Robbers Roost - Part I
The first time I rode through southern Utah was in 2010 on my way home from the west coast. I distinctly remember the ride from Hanksville to Blanding on Highway 95. In a general sense, I was aware I was riding through Butch Cassidy country but had no idea just how true that really was. Each subsequent trip to the region revealed a little more historical information until I became hooked. Robbers Roost Spring is one of three springs in the draw. It is the closest to the canyon and was used primarily to feed livestock. The outlaws did not find the heavy Gypsum taste appealing and would venture further up the draw a ways to Silvertip Spring for sweet water.
Robbers Roost was the first area directly associated with Butch Cassidy that I researched in earnest. The locals are incredibly sensitive to outsiders coming into the area as evidenced by the "welcome sign" on the map below. They do not mention locations online. At the time, there was no "Robbers Roost Spring" on Google maps to zoom in on. I knew the roost was somewhere between Hanksville and Canyonlands NP but that does not help much. Anyway, if you do go out there, please leave things as you found them.
Finding the actual location took months. Ultimately, it came down to comparing some of the known photos of the roost with overhead online maps. I was able to recognize the roost from the circular post corral.
Found it!
and finally in person...
What started out as a curiosity quickly became an obsession to find the real details about Butch Cassidy and Matt Warner. A healthy dose of skepticism quickly reveals some obvious truths about these men. Quite understandably, they did everything they could not to be recognized or tracked. Their faces were covered during robberies. The old saying "Never let facts get in the way of a good story" is the guiding principle of most official sources . It really is too bad because the real story of Butch Cassidy is much more interesting.
The only confirmed publicly available first hand account I have ever come across is "Last of the Bandit Riders" written by Matt Warner in the 1930s. Matt, Butch, Tom McCarty and possibly others robbed the San Miguel Bank in Telluride on June 24th, 1889. This is the only robbery that can absolutely be attributed to Butch Cassidy.
Although mostly secondhand, Pearl Baker, who lived on the ranch that encompassed robbers roost, wrote a book based on the first hand accounts. Her family was intimately familiar with all of the outlaws that used the roost for sanctuary. Here is her name, well most of it, on the roost wall.
As you can see I missed the P. You can see the "EARL D Biddlecome" which was her married name at the time. In her book titled "The Wild Bunch at Robbers Roost" she details Butch's first ride with rustled horses into Robbers Roost from Kingston Canyon through Fish Lake, Loa, Torrey, Fruita, Hanksville and Angels Point. She writes about Butch turning the horses loose and resting at Robbers Roost Spring where two new Cottonwood trees were taking root. Those trees are still there today.
With one of the cottonwoods in the background, the row of posts, which are part of a trough from the early 1900s still remain. The trough in the foreground is used by cattle today.
Same scene but from the opposite direction. I'm headed towards the canyon.
About 50 feet ahead, I encounter the first location used for shelter by the outlaws. The most effective part of the overhang has cracked and fallen onto the ground.
About 200 feet further and into the mouth of the canyon
I am standing where the star is located.
Looking down the canyon. I cannot go any further because there is about a 12 foot drop to the first ledge.
and a second ledge...
and a third ledge a little further. This canyon intercepts the Dirty Devil river and was just too dangerous and noisy for Sheriffs and their posses to approach. I might have said it was impossible but just 10 minutes later, Kelsey climbed up from the canyon and surprised the **** out of me. Who is Kelsey? I did not know until I got home and looked him up. Apparently, he is quite the legend with the Utah canyon climbers.
Here he is. 71 years old and all he has with him is that little box of essentials on his waist. Amazing...
A final look down the canyon. That is a serious climb and Kelsey did it without ropes.
I have turned around and now looking southeast back into the roost.
I'm on the opposite side of the tree from the previous image and walking towards the other end of roost draw. Before I go further, a quick look back...
To be continued...
