Epic Utah RV Roadtrip (part two)
- Kathleen Stanley
- Nov 16, 2021
- 5 min read
Updated: Dec 30, 2021
Stunning red rock, canyons as far as you can see and sunsets that cover the world in pink, our Utah road trip was unlike any other. Though we do map out our adventures long before we go, Brent jokes that it wouldn't be a road trip unless we find a road that isn't designed for RV driving and this trip wasn't any different. Highway 12 was a radical ride but it ended up being one of our favorite stories to tell.
After driving through Hell's Backbone (the scariest portion of Highway 12), the last thing we wanted to do was go off-roading in our Mini-White-Semi. Yet, once again I managed to find a road that would be best traveled by ATV rather than our Mini-White-Semi. Hole-In-The-Rock road was the only way to get to the hike leading to Zebra Slot Canyon in Escalante. The road was covered in gravel in attempts to make driving over the powdery dirt easier. Heavy rains often flood this road and deem it impassible. Of course, we took our chances in hopes to climb our way through striped canyon that lay ahead.
As we drove along the bumpy path, the melting snow pooled under our tires. The road was carved out by a foot or so into the desert-like terrain leaving a small natural railing along it's sides. Gaining enough speed to shoot up the series of inclines and slowing down enough not to slip on our way back down became exhausting. After only a few hours of sleep the night before, it was clear our nerves couldn't handle much more. As our Mini-White-Semi fishtailed it's way over the terrain, we contemplated turning around as we passed every mile. The gravel left our RV rattling and tested the stability of our microwave, which was newly reinforced after falling out on a wild road in Arkansas.
When we finally reached our destination, feeling solid ground under our feet was comforting. Our RV was covered with frozen red dirt leaving our map decal on the back barely recognizable. The excitement of finding the trailhead erased all anticipation of having to drive that road again on the way back. The wooden sign held colorful, granite rocks left behind by hikers adhering to the "take nothing, leave nothing" pledge.
The first few miles of the trail allowed time for our minds to empty the morning's stressors. Red sandy dirt always has a way about it. The way it twists under your feet while walking, the way it hovers above the ground as the wind blows, the way it's color pops against the contrasting green around it. Red dirt demands attention. I found myself wondering if the beautiful plants that it sustains are weeds to those who call Utah home.
The trail offered adventure at every turn with it's grassy fields, mountainous backdrop and icy cold river water flowing over pink and purple stone. The decorated rock formations looked a bit like The Wave in Arizona. The canyon walls boasted unique tunnels and holes where the water eroded the years away, bringing life to the name "Hole-In-The-Rock road", the treacherous road we traveled to get here. The rest of the hike has it's own story to tell so we'll leave that for another time as we move onto our next destination, Bryce National Park.
Bryce has a strong reputation to live up to and we may be the only people who have visited to leave a bad review. Perhaps it was the freezing cold temps or possibly the crowds of people that left us with a negative experience. Seeing promising photos of Bryce left an urgency to hike through Queens Garden Trail with it's hoodoos towering around us. The shuttle that was meant to get us down there was a bit confusing. The driver strongly discouraged us as we eagerly discussed the long hike. She reminded us that the park would be dark early and the last shuttle to come back up was only a few hours away. She also mentioned the snow would slow us down and the walk back to our RV would take hours if we missed the deadline. Irritated by the crowds and the buzz-kill driver, we decided to settle for the overlook and move on quickly. Overlooks are pretty but why just look when you can be in it?
Looking back, we wished we would have taken the chance to hike through the hoodoos but with one of the most deadliest hikes ahead of us, we didn't skip a beat. We were off again to the beautiful world of Zion National Park.
If you've ever seen videos of adventure enthusiasts conquering Angel's Landing, you'll know the thrill of just watching. Obviously watching isn't our thing. We wanted to create memories of our own. At 6:30am we waited in line for the shuttle to take us to one of the craziest hikes we've ever done. The out-and-back trail takes you along the mountain ridge 1,600 feet above the floor below. The steep drop-offs are relentless along the narrow path and surround you at the summit. Experiences of those before us mentioned chains to help ease the fears but we didn't realize they would be a necessity along the trail.
The most strenuous portion comes before the heights with a series of switchbacks guiding you up and along the mountain. It was after our last switchback that Brent started to freak out. Each time he mentioned his fears over the few months leading up to our trip I'd calmly reassure him. People hike Angel's all the time and majority of those people come back to tell the story. As I gave him his last pep-talk before grabbing the chain and stepping out onto the ridge, it was me who started getting nervous.
Pictures don't do this "hike" justice. In fact, the hike wasn't really a hike at all, more of a climb... TO YOUR DEATH. Though we were one of the first in line, the trail was still heavily trafficked. As Brent lead the way and my brother, Bobby, followed behind, I was sandwiched between two voices that would help coach me through the rest of the deadly trail. Fear paralyzed me and each step became a challenge. Legs shaking uncontrollably, Bobby seemed to have no fear as he literally guided my every move. With a new fear of heights, compliments of Angel's Landing, I begged Brent to call a helicopter to come get us. Pushing through moments of panic, a few tears, some scary slips and lots of pleading for my life, we finally made it to the top. Bobby hopped around the summit while Brent and I found comfort in sitting as the fears of going back down flooded our minds. When it was finally time to do it again, a California Condor perched on rock ahead of us. It sat and let people watch him almost as if he knew how beautiful he was. The visit from the endangered bird brought us peace.
After talking several terrified woman out of taking on the hike ahead of them (sorry about that, by the way), our time at Angel's finally came to an end. Several people have asked if we would ever do it again to which the answer is a bit unclear. Sure, our heads say there's no way, but our determination says we'd like to give it another shot. The problem we found 1,600 feet up was fear. That crippling fear made it impossible to truly enjoy our adventure and the landscape it offered. Maybe one day we'll have our revenge on that mountain but in the meantime we went on to enjoy Zion's other popular hike, The Narrows.
Still reading? Ya, it was pretty thrilling for us, too! Part 3 was created to give your sweaty palms a break until we tell about The Narrows- a hike through tall canyon walls through icy cold water offering a much needed break from being on a summit. Don't forget to subscribe, Part 3 is coming soon!
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