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Show T SOUTHERN UTAH NEWS Community MONDAY MAY 6, 1991 Buckskin: Greatest by ROYCE YOUNG Kane County has done it again! Producing one of her incredible hikes, recognized by hiking au- hike in world slot-canyo- n pearing acts and surprise as oth- ers walked by. Th e young scouts were imagining all kinds of forms carved in the ledges as if gouged n thors as the greatest by a giant spoon. Look, heres hike in the world. Yes, other where the giant sat, and he had trousers. Or canyons approach its grandeur on but not for mile after mile and Heres a piano, etc. A few times the gorge opened through continuous change in sandstone hues. up enough to let in the warming We entered the Gulch through sun and in such places were a Wire Pass, soon falling in ca- few Box Elder trees adding a dence at the rear of some other touch of green to the long ribtroopers. Passing was impos- bons of black, gray, red, orange sible, for in some places a man and white sandstone. This culhas to turn sideways to get vert was so uncommonly narthrough. These scouts, all the row, so crooked, that David and way from Michigan, let us by in Ryan enjoyed playing tricks on a wide place at the bottom of the us as they stood in apparent first logjam. This was their dead ends. As the rest of us came scoutmasters third trip through around the bend they would say, the Buckskin. Need I say he cer- "This is it, well have to go back. tainly envied my being bom and We can go no further, unless of course youd like to try climbing raised in Kane County. Their backpacks were heavily this ledge! As we approached ever so near, loaded for their leisure destinaAnother half theyd disappear into the wall. tion, Lees Ferry. mile of wanderingthe Wire Pass The stream course would leave disgorged us all at its confluence its natural fissures and make 90 with the Buckskin Gulch. In- degree turns as if following a like stick John Jacobs. David Lord, Ryan Young, and Lynar Young are which cut dian petrogyphs, featuring the giant blow-torc- h figues at the bottom of the narrow canyon. curved horn Ibex and other through sheer walls then sanded things associated with off the rough edges. Much of the gorge was narMontezumas Gold raised several questions, since we were on rower at the top than at the the alleged North Buckskin trail bottom, and so twisty that it out of Mexico and into Kane eluded the sky. Rays of light that probed the humid bottom County via the Paria River. Much of the hike could be por- were like rainbows to a gloomy trayed as walking between the forest. So seldom did the Gulchs folds ofan enormous egg carton, floor see the sun that any place with twisted 50 to 500 foot walls water stood became stale and that defy the imagination in color frigid called cesspools. A reand contour. It could truly be cent flood had cleared out much described as Mother Natures of the cess from the pools but Culvert, or better still, her elon- in its wake left an inch of greasy gated rain barrel. We had so clay on the canyon floor which much fan singing and hollering challenged or competed with down the barrel as if being in boulders to falter each footstep. natures only audition hall. The Such obstacles were not without resounding echoes kept us sing- their place, however, for they ing for nearly 10 miles. One of kept our necks from getting stiff our party started laggingbehind gazingat the overhead contours. we didnt worry. We could but Many pools, though only up to is the sentimental way to say . . . for mile! a hear John whistling my thighs, were waist high on There were numerous kinds the Boy Scouts, and how they of nooks, crannies, and mummy stood it wins my admiration. I closets which prompted disap thought I might suffer from hy slot-canyo- bell-botto- m Can't afford to give mom a Cadillac, Mink or Diamond? Give her flowers !! An artistic design from anal floral "I Love You!" A gift of love anyone can afford Call or come to ana6 . . . . floral 226 South 100 East Kanab Featuring the FTD Blossoms and Bows Bouquet or the FTD Spring Garden Bouquet Parry Lodge Gifts . . . OtfiER'S DAY SPEQ $5.00 off any with Transfer T-Sh- irt 644-299- 1 Must bring in this coupon Good through May 18th 12 J pothermia if those pools had been any closer together. One had to keep hiking to keep warm. Deray would shout, Pool! As the echo reached my ears I w ould reckon, Oh No, Im still numb from the last one! Tall, slender Max was a real sport. He was in the lead and probed those lagoons to reveal the low spots. Taking precautions that no one slipped, we spanned them with a long rope. The blessings ofa long arm span paid of, allowingme to brace myself on one or both canyon walls as we traversed those slippery, slimy, sloughs. Feathers, fur, and pieces of rabbit kept appearing on the canyon floor. Unknowing, we had walked under several hidden and highly perched falcon nests on the canyon rims. The high logjams formed archways, but the low ones, snagging slash and driftwood from every flood, were a bit tricky to negotiate. These jams created cesspools on one or both sides as if part of a natural steeple chase. Imagine the formidable flood waters shooting logs through that culvert like torpedos, then get- ting them hung up or jammed crossways in the gorge. The subsiding waters left logs permanently affixed, some of which must be 50 feet high and hundreds of years old. We finally came to the massive rock jam. Like the grid screen on a rock crusher, the huge boulders filtered the flood waters which fell 30 feet below. We descended one of the holes, via a rope especially carried for that purpose. The last two miles of the Gulch were most beautiful. It was unbelievable what raging waters can do to vermillion walls. After the 15 miles of channeling adventure we reached the warm waters of the Paria River. It snaked back and forth from wall to wall creating deep holes which tempted even the weary boys such that as tired as they were, they proceeded to give themselves out completely by running ahead in search ofthose warm muddy jacuzzis to soothe in. The impetuous waters of the Paria ate away at the cliffs till its years of erosion revealed numerous windows and arches along the rivers banks. The adventure and panoramic views finally gave way to near complete exhaustion when we reached the van which my wife had left at the Paria trailhead, 22 miles and 10 hours later. The hiking merit badge requires several hikes, one of which must be 20 miles in one day, so why not the Buckskin Gulch? It reveals natures beauties in ways unheralded by the world. |