# Charlie Horse's 2018 Pack Goat Picture Thread



## Charlie Horse (Dec 16, 2012)

Today's hike was new territory, and the longest hike I've done for years. The plan was to drive some dirt roads to Eagle Canyon and hike to Swasey's Cabin. I brought Woodstock, Shelby GT, and Luna for this trip, the goats carrying mostly just water. We headed out from home while it was still dark and arrived just as the sun was rising-- Its about a 35 minute drive.

Google maps is very deceiving in regards to dirt roads. First, the I-70 underpass was just a culvert that the Lexus might have fit in if I had folded the mirrors and kept within a couple inches of the sides. Then there was the 10 inch ledge between the cement floor and the dirt road. I decided I'd have to hike the rest of the road to the canyon, and its a good thing-- The road would be difficult even for a 4-wheeler.










Near where I parked, I saw some horses. I figured they must be a camper's horses that were hobbled but...










They were certainly wild. I wouldn't call them mustangs but rather, more recently released horses or recent descendants. They weren't worried about people and just looked as we drove past and went on with their day. They look healthy and happy, so thats good considering its a severe drought year.










This road has not been maintained. The jutting rocks were covered with oil-pan paint, chunks of rubber tire tread, and I even found a brake pad- Yikes!










I70's bridges. From the highway you can't really see this canyon for more than a split second as you pass over it.










Sometimes some cables on the bridges will vibrate and sing. When Shelby first saw a truck fly past, he startled, but soon the traffic and noise was no big deal.


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## Charlie Horse (Dec 16, 2012)

An artistic shot of some juniper berries piled into patterns in the early morning shade.










This really turned out to be a forced march. I wanted to take advantage of the cool shade cast by the cliffs in the morning hours.










t was nice to discover a water seep. Luna enjoyed it but the goats werent too interested. Just up the road someone had installed a trough and pipe and there was some flowing water.










By now we're starting to lose our shade, but its still not that hot.


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## Charlie Horse (Dec 16, 2012)

Finally we reached the Eagle Canyon Arch. Its really more of a pillar thats connected at the top. Its a beautiful spot and from here on, the trees got older and larger.










Some of these junipers must be hundreds of years old. I saw a dead pine on the side of the wash that had to have been a thousand years old when it died. I never saw anything that large still living, though some of the trees up in the actual cliffs may be that large.










And of course there's the minerals... This area is called "Copper Globe". There were copper mines once upon a time, and you notice as you move up the canyon that there are more and more mint green rocks. I came to an area where half of the gravel was chunks of petrified wood, and just above that in a red layer capped by a white layer was an incredible array of minerals, crystals, and whatnot.










I had found a grapefruit sized green ball that had broken in half and was full of large crystals. I'd have kept it but it had been run over by too many vehicles and was scuffed up. In the mineral zone I found where it had come from-- Here's one embedded in sandstone.










6 weeks ago I had found a piece of green, bondo-like rock while hiking in Calf Canyon. It was one of my prized rocks, but here in Eagle Canyon, the bondo rocks are common. Here you see a big blob of it next to some exposed crystal.

Later I found a small rock that was coated with a bright, ridiculously blue mineral-- My new most highly prized rock. I gasped when I saw it so it has to be good.


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## Charlie Horse (Dec 16, 2012)

Just past the mineral deposits, we climbed the road upwards.. At this point I knew I had missed the path to Swasey's Cabin, because I had seen this place where the road crested a ridge on the map and it was well west of the cabin. It turns out that because of my rock hounding I had skipped the shortcuts and stuck with the river bed. However, one of those shortcuts was a real road and I ended up following the river to the west. It turned out just fine, as I enjoyed the minerals and just check out this area on the ridge! I'll do the cabin next time.










This is where we turned around. To the south you could see a large expanse of gentle hills covered with junipers and some distant formations. I would have loved to camp here... We were tired and ready to get in to the Lexus and head home, but we were of course only half way done and the sun was heating up! We took a short break and headed back down the canyon.










Smoke from California was starting to move in. A breeze was keeping us cool enough that despite the sun, it wasn't too hot.










Finally back to the arch. This would also be a great place to camp. I should mention I had yet to see any other humans, and had only seen some tire tracks in the sand from a few days prior.


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## Charlie Horse (Dec 16, 2012)

By now all of us were tired and wanted to be home... Except Luna. She never ran out of energy and I think she traveled at least 35 miles vs our 20.










