Thursday, December 31, 2009

New Year Resolutions

Every morning, Ol' Dangerous disappears around 6:30 AM. He sticks me outside in the dog pen; scrapes the snow and ice off the windshield of his truck; and heads to the American Fork Recreation Center. I wait patiently for him to show up a few hours later to let me out and to feed his horses. He tells me that this time of year the recreation center is crowded with people working on their "New Year Resolutions." For a few weeks, Dangerous has to share the track and pool with those resolved to get more exercise and lose weight. According to Dangerous, the crowds are usually gone by February 1 because exercising and losing weight isn't much fun. Don't get the wrong idea! Dangerous isn't all that virtuous. He is pretty thick around the middle, and he really likes to eat. Exercise is the price he pays so he can ride and hike in the spring.

I am not sure I understand all this resolution stuff. Dangerous tells me that I ought to give it a try. He has suggested that I resolve to stop barking, darting, and snapping at Dottie while he is trying to mount up to ride. He has also encouraged me to refrain from eating hot, steamy ones dropped by Dottie or LG in the trail. Dangerous doesn't mind me eating them. What he doesn't like is the big, wet lick I usually give him after.

Well, after some lengthy discussion, we came up with our 2010 "New Year Resolutions." Most of them involve me directly, but there are a few that Dangerous has to pursue on his own. For example, the Forest Service doesn't welcome me into their offices while Dangerous crusades to protect our favorite trails. So, working together, this is what we plan to do during 2010. Why don't you share your resolutions with me, and we can hold each other accountable during the year?

Continue the Fight

For years, Dangerous has spent a lot of time attending Dixie National Forest planning meetings. Unlike many of those engaged in the forest planning process, he pays all his own expenses. I guess he considers it a small price to pay to try and protect the few remaining non-motorized trails we love so much. This year he agreed to serve on the Dixie's Motorized Task Force charged to help implement the new Motorized Travel Plan. I don't get to attend, but I do hear about all the meetings afterward. I will keep you informed about what goes on during the year.

At Least One Long Backpacking Trip

Age is creeping up on Dangerous and his buddies, but he is still committed to hiking regularly. He might not backpack as often as a few years ago, but during 2010, we plan to make at least one long, wilderness trek. Sometime in February or March, I am sure you will see the notice about when and where we plan to go. If you are up to it, watch for the announcement, and plan to join us.

More "Sheep Dawg Kamp" Adventures

Keep your eyes peeled while driving Utah, Wyoming, Idaho, Colorado, and Montana byways. You never know where we will show up. If you see the "Sheep Dawg Kamp" cruising down the road or parked in a meadow somewhere, stop for a cold beer and a snack. We are even more recognizable this year. Dangerous' son made him signs for the side of his truck. There might be other sheep camps on the mountain, but none of them will have a sign on the tow truck advertising "Parasite Ranch: Grover, Utah." If you see the sign, you will know for sure it's us. I will fill you in about the sign in my next blog.

Fly Fishing

Dangerous has invested a lot of time and money learning to fly fish. Actually, he has bought all the equipment, read numerous books, and attended classes; but so far, he hasn't wetted a line. Well, this year he plans to actually put all his book knowledge and equipment to use. Again, you are invited to join us. Look for us on one of the numerous lakes and streams on the Dixie or Fish Lake National Forests, and if you have time, join us the second week in July at Green River Lakes, Wyoming.

More Porch Time

After a long day in the saddle, we always retire to the porch in Grover for food, conversation, and sometimes music. Since we have resolved to ride more this year, you will probably find us, May-November, sitting on the porch listening to Fremont Bob spin yarns or make music. Fremont has had all winter to practice his music and refine his yarns, so drop by most any night if you want to be entertained. With a larger audience and more practice, we think we can get Fremont a Nashville gig next winter. Come by and help us out!

Promote Utah Jack's Career

If you stop by to visit, you will probably have to listen to Utah Jack's sales pitch. He is a bit short on cash, so he is trying to increase business. His LLC, "Lil' Buddy Budget Burials," didn't take off as planned during 2009. When you join us, humor him by stretching out on the porch after dinner, so he can take your measurements. At a low, low price, he can put you into one of his hand made coffins, and we will store your purchase in Grover for a nominal fee until you need it. Hopefully, Utah will see a huge increase in sales during 2010. Dinner is free, but you have to listen to Utah's sales pitch!

