Cooks Mesa – Overnight Hike – 1 night/2 days

Trip Overview

The Cooks Mesa overnight trip is a 2-3 day trip and leaves from our llama camp in Torrey, UT at Capitol Reef Resort. This location gives you exclusive access to the western escarpment of the Waterpocket Fold of Capitol Reef National Park. This is an amazing area with an incredible diverse geological desert landscape. The private access gives your group the ability to explore incredible, scenic areas that rival anywhere else in the area. Let us show you Cooks Mesa, the Amphitheater, Upper Sulphur Creek and more.

Our guides will show you the three rock strata that are most prominent in this area—the brown, red, crumbly Moenkopi formation, the gray and red multicolor Chinle formation, and Windgate Sandstone. The Moenkopi and Chinle formations occurred during the Triassic Period (250 to 200 million years ago) and the Windgate Sandstone occurred during the Jurassic Period (200 to 145 million years ago).

The Moenkopi formation is capped by the cliffs of the cream colored Shinarump member of the Chinle formation, which slows the erosion of the brittle Moenkopi. Interestingly, gypsum veins run through the upper Moenkopi and petrified wood can be found in the gray-red clay of the Chinle formation. It’s quite amazing being able to hike through the different rock strata with a close-up, personal experience. Its also quite difficult to comprehend walking through the Triassic and Jurassic Periods in less than five miles and 600 miles in elevation gain. This is a trip that will blow your hair back and knock your socks off!

The Cooks Mesa overnight trip is an out back trip allowing us to setup a basecamp atop Cooks Mesa. Day hiking, exploring and relaxing are on the agenda for the next few days. Water is scarce once we leave the river bottom. Fortunate for us, we have llamas to help transport our necessary overnight camping gear, delicious food and plenty of potable water.

“You will truly feel one with nature and your life will be forever changed.”
~ Erin Stoddard, CA

Trip Itinerary

Day 1

Departure Location: Capitol Reef Resort, Torrey, UT
Hiking Mileage: 4-6 miles
Elevation Gain: 600 feet

Your llama adventure will leave our llama camp at Capitol Reef Resort. We’ll begin by hiking with your llama through a small subsiding basin with a grand view of the red sandstone cliffs towering above. There are many different washes or dried river beds through the red/brown Moenkopi layer littered with a variety of rocks and minerals. Gypsum, a soft sulfate mineral composed of calcium sulfate dihydrate which is widely mined and used as a fertilizer, can be found in either gypsum veins along with river bed or as small independent crystals on the floor. It’s as unique experience how we’ll twist and wind through washes as we approach the higher elevation.

Over the next several miles gradual ascending the different rock strata, we’ll encounter native Utah juniper groves littered with big black basalt boulders (also know as Fremont River Boulders), deep cut canyons, various desert flowers, plants and shrubs. Since we’ll be on the western edge of the Waterpocket Fold, we’ll have the best view of the Fold with the Henry Mountains lingering in the distance. You’ll truly love each day with the views, the landscape and llamas in tow.

Day 2

Hiking Mileage: 1-8 miles
Elevation Gain: ± 300 feet
Elevation Loss: ± 600 feet

On Day 2, after a glorious sunrise and tasty breakfast, we’ll have the option to hike up to Meeks Mesa, explore the rim of the Amphitheater, or become a rock hound looking for unique rocks and minerals. We’ll camp just above the Chinle formation which is a great place to find petrified wood. The crisp air, bright blue sky and soft breeze make for a relaxing all day llama excursion.

Note: 2-Day trips we’ll proceed down the trail back to llama camp at Capitol Reef Resort following lunch.

Day 3

Hiking Mileage: 4-6 miles
Elevation Gain: 0 feet
Elevation Loss: 600 feet

Day 3 after a hearty breakfast and last minute views, we’ll retrace our steps down to lower elevation and Upper Sulphur Creek. We estimate to be back at our llama camp at your time preference. We shoot for 5:00 pm on Day 3.

