Lower Mule Canyon

Bears Ears National Monument

Click for map.

There's no need to drive anywhere from Comb Wash Campground (which is free to use but very much in the shadow of Comb Ridge in the morning) to find somewhere nice to hike. Had I not already learned I don't want to brave the sandy wash crossings in my little car, I might have driven the mile to the mouth of Mule Canyon. That would have been silly. There's all sorts of trails out of the campground, many of them going to the mouth of Mule Canyon, and at least one passing by ruins before even getting there. The lesson of the place is constantly just walk about and look and you will be rewarded. But do keep off the living crusts while doing it and take great care around any ruins or art sites.

below Comb Ridge — The local vegetation, a nearby wash, and the might of Comb Ridge above it all. The slot to the left was blasted through for the highway.

high edge of rock a fair bit to the west — The west edge of canyon of Comb Wash is far off from the wash itself.

One of many well trod trails through the low hills between the campground and Mule Canyon. The yellow marks the cottonwoods along the water route in Mule Canyon.

There's a fence that presumably should be helping to keep cattle out of the canyon, but it has been compromised. The canyon is wide and sandy at first and there are still a great number of trails to choose from. I go with one that looks about a bit close to the northern cliff edge before getting on with just hiking up the canyon.

plain cliff with much plain growth — It's a plain cliff on the north side of Mule Canyon with a vast plain of sages in front of it, but I may as well look closer.

branching canyon — The canyon ahead also offers many choices for where to explore.

Continuing up the canyon, the trails seem to gather a little bit, but there are still a lot. The wash is choked with vegetation for a little bit and probably a bit wet, but once it turns more open and sandy, there does seem to be one solid trail. I wonder if it might not be helped out by the stock that are allowed in this lower part of the canyon for people who would rather ride than walk. There's some indication in the trail that folks have taken them up on the offer to bring their horses.

cottonwoods turning yellow — Down into the woods of cottonwoods. The rabbit bush also offers some yellow to the world.

entry from the right — A bigger tributary that I won't be exploring today. The trees look happy enough.

trail and mouth of the canyon — Back along the trail to the mouth of Mule Canyon.

south side with very large ledges — Mustn't forget to glance at the south side of the canyon once in while. The thick ledges seem like individual remote worlds.

From time to time, I can see walls on the distant cliffs. I think. There are no trails going that way, which tends to support the idea that the use here is often on stock. There were hundreds of footprints on the trails into the canyon, but once actually traveling it, I can only see one set in the stiffer sandy dirt.

splitting canyon — The canyon divides again and again.

lower ledge that is village sized — A whole village could be sitting up on some of these platforms between the wash and the mesa and I would never know it.

dry wash — Just a dry, sandy wash through here.

rocks with holes in them — A keyhole in the canyon up ahead brings to mind kissing rocks.

The smallest bit of surface water is evident as things start to look like they might flow more often than the sandy areas. Then there is a smell and a narrow channel of surface water. Further along there is flow and not so much smell. Also not so much freedom to jump across the channel to the easier footing or just go up the middle.

rounded tops everywhere — Perhaps that is not a keyhole after all, now that I see it more closely.

water in a narrow channel between grasses — The canyon is narrower, the floor is narrower, and down the middle is a narrow channel of water.

The canyon is narrower and the trail hard to follow. I must have passed the point where people are willing to ride. There are still those few footsteps. There might actually be two pairs. The water doesn't last long and then there is a rocky jumble to navigate. Somewhere up by the road, there is a "waterfall" that is basically the end of this lower section of the canyon. I look around for ways out, but they are not forthcoming. The canyon is tall and many layers look ready to make a barrier, but there are places where tumbling rocks might let a hiker pass. There must be. The footprints only go one way.

narrow pillar — Such a thin pillar to mark the canyon.

jumble of rocks in a dry canyon — Dry again as the rocks become jumbled and harder to navigate.

layers above with cliffs — A little of the layers that present challenges to exiting the canyon.

pool in the grass — Another bit of water coming to the surface briefly.

I am coming on less of anything like a trail and the end of the canyon is soon. I'm reluctant to not actually see the end, but also reluctant to keep maneuvering over these rocks. I've been 7.5 miles now and think I'll turn back now. I'm fairly certain the other footprints went further, but I have no plan to get out of the canyon and find a different way back. I'd have to choose just the right place.

Just a bit of canyon wall along the way.

domes from another angle — Back to the arm of rock covered in domes.

red glop of rock in grey — Even the little rocks have their secrets.

The trail comes up quickly. I choose some other trails on the way down, but sometimes these become all too much of deer paths. I expect them to be as strong in the middle as they are when they start, but sometimes they seem to just fade away. The deer get a little way and vanish? I'm probably just not seeing their little prints when they take off into the surrounding area instead of keeping to the trail defined within the biological crusts.

stripes of color down the rock layers — Layers staining other layers with their color.

gentle slope to a platform — There is almost a route up to that world a little above the flood plain. The last few layers still seem to be cliffs.

end of the canyon — The wide canyon mouth is still a fair distance away, but now Comb Ridge features in the view.

My choices for trails through the more choked areas are not as good as one the way out. I think there was a steep slope I failed to climb back up. Instead, I get to be up close and personal with that growth. There's plenty of footprints here, too, but I often have to duck branches. Indeed, there is surface water in the area and it is stinkier than that last little bit above.

water and much growth — I definitely found water in some close quarters with a lot of plants.

orange and black flight and spotted underside feathers — I expect a hawk found a meal here.

Lots of holes in the rocks all in a row.

the right light — The colors are really showing up well with the late light.

I take a different trail back to the campground, too, but this is on purpose to see things a little differently. And I do. It might be a little longer.