UTAH Canyon Hike  Oct. 2001           

This old gal has just had the time of her life and did some  things, I did not think was possible at my age.

There were four of us, my friend Diana who is  closer to my age and her daughter and  boy friend both who were in their late thirties.  We went to Utah into the Canyons of the Grand Staircase, Escalante National Monument and also into the Capital Reef National Park

 I had never seen this type of country before with all the Sandstone and Navaho rock.  I did not know what the term "slickrock" meant or what "Hoodoo's" were. Those of you who know this country will know just how excited I was.

 We hiked the rim of Bryce Canyon and saw all the wonders and then hiked down into the bottom of the canyon.   We stayed at a campground in Escalante and then drove anywhere from 15 to 55 miles each day to a different section to hike and climb.  We averaged about six to ten miles each day. We had blue sky and sunshine the entire trip.

We would hike up a "wash" and get into some "slot" canyons and here is where I learned how to put my butt on the canyon wall behind me and my hands and feet on the  canyon wall in front of me creating a pressure. Think they call this Stemming and or chimmy. That is how I had to get over obstacles that would not let us through the slot walls of the canyons.

I also learned how to create friction climbing with my feet and my arms and  hands  I am glad the upper portion of my body is not a size 40D or I would not have gotten through some of the slots as they were so narrow that even my size eleven feet would not go through, but they would get stuck pointing in opposite directions between the rock.

 I learned to walk on the slickrock and how to climb up and over and along narrow ridges. Some of the time we were quite high and could look down into some of the canyons I was not capable of climbing up into.  However, when I did walk down a stretch of 80 degree rock for about twelve feet I had the biggest thrill of the hike. The young man was standing on the ground below me just in case. But, I really wanted to do it myself, so I kept the feet flat and the knees bent with the weight over the feet and I did it.

We saw three big (4 inch) tarantulas.  One was right on the wall which we had to make a maneuver, which was a large step up and then a hand hold.  I went up a different way and gave way to the tarantula

 What did I take with me in the gear department. This was a car camping  trip and we had showers in the campground for 5 days, then stealth camp the last two days.  I took all the heavy camping  gear and I was really comfortable with a heavy duty thermorest and my own 2 person Walrus Zoid 2 tent.  We had lots of good food and drink.

 I was careful on the rock and none of us got hurt. I did more than I thought I could do. I found  I could make longer reaches and steps. Now I may throw out my hiking poles, it was a great test of balance.  The young couple  were excellent climbers and we enjoyed watching them climb high.

 Well one of us did have a fall and that was me, right in the campground, I  fell over a big rock in the dark and skinned my knees and got a good bruise. Dammed if I am going to tell my kids I fell over a rock in the campground though.

This was my first time in the Canyons, it was an excellent trip with good knowledgeable company.