Another "Grover Boyz" Picnic

We plan to do it again this year, so pencil in the "Grover Boyz" picnic on your new 2010 calendar. Kay is helping again with a fund raiser. We only hope the Wayne County Sheriff doesn't shut her down before she earns enough to pay for the food, drinks, and supplies. Contact me directly, and I will tell you where to make your contribution. Make sure you keep Labor Day weekend open so you can attend!

Southeastern Utah Canyon Hiking

What would spring and fall be without our regular hiking trips to southeastern Utah? Dangerous and I are resolved to make at least two trips again this year to hike our favorite canyons and visit Anasazi Ruins. Get in touch with me if you are interested in joining us. Dangerous isn't the best guide on the Colorado Plateau, but hanging out with him and his buddies can be highly entertaining and occasionally, educational. You can help us continue our search for Evertt Ruess.

More Riding!

Don't forget that the horse riding season usually starts May 1. This year Little Guy and Dottie will travel in style to Grover. Dangerous bought them a new aluminum horse trailer, and we plan to use it a lot. I am sure you will find us riding all our old, familiar trials along Highway 12, but this year, I plan to get Dangerous back to some old favorites like the Fish Lake Hightop and Thousand Lake Mountain Flat Top that we haven't visited in years. So, load up your horse, and come join us!

Well, that's our list for 2010. If you think it sounds like more of the same from 2009, you are absolutely right. I always say go with your strengths and stay with what you know. Some people probably think we are really good at wasting time, but remember you are only wasting time if you would rather be doing something else. We try really hard to always follow the High Plateau motto, "it's always Saturday in Grover!" Love to hear from you!

Monday, December 21, 2009

Happy Solstice!

The High Holiday is Finally Here!

While most of you are scurrying around buying and wrapping those last minute Christmas gifts, Dangerous and I are outside closely watching the sun on the horizon. Starting today, December 21, the sun reaches its southern most point, and starts north again. From now until the Spring Equinox, we get an additional minute of daylight until late June. For us, the Winter Solstice is probably the most important holiday we celebrate all year. In three to four short months, we will be back on the trail again. So, to celebrate the High Holiday I thought we would share some memorable pictures from 2009. Season's Greetings to everyone who follows my High Plateau adventures!

January Snow Shoeing


Spring Brings New Life to the High Plateau

Camping in the Uintas

Escalante River Hiking

Summer in the High Country

August in Wyoming

Labor Day Picnic

Mississippi Max Visits in September

October Walking Horse Ride

Fall Trip to Southeastern Utah

November Birthday in Grover

Year End

Well, I hope you have enjoyed following my adventures this year. With a little encouragement, I think I can get Ol' Dangerous to keep typing for me, but I need to hear from you occasionally. Your comments and observations are important to us and all our High Plateau friends. Happy holidays!

Saturday, December 12, 2009

The Miracle of the Christmas Tree

Merry Christmas Everyone!

To say that Ol' Dangerous doesn't like the holiday season is a bit of an understatement. He will tell you without asking that "Christmas is people spending money they don't have on gifts that other people don't want!" Rest assured that Dangerous had little to do with the four Christmas trees decorating our living room, or the sad set of lights in the front yard.

While he will tell you that he hates Christmas, I am not sure I believe him. He may not like all the gift buying, but he does love a good Christmas story. If you press him, he will tell you about the Lionel electric train he got for Christmas in 1956. Press him a bit further, and he will show it to you. He still has all the tracks, locomotive, cars, and whistle house stored away in their original boxes.

Since he won't own up to liking the holidays, I guess it is up to me to wish you a Merry Christmas. Because Dangerous is so cheap, I don't have any money to buy gifts, but I can share a Christmas story with you. I wasn't around when it happened, but I have heard Dangerous and Utah repeat it often enough that I know it by heart.

Years back, Utah and Dangerous used to load all seven kids into Utah's '77 Suburban and head to Grover to sleigh ride. Unlike other kids, they didn't get to slide down neatly groomed sledding or tubing hills. Their dads would hook their sleighs to the back of the truck and drag them at break neck speeds over all the snow packed roads. Maybe the miracle in this story is that no one was ever seriously injured or killed.

