Don't Fence Me In

Despite our seven mile hike through Fairyland in the morning, after the two hour van ride I felt the need to burn some more energy.  I hiked up to a mountain peak on the dirt road behind us.  It was about a mile up (and thus, a mile back down for a total of two).

The road got rougher and steeper.  There were deer prints all along it, and at one point I saw what might be a bobcat paw print, but it was crossing the trail and I didn’t see others.  The road was steep, and paranoia runs deep.  I occasionally would scan the trees and nearby forest to ensure no mountain lions were ready to attack me.  As though forewarning would have made a difference.

Amanda said that I had little chance of seeing a mountain lion (fact check: true) because food is so plentiful they don’t need to come near people.  I was already back at camp, but still found that quite comforting.

I did spot an owl (will look up what kind later when I have internet) and a red-tailed hawk, so those sightings were better than a mountain lion.

The road was steeper than any hike we’ve done (Angels Landing surpassed it).  The view from the top was quite rewarding – a panorama of red rocks and sandstone; mountains, bluffs, and buttes.  I injured a toe on the way down, as my foot slid forward in my boot, jamming into the front during the steep descent.  But it was worth it.

After the hike, it was beer and conversation with some fellow travelers (Editor’s Note: uh, Glen, you know how that was used in history, correct?  Blogger: Yes, but I’m betting most people don’t know it, and besides, it’s just used as a flippant phrase in this case.).  (Ugh, another parenthetical aside – to be clear, I had the beer, others were drinking wine).  Then a badly-needed shower.  The water was warmer than Chase had braced us for.

Dinner was, in my estimation, the best of the four nights.  It was a mixed grill of steak, chicken, and tofu (shockingly, I passed on the latter), with some great accompainments.  Dessert was good too, but I’m totally blanking on what it was.  Perhaps one of my fellow travelers (Editor’s Note: Stop.  Please stop) will be kind enough to remind me.

Afterwards, we all sat around the campfire, telling stories if we had one.  The night sky was remarkable; the most stars I have seen since camping in the Outback of Australia in 1989.  Just as Amanda is a geologic expert, Chase is well-versed on the night sky, and filled us in. We spotted shooting stars and satellites whipping across the sky.  I gave the finger to a satellite I just knew had to be Russian, with Putin watching.  (Editor’s Note: now you are just making things up.  You didn’t do that.  Blogger: move along.)

There was not as much wind at the Zion camp as at Bryce (really, no wind to speak of at Zion), but I still had trouble falling asleep.  So I finally cracked (on the iPad) one of the books about Arctic disasters I bought getting ready for next year’s trip.  Feel asleep a little after 11 pm, but made up for it by being stone cold awake from 2:30 till after 4 am.

Despite the sleep issue, all in all it was an amazing day.