Tiff Mapel
Escalante-Class Member
Good morning, Wordlings,
Today's adventure takes us to Bowns Canyon, a fantastic little pocket at the end of the "Rincon Gauntlet." We were there in summer 2021, and Bowns had a very nice beach at the end--perfect for one houseboat. Some of you may remember Guy Robertson of Marine Services in Page. He passed away a few years ago, but he was with us on our Bowns hike in October of 2005. Great guy, that Guy.
Enjoy!
Tiff
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Bowns Canyon
Hiked in October of 2005
Published Spring issue 2006
Bowns Canyon is located between buoys 74 and 75 in the mid-lake region of Lake Powell. As you head downlake from Bullfrog, it is about twenty miles from Bullfrog
Marina. As you navigate downlake, you’ll pass the Rincon and the long, straight stretch where Air Force planes like to go thundering above you, a few miles before the confluence of the Escalante River arm.
Bowns Canyon is at the end of the long straight corridor, and shares its mouth with Long Canyon on the river-right side of the channel. As you enter, Bowns Canyon is the fork on the left, Long Canyon is the fork on the right.
Bowns Canyon was named for Will Bowns, a Utah cattleman who developed the Sandy Ranch a few miles south of Notom, Utah, settling in 1889. Bowns ran his herd of both cattle and sheep in the Bowns/Long area between the years 1909 and 1913. Back then, Bowns was a lush place. The grasses were thick and tall. The canyon floor was flat and fairly smooth. It must have been a great place to put cattle back in the day. Nearly a hundred years later, Bowns is quite different. The cattle had overgrazed it in the past, and the lush grasses are gone. Any grasses growing there today are likely the result of being introduced by the cattle themselves.
On a clear October day, five of us made the journey to Bowns: Guy Robertson, of Marine Services in Page, Arizona; Kip and Melissa Bennett of Lake Powell Furniture in Page, Arizona; Dave Tate from Flagstaff, Arizona; and myself.
The water ends a short way into Bowns, not even a mile. At lower water levels, like those we experienced at 3,601 feet of elevation, the canyon ends in a sloping dry waterfall in the Wingate Sandstone layer. When the water is higher you can boat over this waterfall; pulling your boat up to shore is no problem, and makes for an easier hike up the canyon.
In our situation, we had to head back out of the dead end. Just around the corner on the left side is a large rockslide, which will allow access to the upper benches. This rockfall will be on the right side of the canyon as you enter from the mouth of the canyon.
The shore is rocky, and anchoring a boat can be tricky here. But once it’s secure, scramble up the rocks on the left side of the talus slope, and you’ll quickly find the trail. The good news is, this is the most difficult part of the hike, and fortunately it’s a short one. Just be sure to take your time and be careful on the rocks.
This is part of the Bennett’s Oil Field Trail. Parts of this trail had been blasted out with dynamite by the miners, and today you can still see the holes where they drilled into the rock. When you reach the upper bench, bear left for Bowns, or right for Long.
Once we had topped out on the Kayenta Bench, which overlies the Wingate layer, hiking was relatively easy and smooth. You can hike the bench the entire length of
the canyon, and it becomes the Black Trail.
We instead chose to plunge down into the streambed, where small pools of water captured our fancy. There were algae and water bugs in the clear pools, and the occasional dragonfly stopped by for a visit. There were willows and cottonwoods near the water, and cattails swayed in the breeze.
Leopard frogs were abundant, as they hopped frantically to get out of our way. Several small gray toads no bigger than your thumbnail were found in the streambed as well. The amphibians rule this canyon.
As you keep going up canyon, it widens out and is fairly flat. The hiking in the streambed is easy, as it is over smooth sandstone polished by the occasional flood. Here, too, the frogs and toads hopped all over the slick rock, jumping back into their small pools. The stream in Bowns Canyon is ephemeral, meaning it only runs when there is runoff from rains.
