Deer Creek Camping

Our world keeps going from crazy to crazier.  This past Sunday our congregation was gearing up for a very socially-distanced 30 minute church service.  It was so strange to cancel church when the pandemic hit, but it felt equally strange to be going back.  Just as I was warming up to the idea, church got re-cancelled because of rioting.  We have been under curfew here in Salt Lake every night since.  Many of the Salt Lake protests have happened at the police station a block away from Jason's work.  Jason's brother Lance lives in downtown Chicago, where enormous damage was done to his apartment building.  We are all shocked by the horrific instances of police brutality and racism.  George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Eric Garner, and too many more.  Surely there is dire need for reform.  Even so, I wish we could fight violence by standing on higher ground.  Where are the Martin Luther King Juniors and Mahatma Gandhis of our generation? 

And so, as a welcome distraction from the turmoil, may I offer some escapism: camping.  At the end of April, we packed our tents and drove to Grand Staircase-Escalante to socially isolate.  We've camped quite a bit since COVID-19 hit.  Each time, it has been remarkably renewing to eschew society and spend time in nature.

We arrived Friday afternoon and snagged a couple of campsites in Deer Creek Campground for Charles & Susie and ourselves.

Our campsites were the last ones before the road literally turned into the creek.

The kids had such a great time exploring the creek and building their own fort.  I feel like every child needs a place in nature where they can get away.

Next time we'll just have to remember our climbing ropes too.  We could have rappelled right into our campsite.  Instead, we used the rocky ledge as a perch for our dutch oven.

Don't let the apron fool you.  Even camping, Grandma Susie's the grand chef, for sure!

Talia's loving her hammock.

Our nightly campfires were made memorable by Grandpa Charles's reading of Patrick McManus.  We laughed until we cried, then laughed some more when Grandpa Charles couldn't stop laughing.  

The next morning, Annika got straight to work making herself as filthy as humanly possible.

Our hiking destination for the day was Lower Calf Creek Falls, near Escalante.  Jason invited Brooklyn to drive to the trailhead.  Had she known how precarious the drop-offs along the ridge, she might have declined.  Susie likened it to the Angels Landing of the automotive world.  Fortunately, Brooklyn got us all there safe and sound.

Getting ready to embark on our adventure.

The three mile hike to the falls is exposed, but beautiful.  I imagine it could be brutally hot mid-summer, but was enjoyable in late April (excepting the parts where Annika whined.)

At last, the 126' falls.

Grandpa Charles and Grandma Susie are all smiles.

Beautiful Talia.  Those straight teeth make me wonder if we ought to invest in braces for more of our children.

Annika Mae, whose teeth are already growing in crooked.

Four sleepy Wheeler munchkins.  I have to say, I'm really loving this stage of life where I wake up my kids instead of vice versa.

While the kids slept, I explored the Deer Creek trailhead for a bit.  So pretty!  

Many hands make light work.

After breaking camp, we gathered together for a simple Sunday service, blessing and passing the sacrament to the accompaniment of birdsong.  Reverence can be challenging for our rambunctious Annika, but she calms in the midst of God's creations.    

Then we hopped in the car for our incredibly scenic drive home.  

Burr Trail Road.  If you've never driven it, add it to your bucket list.

Stopping for a picnic lunch on the outskirts of Capitol Reef.

Next up, the switchbacks.

Headed straight down into the valley of Capitol Reef.

Take a close look to see if you can find where the road twists and turns through this tormented landscape.    Amazing!

Grandma Susie and Grandpa Charles, thanks for following us on this rugged adventure!