HDT 2022 Day 34, May 4, Wednesday
Start Fishtail Canyon S13 mile 45.1
End along Kanab Creek S13 mile 57.3
Miles walked:12.2
Continuing another 4 miles along the Colorado River, rock hopping that entire distance, I am glad to start this endurance test first thing in the morning when I am fresh and the air is cool.
Moving rapidly, and decisively choosing that next big step on a boulder seems to work better than the slow cautious approach, as long as my energy holds out. My path tends to be close to the shoreline, with no user trail higher up slope.
A couple of rafters, river guides acting as sweep for one of the group of rafts, offer me a cold seltzer and a couple of snacks– so thoughtful and a real morale boost.
After several hours of concerted effort, the cliff wall opens up for Kanab Creek.
The creek is an amazing place, with deep pools of clear water, with fish playing hide-and-seek and frogs calling out, partially shaded by impossibly high vertical canyon walls, the route fitting in as many twist and turns as physics allows.
The hiking involves uncountable wet-foot crossings, The water has carved deep pools in many places, limiting where one can cross. Sometimes one must scramble over huge boulders rather than risk deep water. The hiking is slow, with constant rock-hopping and puzzle-solving, and we will be along the creek for a stunning 20 miles of twists and turns.