Wolverine Canyon

I was up before sunrise to catch the near full moon as it set behind the cliffs on the Burr Trail. After a day and a half of stormy wet weather, I was very happy to see clear skies again. I thought…what the heck… I’m a gonna drive down that there Wolverine Road.
‘Twas in good shape, no need to worry about them washes bein’ washed out.

I set up camp in a great spot along the Circle Cliffs with a great view for sunsets. And then headed to the Wolverine Canyon trailhead. There were only two other cars at the trailhead when I set off on what would be a 12 mile hike.

One of the interesting facts about the Wolverine Canyon area that I had read about was that it was supposed to contain petrified wood. This was outlined on the small map provided to me at the ranger station as “Petrified Wood Study Area”. This was very interesting to me as I had visited the Petrified Forest National Park in 1980 and was not very impressed. My recollection was that there was a piece here and there. What I found in Wolverine Canyon was a whole different story. It was like going back to a land before time and I was certain that if I explored long enough, I would find dinosaur bones as well. Very strange terrain was prevalent in the mile or two leading to the entrance of the canyon. The stuff was everywhere!

Petrified wood is a tree that has turned completely into stone by a process called “permineralization”. All organic material has been replaced with minerals while retaining the original structure of the wood. Unlike other types of fossils which are typically impressions, petrified wood is a three dimensional representation of the original organic material. The petrifaction process occurs underground, when wood becomes buried under sediment and is initially preserved due to a lack of oxygen which inhibits aerobic decomposition. Water flowing through the sediment deposits minerals in the trees cells and a stone mold forms in its place.

Early on, making my way into the canyon, I passed a group of three college students on their way out that had backpacked overnight in the canyon. They would be the last people I would see for the rest of the day.

Once deep inside the canyon, I found it to be every bit as beautiful as any other canyon I have hiked. The canyon was very deep, with the sheer walls going straight up many hundreds of feet. They reminded me quite a bit of the Zion Narrows. The walls also had a great deal of sculpted pockets that were obviously formed by water erosion over the millenniums. And fascinating to find petrified wood many miles deep inside the canyon.

I wanted to follow the canyon all the way to its junction with Horse Canyon, but turned around a bit short of that goal due to time. I had a long way to hike back out and the narrow view of the skies above me were not very promising. Not completely socked in yet, but what I could see was very dark. If one was to continue to follow the canyon, it would eventually meet up with the Escalante River.

On the return trip, I got off track and a bit disoriented when I reached the area of the “Land Before Time”. In my fascination with all the petrified wood, I had not noticed that there was an intersection with another drainage. And of course after much contemplation, I chose the wrong way. Not the end of the world, but it would add a couple of miles to the days hike.

I moved at very quick pace as I watched the storm clouds moving in like a giant wave pouring over the surrounding buttes and mesas. About two miles from the trailhead it hit fast and furiously, with intense wind, hail and rain. I stopped briefly to stow my camera away in my backpack and donned its waterproof pack cover. Nothing like a little added drama to round out a good long hike.

Back at camp, as the storm moved to the east, I was graced with a nice sunset and some of the nicest light of the whole trip.

Hmm…I wonder what’s for dinner?…that’s right…Ramen and canned chicken…umm, umm, good!…think I’ll explore the mini slot canyons nearby camp tomorrow…a long tiring day…should sleep good tonight…