However, it is obvious that there is substantial groundwater in this canyon. The willow and cottonwood trees were plentiful and healthy. These trees can only exist if there’s water, and they looked to be doing quite well. The good news about Bowns Canyon is that no tamarisk or tumbleweeds were found. This appears to be one of the nicest Lake Powell canyons that hasn’t been invaded by non-native species. Even the pools were free from the intruding crayfish, allowing the amphibians to thrive.
Up until 1988, a few wild horses and stray cattle called Bowns Canyon home. In October of 1988, the National Park Service rounded up the feral horses and cattle, and removed them from the canyons.
At the far upper reaches of the canyons, a wire fence was installed to keep further range animals from entering. Not only do the animals contribute to over-grazing the native plants, but they also add to erosion with the trail systems they create in the canyons. Cattle and horses are also responsible for trampling various ruins throughout a variety of canyons in Glen Canyon National Recreation Area. Some ruins in Long Canyon sustained damage from cattle in the past.
As you continue up Bowns Canyon, the hike is a relatively flat grade over the polished slick rock flood wash. You can see evidence of recent floods with debris wrapped around trees and boulders. As you hike up, there’s a small grotto on the left side with a small spring issuing from its alcove. There are a lot of springs and seeps within Bowns Canyon. We saw many seeps on the east wall of the canyon, the sandstone stained black in wide streaks.
Soon a large pond comes into view. The pond is choked with cattails and other grasses—a perfect haven for the multitude of frogs and toads that call this canyon home. Just beyond the pond, the canyon forks in two. The left fork will take you past beaver ponds as it heads north.
Eventually, you’ll come to a steep slick rock trail on the left; this will get you out of Bowns. You can hike west over the top of the slick rock a few miles and come to an overlook where you can see Zane Grey Arch in Explorer Canyon, in the upper end of the Escalante.
I’m told that you’ll need rope to drop into Explorer Canyon if you want to continue down that way. We’ll save that adventure for another time. If you want to stay in the left fork and go beyond the exit trail, you’ll come to two caves on the left side of the canyon, and some pictographs just beyond the caves.
Back to the right canyon, or east fork of Bowns, the hike continues up the smooth slick rock flood wash. This alternates with patches of sand and a few small pools. Cottonwood trees are more abundant, and are likely fed by a good supply of groundwater.
Nearly halfway up the east fork, an old cedar fence is visible on both sides of the canyon. It is surmised that Will Bowns built this fence to keep his cattle contained. That would make this fence about 100 years old. It obviously doesn’t stretch across the entire canyon, as flood would have taken out the middle portion long ago. We certainly didn’t see evidence of the fence in the middle of the canyon.
Not far beyond this fence a huge cave comes into view, on the right side of the canyon. When you hike off the slick rock in the center of the canyon, you can easily find an old cattle trail in the sand and sage; follow it to get to the cave. Watch out for cactus, but it’s a relatively easy walk.
This is called Bechan Cave, and is the main attraction for hiking in Bowns Canyon. It is situated fifty or so feet up above the canyon floor, faces west, and is set into the Navajo Sandstone layer. You’ll have to scramble up a steep rock slope to get to it, but experiencing the inside of the cave is well worth the effort.
The opening of Bechan Cave is about 103 feet wide, the ceiling is about 30 feet high, and the cave goes back about 175 feet. This is one of the biggest caves in Glen Canyon. From the entrance of the cave, we surveyed the peace and quiet of the canyon below. Cottonwood and juniper trees grew sporadically in the canyon interspersed with sage and cactus. Ravens soared on thermals, keeping an eye on us as we sat to eat our lunch in the cool shade of the cave.
After lunch we explored the cave’s recesses. The patterns in the sandstone ceiling swirl and whirl, and you could stare at them all day. This cave is several thousand years old, perhaps several hundred thousand, carved out by relentless winds and the scouring action of sand particles.
