I was considering leaving tomorrow. The weather was lousy yesterday - winds gusting to 35mph, dreary grey, and it rained after dark. Today started chilly at 40 degrees at 8a.m. I stayed in my nest (slide-in camper on a pickup truck) til about noon going out occasionally, and came back thinking it’s going to be chilly all day. I knew there’s a great walk (hike) here and I wanted to do it even though the sun wasn’t shining. I got my cameras, ACBs, and stuff together, then decided I’d give it a go. I climbed the trail up the rocky bluff to Cohab Canyon. I knew the view was fabulous, stopped every 10 steps or so, turned to enjoy, and each time I could see farther behind the huge red rock wall to the northwest. I got to the top, shot a bunch of photos; again, I’ll merge several into panoramas. Then I tried to figure out which trail went to the Canyon and Hickman’s Arch. There was no sign, so I chose one that ended, came back, and took one in the other direction. I went on up the rock wall, but not towards where I wanted to go, then a trail appeared off to the left and there was a sign. What I saw was glorious lots and lots of large boulders that were carved by the wind and pocked with mini craters. I imagined John Wayne could walk out from behind any of the boulders and fit right in. I saw some mountain lion (called panthers in the EverGlades) feces, but little other wildlife, birds or insects, just fantastic rocky landscape.
Walking up inclines, down the other sides, clambering over rocks, and walking in soft sand tired me out. I lost the trail and guessed at the correct direction, walked a ways, and came to a 10-12 foot drop off. No, this is not the way, so I retraced my steps. Then, I saw some signs higher up the ridge, and headed towards them. Then, I met two other hikers who were following the same wrong trail and showed them the signs. They clambered up the rocks like mountain goats. I was taking a break before I did that. I struggled up to the signs. Followed the arrow towards Utah Route 24, where I wanted to go, and the trail led back to where I just came from. This is not right. I went back and found another trail that went on up the incline. It ended up going where I wanted to go. While I was resting I saw three other hikers who had passed me earlier where I’d been. I waited for them, so they could pass, but they never showed. I take so much time taking photos and looking at stuff, I don’t want to hold others up. Most of them are like through trains and I’m a local. More helpful signs would’ve been nice though.
I came to the end of the trail at Rt. 24. Hickman’s Arch was across it and up and down more steep inclines. That’ll be tomorrow’s project. I headed back towards my nest by the road. I was looking at a flowering cherry orchard with red rock cliffs as a back drop, and enjoying. Then I saw motion. This is where I saw a big fox jumping high in the air and batting a squirrel-like animal that was in a tree, till it hit it, made the capture, and it was dinner. This motion wasn’t a fox. It was half dozen big turkeys. I wanted a photo of them and the cherry blossoms against the red rocks behind. Of course the turkeys kept moving, the trees were well spaced and the red rock cliff face was a ways away. I moved, composed and recomposed. I could get close ups of the turkeys, a great shot, but with pink blossoms and the red rocks was very challenging. At the end I think I got what I wanted, but the turkeys are pretty small in the photos, but it qualifies, I got what I wanted. Close-ups of the wild turkeys were a bonus.
I’m ready for the sack in my rack in my nest and it’s dark. My eyes are protesting after gawking at all that gorgeous, stunning, dazzling scenery, they are too tired to edit photos on my computer so, just looking at them will suffice. My rest is deserved and I hope I can spend day after day like this again!
Bob R o.c.FotoGuy
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