May 23, 2020 Kanab, Utah

Low 70's today, sunny and a bit of breeze.

We first went to Bull Valley Gorge. It is 100 feet deep and the walls are as close as 5 feet apart in places. It is interesting in that in 1954 a truck fell into the gorge and got stuck in narrow portion 30 feet down and the occupants crushed. They recovered the bodies and left the truck. They piled rocks, trees and lots of dirt on top and made the bridge. When you hike the gorge you can look way up and see the truck above you. When we arrived the bridge has washed out, into the canyon. There were some dark clouds overhead and I was nervous about going into such a narrow canyon with possible rain. John looking down into the gorge. You can walk across the washed out bridge, but too narrow to drive on. So we backtracked and hiked Lick Wash instead.  John in Lick wash. 

Evening primrose, milk vetch, phlox, and gone by service berry flowers. The walls of Lick wash are cross bedded sandstone. John is looking in a small alcove on the lower left. 

Lick Wash is lined with ponderosa pine trees. Milk vetch, desert sky rockets and phlox.  

John in ponderosa tree lined Lick Wash.  

John can touch both sides here. The maples and gamble oaks had early spring green leaves on them.  

Narrow, wavy slot canyon. Desert sky rockets, some interesting rock formations. The bottom one has a bird nest in it.  

Blue penstemon, caterpillar and blue flax. Colorful walls of Lick Wash. 

Wild clematis flowers. John in  narrow colorful Lick Wash. 

Sunset tonight. 

May 22, 2020 Kanab, Utah

High 70's, sunny and windy. We hiked in Lower Hackberry canyon.

On the way to the trail head we passed these fields of yellow flowers. 

These are the yellow flowers Lower Hackberry canyon has a stream running down the middle of it and lots of  greenery. The canyon bottom is soft sand.  

John ahead of me. The water has all these cool current lines and shadows. It is mesmerizing.  

Views of lower Hackberry canyon.  

We started out with water shoes on. Mine filled up with sand. Two women coming down  canyon told us going barefoot was easier. The walking surface is soft sand and water. So we took our shoes off. John relaxing on a rock waiting for me. The patterns in the water were mesmerizing. Senecio flowers.  

John in Lower Hackberry canyon. One of many small waterfalls. 

 

Red rock walls , blue sky and green cottonwood trees. This lizard posed for me, salt deposits on the rocks.  

The rocks were unbelievably brilliant  red with green trees and blue sky. John walking between some boulders in the canyon.  

Colors and patterns.    

The black lines are desert varnish. They form where water runs over the rocks year after year after year.  This group of horse back riders entered the canyon  just as we were climbing out.  

Fossils and yellow sunflowers. A field of sunflowers. The wind was blowing, so these were waving in the wind.  

More sunflowers. A cool rock formation on the road back.  

Sunset tonight. 

May 21, 2020 Kanab. Utah

75 and sunny.

We went into town and got some maps and info. Then we hiked a short trail from town called Pugh Canyon. It was about 3 3/4 miles round trip. White thistle, zinnia, big juniper berries, sky rocket. 

Agave and Princes Plume, asters, pussy willows, mallow and blue sage. 

Asters and milk vetch. Milk vetch, frasera, mariposa lily.  

Field of milk vetch. John hiking in the creek bed. 

Tadpoles and shadows of water striders.  Antelope bush and a cactus bloom. 

Box canyon and waterfall.  

This family is catching tadpoles in the pond.  

Blue pentastamen and white flower. Sky rockets and cottonwood leaves. 

Yellow flower, asters and the licence plate on the managers RV. We were hot and dusty after hour hike so we headed to the pool. John in the hot tub.  

Sunset light on the bluff near camp.