Grand Gulch Backpacking Trip

I've had several people tell me that I shouldn't go on these backpacking trips because I have both Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.  Many people believe that if someone has these illnesses, they shouldn't do anything but sit around and do nothing all of the time.  I have never been that type of person and I know from experience that that doesn't help either.  I hate having these illnesses, do but I'm not going to let them get in the way of my doing what I want to do.  So I went anyway.  I might suffer for it later, but I don't care.

So that being said,  here are some highlights of our trip.

Jim and I drove to Natural Bridges National Park on Monday and took in the sights.  We camped out in their overflow campground that night.  That was actually the coldest night that we spent that whole week.

We left Kane Ranger Station around 1:00 Tuesday afternoon.  Jim and I were joined by our good friend Doug Honey and his brother Alan.

We hiked for about 5 miles that afternoon and camped at Junction Ruin.  Jim took my picture to prove that I was there.  I usually take all the pictures and there aren't any of me.  This is in front of one of the living areas.  

This is Doug in front of a grainery at Turkey Pen Ruin.

Alan at Turkey Pen Ruin.

Split Level Ruin.  We spent the night just past this ruin, about 6 miles from where we spent the previous night.    It was so windy that day, with gust up to 50 mph we were told.  We had to cross the creek 59 times that day (but who's counting?).  It rained on us that night.  We were a little nervous because we heard (and saw) several rocks falling off the canyon wall, landing too close to us for comfort. 

The next day we hiked about 8 miles (through snow, sleet, hail, wind, rain, and a little sunshine) to Jailhouse Ruin, where we camped for the night.  Jim scouted that out for me, because I was tired and didn't want to press my luck with my energy.  I wanted to make sure I had enough to get out of the canyon the next day.  I had heard about what was coming.

Just around the corner from Jailhouse is Perfect Kiva Ruin.  

Jim and Doug looking into the dwelling.

Jim climbing out of the Kiva.

Perfect Kiva Ruins were perfect.  They were the best of the whole trip.  We saw many other ruins that I haven't shown.  Up to this point, the trip had been great.  Plenty of water.  The weather wasn't too bad most of the time.  The scenery was beautiful.  Then it came time for us to hike up Bullet Canyon.

This is what the trail up Bullet Canyon looks like.

Boulders, boulders and more boulders.

Okay, it wasn't like this all the way, just for 1/2 mile or a little less.  But it seemed like boulders all the way up. 

We stopped to take a rest because this was out next step to get out.  We all made it out finally.  

Doug and Alan went directly back to Mt. Pleasant.  Jim and I went to Blanding, where we stayed in a hotel (that was supposed to have a hot tub, which was out of order).  We went to the Monticello Temple the next day and then had a leisurely drive home.  It was a good trip, in spite of the boulders.  I'm not ready to think of a new trip yet.  It takes me about a week to be able to do that, but Jim is already thinking up some place new for us to go.