With springtime arriving in the Utah desert and excellent weather expected for the upcoming weekend, Tim and Brett invited me to join them for a quick camping trip to the San Rafael Swell. We left Salt Lake City on Friday afternoon and made our way south, passing through Price and Wellington before exiting the highway near Woodside. We headed west on the Green River Cutoff Road with no specific destination in mind. An interesting rock formation caught Tim's eye, and after some debate, we decided to check it out. Just above a rocky wash, with excellent views of Chimney Rock, we set up camp. The view to our southeast was open desert, all the way to Green River. We were surrounded by silence, far from pavement and other people.
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| Camping near Chimney Rock |
Before sunset, we explored the wash that cut through the rocks just below our campsite. A few places had characteristics of a slot canyon, with smooth, water carved waves of sandstone.
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| Exploring the wash below Chimney Rock |
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| Water carved stone |
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| Looking east from camp at sunset |
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| Brett and Tim at camp |
The wind really picked up during the night, but the morning was calm and sunny when I awoke. The sun felt strong, and signs of spring were everywhere. I love knowing that winter is over. After breakfast in the sunshine, we decided to hike up the wash and explore the area above Chimney Rock. Wildflowers were abundant and made for a striking contrast to the rugged landscape.
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| Dwarf Evening Primrose |
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| Paintbrush |
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| Hiking around Chimney Rock |
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| Hiking around Chimney Rock |
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| Tim above Chimney Rock |
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| Enjoying the warm desert sunshine |
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| Whipple's Fishhook |
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| Claretcup |
After a few hours of hiking around Chimney Rock, we headed back to camp to relax. The stillness of the desert, the complete lack of sound, is one of my favorite aspects of camping. The warm sunshine after a long, cold winter, adds another level of perfection to the experience.
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| Camping with a view |
We packed up camp on Sunday morning and headed back to Salt Lake. Along the way, we stopped to view some roadside petroglyphs. Farther north, we took the scenic route through Huntington Canyon where winter was still lingering.
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| Molen Reef Snake |
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| Petroglyphs at Molen Reef |
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| Molen Reef Snake |
