Christmas Day Hike

Dave and I decided to do a hike on Christmas Day.  He'd never been to False Kiva, so that was the plan.  Wearing long pants, warm sweaters and coats, we headed out.  Five minutes into the hike the sweaters were off and we were wishing for shorts--it was at least 50 degrees and the movement made us warmer.  We had some trouble finding the site, because I coudn't remember how to get there.

This is what we found instead.  Deep potholes full of water from last week's rain.  The view (to me) suggested we were right above the site we were looking for...but how to get there?  We got headed in the right direction and found the real trail.  Down a steep grade into the canyon we went, only to have to climb back up into the alcove, and up into another alcove for the ruin.

The view is beautiful and the site is pretty interesting.  This picture was taken Christmas Day, 2010.  We were in direct sunlight, sweating.  Dave started wishing he hadn't worn heavy dark jeans on this hike.  I had light hiking pants on, but I think we both were wishing for shorts.  --Dave took this picture.  I'm nowhere near that good...or maybe it's just the scenery that makes it such an awesome picture! haha.

The hike out was long and hard--especially since we'd been couch potatoes for so long this winter.  We'd both been on two hikes that week before this one, and I'd gone on one the day before so we were kind of warmed up...but not enough!  I slipped and fell at least twice on the slickrock, Dave twisted his ankle and did a face plant into a blackbrush.  OUCH!  We limped to my car, drove home and watched a movie.  It was a challenge we both enjoyed and needed.  We admitted to each other we were both wishing for jet packs, helicopters....anything.

This is me  hiking out of the alcove.  We had to hike back down to the ledge to actually begin the climb out of the canyon.  I asked Dave if he'd ever go back, and he said yes, with a helicopter!