Randomized Photo Destinations Pt. 2 - San Rafael Swell

AlanLichty

Moderator
After the Book Cliffs plot the next one we were assigned was in the San Rafael Swell. The Swell is a really unique geologic feature that is well defined by the uplifted and tilted blocks all around the perimeter. If you have driven up UT24 north from Hanksville it is the large set of cliffs to the west of the roadway. The face of the swell is quite an impediment to travel both in modern times as well as for foot traffic for the prehistoric inhabitants. The only ingress is confined to the 3 major water courses that breach the cliffs - Muddy Creek near Hanksville, South Temple Wash up near Goblin Valley, and the San Rafael river in the north. South Temple wash is the only roadway for motor vehicles unless you come in from I-70 in the north which is how we came in.

The Swell is one of those places that looks interesting on a map but there is no real hook to entice you into making this a destination for photography unless someone hands you a map and says "go here" which is exactly what happened for us.

Our assigned plot for survey was way down in the southern end of the swell in a side canyon near where Muddy Creek comes into the swell interior. The closest named reference point for this area would be Tomsich Butte. Getting in and out of this area in one day was pushing it.

Happily for me I had film and the rest of the survey crew put up with me asking to stop for photos along the way while we crossed the interior of the swell.

Starting out from the north the view is mostly of rolling terrain with some sharp cuts for washes but not much else. The distant cliffs are the backsides of the uplifted blocks that define the area.

SanRafaelSwell1.jpg


Heading farther south this terrain continues until you reach the area near Muddy Creek. At this point we are almost due north from Caineville although there are no roads in between. Muddy Creek is between the cliffs ahead and where I shot this from.

SanRafaelSwell2.jpg


There is an abandoned uranium mine near Tomsich Butte which is not far from where we had to park and finish our trek on foot.

SanRafaelSwell3.jpg


I had to include this last one since we had a nice moon lurking in the skies. This is pretty close to the old uranium mine.

On foot we continued along the north bank of Muddy Creek passing some interesting but unnamed topography along the way:


Finally we reached the unnamed canyon where our 10 acre survey plot was located.


As it turned out, our random computer chosen plot almost bisects the tall butte in the distance on the left with the rest of the survey area including the steep talus slopes of rocks right below. We were able to do a cursory survey of what we could access but we were well aware that this is not a locale for finding human habitation remains.

This particular destination shows the idiocy of how the BLM decided to collect information about the proposed mine permits. We do know enough about this area to be able to say that it was never a location for anything other than overnight camping by people who were passing through from the Wasatch Front area to the more habitable locations in Canyonlands. Everything that has been found within the Swell is confined to the primary travel paths along the 3 waterways described above. Muddy Creek was certainly one such place but there were no surveys conducted within the Swell beyond the patch of ground the computer assigned to our group.

Happily there are no viable coal deposits beneath this place and nothing ever came out of these survey efforts.

Next up - slopes of the foothills above the Cedar City area.
 

JimFox

Moderator
Staff member
That’s a very interesting read Alan, and I really like the last 2 or 3 shots. What a fun adventure!
 

Ben Egbert

Forum Helper
Staff member
More great insight into areas I have studied on Google Maps. I believe there is one route between Cainville and the back side of Gobbling Valley that crosses Muddy Creek. I almost tried it one. But the possibility of quicksand at the crossing stopped me.
 

AlanLichty

Moderator
Not certain that goes all the way through to the area around Tomsich Butte. Heading upstream on the Muddy from where we were is a wilderness study area (WSA). Heading north of Caineville on BLM road 923 will cross the upper Muddy Creek (much farther upstream from the WSA) and then gets to a junction with BLM 927 which will take you over towards Square Top but it appears to terminate without crossing the perimeter of the Swell.
 
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