That’s what Luke and Anna-Sophia tell me with some regularity. Today was no different.
As I read the guidebooks and websites during the trip planning phase, I came across some photos of the geological features of Vermillion Cliffs National Monument and I was hooked. Vermillion Cliffs sports an undulating, striated stone formation called the Wave. The hike to it is long and it involves a lottery system for permits – so that wasn’t a go for us. But nearby are several similarly striking hiking trails that called to me.
Wire Pass to Buckskin Gulch is a 2.3 mile hike (each way) that goes through several slot canyons. I did read that the road to get there was rough and that there’s an obstacle at the start of the slot canyon, but otherwise this was a pretty easy hike that was worthwhile. I knew that after doing 5 miles of hiking the day before this idea wasn’t likely to land really well, so I sort of glossed over the details when explaining it. “We’re going to walk through a slot canyon.”
The road was horrible. And since we came from Arizona, it was 22 miles of horrible. We went super slow and made it, eagerly exiting the vehicle when we arrived. So eager, in fact, that we thought nothing of the heat.
After walking a little over a mile fully exposed to the sun through a wash, we finally see the canyon entrance. At first it isn’t that impressive and so I’m pretty sure Luke and Anna-Sophia are wondering why I brought them all this way for this (and possibly contemplating whether or not to turn around and leave me there).
But just a few hundred yards later, the real reason for this trip is revealed and the likelihood that I’ll witness mutiny decreases.
Before we could get into the depths of the canyons, we need to navigate the “obstacle.” This is a 10 foot drop with no permanent anchors or toe holds. There is a log wedged in under one side and some stones, but navigating this takes some strength, luck, and willingness to suppress the part of your mind that says this is a bad idea. Going down is easiest on your belly, but even that is tricky because the large stone at the top sticks out over the log so you can’t see what you’re doing and have to almost over-extend yourself. We made it down with no injuries, I’m pleased to report.
It was totally worth it. The next mile of walking was in this slot canyon. Between the colors and textures of the massive rock formations on our sides, the petroglyphs that adorned one section, the texture of the dried mud at our feet, and the captivating way the small bits of sunlight slid through the canyon at the top, this was an experience unlike any other.
By the end of the canyon, I had some devoted followers. I definitely cashed some of that devotion in when we had to navigate the obstacle on the way out (pro tip: bring rope to make a toe-hold or ask for help from other hikers) and for the walk back through the wash in 105 degree sun, but I think the balance is still in my favor as I still have 2 companions ready and willing to see what I’ve got planned for the remaining 10 days of this trip. 👍🏻
Vacation Days 