Escalante National Monument. This place has a history rich in Tea Pary property rights. The National Park Service rangers (who are those Federal government types) were given cards with instructions on what to do if the local law enforcement arrested them. Seriously! The proposal of the monument and the changes in grazing rules created the us versus them showdown (Cowboy music in the background) On my first trip in 1993, before the monument was established, we heard both sides of the story. One from a park service ranger and the other from a very scary Esalante sheriff we encountered while camping on BLM land. All very X file like.
Today, I'm sure the politics haven't improved but there is now a brand new Escalante visitors center, and the road still leads to hole in the wall. This time, however, we discovered narrow twisting slot canyons. So narrow that we had to push our packs through ahead of us. At times it was very claustrophobic. We hiked Crack in the Wall
25 mile wash.
25 mile wash.
View of the Escalante River.
View spot complete with lawn chair.
Primrose.
The narrow slot canyons.
The narrow slot canyons.
A real lizard on a rock.
Tumbleweed.
Looking up from the narrow slot canyons.
Sandstone window in the narrow slot canyons.
Cavern with a view.
Archway to the next slot canyon.
Trail cairn.
Dessert color.
Dessert flowers.
Primrose amongst the sandstone.
