Escalante day 7

Day 7, Mom's birthday

"Though he stumbles, he shall not fall for the lord upholds him with his hand." Psalm 37. This was my day. I opened this New Testament I brought to this passage before I started hiking today. I then freeclimbed the Fools Canyon waterfall with my pack on. I almost sank in El Esca three times, and lastly scooted along the slickrock here below my campsite back in Coyote Gulch without wavering, in the dark. Actually, I wavered and saw water oozing out of my shoes and knew I needed to go up and keep moving or slide down wet dark purple sandstone in the dark 40 feet to my demise. I even passed the drilled bolt that I was so sketched out on during day two or three that I wrote about. So today I hiked out of Fools and 8 miles down El Esca. It was only 50 degrees today, and by the time I sketched out on the sandstone mentioned above, it started raining.

I left Fools at 10 and gave myself 7 hours, and made it to camp at 7:20. Over nine hours of straight hiking-and yes - easily crossed El Esca 15 times today. I even had enough light to try out Crack in the Wall, but I can't find the route to it. Now in the dark I am sitting in my tent as it rains fairly hard. First time I have ever seen it rain down here. It gives the desert a new smell and feel for sure. Think dinner is done.

Great dinner! Mexican style chicken and rice with granola bar and peanut butter for dessert. Funny thing happening downstream. There are about 12 highschool or college kids partying in one of the higher coves. Wet and in the dark, I chatted with them to inquire how they got here. It was weird hearing them a long way before I could see them. Everything just carries and echoes in here. I asked them how they got down here, and they came in where I did, but one kid says he wants to take the trail up above the canyon near where I was preparing to camp. AHA, that must be the Crack-in -the-Wall! They sounded like they were behind every rock, because of the echo, but nope, they were just under one big one.

So, freeze-dried food is amazing. Is instant rice freeze-dried?

What I learned today is that so much is possible when clear and connected to god. by connected I mean opening a clear channel so God can enter and guide. Without God I never would have figured how to rappel that cliff or even bought the cord in the first place. I wouldn't have found the courage to climb back it. I wouldn't have found the endurance to hike 10 miles in 50 degree water soacked with sand in every crevice for nine hours. God makes all things possible. I also learned I am capable of so much if I trust myself. Whew!

I also thought of Bianca and Erica a lot today. I miss my little darling sweetie pie and cannot believe she is growing up without me to see her each day. I also miss Erica and see her smile and her eyes in my mind and long for them. Maybe someday.

One last thing. I didn't like Escalante going up, and I don't like Escalante going down. I wished a boat would come floating by and give me a ride--no such luck!