Escalante River

July 8th - Escalante River Hike

Camping in the American West provides an experience you don't get in a hotel.  Day or night, you are often brought back into the present by the howling of area fauna.  Sometimes the wilderness cries are more of a screech.  Whether howl or screech, it is obvious that the creature making these sounds is a juvenille Bratus Americanus; otherwise known as an American child.  These creatures infest the campground environs like an army of ants.  Their calls can be heard day and night; and makes one ponder the value of a $20 nightly fee.  The only thing more trying than Bratus Americanus is Moronus Americanus.  These creatures, who are often parents, can't figure out how to operate their rented automobile without setting off the alarm.  Again and again and again.

Today we took the intensity of our trip down a notch.  Everyone had voted to have a more leisurely morning so we set our departure time for 10 am.  Breakfast of eggs and bacon was served!  Jeff was very skeptical that we would not make the 10 am time, as the eggs and bacon began at 9 am.  But... everyone was in the car ready to leave at 10 am sharp!

As planned, our hike was  a shorter, flatter hike  which led us down the Escalante River to a natural bridge and a natural arch.  The awesome part of this hike was that we had to cross the river (walking right through it) six times one way.  That kept us nice and cool!  We enjoyed that.  The hike was very pleasant with amazing scenery all along the way.  Just before the arch we discovered some etchings along the rock and an old grainery up on the cliffs.

After the hike we stopped at the Kiva Koffeehouse for some smoothies and iced coffee.  To everyone's pleasure they had wifi - an added bonus! They also gave the correct password.
Tonight will be an early night because Brandon, Lynn, Brooke, Jeff and I head out to hike Coyote Gulch in the am.  It's a 13 mile hike so we'll get an early start - planning to leave the campground at 4:30 am.  Lisa, Brian, and Devin will venture to Bryce Canyon while we're gone.

Group at the Natural Arch

Group at the Natural Bridge

Lisa loved the stream crossings!