Well, one year, a week or two before Christmas, Dangerous and Utah were bouncing the kids along behind the truck when the Forest Service stopped them. You'd think a federal officer would be interested in protecting seven vulnerable children, but he wasn't. He thought Dangerous and Utah were on the mountain poaching Christmas trees. After a long conversation, they agreed to buy a Christmas tree permit to avoid any further suspicion. Even though neither one of them wanted a fresh cut tree, Utah wasn't going to waste the ten bucks he paid for the permit. So, the hunt for the perfect tree was on.

After a lengthy search, the two of them came up empty. Neither one was able to find a tree that met their exacting specifications. As you can probably guess, the Dixie National Forest is covered with millions of trees, but as usual, these two guys couldn't agree on one to cut and take home.

After a long argument, they decided to continue the hunt. They decided to split up so they could broaden their search, but I suspect it was to avoid further disagreement. Utah dropped Dangerous off on a snow covered dirt road, while he continued with the kids on the main track. They met back at the junction a short time later each with great news. They both had found the perfect tree.

Dangerous jumped in the truck, so they could quickly check Utah's find. Utah quickly drove back to the spot where he had parked, and they followed his tracks back to his perfect tree. Utah had located a beautifully shaped pinion pine just the right height. Well you are right to think the search was over, but the argument hadn't ended. Dangerous immediately wanted to know what kind of scam Utah was trying to pull, because he claimed they were looking at exactly the same tree he found on his own earlier. Needless to say, Utah thought Dangerous was trying to take credit for his find and pointed out to him that they had followed his tracks to the tree from where he had parked the truck. Without hesitation, Dangerous pointed out his own boot prints on the other side of the tree. Call it divine intervention or whatever you want, but the two of them had finally agreed on a tree even though they both found it while searching alone.

One of Four Miracle Trees

How about sharing a Christmas story with me? After hanging out with Dangerous or should I say Scrooge all the time I need something uplifting. Merry Christmas, and I always love to hear from you!

Sunday, December 6, 2009

Family Vacation

Yellowstone River -- 1950's

Hang out with us on the porch in Grover long enough and you will get to hear the unending argument between Dangerous and Utah about who had it the toughest growing up. The argument goes something like this. Utah tells everyone still listening that all he had to ride was a three speed bike with hand brakes. In his usual indignant tone, Dangerous immediately starts raving about his single speed bike with a coaster brake. Utah counters with the hand-me-down Benjamin air rifle he inherited from his older brother. Dangerous instantly tells the bored audience that all he had was a Daisy pump, and usually couldn't afford the "bb's" to shoot. The discussion gets really loud when the argument turns to family vacations. Utah talks about visiting Disney Land only once, while Dangerous explains to the captive audience that at 63 he still hasn't made the pilgrimage. As you can probably tell, neither one of them actually had it all that bad, but they love the continuing argument.

Since the camping, hiking, and riding season is pretty much over for the year, I asked Dangerous to show me pictures from his family vacations when he was a kid. Without hesitation, he pulled out stacks and stacks of old black and whites taken in the 1950's. According to Dangerous, the big family vacation each year was the annual Yellowstone River fishing trip. We aren't talking Yellowstone National Park, but the Yellowstone River in Duchesne County.

Most summers Dangerous' dad loaded the family up into their 1953 Ford Sedan and drove the 100 miles or so to the Yellowstone. Unlike Utah's family trips there wasn't a motel with pool and restaurant waiting at the end of the drive. Dangerous and his family stayed in a tar-paper cabin without running water or indoor plumbing. If you believe him, Dangerous never saw the inside of a motel or sit-down restaurant until after he graduated from college. Hard to believe, but that's the way he tells the story.

Typical Family Easter Outing

Dangerous and family didn't exactly travel in style. There weren't any bus, train, boat, or air plane trips. Everyone got in the family sedan with all the food, camping equipment, and other family and friends. In a pinch the old ford served as a camper. According to Dangerous, his father never bothered to pitch a tent on many of their fishing expeditions. Dad slept in the backseat while Dangerous crowded under the steering wheel in the front. By the way, can you pick Dangerous out in the picture above?



Tail Gate Cooking

According to Dangerous, there weren't many fast food restaurants around when he was a kid. While traveling, they didn't stop at McDonald's for a happy meal. Dangerous' dad simply pulled over and broke out the white gas, Coleman stove. They usually cooked on the tail gate of the truck, and sat in the wind and dirt to eat. They never went anywhere without the coffee pot you see perched on the stove in the back of the truck. With Dangerous' father and friends, the coffee pot was the focal point of all outdoor activities. Again, do you recognize Dangerous in the picture? I will give you a hint. He isn't the one lying under the truck and neither am I.