At last, back to the bridge. I felt like we were almost back, but it was far from true! There were many miles yet to go.










We took a lot of breaks in the shade. Shelby has been on more hikes and I think was in better shape than Woodstock. Woodstock liked to lay down whenever he could. Our breaks were short though.










I knew the damaged road that runs next to the highway was going to be the hottest, most miserable part of the hike since we'd be coming back tired and there wouldnt be much shade. Here in the background you can see Ghost Rock. There's a scenic lookout and rest stop there if you're ever traveling I-70. The road we were on was near the highway but other than the noise, you never would have known it was there.










Back at last! We started the hike at 6:35 and finished at about 2:50 in the afternoon. The goats hid in the rather cool shade of the culvert while I got the AC working in the Lexus. They didn't mind the roar of traffic overhead. After the drive home they got some treats and spent several hours resting in their goat houses before I saw them out and grazing with the rest.

Next time I do this trip I'll make it a camping trip. I never really wanted to do 20 miles at once. A two-nighter would be perfect. However, if I had taken the canyon in the opposite direction, I'd have been in the giant sandstone dome zone! The canyon goes for many, many more miles and the scenery is very different and perhaps even more spectacular.


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## Charlie Horse (Dec 16, 2012)

Just a 4 hour exploration hike with Shelby GT and Luna. The goal today was to hunt for dinosaur bones, but in an area where its possible I'd be in the Chinlee formation (Formerly the Dakota formation) which sits atop the Morrison formation with a 50 million year gap. Turns out I never found a single bone. It was a great hike though....










Luna and Shelby were lively and ready to go at 7:00 AM










Found more of that vivid yellow and purple stained rock. There's a streak of this across the landscape and I have no idea what causes it.










Followed the slope covered in boulders looking for bones in the boulders. The dirt was bright white.










This giant boulder had a chunk fall out of it at some point. We arrived just in time to see the wicked witch's striped socks curling up.










No ruby slippers were found. It does make for an epic photo though.


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## Dwarf Dad (Aug 27, 2017)

Thank you for sharing the hike with us! Living in the deep south, we dontdget to see geologic formations. Everything is covered with dirt with greenery on top. The only hiking trails that we have are dirt and mud. There are a couple of trails in town, but nowhere can you let the goats loose from lead.


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## Charlie Horse (Dec 16, 2012)

Back in the Morrison Formation. Found some petrified wood here.










We found a missing notch in the cliff and realized we were hiking on one side of a rather thin wall formation.










This is the view. I havent explored any of the stuff out there yet. Next time perhaps!










Taking in the view.










Shelby was happy to get a pine needle snack.


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## Charlie Horse (Dec 16, 2012)

Unsafe at any angle.

Actually while I was up on an overlook, I took a step and all the sand started draining down into a crevasse. Turns out the boulder making up the edge had undercut and was starting to tip, causing the crack to open. I never saw it move but I'm glad I didnt actually step out there and add weight to it. Yikes.










Walking toward a giant balancing boulder, looking back at Shelby.



















Its a huge rock. Plenty of shade for a rest break.










At first this 4 x 2 foot horror seemed like it might be the legendary gnest of gnats, complete with some kind of final boss monster within its depths. Then I decided it might be a pack rat nest, though I have no idea how they get to it since its hanging overhead.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

Fantastic pics, thanks for sharing, we enjoy this very much.


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## Charlie Horse (Dec 16, 2012)

Back to the Morrison formation.










The rocks in this area seem improbable.










I'm going to call these 'Calico Rocks'










If a dinosaur bone were in this shot, it'd sum up the Morrison formation nicely.










We could see the car from here. Shelby no longer felt the need to keep up and just stood there taking in the view and being lazy.










It is nice to have a distant shot of a goat, though. Usually they're pretty close.

Thats it for this trip. Its a 25 minute drive home and it was getting hot, so we were glad to head back.


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## Charlie Horse (Dec 16, 2012)

No packs today since the goats are up the road working on a neighbor's weedy field.










Bacchus's glamor shot.










The like shade.










Found a new wash today behind the house. It goes forever and is made of balancing boulders atop river-rock gravel. Super awesome.










