Calico Peak Revisited

After failing on two previous attempts to summit Calico Peak, we are happy to report that the formidable red walls that surround this most intriguing mountain have been breached!  All it took was a lone cairn that directed us to a “secret” passageway that snaked its way back and forth through the different layers of sandstone and “voila” we were on top!

What a great hike!  We thought we’d be able to find a way to the summit, but we were pretty sure that the dogs couldn’t make it and that one of us would have to wait with them.  To our surprise, everyone was able to scramble to the top with little to no effort.  And oh, what a treat the top had for us . . . outstanding views, amazing rock formations, arches, windows and even remnants of an old survey tripod.  We could not have asked for more from the mountain or the gorgeous winter day!

There it is . . . our nemesis . . . Calico Peak

The views really opened up as we worked our way up the west side
(The White Teepees & Peak 6760 are visible atop the faraway rim)

We spotted this unique arch . . .
Little did we realize that we would soon be viewing it from the top!

It felt good to reach the base of the cliff face . . . 
From here we would follow the red cliffs north until we found a break in the wall

We are beginning our ascent at a rock cairn we found . . .
We are hoping it indicates a possible route to the top

Interesting holes in the sandstone 

We passed through this "secret" little slot

As we climbed, we begin to catch views towards the west . . . 
Allowing us to look back at where we have come from

Colorful striped sandstone greeted us at the top

Ice layer on a small pool of water

Looking through a fun little arch

Possibly an etching left by the surveyors that may point towards a benchmark??

The views were amazing!
Looking northeast at Powell Point off in the distance

Another odd shaped piece of sandstone

Calico Peak Highpoint (5882 ft)
Notice the remnants of a survey tripod, to the right of the bush

Here's a close up of what's left of the tripod
There's no mention of a benchmark on the National Geodetic Survey Map . . .
In fact, there wasn't one . . . too bad!  The surveyors were certainly here!

Over time this wire, that at one time kept the tripod stable, has worn a slit in the sandstone

Looking southeast toward The Paria Box 

A closeup view of the arch we spotted from below

More neat formations just beyond the arch

What do you think . . . will Tom crawl through this opening? Of course he did!

Future Moqui marbles

There were several iron reduction spots along the west side of the cliffs

Heading back down into the wash where we began our hike . . . the steepest part of the hike

The first and last part of the hike was an easy mile stroll through the bed of this wash

We would recommend that you place this hike high on your priority list.  You won’t find one much better . . . it is a hike that reminds one as to why they are outdoors exploring new places!  If you’d like a topo map and GPS tracks for this hike, please click here for a link to Tom’s Peakbagger.com post.  Altogether, we gained approximately 1,100 ft over the five-mile (r/t) hike that took us about five hours.  Go find this secret passage . . . you won’t ever regret that you did!

 

Red Cap

Tom has gotten us hooked on recovering benchmarks.  Lately, whenever we are planning a hike we check the National Geodetic Survey site to see if there are any in the vicinity of our outing.  Such was the case today.  Red Cap looked like it would fit the bill . . . an outing to a rarely visited small peak east of Kanab that had a three inch disk attached to it!

When we got to the trailhead, Tom suggested we add another small peak to make a slightly longer loop . . . boy are we glad he did!  It turned out this additional hill had tons of petrified wood . . . in fact, we found several whole trees encased in the sandstone and in some cases completely exposed logs.

Then it was off for Red Cap to find the benchmark.  After almost giving up on finding reference marker #2, Tom located it (opposite direction of where we were expecting to find it).  It was a sense of accomplishment to locate both reference markers and the benchmark!

We need to remember to wash our windshield next time!  Still a beautiful sunrise!

Red Cap is on the left . . . the little peak on the right was a fun added surprise

Utah has a lot of wide open country . . . you can go for miles and never see another person

We took a little detour to check out this white capped peak

We came across some neat conglomerate rocks . . . that's Red Cap in the distance

We could see Mollies Nipple from the top, which brings back good memories from 2020

This really surprised us . . . huge pieces of petrified logs covering the top 

Being the peakbagger that he is, Tom couldn't resist 

Kent & Allison had to check it out, too!

A piece of petrified wood embedded in a huge conglomerate boulder

This boulder consisted of sandstone, a petrified wood layer and a conglomerate layer

Now we're heading to Red Cap 

This is the first time we have seen a sandstone etching with the benchmark
Red Cap Benchmark dated 1954

This Royal Crown Cola can has been here for a long time

Red Cap Reference Marker #1 was easy to find . . . dated 1933

It took a little work to locate reference marker #2.
After checking for true north, Tom reread the coordinates and realized we should be searching
to the east rather than west of the benchmark.  Voila!  It was by the bush to the left of Kent.
(Chipper could care less . . . he just wanted to know when we would pour him some water!)

What are the dogs looking at?

They were watching to see if Tom could squeeze through this crack on his way down
 . . . and he did!

Kent & Allison opted for a different route . . . we're just glad that boulder didn't fall!

What a great little hike!  Although only about 4.5 miles in length, it provided outstanding views, interesting finds and as always, good camaraderie with our friend Tom and the Crew.  For a topo map and GPS tracks of this fun outing, click here for Tom's Peakbagger.com post.

West Mountain & Zion View Peaks

We called Tom to see if he was ready for a Saturday hike . . . of course he was!  Since he had done a hike the day before we decided to keep today's hikes "short and sweet."  West Mountain and Zion View Peaks both surround the St. George valley, but surprisingly, neither of us had done them.  It was time for that to change!

Zion View Peak turned out to be a fun, but strenuous little hike that provided great views.  After completing Zion View we drove up the road to the bottom of the switchbacks that lead to the top of West Mountain and parked our vehicles.  We walked the last mile to the top and were rewarded with outstanding 360° views from this desert "sky island" peak!

The early morning sunrise is just about to illuminate West Mountain
as we drive through Ivins, Utah

We parked at Hell Hole Pass and began our short but steep ascent up Zion View Peak 

Once we reached the ridge, the views began to unfold

Off to our north is West Mountain (7,680 ft) and the road that will take us to the top

A dried yucca stalk provides a unique contrast against Peaks 5961 and 5926 in the distance

For such a small peak the views were amazing
(Looking northeast towards the Pine Valley Mountains)

We stopped to check out this rocky outcrop on our descent
Notice Kent's reluctance to go near the edge . . . sheer cliffs on the other side!

Colorful striped rocks along the trail

Two does ran across the road to West Mountain . . . only one stopped for their picture!

The road was in good shape . . . which is not always the case
We drove 1.5 miles from Hell Hole Pass, parked, and walked the rest of the way so the dogs could run

There are two reference markers and a benchmark from 1938 at the top
 Along with plenty of communication towers and some of the best views in Southern Utah

West Mountain is the highest peak in the Beaver Dam Mountains at 7680 ft

Looking back at Zion View Peak (6,835 ft) that we hiked earlier

We could see this rock cairn from the road below . . . not sure what it marked??

Ezy on the go!

Two guys and their dogs heading back down the steep road
(Background views are of Beaver Dam Wash and eastern Nevada)

We couldn't see into the bottom of this ravine, but obviously someone missed the turn!
This makeshift guardrail is made from the bumper and frame of a 40 or 50's auto

Altogether both hikes totaled about three miles (r/t) and we were back home by 2:00 pm.  While not long, nor overly strenuous, they both provided amazing views of southern Utah and eastern Nevada that we're not sure can be beat by any of the other peaks in the St. George area.

For more information you can follow Tom's Peakbagger.com posts by clicking here for Zion View Peak and here for West Mountain Peak.