Rebecca M. Douglass, Author

I know I reported on Zebra last year, but this time I managed to get a phone, at least, up into the good stuff. And before anyone asks: we checked forecasts and did some serious visual scans of the drainage area for the slot before going in. Here's the scoop: We are still in the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, and in fact only a few miles from the Golden Cathedral , which I reported on last week. The full Zebra-Tunnel loop is somewhere in the 6-mile range, but there's not much climbing, as Harris Wash at that point hasn't dropped much below the level of the road. Zebra is a very tight slot, not for the claustrophobic! Tunnel slot is easy, though accessing the top end involved a little scrambling. As usual, an early start to beat the heat. Zooming in to admire the cross-bedding in the sandstone The mouth of the slot, and the first hint that the rains that left a lot of mud down along the Escalante might not have all drained off here. We sent the tallest guy in f...

I have a few more photos for you while I'm away. I really can't get enough of that lovely Utah rock. This batch is some more from Zebra Slot. [This post was intended for my absence next month. Instead, it's a preview of tomorrow's post!].  ©Rebecca M. Douglass, 2021  As always, please ask permission to use any photos or text. Link-backs appreciated. Enjoyed this post? Avoid missing out on future posts by  following us .

  What's that you say? You're pretty sure slots are illegal in Utah? Well, not the kind I like! In fact, they thrive there, and in September I had some fun playing them. Well, okay, playing *in* them. Here's a bit of a photo essay from the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, some of the most amazing landscape on earth (which, not to get too political, is under grave threat from the people currently in charge in DC). The expansive Navajo Sandstone of the Calf Creek wilderness Approach to Coyote Wash Now for some fun with slots! On the approach to Zebra Gulch Th The author in Zebra Gulch. Photo thanks to Zebra Guy, the nice hiker who coached me through and shared the photos! Zebra Gulch turned very wet and challenging. This final photo is about the point where I turned around and stowed my camera on dry ground! My hiking companion chest-deep. The water got more like neck-deep on us before we got through! So there you have it--My idea of slots worth playing with--and ...