Lower Calf Creek Falls

Good news for those of you who read both my and my sister's blogs!  One day we did different hikes during our stay in Grand Staircase - Escalante NM.  Amazing, huh?  Ron and I wanted to redo a previous favorite, Lower Calf Creek Falls, and Diana elected to hike . . . well, I'll let her tell you.

Driving out of our boondocking spot, we had to laugh at this sight.

The hike to Lower Calf Creek Falls is three miles (each way) up a beautiful canyon.

This rock outcropping looked like a gargoyle when we passed it, but now I'm thinking Precious from the Hobbit.

The sky was nice and clear for the first half of our hike, but we knew it would cloud up later.

I asked Ron to pose at this spot because it looked familiar.

Sure enough, here we are in 2009 when Diana took our picture at the same spot.

(No, my memory isn't that good.  This picture is in a collage at home.)

These plants looked like tiny bouquets in the sand.

Onward . . .

At one point, we could see that beaver had been hard at work in Calf Creek.

I was intrigued by this alcove across the way.  It's a lot bigger than it looks in the picture.

I also really like the dark streaks of desert varnish.  It looks like somebody went nuts with a paintbrush.

The last mile before the falls is more shady and right along pretty Calf Creek.

In one section, we noticed the trees had been denuded.

Aha!  Here's one of the culprits.

Just when we were beginning to think they must have moved the waterfall, there it was over the treetops.

Lower Calf Creek Falls is 126 feet of stunning beauty.

Sure enough, the clouds moved in on the way back to keep us cool and we just beat the rain to the car.  It was a perfect day!  We both survived the six miles in good shape except for the soles of my feet.  They were killing me!  Does this mean I'm a tenderfoot?