#tripday 5: Klondike Bluffs Hike, Moab, UT
“HOoooodyHOOoo!” I happily cried, listening hard for Seth’s call back.
We were in the midst of what could’ve been mistaken for gleaming orange giants with what looked liked slicked back white afros, as we carelessly frolicked throughout their jungle gym like bodies. We’d let the sun radiantly bake our pale sweaty skin as we playfully scrambled high and low, cautiously figuring our way to the panoramic points of the nature made maze. “HOOOODYHOOooo!”, I excitedly hear back, not too far from my enchantingly abstract view of the mythical giants. A few boulders over, I suddenly catch a glimpse of Seth and Julian, the two ragged boys bouncing carelessly with joy at their spectacular sight. Let’s retrospect- So, it was one of our last amazingly intense hiking days as a large group, where 2 liters of refreshing water wouldn’t cut it for all we wanted to accomplish. Not knowing that at the time, we piled in a couple vehicles and hastily roared down the dusty red dirt road about a mile to our declared starting point. Using our high quality abilities to pick out the best lines to ski during the winter to help us pick the greatest path into the mysteriously large maze, I felt a surge of overwhelming admiration for what we all had in common. Although we may not have looked like we lived as the richest kings, our goggle tans in full effect and snow matted hair aside; the simplicity of the happiness we perpetually felt in how we lived, was humbly patriotic. As long as we had the proper gear to conquer climbing mountains in our trusty skis or the sturdy hiking boots to help us keep our grip in those heart racing spots, our lives were a manifestation of an experience of a lifetime (and yes, I did just go there to incorporate our background working for Vail Resorts.) And with this new realization amped throughout my eager body, we trekked forward! Hiking towards these massive, deep orange finger-like rock walls included hiking a steeper, white sandstone pitch, where water had artistically carved craters overtime. It had beautiful swirling streaks of dark minerals tinted with a sparkling twinkle all throughout, mystically leading us towards a familiar section of moderate bouldering similar to our Marching Men hike earlier that week. Having a bit of a field day, we all ironically began to slowly traverse back and forth to continue up and over each white crevasse. Stepping back to observe the magic, each new “line” chosen was almost as particular as what piece to logically move in a game of chess; in order to proceed, our maneuvers to less tactical spots had to be sought out three steps ahead. Otherwise, one might just go missing into the depths of a deep canyon slot! I often revel in two humorous memories of this specific hike. One, when we had made it to our (completely break taking) lunch spot, and two, when everyone had started freaking out because “we were going to die,” -yes, that extreme. Alright, the Klondike Bluffs hike was planned exactly like Marching Men- we just kinda did it from our camp spot, because why not start there? To save us what would’ve been an uninteresting two miles of flat desert walking, we drove to a large dirt parking lot we all noticed on our way in. This dusty lot was for vehicles to park, so they could bring mountain bikes, dirt bikes, dune buggies- you name it! This factor made us look unusually mad just walking off of the man-made track, out towards the unknown. Having hiked it this way, when we’d made it about three and a half miles, we all freely hopped down onto the canyon floor, towards a massive naturally made arch! When we surprisingly spotted the arch, it was off to the hills to make it under the mesmerizing structure for a delicious lunch. What happened when we started to quickly approach the arch, was a run in with 15 adults, all carrying small children from a random bushel of desert vegetation; WHAT? Having the assumption we wouldn’t see others during the hike, it was hard to not be surprised- what was an easy hike if you started from the trailhead, was an unforgettable heart racing hike discovered by a bunch of sweaty ski bums! Passing a few chuckles, we scurried past the other pedestrians and found ourselves in awe of the magnificent, naturally formed arch. This is where I started the beginning of the blog- Seth and I had been snacking throughout the hike, so we snatched the brilliant opportunity to play like baboons and helplessly drool over the 360 degree view from higher ground. Rocketing around like wild racoons in a dump yard, Seth, Julian, Drew, Zenna, and myself went to eagerly explore the warm canyon oasis. Instinctively roaming towards the ginormous orange giants, my jaw appreciatively dropped. Skyscrapers would’ve been mistaken as single story homes compared to these enchanting sculptures; my neck broken back to soak in the unimaginable presence I basked in. Free standing with glory, the boys carried on as I insisted on having a silent minute to meditate with Zen, full of delight and positivity, I let myself be thankful for each of our peculiar lives. Once we’d had our minds terrifically blown, the crew had voiced the concern of getting back due to lack of water. Although staying and playing would’ve been my first choice, we stuck like glue as a supportive group and started to swiftly find ourselves a new path back. This is when we’d been brought to the moment of pure panic- it’s truly hilarious, watching a spunky group become iconically paranoid, that’s when you understand what kind of person you really are. When in an anxious incident where you feel unsafe, do you instantly stay calm and logically problem solve, or do you helplessly panic, frozen in place, terror taking rein of your uncontrollable emotion? Staying calm is a much easier solution, considering error is more likely to happen when one’s unbearably frantic, but just take a DEEP breath! With that said, as we were scouting our way back, we came upon some easily accessible finger like formations to climb up where we could take a killer group picture- sounds simple enough right? Well, the question “is there enough room?” didn’t instantly strike us until 3 dogs and 11 humans made an attempt to sit upon the fragile sandstone tower that was easily breakable. It was a smaller, white slicked back afro top like finger, where the bottom was the largest area and as it gained height, it became smaller, like a rocky, “wide top” triangle! I must say, panic was starting to steadily stream through a handful of our crew, besides the most fearless- Drew. I have to mention, Drew is this fearless, big hearted, extreme athlete who doesn’t accept anxiety- that’s the type of person you always want to have camping. Analyzing the commotion, Drew and Seth walked around the edge, I sat directly in the middle with Zen, while our mates filled in the rest of the crusty space. This is where I began to quietly belly laugh, Seth, Drew, and a few others tried to convince the rest that we were safe by walking around a lower ledge of the rock structure, when out of the blue the proclaimed statement “We’re all going to die!” had been shouted. After a hectic 3 minutes, realization that nothing bad was happening set in, thus helping the group regain a moment of security to capture the picture. Once we’d finally managed, the swarm shimmied themselves down the free standing crusty rock speedily, regaining the feeling of calmness. That moment brought another rush of happiness over me as I pondered being with anyone else for that hike, and I know it wouldn’t be half as memorable without these crazy individuals (I do wish we could’ve had Des, Tate, Shaun, and Arielle with us however!) Carrying on with our rugged hike back, the beaming sun reminded us to pick up the pace, as we casually strolled through the desert vegetation once again. That said, we made it! Taking off back down the dirt road, windows cranked down, the warm breeze refreshed our minds. Getting to camp, it was time to kick off our stinky hiking boots, turn up some groovin’ tunes, and get some food in our bellies. This particular night we decided to play a large game of frisbee, as well as BASEBALL!!! I’m a sucker for getting together a playful game of sh*t-talking baseball, because honestly, what’s better than talking some good smack after an intense day of hiking? With another hoody hoo hollar and a few good nights later, Seth, Zen and I were greeted by our cozy Big Agnes home standing proudly below the cliffside. Teeth brushed, water chugged, and a few love filled kisses later, and the dark, starry night settled us sound to sleep. “It’s people, not places, that make the perfect home” (-unknown) Xox, The BugJ