Paria Canyon, June 20-22, 2010
Lenny organized a hike down Paria Canyon, and we (Lenny, Wendy, Aaron, Kevin, two dogs, and I) trekked from the White House trailhead to Lonely Dell Ranch over three days. The scenery was unfailingly beautiful.
We crammed four people, one dog, and camping gear into the Yaris for the drive to the trailhead.
Cool patterns in the rock.
I love the word "aeolian."
Moonrise.
The whisperlite flame, up close.
Ant on a bottlecap.
Getting ready for the backpack down the canyon: a comparison of Aaron's pack and mine. With my arm injury, I didn't want to wear a pack, so Aaron carried both of our stuff and I just carried a tiny fanny pack. As a trade, I had to carry our poo, which needed to be packed out. More on that in a sec.
Coby gets his pack on.
Wendy's pack.
Coby, Aaron, Wendy, and Lolita.
Aaron and Amy. Aaron is sneering about...something.
Aaron, Wendy, Lenny, Coby, and Lolita behind everybody.
Of course, we checked out the pretty cracks that caught our eye, but didn't bring gear to climb them.
Aaron bouldered, though.
Cool rock formations.
Wendy, Lolita, Coby, and Lenny.
The whole gang.
Lolita, Wendy, and Aaron, probably checking out a potential climb.
Wendy and Lolita.
Coby sinking into the mud while getting a drink, early in the hike, before the water became plentiful.
Kevin, with Lenny and Coby in the background.
Coby and Lenny at a rest stop.
Aaron, Kevin, Lenny, and Wendy.
We didn't go very far up Buckskin Gulch; this is near the confluence of Paria and Buckskin.
Aaron in Buckskin.
Wendy, Lolita, and Aaron.
Wendy.
Kevin.
Aaron at a seep.
Greenery.
Soon-to-be tadpoles.
Hikin' along.
Me, Coby, Lenny, and Kevin (Photo: Aaron).
Aaron. Our trek involved a lot of water-walking so we switched to sandals.
Lolita and Wendy.
Lenny, Wendy, and the dogs.
Aaron.
Me at our first camp, ready to inaugurate the use of Wag Bags. My review: the bags you get for free at the ranger's station (Restop 2 brand) are vastly superior to the one I'm holding here, purchased at REI. These bags stink. Literally, and a lot. Try to get the Restop 2 brand.
Lenny and Coby at the river at our first camp.
Wendy in the sunshine.
Aaron, Amy, Lenny, Coby.
Hiking out on Day 2.
Lolita and Wendy.
Unbounded joy, as Wendy put it.
Aaron.
Day 2 had lots of swimmin' holes!
I slipped and fell in the mud. Photo: Aaron, with glee.
Kevin, Coby, and Lenny making a deep-ish water crossing.
Coby.
Aaron bouldering.
Aaron.
Wendy, Lenny, and the dogs.
Aaron, still bouldering.
Wendy checks out the bouldering.
Walking in the water.
Amy in a swimmin' hole. Photo: Aaron.
The Paria was running very clear; we're told it's usually kind of cloudy.
Aaron attempting a boulder problem. This one did not really go.
Cool pink roots in the water.
Lenny in a swimmin' hole.
Wet dog.
Aaron, Lenny, and Kevin in a little chute.
Aaron on another fruitless boulder problem.
Aaron hiking.
I'm not sure what this expression signifies.
Aaron and Wendy.
Water in the Paria.
Clouds in the morning on Day 3.
Aaron spied a sweet line and HAD to try it---the crack on the left side of the large boulder.
Difficult start.
Rattley fingers, for him.
Aaron got to the top. At this point I walked around the boulder and noticed that there was no way down, so downclimb he must.
Which he did.
Looking up the thin crack.
The pretty Chinle formation in the foreground.
Aaron.
Rainbow colors.
Amy. Photo: Aaron.
Aaron.
Tamarisk...invasive, but pretty.
Cool rock.
Aaron walking atop some boulders with deep crevasses between them.
Lizard.
Aaron.
Petroglyphs.
Aaron contemplates how to get atop this hoodoo, but did not attempt it.
The hiking on the last day was in the full sun, very little shade.
Lenny, Lolita, Aaron.
Aaron making a raft of thermarests.
The view in Aaron's sunglasses.
Me with attempted toe blister protection.
Wendy, Lolita, Lenny, Coby.
Lolita, Wendy, Lenny.
Aaron.
Lenny and Coby.
©2010 Amy Jordan; Email Me.