HIKING AND PHOTOGRAPHING THE BUCKSKIN GULCH

From the descriptions and pictures in the guides, Kent, Xronda, and I had fully expected to be wading through the muck in the narrows of the Bucksin Gulch. I was carrying a day pack because we left the bulk of our hiking gear at our camp. I also packed swimgear and a waterproof sack in case it got too wet, but it never happenned. If there was ever anything good about the drought, it was being able to walk right through the Buckskin without getting my shoes or feet wet.

After three or four hours of hiking and photographing in the Buckskin, Xronda was tired. "I'm going back to camp" she said, appearantly not to tired to customarily puncuate her statement with a fart, Honk - Honk, "You gonna keep shooting". "Yeah", I said ignoring her speech embellishment, "I'll probably stay photographing another couple of hours". With that I was now solo in the slot canyon.

In the image above, the ground was still muddy below the drying mudcurls, but the middle of the path was a few inches higher and dry. There were a couple of dazed looking lizards and a baby rattlesnake on the canyon floor, probably fallen down from the mesa above, but they weren't moving fast now.