It started with a birthday message from Connor. “Happy birthday mom. Come out to Utah and we’ll go camping or something.” Who could resist such an offer from their 20-something son? What a gift! It did take almost a year to make it happen, but the following April I tagged on a three-day layover in Utah before flying home from another trip.
Connor and I are both notorious for forgetting crucial items on trips, so in a way we make excellent travel companions, because we both roll with it when it happens. Which was the case when I realized that in the flurry of packing for two different trips, I managed to stuff in two hiking boots–only one of which was mine! The other one, similar in style but not in size, belonged to my husband. Which is why (after a good laugh) we started the adventure by shopping at the Salt Lake REI for a new pair of boots and some freeze-dried meals. Fully supplied, we headed off to Escalante, land of wild sandstone, temperamental rivers, and hidden surprises.
The BLM visitor center in Escalante offers two essential items for any desert excursion: USGS topo maps–both new ones for sale, and the same maps with notes, corrections and landmarks sketched in by recent hikers–great info to copy onto your own map. And… poop bags. Yes, you must pack everything out, including your own poop. More on this later — just know it’s a thing.
We decided to start from the Redwall trailhead, just off our map but not hard to find, at the end of a slow-going washboard road layered in moon dust. Our plan from Redwall was to hike a few miles in to reach water, camp for the night, then follow the stream to where it meets the Escalante river. On the way back, we’d find another campsite and hike out on day three, covering twenty-eight miles total.
April is the time to do this trip, because it’s the Goldilocks month for water and temperature in the Utah desert. Not too much–the floods have receded, and not too little–there’s clear flowing water that filters easily for drinking. Dayhikers can explore the most impressive sections of the trail, but settling into camp and watching the stars come out is the best reward after a full day of hiking.
Coyote Gulch would be magical no matter who you go with, but the best part of a backpacking weekend with a grown-and-flown kid is the unplugged, wide-ranging conversation time. So different from a decade ago, when the house was full of kids and so much needed doing every day. It’s a wonderful shift to move from a managerial role to a cheerleader; to chat about plans and perspectives, with no need to give advice (truthfully I’m more likely to need advice from my boys these days.)
See Coyote Gulch Part 2 for details on gear, food, and yes…
how to poop in a bag.
For more in-depth intel on hike logistics,
I recommend checking out this post from the Clever Hiker blog!