Running on Empty - JFR’s trip report, Sept 11-15, 2022

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Ed_on_WD said:
JFR, is the giant water cave that you camped in, by chance, the famous Bechan Cave?

I've read about the dung of Columbian Mammoths and Giant Ground Sloths being found in Bechan, and I've always wondered how difficult getting to it would be. I find myself wondering how different the region's vegetation was 12,000 years ago to be able to support such megafauna.



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No, it was a bit smaller than Bechan Cave, which is a couple of miles up Bowns Canyon. A great hike for sure, and an impressive cave, but always way above even the highest lake level…. I was up to that cave a couple of years ago, an easy enough hike if you know where you’re going. Maybe takes 45 minutes or an hour from the lake…

Here’s three shots I took of Bechan Cave in 2020–one on approach, one looking out, one looking in. Very cool place.

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And if anyone wants to see a good illustration of change at Lake Powell, compare these two shots taken at nearly the same spot in Bowns Canyon. The first was in 2020, when the lake was at 3599. The second was just a couple of weeks ago at 3530….

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Ed_on_WD said:
JFR, is the giant water cave that you camped in, by chance, the famous Bechan Cave?

I've read about the dung of Columbian Mammoths and Giant Ground Sloths being found in Bechan, and I've always wondered how difficult getting to it would be. I find myself wondering how different the region's vegetation was 12,000 years ago to be able to support such megafauna.



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Ed, you bring up an amazing point...Giant Ground sloths? Colombian Mammoths at our lake? You inspired me to search....sloths 15 feet high and weighing 3 tons? WOW....(the only sloths I see now are my friends 35 yr old kids living in the basement, but I digress)

If you could post any links to that amazing history, and how they camped in Bechan, much appreciated. 🙏

JFR, I've been captivated by your thread, mucho thanks. Always a treat.

A couple o questions, tho....

Were you able to hike past La Gorce to that cave on the right where that great panel of pictographs were? They were stunning before '83 high water.

Also, a more mundane question....why do you pitch a tent? I used a super comfy bedroll on the deck of a 17' Winner and an 18' Maxum for years. Didn't think I needed a tent, but maybe I was missing something? :unsure:

Again, thanks for this great thread, great pics, and thanks to everyone for their pithy comments......

(y)
 
Rainbowbridge said:
Ed, you bring up an amazing point...Giant Ground sloths? Colombian Mammoths at our lake? You inspired me to search....sloths 15 feet high and weighing 3 tons? WOW....(the only sloths I see now are my friends 35 yr old kids living in the basement, but I digress)

If you could post any links to that amazing history, and how they camped in Bechan, much appreciated. 🙏

JFR, I've been captivated by your thread, mucho thanks. Always a treat.

A couple o questions, tho....

Were you able to hike past La Gorce to that cave on the right where that great panel of pictographs were? They were stunning before '83 high water.

Also, a more mundane question....why do you pitch a tent? I used a super comfy bedroll on the deck of a 17' Winner and an 18' Maxum for years. Didn't think I needed a tent, but maybe I was missing something? :unsure:

Again, thanks for this great thread, great pics, and thanks to everyone for their pithy comments......

(y)
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Rainbow— here’s a link to a pretty scholarly overview about the contents of Bechan Cave (and no, none of it remains now):


And thanks for your interest in this thread. I enjoy posting stuff like this. No, I didn’t get to the petroglyphs in Davis this time… always choices to make, and at low water it took a solid 30 minutes or so just to walk to LaGorce Arch..

Why a tent? Good question. Mostly to allow protection in case it rains, although in this case both my camps were in caves or nooks that would have stayed dry. I also do it to establish a presence, because people tend to respect a tent more than a chair when they consider poaching your campsite (although I learned a couple of years ago that’s not always the case). I also do it to keep the snakes and scorpions out, because who wants those under your pillow?

Mostly I just do it out of habit. And it’s fun to set up that tent.
 
JFR, that was an amazing interesting educational article, again thanks, and your pics sure bring it to life.

Had to break out Stan's maps from the 80s and interesting he never mentions Bechan cave....just 'cascades' up Bowns.
Perhaps he didn't want to advertise it to preserve the archeological and historical integrity. Who could blame him.

Would have loved to be sitting around the campfire at night listening to these sages talk 'dung'......

;)
 
Rainbowbridge said:
JFR, that was an amazing interesting educational article, again thanks, and your pics sure bring it to life.

