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Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument November 23-26, 2006 This Thanksgiving after flying into Salt Lake City Airport we decided to stay around Salt Lake looking for birds. We visited Farmington Bay Wildlife Management Area, Bountiful Temple Parking Lot, and Provo/Jordan River Parkway. After looking for birds and having a picnic at the Jordan River we drove down to Escalante and set up camp at Calf Creek Falls. Friday morning we got up early and drove the Burr Trail past Boulder, UT. We took the wrong turn off for Wolverine Petrified Area and ended up driving on a horrible dirt road for 19 long miles. We were so frustrated by the time we came to the cut off for Moody Road but even more frustrated when we couldn't determine which fork to take to get to our chosen destination of Silver Falls Creek. We started down a road but it was extremely bad and so we turned back and ended up going the other way instead. Later we realized that we had been on the correct road the first try but we were so anxious from all the driving on bad roads that we drove as far as we could on Moody Road and parked and started walking. We were hiking the Moody Creek Trail. On Saturday we drove down Hole-in-the-Rock Road which was a piece of cake compared to the bumpy ride the day before. We turned off Hole-in-the-Rock to Harris Wash and drove as far as we could and parked. We then hiked Harris Wash for about five miles before having to turn back so as not to be stuck hiking in the dark. On the way back Susan found a rare bird, a Northern Waterthrush. It was a beautiful hike and a memorable day. On Sunday we left Grand Staircase and entered Capitol Reef National Park. We parked at the Hickman Bridge and took the Cohab Canyon Trail to Frying Pan Trail to Cassidy Arch. Then it was time to head back to SLC for our flight home. We stopped at Utah State Park and had a picnic before heading back home. I was so sad to leave the desert.

Other Trips Grand Staircase November 2006 Vancouver, BC - March 2006 Grand Staircase/Escalante Zion - Thanksgiving 2004 Stange People Warner Mountains Yosemite - August 2003 Mount Diablo Summer Hikes Yosemite - July 2003 Canyonlands in Summer San Luis Wildlife Refuge Canyonlands in Winter Point Reyes Yosemite Monterey