Outdoor Swimming Pool

Where Dangerous' family vacationed, there weren't a lot of planned or scheduled activities. You didn't reserve a tee time nor buy an IMAX Theater ticket because there weren't any golf course or movie theaters around. Since motels were outside the budget, any swimming was in the local lake or river. Dangerous' Mom is the middle swimmer enjoying the cold Fremont Lake water in Wyoming.

Preparing to Fish

Dangerous will tell you that the destination and purpose of most family vacations was to find a place where his father could fish. I am not sure what's in the cup, but I suspect that Dangerous' father Tom wasn't recharging his batteries with water or pop. Tom was an avid fisherman who kept the family constantly supplied with trout. While most people consider them a delicacy, Dangerous to this day won't eat trout. He tells me that his father cooked them often and every way imaginable. According to Dangerous, he could smell them cooking a mile away from home when walking home from elementary school. He always tried to con his mother into cooking him a hamburger to avoid having to eat more trout. Notice the fly rod at Tom's side. He won it on a punch board at one of his local coffee stops. Dangerous has the rod proudly hanging in his sheep camp. Ask him to show it to you, but be prepared for a long winded speech about how he hates trout.



A Chip Off the Old Block

I am sure you have fond memories of your family vacations. I would love to hear about them!! Drop me a comment or two and share your memories with me and others.

Friday, November 27, 2009

I Thought I Heard a Buzzard Hiss My Name

Watching Over You

Get Dangerous and his buddies started talking, and you can rest assured the conversation will turn to how short life is. Right after our last adventure to southeastern Utah, Utah Jack read an article in the paper about a 60 year old man killed in a hiking accident. Maybe the man's age or the fact that he died in one of the canyons we visited a few weeks before got Dangerous telling anyone who would listen the old North West Indian legend about imminent death. According to the legend, sometimes a person receives a premonition about their impending death. You might hear them say, "I thought I heard the owl call my name."

I really think the legend is a bit too romantic for the High Plateau bunch. Those aren't owls circling over our heads as we ride and hike the canyon country. Even from my angle, I make out turkey vultures just waiting for an opportunity to swoop in. Take a look at these guys and you can tell there isn't anything mythical about their impending deaths. At their age, physical condition, and diet, you can rest assured that those circling buzzards don't have to whisper quietly in their ears because they already know they are one step or should I say horse ride away from their eternal rest.

Eat Right and Take Care of Yourself

You don't have to be a mind reader to figure out why those buzzards are up there waiting for the right opportunity. Circling overhead at 1500 feet they can pick out who eats right and takes care of themselves. I might be a sheep dog, but even I know diet pop won't ward of a premature buzzard visit when you consume 4,000 calories a day and clean up all the fat on your rib steak. Following the High Plateau diet plan may result in you hearing a buzzard call your name before your allotted time. Actually, turkey vultures don't call because they are mute. However, they do produce a loud hissing noise when agitated or excited. Can you imagine the hissing going on as they ponder the huge meal sitting in the chair next to the fire? "I thought I heard a buzzard hiss my name!"

The More You Eat the Wider You Get

Sitting around the old campfire stuffing your face can negatively affect your physical conditioning. The lack of muscle tone usually shows up in a certain part of your anatomy. Infrequent exercise and over eating doesn't prepare you for the rigors of climbing slick rock ledges and cliffs trying to see an Anasazi ruin perched high above your head. You can't see them, but those buzzards are patiently circling above waiting for one of these overweight, out of shape hikers to fall out of the tree. At their age and physical condition, these guys don't have any business climbing up and down trees to access Indian ruins. "I thought I heard a buzzard hiss my name!"

Who Says I'm Getting Old?

No matter your diet and physical conditioning, time alone takes its toll. Fremont Bob is convinced that time isn't affecting him; because he tells us all the time he will live to be 115. He is so confident about his longevity that he continues to buy young mules. For equines, mules are extremely long lived with life spans extending 40 years or more. I am no expert on the human condition, but a close look at the picture convinces me that Fremont ought to stick with old horses. A man's age isn't just reflected in those "laugh lines" around his eyes, but in changing behavior. Fremont has acquired a lap dog; now all he needs is a retirement condominium in St. George. "I thought I heard a buzzard hiss my name!"

