Day 14: Cannonville to Boulder UT

Day 14: Cannonville to Boulder UT

He lives out in Orchard Park. I mean, to be able to sit on the bench so patiently, for whatever part, and to be able to get up and do something, with such heroic competencies would be great.
Robert Creeley

Pics: Shots from the Lower Calf Creek hike, a head near our room at Boulder Mountain Lodge (this one is for you, runningwithdogs)

Normal breakfast: grape nuts and fruit. Hit the road to a recommended hike, the Lower Calf Creek, in the giant area of Grand Staircase – Escalante National Monument (hey, maybe THAT’s where the hotel got its name!).

TRIP ADVISORY WARNING:

THIS IS THE BEST HIKE IN THE CONTINENTAL US!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Revise your plans from what THB told you after Zion, you need to now make sure you take this hike, the extremely overly scenic drive from Cannonville to Boulder (all of 63 miles), stay at the Boulder Mountain Lodge, and eat at the Hell’s Backbone Grill (on the Lodge property). Do it as an add-on, do it as a stand-alone (though it is 400 miles from an airport), do it….plan for it, and execute the plan. Do it…soon (okay, not in middle of winter, they’re closed).

What makes this hike so special? You hike three miles up a canyon where the walls are as good as you’ll see anywhere, in profusion, great perspectives, great contrasts in color, even visible at a distance Indian pictographs. At the end of three miles, you are at an oasis of a waterfall and a pool (though THB did not swim, the water is pretty damn cold, he should have), where you put your feet in, eat your picnic, and glory in your blessed good luck. Karma magnified.

Picnic: leftover chicken from last night (tasted way better today than last night), great cherry tomatoes from Escalante art fair, carrots, trail mix.

And, it was hot on the hike, mid-80s. Doesn’t matter, even if it was hotter, this is a “do not miss” top 10 type event in the world of nature travel. Go….plan now,

The last 20 miles from the hike to the lodge are some of the best scenery (of the Southwest style) we’ve seen. Have you planned and booked your trip yet?

Then the lodge, on top of a ledge of rock, with grass and a pond and a hot hot tub and a vista from the chairs in front of our room (#18, with a king size bed).

Dinner at the Backbone: Two bottles of wine (because we are eating here tomorrow night, so they keep the open bottles for us), beet salad with goat cheese, cucumber and heirloom tomato and sorrel salad, beef pozole (with leftovers for tomorrow), cilantro chicken enchiladas (with lots of cheese and maybe cream), apple bread pudding with whiskey sauce and whipped cream (extra saved for THB’s coffee in morning). Total $185 (remember, wine carryover for tomorrow).