Lake Powell and the Escalante Grand Staircase

From Page, we crossed to the west side of the Colorado, and ventured out on the dirt road heading into the Glen Canyon Rec Area and then into the Escalante Grand Staircase National Monument. (I'd been wanting to explore the Grand Staircase for several years, but I've been unable to find any information on the area's geology which would illuminate the trip. A full trip along the Staircase, with geologic notes, will have to wait for another time.)

The lower parts of this area, near the town of Big Water, are unearthly badlands, colorless, smooth humps of eroded shale (probably of the Dakota and Cedar Mesa groups, but we're still trying to get information on that). Except for some of the water-eroded features, the feeling is remarkably like being on the moon. Further up, some side roads allow exploration of interesting canyons of wind-eroded sandstone and mesatops allowing spectacular views of Lake Powell.

Regardless of your feelings about big dams in general or Lake Powell in particular, it's undeniable that this lake is spectacularly pretty.

Next: Zion and the Narrows.

Next: Zion and the Narrows.
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