Day 2 Part 2: Grand Escalante Lower Calf Creek Falls

Right off the bat we decided to go on the longest hike I had planned--6 miles round trip to the Lower Calf Creek Falls in the Grand Escalante National Monument.  I'd been there in college and loved it.  It was certainly harder than when I was in college.  But I wasn't carrying a newborn and tons of water at the time either.  I was dying though.  My friend Rochelle had suggested Frog Togs to me when I ran into her at the grocery store before we left, and I'm SOOOOO glad she did.  Saved me life and kept the kids somewhat happier.   I honestly thought I was going to die of heat exhaustion and then I passed these two 70-80 year old women on the trail heading back that looked like were walking in the mall. Seriously, I want to be them someday. Luckily it was overcast by the time we headed back.  We also passed a scout troop that were resting in the shade (it was during the hottest part of the day/hike) and they looked bushed, and then Leo picked up Lando and started carrying him as well as Jubal and all these boys' mouths just kind of dropped open.  Hee. Hee.  Anyway, the hike was worth it, the kids all complained on the way there, but after, they all said it was worth it!  And several of them said it was their favorite part of the trip at the end.  

There was this old Hindu couple that started almost at the same time we did, but we quickly passed them--it was clear that this older lady was struggling.  I was actually pretty worried about her.  Anyway, they arrived at the waterfall almost a full hour after we did. And EVERYONE at the waterfall started cheering (they had all passed them too).  It was sweet.   

Day 2 Part 1: Anasazi State Park and Highway 12--Hell's Backbone

Day 2 of our trip was FANTASTIC!!!  We stopped at lots of the scenic views off of Scenic Byway 12--Voted the 2nd most beautiful drive in the world.  And it was gorgeous! These pictures don't do it justice at all.  It was amazing too, because you went through soaring red rock canyons of Capitol Reef to forests of bristlecone pine and then turn another corner and the landscape would completely change again, till you hit the hoodoos of Bryce Canyon.  It's my favorite drive I've ever been on (the second being Going-to-the-Sun Highway in Glacier).  But I LOVE Hell's Backbone.  It's a part of the road where both sides just drop off in sheer cliffs and you can see for miles and it's just nothing but desert.  I love the height and desolation.  I know I'm weird.  Anasazi State Park kind of broke up the trip a bit.  I don't know that I'd bother ever stopping again.  And we spent the afternoon hiking the Lower Calf Creek Falls (that's part 2) before camping the night at the Petrified Forest State Park--which is pretty, but really what makes it really nice is the reservoir to swim in.  Anyway, here was our itinerary for that day:

Thurs. July 13:

• Visit Anazasi State Park
• Camp at Petrified Forest State Park (Lakeview Site C #2-35494205)
• Hike Lower Calf Creek Falls Trail
• Swim at Petrified Forest

• Breakfast: Omelets in a bag
• Dinner: Campfire pizza log & watermelon & berry crisp

Hell's Backbone

So I may not have burnt the tinfoil dinners the night before but I scorched our pizza roll.  Luckily just scooping out the middle gave us more than enough food and worked fine.  The Berry Crisp was divine.  Seriously, it's my favorite camping dessert I make (we had it camping in Texas too where I was told confidentially by a ward member/friend that it beat everyone else's dutch oven cobblers hands down.)