#5: [11-Jul-12]

#4: [01-Apr-05]

#3: [11-Nov-01]

#2: [26-Apr-01]

16-Mar-2001 -- Located in the Paria Canyon - Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness in northern Arizona west of Lake Powell this confluence requires some desert hiking. The area is best known for the narrow Paria Canyon. Due to the popularity and to protect the desert the BLM requires hikers to register and issues permits for other areas.

The day we picked for our hike was very windy and gusts of wind would blow sand all around us. After the hike we had sand everywhere in our cloth, hair and backpacks. The confluence itself was somewhat sheltered from wind as it is surrounded by sandstone buttes. Recent rains had even left some water holes filled. Rain became also our concern as we explored the confluence. The dirt road we had taken to the start of our hike is normally a high-clearance, 2WD road, but it becomes impassable even for 4x4’s after a rain. The rangers had warned us that rain and/or snow was expected for the late afternoon. The strong wind was blowing that storm in quickly and we could see dark clouds unload rain to the north to us. We decided to cut our exploring short and to return to the car. We didn’t want to have to camp out there for several days. As we approached the paved road the first rain drops appeared on our windshield.

In the Vermilion Cliffs National Monument.