Hayduke Trail Day 29: What Extremes Mean

Daily Neat Beat
Day 29
Total Miles: 10.5
Cumulative Miles: 521.9
 
Map of camp and hike across Paria Plateau and down the Vermilion Cliffs to the car parked near Jacob Pool between Kanab, Utah and Page, AZ

Brrr…..It was cold last night as a cold front moved in. I had every layer of clothing on including my raincoat. But I slept well, I am still tired from hiking 29.4 miles two days ago. Today is a short day. We will be hiking 12 miles to the car.

Cold and stormy as we get started in the morning

We start off across the Plateau and the lighting is beautiful as the storm clouds gather above us. We are above 7,000 feet up here so I shouldn’t be surprised when it starts to snow. But I am. 

 
Eventually we start to see the Vermilion Cliffs come into view, colored with vivid reds and cold blue-gray hues. This view will melt your soul in a swirl of contrasts.
The Vermilion Cliffs

We see signs of the ancients who have marked their experiences in the rock, or through it. Aliens with antenna, supernovas, stories of an elk hunt, and people with dogs or coyotes.

A petroglyph with antenna on top of it’s head and squiggly lines in it’s body

 

An elk hunting scene

Maybe this is just our interpretation from our viewpoint of not knowing. Whatever they represent, the petroglyphs mark an important place in the landscape.

Trying to decipher the stories from the past

We hike down off the Plateau, dropping 1900 feet in just over two miles. We get to the car before noon and we head to Kanab, Utah. Tomorrow we will do a car shuttle to the south rim of the Grand Canyon. Paria Canyon/Vermillion Cliffs was an amazing section with contrasts of high plateaus and low river narrows. So far, the Hayduke thrills in it’s power of extremes.

 

3 comments

  1. I went to high school with Ray Vermillion. I took Geology at FLC with Ray SiMA. I’m reading Kerrie’s exploits with Cosmic Ray at the Vermillion cliffs. I think I know something of this antenna man at the Vermillion cliffs. It’s just that the connecting lines are a little squiggly. Kerrie-on my precious friend!! Thank you for the notes from the otherwise unknown.

  2. Missy and I are sitting at desks and loving all you are sharing with us. You two are awesome !! Wish we could be there. Maybe when I’m done working for the MAN. 😉

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