Nasty Gnats

My face bears witness to the destruction from the tiniest creatures Mother Nature can dish out while camping in the Cedar trees last week-end. I understand why we saw no one while hiking in the vast wilderness of the Kaiparawits mountains: who would want their skin gnawed on by incessant gnats that are not deterred by poison, tight clothing or flight? We escaped to the high ridges where weird boulders and old snags reside in the unhampered breezes. Taking in the vistas on high hillsides, we rejoiced in the freedom from gnats.

Setting the Stage

Last week we, my husband, our friend Nick, and I, went for a spontaneous 4 night backpacking trip up Stevens Canyon. The weather looked reasonable, with only one threatening stormy day. Our only daily obligation was to find the perfect campsite: flat, near water, some shade, off trail with a view. Otherwise, we spent our energies plowing through Escalante River knee-high water to skipping over Stevens Canyon slow-moving stream. Streaked half-domed walls surrounded us as we meandered up Stevens wash. Of course, all our campsites were perfect except when the winds howled and shook the Cottonwood trees to the ground. Our tent looked like it had been abandoned for decades because three inches of sand had accumulated inside it. We picked up the tent, sand and all, and moved to a near-by sheltering wall. We settled back, the stage set, to watch the golden light show and the moon rise between the canyon walls. Everything was complete.

Daily Sunsets

Yep, we do have these frequent sunsets here in Escalante, Utah. Clouds have been blowing in and the sunsets are plentiful. Beauty abounds.