Erin goes for a "hike"
I went on a little "hike" today, since it was Sunday and I've decided this is my hiking day. I went to Arches NP, seeing as it's only about 5 miles away, and started my hike on a very manicured little trail called Park Avenue. It didn't take very long for me to get distracted by this beauty:
Oo! I gotta get to the top of that!
Several hours later, the score is Landform 1/Erin 0. This photo is a little squidgey, but hopefully it shows the true scale of what I was trying to surmount. This saddle area had seemed like a good plan of attack, but slick rock is tricky. It's fun and easy to go up, even at sharp angles, it's the getting down part that makes your life flash before your eyes. I know that rounded part looks all easy, but it was steep enough that even sliding on your butt can quickly become a Princess Bride-style rolling tumble, and not a soul knew I was out there. I had no interest in lying around until the end of the week after a crunchy fall, waiting for someone to start looking for me. I spent a good portion of the afternoon sliding around on my bum as it was, backtracking from other failed attempts. Thankfully the sandstone here is easier on pants than, say, Joshua Tree granite, and my clothes are still in good condition. I drove around a bit afterwards and am thinking about circling around to the other side of the landform next week, but it will be a couple miles of detour through a different wash and side-canyon (it's quite a big landform, and most of it is vertical cliff). I just didn't have the energy this afternoon. But I'll get you eventually Landform! *shakes fist at sky* Hell, I may very well be right back out there tomorrow, working off my frustrations.
Oo! I gotta get to the top of that! 
A view of the landform from another side---this is going to be a bit of a challenge... I can leave the trail, I'm a federal employee! I told my guilty conscience that I was staying in the wash and being extra carefull not to step on any of the fragile crypto soils.
Two hours later: fuck the crypto-crust! The park has plenty of it! I want to get to the top of this thing!
Several hours later, the score is Landform 1/Erin 0. This photo is a little squidgey, but hopefully it shows the true scale of what I was trying to surmount. This saddle area had seemed like a good plan of attack, but slick rock is tricky. It's fun and easy to go up, even at sharp angles, it's the getting down part that makes your life flash before your eyes. I know that rounded part looks all easy, but it was steep enough that even sliding on your butt can quickly become a Princess Bride-style rolling tumble, and not a soul knew I was out there. I had no interest in lying around until the end of the week after a crunchy fall, waiting for someone to start looking for me. I spent a good portion of the afternoon sliding around on my bum as it was, backtracking from other failed attempts. Thankfully the sandstone here is easier on pants than, say, Joshua Tree granite, and my clothes are still in good condition. I drove around a bit afterwards and am thinking about circling around to the other side of the landform next week, but it will be a couple miles of detour through a different wash and side-canyon (it's quite a big landform, and most of it is vertical cliff). I just didn't have the energy this afternoon. But I'll get you eventually Landform! *shakes fist at sky* Hell, I may very well be right back out there tomorrow, working off my frustrations.
posted by monti at 7:12 PM
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