On a dreary day of drizzle, Team Zion chose not to be miserable under the weather. Off to Kayenta and Hellhole Canyon, a narrow slot hike over, around and under boulders bigger than your gosh-darned house.
I don't know what color Hell is; hope to never find out. In a literal Hell red comes to mind (as in molten), probably because of all the Hellfire and Brimstone sermons I endured as a child. "Scared Straight" Sunday, backslide Monday through Saturday. I should put that on a tee shirt, and wear it to church. What is "brimstone," anyway?
So it's appropriate that Hellhole is an immersion into fire... red cliffs, boulders, sand, and blood born of scrapes and cacti punctures. Funny how a fire and brimstone childhood can still haunt an old man, especially when he's climbing down into dark holes underneath humungous boulders... ever so delicately and temporarily wedged in place against soft sandstone walls... forces of gravity and erosion humming along in the background. No harm in breathing a little "Forgive me Father for I have sinned" is there?
We were in good company, as hiking/biking/Rving buddies Susan and Maikel came along. Wasn't it Mark Twain who said, "Go to Heaven for the climate, Hell for the company?"
Ok, let's do this! Enter the pink glow of red reflections on a diffused light day.
Click Here for a video of Bobbie and I exploring Hellhole on a clear blue sky day. It gives a more realistic feel for the canyon and climbing under huge boulders.
Peace Out from southwest Utah... mild weather holding us in cupped hands.
mark
Looks like a wonderful hike, but mighty unforgiving for a fall... Stay Safe!!
ReplyDeleteIf that's what hell looks like, I'll see you there.
ReplyDeleteSunny..Sun is out...clear..up here..No rain on my head...I was able to watch your video for the 1st time at home...I love rocks!!
ReplyDeleteDave
Looks like a helluva good time! -scamp
ReplyDeleteI watched the vid, and must say what looks almost terrifying to me is the thought that I would get lost on the way out. Lost in the maze sums up the fear that developed as I watched. Probably not rational, but scary watching.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful !! I Love the red rocks and red dirt of Utah !
ReplyDeleteI echo Tom's comment. I always wonder how it is ya'll don't get lost. Does Bobbie have a GPS built into her brain? Or does Mark leave scent marks along the trail? HA!HA! I like how she very methodically picks her way through the rocks and along the trails.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite photo in this post is the rock with all of the layers in the second picture. I wish I had that rock in my backyard, I could sit and look at it for hours. With a beer. A cold one. Guess I just need to move my backyard huh?
Thanks for sharing your day with me. Keep on having fun!
Julie in Austin
Kib Explorer,
ReplyDeleteA fall could be survived... it's the boulders staying put that I worry about :( THanks.
Gaelyn,
Ha! A great line!!!
See you in Hell. :))
Up River Dave,
I love rocks too... had to quit bringing them to the RV.
Glad you got to view the video. thanks.
Scamp,
As always, "wish you were here."
Tom,
Only one way in and one way out... finding the right "hole" is the problem, and it's always easier to go up than down :(
THanks for commenting.
Sue,
That makes two of us... three, counting Bobbie. Thanks!!!
Julie,
Yes, you need a portable back yard with wheels! When you get tired of one rock, you can move to another :)). How great is that?
thanks, Hi to Mom.
mark
Your Utah photos are making me miss my moderate rock scrambles this year but with leg problems now I guess we are where we are meant to be. Loved Utah right from the first time I saw it back in 92. Just love those big colored rocks.
ReplyDeleteBayfield Al,
ReplyDeleteI don't talk too much about it, but I pay for every mile of hikes now days... plantar fasciitis, knee and hip. I'll be looking for "moderate rock scrambles" soon enough. I'm less affected on the mountain bike... then only my back hurts. What are you going to do, eh? If there is any silver lining to these "clouds," it's that I am finally learning to appreciate good health... now that I'm running out of it. :(
I hear you. Maybe we'll end up in Congress, too. :)
Thanks Al,
mark