Desolation Canyon
Hike Review:
We hiked the Desolation Canyon Trail from the trailhead, to the terminus, and back the same way we came.
The trail started off as a hike along a wide river wash before it narrowed down to more of a ravine.
Unlike the Golden Canyon Trail, there were not many side trails one could take, so we stayed along the main trail.
There was only three other people that we saw on the trail. I would say less than 1/10th the popularity as the Golden Canyon Trail.
The parking lot was small, but there were plenty of spots, even at 11am.
The trail terminates as a highpoint, and the views were nice. The highlight of the trail wasn’t the view though, it was the two dryfall sections on the hike. One was about 5 ft tall, with the other being about 6 ft tall.
What I Learned:
I love dryfalls! It provided a fun distraction and I really enjoy these short 2nd class challenges on the trail.
Friend:
Jo accompanied me on the trail and she was a trooper. She even ascended the final section of the trail without stopping for a break.
What Happened?
3.8 miles, 1 hr 40 mins, 847 ft of ascent
We wanted to go on one more hike before lunch, so we drove to Desolation Canyon, which was just a mile or two from the Golden Canyon Trailhead. As we started walking, I spotted an entrance to a slot canyon off in the distance, and we told ourselves that we would check it out on the way back.
The trail itself was a wide river wash that kept getting narrower and narrower until we were in a ravine. I longed for the ravine section, as it was so much cooler in the shade than in the oppressive sun (even though I was hiking this in the winter, I could not believe how hot and dry it was). We hiked up the gentle slope of the trail until the final quarter mile, where the steepness really picked up.
After a short rest at the top, we hiked back to the trailhead. Jo pointed out the slot canyon entrance to me, but it was already 1pm, and I was hungry for lunch, so we vowed to come back next time for it. At the car, Jo cooked inari for us, which was unbelievably delicious and one of the best trail meals I’ve ever had.