Hayes
Observer
-Two Toyotas, two rental Rubicons, nine adults, and six children aged 3 to 8.
-Add ample southeastern Utah solitude, some canyon country slickrock, and dash of rain-soaked clay.
-Stir well for five days and ~100 miles.
-Enjoy.
This was the main dish I planned months in advance, and served at the beginning of October, 2008. The dinner party included the entire selection of in-laws--bros, sisters and associated offspring from as far away as Missoula, Montana, as well as the matri- and patri- arch of the clan who flew in from Philadelphia.
And me, plus my two kids. Oddly enough, my wife had to cancel her dinner reservation at the last minute, but that's not an important part of the story.
Now that I've killed the culinary metaphor, on the the trip report.
We picked up two shiny red Jeep Rubicons from Farabees in Moab, and headed south to Comb Ridge, where we camped in a nice grove of cottonwoods near Mule Canyon. The first night out in the wild with this many kids can be a bit of a circus, but we settled into a collective groove remarkably quick. We were soon playing and feasting and doing our best to reduce the volume of beverage we would have to transport to our next camp.
The next day we had nice private hike in the north fork of Mule Canyon, under a threatening--but dry--sky.
We finished off the day with a quick drive to an overlook of nearby Arch Canyon. The drive served as a good warm-up for the inlaws in the rentals--not at all difficult--but requiring low-range and four wheel drive. The view needs no words. Keep your kids on a short leash:
On day three we packed up the vehicles and headed toward Cottonwood Wash and the Abajos. We stopped by the mouth of Arch Canyon to see some ruins and get the clean trucks a little dirty.
The Kindergarteners worked on their homework assignments:
We left Arch Canyon for a bumpy dugway that would lead us up and over to Cottonwood Wash. The sky was darkening and drizzling, but spirits were still bright.
This second leg of our journey would take us up to the forested terrain on Elk Ridge.
<CONTINUED...>
-Add ample southeastern Utah solitude, some canyon country slickrock, and dash of rain-soaked clay.
-Stir well for five days and ~100 miles.
-Enjoy.
This was the main dish I planned months in advance, and served at the beginning of October, 2008. The dinner party included the entire selection of in-laws--bros, sisters and associated offspring from as far away as Missoula, Montana, as well as the matri- and patri- arch of the clan who flew in from Philadelphia.
And me, plus my two kids. Oddly enough, my wife had to cancel her dinner reservation at the last minute, but that's not an important part of the story.
Now that I've killed the culinary metaphor, on the the trip report.
We picked up two shiny red Jeep Rubicons from Farabees in Moab, and headed south to Comb Ridge, where we camped in a nice grove of cottonwoods near Mule Canyon. The first night out in the wild with this many kids can be a bit of a circus, but we settled into a collective groove remarkably quick. We were soon playing and feasting and doing our best to reduce the volume of beverage we would have to transport to our next camp.
The next day we had nice private hike in the north fork of Mule Canyon, under a threatening--but dry--sky.
We finished off the day with a quick drive to an overlook of nearby Arch Canyon. The drive served as a good warm-up for the inlaws in the rentals--not at all difficult--but requiring low-range and four wheel drive. The view needs no words. Keep your kids on a short leash:
On day three we packed up the vehicles and headed toward Cottonwood Wash and the Abajos. We stopped by the mouth of Arch Canyon to see some ruins and get the clean trucks a little dirty.
The Kindergarteners worked on their homework assignments:
We left Arch Canyon for a bumpy dugway that would lead us up and over to Cottonwood Wash. The sky was darkening and drizzling, but spirits were still bright.
This second leg of our journey would take us up to the forested terrain on Elk Ridge.
<CONTINUED...>
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