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- May 5, 2012
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With a world of places to explore, it takes some convincing for me to revisit trails I've hiked before. Some places, though, are worth the time for a return trip.
Such as the sublime Upper Muley Twist in Capitol Reef.
My brother had never been to the park, let alone the seriously awesome south end of the Waterpocket Fold. We hit it over Memorial Day weekend in an effort to avoid the crowds that made a complete madhouse out of Moab. This strategy paid off, though I suspect that's a great deal thanks to the weather.
The weather.
![IMG_3835.JPG IMG_3835.JPG](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/33/33515-c4fd5e1964205e2928c337f80ffe5e6e.jpg)
We'd had a string of bad weather luck on prior outings and the forecast didn't look all that good as we pressed out of Salt Lake City early the morning of May 23rd. The drive to Torrey went well, though we did encounter snowfall coming over the pass on SR-24. We popped into a busy (by CRNP standards) visitor center for our permits then headed south on the Bullfrog-Notom Road.
About halfway down, the rain grew ominous and the road turned into a skating rink. We powered past a couple motorcyclists who were mired in muck, wanting to help but not willing to risk becoming stuck ourselves.
![IMG_3839.JPG IMG_3839.JPG](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/33/33516-9f29a77be42cf99a4464ed92cd17eb82.jpg)
We had a few tense moments fishtailing through the slime. At one point, I pulled off and decided to wait out some of the storm.
![_MG_1259.jpg _MG_1259.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/33/33475-d5a934b4af07b304c8a1d5f286753355.jpg)
Then, a guy in a newer Subaru came past and powered his way up the hill. So, feeling shamed, I followed his trail.
![_MG_1257.jpg _MG_1257.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/33/33474-dc4727607342223343668f0de245a15c.jpg)
The Burr Trail switchbacks were sloppy, but not dangerously so. Still, the view from the top had a grim overtone.
![_MG_8178.jpg _MG_8178.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/33/33486-54603491936f2d1a8e10d3c8aa833304.jpg)
![_MG_8179.jpg _MG_8179.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/33/33487-7c5ac98d1bdf00509f0c906f4c03c6b8.jpg)
![_MG_8180.jpg _MG_8180.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/33/33488-263675899245f4e5ae1a0fa10e58338c.jpg)
At the turn into Upper Muley, we mused about the wisdom of driving up canyon. The rain had been steady for at least an hour and, I reasoned, there was a good chance we'd see some flooding. But the wash bottom held only a trickle of running water so we chanced it.
About halfway up to the Strike Valley trailhead, we saw a head of foam come around the corner. Not knowing how deep it was or how much debris was coming behind it, I pulled the car up onto a sandy bank. The wheels started to spin in the sand as the water level climbed.
Thankfully, the flood surge wasn't all that severe.
![IMG_3842.JPG IMG_3842.JPG](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/33/33517-2767c99687a011f5d8e3d3952a77e5ad.jpg)
It did reach within a few feet of the car, but soon receded.
![IMG_3844.JPG IMG_3844.JPG](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/33/33518-363460535b99b2ff837d80229a884ff2.jpg)
Still, the canyon was flowing and the rain was still falling with no sign of letting up. We opted to leave the car parked in its nearly high-centered position and head up the rest of the way on foot.
![IMG_3846.JPG IMG_3846.JPG](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/33/33519-bb2055d43e0cfe3dd4420d57a8609019.jpg)
![_MG_8183.jpg _MG_8183.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/33/33489-3981d1ceb37d0418c19da7938a16c447.jpg)
Just past Saddle Arch, the water running through the canyon spread wall to wall. That made the rim route split seem as good a place as any for a camp.
![IMG_3875.JPG IMG_3875.JPG](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/33/33520-ef02f6074d7b7549b203ea6dfa5183a2.jpg)
The rain returned and pattered on the tent late into the night.
![_MG_8218.jpg _MG_8218.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/33/33490-0e40e188f9d5a433fbafa42263cccf84.jpg)
Skies looked a lot better on Sunday morning. We tucked away our non-essentials, spread some gear out to dry and headed up toward the rim.
![_MG_8223.jpg _MG_8223.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/33/33491-138852e57a166215d0350873387ccfc4.jpg)
The walk along the Fold was absolutely stunning. Utah's wet May had turned the strike valley totally green.
![_MG_8230.jpg _MG_8230.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/33/33493-e64656141831c259b5331b169fad8a9e.jpg)
The pale, sun-bleached landscape I remembered from hiking Upper Muley one September a few years past was replaced with a horizon-to-horizon ribbon of emerald.
![_MG_8313.jpg _MG_8313.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/33/33495-d12b1c19f6da94c0d223990d19a94eeb.jpg)
Wildflowers and cacti were vibrant and healthy.
![_MG_8302.jpg _MG_8302.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/33/33494-7bf1ede2acd461363bc43b60a69fd2d5.jpg)
Even the hearty junipers and other shrubby plants seemed more happy.
![_MG_8226.jpg _MG_8226.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/33/33492-edbfc366275dce00658b834ceef30104.jpg)
Big puffy clouds bounced around in the sky.
![_MG_8319.jpg _MG_8319.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/33/33496-d858de7ac8ad8a643e4ff8187ecba028.jpg)
We could see some building storm activity in the south-west. The skies grew a bit more overcast as we descended from the rim and started down canyon.
![_MG_8321.jpg _MG_8321.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/33/33497-f36b187dd6065a5dc37746510b9b7ea0.jpg)
Then, as we walked, a cell moved directly overhead. Rain started to spit down. We scrambled under the nearest rock overhang and watched in awe.
Streamers of rain water started to flow in loud rivulets down the western wall of the canyon. They hit the floor, churning up sediment and intermingling. Then, together, they began the long trek down the wash bottom toward Lake Powell.
I ran out into the rain to try and film it. Looking upstream, I couldn't see any water flowing in the wash. We were situated right at the point Upper Muley went from being a dry canyon to a wet one.
![_MG_8372.jpg _MG_8372.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/33/33501-eabfc7e48baf85fe9bf8cb0cbe47c3a2.jpg)
Having water flowing down Upper Muley transformed it into an Escalante-like paradise.
![_MG_8352.jpg _MG_8352.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/33/33498-06065e55bbcc755ee22cccbf473abad5.jpg)
Little waterfalls cascaded down from unseen pools.
![_MG_8358.jpg _MG_8358.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/33/33499-b1a59e4acca043086f2cfaaf13a4eb20.jpg)
Here again, wildflowers and cottonwoods bloomed.
![_MG_8368.jpg _MG_8368.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/33/33500-64fa48b693c9de0f462359d9e6c01c94.jpg)
![_MG_8383.jpg _MG_8383.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/33/33504-ee55bfb9edb333490ba3d70e6050ea88.jpg)
Clouds kept threatening as we returned to camp and broke down, but the rain seemed to skirt either side of us.
![_MG_8373.jpg _MG_8373.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/33/33502-ff4709d68a5dafbde702006e5edb528c.jpg)
I played a bit with a 10-stop ND filter, trying to capture the dramatic motion of the skies.
![_MG_8375.jpg _MG_8375.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/33/33503-08be1b07bdd0ef8f7b83a12c0362cdce.jpg)
We started running into more people coming up canyon, many on day hikes. Some didn't seem to have any concept of where they were going. Others had a knowing look — they, too had been here before and were enjoying seeing the canyon alive.
![_MG_1264.jpg _MG_1264.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/33/33476-cf2709b03ac132fc8c1d69c83917379a.jpg)
A nice couple gave us a lift from the Strike Valley trailhead back to our stranded car in their own Subaru. I tried to explain to the guy that the water had come on us suddenly and it was actually quite a bit deeper and faster the day before. That was the truth, but it didn't help me from feeling dumb when they dropped us off next to a tiny stream of water.
Once back on pavement, we reasoned it wouldn't be wise to return to Torrey on the Notom Road, so we booked it west toward Boulder.
![_MG_1276.jpg _MG_1276.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/33/33478-76bd3f078e4e4623ec9965f6fde3acda.jpg)
![_MG_1271.jpg _MG_1271.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/33/33477-abdab3f8b99fe26b5933d6851921fcf6.jpg)
Then, racing the fading afternoon light, we headed up over Boulder Mountain.
