We are up early to hike out of Dark Canyon and to hike across the high plateau to where our car is parked just before Hite Crossing.
We are hoping to get to the car mid-day so we can go pick up the second car in Canyonlands and drive to Hanksville where we will spend a day packing our food for the next section and cleaning up. This shuttle of cars will take around 7 hours which is why we want to get out noonish.
The first mile on the Sundance Trail getting out of Dark Canyon goes straight up over 1500 feet in one mile over a talus slope. I am feeling strong now and although steep, we are up the slope fairly quickly.
Once on top the trail winds around for another few miles and then we are on a dirt road for the next ten miles.
We kick it into high gear and average 3.5 miles per hour along the road as a cold a bitter wind tries to blow us the wrong way.
We get to the car by noon and start the vehicle dance. It is time to get cleaned up.