It was early afternoon when we completed the
Lower Calf Creek Falls trail, so we thought we'd take the longer (mostly unpaved) way back to Escalante by using the Hell's Backbone road. A majority of this route (38-miles) is on a well graded gravel Forest Service road road that takes you near the top of the Aquarius Plateau before descending into the Upper Escalante River drainage. Along the way you can see engineering marvels from the 1930's, cross many streams and visit high mountain lakes. Our only concern was that the road might be blocked by snow, but with our mild winter this wasn't an issue.
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Of course, as we were planning our 3-day Escalante getaway, we checked for benchmarks in the area . . .
This one was right off the road, but we're sure most people pass it, not knowing it's even there |
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New Home Bench benchmark . . . 1927
(There were no reference markers with this particular benchmark) |
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At about the 6-mile mark (from where the road turns to gravel), the Hell's Backbone bridge becomes visible . . .
The road begins to switchback over the next 3-miles before topping out at the bridge
(Click on the picture for a larger view of the bridge) |
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The bridge doesn't look like anything out-of-the-ordinary (other than being a single lane) . . .
But be prepared for heart stopping views as you cross this 100 ft span that separates two drainages |
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This interpretive sign is very interesting . . . make sure to stop and read it while you take in the views
(It tells the history of the bridges that have been constructed since the original one in 1933 by the CCC) |
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| This is looking off one side of the bridge into the Sand Creek drainage |
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| The other side looks down on the Death Hollow drainage |
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| After another 3-miles you will come to a turnoff that will take you to Posey Lake |
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| A coworker, of Kent's, said the Posey Lookout Trail would take us to a nice viewpoint of the lake |
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Okay, so this unplanned hike was not on our list . . . but who could resist a 1/2 mile hike to a 1930's lookout?
(By the way . . . the sign lies . . . it's really 3/4 of a mile!) |
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What a great little trail!
We met a two-member trail crew at the top . . . it was nice of them to clear the path for us! |
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| At the Posey Lookout |
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Hard to believe this lookout still stands after 90 years!
(It was in remarkably good condition) |
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| Heading back down through some aspens . . . there was also a small pond off to Kent's right |
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| Almost back to the trailhead which starts at camp site #14 |
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Looking back at the ridge we just ascended . . . the arrow points to the lookout
(Hopefully, clicking on the picture will make the structure more visible) |
Often times some of our best adventures are the unplanned ones . . . such was the case when we decided to take this different route back to Escalante. It's always fun to think back on what it must have been like to live and work here in the 1930's. We often take for granted our paved roads that cut miles and hours off a route and forget what these early settlers had to do to travel between Escalante and Boulder. What they accomplished was certainly incredible!
