We meet at the Jacob Lake Inn at 7:30 for breakfast and then start the drive to the head of Jumpup Canyon. It's a lot farther here than I thought it would be and takes over an hour. An independent contractor is out front of the cabin doing some renovation work on its foundation.
The interior of the cabin is nicer than I expected with a stove, table, and carpet.
After some final packing, we assemble at the trailhead for a picture. Our group of eight consists of Tim Wyrick, Traci Wyrick, Richard Perry, Richard Erbe, Adrian Jantzi, Emily Jantzi, Rachel Jantzi, and Mike Yoder. This will be my first time to hike with any of the others. However, Tim, Traci, and I did a raft trip together two years ago.
The trail goes downhill in a hurry toward the bed of Jumpup Canyon.
Once at the bottom, the walking is very easy on a gravel creek bed. Pretty soon we come to an old fence and gate. I wonder if this was used to keep cattle in the northern section of the canyon.
We don't find many blooming flowers, but that is to be expected this time of year.
In just a little while, the canyon really opens up and is quite wide. Fortunately, the walking remains easy. It is hot, so we take our lunch break in the shade by the creek wall.
After lunch we continue down canyon until coming to a trail sign. The Ranger Trail branches to the west at this point. We were expecting to see a similar sign on the east side of the creek bed for the trail coming from Mountain Sheep Spring, but we do not find one.
In another half-mile, we come to Lower Jumpup Spring and immediately start seeing water in the creek bed. Someone has a tent set up on a flat rock area on the west side of the creek bed. We check out another campsite as an option for our last night. Leaving from here would make the hike out the last day easier. From this point on, the canyon walls begin to narrow considerably.
In a few minutes, the canyon narrows even more and we come to some ledges and a ladder built from limbs that we have to negotiate in order to reach the creek bed far below us. This is the spot that gave Jumpup Canyon its name. There is a lot more exposure here than is shown in the picture below. To help make the descent safer, Tim has brought some webbing. Click on any name below to see a short video of that person going down the ledges and ladder. Rachel Traci Emily Richard, Adrian, and Tim
We rope down our packs and continue down canyon. There are a few more minor obstacles to get past until we come to the intersection of Jumpup Canyon and Sowats Canyon. It is late in the day and we are all tired, so we make camp right here in the creek bed even though this is a poor spot.
Richard and I find a place up on the side of the creek bed big enough for our tent and bivy. The others just roll out their sleeping gear on the gravel creek bed.
Those of us without camp chairs are envious of the ones Traci and Tim have. Hmmm, those look so comfy I may have to buy one before my next hike.
Tomorrow we are moving camp up Sowats Canyon to Mountain Sheep Spring and then doing a day loop hike to the north of there. MAIN INDEX | HIKING INDEX | BACK TO PREFACE | FORWARD TO DAY 2
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