A harrowing tale of a man's will to survive in the harshest of conditions...
Well, so here it is. A backpack trip through Utah's Grand Staircase. We decided that spring would be a good time as I hate kids and it is right before summer when kids are not present at the national parks. I was also hoping to avoid teenagers but it is not easy as they are everywhere. I always carry a knife with me just in case I run into any teenagers. You can flash the knife and sometimes it's enough to scare them away. A little trick of the trade I learned over the years. So I had this idea to do some of these canyon's in Utah that I've heard about though local lore, but it never came to fruition as fear had dominated me and my partner. Fear of the stories we heard. Freaks! We heard many stories about freaks living in the depths of these forboding canyons. People that are forgotten by time settling there back in the pioneering days. Living off from incest and human blood they have carved out a nook for themselves in an otherwise unforgiving environment. only few can survive there. So I chose a more mellow and easy going canyon that of the infamous coyote gulch. In this report you will have the opportunity to glimpse into hell and perhaps even get a taste of heaven at the same time. I pray that you are ready for what is to come.
The Begining...
![Two cups of coffee. outside of Escalante Outfitters]()
Escalante Outfitters. Good people run this place.Ahhh, where to begin my friend. Where to begin. We arrived late in the evening in the town of escalante unshowered and unshaved reeking of the stench of sweat and animal blood from our previous escapade. We were looking for a good time and if anyhwere a good time could be found it was in the town of Escalante. The town that never sleeps. We stoped at the only place that was open in town. Escalante Outfitters. A very cool store with climbing gear, maps, food, all the essentials. The owner was very friendly and easy to talk to. He gave us alot of information. So that night we got a hotel room and shaked up. Planning on doing coyote Gulch in the morning. The plan was set and so it begins.
Day One. on the road at last.
We got up early the next morning and went back to the store we went to the night before for some coffee and tea. From here we went down to the ranger station and got our permit to go for this hike. The ranger recommended taking a different road than we planned on. Said we would need fourwheel drive, but I doubt it. We ended up taking the ranger recommended road. We were planning on taking fortymile ridge road off from hole in the rock
![Coyote Gulch, Utah.]()
Dry wash leading up to the main canyonroad. As it turned out the original plan probally would have been better to take, as the route we took, took alot longer to get to the main canyon. After a thirty mile drive on Hole in the Rock Road we finally got to the trailhead. We found the trail at first to be a bit on the crap side. Alot of cows littered the wash as we continued down and there didn't seem to be alot of scenery as of yet. Then it started to pick up and we came to our first obstacle a small slot with a three tiered waterfall.
![A small slot canyon in Coyote Gulch]()
Going into the slot I opted to go right down into it while my cousin went around taking a trail to the left over the hill. At this point it began to get more scenic. The cows however were everywhere still. The smell of cow shit seemed to permeate the water here and the air. I felt like I should have loaded up with a bunch of water instead of all that other crap I brought in that giant backpack. Oh well. Anyhow it was really starting to look cool and that was good. Soon after we had to go over a fence that blocked out the cows from going into to the Glenn Canyon National Recreation Area.
![A Canyon wall]()
My cousin walking upstream next to the canyon wallThe cows thined out at this point and the canyon walls began to steepen. Soon we were in a good sized canyon surround by sheer cliff walls on both sides.to be continued....
getting to the trailhead.
From Escalante head north on highway 12, on your right there will be a dirt road about five miles or so out of escalante called Hole in the Rock Road. Turn right here. About thirty miles of driving will bring you to a place called red well. That is where we ended up starting, but I would, if I were to do it again, go another six miles up to fortymile ridge road and start from there. it will drop you right in the center of all the action. From Red Well you basically hike to the dry stream bed take a right and keep following it. Soon you'll hit water. Just Follow the flow and you will end up in a beutiful canyon.
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