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Dark Canyon LbNA #5039

Owner:Adoptable
Plant date:Jun 1, 2003
Location:
City:None
County:San Juan
State:Utah
Boxes:1
Found by: Not yet found!
Last found:N/A
Last edited:Jun 1, 2003
Note 1: This letterbox is a long hike into a challenging, hostile, and remote part of the world, and the trailhead is over 10 miles from the nearest paved road. You should not attempt this letterbox without being or bringing along an experienced desert hiker. While it is possible to reach the letterbox and return in one day, we think most people will want to camp in the canyon.

Note 2: Please follow the route we have given for the final approach to the letterbox. While the clever letterboxer might figure out a final approach which appears shorter, we think the one we have chosen is the safest and best protects the desert from telltale and damaging erosion. The desert is quite fragile -- please be gentle.

Note 3: We suggest that you bring your own pen or pencil, as the desert environment may be too harsh for the ballpoint pen we left in the letterbox.


The clue:

Enter Dark Canyon via the Spanish Stairs (also known as the Sundance Trail). Once at the canyon bottom, head downstream. After a few meanders of the inner canyon, you will round a bend and come to an area with little vegetation, where you will see limestone benches on both sides of the stream. At the far end of the benches there is a fault, marked clearly by a large cleft coming in from the left. If you reach this fault, you have gone too far.

On the left side, not too far along the bench, find a small wash guarded by a juniper tree and a few very large, black limestone boulders. Go up it. A few yards up, you will come to an area of red sandstone with white splatters in it. Continue scrambling up the wash, hugging the left side of the sandstone. After several yards, turn right when you reach a large, flat, sloping area of sandstove which blocks further easy passage up the wash.

You will see a small boulder broken into 3-5 angular blocks. The side of it facing you is quite yellow and before it was broken was very flat. Go to the yellow stone, traversing carefully along bulbous, red sandstone. This sandstone is flaking off loose chunks -- be careful along the traverse. Just past the yellow rock is a large red sandstone boulder. On the far side of the boulder you will find the letterbox wedged between three more pieces of sandstone. There is a smaller rock placed on top of it to protect it from the sun. Retrace your steps to regain the canyon bottom.