 There are
miles of maze-like, winding, and intersecting canyons that lead to the Escalante River.
The canyons take on many different characters-from narrow and deep slot canyons that slice
through sandstone like large cracks, to narrow drainages that follow the serpentine
erosion trail of years of past floods, to wide open canyons with sandy bottoms and
cottonwood trees. Most hiking is along and in streambeds; many are dry, with year-round
pools of water (pot holes). The potholes may be shallow, or deep enough to require a swim
to get across. Other canyons are wide with water that flows more regularly. Whenever you
are in such canyon country, flash flooding is a danger. There are very few real trails in this area; hiking is on unmarked routes and skill in map reading plus the use of compass is a must. This area should not be explored without detailed U.S.G.S. maps, available at the (Escalante Interagency Visitor Center) in Escalante.
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Descending
into any such maze of canyons, you feel small. This is not like the famous Grand Canyon,
which overwhelms with its size. It is much more intimate. You are close to the forces of
nature, seeing the power of erosion in the striped, often smooth and undulating, wavy
sandstone walls that close in on you and then widen again. At times, the cool walls are
close enough to rub against your shoulders. Choke stones, boulders that have fallen from
cliffs high above, lodge themselves into the canyons and provide for interesting and
challenging obstacles through the canyons. In some areas, the sandy bottom of the canyon
is littered with large pieces of petrified wood, making for natural stairs. The deeper you
go into the narrows, the cooler the temperatures get. It is like exploring a cave with a
permanent skylight. Vegetation within the wider canyons brings bright green contrast to
the red rock walls and blue sky.