It was a 4 hour hike, and thankfully some clouds showed up. Not long after I got back, I saw a downpour on the mountain and my mom called and said her windshield got broken by hail. It was sunny and nice when I left so its lucky I took off when I did.


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## Charlie Horse (Dec 16, 2012)

Video of a hike in the San Rafael Swell's Morrison Formation


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## Charlie Horse (Dec 16, 2012)




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## Darby77 (Apr 23, 2016)

Absolutely love your pics, what an adventure!!!

Sent from my SM-G950U using Goat Forum mobile app


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Beautiful pictures!


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## Karen (Jun 22, 2010)

Wow, thanks for taking us on your adventures with you! No picture of the bright blue rock? Some great goat pictures, too! You should sooo nominate Shelby for Pet of the Day! And the others sometime, too!


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

Very nice.


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## Crazy Little Goat (Dec 30, 2017)

AMAZING!
I would LOVE to do something like that, but I can't get my husband to venture very far from the farm.


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## groovyoldlady (Jul 21, 2011)

These are WONDERFUL posts!!!

We live in Maine. I want goats; My hubby wants travel/hiking. I made sure he saw your post so I could plant the thought that there can be both.


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## Charlie Horse (Dec 16, 2012)

Yet another outing.... This time only with Woodstock and Luna.

An early morning hike. California smoke is once again blowing in, causing the sun to glow a dim orange. Woodstock would be invisible here if it werent for his packs.




























Notice the grid pattern on the rocks. That whole layer was doing that. Ancient aliens, I'm sure.










I did find some dinosaur bone fragments including half of a hip socket. I look at the chunks but leave them where I found them... I suspect someone else had seen these because one chunk was reassembled and left on a rock. I think the actual main fossil was covered by some rocks washing down from above. There was a pale green conglomerate layer about 3 inches thick that had shards of bone embedded, so I think I know where I should have been looking. I always like photographing the fossils but there wasn't much to work with today.










Woodstock is half alpine, half boer. He's a great goat, though his back is a tad short for the saddles I have. He's a great packer and smart enough to keep himself out of trouble-- He'll go around instead of over, if you please.










So smoky. Just a 4 hour hike with a lot of wandering and exploring so not a huge distance traveled. It was good times though. The odd thing is how silent it was. One bird, one lizard, and a jack rabbit were the only life to be seen. It was strangely silent. The drought has killed everything I guess.


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

That is a shame the drought has hurt so much. But how cool to find bones.


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## Charlie Horse (Dec 16, 2012)

Had some pack goat friends visit for a few days of hiking! Nan and Phil brought their goats Sputnik and Fin.

The plan was to do Calf Canyon, a branch of Buckhorn Draw. I've done this canyon plenty, but never have I gone beyond the arch caves where the canyon splits into 2 directions. This time we went all the way to the end.










The dirt roads are well maintained. Due to the horse trailer we parked on the main road and hiked a block to get to Calf Canyon's trail head. We got a late start-- The 27 mile drive from home took longer than I guessed and we always ended up making big breakfasts and stuff.










To get a sense of scale, look at Nan at the base of that cracked rock.










Fin had a welt on his side right where the pack cinch goes. He got it from fighting my goats for fun overnight... He probably planned it so he wouldn't have to carry a pack.










Shelby is a 7 year old skinny, tall Alpine goat. Barry Goatalo is only 1 and look at his size already! He's Alpine with 25% Nubian. He's got the height but is better filled out and has a great walking gait. He may end up being my best packer. Nan's goats are obviously larger than mine. They're some kind of mix.










An obstacle that Shelby had a hard time with. He easily made the jump up, but his packs full of water pulled him back off the cliff. Didn't matter-- It was easy to just go around. The other goats did it, and then had to jump over the chasm to finish the maneuver.










I've climbed up into those before. All I accomplished was getting sand in my boots. I was hoping to find some Indian petroglyphs of a Golden Arches menu. Nothing...










Thats smoke from the Forest Service's pride and joy: A controlled burn done in the driest year in living memory that got out of control the second some government guy lit the match. Burned off the top of "trail mountain" and filled the desert with smoke which tinted the light to orange. Makes for a cool photo, though.


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

They all look good. Looks like a really nice area to hike.


