Labor Day Weekend 2000
Ashley and Ruskin invited me up to the cabin with Jim and Barbara, Josh and Julie and Katerina. The highlight of the weekend was a day long hiking trip through the narrows. Jim dropped off Ashley, Ruskin, Josh and me at the Chamberlain Ranch at the crack of dawn on Sunday. And off we went.
The hike was the experience of a lifetime. Unbelievable vistas, challenging river hiking, unexpected beauty all around every corner. Luckily, we had rented river gear (footwear and walking sticks) which made the hiking much easier. Although it did not prevent poor Ruskin from falling into an unexpected hole in the river. He had a lovely swim and Josh had a large belly laugh as he (safe on a sand bank) watched as Ruskin slipped in. I must admit that I had the most falls of the day (2) But only Ruskin took a full dive!
The first part of the hike was relatively smooth. When we hit the narrows, the challenge increased. Hiking through rushing cloudy brown water over slick rock is an experience to be had. A mental and physical challenge made worth it by the awesome colors and angles of the canyon. We finished the hike in 12 hours and took the shuttle to the visitors center where Julie, Barbara and Katerina had left Josh and Julie’s car for us. What a treat it was to put on dry clothes!
We arrived back to the cabin well after dark to find that Barbara and Julie had procured pizza for us. After a day of Luna Bars and trail mix, twas a welcome repast.
The day before the Narrows, we all took a hike to Observation Point and had a picnic. We all ate bagel sandwiches and created a safe place for Katerina to stretch her legs away from the edge while Jim took a lovely cat nap overlooking the vista. After lunch, Ruskin, Ashley & I continued down the canyon while the rest of the crew headed back up to the cabin. We all met in Springdale for dinner at the Bit & Spur – finished off with soe scrumptious fresh peach pie!
Now we are off to see the petroglyphs. Thanks for this fabulous experience at the cabin!
Beth
P.S. I almost forgot, the night we arrived we played a rousing game of Beyond Balderdash, a hilarious romp through word definitions and initial identification. Although Ruskin won the game (in typical Hartley fashion) Barbara was the real star with her definition of oomphalogiligis (or something like that) “A person who sings the oomphas in the chorus” We all doubled over with laughter.
It should also be noted that Josh took the weekend horseshoe contest over Ruskin with a score of 21-18. A rematch has been scheduled.