Checking Out Final Resting Spots

As you probably know by now, Ol' Dangerous isn't the most optimistic human. He will tell you that a pessimist is really an optimist with all the facts. Well, there are times when I believe he takes his fact gathering and planning too far. Wherever we hike or ride, he is on the lookout for a nice burial spot. What's really embarrassing is he actually tries them out. Sometimes he will lie down on the ground to admire the view from different angles. I really get upset when he asks me to lie down next to him to see if there is room for both of us. "I thought I heard a buzzard hiss my name!"

Setting Sun

The sun might be setting on this bunch of aging outdoors-men, but I think they will continue in their old habits as long as they can. Red meat will be an ongoing part of their diets, and Utah Jack will avoid regular aerobic exercise at all costs. I am sure they will wear out more hiking boots and saddle leather before one of them admits to hearing "a buzzard calling his name!" Love to hear from you!

Thursday, November 12, 2009

Wilderness Tracks

Wilderness Canyon

A few days back, Dangerous and I were helping Utah Jack cut firewood. Dangerous noticed a trail head sign that he hadn't seen before, so we stopped to read it. Since I don't read, Dangerous tells me that the High Plateau country is the most remote wilderness remaining in the lower 48 states. Well, I didn't need the Forest Service to tell me that. I might not be able to read but I do know that once you leave Highway 12, Highway 24, or Highway 95 you don't see many other dogs or people. A few hardy souls like us wander the back country, but not many. That doesn't mean you don't have to share the few remaining wild places with others, and you will find evidence of those visitors scattered all over the landscape.

Hite Bridge, Highway 95

Stretching across the entire Colorado Plateau is a network of highways and roads. We use them regularly to access the many remote canyons that Dangerous and his buddies like to ride and hike. Without them, I suspect that Dangerous would saddle Dottie up and ride her to the places he wants to visit, but I don't relish the idea of trailing behind through all that rough, dry desert country. So, we constantly face a paradox. We might detest the highways and roads, but we choose to use them. If we didn't, we would be limited to a very small corner of our world.

Deer Tracks

There are a few permanent wilderness residents that we don't mind sharing the canyon country with. We are constantly on the lookout for mule deer. With me along, Dangerous complains that I scatter them before he gets a chance to get a close look. From my perspective, he is just too old and too slow to catch a glimpse of what I see close up even though I am usually on a dead run with my tongue hanging out. There are times, however, when he gets a close look. This time of year there are always a few big bucks hanging out in Capitol Reef orchards that he can admire. I have to stay in the truck, so I don't scatter the herd.

Capitol Reef Buck

Sorting through all the tracks we come across isn't easy even for an intelligent sheep dog like me. I sometimes can't tell the difference between a mule deer track and a desert bighorn hoof print. They're both cloven and smell about the same to me. You have to remember that I am a herding dog who depends more on sight than smell. However, there are times when even I can tell the difference between a deer and a sheep. Even at a distance you can tell that the buck in the picture has a full curl rather than a set of forked antlers.


Desert Bighorns

Dangerous and his buddies like to pretend they are the first people to visit or ride a canyon. However, Dangerous is the first to admit that there are few pristine wildernesses left, and none on the Colorado Plateau. Get him started and he will tell you that technically the only time this country was actually wilderness was 13,000 years ago. Since that time, humans have occupied and used the canyon country for their own purposes. That doesn't mean Dangerous doesn't want to see the High Plateau protected. It only means that men have been leaving their tracks here for thousands of years. In fact, one of the reasons we visit so often is to see the tracks these early visitors left behind.

Timeless Doorway

About the only difference between this door and the one in the Grover cabin is time. I know Utah Jack likes to think he is building for the future, but I rather doubt the place in Grover will last 750 or more years. I guess we can only hope that those who come after us wonder about us like we do about those who left the finger prints we frequently find in the mud holding ancient ruins together.

Ancient Finger Prints

Wherever you look, you find evidence of those who left these ancient finger prints. Using primitive tools, the ancient ones built lasting and imposing structures. Their buildings may not be as impressive as the Hite Bridge, but they have stood the test of time.

