Monday Goat Blogging

Goat (Escalante) - Utah  2016

The goat kept trying to eat the plastic flowers in the pot.

Escalante - 4

Escalante River (Grand Staircase NM) - Utah  2016

Branches (Grand Staircase NM) - Utah  2016

A jaunt over to visit the Escalante River at the Calf Creek trailhead (still winter, obviously) and then . . . laundry!

Laundromat (Escalante) - Utah  2016

Escalante - 3

Dead End (Escalante) - Utah  2016

Motel (Escalante) - Utah  2016

Really wasn't that gloomy. However, there was some heavy rain during the night, leading Mike to worry about snow in the mountainous terrain outside of town.

Escalante - 2

Highway 12 (Escalante) - Utah  2016

Bluffs, Clouds (Escalante) - Utah  2016

Actually it never really rained but once, and that was late at night. But the skies were certainly threatening.

Escalante - 1

Brush, Clouds (Escalante) - Utah  2016

Escalante is a very small town surrounded by some agricultural stuff and some stupendous scenery. (Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, established by President Clinton in 1996.) Mike's one day there started off nicely with coffee and a cinnamon roll, followed by overcast skies overflowing with dramatic lighting.

Cinnamon Roll, Coffee (Escalante) - Utah  2016

Grand Staircase - Escalante National Monument - 3

Highway 12 - Utah  2012

Infiniti, Highway 12 - Utah  2012

"Highway 12 now follows the 2nd Powell Expedition's exact route."

Of course Mike had to stop several times for photos. This day was shaping up to be a long one.

Last Blank Spot On The Map: Grand Staircase - Escalante National Monument - 2

Powell Point - Utah  2012

Last Blank Spot - Utah  2012

"In 1871 this region was part of the last uncharted territory in the continental United States."

So reads the sign. So the Second Powell Expedition filled in the blanks in subsequent years.

Yet, maybe it would have been cool if someone had said at the time, "Hey, maybe we should just leave it uncharted! So people could explore it on their own in the future."

Crazy idea, of course. Especially now that we can get a nice view of the monument's snow-flecked slopes from overhead using Google Maps.

Grand Staircase - Escalante National Monument - 1

Escalante Landscape - Utah  2012

After leaving Bryce Canyon, Mike ventured eastwards towards Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. This is an immense area full of cliffs, ravines and canyons which one could easily dedicate a number of weeks to explore. But Mike only had a few hours.

By then, the angle of the sun was no longer providing the early morning light seen in Bryce.

This national monument was established by President Clinton in 1996. Of course his action was controversial.