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Exploring the Escalante
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Pu in the desert
Pu at a rocky lookout point just above zebra slot. [enlarge]
courtesy PChen
Jenn in the desert
Jenn walks along in the unnamed exit canyon of our Bighorn Loop hike. [enlarge]
courtesy PChen
Map Consultation
Andrew making sure we are on the right track back! [enlarge]
courtesy PChen
Photographing Balls
Andrew sets up for a photograph of sandstone concretions known as 'Moqui Balls' [enlarge]
Hiking up exit canyon
Hiking up the exit canyon, with pockets of 'moqui balls' everywhere. [enlarge]
Hiking up exit canyon
Hiking up the exit canyon, with pockets of 'moqui balls' everywhere. [enlarge]
courtesy PChen
Wonderful open hiking
Our group hikes up the wide open expanses of an unnamed drainage on the way back to the car on our Bighorn loop hike. [enlarge]
Balls and stripes
A few Moqui Balls are artistically arrayed on a pretty banded stretch of sandstone. [enlarge]
Field of Balls
A very close-in shot of a field of Moqui Balls. For a sense of scale, the balls are a about an inch or two in diameter. [enlarge]
Moqui Balls from above
A vertical shot of a field of Moqui Balls. For a sense of scale, the balls are about an inch or two in diameter. [enlarge]
Unnamed Bush in unnamed canyon
[enlarge]
Deepening wash
Pu and Jenn hike up a deepening wash in the exit canyon of our route. [enlarge]
Balls on terraces
Some Moqui balls arranged on a sandy set of terraces in a watery pothole. [enlarge]
Tree and hoodoos
A gnarled and twisty remnant of a tree and a few distant hoodoos on the horizon. [enlarge]
courtesy PChen
Jagged network of branches
Thin, spindly, jagged branches look a bit like bolts of lightening. [enlarge]
courtesy RHanel
Past a prominent beehive
Our group hikes past a prominent sandstone dome (with this kind of shape they are often called 'beehives') on the way up the unnamed exit canyon on the return leg of our Bighorn Loop hike. [enlarge]
Huge Stabilized dune
In the exit canyon, Jenn hikes below a large semi-stabilized sand dune. [enlarge]
Cottonwood in the wash
A large lone Cottonwood makes its home in the bottom of a wash. [enlarge]
Cross-bedding in the making
You can see how the wind is creating cross-bedding structure in fresh sand. [enlarge]
Textured Ground
The late-day like accentuates the grain and texture of the bright red sandstone in the bottom of the wash. [enlarge]
Hiking past the gills
Our group hikes past a sandstone dome that has a sort of gill-like texture in the rock. [enlarge]
More beautifully banded slickrock
Some of the textures encountered in this unnamed exit canyon are just as nice as in Bighorn Canyon! [enlarge]
courtesy RHanel
Footprints in the sand
The cliche footprint shot with a desert twist. Taken on the hike back up an unnamed exit canyon on the return leg of our Bighorn loop hike. [enlarge]
Hiking toward dunes
Jenn hikes towards some sand dunes in the upper part of the unnamed exit canyon on our Bighorn Loop Hike. [enlarge]
Dune walking
Jenn walks along the crest of a windblown dune. [enlarge]
Back to the high country
A view of us after exiting the unnamed exit canyon. We are now back in the benchlands near the Old Scheffield Road, not too far from our start point. [enlarge]
courtesy RHanel
Posing in the high desert
Roland takes a snap of Pu, Jenn and Andrew. [enlarge]
Chilly and cold up here
The late day sun's rays are cooling off, and it is brisk and chilly out here in the open (and back at about the 6000-foot level). [enlarge]
First sight of the car
This shot was taken atop a butte to the east of where the car is parked. In fact, the car is visible in this picture if you know where to look. [enlarge]
Rising moon
A rising nearly full moon accompanies our arrival back at the car. [enlarge]
A final stretch
Pu stretches out his muscles after our 20+ km excellent loop hike.



Tired but satisfied, we retired back to our campsite at Calf Creek. [enlarge]
Interactive Photo-Trackmap, Bighorn Loop - click map to view
Interactive Photo-Trackmap, Bighorn Loop - click to view
Bighorn Canyon Loop - Hike Data
Start Time: 10:01a.m.
End Time: 6:15p.m.
Duration: 8h14m
Distance: 20.11 km (12.49 mi)
Average Speed: 2.4 km/hr (1.5 mph)
Start Elevation: 5826ft (1776m) *
Max Elevation: 6075ft (1852m) *
Min Elevation: 5127ft (1563m) *
End Elevation: 5835ft (1779m) *
* : +/- 75 feet
Total Elevation Gain: 877ft (267m) *
Total Elevation Loss: 853ft (260m) *
 
 
* : +/- 75 feet
Elevation Graph

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Bighorn Loop - Elevation over Distance
A GPS-derived elevation profile of our Bighorn Loop hike, graphed over distance. [enlarge]
Bighorn Loop - Elevation over Time
A GPS-derived elevation profile of our Bighorn Loop hike, graphed over time. [enlarge]
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[ Exploring the Escalante home page | The main trip report | Phipps Arch | Bighorn Loop | Lower Calf Creek Falls | Coyote Gulch | Egypt 3 | Roland's Trees | Pu's Clouds | Jenn's Dad | Desert Textures | Where did we drive? | Full Picture Index | Full Video Index | GPS Data ]

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