The floor of the cave is sandy with a few small boulders of sandstone strewn about. In the back left corner of the cave lies the one thing that makes this cave so interesting and noteworthy: a deposit that is many thousands of years old. It was carbon-dated between 11,000 and 13,000 years old. This particular deposit wouldn’t be considered glamorous by today’s standards, but since it was studied by a variety of scientists it is definitely worth talking about.
The deposit is one of petrified animal remains—dung, to be exact. But what makes this deposit so unique is that the dung is from extinct mammals that used to thrive in this region of the Colorado Plateau from 11,000 to 13,000 years ago.
Large mammals like the wooly mammoth and giant ground sloth were common during this time period, known as the Pleistocene Epoch. In addition, a relative of the modern-day camel lived in these parts.
The “dung blanket” of Bechan Cave holds fossilized fecal remains from all these animals. Even pieces of hair from these animals were discovered in the remains. Interestingly, no bones were recovered. This was obviously a gathering place for these animals, and not a burial ground.
Going back 11,000 to 13,000 years, we have to realize that the climate was quite a bit different than it is today. You’re probably wondering, what was a wooly mammoth doing in the desert? Back then, the climate was wetter and cooler.
During this time period, blue spruce and water birch were common trees. But during this time period there was also a change in vegetation. The spruce and birch were in decline, and were gradually being replaced by oak.
Now, the spruce and birch are found in higher elevations to the north in the Henry Mountains. The canyon also likely looked a lot different than it does today. Perhaps the floor of the canyon was higher, making it even with the opening of Bechan Cave. That would explain how the animals could get into the cave for shelter. Now, the slope in front of the cave is too steep for even cattle or horses to negotiate safely.
We can only speculate what life was like for these animals, and what the landscape looked like. How much water was present? Were there other plants that are now extinct too? When man finally arrived and hunted the mammoth, did he spend time in Bechan Cave too? What was Bowns Canyon like when these animals left?
We may never know these answers, but we can know Bowns today. It is but one intriguing canyon among hundreds on the Colorado Plateau. It holds gorgeously breath-taking scenery and secrets of the past too.
Spend a day in this serene, ancient canyon, and discover Bechan Cave for yourself.
Today's adventure takes us to Bowns Canyon, a fantastic little pocket at the end of the "Rincon Gauntlet." We were there in summer 2021, and Bowns had a very nice beach at the end--perfect for one houseboat. Some of you may remember Guy Robertson of Marine Services in Page. He passed away a few years ago, but he was with us on our Bowns hike in October of 2005. Great guy, that Guy.
Enjoy!
Tiff
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Bowns Canyon
Hiked in October of 2005
Published Spring issue 2006
Bowns Canyon is located between buoys 74 and 75 in the mid-lake region of Lake Powell. As you head downlake from Bullfrog, it is about twenty miles from Bullfrog
Marina. As you navigate downlake, you’ll pass the Rincon and the long, straight stretch where Air Force planes like to go thundering above you, a few miles before the confluence of the Escalante River arm.
Bowns Canyon is at the end of the long straight corridor, and shares its mouth with Long Canyon on the river-right side of the channel. As you enter, Bowns Canyon is the fork on the left, Long Canyon is the fork on the right.
Bowns Canyon was named for Will Bowns, a Utah cattleman who developed the Sandy Ranch a few miles south of Notom, Utah, settling in 1889. Bowns ran his herd of both cattle and sheep in the Bowns/Long area between the years 1909 and 1913. Back then, Bowns was a lush place. The grasses were thick and tall. The canyon floor was flat and fairly smooth. It must have been a great place to put cattle back in the day. Nearly a hundred years later, Bowns is quite different. The cattle had overgrazed it in the past, and the lush grasses are gone. Any grasses growing there today are likely the result of being introduced by the cattle themselves.
On a clear October day, five of us made the journey to Bowns: Guy Robertson, of Marine Services in Page, Arizona; Kip and Melissa Bennett of Lake Powell Furniture in Page, Arizona; Dave Tate from Flagstaff, Arizona; and myself.