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## Charlie Horse (Dec 16, 2012)

12 Aug 2018

Last night I decided to do a medium hike idea I have been thinking about for months-- Its just taken a back seat to other plans till now. Got up at 5:00 and ate and loaded up the goats. Today I brought Shelby GT and Barry Goatalo. Only Shelby is old enough to carry water. The plan was to hike the red cliffs which are only a mile or two from the Morrison formation (Where I've hiked a lot recently) but very different geologically. I planned based on google map photos, which don't really tell you much about what a cliff looks like since its all overhead shots. My general plan was to go along the bottom of the cliffs, find a certain wash to the south, make my way up to the top of the cliffs, and back to the car.










The sun was just rising as we started the hike. There's still plenty of smoke in the air making the red cliffs more orange. The base of the cliffs is a series of washes and ravines, so there was some up-down-up as we crossed them. Fortunately the weren't as difficult as I had expected.










These hoodoos can be seen from the road, and I've always wanted to visit them. Note the gaps.










Looking up. The tallest part of the cliff is above the hoodoos. You cant step through the gap because there's a 20 foot drop on the other side!










At the top of those cliffs is Lookout Point, a destination later in this hike. Note the thin overhangs.










We left the cliffs and traversed a badlands/wash area with rather steep slopes and deep ravines. We worked our way down to the river and road, out and away from the cliffs and walked south toward the next waypoint.










The problem is there was a badlands hilly maze we had to pass through. There was no point in a map because you'd spend more time reading it than moving. After a while I discovered it was far faster to walk the straight top of the mounds than the winding ravines. Here you can see the main cliffs. The daunting task is to find a way up to the top. Failure to do so would mean a longer trip back around.










Its here that I found an amazing area! A miniature goblin valley, but with a more cliff-like structure and green sandstone layers on top of the red. The area is untouched, since anyone coming here would have to pass the maze and as far as I can tell, there are no roads or paths other than the wash.










There was a particularly interesting formation I took several pictures of. So cool. This area would make a GREAT camp site for a future expedition.










Barry Goatalo's face....


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## Charlie Horse (Dec 16, 2012)

Here we left the goblins and moved up the canyon. I knew most of the canyon was dead ends, but I was hoping I could find a way up. I was lucky. There was one, and only one way up a steep dirt scree field. There was even some water in the canyon for the dog and goats. The goats didn't want to jump a certain rock near the top, but eventually made it up without any issues. Suddenly, up above, everything changed color.










In this layer the sandstone was light gray with a hint, or in this case, a lot of green.










Ok. So I can stand next to a 25 foot cliff that would probably kill me without a lot of worry. But standing next to a 250 foot cliff freaks me out as if it'd kill me EVEN MORE! I ended up following a ledge, of all things, next to the main drop-off. A 30-40 foot cliff up on one side, and the big drop on the other. The ledge was 25-45 feet wide but for some reason I was doing the high-anxiety thing the whole mile or two that we followed the ledge.



















Lucky for my sanity the goats didn't really go up to the edge very often.










I bet the pictures would be better if I dared get near the edge.



















Too much smoke in the air kinda ruins the pictures. No blue sky, no distant desert.

After the cliff I was moving along disappeared, I was on a upward sloping plane that led to Lookout Point. I for sure wanted to go to the point, so even though it was getting hot, we trudged along a shortcut. There was a 6 foot tall cairn on the point. The point was at least 30 feet wide at the narrowest but had large overhangs. Lucky for me the animals were too hot to care about the view. I couldn't see much from there anyhow because of the smoke. We headed back along the cliff edge and were getting closer to the car at last.










We dropped down the cliffs to a layer of goblin rock. Smooth but hard stone surface that turns to goblins on the cliff face. Very awesome scenery here. You can see the red cliffs but Lookout Point is around the corner.










I think I have a few NAPGA calendar entries from this trip! The trip probably took about 6 hours and was around 12 miles, best guess. Next week will be a totally different environment so stay tuned.


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Those are such neat pictures. It must really be beautiful in person.


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## Dwarf Dad (Aug 27, 2017)

ksalvagno said:


> Those are such neat pictures. It must really be beautiful in person.


I feel exactly the same!


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

Nice.


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## MadCatX (Jan 16, 2018)

Very very cool - I love the pics.


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## Charlie Horse (Dec 16, 2012)

Last week's trip was to the south of Miller's Canyon exit on I-70 to visit "Miller's Cows", gigantic rocks that have rolled off of the yellow cliffs above, down on to the smooth gray mud slopes below. I had put this hike off for a week due to big thunder storms moving over the area several times in the previous days and I suspected the blackish-gray dirt out there was capable of making some epic mud.









