Still Spring Break and with the coronavirus sickness derailing everyone's plans, we were not looking to travel very far. Still, my dad was in Grand Canyon staying with his wife, Laura, who was working there. Since we were only 5 hours away from each other, I thought we could meet up for the day and do a hike together. He was probably hoping to see the kids also, but Jacqueline did not feel like making the trip. Instead, it was just me taking off early in the morning. We made a plan to meet at the Cathedral Wash Trailhead in Lee's Ferry. The drive was not too bad taking through Jacob Lake.
It seemed pretty quiet. I got to the trailhead right on time, but it seemed as if they had been there for a while. The hike was down a wash to the Colorado River. The wash was interesting with a different kind of sandstone than was in Southern Utah. It would narrow up and have drop offs that we had to negotiate and mudholes to avoid. We would pick our way around the ledges and slowly maneuver our way downstream. Mostly it was good to just see my Dad and Laura. It was a good time for us to converse about the ongoing situation and decide how to deal with it. I know that they were taking it seriously since they were older.
Me, being still in my late 30s, it was not as big of deal, but I knew I needed to keep other people safe around me. We were all adjusting to the newness of it. There would be a lot of changes in my life given that school was not quite the safest place during a pandemic. Laura worked at the Grand Canyon and a lot of major services were shutting down there also. The newness of the situation kept for some good conversation as we found ourselves picking our way down the wash. Eventually the wash popped out to a more open area and we continued on down until we came to the river.
The river gave us a natural stopping point and there was nowhere really to go, but back up the wash. We met a few other people coming down, but it was probably still quieter than it likely would have been during a Spring Break in Arizona. After making it back up the wash, we still had a bit of time. My dad suggested that we go out to Lee's Ferry. They had hiked the Spencer Trail in the past and suggested that I do it. We decided that could work so we went there. They parked and walked the first bit with me through the ruins of Lee's Ferry. The trail went by the river for a short time and then started charging up the hill.
Eventually they had their fill and we said our goodbyes. It was good to see them and I was happy I had a day at least to spend some time with family. The hike continued, though, and I was able to let loose. It was nice to just be burning some energy and finding my way to the top of the hill. Up and up it went with sweeping views of the river and surrounding country at all times. There was nowhere on this trail that I would have described as having big dropoffs, but still I am not sure if Jacqueline would have wanted the kids to be on it. Eventually after a lot of exertion, I found myself at the top of the cliff. From the other side, I could see the city of Page. It was definitely worth the effort to make the trek up there. I took some pictures and then it was time to go back down. After the hike back and the drive home, it was evening before I returned to settle in for the long haul at home with the family.
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