ALL HIKERS

DAY 5: TANNER RAPIDS TO STEGOSAURUS ROCK

     Keith and I get up at 5:00, eat, pack, and leave Tanner Rapids at 6:30.  We intend to get up to our Redwall campsite before it gets hot.  About a half-hour into our hike, Keith asks to take the lead.  I think he has grown a little impatient with my frequent small rest stops.  It's not that my pace is slower than his.  It's just that I need to stop for a few seconds every few minutes during these steep climbs.  He doesn't need to stop.  He's like that Eveready Bunny.  He just keeps going and going.  He soon fades out of sight, having never taken a break.  About 9:00 I reach the flat spot where the four hikers camped the first night.  There are pretty good views of the river from here.

Flat resting spot
10-17-2007 @ 9:02
River view from resting spot
10-17-2007 @ 9:02
River view from resting spot
10-17-2007 @ 9:03

     Just a few minutes after getting back on the trail I come to the narrow trail section.

Narrow trail section
10-17-2007 @ 9:26
Narrow trail section
10-17-2007 @ 9:27

     I struggle with going up the Redwall, but reach the top and our campsite just before 11:15.  Keith is nowhere to be seen.  I set my stuff down at the same campsite I had the first night.  I then see a quart of water, a quart of Gatorade, and a note from Keith.  He got up here so early (beat me by two hours) that he decided to hike on out.  Since it's before noon, I think I'll have lunch and then move on around to Stegosaurus Rock before I make a final decision on where to spend the night.  I retrieve my cached quart of water and leave two quarts of water at the campsite for future hikers with a note explaining the gift.  I leave around 12:15.

   
  Redwall campsite
10-17-2007 @ 11:12
 

     The trail is slightly downhill as you pass Cardenas Butte, so I make pretty good time.  When I round the second loop on this flat section, the view of the Desert View Watchtower is especially good.

Desert View Watchtower
Wide angle lens
10-17-2007 @ 1:34
Desert View Watchtower
Partial zoom
10-17-2007 @ 1:34
Desert View Watchtower
Full zoom
10-17-2007 @ 1:34

     Just a little farther and I pull into a great campsite on the north side of Stegosaurus Rock.  The view from here looking down Seventy-five Mile Creek is awesome.  I'm a little tired and I'm not sure how long it would take me to hike the rest of the way out, so I think I will spend the night here.  No sense in pushing too hard and causing an accident.  However, the wind has been strong and gusty, so I don't think I can keep my tent up in this location.

First Stegosaurus Rock campsite
10-17-2007 @ 1:52
Seventy-five Mile Creek
10-17-2007 @ 1:52

     There are some great views of Stegosaurus Rock from this campsite.

Stegosaurus Rock
10-17-2007 @ 1:53
Stegosaurus Rock
10-17-2007 @ 1:53

     I move uphill about a hundred yards to the trail side of Stegosaurus Rock.  The move has worked out well, because Stegosaurus Rock is now almost completely blocking the wind.  I find a nice spot where someone else has camped and set up my tent.  Around 3:30 eight college students come down headed for the Redwall.  They are part of some class called Adventure Leadership.  Their plan is to go to Palisades Creek, then back to Tanner Rapids, west on the Escalante, and finally out the Grandview.  I get the impression none of them has ever hiked the Canyon before.  Certainly none knew of the difficulties of the Escalante Route and getting over the Papago slide.  I am concerned for their safety.  I hope it works out for them.  I may call the college next week and see if they all made it out safely.

   
  Fifth night campsite
10-17-2007 @ 5:15
 

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