2020 Winter Camping Trip Day15-Escalante River Hike

2020 Winter Camping Trip Day15, 2020/12/10

petroglyph

rock rock rock

We left Bryce and we went to the Escalante region of Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. We parked at the Escalante River trailhead and started hiking without knowing much the area. There was a used trail but there is no information where the used trail goes. The trail sometimes disappeared, sometimes appeared and we enjoyed such wandering in the middle of nowhere. The area is surrounded by magnificent rocks (below picture). Once in a while, suddenly you will see petroglyphs (above right picture). We found a lot of bighorn sheep petroglyphs. It is good to know people 1000 years ago lived there and they also saw the same animals and had artistic motive to draw them. What a long time but the same spirits we still have.

Huge

I like a hike with destination, such as climbing a mountain, but I like a hike without destination as well. This was a hiking without any destinations, literally wandering in the middle of nowhere. In that way we were able to take time and explore and appreciate the nature. After wandering sometime in the canyon above the Escalante river, we came to a massive "theater". It was a huge rock in front of us. I can't convey how big it is from my poor English and amateur photographs, but it was immense. The rock has a arch shape inside: I guess it will be a future arch. Furthermore, the rock has some huge cracks from top to the bottom. In the future how the rock will look like? Interesting. 

Natural bridge, 1st one

After we had a lunch there, we went back to the trailhead and went for the other direction. Now we had a destination: natural bridge. Our trail map App indicated 2 bridges. After about a 2-mile hike, the first natural bridge showed up! This was really exciting! I love natural bridges and arches. Well everyone likes them, but I love more than anybody else! Even Mr.N asked me why I love arches and bridges so much. Why? I don't know, I just love them. 

2nd natural bridge

Then only less than half a mile the 2nd natural bridge showed up. It was really up high. It was also cool. Natural bridges are sometimes hidden and suddenly show up: they are not moving, I know that, but usually they suddenly come into the vision when I pass some blocking canyon rock. The way bridges come to my eye make the bridges even more exciting. Like, "Wow you were quietly there for how long?!"

Below this bridge, stripes on the rock was also beautiful. I read somewhere else those strips were not from rain, but microorganism's activity. I don't know about this particular rock, though. 

granaries?

Another cool stuff in this area, more specifically, between the two bridges, is that granaries or house on the cliff. I took a picture by zooming, so it looks close, but it is very difficult to go up there. You can see there a pile of rocks. Native Americans in this area made granaries to store seeds/food to protect them from rodents. I don't know this one is granaries or dwelling, and maybe there is no way to know, but it is romantic. It is interesting to imagine what people were doing here in this vast area, what they ate, talked, saw, and heard.

After this hike, we camped at Calf Creek Campground. This is an official campground in the Grand Staircase Escalante, and it costs $15 per night. It is not free, but nothing is offered: the restroom is closed, water is shut-off. Nothing to get by paying $15. Instead what we got was so many human pee everywhere due to toilet closure. This site was the least favorite campsite during this trip.