Second Stop, Canyonlands National Park

Hello from the Ponderosa Inn in Escalante, Utah. The last I wrote I was in Moab on my way south to Canyonlands National Park. I arrived there on Sunday night and camped just outside the park. It got cold that night! When I finally got out of my tent in the morning, my water was frozen and my rain fly was covered in a thick layer of frost. After shaking off the frost, and packing up, I went into Canyonlands National Park for a two day backcountry hike. And what a hike it was! I'd be lying if I said it wasn't a bit... nerve-racking! That's because I spent a significant amount of time on the sides of high cliffs, narrow ravines, and steep rock faces. Often, I had to hop, jump, and climb from one surface to another. Even more often, I had to take small, sure-footed steps while edging up or down the side of a canyon. And, the only way to know where I was going, was to follow the cairns (piles of intentionally placed rocks). It was stressful, but it was also amazing. The views from atop the canyons were stunning, vast, and majestic. So, despite some of the challenges (and stressors), and I exceedingly grateful that I got to see and experience the world in a way that most never get to.

Tomorrow and Friday I'll be hiking in a place called Coyote Gulch. Then, it's on to Bryce Canyon.

P.S. I picked up two hitchhikers today. I know that's kind of dangerous, but they were two nice young ladies who were backpackers, too. Their boots left a whole mess of dirt in the backseat of my car.