Macomb Arch in San Juan County.

Roy and I finally, not only found the road to Macomb Arch, but were able to hike and climb up to it.  Our dog, Jenna, was along with us; she has proven to be, not just a great companion, but excellent climber herself.  I first mentioned spotting the arch when I wrote about Steens Road, but didn't want to ride off into the back country alone. Good thing too, since the road to Macomb Arch does require a wee bit of rock crawling at the beginning; Roy is more adept at that than I am.

I was able to dig up a bit of history pertaining to the naming of Macomb Arch and it has nothing to do with a rancher.  This arch of Entrada sandstone was named after Captain John N. Macomb of the Corps of Topographical Engineers; sent to Utah in 1859 to create maps of San Juan County, determine the potential for mineral mining and survey the course of the San Juan River.



Now for a map, details on finding the arch and a lot more photos.

After turning onto East Canyon Road (CR 105), go 1.8 miles to Peters Wash Road (CR 108) and make a left turn onto it.  After one mile, you'll reach the old windmill and barbed wire/wooden post gate; open the gate, drive through and make sure to close the gate.








Drive one more mile and you'll see a dirt trail leading off to the east; follow it with your eye and you can see how it travels up a small hill and out to Deer Neck Mesa.  This dirt road quickly turns to rocky terrain as you go up and over that small hill.  Eventually it turns back into dirt; and here's a hint to help you find the road...look for the two rock formations that look like two petrified piles of dino poop (that's what they look they to me at least).


Looking back towards CR 108

This entire road to Macomb Arch is only 1.7 miles; at 1.6 miles you'll have to open and close another barbed wire/wooden post gate; park 1/10th of a mile after that to hike to the arch. The hike to the arch itself is about 1/4 of a mile; from the trail and as you walk to it, you'll get different viewpoints of the arch itself.  The climb up to the arch itself is about 200 feet; the sandstone fin is still a slippery walk even though it is dry.








The Views of Macomb Arch



Notice the miniature version of Mexican Hat at the top of the sandstone fin

Jenna and I made the climb up to the arch.  I was going to try and climb up into the arch itself, but even with good hiking boots on, I began to slide downwards.  I turned and plopped on my arse quickly to keep from sliding all the way down into the gully below.

Roy had the same difficulty as I; he managed to walk around to the edge of the fin to see if it was any easier climbing around the other side.  Nope, it was steep all the way around and that gully looked very far, far down.

But wait, there's more!  After leaving the arch, we drove the SUV further eastward on the dirt road and found caves within one of the fins.

Of course I can't forget the beautiful plant life growing within the desert sands.



Colorado Blue Columbine

Pale Evening Primrose

Watson's Slenderlobe (Phlox family)

Yellow Cryptanth (Borage family)



This was a most awesome adventure for us...Victory was ours!!!

Mary Cokenour

Moab's Uranium King in San Juan County, and Macomb Arch.

The former home of Moab's Uranium King, Charlie Steen, is now a restaurant called the Sunset Grill.  While he may have put Moab on the map, it's San Juan County he should have been thanking for his big score.  His mine, Mi Vida, is located in the Big Indian Wash - Lisbon Valley area, but like many uranium mines nowadays, is no longer in operation.  So, what does San Juan County have to show for all the money made on that mine?  A road named after Charlie...Steens (or Steen depending on the map) Road (CR 114/2447) which is also an OHV (off highway vehicle) road, staging area for Hook and Ladder, and location of two formations: Red Rock and Casa Colorado Rock.  I better post the map I fixed up, so you can follow along as I write up sites I've found.

Steens Road is 22.7 miles from the the intersection of Main and Center Streets in Monticello, heading north on Route 191; after you go down a small dip in the road and cross over an arroyo, you'll see a sign and the road to your right.  To the left though is another road which is Old Highway 191 and can also handle ATVs and 4-wheel drive vehicles; it takes you all the way up to Wilson Arch on Route 191.









The staging area for Hook and Ladder is 1.2 miles up Steens Road; at the informational board is a box which holds free maps.  Sometimes the box is empty and the local welcome center might not have any either; go to the SPEAR (San Juan Public Entry & Access Rights) site at: http://www.Spear4All.com , click on Maps (http://www.spear4all.com/maps.htm) , choose the route(s) you want and print it(them) out.

Dwarf Evening Primrose scattered throughout the staging area.

At 2.5 miles you reach Red Rock; this formation can be seen from Lisbon Valley Road and looks like a castle or gothic mansion.  From Steens Road, it looks like a sleeping stegosaurus from one angle or an elephant's head between its front feet from another angle.  Stop though and take in the scenery of the road you just traveled up; isn't that beautiful?

Casa Colorado Rock is at the 3.7 mile mark; a formation of pillars often sort out by climbers.  It is part of the formation, again seen from Lisbon Valley Road which was simply named "Cave Rocks" by William Henry Jackson.  There is a large amphitheatre upwards from Steens Road; Roy and I enjoy hiking up there, having our picnic lunch and just looking out at the scenery.

At mile mark 5.1, the road splits off; straight ahead CR 114 continues down into a canyon and beyond; it becomes very rough riding and is best for ATVs or specialized 4-wheel drive vehicles. There are several other trails that lead to closed off areas due to poisonous gas from the pipelines throughout.





