Saturday, March 17, 2007            34 miles west of Page, AZ

       With the aid of our intrepid hiking friends, the Staubs, we quickly chose Wire Pass to  Buckskin Gulch as our weekend outing.   After checking in at the Paria / Vermillion Cliff  Visitors Station, we proceeded west to the House Rock Road turn-off just west of mile marker 25 on Highway 89.   Turning left (south) we proceeded  more slowly on the gravel and dirt road. for 8.5 miles to the trailhead and  parking lot.    (our group is pictured at left).     There is a $5 permit fee payable at the trail head in a self service area.   We eagerly dashed off in a generally eastward direction down the Coyote Wash, a dry creek bed.    This trail head  also serves the north Coyote Buttes trail that takes hikers to The Wave (next Tabblo), so it is important to watch the markers for the trails.   Wire Pass trail stays with the wash as it descends into a narrow slot.

Large alcove (right) is on right as Wire Pass enters Buckskin Gulch.

     Wire Pass Trail follows Coyote Wash and into narrow slots of its own as it  plays out over the 1.7 miles to its junction with Buckskin.   Bucksking Gulch can then be explored either up-canyon or down-canyon.   Buckskin is 12.5 miles long with most of it twisting down canyon from the Wire Pass inlet.   Down canyon (right ) is the way we choose to hike.   Buckskin has a world class reputation as slot canyons go.  It is narrow, deep (100 to 200 feet), long, and the Navajo Sandstone is smoothly sculpted  continously for most of the way.   Places to climb out are rare and some areas are dark.   It is the ultimate in slot canyons and there is thought to be no other canyon like it in the world.    Danger lurkes in the chance of rainfall, since a small rain could turn the bowels of this chasm into an inescapable deluge of swift  flood water.   Check the weather before entering!

    Dave (left) enjoys the trip.

     Diane trusts the gnarled tree trunk jammed in the chasm above her head.   There were many examples of wood debris stashed in unlikely places.   Might have been stuck there for many years.  

    You may click any photo for a larger view.

  Upper right is another log chocked about 12 feet off of the canyon floor.   For much of the time we walked on a firm flat sandy surface that seemed to be laid by engineers of a theme park.   Other times is was rocky,  dried mud, or in one area, quite wet (photo far below).   We were very lucky during our visit to experience some of the driest conditions in years.   Normally be prepared for water holes that are perpetually cold even in the summer.   The air also is much cooler.   We were not prepared for the lower temperatures.

    Below are views of some wider areas where the water sculpting did not occur allowing the scale of depth to be perceived.

     Sometimes dark  (left) but always beautiful and unfathomable in how it was created.

    Upper right:   This view is mostly straight up catching sandstone that was recieving more light  as it over-hung the narrow slot through which we stood far below.

   At right and below left:     a rare sunny open wash with a huge grassy sand bank and bending through a rock alcove.

     At left:    Dave tracks up the pink sandy road toward the distant exit (is there a cool drink in our future?)   

     We traveled an estimated two to three miles in Buckskin before heading back the way we came.    Our round trip was thought to be nearly eight miles in four or five hours.    GPS is of no value due to the inability to receive the satellite signal in the deep narrow gorge.   Exhaustion was good indicator of the miles....

     Diane admires the narrows and the convoluted walls.

     A warm sunset  capped an amazing day.