Snowbird Part 4, Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument

Probably the most undiscovered gem in the continental USA is the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument.  This clearly should be a national monument, if not a park.  Mona thinks that the only reason it isn't a national park is that it is pretty spread out.  I, for one, am really glad it isn't a park.  Having lots more visitors descend upon the monument would definitely change it's character.  Although that probably won't be an issue if President Trump and some Republicans get their way and remove the monument from a National Monument designation.

As I mentioned in a previous blog, one of Mona's life goals was to hike in some slot canyons.  Her first one was in Nevada in the Valley of Fire state park.  That one was just a miniature version of what we hiked in the  Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument.  The above picture is the slot canyon which is part of Buckskin Gulch.  To get to here is an adventure in itself.  First you have to pass through another slot canyon, Wire Pass.  Unfortunately in the middle of the pass there is lodged a large round rock so that one has go somehow go over it and drop down about 8 feet.  When I first hiked the area a few years ago someone had leaned a tree against the rock such that you could sort of shimmy up and down it.  Not so this time.  It must have been washed out.  Now if you started to back down over the rock you couldn't see if there was anyplace to put your feet.  If you had help from below you could get down placing your feet on some piled rocks.  But you had to commit before knowing where the rocks were.  And, if you were young, and tall, you could maybe get back up but otherwise you would need help.  The other option is to go back out of  Wire Pass and hike over the short ridge to drop down on the other side of the pass.  Even then the drop is very steep and scary.  Sliding on you butt seems the best option and hoping that you don't slip.  At least you can see where you are going or going to land if you started sliding uncontrolled.

Wire Pass slot canyon is neat but the Buck Gulch slot canyon is beyond description.  It is very deep and goes on forever.  After hiking down one end for well over a couple of hours we decided to head back.  I think Mona's desire to see a slot canyon was well satisfied, but it also made both of us desiring to see and explore more.

The most famous geological feature in the area is The Wave.  Look it up on google.  People from all over the world come to experience it.  The BLM only allows 20 people per day to visit by permit only.  You can get a permit by an on-line lottery or you come to the Kanab Visitors Center for their daily lottery.  Ten permits are given per day on-line and 10 via the visitor's center.  I've tried for several years to get a permit on line without success.  Mona said let's give the daily lottery a try.  It was only a 45 minute drive from where we were camped.  I was reluctant, knowing that our chances were about one in 50 of getting a permit.  When the lottery started the room was packed.  A cheer when up from the couple who got there number drawn first.  That left 8 permits available.  The next two lucky groups were also couples, so now 6 permits were issued with only 4 left.  The next winners were a family of 5.  They decided that they didn't want to split up their family so passed on the permits, which brought a round of applause from all the others in the room.  The next winners also had a large group and, after consulting with each other,  passed too.  Another round of applause went up.  The next winners were a couple so now there were only two passes left.  Mona, bless her heart, said I could go we only got one pass.  I wasn't going to do that and we didn't have to make that decision anyway as the last winners were also a group of two.  So 10 lucky people got passes and the rest of us 160 or so folks in the room will have to try again some day. 

Since we didn't win in the lottery for The Wave, we decided to take a hike up the Hackberry Creek Canyon.  Its about a 30 mile drive up the dirt Cottonwood Canyon Road.  The road goes up the middle of the monument and itself is quite an adventure to drive.  A short way up Hackberry Creek we encountered longhorn cattle coming down the canyon.  It felt like we were in some sort of western movie and we half expected to see John Wayne driving the herd.  No John Wayne but some cow boys and girls were driving them.  The said there was "no charge" for the show.

Much of the time hiking the canyon we were in inch deep water.  That God for good Gore Tex hiking boots!

While we were in the monument we camped in, of all places, a gravel pit.  It was recommended to us by the lady manning the small contact station along the highway.  It was a super spot with a great view of the area being up the hill behind the contact center.

A short distance from our camp site was another geological feature call The Toad Stools.  It's a area with several hoodoo's scattered around.  When I've been there in the past there were very few people.  This time there were lots, all with cameras and tripods.  Turns out they well all part of a photography excursion from Las Vegas.

The photographers were all gathered around the first set of hoodoos.  I guess they didn't realize that there was another group of them around the corner.  When we got there we had the area to ourselves,

Another area in the monument that I really wanted to visit was the Wahweap Hoodoos.  I didn't get there the last time I was visiting the monument.  It's over a 9 plus mile round trip hike to the Wahweaps.  Mona felt she was up to it.  The hike is up the Wahweap Creek river bed,  We had perfect weather for the trip, sunny and not hot. 

When we got to the hoodoos we were awestruck.  It was magical.  We ate lunch in a spot where we could look down onto a group of them.  We both thought it was a spiritual experience, especially since we were the only ones there.  We never saw another person the whole day.  On the way back we wondered if we would ever get to the truck.  Mona's knee held up fine although she had to ice it for a couple of days.  She said the hike was so worth the inconvenience of icing afterwards.

Let's hope that this area stays a national monument.  I can't imagine it not being one,  it is such an incredible area.