5/26/2023 0 Comments Dirt devil edge wedgeUranium was first discovered on the southern slopes of Tomsich Butte in 1951 by W. Not that I'd want to camp - and have a fire - at the base of a uranium mine! Set back into a fold of Tomsich Butte, its long ore chute still towers above the wash, though access to it from the nearby shafts has been eroded away.Ī monstrous ore chute that once carried radioactive material carved out of the mountain.įrom the state of the ore bin, and the camp fire rings strewn around the site, this structure may not have much of a future. Within a few hundred feet, we reached the reason we'd come all this way - though in retrospect, it seems to pale in comparison to the surroundings - the largest of the Dirty Devil Mines, the Hannert Mine. Located high in the Wingate Cliffs, this is the largest arch in the Swell, and one that I hope to hike to - starting from Mussentuchit Wash and approaching from the opposite direction - in the future! There's no wondering why this is called Reds Canyon.įollowing the road around Tomsich Butte, we got our first glimpse of the Hondu Arch. Before we knew it, we were approaching the southern-most point of our loop, near Tomsich Butte, the huge monolith on the edge of Reds Canyon rising up before us as we approached.Īs we reached the edge of McKay Flat, the road continued on, descending into Reds Canyon between the plateau and the Wingate Cliffs to the west.Īs we descended, a short spur led to an overlook that we both realized would have been a fabulous place to spend the previous evening. Where the roads most of the previous day had been slow going, McKay Flat was - for the most part - wide and smooth. With the sky clearing and sun shining, the buttes of the San Rafael Swell were out in their full glory.Īs we turned south toward McKay Flat, Family Butte rose colorfully to the west.Ī group of three wild horses were curious, but kept a wary eye on me as I circled to the sunny side for a photo. In so doing, we'd avoided driving into the setting sun and now had the blazing ball of fire at our back, illuminating the road before us. Initially making our way northwest along Temple Mountain Road before turning southwest through McKay Flat, I was glad we'd found a spot to camp so close to Temple Mountain the previous evening.
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