May 5, 2017 Round Canyon Draw, Utah

We started out the day by going to the BLM office to try for the 13th time in 9 years to get one of 10 passes into North Coyote Buttes to hike The Wave.  13 was the charm, we won a spot. John made me get up early-which I hate to do and go with him and put the application in my name because he thinks I am luckier than he is. There was only one of 10 spaces left and they said they don’t like people to hike alone, so they did a special dispensation for one more. Woo Hoo!! Then we drove up Cottonwood wash to hike Round Canyon Draw. We passed fields of yellow which were the yellow bee balm and sego lillies.

Colorful rock pinnacles on the way in. Lots of flowers. Lupine, vetch, phlox and midget paint brush.

Fringed puccoon, a ponderosa pine on the canyons edge-haven’t seen them for awhile, red pigment bleeding down to the white layer below, convoluted walls in the canyon. We arrived at the mouth of the narrows. Very, very narrows.

It is a twenty foot drop into the canyon at the mouth. We were fortunate that someone  left a piece of webbing anchored in. John still belayed me down because I am a wimp about exposure.  Most of the canyon is a pretty nice stroll with only a one more 20 foot drop and a few smaller ones.Spectacular canyon.

The water sculpted graceful  patterns on the walls.  A couple tall shots to show how deep the canyon is.

John in another deep shot. The narrows are 1.4 miles long, then the canyon widens out. The cottonwoods are just starting to leaf with spring green leaves.

Wide part of the canyon. White and yellow flowers, patterns on the canyon wall, a cool rock on a dotted rock, mustard flowers.

Sunny part of the lowers narrows. Oh my or The Scream rock, a couple of other patterns on the rocks, pinon nuts and juniper berries from above the slot have fallen in.

On our way back out of the canyon.

The reflected light is  stunning.

The yellow fields in Cottonwood wash. Backlit prince’s plumes, antelope, mallow, white asters. We are in the Grand Staircase-Escalante national monument. It is one of the monuments the current administration is reviewing  to drop the protected status so mining can be done here.  A  licence plate on the coach next to us.

                                                                     Sunset tonight.

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