![_MG_8425.jpg _MG_8425.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/33/33507-4e18ce140645012950f16928edc76361.jpg)
![_MG_8435.jpg _MG_8435.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/33/33508-c4fb56f97a27aad58b2621155bb12602.jpg)
![_MG_8452.jpg _MG_8452.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/33/33510-9a1c417ad0ae2a5cdaf080b425eef1b6.jpg)
The views from on top were incredible.
![_MG_1282.jpg _MG_1282.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/33/33480-5baa63dbb01cf120884049b26e85ae37.jpg)
Storm cells were rolling over the desert and from our vantage point, they seemed like tiny little children throwing temper tantrums. We knew though that anyone out under them right then was getting pounded.
![_MG_8408-Pano.jpg _MG_8408-Pano.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/33/33506-40f707c2ce0196580406c30ae2d3bacd.jpg)
I had the new Canon 100-400 ƒ/4-5.6L II along for this trip and tried to put it to use capturing the rainbows popping up amid the broken terrain.
![_MG_1281.jpg _MG_1281.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/33/33479-3f76fa93ee8277b65c04cf7fa28797a4.jpg)
We ran across a group of deer grazing along the highway, but they weren't looking too photogenic at this point in the season.
![_MG_8441.jpg _MG_8441.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/33/33509-1657214f96b9c9c0afd4c5e9e4bbe11b.jpg)
By the time we pulled into Torrey, the sun had already fallen low toward the horizon. I'd hoped to catch the wildflowers in bloom over at Factory Butte so we drove that way, arriving at dusk to find nothing but dirt and weeds.
Then rain started to fall. Again.
Feeling tired and without a camp, we piled back in the car and drove to Hanksville. Huge thunder bumpers were lighting up the horizon to the east over the rivers and Canyonlands country. As I recall, some BCP members were getting soaked. @Nick might have been on Powell.
We kept driving, heading up 24 toward I-70 and peering through the dark for a private little place to pitch camp.
Spying satellite maps, my brother directed us off the highway toward the San Rafael reef. We found a great little sandstone formation, made camp and called it a day.
Monday morning dawned bright and clear.
![_MG_8456-HDR.jpg _MG_8456-HDR.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/33/33513-537fe54a75f116d5a5fb3be196f5f4e9.jpg)
The morning sun made the reef glow and we were up early to take advantage of the pretty light.
![_MG_1326.jpg _MG_1326.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/33/33482-780fe6925866a5b820755282e438e947.jpg)
My brother did some flying.
![_MG_1316.jpg _MG_1316.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/33/33481-67f5d7f8aa8715f4a681f908d1d1760a.jpg)
![_MG_8459.jpg _MG_8459.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/33/33511-8ac2ba425d623a54e59612d40904d975.jpg)
We had family obligations that day back home, so we didn't dawdle long before hitting the highway again. But after only a mile or so, my brother spied something along the shoulder as we sped past.
"Was that a badger?"
"A what?"
"I thought I saw something. It was probably a skunk but I swear it looked like a badger."
We flipped around, parked, grabbed our cameras and inched carefully to the side of the road. Sure enough, a mama badger and three kits were lumbering up the roadside ditch.
![_MG_1329.jpg _MG_1329.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/33/33514-f49ec1b99e2e09c2ff3daaf36e4b98e1.jpg)
When they spotted us, mom started furiously digging a burrow and pushing the kits into it. Every minute or so, she'd push up a big pile of dirt and emerge to check her surroundings. She never acted too aggressive, but here hackles were up a bit first.
![_MG_1358.jpg _MG_1358.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/33/33483-99dd841c8ef411e29966d145dfd293d1.jpg)
With great caution, I crept in closer to the burrow.
![DSC04219.jpg DSC04219.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/33/33512-067135eb843c3de6d5d62835933c3dd0.jpg)
I had the 100-400 lens on a crop body for maximum reach. It paid off. Mama calmed down and held some great poses.
![_MG_1382.jpg _MG_1382.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/33/33484-5c5bb714b89387d45f91b6137763abf2.jpg)
Badgers were my favorite animals for a time when I was a kid and I'd only ever seen one in the wild once before. Watching this little family digging in the dirt made the trip for me.
