195109-DesertMagazin.. - Desert Magazine of the Southwest

in Escalante. Edson teaches science
and shop in the Escalante schools,
with archeology as his hobby. For
many years he has spent his vacation
months riding herd for the cattlemen
in that region, and making the most
of his opportunity to search out the
habitations of the ancients who once
dwelt there. He has a collection of
over 1200 arrow and spear points
picked up in this part of Utah.
Our packer was Delane Griffin, another
clean-cut Mormon boy who is
a rider for Gail Bailey, cattleman from
whom we obtained stock and equipment
for the party. Delane hopes before
many months to get a GI loan
which will set him up in the ranching
business for himself.
Our party met at the Cameron Hotel
May 17, and the following day motored
over the Escalante Mountains
past the entrances of Bryce Canyon
National Park and down to the town
of Escalante. From there we followed
a fairly good trail across the Escalante
desert, taking approximately the route
of the historic Hole-in-the-Rock expedition
of Mormon settlers in 1879.
{Desert Magazine, May '47.)
Thirty-five miles from Escalante we
camped for the night at Batty's Pass
at the base of the 3000-foot escarpment
which is the northeast face of
Kaiparowits Plateau. This was the end
of our motor trip, and soon after we
made camp Delane Griffin rode in with
the saddle and pack horses which were
to take us to the top.
The sky was overcast, and I dug a
trench around my bedroll that night.
Like most desert people, I rather enjoy
the patter of rain on the waterproof
tarp which covers me, but I do not
fancy a stream of cold water seeping
SEPTEMBER, 195 1
Above are two of the cliff houses,
the one at the top probably being
a granary, sealed well against rain
and rodents. A flagstone slab was
used to close the doorwav.
To the left, Dr. Jesse Jennings of
the University of Utah examines
what appears to be a small storage
cyst. The walls of the room
in which this family lived, under
this same overhang, had fallen
down but loose stones indicated
where they had been.