Had to break out Stan's maps from the 80s and interesting he never mentions Bechan cave....just 'cascades' up Bowns.
Perhaps he didn't want to advertise it to preserve the archeological and historical integrity. Who could blame him.

Would have loved to be sitting around the campfire at night listening to these sages talk 'dung'......

;)
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It's well-documented in the Kelsey books. Actually, that's where I've found many of my favorite hikes and features on LP.
 
BartsPlace said:
It's well-documented in the Kelsey books. Actually, that's where I've found many of my favorite hikes and features on LP.
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Thanks for the reminder, you nudged me to dig out my old Kelsey book......1996 edition, (bought at DR) and yes he explains it almost as eloquently as JFR.... ;)

Love it when he asks: Now how did mammoths get in that cave? :unsure:

One of his sobering comments in the '96 version is where he mentions 1991 as being 'a low water year'...at 3639

Perception and hindsight are interesting........
 
Rainbowbridge said:
Thanks for the reminder, you nudged me to dig out my old Kelsey book......1996 edition, (bought at DR) and yes he explains it almost as eloquently as JFR.... ;)

Love it when he asks: Now how did mammoths get in that cave? :unsure:

One of his sobering comments in the '96 version is where he mentions 1991 as being 'a low water year'...at 3639

Perception and hindsight are interesting........
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I remember it well.
It was a low water year!
I would take it now tho…. No questions asked🤣
 
Rainbowbridge said:
Ed, you bring up an amazing point...Giant Ground sloths? Colombian Mammoths at our lake? You inspired me to search....sloths 15 feet high and weighing 3 tons? WOW....(the only sloths I see now are my friends 35 yr old kids living in the basement, but I digress)

If you could post any links to that amazing history, and how they camped in Bechan, much appreciated. 🙏
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Rainbowbridge, here is a link to a Wikipedia article on Bechan Cave: Bechan Cave - Wikipedia
They say that it contains the largest collection of coprolites (ancient poo) in North America.
 
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Stuart Hepworth said:
Ok...I admit, I hate that you are advertising Bown's Canyon and Bechan Cave. But, I can't help but agree with how awesome it is and loved seeing your pics. What about Long Canyon, though? Did you look at accessing it all?
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Well I agree there’s always a fine line between publicity and secrecy, and I want to protect resources, but Bechan Cave is pretty well known. And in all honesty, there are many alcoves up and down Lake Powell that rival (or even exceed) Bechan Cave for scenery.

But I’m glad you liked the pics.

Didn’t go up Long Canyon this time, but could have via the bench from the oil field trail… looked pretty nice! Have you been up there much?
 
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I was mostly talking tongue-in-cheek...wasn't trying to chastise you on the post. Every time I have been in there, I have felt a huge sense of solitude and remoteness that I have never felt in other places. I have been in that area a couple of times...we hiked up Long Canyon to the end and back to our boat in one day. I have never been so sore and wore out and swore I'd never do it again. I'm dying to do it again...
 
My dream trip was "ruined" in Bown's canyon several years ago. I had a glorious itinerary all planned out and we stopped for lunch in Bown's, started exploring, got up to the pond you were talking about, and played around. It ended up consuming a better part of the day and shot my itinerary to pieces but that was also the dawn of realization that you can go just about anywhere and find something to explore and do. In the years since we have spent many hours finding a "crack in the wall" and exploring it.

I have been excited about Gregory Arch and waited to see it with great anticipation. I am generally ambivalent about water level because different water levels mean different experiences. My knees don't cooperate real well anymore so hiking is not so much in the cards. My only real complaint about the lower water level is that you can't get farther back in 50 mile by boat. It has always been one of my most favorite canyons on the lake.
 
Slots-R-Us said:
My dream trip was "ruined" in Bown's canyon several years ago. I had a glorious itinerary all planned out and we stopped for lunch in Bown's, started exploring, got up to the pond you were talking about, and played around. It ended up consuming a better part of the day and shot my itinerary to pieces but that was also the dawn of realization that you can go just about anywhere and find something to explore and do. In the years since we have spent many hours finding a "crack in the wall" and exploring it.

I have been excited about Gregory Arch and waited to see it with great anticipation. I am generally ambivalent about water level because different water levels mean different experiences. My knees don't cooperate real well anymore so hiking is not so much in the cards. My only real complaint about the lower water level is that you can't get farther back in 50 mile by boat. It has always been one of my most favorite canyons on the lake.
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For the record, 50-mile is one of my favorites too…
 
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