Mollies Nipple GSENM

We first met Tom and Lola (his dog) on top of Lake Peak  a couple of years ago.  Out-of-the-blue we received an email from Tom asking if we were “okay” as he hadn’t seen a post on our blog for some time.  (We didn’t know we had any followers!)  After assuring him we were doing well, one thing led to another, and before long we had made plans to hike Mollies Nipple.

You need to know Tom is an avid peak bagger.  He has hiked over 500 peaks!  We consider it a real honor that he wanted to do a peak with us – amazingly, he had not done this one and needed it for his collection.   Click here for Tom’s detailed description of our hike – by clicking on his name, it will also take you to his page and entries on Peakbagger.com.

The more we reflect back on this hike, it seems the better the memories become.  It’s the kind of adventure we dream of – great day, amazing scenery, fun hike and good companionship – who could ask for more! 

Today we are headed to Mollies Nipple, it's out in the boonies . . .
 should be a good place to practice social distancing

Sure didn't think we'd see anyone else out here . . .
we were even offered grilled Spam!

Come to find out, it's the Johnson family from Flagstaff, AZ ( we lived there for 30 years!)
We exchanged hiking info and enjoyed visiting with them before heading down the road
(Hey, Kent, that looks closer than six feet?!)

After talking with the Johnson clan about the sandy road conditions . . .
we decided to play it safe . . .
so we parked our vehicles and started walking

Other than getting sand in our shoes it was easy going . . .
we probably could have driven to the base . . . better safe, than sorry!
Tom checked his GPS and said we averaged 2.5 mph . . .
not too bad for a bunch of "old duffers!"

We're getting closer!

We've arrived at the base . . . 
Time to enjoy a snack break and plan our route to the top

This photograph was taken by Michael R. Kelsey . . .
and is from his book, "Hiking and Exploring the Paria River" . . .
it's the route we followed

We could see the top, or at least part of it . . . 671 ft to go! 

We had great views the entire scramble up to the top

  As Tom said, "The mother of all rock cairns!"
The Thunderbird points the direction to the capstone

Oh so close . . .
Gloves came in handy as we worked our way up and through the sandstone

Here's a picture of the final ascent . . . Once on the ledge,
there is a knife edge saddle that must be crossed to reach the capstone . . .
With a hundred foot drop off on each side and strong winds,
we decided to not chance the capstone

Here's a closeup of the capstone from the ledge . . . 
elevation 7,271 ft

A panorama from the top

This was a big surprise!
 Thankfully, the Johnson's told us to be on he lookout for ladybugs!  Wow!

Apparently, ladybugs hibernate in the mountains from late fall until springtime

Looking northwest towards Bryce Canyon (pink cliffs in the far distance)
You can also see Nipple Lake . . . 
It's just to the right of the small mountain in the center of the picture

The views from the top were breathtaking . . .
In the distance is Powell Point

Tom normally hikes with Lola and she doesn't take pictures!

Tom scooting his way back down off the top

Looking westwards toward Kanab

To the southeast are the White Teepees . . . 
possibly a hike for another day

On our descent we stopped for a group picture

Toadstool at the base of Mollies Nipple

Here's a view of the toadstool with Mollies Nipple

Time to head back . . .
Tom was still laughing about the sand in my shoes!

We returned to our vehicles after 5 hrs and 19 minutes of trekking . . .
We hiked 7.25 miles, gained 1300 ft of total elevation . . . 
that included a 671 ft scramble up Mollies Nipple . . . 
What a great day!

Click here for directions and a printable map to Mollies Nipple courtesy of Todd's Hiking Guide.

A friend of ours, Rick Deigsler, flew over Mollies Nipple in his gyrocopter and posted his flight on YouTube.  You can view it by clicking here.

Gray Knoll and Little Creek Hike

We'd had enough of the depressing Coronavirus news and decided to take the Governor up on his suggestion to get outdoors and recreate!  Hiking to the top of Gray Knoll, just outside of Apple Valley was our choice.  It had been close to twenty years since the last time we had been atop this small cinder cone.  Once we had soaked in the surrounding views, we decided to work our way down to Little Creek and follow it back up to our 4Runner.  Turned out to be a great plan that helped lift some of "heaviness" of the pandemic . . . if only for a day!

