Footsteps

 

 Hiking "Smart" in Grand Wash (Capitol Reef National Park, Utah) [1:50m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

In Capitol Reef National Park, we kept a constant eye on the weather. It never varied from hot and sunny while we were in the park, but that wasn’t the weather we were concerned about. Hiking in slot canyons requires vigilant attention to the weather up-canyon. Zion National Park had been unusually dry when we’d hiked its Narrows and Subway slot canyons, but we had learned that arid conditions can change instantly in the event of a rainfall miles away and remembered well the instant river that materialized during our Bryce Canyon hike.

As we hiked Grand Wash at Capitol Reef, a simple dirt road entombed by sheer cliff walls, we looked forward to entering the narrowest neck of the gorge. We had checked in with a park ranger twice that day already for distant weather conditions, and he had explained (as he must to so many out-of-town visitors) that the danger lay in the distance -in the dark clouds forming on the northeastern horizon.

A slot canyon is more or less a dry chute that can fill with water in a flash when rainwater rolls down slick rock to the lowest point. As the funnel narrows, the water rises. Unwary hikers are trapped every year by flash floods in slot canyons, so we were attentive to his instructions.

As we walked the stark unusual landscape, we maintained an awareness of the “climbable” slopes. The ranger had advised us to always know our escape route; that it had to be “up” and as high as possible. But, when thunder rumbled in the distance, we knew our hike was over. It would have been great to get further into the canyon, but we had learned and seen enough to take the flooding danger seriously and opted for our Plan B hike without a second thought.

You have to hike “smart” every time, because you never know which time your wise decision will make the difference.

More on Utah:

“Adventures in Utah”“Road to Zion (National Park, Utah)”

“Into ‘The Narrows’ (Zion National Park, Utah)”

“The Subway (Zion National Park, Utah) Part One”

“The Subway (Zion National Park, Utah) Part Two”

“Court of the Patriarchs and The Emerald Pools of Zion (National Park, Utah)”

“Hanging Gardens (Zion National Park, Utah)”

“Hoodoo Heaven” (Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah)

“Smokey the Bear and Tibetan Monks?  I Must be in Boulder (Utah)… ”

“Dogs and Cars -but not Cows…” (Boulder, Utah) 

“The Cows… Part One (Boulder, Utah)”

“The Cows… Part Two (Boulder, Utah)”

“Pictographs at Lower Calf Creek Falls (Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, Utah)”

“The Goosenecks at Capitol Reef National Park (Utah)”

“Hiking ‘Smart’ in Grand Wash (Capitol Reef National Park, Utah)”

“The Lodge at Red River Ranch (Teasdale, Utah)”

“Of Pictographs and Petroglyphs…”

“A Reef in the Desert (Capitol Reef National Park)”

Tags: USA/Canada, Adventures, Audio MP3, Photographs, 1 Adult/3 Children by Heather
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 Kokosing Gap Trail: Flying on a Bike [1:50m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Sometimes it’s best to take the offense on a birthday.  Like with the one I had last week…  I wasn’t excited.  In fact my enthusiasm was basically undetectable.  Which seemed kind of pathetic in light of the limited nature of birthdays…   In the end though, I had to square my shoulders and face it down.

A leisurely patio lunch with my grandma and a couple of sisters wasn’t so bad.  We laughed a lot and blushed a little (no one can embarrass you like a sister)…

And I rode Kokosing Gap Trail, one my favorite rail-to-trail bike paths.

Kokosing follows an old Pennsylvania Railroad line and can get you to the “middle of nowhere” fast.   The trail first rolls along beside the Kokosing River through shaded woods and over intricately patterned ironwork bridges.  The scenery then alternates between woods and farmland as the trail takes you from Mt Vernon to Gambier, Howard, and then finally, to its dead-end in Danville Ohio.

Official points of interest include the Brown Family Environmental Center, a restored and fun-to-explore Alco steam locomotive, Kenyon College, the Howard tunnel, numerous bridges and a playground.

Unofficial items of interest that I shared with my friend that afternoon were the spot where a large box turtle had sat the last time I rode through, the farm field where I’d watched a kid driving lap after lap in a dilapidated blue sedan, and the devoted cadre of volunteers who maintain sections of the path with baskets of garden tools on the backs of their bikes.

The 28-mile ride flew by far too quickly.  Next time we’ll ride up into the Kenyon College campus, bring a lunch and hike a side trail.  But it made for a really wonderful afternoon.  My friend commented that I smiled even when racing as fast as I could go.  Truth is, I was probably smiling because I was riding as fast as I could.

I couldn’t outrace another birthday, but at least I can keep up with it.

