This morning, Trish went into town to buy some groceries.  She visited the llama living across the street:

We drove south on Hole in the Rock Trail to the trailhead for Spooky and Peek-A-Boo canyons:

We started hiking towards the canyons:

After a couple miles, we reached the mouth of Spooky Canyon:

The canyon quickly grew narrow:

…And more narrow:

Eventually we came to a rock fall that forced us to go up eight feet or so:

Once out of the hole, the canyon became more shallow:

Once out of the canyon, we hiked west to find the top end of Peek-A-Boo Canyon, which is the next canyon over:

Peek-A-Boo starts out shallow on the top end:

…Then becomes a slot canyon:

After exiting Peek-A-Boo Canyon, we explored a nearby wash, which was not as narrow but had much higher walls:

We then hiked back to the truck:

On the drive out, we said hello to our free-range neighbors:

Our next stop was Dance Hall Rock, where the Mormon pioneers of the San Juan Expedition held dances on the smooth sandstone under the natural alcove in the rock:

Trish spotted a lizard on the rock to the right:

We continued south, and the road became very rough and difficult.  At last we reached the Hole in the Rock, where the San Juan Expedition widened this natural crevice in order to get their wagons down the 1200 vertical feet to the Colorado River, where they crossed to the east side:

We started down:

Here’s what it looked like back in the day:

When the “road” was completed in 1880, this canyon was filled in to make a smooth grade down to the river.  In other portions, a raised roadway was built on top of poles that extended from wall to wall:

All of that is gone now, so it’s even tougher going:

We went down about halfway.  Where we see modern-day Lake Powell, the San Juan Expedition would have seen the Colorado River snaking through the canyon far below:

Heading back up:

We passed a nursing calf on the way home:

We returned to the RV shortly before sunset:

See the trip map for today’s drive.

We had a nice Shabbos near Kodachrome Basin State Park.  Today we drove north and east towards the town of Escalante.  As we crested the pass, we could see snow capped peaks in the distance:

In Escalante, we stopped at the interagency visitor center there.  We enjoyed the displays:

B examined a sample of cryptobiotic soil:

We found a nice spot in this part of Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument to disperse camp for a few days:

See the trip map for today’s drive and our current location.

Another beautiful day in Grand Staircase-Escelante National Monument:

We drove east to visit Grosvenor Arch:

M captured this great photograph:

Good Shabbos from Grand Staircase-Escelante National Monument!

Today we biked east, our goal Grosvenor Arch eleven miles away.  We expected a relatively flat road, but the road was quite hilly and worse, very sandy.  We had to walk portions that were too sandy to ride.  B did a great job climbing the hills:

One hill was quite steep, and sandy enough that it was difficult to find traction:

After cresting the hill, we descended the far side part way.  We saw another big climb in the distance and decided to turn back:

After returning, we finished repairing the motorcycle:

This morning we launched the model rockets the kids built a couple weeks ago.  M was first up:

Liftoff:

Recovery:

B’s turn:

Next we drove the mile or so to Kodachrome Basin State Park.  We hiked a trail in the northern part of the park:

Kodachrome Basin is notable for its sand spires, thought to have been formed in a process similar to that which forms tufa:

B photographs the spire:

B photographs Juniper berries:

We next hiked a trail in the southern park of the park that led to Shakespeare Arch:

Next we arrived at Sentinel Spire:

Posing at the base of the spire:

We could see the RV in the distance:

The kids received their Junior Ranger badges, their first from a Utah state park:

We did another rocket launch in the afternoon:

M’s rocket lost a fin in flight.  B’s parachute failed to deploy, the rocket came straight down, and the rocket body impaled itself on the nosecone, which deployed and descended pointed side up:

The kids and I worked on M’s motorcycle.  I cut flat stock long enough to fit into both sides of the broken frame tube, then slid the frame halves over the flat stock:

We then drilled through the frame and flat stock within, and bolted it all together.  We will finish the other side tomorrow:

I also installed a light fixture in B’s room to act as a night light:

Dusk at Grand Staircase-Escelante National Monument: