Today was a rare day because everything that we expected to happen really didn't. The plan was for Jacqueline and I to meet Drew and go try to make it to Chasm Lake from Kolob Reservoir. 
All of that went fine until, we actually got to the reservoir. There were private property signs up everywhere. One had a statement that men would be shot, women kidnapped, and children sold into slavery. We figured that person's property was not a good one to go on. So we found the only place that did not have a no trespassing sign and we headed out from there. We stayed on some dirt roads, just looking at the map to see where it might take us. Finally, we had to head off into the bushes. This would not have been such a bad prospect if it had not rained quite a bit the day before. While it was nice to not be dealing with the brutal Zion heat, it was muddy and wet. We seemed to cross an endless array of barbed wire fences and through many a bramble and gambel oak. The way was tough, but soon enough we could see Kolob come into view. Quite a spectacular view. 
This was not what we were looking for though as we wanted to see the famous Chasm Lake. We looked at the map and it told us that we needed to go north to have a shot. So that is what we did. The brush got thicker and we became more resilient. This was not what anyone had in mind, but with the incredible views we were getting including ones of the arch, we all agreed that it was worth the hike. Finally we came to a canyon. We were not positive, but we thought that it was probably the canyon above Chasm Lake. So we checked out Chasm Canyon and got quite a ways down before being cliffed out. It felt like we should be able to see the lake from there, but no luck. We headed back out of a steep drainage to our journey back through the weeds. We definitely hit 4th class bushwhacking on this day. 
Eventually, with much traversint of the landscape around, we left our incredible views of Beartrap, Willis, and La Verkin Creek canyons to another random dirt road. We were not sure where this one lead, but we followed it anyway. It popped out on another dirt road that looked like it was much bigger and could head down to La Verkin Creek area. I asked the group who wanted to go for it. Drew was not to keen on it and in the end it was definitely the right decision as there was not much hope of us making it down and up to Chasm Lake on this day. I felt bad for the group as I lead them on a wild goose chase to a lake so close, but yet so far from where we were. There is just no way to look at a map in Zion and really understand that, though we may be close, it isn't even close to good enough. Still, Zion has so much to offer, that we felt good about our day because of the unique perspective we got on the place. The road lead us back to our car in less than half an hour. We headed down the hill and we saw the owl researchers camped out. We figured they probably had something interesting in their sights. Turned out to be a condor.
I have seen plenty of condors at Grand Canyon, but none this close. We perused that for a bit and then headed back down the hill to resume our day to day lives.
All of that went fine until, we actually got to the reservoir. There were private property signs up everywhere. One had a statement that men would be shot, women kidnapped, and children sold into slavery. We figured that person's property was not a good one to go on. So we found the only place that did not have a no trespassing sign and we headed out from there. We stayed on some dirt roads, just looking at the map to see where it might take us. Finally, we had to head off into the bushes. This would not have been such a bad prospect if it had not rained quite a bit the day before. While it was nice to not be dealing with the brutal Zion heat, it was muddy and wet. We seemed to cross an endless array of barbed wire fences and through many a bramble and gambel oak. The way was tough, but soon enough we could see Kolob come into view. Quite a spectacular view. 
This was not what we were looking for though as we wanted to see the famous Chasm Lake. We looked at the map and it told us that we needed to go north to have a shot. So that is what we did. The brush got thicker and we became more resilient. This was not what anyone had in mind, but with the incredible views we were getting including ones of the arch, we all agreed that it was worth the hike. Finally we came to a canyon. We were not positive, but we thought that it was probably the canyon above Chasm Lake. So we checked out Chasm Canyon and got quite a ways down before being cliffed out. It felt like we should be able to see the lake from there, but no luck. We headed back out of a steep drainage to our journey back through the weeds. We definitely hit 4th class bushwhacking on this day. 
Eventually, with much traversint of the landscape around, we left our incredible views of Beartrap, Willis, and La Verkin Creek canyons to another random dirt road. We were not sure where this one lead, but we followed it anyway. It popped out on another dirt road that looked like it was much bigger and could head down to La Verkin Creek area. I asked the group who wanted to go for it. Drew was not to keen on it and in the end it was definitely the right decision as there was not much hope of us making it down and up to Chasm Lake on this day. I felt bad for the group as I lead them on a wild goose chase to a lake so close, but yet so far from where we were. There is just no way to look at a map in Zion and really understand that, though we may be close, it isn't even close to good enough. Still, Zion has so much to offer, that we felt good about our day because of the unique perspective we got on the place. The road lead us back to our car in less than half an hour. We headed down the hill and we saw the owl researchers camped out. We figured they probably had something interesting in their sights. Turned out to be a condor.
I have seen plenty of condors at Grand Canyon, but none this close. We perused that for a bit and then headed back down the hill to resume our day to day lives.
2 comments:
In 1996 I made a similar trek, but solo. Probably not as many No Trespassing signs then, Anyway, Easiest approach is from W side of reservoir, about halfway to north end, where a small picnic area or pullout is on the reservoir side of the road. Follow sideroad / shared driveway straight west, uphill slightly, through a small cowfield (I almost got gored by a bull), to high point, great view of Kolob. From there, easiest visual landmark is a spring-fed marsh/pond about halfway to Chasm Lake. From there, bushwhack straight West and you'll be on the "fin" between Chasm Lake's chasm and a VERY similar one just to its north, which is entirely on private land, and is the one your wonderful photo was taken from. (You can't see The Arch from atop Chasm Lake. Also, the walls of each chasm are distinct. I put my least-valued photo from the rim of Chasm Lake on Google Earth, as well as a picture of the "lake" itself from inside the chasm, which I took a few weeks later.)
Except after heavy rain and snowmelt the "Lake" has no drainage and is typically a nasty stagnant puddle in mid-summer.
BTW, I saw fresh bear tracks, the skeleton of a deer (or such) with a broken neck, presumably a predator's kill, and a couple of rattlers, so be careful up there.
If you really want, I can scan some of my better pictures of the place for you.
jfavino@hotmail.com
Oops, my bad.
Google Earth simulation = yes, you were at the little "branchy" canyon south of Chasm Lake.
Please forgive.
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