Beef Basin Weekend | Saturday
Saturday | October 9, 2010
After a cold night of camping we had some breakfast and started the day out by heading up Beef Basin Wash. The first few miles of this road had been recently graded and it was in good shape, however at the first gate is where the recent maintenance had stopped. As we continued through the gate we noticed that no one had been down this trail since the last storms had come through. When we reached the first wash crossing we were met with some cut banks on both sides. I thought I could drive through the crossing, but soon found out that I was wrong. I managed to get stuck in some deep sand along the wash. It had been a while since the last time I got a vehicle stuck anywhere. With nothing good to winch to, Amanda and I spent the next 45 minutes to an hour digging and stacking rocks. Luckily I was then able to back out of this situation. Once out of the sand, I parked the Jeep and we hiked the rest of the way along the road to the cliff dwelling I had set out to visit.
By the time I reached the ruins I was a little too late and there was a shadow cast onto the top of them.
Closer view
After hiking back to the Jeep we continued on back to the Beef Basin Loop and checked out the Calf Canyon Spur followed by a drive up into Ruin Canyon. While in Ruin Canyon we stopped at the large ridge-top ruins.
Back at the 5-way intersection
We stopped at another small granary just off the main Beef Basin Loop
Finishing up the main loop
We stopped back at camp for some lunch and then headed back up into House Park to visit a ruin we had bypassed on our way in the day before.
Apparently this wall needs some help…
Nice window in that wall, though
Cracking foundation
Fingerprints are still visible after all of these years…
We headed back to Ruin Park next, but on our way we took another short spur into Middle Park that I had neglected before. I’m glad I did because there was another small granary near the end of this trail, too.
Ruin Park Road
Two-Track in Ruin Park
Made a quick stop at this small ruin right off the road
I hiked to one last ruin for the day in Ruin Park. Last time I was here there was a trail that lead to this one, but it has since been closed by the BLM with their new travel management plan that went into effect earlier this year.
Fallen Tower
We headed back to camp, had some dinner, and went to bed early. As the sun was setting Amanda took this photo from our campsite.
