May 3 - more southern Utah perfection.

Yet another day with perfect weather, no bugs, no mildewed socks, great scenery, and good company. 

Last night we were camped on The Flats. This morning we worked our way to the headwaters of The Gulch and followed it down to the Burr Trail Road. All easy walking, no thrashing through brush, big red walls, cottonwoods, and running water. Beautiful. Ash-throated Flycatchers and a Lazuli Bunting. In a small tributary of The Gulch we found a perfect mortar and pestle. 

We met retired Mike and Carrie from Carson City while in The Gulch, and 5 hours later we stopped at their Campsite by the side of the road for a cold drink and a nice long chat. 

Tomorrow we get steak and eggs for breakfast in Boulder and then carry on another 20 miles on the Boulder Mail Trail which was the route used in the good old days to carry US Mail between Escalante and Boulder by mule. 

We're happy and healthy and looking forward to a big breakfast.

https://maps.google.com/maps?q=37.846340,-111.372500(I+Am+Here+Wednesday+May+3+2017+07:52+PM)&iwloc=A&z=11

May 2 - 14 consecutive days of 5-star everything.

No people.
5-star Upper Muley Twist and Rim Trail. No difficult route finding today. No other people today.
14 full days, every one of them perfect weather. Windy every day, but neither hot nor cold and essentially no rain.
Left Capital Reef NP and entered adjacent Escalante Grand Staircase NM. It's all great stuff.
Pinyon Jay flock flying over the tent makes the best noises.

We're happy and healthy and have good tasting water from the Lampstand Float Tank.

https://maps.google.com/maps?q=37.980316,-111.178526(I+Am+Here+Tuesday+May+2+2017+08:14+PM)&iwloc=A&z=11

May 1 - Capital Reef NP

So much to write about; so hard to type on little phone.

Descent off Tarantula Mesa was 7 hours, 9 miles, complex and complicated route finding through many ridges, twisted rock formations and little drainages. Fortunately the route "that goes" has been mapped and we have a gps. Otherwise it would be darn near impossible. A few class three moves, else class 1 and 2, but relentless paying attention to stay on the route.

Reached NPS boundary near the Burr Trail road at 5:00 and ascended the Burr Trail Switchbacks. Spectacular scenery. Chatted with three different friendly and interesting couples while we were on the road which was a nice thing. Since leaving Hanksville 3 days ago we had spoken with just one solo long-distance hiker. One of the couples recently packrafted the Escalante from Fence to Coyote - fun!

BLM land = habitat badly degraded by cattle. Crossing the fence into NPS is a beautiful change.

We are camped just 50-100 yards off the very popular Muley Twist Trail in Capital Reef. Master Campsite Finder James found some Moki Steps up steep, smooth, sandstone slabs to a beautiful private nook. 5 stars.

We're happy and healthy.

https://maps.google.com/maps?q=37.851502,-111.031955(I+Am+Here+Monday+May+1+2017+09:05+PM)&iwloc=A&z=11

Apr 30 - sunny and bright

The weather was clear and calm. Today would have been a great day to have crossed the high route across the Henry Mountains.

It took us over 3 hours to climb out of the Slate Creek drainage. The rest of the day was easy walking on dirt road; no vehicles. Big views all day. 360 view from camp.

We met our first long distance hiker this evening at our campsite next to a water source. Nice chat. He's eastbound on a portion of the Hayduke route, but started in Flagstaff.

We're happy and healthy.

https://maps.google.com/maps?q=37.983577,-110.913884(I+Am+Here+Sunday+April+30+2017+08:36+PM)&iwloc=A&z=11

Apr 28 - Hanksville

In Hanksville. Shower, laundry, beef brisket, resupply box, night at the campground in town. Woo hoo!

We've had fabulous weather, and the forecast continues to be great. Tomorrow we head into the Henry Mountains, up to 11,000 feet of snow permits.

The last 4 days have been diverse, gorgeous, fun walking. Couldn't be happier.

5 days ago we got a hitchhiking ride in Canyonlands Needles District from a German couple with a 1-year-old baby. We walked into the Hanksville campground and found them here, so we're chatting with them now after dinner. So fortuitous and fun.

