Outlaws Run 2009
- Thread starter bh4rnnr
- Start date
MDH33
Hard Core 4+
Hey Perry,
I've been doing some research and found a blurb about an area around South Pass City that might make for a good camp, day-hiking stop. Do you have any more specific destinations along the route? It would be helpful to "connect the dots".
Honeycomb Buttes
Location and Access
These areas lie adjacent to the Oregon Buttes and The Big Empty study areas, separated only by dirt roads. The Honeycomb Buttes is the center point for the Red Desert wilderness area, with the Harris Slough adjoining the north end, both lying 12 miles south of South Pass City. Harris Slough is located directly northeast of the Honeycomb Buttes WSA and 2 miles southwest of the Sweetwater Canyon WSA. The northeast corner of the area abuts part of the Nature Conservancy's Sweetwater River Preserve along Buffalo Gulch.
Access to the Honeycomb Buttes is from the "Lander Road" on the northeast side or several jeep trails in the south. The Harris Slough area is easily accessed via the Buffalo Gulch Road in the Antelope Hills from the northwest or several jeep roads in the southern portion.
Highlights
The spectacular Honeycomb Buttes is a vast maze of rainbow‑colored badlands surrounding Continental Peak. The BLM considers this area "one of the best examples of multi-colored badlands topography in Wyoming". Eroded soils from the Green River Formation have been carved into grottos, caves, and twisted passages making a landscape like no other on Earth. Flats of greasewood and sagebrush, and bare areas of sheet erosion form the outwashes of the badlands.
The Honeycombs' breathtaking scenery and great remoteness give visitors an adventure that is wild beyond imagination. Those who explore the badlands can scramble over the eroded hills of the Harris Slough area, squirm through mud caves and tubes, and gaze out over the Great Divide Basin from atop Continental Peak‑‑elevation 8,431 feet in the Honeycomb Buttes.
Fossilized alligator bones and turtle shells, agates, petrified wood, and translucent lenses of gypsum are scattered over the hills as if strewn by the hand of the Creator.
I've been doing some research and found a blurb about an area around South Pass City that might make for a good camp, day-hiking stop. Do you have any more specific destinations along the route? It would be helpful to "connect the dots".
Honeycomb Buttes
Location and Access
These areas lie adjacent to the Oregon Buttes and The Big Empty study areas, separated only by dirt roads. The Honeycomb Buttes is the center point for the Red Desert wilderness area, with the Harris Slough adjoining the north end, both lying 12 miles south of South Pass City. Harris Slough is located directly northeast of the Honeycomb Buttes WSA and 2 miles southwest of the Sweetwater Canyon WSA. The northeast corner of the area abuts part of the Nature Conservancy's Sweetwater River Preserve along Buffalo Gulch.
Access to the Honeycomb Buttes is from the "Lander Road" on the northeast side or several jeep trails in the south. The Harris Slough area is easily accessed via the Buffalo Gulch Road in the Antelope Hills from the northwest or several jeep roads in the southern portion.
Highlights
The spectacular Honeycomb Buttes is a vast maze of rainbow‑colored badlands surrounding Continental Peak. The BLM considers this area "one of the best examples of multi-colored badlands topography in Wyoming". Eroded soils from the Green River Formation have been carved into grottos, caves, and twisted passages making a landscape like no other on Earth. Flats of greasewood and sagebrush, and bare areas of sheet erosion form the outwashes of the badlands.
The Honeycombs' breathtaking scenery and great remoteness give visitors an adventure that is wild beyond imagination. Those who explore the badlands can scramble over the eroded hills of the Harris Slough area, squirm through mud caves and tubes, and gaze out over the Great Divide Basin from atop Continental Peak‑‑elevation 8,431 feet in the Honeycomb Buttes.
Fossilized alligator bones and turtle shells, agates, petrified wood, and translucent lenses of gypsum are scattered over the hills as if strewn by the hand of the Creator.
Hey Perry,
I've been doing some research and found a blurb about an area around South Pass City that might make for a good camp, day-hiking stop. Do you have any more specific destinations along the route? It would be helpful to "connect the dots".
Honeycomb Buttes
Location and Access
These areas lie adjacent to the Oregon Buttes and The Big Empty study areas, separated only by dirt roads. The Honeycomb Buttes is the center point for the Red Desert wilderness area, with the Harris Slough adjoining the north end, both lying 12 miles south of South Pass City. Harris Slough is located directly northeast of the Honeycomb Buttes WSA and 2 miles southwest of the Sweetwater Canyon WSA. The northeast corner of the area abuts part of the Nature Conservancy's Sweetwater River Preserve along Buffalo Gulch.
Access to the Honeycomb Buttes is from the "Lander Road" on the northeast side or several jeep trails in the south. The Harris Slough area is easily accessed via the Buffalo Gulch Road in the Antelope Hills from the northwest or several jeep roads in the southern portion.
Highlights
The spectacular Honeycomb Buttes is a vast maze of rainbow‑colored badlands surrounding Continental Peak. The BLM considers this area "one of the best examples of multi-colored badlands topography in Wyoming". Eroded soils from the Green River Formation have been carved into grottos, caves, and twisted passages making a landscape like no other on Earth. Flats of greasewood and sagebrush, and bare areas of sheet erosion form the outwashes of the badlands.
The Honeycombs' breathtaking scenery and great remoteness give visitors an adventure that is wild beyond imagination. Those who explore the badlands can scramble over the eroded hills of the Harris Slough area, squirm through mud caves and tubes, and gaze out over the Great Divide Basin from atop Continental Peak‑‑elevation 8,431 feet in the Honeycomb Buttes.