Going right, the road now becomes CR 111/2447 aka Big Indian Spur which leads to the Lisbon Valley Gas Plant; a right onto Rankine Road will bring you to Lisbon Valley Road in 1.6 miles.  You then have to decide to either go left to explore L.V. Road or go right back to Route 191; but before you do that, stop on Rankine Road at 4/10ths of a mile from the plant and explore the riverbed.

Canaigre Dock (Buckwheat family) grows throughout the riverbed

So there's Steens Road for you; Hook and Ladder I hope to explore at another time, but wait, this adventure tale is not over yet.  Doing my research about Steens Road, I saw mention of "Macomb Arch" and two posted photos of it; only problem, no substantial information about it.  Online map sites listed it as "Name Unrecognized", or a little ballon vaguely positioned between East Canyon Road (CR 105) and Lisbon Valley Road.  I couldn't even find out why it was named as such online or in any of my San Juan County books; probably some rancher named Macomb who lived or still lives out there is my best guess.

Anyway, heading back south on Route 191, I made the turn onto East Canyon Road (CR 105) to see if I could find this arch; a photocopy along to help me recognize the landscape.  At mile mark 2.7, a shaft of sunlight going through the arch helped me find the location; unfortunately, a road at mile mark 4.7 ends at a closed gate, so that wasn't getting me out there.  These photos are the best I could do with my zoom lens, until I can finally find the correct road out to it.  It looks to be part of Deer Neck Mesa, so I've got a pretty good idea of two possible ways.

Macomb Arch

Deer Neck Mesa

 Just for a lark, I drove up Peters Wash Road (CR 108) from East Canyon Road (on mile mark 1.8) up and over to White Rock and down to Lisbon Valley Road.  At a post and wire fence that you can go through, just remember to close it again once you pass through, there is a corral and this old windmill. 

 

 

...and that's that for this write up.

 

 

Mary Cokenour





 

White Rock to Big Indian on Lisbon Valley Road.

White Rock before Lisbon Valley Rd junction

In my last post I showed you a photo of White Rock as seen from Peters Wash Road, but we're not done with it yet. The road begins to curve around the formation before you reach the junction of Lisbon Valley Road, so you will begin to see it as it expands. The coloring will no longer be all whitish, but the lower region will have a reddish hue. Once you turn onto Lisbon Valley Road, heading eastward, White Rock will again change its form; with the photo from the other post, you'll see it from three angles now.

White Rock from Lisbon Valley Rd

A little historical tidbit: The Old Spanish National Historical Trail crosses over and parallels Peters Wash Road before it finally crosses over Lisbon Valley Road.



Looking down the road, you can see a stone pillar in the distance; that is Big Indian Rock and it will be more than what you see at this point. Lisbon Valley Road was once named Big Indian Road, but was changed once the mining/gas company developed its mine and plant in the area. At night, you can tell where the gas plant is from the flare stack's flame reaching into the sky. This is also Route 2448 and Big Indian Rock is located at mile marker 10; between company workers and visitors, it can become a busy road, so no wonder it has so many names.  By the way, around here, busy can mean more than four vehicles going down a road within a 15 minute time period.  A traffic jam is three pickup trucks in front of you and no passing lane; moving here from a congested traffic area...I can live with this very easily.

Big Indian Rock - westward view

Big Indian Rock - full view

Big Indian Rock is a pillar of Entrada sandstone; the height is approximately 150 feet at its highest point.  I am posting photos to enable you to see it from three viewpoints, and how different it can look.

Big Indian Rock - eastward view

While I was taking photos of Big Indian Rock, I found one of the many ponds that have formed in the area due to the torrential rainstorms we had been having.






Since we had to do some last minute grocery shopping at the City Market in Moab, it was time to turn around and finally head on out.  Before you reach Route 191, look northward at a long sandstone formation that looks like it has a "dome" at either end.   In 1870, F.V. Hayden, leader of the United States Geological Survey of the Territories, offered employment to American photographer, artist and explorer, William Henry Jackson (1843-1942).  Jackson held the position of official photographer of Hayden’s surveys until 1878.  While photographing the Ute reservation at Las Pinos, Colorado, and cliff ruins in Mancos Canyon, near Mesa Verde, Colorado in 1874, Jackson photographed a red rock formation of caves while traveling through Dry Valley.   He gave the site the designation of "Cave Rocks / Sierra La Sal / Dry Valley"; "Sierra La Sal" refers to the La Sal Mountains and means "Salt Mountains".  Within the survey group was also Henry Gannett, topographer and Dr. A.C. Peale which Mount Peale, the highest peak in the La Sal Mountains, is named after.  During the Indian Wars, army regiments found Paiute hiding at the caves.

Driving along Route 191 from Monticello, Lisbon Valley Road is 22 miles north of Monticello; Steens Road (OHV Trail Head) is 25 miles north of Monticello; Guymon's Foot is approximately 27 miles north of Monticello.  Roy and I often refer to Guymon's Foot as "Lizard Rock" as the formation on the top looks similar to a sleeping lizard curled around itself.

Guymon's Foot

The one fact you can bet your money on around here is that there will always be something interesting no matter what type of road you take...paved, unpaved, rough or smooth.

Mary Cokenour