18 Aug 2023 - Peek-A-Boo Slot (Red) Canyon UTV Tour

 

This morning we were scheduled for a 0900 hrs UTV tour of the Peek-A-Boo Slot Canyon, also known as the Red Canyon, which is a few miles north of Kanab UT.  For those unaware, a UTV (Utility Terrain Vehicle) is a vehicle that seats passengers side by side and is built for utility. UTVs are larger than all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) and are designed to haul heavier loads and more passengers.  As you can see by the UTV we used today, two passengers covered behind the driver, one covered in the front passenger seat, and two uncovered clear in the back.  Today we had our tour guide/driver who was Brent Johnson, and one passenger, Chris, in the front from a suburb of Detroit Michigan.  

The weather forecast did not look all that great this morning and flash floods were mentioned.  The rain was moving in from the south, but we corresponded with Brent and he confirmed everything was a "go".   We traveled 30 minutes south from our campground and rendezvoused at the Peek-A-Boo Trail Head.  

Soon we were headed out on a four mile UTV ride to Peek-A-Boo Slot Canyon.  The trail system is on Bureau of Land Management (BLM) public ground.  The trails are not managed or groomed.  So they can get a bit rough and full of washboards.  That just added to the adventure!! 

 

The blue route is the UTV route.  The yellow route is our approximate hiking route.

Here is a little taste of the travels!

The UTV trip to Peek-A-Boo Slot Canyon was about 4 miles.  The UTV traveled around 30mph.  The trails were red sand from the Navajo sandstone in the area.  We arrived at the entrance to the slot canyon and our tour guide parked under some trees.  We headed off on foot through the slot canyon and it was obvious right away this was going to be incredible. 

 A slot canyon is a narrow gorge with steep, high walls. Slot canyons are formed by waterflow eroding rock, in this case sandstone. The depth-to-width ratio of a slot canyon is typically greater than 10:1, and can approach 100:1.  One of the reasons we were concerned about the weather today is that slot canyons can be treacherous.  They are prone to flash floods and have few ways in or out. Utah is said to have the largest concentration of slot canyons in the world, and many of them, like Peek-A-Boo, are easily accessible.

This was our first experience with a slot canyon and it is difficult to describe,.  Absolutely beautiful, almost mesmerizing the unique rock formations  

Brent pointing out how soft the sandstone can be in certain places and how hard it can be in others

170 million years ago during the Middle Jurassic period, and a few years before I joined the Air Force (LOL), a shallow sea extended into Utah from the north and left many fossils, including the five-sided Isocrinus or Crinoid fossils. Crinoids are still alive today in the seas of the world and are commonly known as sea lilies.  Our tour guide pointed our various fossils as we walked the slot canyon, including corals.

Coral fossils in the canyon

This was out first view of crinoid fossils.  See them?  Neither did I to start with!  More about them later.

Amazing formations due primarily to water erosion millions of years ago..

So back to Crinoid fossils.  As we proceeded through the slot canyon, our tour guide pointed out various fossils, but he kept mentioning crinoids.  Well it took me a bit to start recognizing them, but here they are!  They are almost perfectly formed white stars in the rock.  

See the tiny stars?  Crinoid fossils are actually marine animals that are part of the phylum Echinodermata and the class Crinoidea. They are also known as sea lilies and are related to starfish, sea urchins, and sea cucumbers.  Crinoids have a cup-shaped skeleton (calyx) made out of interlocking calcium carbonate plates. They can be described as upside-down starfish with a stems.

Fallen wood stuck in the slot

These are foot holds chiseled out of the sandstone using privative tools by Native Americans.  They would climb to overhangs above and store vessels of grain.

A log that fell into the slot canyon and has been polished by waterflow

We reached the end of the slot canyon.  From here it has been blocked by falling rocks and timber.  We turned around and headed back towards where we parked.

On the UTV we took a different route on the way back to the trailhead, which involved more sand dunes and some different scenery.  

The rain did not impact our tour, and we are very glad we booked this tour.  Brent did a great job and was very knowledgeable.  

On the way back to the campground we stopped at a mom and pop grocery store for a few things and then back to the camper for lunch.  This afternoon we washed the RV, with the permission of the campground owner, which it badly needed.  This evening we grilled some burgers and enjoyed the gorgeous scenery here.  This place is very relaxing.  

Our friendly horse neighbors continue to entertain us.  

That's a wrap for today/  Tomorrow will be laundry day, refuel the truck, etc in preparation for our longer-than-normal journey north Sunday to Ogden UT and Hill Air Force Base