One of "Miller's Cows".









I'm starting to think Miller isn't taking care of his cows. This one has a hole in it.









This one is calving. I don't think she needs any help.









Here's a rather old cow. Lookin' a little weathered and bony.









Ok. That does it. I went around a corner and found where Miller was hiding the skeletons of cows he'd neglected. Miller is a bad rancher!









Barry Goatalo takes the stage!









Shelby GT wonders about the implications of the failure to find supersymetry particles in the Large Hadron Collider for the standard model of quantum physics.









I found some shards of a rather rare kind of agate or obsidian in one tiny area about 10 feet on a side. I bet once upon a time a Freemont Indian was making arrowheads here. The funny thing is that this particular type of rock is found nowhere near here so it caught my eye.









Luna on the Lunar Landscape!


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## Charlie Horse (Dec 16, 2012)

Shelby climbs the slope. Its times like this when I wish I'd bothered to properly adjust his saddle straps.









This pinnacle.









Shelby GT, don't stare at it! You could go blind!









This trip involved a lot of walking. Sometimes we'd walk on the dirt road. Here's a funny story that wrote itself in the muddy footprints I found as I walked. At first, I saw a man's footprints in the hard dirt road walking toward the highway. He'd apparently been on the road when it was raining and very muddy, as even on the road his feet sunk an inch and the prints filled with water and then turned white with alkali. The footprints went on for miles. Then suddenly a woman's footprints ran next to the man's prints. I guessed she got left behind. I started thinking that perhaps these were tracks of someone that got their vehicle stuck in the mud way out in the desert. I started looking for dried mud puddles with a rotting hand sticking out. It got more amusing when, about 6 miles from the highway, I saw a child's footprints with the group! I'm pretty sure the man made it to civilization-- I'm pretty sure the woman and kid met their fate out there.









Barry Goatalo agrees with my interpretation of the footprints.









Group shot. It was a successful trip, but not really that exciting. I had plans to get to a certain area I wanted to explore, but on the map distances don't seem so far as when you're actually walking. Canyons look easy until the surprise 20 foot cliff appears that didnt really show in google maps. I'll go back soon and drive down the dirt road of doom so I can start from where I turned around on this trip.


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

That is a neat place. Rock formations are interesting.


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## Charlie Horse (Dec 16, 2012)

Today was a trip to Dry Wash. Its not far from a lot of the other places I've gone recently and is related to the green sandstone that caps the red goblin layer.

I took Woodstock and Barry Goatalo because I couldn't find Bacchus' halter. I'm wondering if it fell off in the field down the road where he had been staying...









There is something high-tech about these rocks...









Just check out that sandstone!
Dry Wash isn't that dry and I got my shins all scratched up by brush.









Its all about the ears, don't you think?









After quite a few miles in the green sandstone, we broke into the goblin layer.









Hiding in the shade of a hoodoo. We took our first water break here. The goats weren't too interested in drinking.









I came over a hill and very suddenly before my eyes was a Skeksis castle, complete with moat! It was quite a sight.









Woodstock is very much like one of the Skeksis' counterparts, the old ones. Don't you think?









Here's the east side. The two towers only touch in one spot. Next time there's a great conjunction, I'm coming back with a crystal shard. We'll see what happens!









Escaping the castle.









Found a lot of really cool rocks here, and I'm not talking about the goblins. Its a rock hound's dream. Every ten feet on this one gravel bar, you'd need to stop and pick up some cool looking glassy rock. It was like candy laying around everywhere.









Woodstock endures. He was out of energy. We'd been walking for four hours and it was getting warm. Everyone was panting.
Luna pissed me off chasing a couple antelope. She showed up later with lather and foam on her chin, and a tongue that was 10 feet long.









Nearly back to the car.

It was a great trip. I'm going back and hiking the goblin cliffs next time, rather than the wash... Once we get some cooler weather, anyhow.


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## Darby77 (Apr 23, 2016)

Love your adventures!


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

Nice pics.


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## SalteyLove (Jun 18, 2011)

Thanks so much for sharing these photographs!

I'm partial to your Boer cross Woodstock - he is very handsome. I chuckled quite a bit at the description that he would "rather go around than over" - I will try to remember this phrase the next time I'm trying to describe to another goat owner the difference between containing Boers versus other breeds.


