Tuesday, August 9, 2011

Slot Canyon Mud Fun


Come with me on a muddy trip through one of Utah's world famous slot canyons; Utah has the highest concentration of slot canyons in the whole world.  This slot canyon is called Peek-a-Boo and is located near the town of Escalane, Utah on the famous Hole-in-the Rock road in the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument.  Peek-a-Boo and its cousin Spooky are non-technical slot canyons, which means we won't be needing ropes or other canyoneering paraphernalia on our hike.

To get to Peek-A-Boo, you must travel down the Hole-in-the-Rock road for 26 miles of unpaved road--- bump, bump, bump.  When you reach the Dry Fork Trail, you then drive over a 1.7 mile dirt road, bump, bump, bump.  Whew, you made it.  Now go to the trail head and see this wonderful view. 


 It's about a 20 minute hike to get to Peek-A-Boo and Spooky.  Don't worry cairns will lead you to the slot canyons.  I hope you brought some water, you will need it.


Some cracked mud -- I love to walk on cracked mud, crack, crack, crack.  This was a warning to us:  THICK MUD ahead.


Inside the canyon it can be very shady which was helpful as it was really a scorcher that day.  My husband is fashionably carrying a J C Penney reusable bag because we forgot a backpack -- can you believe it?


It rained the day before.  You NEVER enter a slot canyon when it is raining or when there is rain in the forecast.  Even 1/4-inch of rain can prove hazardous as all the rain flows into the canyon and quickly can rise up the canyon walls and there is no way out for hikers.

As it had rained the day before, there was MUD, THICK, OOEY, GOOEY,  MUD.  I think Earl the pig, Lynn's pet, the hostess of the blog Happier Than a Pig in Mud, would have enjoyed it...I DID NOT! 

A picture of my shoe; my leg is at the bottom center and my shoe is covered in mud in the center.

Yes, this is a picture of my SHOE.  I did have a new pair of shoes I was contemplating wearing that day -- thankfully, I stuck with my old shoes.  As we walked, my shoe kept on getting stuck in the mud; my husband, the kind fellow that he he, kept on pulling it out for me.  If you went barefoot, you would run the risk of walking on sharp objects.


My daughter Tati went barefoot for awhile until she DID hit something sharp.  Okay, while we are on the subject of mud, oink, oink, I preferred the thin mud over the thick, clay-like mud.  Earl, what do you prefer?

Tati's leg in the mud.


Nearing the end of the hike, my son Skyler is seen negotiating a boulder that is in front of a big mud hole.  I must tell you he fell in the mud hole....(yes, we did laugh after asking if he was okay).  Apparently, we weren't thinking clearly after all the mud, we thought that Spooky would have just as much mud as Peek-A-Boo, so we didn't enter Spooky; we turned around and went back through Peek-A-Boo -- GLOP, GLOP, GLOP!   We were wrong, apparently Spooky had no mud that day...


A leg portrait of my family at the end of the hike.


Hot from the hike and CAKED WITH MUD we walked into the small grocery store in Escalante to get some slushies.  The workers there asked, "Playing in some mud?"  We told them about Peek-A-Boo and they responded with, "Well, it did rain yesterday, " and what was left unsaid was, "what do you expect tourists it rained?"  But, we were tourists and you have to go when you can!

En route to home we passed by Julie Harwood's, Circle Cliff Views beautiful home.  You can see her beautiful home on her blog header and it's for sale.  She and her husband have big plans for retirement.  Her gorgeous home is located in some of the most beautiful country.  We stumbled upon her home by accident, but I recognized it from her blog.  Do you think Julie wanted MUD CAKED visitors?  No, we did not visit, maybe the next time we pass by.

Thanks for dropping by my Red Couch for my Slot Canyon Mud Fun adventure.

Tati left her signature, in mud of course, on the canyon wall and with that we are signing off today.


Posted with the following:  Wow Us Wednesday

14 comments:

La said...

WOW is right. It sounds like a lot of fun. Our favorite swine, Earl, would definitely like to hike this canyon.

Karie said...

How fun! Been in the slot canyons of Southern Utah many times. Never when it rains nor after a rain. Looks like great fun for everyone. Thanks for sharing. Karie

Barbara F. said...

Here's another WOW from me, too, you do go on exciting adventures. xo

www.thewhitefarmhouse2.blogspot.com said...

Well, they do say that mud is good for the skin! I don't think they meant this though. I could just imagine my tribe slinging that through the house!

Bonnie said...

Quite an adventure. Very interesting. Would not want to clean your shower! Thanks for giving us insight into this area.

Julie Harward said...

Not a good time to go through there...but it could have been worse if it had rained, you would all have had to float it out! LOL ;D

Deanna said...

Well......i use to love making mud pies as a little girl!

Sharon Lovejoy said...

This is FABULOUS...all that mud! And "slot canyons," I have never heard that term before.

Isn't blogging an amazing education?

All joys,

Sharon Lovejoy Writes from Sunflower House and a Little Green island

Holly said...

Wow!! Thats alot of mud!!:) Looks like fun!:)

Inspired By June said...

Very fun, Joni! What an exciting adventure, mud of not! Thanks for sharing!

Mary said...

The red canyon walls are amazing~ I've never been to that part of the country! I love your family leg portrait :-)

Lynn said...

Well now, that is a vacation to remember! Nothing like that in Philly, I mean we have mud... you know what I mean! Yep, I do think Earl would have been very happy:@)

Sue said...

Ha ha, I love it!

Anonymous said...

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