We creep our way back 4 miles of BLM managed wash-boarded dirt road to the trailhead for Ladder and Painted Canyon trails. The lot is pretty full so it doesn’t look like it will be a quiet commune with nature; but, we are here so on we go. Our plan is to hike the ladder trail first so we check out the maps and head out.
The trail begins in a wide wash bordered by steep high walls of clay-like soil. Sweeping swirls and trails of wax-like drips decorate the surfaces. Sand crunches underfoot. Within just a few hundred yards most of those sharing the trail turn off (more on that later) and we find ourselves alone as the wash narrows and begins to twist and turn. We soon discover that the entire area has been sculpted through years into beautifully colored narrow twisting canyons with steep walls between. That is where the ladders come in.
We spot the first set and head up…thankfully it is up the ladder; down ladder is much more nerve racking for me. We move on; twisting and turning and climbing ladders between canyons, admiring intricate shapes and splashes of color as we encounter wildflowers along the way. We are climbing boulders up narrow ravines now…seems like a lot tougher hike than described in blogs. We emerge atop a high ridge overlooking the great desert valley. It is beautiful!
But, the little blue dot on the trail app on Kent’s phone says we are way off trail…any trail! Oops. We relax and take in the view and lunch then decide to move on rather than backtrack. We noodle a bit then choose a somewhat worn path that seems about the right direction. This trail is terrible underfoot but is followable. After a mile or so we descend into a wash with lots of fresh footprints in the sand. It turns out to be Painted Canyon. Alright, we are back into charted territory and enjoy the beautiful stroll back toward the trail head. It was definitely not the path we intended but still a great walk. So, the turn-off that everyone else took just a couple hundred yards in, looks like we should have gone with the crowd. These trails are not simple loops and counterclockwise ended significantly different than clockwise must have. 6 ½ miles instead of 4 ½ but no scrapped knees or twisted ankles. We’d do it again. Who wouldn’t like trails with ladders?
