Johnson's Arch and Whiterocks Hike 2-27-10

Sue and I have been trying to get out and do a major hike at least 3 out of every 4 weeks a month and so far we've been doing pretty good. This past Saturday we decided to take on two hikes that totaled 7 miles. First t he Johnson's Arch hike, which was 2 miles round trip and included a hike across some lava strewn desert and along a mostly dry river bed that led to a fairly narrow slot canyon that had a small stream running through it that led to a 200" archway called, Johnson's Arch. This hike is located just before you enter the park at the south entrance, no fee is required since the hike is on private property, the only thing is that the hike is only open during non summer hours. The arch itself was pretty impressive and it led us to a dead end where another pool was located at the foot of 300' cliffs. This was great place to stop an unwind and take in the general beauty of it all. 2 miles down...5 more to go. 

After a brief pause for a good cause at the small, but oh so charming visitor's center, we we're off to the North exit of the park. To get to the Whiterocks trails, you actually have to leave the park and drive about a 1/2 mile north on SR 18. The trailhead is on the west side of the road almost directly across from a large extinct volcano dome. This is a fee area, so be sure to get your pass inside the park before you park.

There are two Whiterocks trails. The first one is a mile roundtrip and takes you to a large amphitheater area that has an old pioneer dam that was used to make ice skating rinks for the children....there was water up there and we could totally see it used for that. It also has some amazing views of the checkerboard sandstone and a perfect view of the Volcano. So...that's 3 miles down and 4 to go.

The next Whiterock hike was a 4 mile round trip that meandered through lava strewn scrub areas with some large lava rock outcroppings. This trail basically led to a shear, deep, overlook of the entire Snow Canyon park floor. Magnificent views of the white and red rocks with majestic cliffs and a vast desert floor. We saw tons of little critter tracks along the way. At the very end there was a nice mountain pool on top of the whiterocks by the overlook...a very nice touch.

Sue and I were able to stay dry the entire day even though we had threatening skies, all the way to the last 1/2 mile, when we finally got sprinkled on. All in al, these were great hikes, and we had a great day.

The rest of the weekend was filled with family fun. Chris and the kids stopped over Friday night and we enjoyed the time with them. Kari & Will and the kids stopped over for dinner on Sunday and we watched the US Hockey team put up a valiant but losing fight in the Gold medal hockey game.

Jimmy & Hollie and the kids stopped over last night and we had fun eating brownies and ice cream. We also were able to get on the computer and show them how to use their new geocache GPS device. If you've never use one they can be pretty confusing. But after you know how to use them...they are awesome....Look out Silver Reef...the Salleys are coming to town today. I don't think the town will be the same after Gracie and Preston get a hold of them! Have fun!

Whiterocks Hikes

 

Johnson's Arch Hike