Playing (in) the Slots in Utah (edit added)

[MonikaC]

A quick trip last week to Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument.

This was the sunrise across the road from where I camped the 1st night on the Old Sheffield Road.

I thought I was headed to one slot canyon, but ended up in Big Horn Canyon instead (thanks to outdated information on the web). BITD, one could drive down the access road for a handful of miles (I did this when I backpacked then Escalante 40 years ago), but now you can't drive down it at all.

Then I headed to the San Rafael Swell, to Upper Eardley Canyon (I've been to the lower part a couple of times). Actually ended up in Crawford Draw (do you see a trend here?), which had faint tracks of 1 other person who had gone there. The lack of tracks made it really special. I bumped the whites in this version & am happier with it.

Then I backtracked & went the other way in the canyon, actually finding Upper Eardley. The multitude of tracks there made me appreciate the lack of them in Crawford Draw. This was as far as I went in Upper Eardley as I didn't feel like wading through the pool. It was probably mid-shin to knee deep and I hadn't put the harness on the dog or brought a rope & my harness to haul her back up. At first, coming from 8500' in the Colorado mountains, I thought the white was snow, but after reminding myself of where I was, I think it must be alkaline deposits from water.

 

[AlanLichty]

I love the sunrise shot in #1 - amazing light. #3 in Big Horn Canyon is my second favorite with the soft light on the rock walls.

Sounds like you need one of those bumper stickers that says "Don't follow me - I'm lost" on the back of your FJ

 

[MonikaC]

I love the sunrise shot in #1 - amazing light. #3 in Big Horn Canyon is my second favorite with the soft light on the rock walls.

Sounds like you need one of those bumper stickers that says "Don't follow me - I'm lost" on the back of your FJ

Actually, the sticker should go on my backpack!

 

[AlanLichty]

Are you still using Gaia Maps? I have found their map accuracy a lifesaver while wandering around on USFS logging roads in the Oregon Coast range.

 

[MonikaC]

Are you still using Gaia Maps? I have found their map accuracy a lifesaver while wandering around on USFS logging roads in the Oregon Coast range.

I was using OnX and Road Trip Ryan's maps & didactic. It would have been really easy for him to say "go left at the bottom of the canyon". Instead, I oriented the map to where I had parked (north). RTR didn't have enough detail on his map to show Crawford Draw (which I preferred to Upper Eardley, anyway). When Gaia's price more than doubled, I only used the free version, but I think I'll go back to it on the next 30% off, which I think is something like 50% higher than it used to be.

 

[AlanLichty]

I was using OnX and Road Trip Ryan's maps & didactic. It would have been really easy for him to say "go left at the bottom of the canyon". Instead, I oriented the map to where I had parked (north). RTR didn't have enough detail on his map to show Crawford Draw (which I preferred to Upper Eardley, anyway). When Gaia's price more than doubled, I only used the free version, but I think I'll go back to it on the next 30% off, which I think is something like 50% higher than it used to be.

I never wanted to pay for Gaia but then Outside magazine bought VeloNews which I have subscribed to since the 1990's. Turns out Outside also bought Gaia and I now get it as a freebie with my VeloNews subscription.

Gaia's routing software has some quirks in that it always wants to know what activity you are doing. I told it I was photographing and wanted a route to a trailhead for a 2 mile waterfall hike. Gaia decided I should be doing a 10 mile hike to get there and pretty much stopped routing once I didn't turn off at the suggested trailhead. Happily by then I knew where I needed to go and could just ignore Gaia but it also wouldn't let me scroll the map to where I really was anymore. Fortunately I did have a Garmin unit on my dash that kept an updated map of where I really was.

 

[Trent Watts]

With amazing pictures like that maybe you just keep getting lost!

 

[Jameel Hyder]

Nice adventure with some nice pictures as a take away.

 

[MonikaC]

I never wanted to pay for Gaia but then Outside magazine bought VeloNews which I have subscribed to since the 1990's. Turns out Outside also bought Gaia and I now get it as a freebie with my VeloNews subscription.

Gaia's routing software has some quirks in that it always wants to know what activity you are doing. I told it I was photographing and wanted a route to a trailhead for a 2 mile waterfall hike. Gaia decided I should be doing a 10 mile hike to get there and pretty much stopped routing once I didn't turn off at the suggested trailhead. Happily by then I knew where I needed to go and could just ignore Gaia but it also wouldn't let me scroll the map to where I really was anymore. Fortunately I did have a Garmin unit on my dash that kept an updated map of where I really was.

GPS signal doesn't work well in slot canyons. Which is why I couldn't find exactly where I descended & ended up exiting slightly differently (which necessitated some major doggie assists).

 

[MonikaC]

I never wanted to pay for Gaia but then Outside magazine bought VeloNews which I have subscribed to since the 1990's. Turns out Outside also bought Gaia and I now get it as a freebie with my VeloNews subscription.

Gaia's routing software has some quirks in that it always wants to know what activity you are doing. I told it I was photographing and wanted a route to a trailhead for a 2 mile waterfall hike. Gaia decided I should be doing a 10 mile hike to get there and pretty much stopped routing once I didn't turn off at the suggested trailhead. Happily by then I knew where I needed to go and could just ignore Gaia but it also wouldn't let me scroll the map to where I really was anymore. Fortunately I did have a Garmin unit on my dash that kept an updated map of where I really was.

You didn't want to do a 10 mile hike instead of a 2 miler??? Always good to have a backup.

 

[MonikaC]

With amazing pictures like that maybe you just keep getting lost!

I bet I will......

 

[Michael13]

Number three stands out to me, the symmetry and POV are characteristic of a Kubrick film. Creepy in a very good way!

 

[AlanLichty]

GPS signal doesn't work well in slot canyons. Which is why I couldn't find exactly where I descended & ended up exiting slightly differently (which necessitated some major doggie assists).

GPS isn't much better when you are driving on a road with 200' tall trees overhead either.

You didn't want to do a 10 mile hike instead of a 2 miler??? Always good to have a backup.

I kept stopping to take pictures all the way up to my destination and by the time I got to the lower trailhead it was far too late to even think about the lower part of the canyon

 

[Peter Michal]

Amazing photos, Monika, for me exotic as embroidered, I like the fourth one the most, it has good light and my favorite colors with the blue sky. Great!