Trip Report: Cottonwood Canyon Rd, GSENM, Utah

Who-ya to-ya Mr. Mike, nicely done. Very pro trip report, I liked it a lot. Bryan told me you were in the area, I was breezing through Kanab myself on the way to other pastures. Keep em coming Mike, keep em coming.

Thanks, everyone, for the kind words. I know I can sometimes be a little too verbose in my write-ups but with my memory not being what it used to be, I like to put lots of detail in them for future reference.

For those who haven't driven this road yet and have it on your bucket list, do it. You won't regret it. And while you're in the neighborhood do the Burr Trail and Hell's Backbone, too.

As for writing these type of reports for a living, probably not. But you never know. I rather work part time during my retirement years repairing RVs. That's probably more in my future than writing. Writing doesn't pay unless you hit it rich with a big novel.

I agree with Bryan. It's always nice meeting up with old friends and making new ones. It was a pleasure to spend an evening with Bryan and Rex by the Paria River and a nest of bees.

crosscheck wrote:
While staying in the Lone Rock CG,west of Page on Lake Powell, April 25 and 26 waiting out a cold, wet front, a local told me that the Cottonwood Canyon road should never be driven if there is hint of rain. He said he has seen quads spinning their tires going nowhere after rains turned the road to axel grease.

After we go back to hike the Buckskin/Paria Canyons, which we had to postpone a few days in case of flash flooding, this is the way we are planning to head back up north.

It is always interesting, at least to me, in how many “like minded” people end up at the same place at the same time. While you guys were at the Lone Rock CG, I was just a few miles west of you, boondocking. I have/had been in this triangle area (Kanab to Cannonville to Lees Ferry) for the last 7 weeks, hiking, biking, M/C riding, Star/Eclipse Watching and photographing. What made it really special were a few nights I ended up with a few RV.net’rs that stumbled across me. One of them was in the Kanab BLM parking lot. I recognized him right away as one of my dearest RV.net friends, one admired by many here. I recognized his rig, right away and then his smile and wave, as he saw me coming. It was good to spend a night, catching up under the stars. While I knew he was out and about, I had not expected or made arrangements to meet. It was nice that we met by accident.

A few weeks later I saw on the forum that another person was out in the area I was in, due to a comment he made to another post. I sent him an email and found out he had driven right by the area I was boondocking. We made arrangements, as I shared my GPS with Mr. & Mrs. Mellow Mike, they joined me for a night under the stars. While I don’t share whom I meet with, but Mellow Mike shared he was fine with it.

A few days later I had another RV.net’r see me at the Wire Pass Trailhead, joining me later at my basecamp a few miles further south, near the Winter Road. In February and March, during two visits to Death Valley, for a total of 7 weeks, I met with another group of RV.net’rs. This group of 5 truck campers met, during a 7 day period, of exploring and hiking Death Valley. Prior to that I met another RV.net’r south of Tucson to do some principal photography. There are so many other times I have met many of you, like at my favorite; Snake River Camp. I can’t express what a joy it is to meet up with fellow RV.net’rs as I learn more about them/you and they experience a bit of my Extreme Boondocking Lifestyle. Any of them are welcome to share that they met me.

When I know I am traveling into an area, like late this summer the Pacific Northwest, Mojave and Sonoran Deserts this coming winter. I try to get in touch with people, but the majority never respond back, but some do. What is relevant here is maybe there could be a way of just sharing where some of us are going to be, without being specific about locations and dates, so there might be a better bit of coordination. This would be good for a different thread. It would be nice to just meet up out in the middle of nowhere, for a day, just like I do with my kids, away from distractions that the home areas create.

Again, Mellow Mike, great Trip Report and great company there in the sand near the Paria River!

b

silversand wrote:
Mike:

EXCELLENT write-up, including fairly exhaustive descriptions, and a good chronology of photos. Well done!

*I noticed that the well-known guidebook writer, Elizabeth Carter, gave your report a glowing review, too. Had you ever considered doing this "gig" professionally?

Wow! Imagine anybody knowing that I write. Guess my cover is blown. It was definitely a professional quality piece of work and there is a great market for regional guides that target a specific recreational activity. Go for it Mike!

Mello Mike,

Another interesting trip report on an area that many of us would like to travel on. You have a way of getting a lot of info into your writings.

While staying in the Lone Rock CG,west of Page on Lake Powell, April 25 and 26 waiting out a cold, wet front, a local told me that the Cottonwood Canyon road should never be driven if there is hint of rain. He said he has seen quads spinning their tires going nowhere after rains turned the road to axel grease.

After we go back to hike the Buckskin/Paria Canyons, which we had to postpone a few days in case of flash flooding, this is the way we are planning to head back up north.

Thanks for showing us the way.

Dave

Great report, Mike. Really liked the contrasting rock colors. Those colors from light to red right next together really makes one think of the climate that laid the strata down. The world's climate must have been pretty chaotic at times.

Mike:

EXCELLENT write-up, including fairly exhaustive descriptions, and a good chronology of photos. Well done!

*I noticed that the well-known guidebook writer, Elizabeth Carter, gave your report a glowing review, too. Had you ever considered doing this "gig" professionally?

We keep going to the area and I keep putting it back on my bucket list at the top. Could spend a lifetime exploring the GSENM.

Mello,
Fine, fine T.R. on a spectacular area of the West. We did the Burr Trail 40 yrs. ago and it was memorable too. You have a nice, easy style with your reports with a lot of road pix, which i am particularly fond of. GPNAZ had a particularly grizzly report on the Cottonwood Cyn. Rd. a couple years ago which showed how gooey the gumbo could get. I'm glad you missed all that.
regards, as always, jefe

Great report and photos. Glad to see reports on people enjoying some of the more remote parts of our country, with their Truck Campers.


b