Kwagunt Hollow - Jumpup - Kanab Creek

We were driving through Hurricane at six oclock Saturday morning when the cop pulled us over. I was with Hubba, my old friend from my short stint in the Marine's and we were heading for the Kaibab Plateau where we planned to backpack into the Kanab Creek Wilderness. The cop was a pain in the ass but after he told me to fix my headlight and he got the green light from headquarter's that I had no warrant's or price tag's on my head we were on our way. We made it to the trailhead without further incident. We through our pack's on our back's and started down the jumpup-nail trail under clear blue skies and a chilly temp. We warmed up quickly as we dropped from the pines into the low desert. Once we hit the bottom we jumped straight into Kwagunt Hollow which we followed for a little over a mile. This red rock canyon was pretty with a little spring fed stream that ran over and under the smooth sandstone. We climbed over house sized boulder's and bypassed 30 foot waterfall's with clear pool's and yellow leafed cottonwood's. After more walking than we had guessed from studying the topo we finally hit Jumpup Canyon. We traveled five mile's down this beautifull canyon at which seemed record speed after the slow going through Kwagunt. Jumpup had a basically flat rocky river bottom with no large boulder's that allowed us to move quickly. Through most of this canyon the wall's on each side 10 to 15 ft up are so rock tumbled smooth that when the light hit's right they look wet. At this point we were racing the sun and moving at a brisk pace as we walked, talked, bitched and laughed about life. After a good half hour of wondering if or when this canyon would end suddenly and dramitcally a wall was in our way. We had hit Kanab Creeek. This is the lowest and closest to the Grand Canyon I have been in Kanab. The wall's are streaked red , sheer, intimidating and of course beautiful. We had come almost 8 miles over pretty rugged country and were bolth happy to slide our pack's to the dirt. After making camp , eating a simple dinner and staring into a whiskey lit fire we slept the pleasant and fullfilling sleep of isolation. The next morning was cold but not at all bitter. I lit the fire once more to catch a little warmth while we ate a quick breakfast.. After packing camp we swung our pack's into place on our back's a little more painfully this time and started the walk back to higher elevation. As usual the hike out was quicker even though our bodies felt half as strong as the day before. Eight mile's later and 16 miles total arriving at the truck and dumping our pack's for the last time we looked back at the top's of the rugged maze of canyon's below where we had only hour's before been in amazment.

Roastin hotdogs

I decided to cancel my backpacking trip this weekend since I will be going next weekend. Sloan pointed me in the direction of the guilt I would be feeling if I abandoned my family two weekend's in a row. I kid, I thought of that myself plus I had nowhere in particular to go anyway's. It was the correct choice because we have had a good time. Saturday we drove out to Snow Canyon and let the boy's hike around. They had a blast and only agreed to leave when we told them we would go get their dog and drive out by Gunlock and build a fire. Another fine choice even though the wind was blowing and Sloan and Jett got a little cold. It was an insanely pleasant way to spend the evening. We roasted marshmallows, hotdogs and drank beer while watching the sunset behind the red cliff's. Today while Sloan and the boy's were at church I headed back to Snow's for some more hiking. Tonight we plan on taking the boy's to see a movie. So all and all a kickass weekend.

Nov - 8th

The coolest kid's in town

I love those two little buggers more than I can even say. Although I am nervous about the little baby girl that will be joining us soon , mostly because I have no idea what the hell to with a girl, I am looking forward to another kid to join our family. Sloan is doing awesome and getting big and still takin care of us all. I'm a lucky dude.

Sowat Point

Saturday morning I took off from my in-law's house in Kanab with my minature thoroughbred Boozer and drove 70 miles to the top of Kaibab National Forrest almost to the north rim. We were heading for Sowat Point which look's down into Jumpup Canyon and Kanab Creek. I had read about a trail that drop's 2000 ft in one mile off this point down into the canyon's below but had never been to it. It was a cool morning , the temp reading 38 degree's but sunny and soon to be freakin hot. It was a pretty drive following narrow dirt road's though the forrest. After a little more than an hour of driving the tree's began to thin and the world opend into sky and big canyons. Looking to the South I could see where Kanab hit the Grand. Sweet view to say the least. I was dissapointed to see their were a couple truck's parked at the trailhead. It did look like their might be enough land down there for more than one person though so I put on my pack and started down. My plan was to drop off this point then from the bottom hike over a couple mile stretch and drop into Sowat Canyon which then hit Jumpup Canyon and finally into Kanab Creek where their is rumors of a beautiful spring where I planned to drink , swim and walk around naked for the rest of the weekend. Well that didn't happen. It was a good goal but unrealistic for only a one night trip. Plus I was not physically prepared for that 2000 ft drop with a full pack on. Damn trail was steep. My calves were thrashed and cramping and we were only half way. The sun was beating down by this time and it for damn sure was not 38 degree's anymore. At one point Boozer looked up at me & said " I think we should postpone this hike unitl this platoon is better rested". I agreed 100 % but we were almost down now and climbing back up this mother of a mountain was not an option. We made it down weak in the leg's and wobblin but other wise in good spirit. Luckily we found water quickly which I was worried about because I did not have enough to last me let alone the dog. After lookin over the topo I had of the area I knew I did not have the time or energy to get anywhere near Kanab so I made peace with this and spent the day hiking around the red rock play ground. Really cool place with pottery , flint and overhangs where although not much at all was left you could easily picture the Anasazi ruins that stood here. I had a perfect night with a perfect view and slept like a wore out dog in the dirt, with my wore out dog next to me. Oh, and the hike back out was a cake walk compared to coming down.

