2023 Fall Gateway to Canyon Country

From the Editor
The ‘payoff’ is all around us
One morning not too long ago, my wife and I
went for a hike in Wiregrass Canyon in Glen Canyon
National Recreation Area.
We were walking at our usual pace when we
explore together – which is to say, we were meandering
at the speed of a pair of desert tortoises
as we scrutinized the ground beneath our feet, the
clouds above our heads, and many things in between.
Nothing is too “ordinary” to catch our attention
on such hikes: Rocks, soil, plants, flying insects
and flitting birds are all subjects of fascination.
On these walks, we often have no destination
in mind and no specific distance we want to cover.
At some point, one of us will say something like,
“We should turn around soon,” which the other
will ignore for another five minutes or 30 minutes
or an hour, before agreeing, yes let’s start heading
back.
On that cool, cloudy day in Wiregrass Canyon,
we didn’t see any other hikers on the outbound
walk. But after we turned around, about halfway
back to the trailhead, we encountered a middle-aged
man and woman who rounded a bend in
the canyon at such a rapid clip that we nearly collided.
The man skidded to a halt with the aid of his
walking sticks, wished us a good morning, and
breathlessly asked, “Is there good payoff at the
end?” I confessed that we hadn’t reached the end
of the trail, wherever that was, and added, “We’re
just enjoying what’s around us.”
“Yeah, this place is amazing,” the man answered
while making only the slightest effort to
swivel his head and look around. “Well, have a
great day,” he added, then leapt back into action
and continued on his way, his hiking companion
following in his wake.
There are many ways to enjoy the outdoors,
one of which is to set out on a quest for the “payoff”
at the end of the trail – whether that be taking
in the view from the peak of a mountain, soaking
in a remote hot spring, watching the sun set behind
a natural sandstone arch, or commiserating with
the lingering spirits of an abandoned mining camp.
But over the years, I’ve also come the realization
that, at least for myself, those goals are secondary
to the “payoff” of simply being outdoors,
of slowing down and savoring the subtle sights,
sounds and smells of the desert that can escape the
notice of those who are in a hurry or whose minds
are focused less on the “here” that surrounds them
at the moment and more on the “there” at the end
of the trail.
That’s not to say I’ve completely abandoned
the notion of goal-oriented hiking. Last May, my
wife and I scored a permit to hike to The Wave
– one of the most coveted “destination” hikes in
the Grand Circle region (see story on page 10).
And even earlier in the year – few weeks after the
Wiregrass Canyon hike – my wife and I tackled
the Spencer Trail at Lees Ferry.
At the outset of the Spencer Trail hike, we
weren’t sure we would make it all the way to the
top of steep, rocky, 2-mile path. We spent a lot of
time standing still, not only enjoying the increasingly
expansive view of the Colorado River as we
gained altitude, but also studying the rocks and
their many variations in color and texture, identifying
different species of cacti, searching for bighorn
sheep tracks, and watching, mesmerized, as a
pair of California condors surfed the wind currents
a few hundred feet below where we stood.
Eventually, despite overworked lungs and tired
legs, we did make our way all the way to the top
and took in the spectacular panoramic view south
toward Navajo Bridge and Grand Canyon, and
north across Horseshoe Bend and Page, all the
way to Navajo Mountain. We sat and ate lunch,
spent some time following another set of bighorn
sheep tracks, and eventually decided it was time to
head back down.
The roundtrip journey took much longer than
the three hours we were told it would take. The
“goal” of the effort was to reach the top of Spencer
Trail, but the true payoff was the living, breathing
and seeing that occurred with each step along
the way. For us, the way down wasn’t much faster
than the way up. We were in no hurry to enclose
ourselves in our car and get back to the “there” of
civilization.
Whichever way you choose to enjoy the outdoors,
our team here at Gateway hopes our magazine
will motivate you to delve into the wide-ranging
natural, cultural and historical wonders that the
Grand Circle has to offer. This is our first Gateway
following a two-year hiatus during the height
of the COVID pandemic, and we are now aiming
to return to a regular publishing schedule to inspire
year-round exploration throughout our beautiful
region. We look forward to having you join us in
our adventures.
Douglas Long
Editor
Gateway
to Canyon Country
is produced by the staff of the
Lake Powell Chronicle,
298 N. Pine St., Globe, AZ
85501
Copyright 2023
News Media Corp.
Phone 928.645.8888
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Douglas Long
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4 Gateway to Canyon Country