Slot Canyons are one of the most amazing natural features I have ever experienced on earth. They are intimidating, scary, mysterious, and yet so unique and gorgeous. Slot canyons are such a beautiful witness of the destructive power of nature. Not all slot canyons are the same - some are easy to access, and easy to hike, while others are a lot more strenuous. Peak-a-boo and Spooky slot canyons are fairly challenging - physically and mentally. Before going on this trip I did a lot of research on this hike to see if we could even attempt it with kids. This is one of the harder slot canyon hikes, but it is also one of the most amazing and beautiful. I had such strong desire to experience these canyons for myself, so we decided to give it a try. We had to overcome steep climbs, tight crevices, long drops, and awkward angles. In some areas, even I (who is not very big) had to squeeze though some very tight cracks. People who are claustrophobic would have a very hard time in Spooky. In some areas, the canyon is so tight that the sunlight can't reach the bottom. Getting there was also a bit challenging. We had to drive for 26 miles on a bumpy dirt road. Once parked, we had to hike down a steep slick rock path almost a mile to get to the entrance. Once at the entrance, we had to climb up a vertical 25 foot wall with limited foot holds. We were lucky that someone had placed a rope for us to use. It took a good 30 minutes to convince Chase and Blake to even attempt the climb. Once up, we had to climb over a few more challenging areas that were next to big pools of murky water. In Spooky, there was a large rock fall that blocked the canyon. We had to squeeze though a small opening in between some rocks, and carefully drop down a good 15 or 20 feet to the dark slot canyon below. It was amazing watching all the hikers come together to help one another out. Women were offering hands to help men climb over tricky areas. Strangers were helping to carry other people's children over steep areas while the parents were attempting to climb themselves. People were lifting one another, offering helping hands, and cheering fellow hikers on. It was extremely refreshing to witness the power of kindness. We didn't know each other, and yet, we completly relied on strangers to get us through the hardest areas. Without the help of other families, I don't know that we could have hiked these slot canyons with our kids. This experience gave me hope that there really is so much good still in the world. This was a pretty hard hike to do with children, but in the end it was empowering, exhilarating, and gorgeous. Blake cried a lot in the canyons because he was so nervous (some adults near us were crying and nervous, which in turn made my boys more nervous I think). We were behind a large group with small children and a bigger man (not fat, just tall and husky) who had a hard time fitting in the tight areas so it was very slow going. We had to wait in tight cracks for a while which made my boys a bit nervous. However, once it was over my boys realized that it wasn't as scary as they thought it was going to be. I think they all ended up loving the hike, and were happy we did it. Hiking these canyons took about four or five hours. It was a long day, but it was truly one of the most amazing hikes I have ever experienced.
On our way back to the hotel we stopped by some caves that were recently (within the last 60 years) inhabited by brothers who wanted to get away from society and live in the desert.
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