"Are there any beautiful places to hike down this road, or is it mostly camping?" I'm sure I look dazed by the question as I stared at the face of the young man and his girlfriend after they had flagged me down. "It's all beautiful," is all I could manage to say—looking at the girl holding a piece of paper, which undoubtedly had various hikes in the area. Finally, I recovered from my shock and managed to explain: "Spencer Flat road leads to some fantastic jumping-off points for things like Bighorn Canyon, The Volcano (Cosmic Ashtray), Red Canyon. But these are deep backcountry hikes; most people spend days, if not weeks preparing to enter this area. You'll need maps, compass, GPS, provisions, and emergency preparations, you'll need more than a printout to explore here." I then recommended Escalante Natural Bridge and gave them directions to the trailhead. They thanked me, turned around, and drove off.
Ridgeline campsite view
The truth is I'm only camping along Spencer Flat road, no deep backcountry trails for me either, but I would love to hike a few trails next season. I left work early Thursday afternoon, knowing the drive from Cedar City to Escalante, Utah, takes more than a couple of hours. After two road construction stops, it was turning into more like 3 hours. The first two campsites on my list were full, but I managed to squeeze my trailer between the Juniper trees at camp number 3. Located at coordinates 37.7273, -111.4404, the camp is off the main road far enough to keep the dust to a minimum. I unloaded the ATV and explored down Spencer Flat road as far as peak 6140.
Campsite
Just past the flat where my camp resides is a steep incline, to a high plateau, some empty campsites back up against the cliff's edge. The view is fantastic, and I question if I should return and move camp. A gust of wind convinces me otherwise, and I continue my drive. Peak 6140 is stunning in the evening sun, and as I drive through the deep sand as far as the road will take me, I shoot a few pictures. It appears as if someone is on the summit, and they will have a stunning view of the upcoming sunset.
UNP 6140, Elevation 6140, UT rank 3378, UT prominence rank 3176, Tenmile Flat - UT quad
Returning to camp, I settle into the routine evening of dinner, candlelight fire to protect me from mosquito bites, sunsets, starlights, and bed—what a wonderful beginning to the weekend.