Escalante

Last week, Mark went on a trip with his brothers up to Escalante, UT to do hiking and other manly stuff. He left on Saturday and got back on Tuesday. I might have been slightly resentful that he left me for that long, seeing that as soon as he got back, he'd have surgery and I'd spend another five days holding down the fort...(last week was nuts)...but I digress. I'm glad he got to go and have a good time. Really!

This trip had been in the works for months, planned by his brother James, who lives in Arizona. James is always spoiling Mark for some reason and GAVE him a super nice DSLR camera.(And also a ginorm telescope for us to hang onto for him...the camera can work in conjunction with it.) Mark doesn't normally take pictures, but I guess he was just waiting for the right camera. So I just went through and edited a bunch of his pics for him. Get ready for a bunch of red rock scenery...

 This area is called Devil's Garden

 All the places they went are part of the Escalante-Grand Staircase National Monument. I've been there a couple of times, it is a really beautiful area and there's lots of Fremont Indian stuff. Mark's brother David has a Ph.D. in Archaeology and has spent many summers on digs there.

 This is called Dance Hall Rock. Apparently, pioneers used to come and have dances here because it makes a natural amphitheater. That's my sister-in-law Laura at the bottom of the pic.

 There were desert marbles (a.k.a. Moqui marbles) all over the place

 Every night, they'd compare pictures and have contests for the best dead tree, cow pie, rock and cat pictures. (I guess there were a lot of cats milling around at the cabin they stayed at.) Mark won for the dead tree pic above.

 This is a one of several huge, circular natural wells (sort of like a cenote, but in sandstone) that they came across. Mark says this one was 30 feet down to the water, and the hole was 15 feet across.

 Mark has six brothers--these are the three who were on the trip: Paul, Mike and James.

Dry Fork slot canyon:

 Peek-a-Boo Gulch:

Spooky Gulch slot canyon:

 James

 Mark

 There must be some crazy weather out here to make all the dead trees look like this. In fact, the first day they got there it snowed and rained and howled with freezing wind. They had to cancel the 15 mile hike they'd planned and just go out for a short jaunt. (I don't think anyone but James was very disappointed--that guy is hard core.)

Zebra Canyon:

 James and Mark were the first ones to brave this water (snow melt). It came up to their knees and was freeeezing.

 This was one of the desert marbles that is gradually working its way out to the surface. Iron deposits in the sandstone rust and turn the rock red. Then it precipitates out and forms into little balls with iron stone outer shells and sandy interiors.

 A couple of broken desert marbles

And meanwhile, back in Cedar:

 --Madelyn enjoys a good Greek myth just like I used to at that age. The weirder, the better.

 I tried to be a Good Mom and took the kids to the park and the library, then Madelyn had a playdate and I ran to a few stores....then we had a busy church day the next day....then a normal chaotic Monday....and then I spent Tuesday morning driving around Cedar City looking for a place for my sister to live. I also cleaned the house about 14 different times, it seems like. (Darn kids!!) Mark came home that morning and we were both super exhausted.

Coming up in my catch up posts: Mark's surgery, jewelry and sewing projects, and 34 week pregnancy ramblings!