For my 3rd and final day, I decided to go back over to the Chesler Park area and then up to the trailhead from there. I was also going to hike back & forth on the Joint trail, but I ended up feeling more like just getting back to the Jeep. I had about two and a half quarts of water left, and I just didn't feel like running out on the last leg of the return hike, which is not bad but still quite sunny. Also, trudging through sand makes me extra thirsty. So I just decided to mix up the last of my powdered Gatorade, add a little Koolaid lemonade, and feast on biscuits & rehydrated lasagna in the shade at Chesler Park. The Chesler Park area is really beautiful... it's sort of a big green field surrounded by big vertical slabs of stone and trees. The campsites are nice, except I don't think I'd be too crazy about CP1. I sat in some shade up against the side of an oddly shaped stone and had my midday break. Unfortunately the only film I had for my camera at that time was black & white, and they can't develop it at the one hour places, so I had to send it out. Chesler Park photos are forthcoming... While I was sitting there, I saw a hummingbird hovering just a few feet from my head. Actually I heard it first, and when I looked over I didn't know what it was for a couple seconds. Then it was gone. By then the sun was right up in the middle of the sky, and I usually stop hiking about then anyway and find a nice shady spot. Since I already had a nice shady spot, I decided to just take a little nap.

I left Chesler Park about 45 minutes later & headed north, and by 2:00pm I was starting to see day-hikers coming down from the Elephant Hill trailhead. I was wearing shorts, and there are flies there with mosquito-like snouts. And they will just sit there and stab you in the leg while you walk. I know you aren't supposed to harm any of the native animals, but I have to say I finally got one of the little bastards.
By 4:15pm, I was sitting in the Jeep (yes, naked... hey, what can I say) with the AC on full blast. Ten minutes later I got some clean clothes out of the back, dumped my trash in the can, and headed on out of the park, destined for Arches National Park, my next adventure...


D. Neiswinger
09/09/2001


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