User | bleyel

Visited this and a few other sights in the area (Smith Cabin, Lone Warrior) over the unseasonably warm weekend. All roads were in great shape and navigable with a Ford Ecosport. Really enjoyed the solitude out here!

Went out on 12/7/24 to do this loop. I had done it once before in the spring last year and loved it, couldn't wait to go back! We spent hours admiring the views and scenery in the canyons. Lots of evidence of bighorn sheep toward the top of the swell, so keep your eyes open! The road to the trailhead was rough in places and definitely required high clearance. We hiked through no problem until the dryfall with a large chockstone in Arch Tower Canyon (about at 38.991707, -110.411566). It was full of water/ice at least chest deep. We did not find an obvious bypass on either side of it, and with daylight running out decided our best bet was to go back the way we came. It made for a long day but we were able to reverse everything fairly easily, including the old ladder/rock stack move in Cave Canyon. If anyone has more beta on how exactly to bypass that particular spot in Arch Tower I'd love to hear more about it!

Excellent outing. Super interesting fossils and a nice scenic trail. Didn’t see anyone else out there, and the road in is in great shape.

Super pleasant hike up to Mount Ellen (did not push on to Ellen Peak). Didn't see anyone else on the trail. There are some great wind shelters on the last minor peak before the true summit, but the summit itself is pretty windy with few options for shelter. The road up was in good condition, but did have a few snow patches in the shady areas.