Next: More hiking in Utah and a long weekend in California…

Tags: Heart-to-Heart, Adventures, "In-Town Tourist", Audio MP3, Photographs by Heather
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 The Goosenecks at Capitol Reef National Park (Utah) [2:15m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Capitol Reef intrigued me. It’s a lesser known National Park, and an article on this beautifully desolate land is what first stirred my thoughts toward a western adventure with my kids. It would be the eastern edge of our driving loop, the point at which we would wistfully stare down the horizon, wishing for more time to explore it all.

The drive from the Escalante region on to our next night’s stay was less than an hour but Torrey Utah would be a better base camp for exploring Capitol Reef National Park.

The Lodge at Red River Ranch did not disappoint (I’ll write more on this lovely getaway later this week). Once we’d checked in, though, we shot right back out for a peek at our next park. We needed dinner, but no one felt like sitting in a restaurant. Sub sandwiches were our compromise, and we enjoyed the traveler’s version of “dinner and a movie” as we drove into Capitol Reef.

We were too late for the visitors’ center that first afternoon but not for the sunset. Our slow drive through the fiery landscape was a remarkable introduction to Capitol Reef. Every turn revealed something newly spectacular:

Absurd rock formations that sat like installed art at the edges of the road.  Majestic pillared cliffs tinged into life by the low glow of a hot sun.  And an endless enticing horizon, vacant of people and things, that made us feel like the privileged last few walking an emptied earth…

Reluctantly, we made an eventual turn back, intent on catching the sun’s final light at The Goosenecks Trail’s vista point. Once there, it was a short and easy ascent to yet another beautiful memory.

Far below the fenced viewpoint, Sulphur Creek had steadfastly searched out a path of least resistance and carved out its twisting course of “goosenecks” through shale, sand and limestones. The wind whipped aggressively through the open spaces as the sun sank lower and shadows grew.

Twisted junipers slipped into striking silhouette and the colors of the canyon below slipped through shades of warm before sliding toward inky blackness. We watched, and we waited. Reluctant to let it go but unable to hold it all except as a mind’s eye photograph…

More on Utah:

“Adventures in Utah”“Road to Zion (National Park, Utah)”

“Into ‘The Narrows’ (Zion National Park, Utah)”

“The Subway (Zion National Park, Utah) Part One”

“The Subway (Zion National Park, Utah) Part Two”

“Court of the Patriarchs and The Emerald Pools of Zion (National Park, Utah)”

“Hanging Gardens (Zion National Park, Utah)”

“Hoodoo Heaven” (Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah)

“Smokey the Bear and Tibetan Monks?  I Must be in Boulder (Utah)… ”

“Dogs and Cars -but not Cows…” (Boulder, Utah) 

“The Cows… Part One (Boulder, Utah)”

“The Cows… Part Two (Boulder, Utah)”

“Pictographs at Lower Calf Creek Falls (Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, Utah)”

“The Goosenecks at Capitol Reef National Park (Utah)”

“Hiking ‘Smart’ in Grand Wash (Capitol Reef National Park, Utah)”

“The Lodge at Red River Ranch (Teasdale, Utah)”

“Of Pictographs and Petroglyphs…”

“A Reef in the Desert (Capitol Reef National Park)”

Tags: USA/Canada, Adventures, Audio MP3, Photographs, 1 Adult/3 Children by Heather
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 Lower Calf Creek Falls (Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, Utah) [2:43m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Before driving east to Capitol Reef National Park, we had to check out Lower Calf Creek Falls in the Canyon of the Escalantes. We had driven across the region the day before on Scenic Byway 12 and were intrigued by the deserted expanse. Established in 1994, the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument holds 1.9 million acres and is one of the most recent tracts so preserved under authority of the Antiquities Act.

The hike to the falls would be six miles round-trip over a fairly flat sandy trail. The thick sand would prove to be our biggest challenge, however. It was beach sand without a beach, and surprisingly, required the same concentration and energy levels as our river hikes. Our Camelbaks kept us well-hydrated as we walked, and water was essential in the heat (adding the ice to our packs was our own “essential” luxury). We had grown adept at unzipping the backpack bouncing along in front of us without even breaking stride, and after a couple of miles, were already digging into the packs for dried fruit and spicy turkey jerky –a new favorite for Zach and me.

Hannah read about the flora and fauna from a trailhead brochure…

…but it took Matt to spot the pictographs. Painted by an anonymous Freemont Indian some 800 years ago, the rock art made us wonder about the ancient hand that had created it.

