Day #8 — Hell's Backbone & Calf Creek Trail, UT--May 30, 2011

I was up and out of Singletree CG by 7 AM. The temperature had fallen to 29F. I didn’t even roll the tent properly, but stuffed all into the two-ton-tote and set out . . . sans breakfast and with frozen fingers. I’m on this circuitous route because daughter Jessica told me that I had to stop at Hell’s Backbone Grill and hike a trail to a waterfall that the owners of the grill would point me to. I’m so glad she did. Made for a wonderful day! 

Right out of the campsite was a 10% climb that saw me talking to my bike: “Ha ha ya ha, bike. R.I.P. back there. I’m on four wheels and I’m not your motor!” The climb up over the mountain ended quite a bit later at the 9,600-foot summit. Temp at the summit was three degrees lower than at Singletree . . . 26F. There are two other campgrounds on the way up the mountain and I am glad that I did not choose one of them higher up. I froze as it woz. 

On my way up, I encountered many mule deer, singly or in small groups browsing the grass near the road. Funny thing is, at one point I passed three hunters—clad completely in camouflage and carrying their guns—walking empty-handed back to their pickup, which was parked by the road. Not two minutes earlier I had passed seven mule deer, and as soon as I rounded the next curve, came upon a single mule deer contentedly browsing. 

I also encountered snow in the forest and in shaded spots beside the road. Toward the top, there are huge groves of Aspen, still to leaf out. It looked to me like snow, ice, and wind had wreaked havoc on these trees as many stood branchless and many more littered the forest floor or leaned against other trees like flung pickup sticks. 

When I got to Boulder Town, there was Hell’s Backbone Grill just as I was craving breakfast. What a wonderful find in the middle of nowhere. Click the link above and read the accolades or Google it to see what I mean. Thank you Jessica for pointing me in the right direction! 

I, the great unwashed and uncombed, was a bit hesitant to enter this elegant restaurant, but was warmly welcomed. The owners even remembered Kim and Jess from two years ago, and told me how to find Calf Creek Trail that Jess had told me about. I had the Backbone Breakfast: Two eggs over easy, smashed sage potato pancakes, and oatmeal-molasses toast with cinnamon butter and homemade apple jam, plus many coffee refills. A mule deer trotted across the lawn and close to the dining room. It began to browse on a small planted apple tree, but the owners chased it away. Looked like it had been there before because one side of the tree was chomped. 

Refreshed, I started off for the trailhead, which was out of a BLM campground 11 miles farther south on Route 12 in the Box Death Hollow Wilderness. I soon came to a place in the road that had given the grill its name. I don’t know what it’s called in these rocky canyons and outcroppings, maybe spine, but in the mountains it is called a knife-edged arête. The narrow, two-lane road ran right along the knife edge or “Hell’s backbone,” dropping off on both sides to canyons far below. The road down had 14% grades as the photos attest. Halfway down one of these grades, I came upon Calf Creek CG. 

Off one side of the road on Hell's Backbone

Off the other side of of the road over Hell's Backbone

Warnings on the road across Hell's Backbone

In the BLM campground bathroom, I changed out of my layers of sweats and warm clothes into my jungle pants and hiking shoes, and then set off to hike the trail. While the trail is only at about 5,400 feet and doesn’t require much climbing, it was very sandy, making for a strenuous 6-mile round trip. The sand was deep in places and much of the walking was like walking in deep beach sand. But, the temp in the canyon was only 55 degrees and there were plenty of places to stop in the shade, so I took my time. 

Sometime in the future these will be fossilized and the people of the time will be piecing together what type of animal made them

I took many pix of the flowers and cacti along the trail.

Phacelia?, Claret Cup cactus,Western Wallflower, Pink-flowering Prickly Pear Cactus

Easter Daisy, Evening Primrose, Desert Indian Paintbrush, Yucca--the bottom two look like Mother Nature's flower arranged 

Scarlet Gilia

And of the formations I hiked though:

Interesting arch at trailside

Internet photo

The waterfall at the end of the hike was well worth every sandy minute of the hike. It was high and the gushing drop of water cooled a glade of trees before it. (Actually made it cold, so I was glad I’d tied my jacket around my waist.) I sat on some tree roots near the pool and ate the snacks I’d brought along, drank my water, and caught my breath before stripping off my sand-filled shoes and cooling my feet in the icy water. 

Phil, there were visible trout in the trailside stream. Not very big, maybe 10 or 12 inches, but quite a few of them, all nosing upstream. I will send you a photo of one. It looks like it is in mid-air the water is so clear. 

Some boys were at the falls pool with a golden lab who repeatedly raced into the water to retrieve sticks they threw. I thought they would exhaust the poor dog, but when they weren’t throwing anything, the dog would nose around until it found a stick and then bring it to them. 

Next I stopped at the Escalante Petrified Forest State Park. When I learned that to see the petrified forest I would have to climb a mile trail up over the canyon, I thanked the gate attendant and took a pass. 

In some little town along the route I stopped in Blondies and had a hamburger. Talked to an old rancher who had also stopped. He was pulling a long farm trailer with three bulls in it. Proudly, told me he ran thirty head of cattle. Much of the area I’ve driven through is open range, cattle in or beside the road, and cattle guards every so often. I imagine it would take a lot of this deserty land to provide forage for 30 head of cattle.Though he said the trailer pulled better with the weight in it, the rancher was having a tough time of it because of the wind and steep grades. 

Because of the cold and my inadequate gear I decided last night that I would not camp at Bryce, where I’d scheduled the next two nights of camping. Thus, when I was 15 miles from Bryce and found the Grand Staircase Inn in Cannonville, I stopped for the night. 

Internet Photo

Since I needed a Laundromat and the nearest one was 4 miles away in Tropic, after I’d showered (ah delicious) and organized myself (repacked the tent and camping gear), I bundled the laundry into the car and drove to Tropic. 

Back in the room I ate a couple of cheese and h. b. egg crackers and then went to bed at 8 pm. I was pooped after my biking, near sleepless night, and my hike to the falls.