Why Entering Slot Canyons with Toddlers and a Dog was the Best and Worst Decision so far
Entering Slot Canyons with Two Toddlers and a Dog
The best and worst decision of the trip so far…
At the time, this felt like the poorest parenting decision we had made on the entire trip. We found ourselves deep in a slot canyon with two options - continue on as the rock tightened it’s vice around our supple bodies, or return – back up that horrendous 15 foot drop with the kids and the dog all of who at this point were getting passed through each technical section.
So how did we get end up 35 miles off the pavement in Southern Utah’s Grand Escalante National Monument? A few weeks prior we were preparing to leave Santa Fe, New Mexico, our then home base of six weeks when we met a photographer who highlighted my ten year old Walmart atlas with a plan to drive through some of Southern Utah’s finest locations. Two places stuck out in my mind – the 12-15 mile Box Canyon Trail Run – which was highly unlikely as Sofi would need to drive the van a couple hours on rough terrain to pick me up on the other side, and the slot canyons tracking back south towards the Colorado River. This seemed more up our alley as I had never experienced the bountiful slots of Utah.
Flash forward two weeks after overlanding some of the most intense roads since we had left Maine, we were feeling unstoppable. Our calendar allowed just a couple more days and rather than push through to Bryce and Zion, we opted to linger and head back out into Grand Escalante to the slot canyons highlighted in green on my Utah state map.
As the road deteriorated the landscape – evolved in five minute increments. From lush rolling green pastures to a high desert wasteland to a hoo-doo haven. Onward we drove letting the landscape recreate itself before our eyes. When we eventually made the unmarked lefthand turn, the 2WD not recommended beyond here sign post and all the parked cars would have stopped any reasonable man in a 23 ft long, 6 ton 2wd bus, but feeling one with the desert, we pushed on through some technical rock crawling sections, arriving at the height of the land with just a handful of other vehicles most of which were departing. In the evening we watched the sun fall and had the place nearly to ourselves which was not the case the following morning.
After 10AM with each passing hour another 20 people walked down the ill marked path into the slot canyons far below. There was no map yet it appeared as if everyone knew exactly what they were doing – perhaps following the instructions off some blog found only deep in the interwebs. We opted to wait, letting the crowds abate. I did my recon with a group that had also spent the night and they gave me the brief rundown, but did by no means not advise taking children or a dog and we had spent nearly 24 hours in their presence. They said it was tight in places, Spooky the tightest and perhaps we should start there. Peekaboo had a rock wall to climb to enter but just 12 feet or so – you know usual slot canyon stuff.
So around 3:00 in the afternoon we started gearing up. I advised to take as little as possible but between us that was still a full backpack, camera bag, two children and the dog. Our pace is slow, but with 4-5 hours to sunset, we bargained plenty of time. After what seemed like forever trekking downhill with kids, we hit the wash and I followed the instructions verbally given and the heavy footprints marking the sand. We arrived at Peekaboo and a 20 ft 45 degree face stood between us and the entrance of the canyon. I laughed for a moment until I didn’t. Was this for real? Was this going to be safe? Could I carry both my children and dog up this face with no rope? Could we retreat? The questions flew into my pre-frontal cortex as I gauged my own increasing anxiety and the options around us. I couldn’t fathom it – we had watched well over 100 people of all ages and sizes walk down the trail and return a couple hours later grinning from ear to ear. Even our new German overlanding friends, pushing 70 did it. I just couldn’t compute.
Right then, the enthusiastic German couple that showed up in the Unimoog before we left joined us. Jan and Renata were in their late 40’s but didn’t look a day over 39. They were the definition of spry and they had three teenage children one of which was back at home in Germany with Grandma and the twins were wrapping up a year abroad in Australia. The kids were no older than 15 and here they were traveling this leg of their Pan American trip for 5 weeks – alone. Their energy was infectious and I was intrigued.
So I shouldered Lola and man-handled the face - tossing her into the canyon 20 ft above us. Jan and Renata went next – no problem. I then took Alfonso who at this point was adopted by our new friends and then came back for our 1.5 year old, Camilo and finally to follow Sofi up. In ten minutes we were at a new altitude and began scurrying along with our new friends who insisted that they would stay with us even at our toddler’s pace. Jan and I began swapping tales from the road while Renata and Sofi discussed their art and family. We had so much in common and being so curious, I didn’t let the occasional shouldering of Lola or the children phase me. Alfonso had taken the lead with Renata and Jan by now and they were moving fast passing him through any challenging section as if he were their own.
With Peekaboo complete, we navigated to Spooky - unphased by it’s name. With a walk right in approach, it beckoned us forward. Without really pausing outside, we were soon enclaved in a new predicament. At the first technical section, Lola turned around unsure of what to do. Renata yelled back she wasn’t sure where the path went and Camilo started to get a bit anxious – causing Sofi to doubt our decision. I could sense difficulty ahead and I attempted to stay cool. Lola eventually made it across the large sideways Boulders and together we stood debating our next move. Jan led – dropping down 15 feet in a two section climb that ended in darkness. Sofi looked at me with doubt written all over her face. I knew going back was going to be worse and I really had no idea how to get out without going forward I felt stuck and we had help, so we committed to the path ahead. Alfonso went next – fearlessly. I then took Camilo from Sofi’s arms and carried/passed him down to Renata who also had all the backpacks piled at her feet. Then I grabbed Lola who’s claws were ripping into my skin as she tensed and flexed vying for an escape. We landed in darkness with little sure footing especially for our four legged friend.
Sofi arrived and we pushed on another 10 feet until the next problem. Another drop with a hard banked turn and no bottom. Renata went ahead but was unsure, so sensing my families urge to get through I moved to the front, setting myself up like a bridge for the children, backpacks and dog. At this point I didn’t think it could get any worse, but the walls literally pressed us like a vice. Camilo had to walk being to tight to carry him. It was a nightmare and he soon started to scream inconsolably. It was here that I decided that I better start making better decisions for my family as this just did not seem worth it. We pushed on, my shirt torn from Lola’s paws, my arms bleeding from pushing through the canyon at pace and after just another 15 minutes, the canyon released its death grip and we could breath again.
Alfonso was wide eyed and knew he just lived something special. We walked out into the golden sun feeling alive, bonded forever with Jan and Renata over poor parenting decisions. On the walk back they told us of their first big overlanding trip to Africa in the early 2000’s when their kids were between the ages of 3 and 5 and how help always arrived whenever they most needed it. They felt like they were paying back their karma bank by staying with us and were reliving their youth by exploring with Alfonso while we managed the dog and Camilo.
We arrived back at the van changed. Our nerves were still buzzing, but we had taken our family capacity for adventure to a new level. It allowed me to see how the decision we made to move into a van and travel full time was just the start of a new path for us. Everything we confronted required determination, ingenuity and the willingness to give it all and the outcome is a new level in the game, where the stakes and rewards are even higher.
Had I known what kind of challenges would confront us, I’m not sure if I would have actively chose to do this walk or would I have sought out discomfort on the road in exchange for comfort and routine at home. Yet, this is who we are as a family and these are the challenges we welcome to grow through to experience something deeper. It’s a relationship with risk I’ve developed over the course of my life and it’s something I will continue to pass along as we take on new challenges. What we learned that day is different for each of us, but what I can share is that while I don’t recommend these canyons to anyone with children under four, I definitely don’t recommend it to anyone with a 45 lbs dog.
