9.28.2008

more Escalante photos

I'm grateful to be alive after the climb to the archeological wonder in the background. It truly was breathtaking - both the history and the sheer beauty of the country around me.

We spent Day 2 hiking. I bet we hiked at least five miles that day. The photo above is the kind of country we were walking through. We hiked nearly to the top of the cliff in the photo - I was hauling my self over huge rocks, bushwhacking through stickery bushes, and pulling myself up over small cliffs with my awesome upper body strength - zero. Our goal was to hike to a 600-year-old Native American hut - called the Moquois house. Moquios is a type of Indian.
We decided to go on thie hike because Mac, the desk clerk at the Inn said it was an easy hike - his idea of easy and mine are waaay different. He sends all the guests there. He told us about the last couple that went - the husband came back and thanked him because his wife had been overcome with tears when she first saw the Moquois house. Well, I couldn't wait to tell him about my tears. My tears came when I stood at the base of three or four ledges and looked up - Scott was already there - and I didn't know how I'd ever make it. But I wasn't about to stop short of this incredible archeological find, so I very slowly pulled and pushed up - holding onto crackling dry branches that I prayed wouldn't break and let me fall to my death.


This is Scott inside the little mud and stick hut - looking out. There's a chimney and a little air vent on top. I'm anxious to learn more about this place.

Now we're viewing another archeological wonder. These are petroglyphs that have been on this rock wall for a thousand years. Incredible. The circle image on the left is called "Circle of Friends." It has about fifteen stick figures in a circle holding hands. The top figure is a little child.