From here it is about 6 days to the town of Boulder, the next recharge place and the next chance for internet access.

We're happy and healthy, clean and happy chatting with the Germans.

Apr 27 - Happy Canyon

Perfect cool weather. All great scenery.

There were a couple miles of narrows at the bottom end of Happy Canyon. Fun.

First day of no people: great. First day of no ravens: terrible.

It was satisfying to descend Happy Canyon from rim to the Dirty Devil River. All easy relaxed walking.

First rain of the trip came in the middle of last night. We were camped in the dry main drainage. Rain was light but we are conservative, having learned the hard way, so we got up and moved to slightly higher ground. As it turned out the rain stopped and the stream never flowed.

We're camped on banks of the Dirty Devil, opposite the mouth of Happy Canyon. 20 miles from here to the road where we hitch to Hanksville. Maybe tomorrow late afternoon or following morning we'll get showers and laundry and burgers!

We're happy and healthy and thankful for sunny cool weather.

https://maps.google.com/maps?q=38.136127,-110.403489(I+Am+Here+Thursday+April+27+2017+08:00+PM)&iwloc=A&z=11

Apr 26 - another great day

More great weather and scenery.

We had an NPS ranger on a jeep road check our permit for maybe third time in our entire lives. The old guard backcountry rangers have retired and most of these young seasonal rangers don't know much and are very fond of rules. This one failed to see the humor in the "homeland security rules say public can't use outlets in NPS visitor centers." Sigh. We miss the old style desert rat and mountain goat rangers, but like Coe Park ranger Barry, they retired when the job became all paperwork instead of free form visitor services.

We finished crossing Canyonlands NP and are now descending Happy Canyon. We think we were in this Canyon ~25 years ago with Steve and Rickson as part of a Robbers Roost trip.

We're happy and healthy.

https://maps.google.com/maps?q=38.134870,-110.196214(I+Am+Here+Wednesday+April+26+2017+08:20+PM)&iwloc=A&z=11

Apr 25 / another perfect day

5-star everything: weather, scenery, campsite, company, hiking.

Hitched a ride across Colorado River in less than an hour, which was a relief as we thought it might take much longer. We were lucky.

We're happy and healthy but already covered with grit, even though we had showers yesterday afternoon.

https://maps.google.com/maps?q=38.144228,-109.998986(I+Am+Here+Tuesday+April+25+2017+08:29+PM)&iwloc=A&z=11

Apr 24 - a message from Homeland Security

Another day of perfect weather, 5-star scenery and great walking. 

We stopped at Canyonlands NP Needles a district Visitor Center to get our backcountry permit. A small sign posted next to each outlet said "the public is not permitted to use electrical outlets in federal buildings by order of Homeland Security". I think this must be a joke and plug in my phone anyway. The lady behind the counter sternly scolds me. Unfrickenbelievable. The only thing we have to fear is fear itself. 

Then we went to the Needles Outpost just outside  the park gate to pick up our resupply package, eat the best burgers and milkshakes the world has ever known, take showers, and enjoy a long conversation with the proprietors and one other visitor. A 5-star stop. 

6 days with no news is great. Everyone should be so lucky. 

We're happy and healthy, clean, well-fed, and back on the trail snug in our little tent. Probably no pictures for a while to conserve battery. Our next resupply/power is in Hanksville, 78 miles and about 5 days away. 

https://maps.google.com/maps?q=38.172457,-109.824240(I+Am+Here+Monday+April+24+2017+08:47+PM)&iwloc=A&z=11

Apr 23 - more good stuff

Good weather though a little warmer. More great scenery. Another day of mixed walking - a bit of disused jeep track, a bit of graded BLM road, and mostly cross country. Definitely a route for advanced backpackers, not for novices. The moves are not difficult, but reading the terrain requires experience in the Colorado Plateau geological formations.

We're happy and healthy, sort of clean, and camped by a cottonwood next to flowing Indian Creek.

https://maps.google.com/maps?q=38.279323,-109.773668(I+Am+Here+Sunday+April+23+2017+07:43+PM)&iwloc=A&z=11