In Escalante

So, a few weeks ago, I bought tickets to Salt Lake, bought a Utah guide book, and made hotel reservations in three different spots. That was the extent of my planning. Yesterday, we got in our rental car and drove about 5 hours to Escalante, in Grand Staircase National Monument, near Bryce Canyon. From Panguitch to Escalante, the drive was pretty awesome, Red Canyon being my favorite.

We are staying in an overpriced hotel, but it was the only place in town with an elliptical trainer, and that was one of my non-negotiables. Rain was scheduled for today, so a trip to the Visitors’ Center got us acclimated and kept us dry. From there we just decided to drive and see if we could find a dry spot. First try, down a 14 mile dirt road, Hole in the Rock Road, to Devil’s Garden (lots of unusual rock formations). The plan was aborted at about mile 12 when the car was fishtailing in the mud. Then up to Boulder, where there is a paved road. Burr Trail Road went through a gorgeous canyon and lo and behold we found the Slot Canyon someone had told me about!

At that point the weather had really improved, so we decided to get back on lovely Highway 12 and drive to the trailhed for Calf Creek Falls. WOW. Three miles out and three back, and Joe was a trooper. The path goes along the creek and up and down along some of the side of the canyon. Not much elevation gain, probably under 300 feet total, but there were a few ascents that got the heart rate going. It was really a beautiful walk and the falls themselves were beautiful. We talked with someone who had been there a while ago, and she said the water was just a trickle. All in all a great day, the majesty of these landscapes really puts you in the mood for confronting life’s big questions!Read more