In 2023 winter trip, our plan was to focus on the Escalante area in Utah. We ended up including Colorado. Why?
It goes back to the December 24th, Christmas eve in 2023. We enjoyed the Longbow Arch Hike, then came back to the car. We did three hikes on that day (total about 13 miles), so it was about sunset when we finished the Longbow Arch hike. We planed to go to Mule canyon the next day. We tried to see the Google map in the parking lot at the trailhead of Longbow Arch, but there was no cell phone reception. So we drove for a while about 30 minutes, then we found the area with cell phone signal. We pulled over to a turnout and parked. We used an interior car light for 10 minutes. Then we finished searching and tried to depart. Here was the problem. The engine did not start. It was about 7 p.m. on the Christmas eve. That is the exact time and day of the year when everybody is at nice dinner table in a warm house. On the other hand, we were just along the tall canyon wall, the edge of cell phone coverage in the dark, at 30F (-1C). Oh Lord, but good thing was that there was cell phone signal. We called an emergency line of Hertz. After several calls, they arranged a local repair person come to our car. During the wait, we boiled water and had a cup of coffee since we had camping gear. 2 hours later, a guy came and jumped our car. Obviously, the rental car had a malfunctioned battery. The guy suspected that the battery died. After that we had to drive to Grand Junction, Colorado, since it is the closest city that has Hertz rental car center at Grand Junction airport. The customer center told us that the option was either change the car at rental car center or change the battery at Firestone. Firestone has a contract with Hertz. We stayed at a motel in Grand Junction.
The next day, December 25th, Christmas day, we went to the rental car center. The previous day Hertz call center told us it would be open on the 25th. However, it was closed. Other rental car companies were open. How bad Hertz is. The customer service center doesn't even know their own company's branch is closed or open? It is a surprise from Japanese perspective, but after living in the U.S for a while, it is no longer a surprise. It was actually expected like "Ah okay American"
Since the rental car center or Firestone were closed on the Christmas day, we decided to hike in the Colorado National Monument, which is only half an hour drive from Grand Junction. Then the next day on the 26th we went to Firestone and changed the battery. This is how we hiked in Colorado during the originally Utah exclusive hiking trip. I had never heard about Colorado National Monument, but glad I did check it out. Not too crowded and the people there seemed only local according to the car number plates.
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Monument Canyon
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On the Christmas day we hiked Monument Canyon. This is the most highly rated hike within the Colorado National Monument. Since we were at the motel we had free Wifi, we were able to look up the hikes in the area. 4.5 mile loop with about 700 feet elevation gain. It was crispy cold morning and felt quite pleasant to hike after the car trouble. Monument Canyon is very scenic. Canyon is massive and some section had snow as you see in the picture.
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Deveil's Kitchen
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After this hike, we still had time for another hike, so we hiked into Devil's kitchen. This is also highly rated hike in the Colorado National Monument. I don't know why it is called Devil's Kitchen. The left picture is the kitchen area. Interesting structure. It looks like Devil chopped rocks in the kitchen?
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ice falls
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Because it is only 1.5 mile out and back, we decided to combine another hike that goes to side canyon, No-Throughfare canyon. I don't know what the name means. The canyon is not particularly interesting to be honest, and we turned around at the icy falls (left picture). The most memorable hike of the day was when we came back to the junction of Devil's Kitchen trail. We saw a group of Bighorn sheep!!! Below are some pictures of them. Really precious time to observe them. Especially the big male one. He posed me and froze for a while (for me to take picures?).
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