The water ends a short way into Bowns, not even a mile. At lower water levels, like those we experienced at 3,601 feet of elevation, the canyon ends in a sloping dry waterfall in the Wingate Sandstone layer. When the water is higher you can boat over this waterfall; pulling your boat up to shore is no problem, and makes for an easier hike up the canyon.
In our situation, we had to head back out of the dead end. Just around the corner on the left side is a large rockslide, which will allow access to the upper benches. This rockfall will be on the right side of the canyon as you enter from the mouth of the canyon.
The shore is rocky, and anchoring a boat can be tricky here. But once it’s secure, scramble up the rocks on the left side of the talus slope, and you’ll quickly find the trail. The good news is, this is the most difficult part of the hike, and fortunately it’s a short one. Just be sure to take your time and be careful on the rocks.
This is part of the Bennett’s Oil Field Trail. Parts of this trail had been blasted out with dynamite by the miners, and today you can still see the holes where they drilled into the rock. When you reach the upper bench, bear left for Bowns, or right for Long.
Once we had topped out on the Kayenta Bench, which overlies the Wingate layer, hiking was relatively easy and smooth. You can hike the bench the entire length of
the canyon, and it becomes the Black Trail.
We instead chose to plunge down into the streambed, where small pools of water captured our fancy. There were algae and water bugs in the clear pools, and the occasional dragonfly stopped by for a visit. There were willows and cottonwoods near the water, and cattails swayed in the breeze.
Leopard frogs were abundant, as they hopped frantically to get out of our way. Several small gray toads no bigger than your thumbnail were found in the streambed as well. The amphibians rule this canyon.
As you keep going up canyon, it widens out and is fairly flat. The hiking in the streambed is easy, as it is over smooth sandstone polished by the occasional flood. Here, too, the frogs and toads hopped all over the slick rock, jumping back into their small pools. The stream in Bowns Canyon is ephemeral, meaning it only runs when there is runoff from rains.
However, it is obvious that there is substantial groundwater in this canyon. The willow and cottonwood trees were plentiful and healthy. These trees can only exist if there’s water, and they looked to be doing quite well. The good news about Bowns Canyon is that no tamarisk or tumbleweeds were found. This appears to be one of the nicest Lake Powell canyons that hasn’t been invaded by non-native species. Even the pools were free from the intruding crayfish, allowing the amphibians to thrive.
Up until 1988, a few wild horses and stray cattle called Bowns Canyon home. In October of 1988, the National Park Service rounded up the feral horses and cattle, and removed them from the canyons.
At the far upper reaches of the canyons, a wire fence was installed to keep further range animals from entering. Not only do the animals contribute to over-grazing the native plants, but they also add to erosion with the trail systems they create in the canyons. Cattle and horses are also responsible for trampling various ruins throughout a variety of canyons in Glen Canyon National Recreation Area. Some ruins in Long Canyon sustained damage from cattle in the past.
As you continue up Bowns Canyon, the hike is a relatively flat grade over the polished slick rock flood wash. You can see evidence of recent floods with debris wrapped around trees and boulders. As you hike up, there’s a small grotto on the left side with a small spring issuing from its alcove. There are a lot of springs and seeps within Bowns Canyon. We saw many seeps on the east wall of the canyon, the sandstone stained black in wide streaks.
Soon a large pond comes into view. The pond is choked with cattails and other grasses—a perfect haven for the multitude of frogs and toads that call this canyon home. Just beyond the pond, the canyon forks in two. The left fork will take you past beaver ponds as it heads north.
Eventually, you’ll come to a steep slick rock trail on the left; this will get you out of Bowns. You can hike west over the top of the slick rock a few miles and come to an overlook where you can see Zane Grey Arch in Explorer Canyon, in the upper end of the Escalante.
I’m told that you’ll need rope to drop into Explorer Canyon if you want to continue down that way. We’ll save that adventure for another time. If you want to stay in the left fork and go beyond the exit trail, you’ll come to two caves on the left side of the canyon, and some pictographs just beyond the caves.
