One of many
trip reports under the
SilGro home page for Alan Silverstein and Cathie
Grow.
Email me at
ajs@frii.com.
Last update: July 6, 2026
(Previous trip report: 1999_0717-25_RaftGreenRiver.htm)
This "trip report" is mostly a data dump from a Linux text spreadsheet about a 14 hour(!) hike we did at Lake Powell (Glen Canyon), Utah, from the upstream arm of the Rincon (where the houseboat was moored), up the old jeep road, to overlook various parts of Iceberg Canyon (down 600'+ cliffs). We probably had to filter drinking water from potholes (tinajas) along the way!
Old text follows, merely converted to HTML:
Estimated distances, Iceberg 'Grand Tour', Lake Powell
Updated 991005
Hike attempted 990927
Map scale: 24000.0
True / nominal: 1.2 (conservative est of actual vs measured)
Measured inches are using a map roller along routes.
GPS miles are direct based on waypoints measured from maps.
These were coordinate location abbreviations in my old Garmin GPS unit:
RINTH1 is where the Rincon road departs south at high water.
RINRD is where to turn left off the road to go to ICESRF.
ICESRF is above the back end of Iceberg second right finger (upstream).
ICESRR is above second right finger, right fork.
ICESRL is above second right finger, left fork.
DBCATH is Dougs Cathedral (altar stone) (end of back right fork).
DBCOL is the overlook point to Dougs Cathedral (around the far side).
HP4687 is a high point west of Iceberg Canyon.
ICEFRF is above the back end of Iceberg first right finger.
measured calc nominal nom/
inches miles miles GPS GPS
RINTH1 to RINRD 8.0 3.03 3.6 1.52 2.39
RINRD to ICESRF 2.8 1.06 1.3 1.00 1.27
ICESRF to DBCOL 4.4 1.67 2.0 1.14 1.75 (see below)
and return 4.4 1.67 2.0 1.14 1.75
ICESRF to HP4687 3.5 1.33 1.6 . .
HP4687 to ICEFRF 3.1 1.17 1.4 2.28 1.32 (see below)
ICEFRF to RINTH1 4.5 1.70 2.0 1.31 1.56
---- ---- ---- ----
30.7 11.63 14.0 8.39
Notes:
Nom/GPS is a measure of the indirectness of a route. These numbers seem generally high, which indicates that perhaps true/nom is too high. In a straight line it's 1.0; I've seen 1.5 or higher in thick forests with winding trails.
RINTH1 to RINRD really does switchback a lot, so the high nom/GPS value is reasonable. However, in 9510 we hiked to about 15 minutes short of RINRD in just 1:45.
The GPS distance from ICESRF to DBCOL is really to DBCATH, which is is shorter, which is why nom/GPS is unreasonably high. From DBCATH to the DBCOL overlook (very worthwhile) is about 20 minutes more, each direction.
No waypoint measured for HP4687; the GPS distance is ICESRF to ICEFRF.
In 9510 it took 1:45 from ICEFRF to RINTH1 (more or less), at a leisurely pace, including some slow downhiking and a side-trip.
Trip times: EST ACTUAL
RINTH1 to RINRD 2.0 1.95 actually from boat (pretty close)
break 0.0 0.20 at road departure point
RINRD to ICESRF 1.0 0.85 3:00 for first 5.0 miles
break 0.0 0.67
ICESRF to DBCOL 2.0 2.03 with stop at ICESRL overlook
lunch 0.0 1.20
and return 1.5 1.93 with stop/bath at ICESRL streambed
break 0.0 0.50 Doug and John went ahead
ICESRF to HP4687 1.0 . (not attempted)
HP4687 to ICEFRF 1.0 .
ICEFRF to RINTH1 1.7 .
ICESRF to ICESRR . 1.37 Alan and Cathie only
break . 0.53
ICESRR to hairpin . 0.60 hit road between RINRD and hairpin
hairpin to RINTH1 . 2.28 with break at overlook
---- ----
10.2 14.11 0718-2125 = 14.12 hours round trip
Sunrise/set 9/27: 0713/1916; 12:03 day length
(Next trip report: 2000_0421_FairplayElk.htm)