My Journey

[YukonMontanaTannerTrapper]

This slick rock seemed to almost surround the base of the butte.....in some areas you could actually walk underneath long stretches of it and it appeared that wildlife hung out here.....I thought maybe it was a great spot for shade in the summers intense heat.....







It was obvious from the direction that we came at the butte that there would be no summit but what I've learned about climbing these things is that they have to be circled to find that right spot.....





So that's what we did here.....we circled it counter clockwise, dipped back down into many ravines and kept looking for that right spot.....



We scrambled up this ridgeline.....our highest point yet.....



And from here we found a route that got us close to the top.....





We didn't quite make that summit.....maybe we were one hundred feet below it.....once again I was concerned with Tanner and the steep cliffs.....and once again.....we didn't care.....

 

[longhorn1]

Stunning pictures and of course Tanner's make my day. Thinking back to a previous post about your supply of hiking boots, have you tracked how many miles you are getting out of a pair. Obviously climbing and rough terrain can wear the soles down pretty fast. The reason I asked, I'm about 1,100 miles and 6 months in on a pair of Oboz low cut hiking shoes, walking paved trails, and the bottom tread on the outside of both shoes is worn down flat. I must walk weird. Anyway, just curious whether you track that. Happy Holidays?

 

[ITTOG]

Jerry, I just wanted to say Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. Thanks for the presents you give us every day by telling us your story and pics.

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[Mekcanix]

Jerry, I just wanted to say Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. Thanks for the presents you give us every day by telling us your story and pics.

I second ITTOG! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year Jerry and Tanner! Thank you so much for all your adventures

 

[tgil]

Merry Christmas Jerry & Tanner! Thinking about y'all today!

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[YukonMontanaTannerTrapper]

JD.....that's an interesting question and my answer is I don't know. I've typically got multiple pairs of boots in use at one time (they're all the exact same boot).....for instance I'll just be breaking in one pair which I use only for short hikes (cause they don't feel so good yet), then I'll have another pair that's completely broken in (they're in the prime of their life and feel great), and then I'll have a third pair that's on the way out (they still feel OK but they're not good for my feet, knees and hip). But I will take a guess and I think I get at least 1,000 miles and possibly a bit more per pair.....be safe.....

ITTOG.....you are very welcome and just know that there is a special pleasure that I get from writing our stories for people such as you and many others on XP.....such a nice crowd of people.....

mekcanix......we just love sharing our adventures with XP.....we wish you the best for 2021.....and thank you.....

tgil.....what a great Xmas picture ! Stay safe.....



After two nights camped at the trailhead for Zebra Slot Canyon we thought it time to move on.....I can't stress enough how reluctant I was and at how much I hated driving on Hole In The Rock Road. We had driven 7 miles on the first day out which left us with 44 miles to go. We drove an additional 5 more miles on Hole In The Rock Road on our next outing and that's when & where we saw a small directional sign for Devils Garden.....so we took that turn off and then saw this sign.....



"Hmmmmm".....that's what I was thinking since I had no idea what to expect. We pulled into the parking lot which was down a big hill, looked around and then drove right back up that big hill to a spot where the views were much better and there we camped for the third night of our adventure on Hole In The Rock Road....right on that entrance road.....



The thing was that there was barely anyone there & here.....it was not all ours here but it sure was close.....



When we first arrived the skies were initially quite cloudy and it was plenty cold enough to snow.....



But as the day progressed the skies began to clear.....





Now I'll readily admit that I know nothing about photography but one thing that I do know is that the red rocks of Utah look much better with those white wispy white clouds in the background.....and I've learned that if you stay long enough the white wispy clouds will come.....



So we actually hiked there three times that day taking pictures and looking for that perfect sky before calling it a night.....we were so persistent that we even went back a fourth time as we took a night walk amongst those wonderful rock formations.....

 

[YukonMontanaTannerTrapper]

The following day we were right back at it.....







Hiking amongst the hoodoos & the natural arches....







And the clouds came as I had hoped.....







So we passed the entire day amongst the hoodoos & the natural arches.....

 

[YukonMontanaTannerTrapper]

A few people came during the day.....







But mostly it was ours.....





As the sun began to set the few people that had come were now gone.....







And now Devils Garden was all ours once again.....nobody seems to camp here at this time of year.....which is just fine by us......as we continued in our search for a life of solitude.....

 

[longhorn1]

Stunning pictures. The land never stops giving. The sky's sure can add to the photos.

 

[Ace Brown]

Devil’s Garden could be on Easter Island.


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[YukonMontanaTannerTrapper]

JD.....the sky has always been huge for me.....

Alan.....definitely seeing it.....



We continued south on Hole In The Rock Road and we rattled and rolled for an hour and a half until I'd finally had enough of that rough road once again.....unfortunately we had only traversed ten more miles.....leaving us twenty nine more miles until we reached our goal....



We pulled into a random, seldom used BLM sand filled road and here we set up our camp for the next several days.....behind our camp was a small red stone wall lined canyon which we immediately explored.....nothing much to see here although Tanner found himself a little something special.....



It was peaceful here and the day seemed to fly by like the clouds overhead.....



Soon the night sky began to appear.....





And soon enough another day had passed.....





That night was silent as I would imagine that we were miles & miles from any other man.....we rose early and walked along Hole In The Rock Road to watch the sun as it rose.....



The long early mornings shadows along the never ending washboard road were the start of a new day.....



And we were ready to explore.....

 

[tgil]

Some of the places you just stumble across are as fascinating as many I've intentionally set out to see!

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[ghostdancer]

That washboard looks brutal!

 

[YukonMontanaTannerTrapper]

tgil.....I'm very focused these days on the whole solitude thing. There's just so much turmoil in the world that it's been intriguing to go off into my own little ?....and to leave all that stuff behind.....

ghostdancer.....it is brutal ! And it never ends.....the further you go the worst it gets.....




Our first spot to explore from our new camp was back along the Straight Cliffs (that apparently is the name of the cliffs that run the entire length of Hole In The Rock Road).....and the same cliff band that we had explored further north while camped at the Zebra Slot Canyon Trailhead.....



From our new camp we hiked 3 to 4 miles westerly across several canyons and through quite a bit of flatlands filled with low growing cacti, dense sagebrush and the occasional cedar here & there.....it was sensational hiking through these areas that had no man made trails.....leaving the road as far behind as we possibly could.....



The plan for this day was simple.....to hike along the base of the cliffs to see what we could see.....



And that's basically all that we did that day.....no attempts to climb anything on that particular day.....



Once we reached the cliffs we began to hike southward eventually going into a slight canyon within the cliffs walls.....



These are the places that I love the most.....



......as these are the areas where the wildlife seem to congregate and it's where I find their signs.....a hawks feather I believe.....



.....and the remains of a mule deer I'm guessing.....



Under these massive cliffs the animals stories are told.....and these are the kinds of places where Tanner & I find the real solitude.....away from all signs of man.....

 

[esh]

I came back to the thread because I just drove past your doppelganger in very S AZ camped in a wildlife refuge. Funny you're HITR Road as I may have actually ran into you if I'd turned up at Big Water instead of chasing warmer temps.

Enjoy the area! The outfitter/Cafe in Escalante makes an unreal pizza. Meat toppings are large and generous.