2025 - West - UT - Boulder - Burr Trail - April 9

 4/9 - After hiking for so many days in a row, today was a relatively easy day. We decided to drive the Burr Trail. The drive was incredible - over the mountains, on top of the Hogback, through the canyons, and down the switchbacks.

They say in Utah "if you don't like the scenery, just wait 10 minutes and it will all change".

Entering the switchbacks.

Here we are on the way down. (Thanks, Jill, for the great picture).

Jim & Jill climbing back out.

Looking down the switchbacks

Back at the top of the switchbacks.

On the way back we stopped at Singing Canyon.

This little slot canyon had amazing acoustics.

Vaughan always finds something to climb on.

Back over the Hogback. There is no guard rails or shoulders.

2025 - West - UT - Escalante - Cosmic Ashtray - April 8

 4/8 - Today had to be one of the hikes I will remember for a long time. Although it was difficult for me with a bad knee and a fear of heights, the reward at the end was worth it. (So was the pizza at the end of the day.)

We had to climb nearly 800 feet up sandstone to get to it.

At least there was some places to rest while climbing this rock face.

At the very top was our reward - Cosmic Ashtray.

It is deceptive in most online pictures how big/deep this area is.

It is about 83' deep, 200' across, and the chicken head rock in the middle is as big as a house. 

You can tell the size by the people in the bottom.

My crew climbed down part of the way but to get to the bottom required rappelling another 10'.

Here is how far up/down we had to climb but what a reward.

If only there had been water on this water slide.

It was a much easier hike back.

We earned every slice of that pizza we had for dinner at Escalante Outfitters.

2025 - West - UT - Escalante - Devil's Garden - April 7

 4/7 - Today was a washboard ride down Hole in the Rock Road to Devil's Garden. I know - we have done some of these hikes in the past but Jim & Jill have not. We wanted to share some of the beauty with them.

Jazzy, Jim & Jill - 

and Vaughan in orange.

Jill has really been working out this trip - 

A this point Jim & Jill headed back to the RV resort while we decided to check out the road to tomorrow's destination - The Cosmic Ashtray. We had been told at the visitor station that the "undeveloped" road was closed. Vaughan knew that we would not want to hike over 9 miles to see it and if we could we drive out this road the hike would be less than 3 miles.

The road was passable and the views incredible.

As a bonus we crossed Harris Wash where I got to do a little rock-hounding.

Dinner was a fabulous burger at 4th West Pub - a beef burger with a slice of pastrami, fried onions, Swiss cheese and thousand island dressing. Amazing!