![_MG_1396.jpg _MG_1396.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/33/33485-79f54c8a93e77aa7b3936f35a8f8be1b.jpg)
After a while as voyeurs, we moved along our way and left the badger clan in peace.
Featured image for home page:
![slide.jpg slide.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/33/33521-2cbf19dd2e787874b6e543a102452dd6.jpg)
Such as the sublime Upper Muley Twist in Capitol Reef.
My brother had never been to the park, let alone the seriously awesome south end of the Waterpocket Fold. We hit it over Memorial Day weekend in an effort to avoid the crowds that made a complete madhouse out of Moab. This strategy paid off, though I suspect that's a great deal thanks to the weather.
The weather.
![IMG_3835.JPG IMG_3835.JPG](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/33/33515-c4fd5e1964205e2928c337f80ffe5e6e.jpg)
We'd had a string of bad weather luck on prior outings and the forecast didn't look all that good as we pressed out of Salt Lake City early the morning of May 23rd. The drive to Torrey went well, though we did encounter snowfall coming over the pass on SR-24. We popped into a busy (by CRNP standards) visitor center for our permits then headed south on the Bullfrog-Notom Road.
About halfway down, the rain grew ominous and the road turned into a skating rink. We powered past a couple motorcyclists who were mired in muck, wanting to help but not willing to risk becoming stuck ourselves.
![IMG_3839.JPG IMG_3839.JPG](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/33/33516-9f29a77be42cf99a4464ed92cd17eb82.jpg)
We had a few tense moments fishtailing through the slime. At one point, I pulled off and decided to wait out some of the storm.
![_MG_1259.jpg _MG_1259.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/33/33475-d5a934b4af07b304c8a1d5f286753355.jpg)
Then, a guy in a newer Subaru came past and powered his way up the hill. So, feeling shamed, I followed his trail.
![_MG_1257.jpg _MG_1257.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/33/33474-dc4727607342223343668f0de245a15c.jpg)
The Burr Trail switchbacks were sloppy, but not dangerously so. Still, the view from the top had a grim overtone.
![_MG_8178.jpg _MG_8178.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/33/33486-54603491936f2d1a8e10d3c8aa833304.jpg)
![_MG_8179.jpg _MG_8179.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/33/33487-7c5ac98d1bdf00509f0c906f4c03c6b8.jpg)
![_MG_8180.jpg _MG_8180.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/33/33488-263675899245f4e5ae1a0fa10e58338c.jpg)
At the turn into Upper Muley, we mused about the wisdom of driving up canyon. The rain had been steady for at least an hour and, I reasoned, there was a good chance we'd see some flooding. But the wash bottom held only a trickle of running water so we chanced it.
About halfway up to the Strike Valley trailhead, we saw a head of foam come around the corner. Not knowing how deep it was or how much debris was coming behind it, I pulled the car up onto a sandy bank. The wheels started to spin in the sand as the water level climbed.
Thankfully, the flood surge wasn't all that severe.
![IMG_3842.JPG IMG_3842.JPG](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/33/33517-2767c99687a011f5d8e3d3952a77e5ad.jpg)
It did reach within a few feet of the car, but soon receded.
![IMG_3844.JPG IMG_3844.JPG](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/33/33518-363460535b99b2ff837d80229a884ff2.jpg)
Still, the canyon was flowing and the rain was still falling with no sign of letting up. We opted to leave the car parked in its nearly high-centered position and head up the rest of the way on foot.
![IMG_3846.JPG IMG_3846.JPG](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/33/33519-bb2055d43e0cfe3dd4420d57a8609019.jpg)
![_MG_8183.jpg _MG_8183.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/33/33489-3981d1ceb37d0418c19da7938a16c447.jpg)
Just past Saddle Arch, the water running through the canyon spread wall to wall. That made the rim route split seem as good a place as any for a camp.
![IMG_3875.JPG IMG_3875.JPG](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/33/33520-ef02f6074d7b7549b203ea6dfa5183a2.jpg)
The rain returned and pattered on the tent late into the night.
![_MG_8218.jpg _MG_8218.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/33/33490-0e40e188f9d5a433fbafa42263cccf84.jpg)
Skies looked a lot better on Sunday morning. We tucked away our non-essentials, spread some gear out to dry and headed up toward the rim.
