Escalante Route – Unkar Overlook, Escalante Creek, and 75-Mile Canyon

click here to view a gallery and slideshow of all 237 photos from this trip

This is Page 3 of a hike on the Escalante Route. Page 1 Page 2 Page 4

the beach at Cardenas Creek

I took my time packing up and heading out this morning. On the previous evening I met the three guys camped at the beach – they were doing a trip at a nice relaxed pace from Tanner to Grandview, including a three mile day and a complete rest day. Their trip leader had backpacked the entire Appalachian Trail in 2000, the year before my first long AT hike in 2001. They planned to be in the canyon for quite a few more days, unaware that the the largest blizzard northern Arizona has seen in a long, long time was forecast to arrive the day after tomorrow.

Leaving Cardenas Creek, I took the shortcut along the ridge that coincides with the Hilltop Ruin.

looking down into Cardenas

Soon I came to a dramatic overlook above the Colorado River, directly across from Unkar Creek and its large delta.

Unkar Creek and Delta

If you look closely you can see one of the interpretive footpaths at the Unkar Delta.

The trail began to make its way up the unnamed canyon between Escalante and Cardenas. This was a cloudy, gray day, making me a little nervous because of the impending snowstorm.

the point where the path crosses the unnamed drainage

looking back at the Unkar Delta

The path follows a steep hillside like this for quite a few miles, with a loose walking surface that’s only about a foot wide. This is what people are talking about when they mention exposure along the Esacalante Route. The walking here is actually comfortable and safe unless you have a significant fear of heights.

first look at Escalante Creek

Escalante Creek can again be seen in the photos above and below.

looking upstream and downstream from the bed of the creek

There are a few pouroffs that have to be bypassed to the west up “creek-left.”

The route is usually well-marked.

one of the pouroffs, from below

looking upstream, at the mouth of Escalante

The path leads west along the river from the mouth of Escalante Creek.

looking west toward Neville Rapid

from the point above the mouth of 75-mile Canyon

From the point I looked down on the three guys just ahead of me, packing up after a break and heading out.

Lower 75-Mile Canyon forms a dramatic narrows. From the point above the east side of the mouth of the canyon, the Escalante Route follows its east rim upstream to point where one can scramble to the creekbed, and making a U-turn, continues downstream to the river.