Wednesday November 1, 2023 The Needles at Canyonland

I got to explore today without my rope.  My maternal human walked with me and let me sniff all sorts of things.  I like it here.

It was 28 degrees outside this morning, 53 inside.  First one up kicks up the heat, and that was me!  We were in no hurry to go outside.  We had coffee and read our books.  Then we went for a morning walk around the campground.  I actually put on my ski pants – which are getting a little snug… they are only 20 years old, but I love them so I guess I need to curb my eating.  Ow.  Spouse went with me as we walked the road in the sun.  Much warmer in the sun.  We came back, made a good breakfast, and I changed my clothes into peel off clothing.

After a stop at the visitor center, we headed to the Slickrock Trail. It is a 2.4 mile trail, primarily on slickrock, which is a smooth rock.  Lots of ups and downs and climbing, but slickrock provides sure footing.  The trail is marked with ‘cairns’.  In Canada, the Indians call them inukyuks.  These are rocks that are stacked about a foot high.  The cairns are positioned where you can see them from one another and follow the trail.

There are several viewpoints along the trail of canyons, and oh, more stunning rockscapes.  And it is not crowded in the least.  We followed the ups, the downs the overs and the sideways.  Although the thermometer said 46, the sun made it warm enough to shed our outer layers.  It was perfect for hiking.  By the end, Spouse was a bit tired.  So we drove and explored a bit.  There are quite a few 4wd tails here.  Some of them are highly technical (no thanks).  We ended up at Cave Springs. 

This is a short .6 mile hike that goes by an abandoned cowboy camp from way back when.  The camp is under a rock overhang.  This was once an Indian refuge, no doubt.  At one point under the overhang is a spring with maidenhair ferns growing out of it.  Many of the plants had identifiers.  Did you know that the Great Basin Sagebrush is of the sunflower family, whereas the herb sage is of the mint family? (Kathy, I know you know this!).  We weaved our way around the overhang to a ladder and climbed it up the wall.  Then another ladder up the wall.  We followed the cairns around the top of the overhang, with, yawn yawn, more stunning views.  We got back to the truck, then back to Artee… for a while.

As the cocktail hour began…  Spouse gasped that he has lost his left hearing aid!  He had put new batteries in at the Cowboy camp so it must be there.  He checked the truck, Artee, all around.  I know it is right here, but let’s indulge the spouse…

So I put my drink in the freezer for now, and Spouse put his wine…  who knows where and off we went.  We retraced our steps to the visitor center.  Only a few folks there (it was closed) and someone was parked where we had been.  We did not see any pieces so let’s go back to the Cowboy Camp. 

This ought to be easy…  looking for a little hearing aid that is the exact color of the trail.  Piece of cake, right?  We started in the parking lot, and someone was parked exactly where we had been (and we weren’t in a spot, so this was weird!).  We scoured the parking lot for pieces… nothing. 

Onto the trail with two sets of eyes… retracing our steps.  In my heart, I knew we would not find it.  I knew it was in Artee or in the truck (which is a total sty with all the crap we have in the back seat) but it wasn’t showing itself.  Little by little we walked, we climbed the ladder.  I told Spouse to continue on and I would go backwards and maybe it would be different.  No…  no luck.  I tried to look in the sty back seat, but nothing.

We got back to Artee… nothing.  Spouse finally started taking everything out of the sty… and there it was, hiding beneath things that it couldn’t possibly have gotten underneath, but it did!  What a relief… If he hadn’t found it, would we kill each other?  If this had been his right aid, if he were a pilot, we would have needed to make an emergency landing!  Thankfully, we avoided all that!

Now, where is his wine?  It is in a metal wine glass.  It is not in Artee, not on the picnic table.  Oh, it could not have gotten up and walked away…  Apparently, in his panic, he put it on the rail of the truck and when we left, it fell in the back of the truck.

Where is his head?....  In that short amount of time, my drink froze.  I guess our fridge is really working!