Antone Ridge, llama drop trip, October 9-October 17, 2021

Continuing our multi-year series of explorations in the canyon country, our fall 2021 trip will target Antone Ridge, which we last saw in the spring of 2011, and before that in 2005. The writeup of the 2005 trip can be found at http://lamountaineers.org/oldtrips/145.html. Antone Ridge offers all of the attractions of the slick rock desert - oases, domes, and huge views. The outing is fairly physical, with several hours of hiking every day, but a nice base camp to return to every evening. The route into Antone Ridge is about 5 1/2 miles. If that destination is not possible, we will turn to a second choice, perhaps Willow Patch canyon along Sand Creek, not far away.

The llamas and packers will carry our gear in, and then return the day of departure to take us out. We will day hike from our base camp on the intervening days. The day outings will involve hiking across the desert, scrambling up rock formations, and following side canyons to see what we can see. We expect some amount of low-level scrambling on the rocks with rope assistance upon request.

Antone Ridge lies in the Grand Staircase/ Escalante National Monument. We will start our hike near Escalante, Utah. 

We will leave Los Alamos on the morning of Saturday October 9, heading to Escalante, Utah to overnight. I will locate overnight lodging in the next few weeks. On Sunday we will leave town at about 8:00 AM to drive ourselves and our gear to the trailhead, pack it onto the llamas, hike to camp, and settle into comfort - kitchen tables, social circle with chairs, two-burner stove, and wine cellar. We share the cooking and camp chores. We will hike out on Saturday October 16, reaching civilization sometime in the afternoon. I will look for lodging in the Torrey area. On Sunday we will head for home, driving back through Capitol Reef National Park.

Participation will be limited to 8 people. The packer cost per person, including all food and llama pack services, will be approximately $500 plus tip. Since we are limited to 8 slots, there is a possibility that the trip will fill quickly.

I seek participants who would like to hike with the group on all-day explorations. Community gear will include tables, stoves, kitchen gear, etc. The personal gear limit is likely to be around 50 pounds, which includes your share in community dinners and any libations. 

Please contact Bill at bill@priedhorsky.net if you would like to join in. To confirm a slot will require a $400 deposit. I'm looking forward to another great time.