Coyote Wash

Ahh the inexpressible comfort of not having to get up for sunrise, and the irritation of waking up at sunrise anyway. Our AirBnB was super comfy and we pottered around, making brekky, sorting stuff, laundry and generally just not being active.

Today we are headed to Buckskin Gulch, via Wire Pass. When we arrive after a half hour bumpy gravel road we see two Sherrifs peaking in a van. We learn later that there is a woman who has been missing on the trail since yesterday. Such a warning makes us take preparation even more seriously. We tell a few friends where we are, packing lotsa water, snacks, first aid kits and a Becky. She'll be right, mate.

The first 25 minutes were through a (currently) dry and entirely sun soaked river bed. Signs of heavy flooding were visible along the river channel and that is not a situation we wanted to find ourselves in. Flash floods in gulches/narrows are the cause of many deaths throughout parks across the states (thankfully there are no clouds, let alone rain anywhere in the upstream areas).

Soon the sandy river banks turn into dark red sandstone and start to narrow and grow taller. Before long we are squeezing through 40 ft high walls that are as narrow as 3ft across! The sun is painting the the tops of the gulch a brilliant red ochre and the sky above is a ribbon of iridescent cerulean. The acoustics aren't bad (not as great ad Singing Canyon) and we sing a little as we wind our way through the gulch. We can see where the buckskin name came from: the soft gold and tan walls are marked in many places by 'desert varnish' (black and grey coloration caused by leached minerals and bacteria). The air is cool at the bottom of this slot canyon and the smooth, striated walls are incredibly detailed (and begging to be climbed, so I had to oblige!)

Cilla is in her element, and we obediently trot around corners so she can capture unobstructed views of the canyon's twists and turns. For the next few hours we explore, sing, take pictures, marvel at the soaring height of the canyons and chat with fellow hikers before heading back the way we had come.

On our last stretch we see a helicopter sweep low over the area, and presume it's looking for the lost hiker. When we approach the parking lot, the helicopter returns and slowly lands in a roped off section, blowing sand and small stones all over. We are relieved to find out that they found the missing woman who had made a wrong turn (easy in this trackless desert) and become lost. She is ok, despite having been out overnight. On our way out, the helicopter once again flies overhead and lands right next to the road! A search and rescue operative tells us they flew all the way from Salt Lake City (2.5 hrs flight). Cilla got pulled into the search amd rescue google rabbit hole and discovered that S&R ops have increased dramatically over COVID as more inexperienced hikers take local vacations.

Our AirBnB host had recommended a local Mexican Restaurant which we enjoyed dinner at. Boy it was sooooo goood. We had leftovers to the moon and back. Can't wait for lunch tomorrow :)
- NomesRead more