(Just south of Moab)
On the long drive to Hanksville, on Rt. 95
From Moab, I made my way south & west, through the vast expanses of remote Utah. If you look at a map, you will see it is quite the grueling drive through some remote country, about 6+ hours for me with stops. It was all very scenic, but after you’ve seen one red rock, and being from Central CO and having the biggest Red Rocks of all (Rock Rocks Amphitheatre, for those of you who don’t know what I am talking about, the venue that consistently year after year gets voted the most awesome & incredible place IN THE WORLD to attend a concert), it was difficult to be impressed after awhile. That is, until I reached the small town of Escalante, UT which is host to the Escalante Petrified Forest State Park.
When I had made my reservations online, back in Feb. & Mar., there either were no photos available of the campsites, or I didn’t look at them. All I knew was that I wasn’t going to have electric, water, cell or wifi service. There were bathrooms and showers, I was only going to be there for 2 nights, and on my route that was where I needed to stop for the day so I just booked the reservation and went on with my day.
When I arrived, I was initially so preoccupied with the fact that I had booked a site with no shade and difficult to maneuver Hammy into that I didn’t notice my surroundings. I was also mildly perturbed that no one standing around watching me trying to back into my spot could walk over and simply be my eyes for 30 seconds and help a sista out. I just think stuff like that is common courtesy when you see someone who needs a hand, but hey, I realized long ago that I had met few people thus far in life who thought as I did. If everyone could, I surmised, wouldn’t the world just be a great and special place?! (oh c’mon, we ALL think it, admit it - right?)
OK, so anyway, I digress - I get backed in, unhooked, set up and FINALLY get to take the dogs for a lap around the park. Instantly I begin to unwind. First of all, the park sits on a RESERVOIR. To most, and especially those water laden areas of the country, you’re thinking, “what’s the big deal?” Well, water (not WELL water) in the West and Southwest is kind of a big deal because there isn't much of it to be had. Out in this part of the country people fight over it, buy and sell rights to rivers & reservoirs to other states, hell even the water that falls out of the sky you can’t keep! I remember years ago trying to buy a rain barrel online from a gardening catalog and being refused because of the county and state I lived in. When I called the county, they confirmed that indeed, the rain that fell on my very own roof “belonged” to Jefferson County and therefore I could not “gather” it in a rain barrel for the purpose of watering my own yard - I was shocked and very pissed off that “The Man” had figured out yet another way to screw both the Average Jane AND MOTHER NATURE out of something else. I had fond memories of my grandmother’s rain barrel sitting beside her back porch as a kid and was upset to find out that I couldn’t have one of my own (and still vow that I will someday if I ever live in a real house again).
So water, yes the water, shut up woman and get back to the story, stop taking side trips! The park sat on a beautiful reservoir that was so clear and cool it was something out of a summer novel. There was a dock where everyone would just naturally gather, to fish and lay out on, watch the sunset and dangle your feet in the water below without fear that something would bite them off (which has always been a huge phobia of mine after Jaws). I spent the next day and a half with my camera in one hand and a rum & pineapple coconut juice drink in the other. Bella waded, Jack dug in the wonderful sandy soil. I discovered I had cell service and that someone in the campground would also miraculously leave their portable wifi hotspot not only ON but OPEN - Nirvana! I was able to talk to my children, catch up on emails, read about all the horror and violence happening on CNN to get my daily dose of soul deadening, you know, the usual. Then, it had to happen - the outside world just couldn’t leave me alone.
On the morning of my 2nd day, I’m watching Oogie The Baby Tortoise stroll around on the picnic table (which he subsequently plunged off of for his first time ever and scared the shit out of me as he landed on concrete but he’s OK FOLKS) while I’m having breakfast & browsing the Web. I see an email telling me that my upcoming reservations near Yosemite have been canceled. Trust me when I say people that I cannot POSSIBLY tell this story in this chapter - it deserves a whole one of its own so you will have to read my next excerpt to experience the whole effect of my wrath and pissed-offness. I was about to go Gonzo.
Until next time, I am somewhere out here - living small and loving it largely.
Eli
(These are only a few photos, but for the full Monty of all of my adventures you can view the complete album by Following me on Facebook @: facebook.com/eli.hunter.94)
My campsite @ Escalante Petrified Forest State Park
Escalante Petrified Forest State Park
