Part 2 of our Buckskin Gulch hike (May 24, 2014)...
Part 1 was posted yesterday.
So, the bear was stone faced and said nothing.
Soon after the bear we came across a cairn. We weren't sure what it was marking since there is only one way through the slot canyon (with the exception of a remote mid-way trail which we never saw). It's possible this cairn was marking the area for that mid-way trail but we're not going back to find out. We also didn't see the 2nd panel of petroglyphs that were noted on the map to be around mile 10.
We kept walking, looking up at the pretty caramelized rock.
Just as we were looking up a giant boulder came tumbling down from above. Mike and Bob quickly covered their heads. Luckily the boulder got jammed between the narrow canyon walls mid fall, phew! Ok, none of that is true. This boulder was already wedged in between the canyon walls when we saw it. But it still gave us an eery feeling walking under it.
Temps were rising and our feet & legs were tired. Our minds were tired too, thinking every bend ahead must be the last corner before turning north to hike another 7.5 miles up the Paria River.
We finally came across some water. A good sign that we were getting close to Paria Canyon.
We trudged through the water with our hiking shoes (except for Abbie, who was smart enough to pack water shoes).
Mike - too tired to smile for this photo in front of heart rock. His reaction gave us some good laughs though! :-)
We made it - to the confluence that is (where Buckskin Gulch meets Paria Canyon/River). Wahoo! We still have 7.5 miles to go but so glad to get out of the slot canyon and head north towards the car. Our faces just scream happiness. :-)
Changing out our wet socks for dry ones. At this point Bob's feet were getting some nasty blisters, Mike's knee was swelling and everyone's feet were sore from the deep sand hiking.
The terrain changed to a wide open canyon. Still sandy.
Cool rock caves.
There must have been some rain to the north earlier in the day because we saw the beginning of a small flash flood. The Paria River was growing and moving south over part of the dried up river bed that we were walking on. It was interesting and had there been a LOT of rain it would have been much tougher to cross the Paria.
A few more miles of this and we reached the car.
Total hiking distance: 23 miles.
Total hiking time: 9 hours.
We hiked the longest slot canyon in the world!
Great job, Mike and Abbie. So glad you two met us for this epic day! After the hike Mike & Abbie drove on to Mounument Valley. They spent following three days in Monument Valley, Arches National Park and Telluride. Fun vacation!
Great job, April, Bob and me too! The 3 of us drove back to Page, AZ, showered and ate at Denny's (again). On Sunday we drove home, stopped to see some Dinosaur tracks and had famous Rock Springs Pie just outside Phoenix. It was a great weekend adventure!
PS: Below are 3 you tube videos that show a hiking group getting caught in Buckskin Gulch by a flash flood. Watch them in sequence (they are short). It's a real danger so you should never go through a slot canyon with the slightest threat of rain in the area. Exercise caution and enjoy the hike!