![_MG_8223.jpg _MG_8223.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/33/33491-138852e57a166215d0350873387ccfc4.jpg)
The walk along the Fold was absolutely stunning. Utah's wet May had turned the strike valley totally green.
![_MG_8230.jpg _MG_8230.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/33/33493-e64656141831c259b5331b169fad8a9e.jpg)
The pale, sun-bleached landscape I remembered from hiking Upper Muley one September a few years past was replaced with a horizon-to-horizon ribbon of emerald.
![_MG_8313.jpg _MG_8313.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/33/33495-d12b1c19f6da94c0d223990d19a94eeb.jpg)
Wildflowers and cacti were vibrant and healthy.
![_MG_8302.jpg _MG_8302.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/33/33494-7bf1ede2acd461363bc43b60a69fd2d5.jpg)
Even the hearty junipers and other shrubby plants seemed more happy.
![_MG_8226.jpg _MG_8226.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/33/33492-edbfc366275dce00658b834ceef30104.jpg)
Big puffy clouds bounced around in the sky.
![_MG_8319.jpg _MG_8319.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/33/33496-d858de7ac8ad8a643e4ff8187ecba028.jpg)
We could see some building storm activity in the south-west. The skies grew a bit more overcast as we descended from the rim and started down canyon.
![_MG_8321.jpg _MG_8321.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/33/33497-f36b187dd6065a5dc37746510b9b7ea0.jpg)
Then, as we walked, a cell moved directly overhead. Rain started to spit down. We scrambled under the nearest rock overhang and watched in awe.
Streamers of rain water started to flow in loud rivulets down the western wall of the canyon. They hit the floor, churning up sediment and intermingling. Then, together, they began the long trek down the wash bottom toward Lake Powell.
I ran out into the rain to try and film it. Looking upstream, I couldn't see any water flowing in the wash. We were situated right at the point Upper Muley went from being a dry canyon to a wet one.
![_MG_8372.jpg _MG_8372.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/33/33501-eabfc7e48baf85fe9bf8cb0cbe47c3a2.jpg)
Having water flowing down Upper Muley transformed it into an Escalante-like paradise.
![_MG_8352.jpg _MG_8352.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/33/33498-06065e55bbcc755ee22cccbf473abad5.jpg)
Little waterfalls cascaded down from unseen pools.
![_MG_8358.jpg _MG_8358.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/33/33499-b1a59e4acca043086f2cfaaf13a4eb20.jpg)
Here again, wildflowers and cottonwoods bloomed.
![_MG_8368.jpg _MG_8368.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/33/33500-64fa48b693c9de0f462359d9e6c01c94.jpg)
![_MG_8383.jpg _MG_8383.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/33/33504-ee55bfb9edb333490ba3d70e6050ea88.jpg)
Clouds kept threatening as we returned to camp and broke down, but the rain seemed to skirt either side of us.
![_MG_8373.jpg _MG_8373.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/33/33502-ff4709d68a5dafbde702006e5edb528c.jpg)
I played a bit with a 10-stop ND filter, trying to capture the dramatic motion of the skies.
![_MG_8375.jpg _MG_8375.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/33/33503-08be1b07bdd0ef8f7b83a12c0362cdce.jpg)
We started running into more people coming up canyon, many on day hikes. Some didn't seem to have any concept of where they were going. Others had a knowing look — they, too had been here before and were enjoying seeing the canyon alive.
![_MG_1264.jpg _MG_1264.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/33/33476-cf2709b03ac132fc8c1d69c83917379a.jpg)
A nice couple gave us a lift from the Strike Valley trailhead back to our stranded car in their own Subaru. I tried to explain to the guy that the water had come on us suddenly and it was actually quite a bit deeper and faster the day before. That was the truth, but it didn't help me from feeling dumb when they dropped us off next to a tiny stream of water.
Once back on pavement, we reasoned it wouldn't be wise to return to Torrey on the Notom Road, so we booked it west toward Boulder.
![_MG_1276.jpg _MG_1276.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/33/33478-76bd3f078e4e4623ec9965f6fde3acda.jpg)
![_MG_1271.jpg _MG_1271.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/33/33477-abdab3f8b99fe26b5933d6851921fcf6.jpg)
Then, racing the fading afternoon light, we headed up over Boulder Mountain.
