Day 4: We woke up and had breakfast burritos filled with eggs, hash browns, bacon, cheese, bell peppers and onions. This was our day to take time to explore the history and geology of the canyons within Hole-in-the-Rock. We were all looking forward to using our technical skill sets.
We hiked to a crevice that allows you to get into the canyon. We had to lower our packs because they would not fit through the narrow space. We continued through to the gulch and it was getting dark. The water was up to our knees, and we continued until we reached an amazing alcove filled with soft velvety sand. We also spotted a table and chairs made out of rocks! We made aromatic curry rice torts for dinner. The alcove was so protected that we didn’t need to set up our tents. We just got into our sleeping bags and went to sleep under the Utah night sky, full to bursting with stars like Polaris and Cassiopeia, and constellations such as Orion, Perseus, Auriga, Taurus, and Andromeda…all of which we have been learning about back at Expedition camp.
Day 5: After we woke up, we replenished our water by boiling several pots and filling up our bottles. We then had granola and oats for breakfast. Everyone has their own creative spin on this delectable classic. Some of us add cranberry flavored raisins or peanut butter. I saw Beth add hot chocolate mix into hers and while the cocoa made everything in her cup turn brown, I got a whiff of the chocolaty concoction. I think I’ll try that blend soon, for sure! We continued our hike through the gulch. In the daylight we could see how absolutely amazing this canyon actually is. We arrived at our destination, a natural arch a hundred feet in the air. Being up that high, we could see four bends in the winding river below, with huge cliff faces rising up 500 feet. We started to hike back out of the canyon, taking an amazing trail that went about 300 feet up the side of the cliff.
Once we got out of the canyon, we hiked up the mile-long sand dune that leads back to the crevice that we had entered through. We stopped for lunch and had peanut butter and jelly torts. After lunch, we continued up the hill to the crevice. We hoisted all the packs up and over the crevice, then we hiked another mile or two up the hill. We set up our expedition camp and later had Mediterranean pasta primavera for dinner. We discussed the day’s events and right before we went to sleep, I saw a shooting star! It was an exhilarating experience because it was only the second one I had ever seen.
Day 6: We woke up, broke down our camp, and had bagels and cream cheese for brunch. We hopped into the truck for the long drive back to base camp. When we got back, we had Asian noodles with spicy pineapple for dinner, set up our tents, and went to sleep. I sleep so well at Expedition Therapy, and I think it’s because I have over fifty days of sobriety. Woo hoo!
