Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2013/04/30
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]By Goblin Valley State Park in Utah is a canyon called Little Wild Horse. A very interesting hike. With my wife and my 90 year old father-in-law, I was able to hike the first mile or so before my wife?s claustrophobia and my FIL?s 90 years said, turn back. (that said, he is a mountain goat....) It starts out fairly wide. http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/Aram/s3/u/Goblin+Valley-2431.jpg.html There are lots of nice sandstone sculptures and features throughout the canyon. http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/Aram/s3/u/Goblin+Valley-2476.jpg.html And I have never seen such twisted and convoluted sandstone anywhere. Amazing. http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/Aram/s3/u/Goblin+Valley-2453.jpg.html http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/Aram/s3/u/Goblin+Valley-2471.jpg.html It then narrows to just about wide enough to accommodate your feet and goes on for 40-50 meters that way. Wife starting to panic. To make matters more interesting, there were perhaps a hundred boy scouts there and when you get to these narrow parts, there is only one-way traffic, but no traffic cop to direct the flow. So, as you meet 10 or 20 boy scouts half way through there is only one thing to do. http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/Aram/s3/u/Goblin+Valley-2464.jpg.html climb the walls. One lad found a nice hole to occupy while is comrades in the distance eagerly show off by making bridges for us old folks to pass under. They had a blast, and it took my wife?s mind off the narrowness enough to make it through. However, she did know she was going to have to come back, as we were not going to make the whole 6 mile loop through the canyon and back through Bell canyon. Here is my father-in-law in a wider spot. http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/Aram/s3/u/Goblin+Valley-2470.jpg.html He amazes me. We are starting to notice him slowing down quite a bit between last fall?s trip and now, but I hope to be half as fit when I am 90. For those who know the hike, last spring he hiked all the way to Delicate Arch in Arches National Park, when he was 89. Comments welcome. Aram Aram Langhans Semi-Retired (Retarded) Science Teacher and unemployed photographer ?The Human Genome Project has proved Darwin more right than Darwin himself would ever have dared dream.? James D. Watson