I Can't Live Here

Here as in society. It make's me weak sick and depressed. The only thing that get's me through a five day work week is the fact that my family need's food , shelter and gas money to get the hell out as soon as the bloody clock hit's five o'clock Friday afternoon. The last few month's that is exactly what we have been doing. Sloan the boy's and myself have only spent one weekend at our house in the last two month's. Sloan is about 6 month's pregnant now so I fear the 2008 family camping is about over. She is tuff so I'm sure she will be fine when Johnny, Chubbs and I take off into the hill's. The hard part for her will come when it get's to cold and I will no longer be able to take the two little hopped up badger's with me. This Friday evening we headed up to Pine Valley. We got a late start so the sun was already down behind the mountain by the time we turned on to the Grass Valley road. We usualy drive out by Pinto but being this late we chose a nice little camp site on a little hill looking out over Grass Valley itself. The temp went from a muggy 95 degree's down in shit town to a insanely pleasant 68 at our camp. I instantly felt strong , rejuvenated, and overly optimistic. In a fair world I would fill this five day's a week and the other crapola only two.

Success

Sloan, her almost 5 month pregnat belly, the boy's and myself headed up to Pinto Friday afternoon to camp for the weekend and see if we could get a deer. Just like Cedar Mountain the weekend before we saw a bunch of deer but nothing with antlers. I had gone out hiking a bit here and their and was having fun stalkin around in camo and getting close to some of the doe's and fawn's. I have never done that before and it is pretty cool. Another thing I have almost zero experience in is shooting a bow. I practiced in camp the last couple weekends and could hit a target once in awhile. So with my skill's being what they are I was not worried about the fact that if I did hit a deer I would have to teach myself how to gut and skin him. Well I should have worried because it turn's out I am an incredible shot. Haha. Saturday night as the sun was going down we were driving around the dirt road's and we had circled around and had gone by the road to our camp I noticed two deer down by the river. I got out of the truck and jumped in back and had sloan pull up a way's until we got close enough to see that one of the two was a little two point. We got within 40 or 50 yard's before they looked like they were ready to bolt. I figured this was my probably my only chance to even shoot at a buck so I stood up over cab of the truck , drew back on the bow and let it go. I watched my arrow heading for the deer but lost site of it. I thought I must have missed because the buck took off back across the road and up into the tree's. I had jumped out of the truck by now and had knocked another arrow as I was running for the other side of the hill he had gone up , hoping that I might get another shot at him if he came down the other side. I only got a few feet because Sloan was yelling something at me and I could here the deer thrashing around in the tree's but not sounding like it was going anywhere. I thought to myself "Damn I must of hit him". I walked back to the truck where Sloan and the boy's were staring into the tree's. By the time I looked up and saw him he was allready laying down and only moving a a little more than a twitch. I couldn't believe it. Not only did I hit him but he only ran about 15 feet and was down for the count. I exclaimed my disbelief to Sloan and high fived the boy's. After waiting a couple minutes to make sure he was dead I walked up into the tree's to check out my first kill. He wasn't big at all but he was a pretty little two point all in velvet. At first I thought I had hit him low and in the gut but as I turned him over I realized that is where the arrow had come out. He was shot low about 3 inches behind his front leg. The arrow had gone completly through him and out the other side. According to the target I had been practicing on that is almost precisely where the heart is loacated. On the target I had never came close to this sweet spot. I would call it Divine Intervention. I guess God had heard my grocery bill's were getting a bit steep and he thought this could help. It was freaking AWESOME! I pulled him down the the hill and started gutting. I didn't know what I was doing but I did it. My badass pregnat wife even held the leg's for me while I cut him open. She likes to eat Venison but she has never gutted one or seen one killed and didn't exactly love the process but helped me anyways. I don't think many women would do this , especially pregnant. My other partners were right by my side the entire time too. Somebody asked Sloan if the boy's thought the gutting was gross. No they didn't. They were like wild monkey's with to much Red Bull in them. They were singin, screamin , dancin and prancin. They loved it all. Today Boden did get upset and cried but that was because I hauled the carcas off and he wanted to keep it. Just the weekend camping with my family was a hell of a good time. Getting a deer was just gravy.