ALL HIKERS

DAY 2: MOUNTAIN SHEEP SPRING TO THE HIDDEN POOL

     We are up at 6:30, eat, pack, and leave around 8:15.  There is a little scrambling required to get around the boulders and avoid the water as we make our way downstream.  Pretty soon we come to a fossilized shell in a rock on the creek bed.  Surprisingly, the water below Mountain Sheep Spring is running fairly deep all the way to Jumpup Canyon.

A fossilized shell
10-3-2008 @ 8:29
Water downstream of Mountain Sheep Spring
10-3-2008 @ 8:42

     We reach Jumpup Canyon in about a half-hour.  The water that had been flowing above ground abruptly ends at that point.

Intersection of Sowats
Canyon and Jumpup Canyon
10-3-2008 @ 8:49
Intersection of Sowats
Canyon and Jumpup Canyon
10-3-2008 @ 8:49
Intersection of Sowats
Canyon and Jumpup Canyon
10-3-2008 @ 8:52

     Apparently some hiker thought it was cute to put some graffiti on a rock.  We are not amused.  A few hundred yards before we reach Kwagunt Hollow the water again starts flowing above ground.

Graffiti in Jumpup Canyon
10-3-2008 @ 8:59
Water in Jumpup Canyon
10-3-2008 @ 9:25

     Just a few minutes later and we reach Kwagunt Hollow, which will be our exit point from the Canyon later in the hike.

   
  Kwagunt Hollow
10-3-2008 @ 9:33
 

     South of Kwagunt Hollow, Jumpup Canyon narrows considerably and becomes a slot canyon.  Since there are no escape routes here, this would not be a good place to be during or just after a thunderstorm.  In another fifteen minutes, we reach Indian Hollow.  We are all surprised that its opening is so narrow.  We may explore up it some on our return in a few days.

Keith and Bob-Jumpup Canyon
10-3-2008 @ 10:05
A narrow Jumpup Canyon
10-3-2008 @ 10:07
Indian Hollow
10-3-2008 @ 10:17

     The bed of Jumpup Canyon is gravel, cobblestones, and small boulders, which have slowed our pace somewhat.  Contrary to what others have speculated about in their trip reports, I was able to get a GPS satellite lock in almost every place in Jumpup Canyon, even the narrow areas.  That allowed us to know exactly where we were at all times.  When we are just a few minutes before reaching Kanab Creek, we decide to stop and have lunch in the shade as it has been hot when we were in the sun.

   
  Jumpup Canyon
10-3-2008 @ 11:26
 

     After lunch we reach the intersection of Kanab Creek and Jumpup Canyon in just a few minutes.  I expected it to be a little more open, but the Canyon walls are still relatively close together.  We turn to the right in Kanab Creek and head upstream.  The sand in the creek bed at the intersection quickly gives way to more gravel and rocks.  We find one area with a lot of huge cactus in bloom.

Bob at the intersection
10-3-2008 @ 1:25
Kanab Creek - Jumpup Canyon
10-3-2008 @ 1:25
Cactus in bloom
10-3-2008 @ 1:54

     We are looking for water in the "Hidden Pool."  In his book, George Steck describes the pool as being at the second cleft on the left.  I marked a waypoint on my GPS at the location where my topo map shows a second indentation, which is about one-half mile upstream.  However, we don't find anything there and continue upstream.  About one mile upstream from Jumpup Canyon, we find a large crevice in the wall that looks promising.  Keith explores the back side of the crevice and finds a dead-end that is blocked by two large rocks.  He does not believe this is the hidden water source, but to be sure he throws a small stone over the two large rocks and we hear a splash.  Sure enough, all the reports about the water being hard to get at are correct.  We are able to feed my filter intake tube beneath the two large rocks and into the water for filtering.  We take turns filtering enough water for the next two days.  There is more graffiti that has been engraved on the sides of the wall near the water.

The "Hidden Pool" entrance
10-3-2008 @ 2:07
Part way back in "Hidden Pool"
10-3-2008 @ 2:12
The "Hidden Pool"
10-3-2008 @ 2:13
Bob filtering at "Hidden Pool"
10-3-2008 @ 2:23
Graffiti at the "Hidden Pool"
10-3-2008 @ 2:51
Graffiti at the "Hidden Pool"
10-3-2008 @ 2:51

     Just a hundred yards or so upstream we find a suitable camping spot on a sand bar/bench by the creek bed and set up camp.  Our plan tomorrow is to move camp upstream about four miles to Chamberlain Canyon for one night and carry extra water with us in case it is dry there.  The weather forecast calls for a fifty percent chance of rain tomorrow.

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