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We set out for our 40 mile drive from Escalante to Kodachrome Basin with a plan to stop at Subway to pick up lunch. It was Sunday, the town is very small and many places close on Sundays. I asked the lady attending the gas station where the Subway was located, if Cannonville would have a place to get lunch. That would be a no, it is Sunday and it is a Mennonite town. She did suggest Boots, a restaurant 5 blocks down Main street and take a right. The workers in Boots seemed to be just waiting for us as we bellied up to the bar and whipped up a giant sandwich for us to share on the trails. We will remember to stock up at the grocery store on Monday
Staying in southern Utah and seeing lots of red dirt was our plan because Arizona was getting pretty hot which brings out the pollen and rattlesnakes. North of this area was still getting hit with winter storms.
We didn't see anyone on the trails until we returned to the truck. This state park doesn't get a lot of visitors due to its proximity to the national parks nearby.
I see a gnome. Of course, you start seeing all sorts of things after wandering around the desert for long enough.
This is the oldest and most healthy cryptobiotic crust I have ever seen. The crust is a community of organisms that live on desert soils. It provides critical nutrients to plants, absorbs and holds water and aids in preventing erosion. The lumpy black crust is in its mature state, but is nearly invisible in early stages and easily destroyed by walking on it.
I feel sad and frustrated when I see people ignoring the signs to stay on the trails, traipsing off across the desert destroying the crusts. But then again, people don't know what they don't know.
Couldn't miss the Secret Passage.
Mike saw a duck here.
After taking the 6 mile Panorama Trail, we hit the shorter 1 1/2 mile Angel Palace Trail.
We saw a KOA as we were leaving Cannonville and thought we could buy a candy bar there since everything else was closed and a Payday sounded great. Surely, someone would be manning the store. Wrong again.
Time to head back to Escalante or as I call it, the land of much wind.