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## Charlie Horse (Dec 16, 2012)

Lone Tree/Whiskey Wash area north of I-70 on 22 Sept 2018

I've been planning an overnight hike in this area for a while, though at first I intended to follow the wash all the way up to the Morrison Formation to the west. I changed my mind and decided that I'd have plenty to do just exploring a certain area only a couple miles from the highway, which looked interesting from google. However, as I studied the photo-map I could see that there was a sandstone layer about 12-15 feet thick that isolated an entire area above the river and there may not be a way up. I did see a good chance that if one followed the layer until it dove underground, and one followed some goblin rock ledges there was probably a way up. I also circled a spot on my hand drawn map that said "cool". We shall see....

Woodstock and Shelby have never carried such a heavy load, at 40lbs each and about the max of what I really think they should be carrying. I also brought a backpack. The reason for the weight is water. I have to plan for zero water to be found when exploring a new area and since its a drought year.










We started at about 2:00 and crossed under the interstate, following the river bed. It was hot and packs were heavy.
Once again Luna startled some antelope, but this time she obeyed me and did not chase them. The female seems to have an 80s hair style.









After a couple miles one is rewarded by some amazing cliff scenes and goblin formations. Other than a small trail there is no sign that humans ever visit this area, and in fact its not mentioned in my books on the Swell. Cattle do run here and I even found a sad cow mummy under a tree. Unfortunately its not far enough from the interstate that you escape the distant sound of semi trucks and their jake-brakes, and loudest of all, a Harley now and then.









Well the area that I circled as 'cool' turned out to be very cool indeed. Some very tall hoodoos! The problem is they sit on top of that indestructible sandstone slab right at the place it hits ground level, and by the time the monument stops, the slab is too high to climb.









The solution is to follow a side canyon to where the hoodoo monument's own formation goes underground. You can then follow that ledge over to the monuments and I was hoping find an easy path down to the secret isolated plateau. The problem is that there wasn't a great, easy way down! As I studied the rocks, the goats got to liking the shade and were refusing to follow me very close. Then it hit me... why not camp here? There were amazing views in all directions and a flat spot perfect for camping. A full moon would prevent anyone from falling off the sides, so I unloaded the goats and set up camp.









So here's the camp site looking south at the hoodoo monument. You can see what a nice little area I have. Sand has filled a hollow where I put my sleeping bag. The goats found other sand pits or slept next to me. The problem was they'd dig before settling and sometime flick sand on my area. No need for ropes here... In fact I think they could be dangerous in this situation.









Camp site looking north, back at the goblin formation we followed to get here. This picture was taken higher up on the hoodoos.









The view from camp looking west. This is Whiskey Wash going up to the Morrison Formation. You can see the purple-white banded paleosoils from here. I'm going to make it up that far someday, but it may be a two night trip.









Here's a view from camp to the south-east. You can see the smooth plateau floor made of that indestructible layer. You can see it in the distance-- Those low cliffs. Thats the edge and there's no way up. No scree slopes or weaknesses in the sheer edge. Farther south is I-70.









I brought a good book and a head-band flashlight. The moon rose and the night was warm. I'd overprepared for chill that never came. In fact, it was t-shirt weather the entire night. My sweat pants were too much, and its nearly October! But what a wonderful night... No mosquitos. I brought a little mp3 player and speaker and kept some chill music going all night to cover the sound of distant traffic and the goats fidgeting.

End of day 1


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## elvis&oliver (Jun 28, 2018)

This is awesome thanks for sharing! What beautiful pictures of your views and I love the goats and your dog posing for the camera. Like they do it all the time


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

Nice.


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## Dwarf Dad (Aug 27, 2017)

Thank you again. Great of you to share your goat adventures with us.


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## SalteyLove (Jun 18, 2011)

Do you have to pack hay when you go on an overnight like that? Sounds like a great time!


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## Charlie Horse (Dec 16, 2012)

SalteyLove said:


> Do you have to pack hay when you go on an overnight like that? Sounds like a great time!


I bring alfalfa pellets. I always bring too much-- That stuff is dense. Its also certified weed-free so if I ever encounter a ranger they'll have nothing to complain about.


