After hiking Upper Calf Creek Falls, we began our trip home. To make our time last a little longer in the Boulder/Escalante area, we thought we'd add a few benchmarks, that were just off HWY 12 to our list. Both Calf Creek Falls & Mamie benchmarks are just off the road and were a fun diversion to break up the three-hour ride home.
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| First up was what we are calling Calf Creek Falls benchmark . . . It's actually a section marker, but shows up on the NGS website as a benchmark . . . As you can see there weren't too many good pull outs! |
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| We finally found one and parked the truck . . . As we were heading across the road, Allison said she saw a mule deer shed |
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| Kent couldn't believe that she found this 4-point antler right on the road easement (Do you realize how few antlers we have found on our hikes over the years? And this one was laying in plain sight of a well-traveled paved road!) |
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| Oh, yes, the real reason we are here . . . Calf Creek Benchmark (1937) |
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| The NGS description said we'd find it attached to the end of a metal pipe . . . still here after all those years! |
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| Back on HWY 12 and enjoying our last look down into Calf Creek |
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| On past trips, we have been intrigued by the Kiva Koffeehouse . . . it always has a ton of cars So, today, Allison suggested we stop so she could get a mocha for the road . . . We were surprised at how nice the coffee shop was . . . it was well designed and had some incredible views, both up and down the Escalante River (click on the link above for more info; apparently they have rooms, as well) |
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| Feel like sipping on your mocha outside the Kiva Koffeehouse? Here's a couple of chairs that provide a view looking south on the Escalante River |
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| Back on the road and looking up at Head of the Rocks Overlook . . . Mamie Benchmark is near the two skyline buttes on the right |
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| 300 feet off the road and up a small mesa we found Mamie Benchmark |
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| Mamie Benchmark (named after Mamie Creek to the north) (1959) |
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| We were able to locate reference marker #1 in a dead pinon pine tree . . . Reference marker #3 was supposed to be in a power pole . . . it had been cut down and removed years ago |
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| Kent trying to find reference marker #2 . . . we're pretty sure it was in this tree that had fallen over . . . But he was unable to locate it . . . Over 65 years a tree will try to heal the blaze and will often cover up the copper nail and washer! |
A special "shout out" to our friend Tom who got us interested in benchmarks! We appreciate all the time he has spent showing us how to use the NGS map, record coordinates on our GPS, and to read degrees so we could locate reference marks. As he has said often, "It adds another layer to my hikes." We couldn't agree more! Time to head home!
