Escalante 2006 - A Dream and the Realities - Part Seven

Day 4
Tuesday July 25 1:00pm MDT

The trip back to our campsite was uneventful, though the scenery in reverse offered a whole host of gorgeous vistas. We did have to deal with our first real casualty, the prescription sunglasses Dan had lost on our way down to the arch. We had hoped to find them at the great little campsite we had stopped in that morning, both Dan and TClog having remembered seeing them sitting on a log there, but when we made it back to that spot they were not to be found. Additional searching yielded nothing and Dan nobly acknowledged their loss and moved on. Arriving back in camp just before 5 we had reason to feel good about our days adventure, but questions remained about the itineraries that others had accomplished.

During a good chunk of our walk back to camp the rain clouds seemed to build in the west (as they had the day before) and when back in camp there were even a few sprinkles, though it remained dry. What was happening, beyond the narrow confines of our existence, was that some significant rainfall was falling, and either Dan or TClog remarked that the river was louder, and there was also a very toilety smell. We wandered over to check out the river and lo and behold, it was up, and really murky and smelly. Hmmmm. We still had some water left from the spring, but not as much as we would have liked to hike back to the car in the morning, and dinner had already been eaten so no water was to be saved that way. (dinner had been mac and cheese and green beans - using up some of our food before the hike out - about 10 ounces worth) There was little we could do other than hope that the water receded and calmed by morning, and worse come to worst hike out with what we had, relying on the gallon and a half of water we had in the car.

After dinner conversation included discussion of whether we really liked camping, prompted by Dan's personal feeling that his days of sleeping in a tent were likely to be fewer and farther between, though he has Sharon to reckon with. TClog was pretty non-commital on the subject as I recall and I relayed that if it takes sleeping in a tent to get somewhere you wouldn't see otherwise then I'm all for it, but I don't get any particular joy from the actual 'sleeping in the tent part'. It's hot, or filled with carbon dioxide, or both. The floor is usually over roots and no trail pad you'd want to carry has enough cushion to provide a night remotely like that in your own bed. That said, I can't see the Milky Way from my bed. Anyway, discussion wrapped up about the same time as the night before and we retired to the gloom of the tent, this time with me having gotten my trail pad in early. Dan was doing a sort of nervous rain dance the whole evening, removing and restoring the fly of the tent with the looming threat of rain. Thankfully we never had to sleep with the fly on or by god there may have been murder.

It was hot in that tent. GOD DAMN! it was hot in that tent. Once again, Dan and I were pressed up against the side, as far from the sun as possible, which was tough given his imperial leanings (and stretchings). I dozed fitfully, at one point waking up with the sensation that the pits in my Z-rest were filled with TClog's sweat. To this moment I can't be sure if that was true or not but regardless of the source it was wet, in the desert, in a tent. Later I was woken by Dan, who had apparently forsaken the safety of the tent for sanity (and a little release), telling me I should come outside and see the stars. I did not need to be asked twice. Out I went, trail pad and all to lay in the sand next to the tent with a glorious view of a sky filled with stars. The Milky Way was as wide as I'd ever seen it, filling a quarter of the sky, and the stars were so numerous and bright that the constellations were almost hard to pick out. It was glorious, and even more than that, it wasn't hot. I even had to go get my sleeping bag out of my pack because the desert had finally cooled some. Scorpions and snakes be damned, not to say that I didn't regard everything that touched my leg for the first while as a threat, but with my other choice being the hot side of Mercury, it was worth the risk.

Up early, just after 5:00am, and seemingly ready to get going. I stayed as quiet as possible for as long as possible but began to get ready for the hike out. Dan woke up about 5:30 and TClog sometime after that. He had spent the entire night in the tent (having achieved our evictions) despite Dan's entreaties regarding the stars. (No real surprise there) Everyone up and with lightened loads we had breakfast and prepared for the walk out. The river was still high, smelly and silty, so we were stuck with the water left from the day before. I repacked TClog's pack from scratch in an effort to not repeat the mistake of the trip in, and without much fanfare we were headed back to the car. (he had no issues with his pack on the way out)

With the river up we were a bit concerned about the crossings, but there wasn't much we could do about it. We had the map out and in hand, determined to keep track of our whereabouts as we went. We also had a a better sense of how the trail went, though we still had a few moments of doubt on the way out, and a wrong turn. Almost immediately we returned to the place of our greatest consternation, the cross-over dribble mentioned in an earlier part, and learned once and for all that the idea is to go way up and around it, this time on the south side. A tough start to the morning, even though it was still cool. The climb was easily more than a hundred feet with no absolute guarantee we were headed the right way. But we were, and we generally managed to stick to the trail with me following the map and vowing to be B-line X 2 (times 2).

There were a few areas where the trail petered out and we had to bushwhack our way back to it, and one wrong turn up one of the washes that comes in from the north. We corrected that mistake pretty fast and found ourselves nearly back to the end. If you recall the entrance to the gulch is along a ridge and then down a slope and we were looking for that slope. TClog and I were overly anxious and thought we were there, but when I climbed up to confirm it, we were proven wrong and had to head farther along. Even still, we were cooking right along and the end was nigh. At last we made it to the slope that started it all, back to the ridge and once again back to the Sombrero where we gladly removed our packs and drank some of our stored water. All told, the trip that took 3+ hours in we managed in 2 coming out. More like it, but still far short of those that publish itineraries for this place.

Water drunk, clothes changed, camping crap stowed, and after picture taken, we headed back to civilization having accomplished enough, but only about half of what we planned. The trip back up Hole in the Wall Road was much the same as it had been coming in, just with 50 Mile Cliff on our left this time. TClog was back at the wheel anxious to get to town and find some AC. He and Dan had convinced themselves (and me reluctantly - more on that later) that a good noght sleep in a motel with AC a blaring was just what we needed before the ride home. Plus we had decided to make the trip back to the midwest with a stop somewhere.

Escalante was still there when we got back in the late morning on Wednesday. We headed back to the BLM headquarters to get some info on some day hikes, use the restroom and regroup. We then headed for lunch at a great little Mexican place (everything homemade, including some excellent guacamole, though of course we ordered too much). After that we scoped out the Prospector Inn and made ourselves at home.

TClog immediately collapsed on the bed in the AC, while Dan and I took showers and organized our crap. I even got my backpack ready for the return plane flight, as we would no longer be doing anything but day hikes. We pretty much laid waste to that room, although I think they're more than used to it as they have a special towel for cleaning your bike and other gear. (I have to imagine there are some messy mountain bikers rolling through there, especially when it's not 100 degrees)

Nothing makes one feel more human than a nice hot shower, and with that I was prepared for whateve came next.

But more on that coming soon.....