![_MG_8425.jpg _MG_8425.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/33/33507-4e18ce140645012950f16928edc76361.jpg)
![_MG_8435.jpg _MG_8435.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/33/33508-c4fb56f97a27aad58b2621155bb12602.jpg)
![_MG_8452.jpg _MG_8452.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/33/33510-9a1c417ad0ae2a5cdaf080b425eef1b6.jpg)
The views from on top were incredible.
![_MG_1282.jpg _MG_1282.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/33/33480-5baa63dbb01cf120884049b26e85ae37.jpg)
Storm cells were rolling over the desert and from our vantage point, they seemed like tiny little children throwing temper tantrums. We knew though that anyone out under them right then was getting pounded.
![_MG_8408-Pano.jpg _MG_8408-Pano.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/33/33506-40f707c2ce0196580406c30ae2d3bacd.jpg)
I had the new Canon 100-400 ƒ/4-5.6L II along for this trip and tried to put it to use capturing the rainbows popping up amid the broken terrain.
![_MG_1281.jpg _MG_1281.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/33/33479-3f76fa93ee8277b65c04cf7fa28797a4.jpg)
We ran across a group of deer grazing along the highway, but they weren't looking too photogenic at this point in the season.
![_MG_8441.jpg _MG_8441.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/33/33509-1657214f96b9c9c0afd4c5e9e4bbe11b.jpg)
By the time we pulled into Torrey, the sun had already fallen low toward the horizon. I'd hoped to catch the wildflowers in bloom over at Factory Butte so we drove that way, arriving at dusk to find nothing but dirt and weeds.
Then rain started to fall. Again.
Feeling tired and without a camp, we piled back in the car and drove to Hanksville. Huge thunder bumpers were lighting up the horizon to the east over the rivers and Canyonlands country. As I recall, some BCP members were getting soaked. @Nick might have been on Powell.
We kept driving, heading up 24 toward I-70 and peering through the dark for a private little place to pitch camp.
Spying satellite maps, my brother directed us off the highway toward the San Rafael reef. We found a great little sandstone formation, made camp and called it a day.
Monday morning dawned bright and clear.
![_MG_8456-HDR.jpg _MG_8456-HDR.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/33/33513-537fe54a75f116d5a5fb3be196f5f4e9.jpg)
The morning sun made the reef glow and we were up early to take advantage of the pretty light.
![_MG_1326.jpg _MG_1326.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/33/33482-780fe6925866a5b820755282e438e947.jpg)
My brother did some flying.
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We had family obligations that day back home, so we didn't dawdle long before hitting the highway again. But after only a mile or so, my brother spied something along the shoulder as we sped past.
"Was that a badger?"
"A what?"
"I thought I saw something. It was probably a skunk but I swear it looked like a badger."
We flipped around, parked, grabbed our cameras and inched carefully to the side of the road. Sure enough, a mama badger and three kits were lumbering up the roadside ditch.
![_MG_1329.jpg _MG_1329.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/33/33514-f49ec1b99e2e09c2ff3daaf36e4b98e1.jpg)
When they spotted us, mom started furiously digging a burrow and pushing the kits into it. Every minute or so, she'd push up a big pile of dirt and emerge to check her surroundings. She never acted too aggressive, but here hackles were up a bit first.
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With great caution, I crept in closer to the burrow.
![DSC04219.jpg DSC04219.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/33/33512-067135eb843c3de6d5d62835933c3dd0.jpg)
I had the 100-400 lens on a crop body for maximum reach. It paid off. Mama calmed down and held some great poses.
![_MG_1382.jpg _MG_1382.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/33/33484-5c5bb714b89387d45f91b6137763abf2.jpg)
Badgers were my favorite animals for a time when I was a kid and I'd only ever seen one in the wild once before. Watching this little family digging in the dirt made the trip for me.
![_MG_1396.jpg _MG_1396.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/33/33485-79f54c8a93e77aa7b3936f35a8f8be1b.jpg)
After a while as voyeurs, we moved along our way and left the badger clan in peace.
Featured image for home page:
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