Sad Cowboy Traverse - A Week in Escalante

radioradio

radioradio

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Jan 9, 2023
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In early April, I went on the trip trip of a lifetime. Along the way I was humbled by the vastness and difficulty of the desert. I encountered quicksand, fast moving rivers, sketchy slot canyons and so much more. Beyond the physical challenges, I pushed myself emotionally and cried my eyes out several times.

The trip had two legs, an easy out-and-back jaunt on the Boulder Mail Trail–my first time ever desert hiking. Followed by an attempt at a modified version of James and Amy’s Escalante Side Canyons Loop. My goal was to hike 15 miles over two days on the first route and 100+ miles over ten days on the long trip.

The initial leg yielded 15 miles of delightful hiking. The second trip was harder and more rewarding than I could have ever imagined. After four days and 55 miles of hiking, I arranged for a shuttle back to my car. Despite cutting the trip short, I felt completely grateful and victorious. This was the trip of a lifetime. In all, I wound up hiking 71 miles in a little more than a week.

I started typing a trip report on my phone on the way home and wound up with nearly 4,000 words.

The full report and lots of film photos are on my website here: alex.nyc/sad_cowboy <- Click to read

This trip would not have happened without the incredible feedback I got from everyone in the BCP community. I was blown away by the depth of knowledge I got from you all. Thank you a million times.
 

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I look forward to reading your report. So glad it was such a wonderful experience for you!
 
ok I read the trip report and it sounds mostly great. we all get our butts kicked by off-trail travel in that part of the world, maps and Google Earth conceal as much as they show!

not sure about others but I'd say about half of my desert trips don't really go as planned, I think it's more fun to make an ambitious plan and then modify it on the fly, than it is to make a safe plan and stick to it.
 
Nice report....
Welcome to the unknowns in Desert hiking......
 
Thanks for the report, it's a great read! And yes, the BCP community is awesome. Like most I'm guessing, I first came here looking for desert hiking information, and found that and more, thanks to the welcoming members.
 
I loved reading your report! It was great to hear about your route and even more to hear how you handled the challenges you experienced. I'm so glad you were able to feel such accomplishment and awe for what you did and to not feel disappointment about the parts not done yet. Sounds like this was an experience that will stay in your mind and heart for a long time. :)
 
SteveR said:
Thanks for the report, it's a great read! And yes, the BCP community is awesome. Like most I'm guessing, I first came here looking for desert hiking information, and found that and more, thanks to the welcoming members.
Click to expand...
Yes to the awesome BCP community. I have received so much helpful information and advice here. Our backpacking experiences have been greatly enriched because of what I've learned, and we are very appreciative!
 
That is a really memorable report @radioradio ... your honesty in detailing all the highs and lows you experienced, both physically and mentally, during your trip is very refreshing to read ... you really brought the whole journey to life ... what amazing memories you have created

And, I love this phrase:

"In the past, when I’ve cut a trip short it’s felt like defeat. This felt like victory. I had come to the desert for an adventure and I had accomplished that in more ways than I could have ever imagined."
 
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"I quickly learned how wild this landscape is—something hard to get a sense of from any topographic map. The hills on my map were more like mountains and the hills in the landscape barely registered on my map."

Yup, this sounds very familiar ... I've lost count of the number of times I've slogged for hours across mini-ravines, and up-an-over mini-hillocks in the desert silently berating my map, which clearly showed completely flat terrain :) ... now, if they would just publish some Topo maps with 2-foot contour lines :)
 
Congrats! Great report.

And kudos for using a film camera. Love the imperfections in the "somewhat broken" 35mm. The black and whites are fantastic.
 
We've all ended trips early for various reasons, and yours sounded like it was done exactly when you needed it to be, even though you hadn't planned it that way.

I once ended a 5-day solo trip a few hours after I started because I forgot the coffee.
 
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