Spring 2012: Home at Last – The Long Drive (5/3 – 5/5)

Sorry for not being in touch a few days.  Wednesday night we received a phone call from Mom’s neighbors saying that she thought someone had been in her home.  Not to worry – we believe it was just a bad dream.  She was nervous and they were going to take her in until we got home so we started for home the Thursday morning.  It took us 3 very long days but we made it back Saturday night.  She is fine and we have convinced her that it was all a dream and she is back in her own home. 

Thanks for sticking with us through this long and crazy journey.  We had a great time and saw more of this beautiful country than most people get to see.  I have not been cured of my fear of heights but I have pushed myself farther than I thought I could.  I missed having Jeff and Linda as our side-kicks especially seeing they would go with Vaughan places I didn’t want to go.

Happy Trails!!

Spring 2012: Wednesday (5/2) – Stateline Canyon Revisited

Seeing we didn’t get too far into Stateline Canyon yesterday, Vaughan decided it would be a good idea to try a different approach.  There was a new housing development that led around to the backside of the canyon so we decided to try to climb down that way.  We did make it farther in but still came to some places that were even more impassable – namely a 60 foot drop down in.  There was a hookup to rappel down but seeing we had no ropes and there is no way on this earth I would ever do that, we climbed up and over into another slot.  After about 2 hours we were back at the car and covered with sand again.

 A different entry but still pretty rough.

What looks like rock is sometimes a thin crust with sand beneath and it gives way under foot - not what you want on the side of a cliff - very slippery.

This poor fellow didn't make it.  We found his jawbones scattered father down the path.

Here is the part we turned around - a 60 foot sheer drop.

There was no other way down – believe me, Vaughan looked.

This part got too narrow to travel - time to turn around again.

Another view from above to another place you can’t get to.

Once on top you can see Lake Powell in the background.

That gray crack is where we were - not easy to climb out. 

Spring 2012: Tuesday (5/1) – Kanab & Stateline Canyon

Today, I found myself driving 75 miles to Kanab, UT at 6AM to try one more time to get in the lottery for The Wave (Coyote Buttes North).  Unfortunately, so did 102 other people and only 10 were picked – not us.  So, I took a nice long drive back.  Later we found another fairly unknown slot canyon, Stateline, just on the border of Arizona and Utah.  Again very sandy, rugged terrain and parts were impassable.  We ended up climbing out and walking through a desert pasture.  On the way was a huge jack rabbit and a horned toad that Vaughan walked right over and I nearly missed – you’ll see why when you see his picture.

Can you spot him - he was only about 5 inches long and blended in so well.

He never moved until Vaughan tried to touch him.

Did I say the terrain was rugged?

Although this looks like rock some was a thin layer over sand that collapsed as you walked.

That hole you see at the top of the picture was a 6 foot drop so we had to climb out.

Still a beautiful place. 

Vaughan tried to find another way down in but it was just too rough and steep.