Escalante 2005 Backpacking - hayope's Photos

Desert backpacking with high school friends Peter and Mark--Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. Note: these photos are NOT in chronological order. The swimming hole in the sun photos were from one nice day we squeezed in between several days of storms, floods, quicksand. Utah can be that way.

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hayope > Plunging into the world's greatest swiming hole. This deep (and cold) pool is about 40 yards upstream from the edge of Upper Calf Creek Falls in southern Utah.

hayope > Tom and Peter, preparing to hoist packs and head into Harris Wash. The sun is out now, yes, but this is a snapshot between rain storms. We were about to walk into the Quicksand Pit From Hell, but at this instant had no clue.

hayope > Peter_Wieder and Mark_Talbert, still smiling as we prepare to enter the quicksand hell of Harris Wash. Seemed like a good idea at the time.

hayope > Mark and Peter on one of the wide benches at the top of Harris Wash.

hayope > "Great, we've got bags of trail mix and peanut butter, but did anyone remember to pack the bourbon?" Peter is smiling and I am not, because at this instant he knows the answer to the above question, and I do not.

hayope > Me on the slickrock above Calf Creek canyon.

hayope > Wieder on the trail below Upper Calf Creek Falls. We soon came upon some hippies, getting high and having sex. That wasn't a surprise...the surprise was how far they had carried their giant cooler full of ice and beer. We're a good couple miles from the nearest (dirt) road, across some very rough and steep slickrock.

hayope > Upper Calf Creek Falls from below. Aforementioned hippies just to right of camera view.

Plunging into the world's greatest swiming hole. This deep (and cold) pool is about 40 yards upstream from the edge of Upper Calf Creek Falls in southern Utah.