The Freemont culture grew corn and squash on the banks of Calf Creek; remnants of their granaries still sit high upon the surrounding cliffs. Calf Creek was so named for the natural pasture and holding area its surrounding box canyon created for their weaned calves. We examined the figures through binoculars and my telephoto zoom camera lens.

Were the pictographs painted as direction? Or in celebration? Or as a warning…  We wondered also how the surrounding terrain had changed in the passing years. The figures danced at an impossible height now, but 800 years ago the cliff face might have been a canvas within easy reach of a determined artist.

We spotted deer grazing leisurely in the marshy grass that fanned out from early encounters with the creek, but as we neared the Falls, the stream became a clear flowing habitat for brook trout and beautiful bank-side wildflowers.

When we finally reached the 126-foot cascade, we were ready for total immersion. Hot, sweaty, sandy… Peeling off our socks and shoes at the edge of that gorgeous green water was easy. Walking into it was not, however.  Matt splashed in the furthest but raced back out of the icy water in seconds. Yes, it was “refreshing.”  But even in 100-degree heat, a toe dip was enough for the rest of us…

More on Utah:

“Adventures in Utah”“Road to Zion (National Park, Utah)”

“Into ‘The Narrows’ (Zion National Park, Utah)”

“The Subway (Zion National Park, Utah) Part One”

“The Subway (Zion National Park, Utah) Part Two”

“Court of the Patriarchs and The Emerald Pools of Zion (National Park, Utah)”

“Hanging Gardens (Zion National Park, Utah)”

“Hoodoo Heaven” (Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah)

“Smokey the Bear and Tibetan Monks?  I Must be in Boulder (Utah)… ”

“Dogs and Cars -but not Cows…” (Boulder, Utah) 

“The Cows… Part One (Boulder, Utah)”

“The Cows… Part Two (Boulder, Utah)”

“Pictographs at Lower Calf Creek Falls (Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, Utah)”

“The Goosenecks at Capitol Reef National Park (Utah)”

“Hiking ‘Smart’ in Grand Wash (Capitol Reef National Park, Utah)”

“The Lodge at Red River Ranch (Teasdale, Utah)”

“Of Pictographs and Petroglyphs…”

“A Reef in the Desert (Capitol Reef National Park)”

Tags: USA/Canada, Adventures, Audio MP3, Photographs, 1 Adult/3 Children by Heather
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 Windstorm! [2:35m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Last Sunday began as “the day I forgot to put the coffee pot under the coffee maker” and brewed a big aromatic mess all over my kitchen counter.  Until Matt’s afternoon football game…   Sunday then became “the day we encountered the remnants of Hurricane Ike” and gained a first-hand understanding of wind power.

By the time Matt’s team lost in overtime (a moment of sympathetic silence, please) the gusty winds had blustered into a steady surge that rocked vehicles and snapped trees. The kids and I dropped their dad off at his condo and began what would normally be a twenty-five minute drive home.

A street sign blew by. We drove by a completely caved-in garage door. Sapling-sized branches flew overhead and dropped beside us as we crept along in the slowed traffic. Trees bent down at unnatural angles, and the sky was littered with fragments of leaves. Riveting stuff.

When we finally reached the road that would be our straight-shot home it was emphatically blocked by a massive sycamore. We gamely turned left only to be flagged down by a weary motorist warning of more of the same up that road. By the time we finally rolled into our driveway an hour and a half later, we felt we’d conquered a vehicular version of the autumnal corn maze. Fallen trees, dead traffic lights, falling power lines… A firefighter at our last roadblock summed it up well as he listed all of the fallen tree reports for the area and advised me to make good time on the one route left open to us. Hopefully, we could cross it before a power line or tree blocked it off to us. My “worst case” imaginings involved remote parking and somehow hiking home (at least Matt would be protected by football pads)…

Of course, the house had no power. No complaints, though. Our neighborhood was restored just a little more than a day later. We lost some food and a good night’s sleep but gained a “boardgame by candlelight” night and a freshly cleaned refrigerator (when you have to take everything out anyway…).

I just got an e-mail from a friend, relegated to conducting business from an area sandwich shop until his home/office regains the rudimentary conveniences of electricity and water. Two of my sisters and one grandma are still without power, and I understand some outlying areas have been warned to expect nothing until the end of the week. I still have to contend with a thirty-five foot tree that split down the middle and landed in my neighbor’s yard. But no one was underneath when it fell and having now experienced sustained 70mph winds and our utter lack of power in the midst of a force so dynamically powerful, I think we came out just fine.

More Utah Adventures coming up (Next: Lower Calf Creek Falls in the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Memorial)

Tags: USA/Canada, Heart-to-Heart, Adventures, Photographs, 1 Adult/3 Children by Heather
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