Menu Close

Month: May 2011

Wolverine Petrified Forest adventure run – 28 miles

With yet another winter storm coming into northern Utah for Memorial Day, I decided at the last minute to escape the rain and drive 4.5 hours southeast to run through another hidden gem in Utah that most people don’t even knows exists.

I had a spectacular 8-hour, 28-mile run in an area unofficially called the Wolverine Petrified Forest.  I ran through two long slot canyons, Wolverine Creek and Little Death Hollow, and also visited the Escalante River.  The region I was in is protected by the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument.

Little Grand Canyon Adventure Run – 54 miles

The San Rafael Swell is a spectacular area of Utah that is generally overlooked by all except off-road vehicle enthusiasts.   The Swell is a large geologic feature located in south-central Utah about 75 miles by 40 miles.  It consists of a giant dome-shaped fold or swell of sandstone, shale, and limestone that was pushed up millions of years ago.  Numerous valleys, gorges, mesas and buttes have formed included what is referred to as the Little Grand Canyon which has been cut by the San Rafael River.  The area is managed by the BLM and certain portions are protected as Wilderness Study Areas.  The federal government has considered designating the area as a National Monument but no action is moving forward because of local concern about the impact on backcountry travel. Regardless, the area is spectacular enough to rival other national monuments and parks.

The area in the northwest section of San Rafael Swell is nicknamed “Little Grand Canyon.”  It resembles the Grand Canyon on a much smaller scale giving an easier opportunity to experience this wonder either inside its depths or on top of the rim.  The area on the rim is called “The Wedge.”  The canyon follows the river for 18 miles from Fuller Bottom to the San Rafael Bridge.