Circle Cliffs, UT

Five of us went down the Burr Trail headed for Lampstand Road. After a stop in Long Canyon, we spent a couple of hours driving around the Flats lookin for a place to camp. It was hot, and most of the roads were washed out several miles in. After a few camper backing lessons, we found a shady place near on old mine on the northwest edge of the Flats. The next morning--and without the camper--we bounced our way over a break in the cliffs and down into the Gulch. When we reached a deep washout, we parked the truck and hiked to Stair Canyon. It was getting hot by then, so we sat in the shade of a juniper tree to have lunch. The afternoon was spent, likewise, in the shade--mostly napping. On the third morning, we set out to drive a loop around the Onion Beds on the east side of the Flats. The roads were not good, and we found no onions, but the views down into Muley Twist Canyon from the western edge of Captitol Reef National Park were well worth the effort. By the time we got back to our camp, the winds had picked up and a few sprinkles were reaching us out of the virga hanging from the clouds above. It was still cloudy the next morning and the clouds kept us cool as we cleaned-up. We stopped for one more short hike where the Burr Trail crosses the Gulch before returning to Escalante.

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