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| Hiking | 5.00 Miles |
1,257 AEG |
| | Hiking | 5.00 Miles | 2 Hrs 58 Mns | | 1.84 mph |
| 1,257 ft AEG | 15 Mns Break | 25 LBS Pack | | |
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| partners | | Hike #1 of 10 of our Spring 2014 Utah trip (All on or near The Comb)
We arrived mid-afternoon Monday, took just enough time to set up camp before heading for Cold Spring Cave right from the campsite.
We crossed the wash immediately below our campsite by following various cow paths through the dense vegetation. (It wouldn't be until Friday before realizing the dangers of passing through the wash here... but that will have to wait until I post the triplog for that hike)
Once out of the wash we turned northward and stuck to the bare rock as we traversed past the trail to the Monarch Cave dwelling (which we visited last Spring), continuing until reaching the mouth of Cold Spring Canyon. Seeing more thick brush in the wash we stayed up on the bare rock until it thinned, which just happened to be where the walls climbed higher.
It easy following the well-beaten path up Cold Spring Canyon. At the fork in the path we turned right, which led us up a small box canyon to the ruin site.
Typical site for The Comb... some mortared walls in decent shape, some walls almost completely gone, VERY few bits of pottery, one corn cob, some petroglyphs, pictographs and a boulder marked by the 1892 Illustrated American Exploration Expedition, which named the site cold Spring Cave, due to the 'cold' spring in the cave. And cool it was.
We explored a bit, took photos, shot a video but with a plan to check out the Eagle's Nest cliff dwellings in the next canyon north and time wasting away, we headed back out to the fork, and continued up the canyon. Not sure if the route to reach the next canyon was feasible or not we didn't want to be retracing our route after dark so kept a good pace.
Yes! We reached the west end of the headland and easily found a way around and into the next canyon. Knowing the Eagle's Nest was high up (and thus its name) we kept looking up as we headed east into the canyon. After going what seemed too far without catching sight of it I checked the waypoint and found we were in fact too far. So we backtracked a bit but still no luck. So, I began to ascend the other canyon wall for a higher vantage point. Although I caught a glimpse of it, I didn't like the shot so kept climbing the smooth rock wall until I looked down... Oh boy! I didn't realize just how steep the rock was that I just climbed, and already the gumby-legs were letting me know that going back down was not going to be something to look forward to.
Oh well, at least I can see the Eagle's Nest now so I took a few shots and took plenty of time sliding down the wall backwards. Later I will find I climbed 120 feet up the wall, yet the Eagle's Nest was another 200 feet higher.
Whew! Back down in the canyon (where Tracey wasn't budging from while I climbed) safe & sound and it's time to head back to camp with the first two of many goals to reach on this trip already met... Cold Spring Cave ruins and the Eagle's Nest.
Back to camp we are preparing for an overnight low of 32 degrees. (It would be 29 the next morning, and although forecast called for hi/low's to war 3 to 5 degrees each day, Wednesday morning at 4 am it was only 23 degrees!)
YouTube video of the ruin site: https://www.youtube.com/embed/3n8692fBCRQ |
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