Memorial Day Camping 2020--Posey Lake

2020--it's a year for the record books.  This Fourth of July was lovely (we were vacationing with the Wheeler family in Winter Park, Colorado) and terrible (Papa Kay took a trip via ambulance to the hospital for emergency hernia surgery.)  We are home from Colorado, but Papa Kay remains in the hospital. While he's improving, prayers are still very welcome.

The last time we saw Papa Kay was for Memorial Day camping.  He almost didn't make it because his stomach was hurting him even back then  We got a little distracted from his stomach pain by the fact that Jason's jaw kept locking every time he opened his mouth wide, sometimes staying locked for forty minutes at a time.  Better sleep has helped Jason.  As for Papa Kay, he went to the doctor for a workup after he returned home.  For a while, the main focus was on his heart since a stress test revealed a blockage, requiring a heart catheter and medication.  Now we're fixing his bowels.  Like I said, 2020 has taken us for a ride.

Fortunately, there's nothing better than the wilderness to distract you from day to day troubles.  We camped at Posey Lake, high up the Colorado Plateau above Escalante, Utah.  As you can see from Subarblu's reflection, it was a beautifully wooded area.

At 8800 feet in elevation, it was also darn frigid overnight.  In case you can't tell, that's NomiAnn huddled beneath all those layers.

I think this Memorial Day may be remembered as the one where we froze.  But hey, those are the experiences that make camping so memorable!  Just ask Patrick McManus.

Fortunately, during the day we could head down the mountain to a warmer clime.  Our first adventure was a short hike to Mossy Cave, located along Scenic Highway 12 on the northern edge of Bryce Canyon National Park.

The surrounding hoodoos are beautiful!

As is my hubby.  (I'm biased, I know.)

The waterfall was fun to explore as well.

If you're ever in the area and want a hike with a lot of bang for your buck, this Mossy Cave Trail is a great way to go.

Hungry for lunch, we stopped to picnic within Bryce Canyon's main amphitheater.  So beautiful!  

In the past, we've explored the trails in this area, but not made it far beyond.  This time we made it to the edge of the park by taking the entire scenic drive.   

It was fun to experience some new overlooks, such as this Natural Bridge.

At the end of the scenic drive, we hiked the mile-long bristlecone loop.  Worth the extra steps for the view, at least if your innards are in tact. 

Back at camp, we endured a chilly night with raging winds.  Fortunately, the kids slept soundly all bundled up in their sleeping bags.

Come morning, the sun shone brightly but the wind was still blowing.  At least our tents stayed upright.

For breakfast, we had to move our cook station behind the minivan for shelter.  

After breakfast, everyone hustled into the minivan to warm up with a long drive along the Burr Trail.

Along the way, we discovered this fantastic Long Canyon Slot. Scarcely a quarter of a mile long, the canyon walls tower straight up on both sides.  The kids thought it would be an amazing place to rappel, if you could only figure out how to get up top.

Some goofy Wheelers

NomiAnn and Papa Kay, looking far more sophisticated.

A giant log at the slot entrance doubled as a picnic spot.

Even better, Papa Kay broke out some unique soda flavors for our first round of tasting.  Sure love this Memorial Day tradition!

After lunch, we ventured into Escalante Petrified Forest State Park.  In general, the kids found Jason's new inflatable kayak to be more interesting than the petrified wood. 

Meanwhile, Jason and I hiked the petrified forest trail.

Personally, I thought the rainbow colored wood was pretty amazing!

A few photos from our dusty trip back up the mountain after another fun day.

Quite the ramp.  ASSIST is jealous.

The weather warmed up for our final night at Posey Lake Campground, dawning into a beautiful morning.  Life may be good, but life with french toast is great.

Playing some ladder toss around the campground...

...doggy style.

Some of us took a morning hike up to the Posey Lake Overlook, marked by an abandoned fire tower.

I wish the photography better captured how stunning it was to see so many layers in this vista, with Box Canyon cutting right through it all.  In the future, our family would love to backpack this canyon.

Packing up the gear was less fun, but we managed.

As a reward for our efforts, we drove Hell's Backbone on the way home.  What an incredible drive, especially as it narrows into a one-lane bridge spanning the chasm.

Sure love these men.

This is what the drop-off looks like on one side.

No better place to finish off our soda sampling.

Happy Memorial Day!

NomiAnn and Papa Kay, thank you so much for making the long trip from Nebraska to spend Memorial Day together.  Rain or shine, windy or cold, camping together has become such a rich tradition.  What a delight to explore new areas of this magnificent country together!

Most of all, we love being with you!  I wouldn't trade our camping for luxury, not even if you dragged me forty miles by the tongue.  We pray you get feeling better so soon, Dad.  "Keep Smiling!"