Back to the right canyon, or east fork of Bowns, the hike continues up the smooth slick rock flood wash. This alternates with patches of sand and a few small pools. Cottonwood trees are more abundant, and are likely fed by a good supply of groundwater.
Nearly halfway up the east fork, an old cedar fence is visible on both sides of the canyon. It is surmised that Will Bowns built this fence to keep his cattle contained. That would make this fence about 100 years old. It obviously doesn’t stretch across the entire canyon, as flood would have taken out the middle portion long ago. We certainly didn’t see evidence of the fence in the middle of the canyon.
Not far beyond this fence a huge cave comes into view, on the right side of the canyon. When you hike off the slick rock in the center of the canyon, you can easily find an old cattle trail in the sand and sage; follow it to get to the cave. Watch out for cactus, but it’s a relatively easy walk.
This is called Bechan Cave, and is the main attraction for hiking in Bowns Canyon. It is situated fifty or so feet up above the canyon floor, faces west, and is set into the Navajo Sandstone layer. You’ll have to scramble up a steep rock slope to get to it, but experiencing the inside of the cave is well worth the effort.
The opening of Bechan Cave is about 103 feet wide, the ceiling is about 30 feet high, and the cave goes back about 175 feet. This is one of the biggest caves in Glen Canyon. From the entrance of the cave, we surveyed the peace and quiet of the canyon below. Cottonwood and juniper trees grew sporadically in the canyon interspersed with sage and cactus. Ravens soared on thermals, keeping an eye on us as we sat to eat our lunch in the cool shade of the cave.
After lunch we explored the cave’s recesses. The patterns in the sandstone ceiling swirl and whirl, and you could stare at them all day. This cave is several thousand years old, perhaps several hundred thousand, carved out by relentless winds and the scouring action of sand particles.
The floor of the cave is sandy with a few small boulders of sandstone strewn about. In the back left corner of the cave lies the one thing that makes this cave so interesting and noteworthy: a deposit that is many thousands of years old. It was carbon-dated between 11,000 and 13,000 years old. This particular deposit wouldn’t be considered glamorous by today’s standards, but since it was studied by a variety of scientists it is definitely worth talking about.
The deposit is one of petrified animal remains—dung, to be exact. But what makes this deposit so unique is that the dung is from extinct mammals that used to thrive in this region of the Colorado Plateau from 11,000 to 13,000 years ago.
Large mammals like the wooly mammoth and giant ground sloth were common during this time period, known as the Pleistocene Epoch. In addition, a relative of the modern-day camel lived in these parts.
The “dung blanket” of Bechan Cave holds fossilized fecal remains from all these animals. Even pieces of hair from these animals were discovered in the remains. Interestingly, no bones were recovered. This was obviously a gathering place for these animals, and not a burial ground.
Going back 11,000 to 13,000 years, we have to realize that the climate was quite a bit different than it is today. You’re probably wondering, what was a wooly mammoth doing in the desert? Back then, the climate was wetter and cooler.
During this time period, blue spruce and water birch were common trees. But during this time period there was also a change in vegetation. The spruce and birch were in decline, and were gradually being replaced by oak.
Now, the spruce and birch are found in higher elevations to the north in the Henry Mountains. The canyon also likely looked a lot different than it does today. Perhaps the floor of the canyon was higher, making it even with the opening of Bechan Cave. That would explain how the animals could get into the cave for shelter. Now, the slope in front of the cave is too steep for even cattle or horses to negotiate safely.
We can only speculate what life was like for these animals, and what the landscape looked like. How much water was present? Were there other plants that are now extinct too? When man finally arrived and hunted the mammoth, did he spend time in Bechan Cave too? What was Bowns Canyon like when these animals left?
We may never know these answers, but we can know Bowns today. It is but one intriguing canyon among hundreds on the Colorado Plateau. It holds gorgeously breath-taking scenery and secrets of the past too.
Spend a day in this serene, ancient canyon, and discover Bechan Cave for yourself.