With self-isolation and social distancing regulations in place,
 we knew Little Creek Mountain area would be a good place to go explore

We kept our distance from each other, except for Chipper . . . he doesn't have a clue!
Looking north towards Smithsonian Butte (behind Kent)
 and Zion's West Temple in the distance

I zoomed in on Zion's West Temple . . .
it looks so majestic as it towers over the surrounding landscape 

Benchmark for Gray Knoll 5511 ft . . . 
also known as Little Creek Knoll (or Little Cinder Mountain)

Standing on top of Gray Knoll . . . 6 ft. apart!

We came across some petrified wood scattered on a ledge above the creek

Thick moss covered the lava rock ledges that were facing west

Colorful lichen

It's just a seasonal stream . . . 
still a fun find in our desert landscape

Star moss 

We sat on the rocks, watching and listening
as the trickling stream flowed
 past us . . . and out of sight. . .
 

Jones Bones and the Cinder Cone Trail

Another beautiful winter day in southern Utah.  What better to do than go hiking with friends!  John & Mary have been "raving" about an unmarked/unnamed trail called "Jones Bones" that starts across from the north Snow Canyon state park entrance.  This "sweet" little trail just about has it all:  sand, slickrock, a decent elevation gain, wonderful views and a cinder cone to boot!  We used two cars . . . parking one at the Cinder Cone trailhead and then shuttling in the other to the Snow Canyon entrance.  This allowed us to do a 3.5 mile one-way hike, rather than an up and back . . . turned out to be a great plan . . . and a great afternoon hike!

Working our way through the sand

After we emptied our shoes of sand, we continued on the slickrock

There's no trail across the slickrock . . . just a few rock cairns 

And here he is . . . the namesake of the trail
Poor Mr. Jones . . . he's missing his right hand!
Thankfully, he has a good pair of shoes, sunglasses and a hat! 

Looking west towards Snow Canyon 

We continue heading north towards the cinder cone

One of the many gates . . . sadly, we didn't see any dangerous animals!

There's a trail leading up the cinder cone on the south side 

On top of the cinder cone . . . we had great views all to ourselves

The end of our hike . . .
Looking back to the south from the start of the Cinder Cone trailhead

Kitchen Corral Wash Exploration

Last fall we began exploring the area around the Paria River drainage, which is east of Kanab.  We weren't able to get all the hikes that we wanted to do in before winter.  Now that spring is beginning to arrive, we thought "let's make an exploratory trip" and make sure we can get into the areas we have been dreaming about.  We were concerned some of the roads might not be accessible due to deep sand, mud or possibly being closed by GSENM (Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument).  So . . . we invited friends John & Mary along and spent a day exploring and revisiting this unique area of the state.

Little did we know, Kanab was holding a Balloons and Tunes Festival . . .
 a fun way start to our day! 

Cute as can be . . . and as luck would have it . . . 
today is Valentine's Day!

Take heed . . . 
Apparently, a few people have "blindly" followed their GPS's

John, Kent, Chipper and Mary pose in front of Mollies Nipple . . .
we're coming back to ascend this "butte"!

A different view of Mollies Nipple with a natural silhouette 

This cute guy kept an eye on us as we drove past

We're not sure what this structure was used for . . .
 but it was fun to explore the area around it

Can't imagine how heavy these are . . . I liked the natural rustic patina
In the 1930's exploration for oil was done in the area . . . 
must be "leftovers" from an earlier time

We stopped at Hackberry Canyon and walked along Cottonwood Creek . . . 
John and Mary wanted to see where the Yellow Rock trail started

Utah is full of unique geological features . . . 
possibly a fold or anticline?

One doesn't have to leave the pavement to see amazing scenery in Utah . . .
 like along HWY 89 east of Kanab . . . so get out there and go for a drive

Snow Canyon Overlook via Red Mountain Trailhead

In early January we hiked the Hurricane Canal with Darrell and a small group from our church.  Darrell enjoyed the time of fellowship and decided to plan and lead a group to the Snow Canyon Overlook.  We had driven by this turnout many times over the years, but had never stopped and done this hike - so we signed "on board" for the outing.  The 2.4 mile trek (one-way) took us to an amazing vista of Snow Canyon and the surrounding area.  Thanks, Darrell, for inviting us along!

Although it's a popular trail, it was fairly quiet for a Saturday 

Starting out on the trail . . . 
it's a bit rocky so watch your step 

Pine Valley Mountains off to the north and east

We've arrived . . . 
Wow!  What a great view of Snow Canyon

We had 14 hikers and 1 dog in our group

Awesome views in every direction

Here's our group

Darrell . . .  the leader of the pack 

Almost back to the car . . .
After twenty plus years in the area, it's good to know we can still find new places to explore