied from sitting still for the previous couple of hours, but it was a small price to pay for a beautiful vista.
9. Reflection Canyon #5
Glen Canyon National Recreation Area has one of the darkest night skies in the world.
My original plan was to do some light painting of Reflection Canyon coupled with some astrophotography, and -until around noontime when nobody else had shown up yet- that was still the idea. However, with all of the other backpackers in the area, I thought it would be rather uncouth of me to shine an extremely bright flashlight down into the canyon for the sake of a few photographs at the expense of 1) their enjoyment of the natural environment, and, 2) their circadian rhythm. Instead, I used this opportunity to snap a photograph of the Milky Way above the canyon. Could I superimpose an early evening photograph of Reflection Canyon in front of this? Sure, after all it would be basically the same photograph I was going for in the first place. But that’s not my style, and that’s no hate to people who stack in Photoshop. Two things to note about this photograph: first, you can see there must have been a minor meteor shower occurring at the same time, and, 2) you can see the lower third of the photograph is a bit brighter than the top half. As to the second matter, the village of Page, Arizona -some 20 miles / 30 kilometers away- was creating just enough ambient light to affect this otherwise perfectly dark sky.
10. Reflection Canyon #6
While most hikers overnight at Reflection Canyon, the 20-mile (32-kilometer) circuit can be completed as a long day hike.
I woke fairly early, at least an hour before sunrise. In accordance with my, uh, normal operating procedure, I grabbed a wag bag and heading off to a small depression on the edge of the camping area. Having just completed a very cold iteration of my standard morning business (and I mean, “just”), a hiker came to the ridge above the depression and asked if I knew where Reflection Canyon was. I gestured the general direction rather callously with the hand holding the still-open wag bag (I don’t make great decisions in the morning, what can I say?) After climbing out of the depression onto the ridge. I looked down and a cavalcade of hikers were making their way across the flat plain towards the hill overlooking the canyon. I caught up with the lead hiker (after sealing the wag bag, of course), and asked if they were traveling together. “No,” he said, “but we all seemed to depart the trailhead at the same time.” “Are you staying overnight"?” “No, just want to watch the sunrise, then I will head back.”
After catching the sunrise and packing up the campsite, we departed back towards the trailhead … and two day hikers were already out in front of us! That’s a long way to go for a sunrise … but what a sunrise to choose.
11. Lake Powell in the Distance
Typically, Lake Powell holds 7.2 cubic miles (30 cubic kilometers) of water.
As mentioned previously, I did not take any photographs of the route to Reflection Canyon, deciding rather to take them on the way back. Here is a view of the backside of the hill you must climb to get to the Reflection Canyon overlook. If you go to the end of the hill, nearer to Lake Powell, and wrap around to the left, you end up at the first viewpoint we came upon the day prior. You can hopefully understand why we (and the gentleman who interrupted my morning, uh, constitutional) couldn’t figure out exactly where we were supposed to go.
A quick aside: if you look across Lake Powell, you will see a cliff face - the white portion of the face is the portion that is generally under water. This should give you an idea of how low the water actually was when we visited.
12. Desert Flower
The area around Reflection Canyon typically receives less than 11 inches (28 centimeters) of rain a year.
Despite going out to Reflection Canyon in the one of the driest dry seasons on record, surprisingly the desert wasn’t completely devoid of plant life.
13. Watering Hole
Useable water pools are virtually non-existent in this area most of the year - BRING PLENTIFUL AMOUNTS OF DRINKING WATER IF YOU TRAVEL TO REFLECTION CANYON.
One gallon / four liters of water per person per day, minimum. I cannot stress this enough. This was the only standing water I noted on the entire trek, and trust me when I say you don’t want to drink this, even filtered.
14. Cacti
The strawberry hedgehog cactus is commonly found in the deserts of the American Southwest.
Luckily, these cacti flower in late April into early May, so we had a nice pinkish-purple contrast to the brown desert on our long journey back to the trailhead.
15. The Dangers of Dead Reckoning
The route from the trailhead to Reflection Canyon can vary from 8 miles (13 kilometers) to 12 miles (19 kilometers) depending on the route you choose to take.
If you look at the back left of this photograph, you will see a cliff face. You pass beside this cliff to and from Reflection Canyon. One could try and dead reckon straight to that cliff face, saving quite a significant amount of distance in the process. However, as you can see in the foreground, between you and the cliff is at least one large slot canyon. As a cautionary tale, one of the first people to try and find a land route to Reflection Canyon, Rainer Grosskopf, became lost in a maze of slot canyons and had to finish the last several miles / kilometers of his journey without any water. He, among others, have done all of the important route research for you - don’t try and be a hero and do your route planning in advance!
The next 11 photographs will give you an idea of the landscape you must traverse to and from Reflection Canyon. To double-down on my point above, you will see there is no water, little shade, and hardly any visual reference for land navigation, to include a discernible hiking path. But, man, is it worth the journey!
16. Reflection Canyon Return Hike #1
17. Reflection Canyon Return Hike #2
18. Reflection Canyon Return Hike #3
19. Reflection Canyon Return Hike #4
20. Reflection Canyon Return Hike #5
21. Reflection Canyon Return Hike #6
22. Reflection Canyon Return Hike #7
23. Reflection Canyon Return Hike #8
24. Reflection Canyon Return Hike #9
25. Reflection Canyon Return Hike #10
26. Reflection Canyon Return Hike #11
27. Dance Hall Rock #1
Dance Hall Rock was an important encampment location for Latter Day Saint pioneers awaiting the completion of Hole-in-the-Rock Road.
After arriving back at the trailhead (and after eating a comically large meal and after drinking an epic amount of water), we made our way to Dance Hall Rock. This served two purposes: first, as mentioned earlier, Dance Hall Rock has a toilet, which certainly came in handy. Secondly, I had planned to photograph some nearby cottonwood trees that night, and wanted to scout out their locations during the day since I was told they would be difficult to locate.
28. Dance Hall Rock #2
The sandstone terrain around Dance Hall Rock created multiple natural amphitheaters and potholes.
Finding the cottonwoods took longer than anticipated as I could not find any authoritative map pinpointing their location.
29. Dance Hall Rock #3
The potholes around Dance Hall Rock are very dangerous since they cannot be climbed out - please exercise caution in this area!
Bingo! And, in case you are curious, put these coordinates into your favorite search engine: 37.358889, -111.095531
