# Veteran's Day hike in the RGGSENM



## PBH (Nov 7, 2007)

some of us are lucky enough to have Veteran's Day off as a holiday. With schools in session Richard and I try to take advantage of the off day to go do something. We decided this year that we should celebrate our freedom going for a hike.

The destination is one we've looked at a few times and wondered if it was even possible: Rudy Gobert Mesa.

This mesa is one of many in the Rudy Gobert Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument. It is steep, rugged, and beautiful.

We headed out Sunday afternoon, and arrived to our starting point after dark. We set up a couple cots, laid out the sleeping bags, and went to bed. I slept comfortably, under a full moon, and woke to beautiful 27 degree morning.










We ate some Hostess cupcakes and downed some V8 for breakfast. That wasn't the best combination. After breaking camp, we hoisted our packs and started out on our adventure. The morning sun was brilliant, lighting up the white sandstone cliffs in a golden-orange glow.










The climb was steep, and long. My chest thumped hard, and my legs burned. The beanie came off quickly. Our route was successful, and we crested the lip.










The top consisted of rolling sand dunes, small washes and canyons forming fingers that extended out into the rugged desert. Whites, reds, and pinks of erosion mixed with greens, yellows, and grays of growth made up a canvas an artist could only dream of.























































There was very little evidence of people up on this mesa, which was nice to see. No foot prints in the sand. No rusty tin cans. No balloons. Other people have certainly been on this mesa, but the most recent evidence of this was from 1924.










We did not find any deer tracks, which was a bit surprising. We did find numerous sheds - further evidence that not many people have been up here. Most of these sheds were old, with only one that looked like last year's drop. It was interesting to note that we almost always found two sheds together, but they were never matches from the same deer or year. Weird. We left most of the sheds up there. Coyotes had been all over up on the mesa. They must eat lizards.




























As the morning changed to afternoon, the sand was beginning to take its toll on our legs. We turned and made our way back towards the north end of the mesa and started looking for a way down. It's amazing how much steeper it looks when standing at the top. We scrambled, crab-walked, and jumped down broken ledges to the steep, white sandstone. With shaking knees and toes that tried to push through the front of our boots, we made our ascent off the mesa and below the Stifle Tower.



















It was only 9 miles, but my knees are still sore today.

It was worth it.

#RudyGobertGrandStaircaseEscalanteNationalMonument


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