It has been way too long since we have been camping. Last time we went was back at the end of August when we went to Bryce Canyon. I have been making a lot of videos since the end of last year, and it has caused me to go back and look through my old pictures. Every time I do and I come across camping pictures, my heart yearns to be camping. Like yearns, yearns. Memorial Weekend was our first chance we have had to go since the eternal snow of winter melted. We decided to go somewhere we have never been before. We went to the San Rafael Swell. We left after the kids got out of school on Friday and didn't get there until around 7 PM. We are lone campers. We like to be all by ourselves. And we usually are. But this time we were worried about getting there so late on a Holiday Weekend, we didn't think we would be able to find a decent place to camp. But we were very blessed and found this little hidden canyon and we had it all to ourselves the entire time. Above is the view from our camp.
While Steve and I set up the camper, the kids went exploring in the canyon. If you look really close you can see them on the top of the hill.
We got camp all set up and made dinner. Then we watched some (nerdy) scouts who were camped in the next canyon over act out scenes from Star Wars. They were on the top of the cliff that separates our two canyons. I must admit, it was a little more than annoying. They finally went back to their camp when it got dark. The moon came up and it was so huge and full that it lit up our whole canyon and we didn't even need a lantern or flashlight. We decided to go for a night hike. So we climbed up atop the canyon wall and hiked around it. It was a lot of fun. It was so awesome to be walking at night and not even need a light because everything was bathed in the silvery glow of the moon.
We woke up the next morning and ate breakfast. We normally only use the camper for sleeping purposes. And on the rare occasions that it rains we also seek shelter in it. So normally eating in the camper is off limits. Especially since Zac's bed is where table is and we have to take it all apart to sit there. But our camp had these nasty little gnats. Nasty, pesky, annoying little gnats. They only came out in the morning and evening for about an hour or so. But it really could make you go insane to be outside with them. So we had to eat our breakfast in the camper.
Then we headed out for our hike. We were doing the Little Wild Horse/Bell Canyon Hike. It forms a big loop and takes about 5-8 hours to do. Our plan was to do the whole thing. But long story short, we were about an hour late leaving, then we had a horrible map that showed a road going to the part of the hike we wanted to start at. After spending for ever looking for that road, we finally came to the conclusion that it was marked wrong on our map and the posted maps in the area, and that that road was really an ATV trail that we could not access via our truck (This was confirmed later when we found a posted map that had that road marked correctly). So by the time we finally got to the place where we could actually start hiking, we were about 3 hours past our desired start time. We were still going to try to do the whole thing, but didn't quite make it. So we hiked a few hours in and back. It was an AWESOME hike as you will see from the pictures and video.
Of course my Hobbit had to hike it barefoot. Everyone that passed us commented on his bare feet.
Here is a video going through one of the slot canyons:
A lot of the hike was through slot canyons. They were so fun to hike through. There was one part we were in that was pretty long and narrow. So narrow that if you were going one direction and met up with a group going the other direction, one of you would have to turn around and hike back out so the other group could get by. We just happened to be in one of the narrowest parts when I heard another group coming towards us. My kids were several feet in front. I heard a familiar voice say "HEY!" Then I saw a familiar face. Like who would have ever thought in the middle of a slot canyon in south central Utah we would run smack dab into Brent Schuenman! But I was confused because I didn't recognize any of the kids or other people he was with. So for a minute I thought maybe it was his twin brother. But he seemed to know my kids, and Brent's brother wouldn't know my kids. We determined it was indeed Brent, not his twin.
Their group backed out and hey! There was LaRee and her kids! Fancy meeting you here!
Seriously, how gorgeous is this?
Time for lunch
Zac started getting a really bad migraine. We stopped to let him rest.
He was not the only one who rested.
Addy and Aubrey never rested. They just explored the area around us.
Aubrey was doing gymnastics atop this big rock. Here is a video:
We decided that it was getting late enough we better not try to keep going.
We we turned around and headed back the way we came.
Zac had his first aid kit with him and he was Addy's personal physician the entire trip.
We made it back to camp at dinner time. After dinner we sat around the fire roasting marshmallows. Around 10:00 everyone was ready to go to bed. Sitting around the fire at night is one of my favorite parts of camping. I kept begging people to stay up with me, but no one would. So I gave in and went to bed as well.
Click here to see day 3&4
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