Coyote Gulch (April 2005)

In the spring of 2005, Dad had some time off and a desire to come with me and try a backpack trip. I decided that Coyote Gulch in the Escalante River area was just the place for him to experience some of the best, and some of my favorite of Southern Utah. He borrowed a pack and some gear, and did a little training by walking around the neighborhood. We met up and I drove my truck down Hole In the Rock road (with one flat tire) to 40 Mile Ridge. The 2 mile trail down into the canyon went well, and we got to the bottom without incidence. The next day we hiked 7 miles down canyon to the Escalante River, and here are some of the neat things we experienced:





Dad fishing with his hiking stick. There are small fish in this stream, and they sometimes try to jump up the waterfalls.


















Under a 400' alcove the side of a football field, I found my seat and cup holder that looked up at a wall and high ceiling of sandstone (no I didn't carve my name).













Dad walking under Coyote Natural Bridge.











Dad checking out one of many waterfalls we had to hike down and around.

















Our camp under a ledge next to a nice spring and Lobo Arch (aka Jacob Hamblin Arch).
















On the hike back to the truck, we passed a rock shaped like a cobra. Navajo Mountain is in the background.

Snow Canyon overlook (Mar 2005)

While Stephanie and Kim were in Europe for Spring Break with the German class, I took Brooke and Sasha on a dayhike to the West Canyon overlook.


















We saw many flowers like this one.

Wahweap Hoodoos (Spring 2005)

For a spring dayhike, I drove out nearly to Lake Powell and went up Wahweap wash to these interesting shaped pillars and towers. Many of them had capstones of Maganese, which probably allowed them to erode the way that they did.

























































This formation of colorful stones was up high on a ledge which has probably never been disturbed by humans.

Horseshoe Canyon Pictographs in Canyonlands Natl Park (Spring 2005)

Horseshoe Canyon has world-class pictographs painted thousands of years ago in the 'Barrier Style.' I spent a couple of nights camping out in this area and enjoyed seeing many of these mysterious shapes and figures painted on the wall of a remote, silent canyon that had a small stream trickling through the bottom of it.



















Sunrise coming up over the LaSal Mountains the morning I began my hike.














The "Holy Ghost" pictograph.
























Notice the little figures on the shoulder of this figure. Whispering in his ear?

Winter cross country skiing (winter 2005)

With hundreds of inches of record snowfall in the mountains, it was fun and sometimes challenging to cross-country ski to some neat places.




Cedar Breaks overlook.













Bryce Canyon.

Spring 2005 flooding

They said it was a 500 year flood. Here is a picture of Highway 91 in Santa Clara. Look at the condos that are like an island--saved by a strong rock wall.
















This is the Gunlock spillway. It's like Niagara Falls.

Flooding and wet weather of Winter 2005

Here are some of my favorite photos during and after heavy rains and snows that caused the floods in winter and spring of 2005:


A thousand foot waterfall coming down in Kayenta's Hell Hole canyon.























Kim and I hiked up high above the sand dunes in Snow Canyon on this foggy day. The valley was choked in fog, but once we got up high we were in the sun. That is the bike path below.









The Three Patriarchs in Zion after a snow storm.













This poor cottonwood tree is fighting for its life during massive flooding that spilled over Gunlock Reservoir. A couple of people drowned in these waters near here, as it peaked at around 8000 cfs.



















Water spilling down below Gunlock.

Zion Narrows with Brooke and Sasha (Aug 2004)

Before school started, I took Brooke and Sasha several miles up the Narrows in Zion, well past the Orderville Canyon turnoff. They did very well, being ages 11 and 7 respectively.






























Some hanging ferns over the river.












Sasha entering the light from a dark section of the Narrows.

Glacier National Park (July 2004)

Photos from our summer trip to Glacier National Park.















I think I fell asleep on the trail along the cliff.


















Our camper fit through this small tunnel.

North Rim Grand Canyon Campout with the family (July 2004)

Days after being initially diagnosed with testicular cancer, and the weekend before my surgery, I asked the family if we could spend the weekend at the North Rim. This was an emotional time, but we still enjoyed the scenery.




Kim with Cleo during sunrise.



















Stephanie and I at Bright Angel Point.














The San Francisco Peaks near Flagstaff can be seen in the distance.












A new dawn.















Me and Cleo.

Black Hills South Dakota Trip with Family (June 2004)

In the middle of this trip, while we were in Rapid City, I found out that I needed to return home quickly due to possible cancer. We spent a day at Mt Rushmore and Bear Country before driving home.







Me with my girls.















Sasha and a cute bear totem pole.















The four women in my life at Bear Country entrance.













This is about how I felt too!

Grand Canyon River Rafting with Stephanie (June 2004)

Stephanie had just finished 7th grade, and was looking forward to a week on the Grand Canyon with me!



The first evening on the river at around mile 20. Stephanie thought this was really calm and pretty.

















Me near the end of the trip with Red Slide behind me.

















Bev, our guide, showing Steph how to fish for trout near Saddle Canyon.



























Moonset near Tuweap!















Stephanie doing the dishes on our last night, around mile 220.

Thunder River/Deer Creek in Grand Canyon (April 2004)

Mike Burkley and I backpacked down to upper Tapeats Creek (Thunder River area) for two nights. On our layover day, we dayhiked back up to Surprise Valley and across to Deer Creek area and back.



The patio area in Deer Creek narrows.
























A view of the Colorado River from the end of the narrows. The top of Deer Creek Falls is directly below me.













A view of Steamboat Mountain and my backpack from the Thunder River area.
















Mike in front of Thunder River falls.

Lone Pine Arch Canyon (Mar 2004)

West of Gunlock Reservoir about 10 miles is a redrock area just to the south of Squaretop Mountain. This little canyon contains many petroglyphs and signs of ancient inhabitants. Our friends, Bill and MaryAnn, took us all out there to experience this area.



Sasha observing mysterious rock art.

















Stephanie stemming over a slot that runs through this canyon.




















Bill up above the three girls, next to numerous petroglyphs.