Exploring the American Wilderness and Other Adventures

Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, Kanab, Utah

Farmington, Utah -> Kanab, Utah: 204 miles

Listening to: Taylor Swift Radio on Pandora

Hikes: Catstair Canyon Trail, Toadstool Hoodoos Trail, Dinosaur Tracks Trail, Moqui Caves Trail

Lodging: Best Friends Roadhouse and Mercantile

Dinner: Vegetarian enchiladas at Rocking V Cafe

The drive from Farmington to Kanab was more beautiful than I had imagined. I have never been to southern Utah, but I have clung to dreams of belonging to the southwest US and was immediately affirmed in my beliefs. The vibrant red rocks peaking through the white snow under the cold blue skies provided indescribable drama in every direction I looked. 

It was not a lot of fun driving by the signs for Bryce and Zion National Parks, having never been there and knowing that the beauty continues to be even deeper there, but I had to be at The Best Friends Roadhouse by 4pm and I had a list of small hikes in Kanab to explore. 

1. Catstair Canyon Trail: this is a very short and unmarked hike, but I thought it was fun. The main trailhead immediately drops between canyons and, because of the snow melt, was pretty muddy, but that was no big deal. When you get near the stacked cars – the main point of this hike, you begin to climb down some large red rocks, but after you get to the cars, you would have difficulty climbing without rappelling gear. I turned around and then drove the short distance to the other end of the trail to hike in from that end. That part of the trail was also very easy, along a muddy river, and ended at a waterfall that flowed from above, where the stacked cars rest. 

2. Toadstool Hoodoos Trail: The Toadstools was such a happy surprise for me! It is an easy hike through the desert, and then you are suddenly amongst these incredible mushroom-shaped rock formations! It just feels like you left earth, and time stops. 

3. Dinosaur Tracks Trail: this is also a very short and unmarked hike. While Catstair Canyon requires some climbing, Dinosaur Tracks requires more – at least it did the way I navigated it. There was not one other person there when I began exploring. I saw my first dinosaur tracks “in the wild” last summer in Colorado, and those were at least somewhat protected, while these tracks were unprotected and unmarked. It was fun searching for them, and REALLY exciting when I found two of them. 

4. Moqui Caves Trail: scrambling! And then more scrambling. And what is it called when you have to slide down a mountainside? Like, glissading, but not on snow. A bit scary, that is what it is called. Climbing up to the sand caves is fun, and thanks to my Altra Lone Peaks and their grip, it was easy and fast. But, what goes up, must come down. I admit that I found the motivation to rock it when I saw people crying about having to slide down the side of the little mountain. But my bravery ended at that moment – it really was scary for a second. The entire hike was kind of like the Lake Lenore Caves that we have in eastern Washington but on powerful steroids. The caves were beautiful, even with the modern-day graffiti carved in and over the ancient writings that we wish were more visible. 

These little hikes were more than enough to help me push through some of my social anxiety and get excited about the entire reason I finally made it to this region – because I won an incredible leadership award given to only five women each year. Friday afternoon-Sunday afternoon was jam-packed with adventures planned for me. Although I had an idea of how it would feel to be the recipient of such planning instead of the one coordinating it, I did not know how interesting it would be for me until later while reflecting on the entirety of it.