The first time I rode through southern Utah was in 2010 on my way home from the west coast. I distinctly remember the ride from Hanksville to Blanding on Highway 95. In a general sense, I was aware I was riding through Butch Cassidy country but had no idea just how true that really was. Each subsequent trip to the region revealed a little more historical information until I became hooked. Robbers Roost Spring is one of three springs in the draw. It is the closest to the canyon and was used primarily to feed livestock. The outlaws did not find the heavy Gypsum taste appealing and would venture further up the draw a ways to Silvertip Spring for sweet water.
Robbers Roost was the first area directly associated with Butch Cassidy that I researched in earnest. The locals are incredibly sensitive to outsiders coming into the area as evidenced by the "welcome sign" on the map below. They do not mention locations online. At the time, there was no "Robbers Roost Spring" on Google maps to zoom in on. I knew the roost was somewhere between Hanksville and Canyonlands NP but that does not help much. Anyway, if you do go out there, please leave things as you found them.
Finding the actual location took months. Ultimately, it came down to comparing some of the known photos of the roost with overhead online maps. I was able to recognize the roost from the circular post corral.
Found it!
and finally in person...
What started out as a curiosity quickly became an obsession to find the real details about Butch Cassidy and Matt Warner. A healthy dose of skepticism quickly reveals some obvious truths about these men. Quite understandably, they did everything they could not to be recognized or tracked. Their faces were covered during robberies. The old saying "Never let facts get in the way of a good story" is the guiding principle of most official sources . It really is too bad because the real story of Butch Cassidy is much more interesting.
The only confirmed publicly available first hand account I have ever come across is "Last of the Bandit Riders" written by Matt Warner in the 1930s. Matt, Butch, Tom McCarty and possibly others robbed the San Miguel Bank in Telluride on June 24th, 1889. This is the only robbery that can absolutely be attributed to Butch Cassidy.
Although mostly secondhand, Pearl Baker, who lived on the ranch that encompassed robbers roost, wrote a book based on the first hand accounts. Her family was intimately familiar with all of the outlaws that used the roost for sanctuary. Here is her name, well most of it, on the roost wall.
As you can see I missed the P. You can see the "EARL D Biddlecome" which was her married name at the time. In her book titled "The Wild Bunch at Robbers Roost" she details Butch's first ride with rustled horses into Robbers Roost from Kingston Canyon through Fish Lake, Loa, Torrey, Fruita, Hanksville and Angels Point. She writes about Butch turning the horses loose and resting at Robbers Roost Spring where two new Cottonwood trees were taking root. Those trees are still there today.
With one of the cottonwoods in the background, the row of posts, which are part of a trough from the early 1900s still remain. The trough in the foreground is used by cattle today.
Same scene but from the opposite direction. I'm headed towards the canyon.
About 50 feet ahead, I encounter the first location used for shelter by the outlaws. The most effective part of the overhang has cracked and fallen onto the ground.
About 200 feet further and into the mouth of the canyon
I am standing where the star is located.
Looking down the canyon. I cannot go any further because there is about a 12 foot drop to the first ledge.
and a second ledge...
and a third ledge a little further. This canyon intercepts the Dirty Devil river and was just too dangerous and noisy for Sheriffs and their posses to approach. I might have said it was impossible but just 10 minutes later, Kelsey climbed up from the canyon and surprised the **** out of me. Who is Kelsey? I did not know until I got home and looked him up. Apparently, he is quite the legend with the Utah canyon climbers.
Here he is. 71 years old and all he has with him is that little box of essentials on his waist. Amazing...
Kelsey Publishing — Canyon and Mountain Guidebooks
Canyon and Mountain Guidebooks
kelseyguidebooks.com
A final look down the canyon. That is a serious climb and Kelsey did it without ropes.
I have turned around and now looking southeast back into the roost.
I'm on the opposite side of the tree from the previous image and walking towards the other end of roost draw. Before I go further, a quick look back...
To be continued...
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