We have no water, it is the middle of summer in Arizona and we have no water! The adventure begins after spending a few relaxing days on Lake Powell with my Dad, brother, and a few friends, then heading to Utah to hike Buckskin Gulch and Paria Canyon. Buckskin Gulch is an unusually long and narrow slot canyon within Paria Canyon, which joins the Paria River at the confluence. The slot canyon extends for twenty-one miles in length, with cliffs that reach heights of five hundred feet and walls that narrow to an arm’s length across. Our plan is to hike through Buckskin Gulch, past Boulder Jam, refill our water at the confluence, then finish our journey through Paria Canyon. We intend to fill our water jugs at the spring by the start of the trail.
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Before I fall asleep, I gaze up at the night sky and see the international space station pass by and the pristine Milky Way. I awake to the sunlight silhouetting the hill in front of me. It is 6:30 a.m. and relatively cool. Dad is cooking breakfast and my brother is still asleep, so I get my backpack prepared for the day’s journey. As I close my backpack, I notice a strange looking area behind the shrubs, so I walk over to investigate. I find a den like space, approximately three feet high that is filled with twigs and droppings and quickly realize that we had slept right next to a coyote den. After breakfast, we begin the hike. It is an easy walk through the small valley, the sand is firm, the sun is relatively cool, and shrubs and red rocks that cover the small hills surrounding us, provide adequate shade. After half an hour of walking, we arrive at Buckskin Gulch. The magnificent walls are perfectly smooth and distinct layers of minerals decorate the rocks. The entrance is approximately 40 feet high and an arm’s length across, but as we venture further, the walls get higher and higher. 800 feet into
Before I fall asleep, I gaze up at the night sky and see the international space station pass by and the pristine Milky Way. I awake to the sunlight silhouetting the hill in front of me. It is 6:30 a.m. and relatively cool. Dad is cooking breakfast and my brother is still asleep, so I get my backpack prepared for the day’s journey. As I close my backpack, I notice a strange looking area behind the shrubs, so I walk over to investigate. I find a den like space, approximately three feet high that is filled with twigs and droppings and quickly realize that we had slept right next to a coyote den. After breakfast, we begin the hike. It is an easy walk through the small valley, the sand is firm, the sun is relatively cool, and shrubs and red rocks that cover the small hills surrounding us, provide adequate shade. After half an hour of walking, we arrive at Buckskin Gulch. The magnificent walls are perfectly smooth and distinct layers of minerals decorate the rocks. The entrance is approximately 40 feet high and an arm’s length across, but as we venture further, the walls get higher and higher. 800 feet into