Fossilized alligator bones and turtle shells, agates, petrified wood, and translucent lenses of gypsum are scattered over the hills as if strewn by the hand of the Creator.
Martin, thanks for this info
I have some basic destinations that i've taken from Pass Patrols volume 5 book. To be honest though, and since we have more time during the trip, i'm pretty open to whatever. This is new country, lets see as much of it as we can before we all have to go back to work
Maybe I should just let you guys lead...
Inukshuk
Rising Sun Member
Martin, thanks for this info
I have some basic destinations that i've taken from Pass Patrols volume 5 book. To be honest though, and since we have more time during the trip, i'm pretty open to whatever. This is new country, lets see as much of it as we can before we all have to go back to work
Maybe I should just let you guys lead...
I have always collaborated with Perry on the Outlaws routes (though usually the deviations from his planning have been minor) and so I think we can safely say this input is great!
Honeycomb Buttes and South Pass City have always been in the itinerary. See the GPS coordinates I posted on the confirmation thread. They are from the Pass Patrol Book (you can buy at www.outbackusa.com - I just did) and is the backbone of our trip. So, we start with a rough plan and then go on an adventure! Your research is great!
Perry still "leads" - so we can blame him if we get "lost" and credit him with the cool finds. I'll have my GPS and laptop with mapping software.
MDH33
Hard Core 4+
excellent. 
I don't have a gps or a good map, so the waypoints don't do me much good.
I don't have a gps or a good map, so the waypoints don't do me much good.
MDH33
Hard Core 4+
Good tip, thanks. I was looking for them at the library, but they didn't have Vol. 5. They are 50% off at outbackusa right now.
Inukshuk
Rising Sun Member
I don't have a gps or a good map, so the waypoints don't do me much good.
Identify cool stuff and I'll get us there! From what I can tell its a spider's web of dirt roads out there so we'll probably be getting good and lost many times.
Starting point for this years run. I've been thinking more about where to start/meet for this years Outlaws Run.
Two thoughts I had were: Rangely Colorado or the Visitor center at Dinosaur National Monument. Looking at some maps, after visiting Gates of Ladore, it looks like we might be able to take dirt roads into Utah/ Diamond Mountain.
Two thoughts I had were: Rangely Colorado or the Visitor center at Dinosaur National Monument. Looking at some maps, after visiting Gates of Ladore, it looks like we might be able to take dirt roads into Utah/ Diamond Mountain.
MDH33
Hard Core 4+
I think so too, considering the pre-run-lazy-DNP-campout-all-weekend plan.I think starting from Dinosaur NP would be a great plan.
Alright, then lets plan on meeting at the visiter center at Dinosaur National Monument on Monday October 19th at 9:30am.
I'll post up a link tonight for the visiter centers info and there rules on bringing dogs into the monument.
I'll post up a link tonight for the visiter centers info and there rules on bringing dogs into the monument.
Here is a link to Dinosaur National Monument
and here is some information regarding pets. So far, it looks like this will be the only leg of the trip where pets will be an issue.
and here is some information regarding pets. So far, it looks like this will be the only leg of the trip where pets will be an issue.
MDH33
Hard Core 4+
I've never been up there before, so I was just going to wing it. I would probably opt to disperse camp *free* since there is a lot of BLM land out there. But if the camping in the NP looked good, I might opt for that too.
Looks like when they shut the water off for the season (Sept), every site is free and single sites are FCFS - no reservations required. I have never paid for a camp site in my life and wasn't planning to start on this trip, but camping in a group and sharing a meal or two would be good. The park is a lot bigger than I thought it was and the interactive online map is hard to read on my little netbook. I'm gonna need a paper map!
Inukshuk
Rising Sun Member
I just bought the WY Atlas today and a guide book. Not too much info anywhere on where we are going - and that is good! One book said that one of the areas we plan to visit gets 25 - yes 25 - visitor days a year! Dunes look to be awesome. Can we camp there one night?
MDH33
Hard Core 4+
Yes, please!
Jethro
0
- Joined
- Sep 1, 2005
- Messages
- 68
Which visiter center?
Perry,
Looks to me like there are 3 visitors centers (one is closed).
With that many options you can pretty much bet I'll be at the wrong one.
Alright, then lets plan on meeting at the visiter center at Dinosaur National Monument on Monday October 19th at 9:30am.
I'll post up a link tonight for the visiter centers info and there rules on bringing dogs into the monument.
Perry,
Looks to me like there are 3 visitors centers (one is closed).
With that many options you can pretty much bet I'll be at the wrong one.
Inukshuk
Rising Sun Member
Perry,
Looks to me like there are 3 visitors centers (one is closed).
With that many options you can pretty much bet I'll be at the wrong one.
We'll come up with some GPS coordinates!
I'm thinking a pre-trip gathering in the next week or next weekend would be a good time. Its good to have some features as goals. I'm sure we'll deviate from the goals a lot, but we already know we want to start and end at the Outlaws hideouts. Along the way we'll wonder what it will have been like for the Outlaws to travel these routes with rustled cattle and Lawmen on their heels.
We are really embarking on a great adventure. I have highlighted the Outlaws Trail route in the WY Atlas, but from experience with Colorado and Utah Atlases, I know some roads won't be there, some will, and others not mapped will be.
Perry - we also should visit the USGS map store in Lakewood, get some BLM maps (at $10 each we can't get them all) and get the travel regulations.
It will also be good to share responsibilities and equipment as best we can. We don't all need to bring everything. For example, its always a pain for me to figure out where to stow my hi-lift. And with all of us together, I probably can leave mine at home. Do we all need our own stoves? Does everyone have a HAM radio? Do we all need to bring rain tarps? Do we all need to bring a full oil change? How many 80 birfields will we need?