Anasazi Kiva

On the High Plateau, the tracks you find are very diverse. They include the tracks of permanent residents like mule deer and desert bighorn to the finger prints left by those who built this ancient kiva. Not far from this kiva is Arch Canyon. Sitting on the rim you can see the road traversing through pinion trees and red rock hundreds of feet below. These roads define our current culture and the struggle to preserve what little is left of the past. What you probably don't notice without careful study is another track this time left in the air. Can you find the airplane flying down Arch Canyon? It is a small but obvious dot in the middle of the picture hundreds of feet below the rim.

Arch Canyon Flight


Track Hunters

While the rest of the world is sitting at home, I suspect we will continue our wilderness wanderings. With some misgivings, we will haul the "Sheepdawg Kamp" or drag the horse trailer over the oiled tracks leading to the canyons we love. Dangerous and his buddies with me in tow will continue looking for mule deer, bighorn sheep, and the tracks they leave in the mud and sand. I am sure we will continue searching for the ancient ruins we have seen many times before, trying hard to avoid the intrusion of modern conveyances like airplanes and jeeps that frequent places like Arch Canyon. We don't like to share, but we have little choice in the matter. Love to hear from you!

Sunday, November 1, 2009

The Blue Bird of Paradise

Rosie and Dangerous Searching for the Elusive Bird

All great adventurers are usually stalking the countryside looking for something. After thousands of years, the quest for the Holy Grail continues to this day. Many lives have been lost seeking the treasure of the Sierra Madre, and with the latest revelation in the newspaper, the hunt for Everett Ruess is back on. Dangerous usually dreams up some pretty flimsy excuses to justify most of our back country trips, but this latest explanation was really thin. Do you think Trea actually believed him when he told her we were going to capture a "Blue Bird of Paradise?" Well, you can imagine her look when we showed up with one as an actual gift for her.

Sheep dogs are incapable of lying. We don't have the lips for it, so in all honesty, I have to tell you it didn't take us long to locate and capture a bird. Larry, Dangerous' friend, carved one for him, and all we had to do was drive to and from Boulder in a blinding snow storm to pick it up. It was worth the trip because not only did we get an award winning bird, but Larry and Judy fed us one of their world class Dutch oven dinners.

Larry and His Blue Ribbon Blue Jay

All great adventurers have their preferred means of travel. The Greeks plied the red wine sea in their trireme war ships. Powell floated the Colorado in his wooden dories, and Dangerous' ancestors crossed the plains to Utah in prairie schooners. Dangerous always makes me mention that Utah Jack's family arrived in Utah on a Continental Trailways bus directly from Sweden. Well, Dangerous continues his family's tradition by driving us around southeastern Utah in the "Great White Whale" towing a 19th Century sheep camp. No matter where we stop our rig attracts attention. Even those too polite to ask kink their necks trying to get a good look at our outfit. Dangerous never tires telling anyone who will listen that real western adventurers stay in sheep camps and not commercially manufactured travel trailers. Some of the Germans and French tourists actually believe him as they line up to take pictures.

"The Great White Whale" Parked at Hog Springs

Like all great seafaring vessels, our ship of the highways has a name. New England whalers frequently named their ships after wives, mothers, or sweethearts. Left to his own devices, I am sure Dangerous would have christened our trusty Bicentennial Highway vessel something like Rosie or Trea; but he didn't get the chance. While parked in Grover, Utah Jack named our rig "Sheepdawg Kamp," and labeled it accordingly. I guess I should be flattered, but all we get are strange looks as people pass us on the highway trying to decipher Utah's redneck spelling. With our new name, we are unmistakable as we drive down the highway. Give a wave and a honk if you spot us. I am the one riding in the bed of the truck. The three dummies are sitting up front.

"Sheepdawg Kamp" Parked at Mule Canyon

I have to tell you half the fun traveling with Dangerous and his buddies is getting there. The destination is important, but the journey is just as much fun. You should have been with us to watch and listen to Utah Jack and Nature Dan direct Dangerous as he backed the "kamp" into our selected site. Utah was standing at the back giving directions, and Nature Dan was on the the other side shouting instructions. As most of you know, Dangerous isn't a patient man. However, after politely asking one or the other to "shut-the-blank up" the "kamp" was successfully parked. As you can see, it wasn't long before the Camp Chef stove was out and the cooking started. Actually, the hiking started first, but we will get to that in my next blog. I have to admit, Utah's campsite selection was about ideal.

Love to hear from you!

Mule Canyon Sunset