March 7-12, 2023

This year’s southern Utah geocaching event was a week later than usual. It’s usually on the first Saturday in March, but the timing couldn’t have been more perfect this year on the second weekend of the month. Traci and I drove down on Tuesday after work and stayed with our friends Paul and Pam. Our friend Kenny arrived from Nevada on Wednesday, and on Thursday Ken, Paul, and I hiked to Elephant Arch in Red Cliffs Desert Reserve. The hike would normally be about a mile round trip, but with the road now closed it was about 4.2 miles total. On the way to the arch we followed the closed road most of the way, so only the last half-mile was through some soft sand.

Closed road

Red cliffs and Pine Valley Mountains

Sandy wash

Kenny, Paul, and a tiny arch

Stupid cairns

Bone Wash junction

Paul pointing at something or other

Elephant Arch from below

Elephant Arch

On the way back we left the designated trail and followed washes most of the way to the truck. We had to scramble around a dryfall and back down into the wash in order to avoid the “trail” but it was a much more pleasant return hike not having to follow the road for the majority of it.

Above Elephant Arch

Descending into a wash

Small slot in Bone Wash

Walking the wash

The weather was rainy the rest of the week. It let up enough on Friday that we drove to the Bloomington Petroglyph Park. I had plans to see some other nearby rock art but the rain kept me from it.

Petroglyph boulder

Petroglyphs

Petroglyphs

Petroglyphs

Petroglyphs

Petroglyphs

Petroglyph boulder and nearby house

We attended the geocaching event on Saturday and met up with a lot of old friends. I tried making some hiking plans with some of them but the wet weather kept us from making good on those plans. Instead we stayed at our friends’ place in Washington and put together a puzzle and played games all day and night. On Sunday morning Traci and I drove a short distance to do something we’d been waiting weeks for. I’d seen an ad for Brittany Spaniel puppies in Washington and they would be available the very weekend we were already going to be there. We contacted the sellers and got first pick of the litter, a beautiful female that looked a lot like our dear departed Torrey. Even her dad looked almost exactly like Torrey, except a little bigger. It had only been a few months since Loa passed away in December but the timing was perfect and Traci and I were ready for another dog. We actually visited her on Tuesday but couldn’t pick her up until Sunday when she was ready to leave her momma. I was worried she’d get sick during the 4.5 hour drive home but she rode perfectly in the truck. For being an outside dog her whole eight weeks of life she’s done exceptionally well inside our house since bringing her home. It took Boulder a while to warm up to her but now they’re best buds. Here she is, the newest member of the family, Delta!

Delta during the drive home

Conked out at home

Delta

Delta and Boulder

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Photo Gallery: Elephant Arch