May 14
Returning to a place
I had a bit of time before meeting up with my buddy David for our overlanding trip through the San Rafael Swell, so I decided to head north and revisit one of my favorite places—Natural Bridges National Monument. While there, I learned about a lesser-traveled route: a hike through one of the monument’s washes that promised opportunities to discover ancient ruins, pictographs, and petroglyphs tucked away in the canyon walls.
Camping out the night before at the nearby Bears Ears National Monument
Might rain some
Sipapu Bridge
Under Sipapu Bridge
It was another early start as I descended into the lower wash, the cool morning light filtering down between the steep canyon walls. I followed a GPS track, but despite having a route to guide me, the path wasn’t always straightforward. Tall grass, rock ledges, and standing water forced a bit of route-finding. It added to the adventure. It is a major tributary canyon over 30 miles long, I did 7, round trip.
More Graupel
Later in the day, I ran into a few other hikers—some who knew the area well and others exploring it for the first time. As always, I kept an eye on the sky. Flash floods are a real concern in these canyons, and sure enough, a quick storm rolled in. It was cold enough that the precipitation turned into graupel—a mix of hail and snow—but it didn’t last long. I made my way out of the wash, grateful for another rewarding day spent in a remote, beautiful corner of the desert.
Hidden in history
This particular wash cuts through land that holds centuries of history. Long before this was a national monument, it was home to ancestral Puebloan people, often referred to as the Anasazi. From around A.D. 700 to 1300, they farmed, hunted, and lived among these canyons, leaving behind stone dwellings, corn grinding sites, and intricate rock art that still clings to the cliffs today. The wash likely served as both a travel corridor and a water source, making it an important lifeline in this arid landscape.