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## Charlie Horse (Dec 16, 2012)

Day 2









Next morning after a quick breakfast of crackers and cheese I packed up camp and left the packs for later pickup. Today was the day to explore the inaccessible plateau. Luna found the secret way down the goblin cliff on her own. Without the packs the goats easily made it down, and we found ourselves on the giant indestructible sandstone slab. Now I have to mention that even up higher on the hoodoos there were completely out of place glassy agates and other strange minerals. They must have been there for ages, resisting the wind while the sandstone around them dissolved over time. Here on the stone slab, any rocks you find tend to be either black shiny oblong things, or chunks of agate. Here I grouped some shards I'd found within a just a few feet of me. One even looks like it may have been worked by an Indian at some point in history judging by the scalloping. This was a fun area to rock hound for sure, but I left these for some future hiker to see.









Here you see the hard floor covered with interesting stones. The tree sits in one of the few places that water had washed a shallow into the hard sandstone. In the back you see how the goblins just sit on the stone without a lot of rubble messing it up. Very tidy.









Was it a plateau? Was it a valley? Its both. We followed the edge of the goblin cliffs around the valley area. There are some fantastic formations that I'd love to spend more time exploring someday, but the schedule only allowed for an overview on this trip. There were some sandy areas with a lot of prickly pears down below, so we followed the goblin shelf around for a while. So fun!









I wanted to see if there were ways into the valley from the top of the plateau. This is important because the top of the plateau eventually drops to ground level a few miles north, and future trip plans might rely on knowing if there are other ways in. This scene is from a side canyon that leads to a saddle which I think one could climb with a bit of scrambling.









This is where I had originally thought about camping. Its very cool but its a side canyon without the view of the sunset, so I'm glad I camped where I did. There are 2 or 3 ways up to the top of the cliffs from here. Good to know. These pillars were very cool, and the area below had vast smooth goblin platforms that rolled like dunes. Lots of little hoodoos and balancing rocks. The early morning lighting doesn't do it justice, I'm afraid.









In the river bottoms, the sand is churned by cow footprints. Up here no cow has ever set hoof, and probably very few deer or antelope. There had been some thunderstorms a few weeks back and I could tell the area had been drenched by the ripples in the sand in the washes. Things were starting to green up a bit, but you have to imagine how this place would look in a wet spring! Anyhow, the lack of cattle made the plateau much more lush and green than down below.









Here we are following the edge of the sandstone slab. Here on the south end it sits high on the top of some cliffs and forms a wide ledge. However, up ahead the goblins come to the very edge and block the path ahead. The distant platform is rather isolated from below. I figured out a way to get to it by climbing a lucky arrangement of goblins, up to a goblin ledge, past the blockage and back down. I didn't have time to bother with it on this trip, however someday it would be a fun project.

The goats would walk that edge completely unconcerned-- Literally their hooves half hanging over the 80 foot drop. I wasn't as worried as I would be usually because I knew that this slab had no thin overhangs or wobbly stones on the edge. It was solid.









Heading home. Here we pass the lower west side of the hoodoo campsite where the goblin cliffs touch the stone slab when its at river level and dives underground. The walk back was uneventful, but I did have some fun walking with the goats near the highway. I could see people in some of the passing cars doing double takes and freaking out to see the goats. I observed something interesting as we passed under the highway and got in view of my SUV. The goats, on their own, left the trail and bee-lined for it. I didn't think they had great eyesight, nor did I think they were able to recognize cars at that distance, but they both knew right where they were going.

In the end the trip was a total success. I was a little dissappointed how quickly the goats pooped out in the heat and with full loads, though. I admit that even my goats arent in the best shape, since I only hike once per week or so and I swap out goats a lot. To do this right I really need 3+ goats. I did learn what my water consumption rate was, and that was important. Day hikes just don't give the right answer. This trip used up 3 gallons for me, 2 goats and a dog for a hot afternoon, evening, and morning with generous use.

I'm not sure what next week's hike will be. I have so many ideas to choose from!


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

That is just incredible!


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## groovyoldlady (Jul 21, 2011)

Your adventures are so fun to read about. Thanks for sharing them with us!!


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## Dwarf Dad (Aug 27, 2017)

That sure was a nice weekend. Thank you for sharing!


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)




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## Charlie Horse (Dec 16, 2012)

Just some final pictures to end this year's photo thread:









Whats that at the base of the rock?