Trip Details

What’s Included:

• Pack llamas to transport the majority of gear and food
• One or more professional, knowledgeable, certified (max guest to guide ratio is 4:1)
• Top-of-the-line tent, sleeping pad, sleeping bag, and technical backpack
• Use of trekking poles
• All meals are included from breakfast the first day through lunch on the last day
• Emergency equipment including a company-issued first-aid kit and satellite phone
• You will receive a Lifetime Hiking Membership entitling you, your spouse and your kids to a lifetime discount of 10% off any Wilderness Ridge Trail Llamas hiking trip after your first one!

What’s Not Included:

• Clothes, raingear, and footwear
• Sunscreen, toiletries and personal items
• Water bottles and a headlamp or flashlight
• Guide gratuity (industry recommendation is 10-15% of trip cost)
• See the Packing List page for more information.

Meals: What To Expect
All of our hiking and backpacking tours include a diversity of tasty meals packed full of critical carbohydrates, proteins and fats. We carry foods that travel well in the backcountry – rice, pastas, lentils, beans, couscous, packaged meats, nuts, breads, oatmeal, granola, and more.

For optimal taste and energy, we supplement all our meals with spices, herbs, oils, cheeses, butter, sugar, and fruits and vegetables (fresh and dried). In addition, we provide you with with an assortment of trail mix, snacks, and dried fruits to eat at your own discretion.

We regularly accommodate vegan, vegetarian, kosher and non-gluten diets and will make adjustments for food allergies. These and other special dietary requests may require an additional fee.

Gear We Provide – We provide all group gear which includes the following:

• Deuter or Osprey backpacks
• Sierra Designs or Mountain Hardware tents
• Sierra Designs sleeping bags
• Thermarest or Big Agnes sleeping pads
• Leki trekking poles
• Mountain Safety Research cooking stoves
• Mountain Safety Research cookware
• Bear spray cannisters and food-hanging gear
• Company-issued first-aid kit
• Satellite phone

What Gear To Bring
We ask that you supply a couple of gear items on your hiking tour. These items are two 1-liter waterbottles per person, either a headlamp or flashlight per person, and a lightweight waterproof stuff sac for your clothes and belongings. Basic items like sunscreen, bug repellent (where and when applicable), lip balm, and toiletries are also important. Sun protect is a must.

What Clothes To Bring
Please refer to the trip packet for a recommended clothing list (we email you a detailed trip packet when you inquire and when you register). All trips require a sturdy pair of hiking shoes or hiking boots (reliable brands include Montrail, Lowa, Merrell, Vasque, and Salomon), rain gear, and non-cotton clothing layers. A minimum of three pairs of wool or synthetic hiking socks are also required.

NOTE: See the Packing Lists page for more detailed information on what clothes and gear to bring on your hiking tour. The trip packet you receive when you contact us will have the most accurate clothing and gear list for the tour you’re interested in.

Logistics

Where Do We Meet?
You’ll meet your guide and group at our llama camp at Capitol Reef Resort in Torrey, UT for an orientation meeting at 5:00 PM the evening before the trip begins. The next morning we’ll meet you back at our llama camp.

Safety Considerations
Your safety is our top priority. Our hiking tours are led by professional hiking guides, all of whom are wilderness-certified first responders or EMT’s, each with years of guiding and wilderness experience. We’ve developed comprehensive risk management protocols that our guides adhere to in case of an emergency, and most tours carry a satellite phone.

Guides
Your tour will be led by a trained, experienced professional with a solid guiding background, years of personal wilderness and hiking experience, training in llama-handling, medical certifications, and a passion for leading people into breathtaking landscapes.

Group Size
Every llama trip has a dedicated llama handler/wilderness guide. The standard ratio of guests to guides/handlers on llama trips is 1 guide/handler for 1-4 guests; 2 guides/handlers for 5-9 guests; and 3 guides/handlers for 10+ guests.

Weather Around Capitol Reef

Capitol Reef area has an arid climate with precipitation averaging just 7.98 inches (20.3 cm) annually. For current weather conditions, refer to the recorded message on our automated phone system at (435) 425-3791.