On our final full day here in Utah, hiking at Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument delivered three firsts for me. A day like today reminds me how fortunate I am to be fit, to have a partner who loves the great outdoors, and to have the financial freedom to enjoy experiences like this. The firsts were ..
* Seeing quicksand up close and personal vs. seeing it depicted in a movie in a far-off exotic location.
* Seeing a live rattlesnake in the wild vs. in a cage. Our guide informed us that rattlers can only strike successfully if someone is within one half their length. Since this one measured about eighteen inches, as long as I remained more than twenty seven inches away, all would be well. I did NOT test this purported fact, i.e., I stood still - close enough to see the rattle moving rapidly - but a good deal farther away than twenty seven inches.
* Hiking three-quarters of a mile through a slot canyon narrow enough that twenty extra pounds could have been a dealbreaker.
Impressive! All but the claustrophobic feeling I got reading about the slot canyon😍
ReplyDeleteAnonymous; Happy to report claustrophobia didn't come into the picture, scraped elbows aside.
DeleteHello, again, Pat. What a great picture. To be honest, I'd be concerned about getting stuck in such a tight place - the added weight around my mid section coming first to mind - lol. But it does look like fun.
ReplyDeleteBe well,
Bob
Bob; I must say it was a tight spot but what an experience. Thanks for your comment.
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