Oh. Just a dinosaur bone.










This place is a bit of a nexus of desert awesomeness, isn't it?
I almost expected an eagle to land on my arm and then notice
gold nuggets in the rocks.









Apparently there arent many earthquakes here...









Someone left a cross section of dino bone sitting on top of an agate vein.









Woodstock: Desert Goat.









Found a freshly shed antelope horn. Left it on the stairs while unpacking.... It vanished. The dog stole it. Ghah! Never did find it or even a piece. Lame.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

Love it.


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Really nice!


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## Dwarf Dad (Aug 27, 2017)

Thank you. I really like your posts!


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## ReNat (Jan 20, 2019)

What you have done, no words, some emotions of your adventures. Respect for you and your work in raising goats!


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## Anna by the forest (May 20, 2018)

So COOL! Amazing photos...


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## Charlie Horse (Dec 16, 2012)




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## GoofyGoat (Sep 21, 2018)

Wonderful adventure, thanks for sharing!


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## BethJ (May 28, 2019)

I LOVE these pictures!! Thanks for sharing! I would love for my goats to do this. I dont know how I'd ever find the time to teach them


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## Goats Rock (Jun 20, 2011)

Your dog is beautiful too!


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## Charlie Horse (Dec 16, 2012)




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## Robinsonfarm (Jul 17, 2015)

Great pictures! 
I might of missed it, where are you located. 
Looks like Southern Utah, Northern Arionza/ New Mexico.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

(thumbup)


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## Damfino (Dec 29, 2013)

Robinsonfarm said:


> Great pictures!
> I might of missed it, where are you located.
> Looks like Southern Utah, Northern Arionza/ New Mexico.


He lives in the middle of Utah, somewhat northwest of Green River. Great place to be!


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## Charlie Horse (Dec 16, 2012)

Pictures from a week long group hike in central Utah.









This is the Morrison Formation. The area thats full of dinosaur bones and very colorful.










Then we camped at the edge of the "Little Grand Canyon".


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## Robinsonfarm (Jul 17, 2015)

Very cool. Beautiful pictures. 
We’re in southwest Colorado, the terrain looked familiar.


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## Charlie Horse (Dec 16, 2012)

The main goal of the trip: Wild Horse Window, a giant cave half-way up the 'reef', which is the outer edge of the San Rafael Swell's up-thrust zone. The sandstone is tilted and with no real trail, you have to navigate a series of giant solidified dunes and navigate to the window.





































Above you can see the top of Wild Horse Window peeking above the sandstone dunes.










Bourbon, the loyalest goat I've ever met.










Wild Horse Window is a giant cave with a hole in the roof. Its only a couple miles of hiking to get to it, with nothing toooo terribly steep. Not that many people know about it though.










The Freemont Indians knew about it.










The view from inside the cave. BTW I know its 2020 and this is the 2018 thread. I've done a poor job of keeping up to date on my posts.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

Very nice.


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## Charlie Horse (Dec 16, 2012)

Crack Canyon. The road sucked more than last time I went here. The hike was great, though. A big rock fell into the best stuff and covered it all with powdered sandstone (Some call it "sand"). Here are the pics:


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## Charlie Horse (Dec 16, 2012)

Here we go exploring the Entrada sandstone hoodoos.


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Wow! What a beautiful place to hike!


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## Charlie Horse (Dec 16, 2012)

We camped near Windowblind and Assembly Hall mesas at the mouth of Buck Horn Draw. To my surprise there were coyotes singing in the riverbottoms, but none bothered us. I'm sure Luna would have run interference if needed.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

Wow.


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## GoofyGoat (Sep 21, 2018)

Fantastic pictures and gorgeous terrain!
It's wonderful seeing your goats hiking with you and enjoying the adventure!


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## Charlie Horse (Dec 16, 2012)

Some of us climbed up on the reef.



















Shelby GT staring off at the Goblin Valley formation in the distance.










I found some colorful sandstone with a red/pink stain, and a yellow stain. It made for great photos.



















That was it for my life as a goat pack guide. I drove home that night and everyone else continued on with their adventure (more desert trekking in Little Wild Horse Canyon, then on to Escalante) or headed home to Texas and Oregon. I think everyone had a great time!


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## Damfino (Dec 29, 2013)

You're an excellent guide, Charlie Horse! Always fun to visit!


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

Love it.


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