Last 2010 Camping Trip

We drove in and out of rainstorms on our way to Southern Utah at the beginning of October. We had hopes that we'd leave the storms behind us and Goblin Valley would be sunny and warm...but we didn't, and it wasn't. We did learn through experience that our family tent works fine in a downpour. I woke up wide awake at 3 a.m. during the deluge. I worried we'd get swept away in a red muddy river and that we'd soon be swimming in our sleeping bags....but after 2 hours of worrying, I drifted back to sleep, warm and snug and awoke to a gorgeous morning. While the kids dug around in the mud, I went jogging in the Valley of the Goblins by myself. Mud caked shoes, rivulets, fresh scent of wet brush, clean air. Mmmm. I felt completely happy slipping around in there. Then I ran back to camp to make pancakes. By the time we broke camp, we had gone through another rainstorm and everyone was properly muddied.

We let the kids run around in the hoodoos with yet another storm looming overhead. The sky was dark and deep.











When the sky finally broke open, we were still in the Valley and tried to take shelter in between the formations...but seeing it was going to get a lot wetter and heavier before it cleared up, we took off for the car.


We were pretty soaked by the time we go to the car and the rain came down steadily for at least another 1/2 hour or more. We decided to drive further south to Hanksville.

This town was settled by David's ancestors on his mother's side. We had read in his deceased grandmother's journal that she went to Hanksville each year to take flowers to the cemetery where her parents were buried. We decided to see what we could find.

We took a road called "Cemetery" and lo and behold, we found it out in the desert.

We immediately saw Dave's family names on the Johnson and Ekker side. We walked the whole cemetery and then came to the two spots that we had wanted to find most of all.

Great-Grandmother McDougall

Great-Grandfather McDougall

David was taken of guard by his emotions when he saw them.

In town, we found one of the remaining buildings where events and dances took place. Dave's ancestors built this and the original wood floor and benches that still remain were put in by Dave's great-grandfather Don McDougall. We got to peek through the windows. We imagined this was where Dave's grandparents, Clem and Clara, had danced while they were courting.

There were other old buildings about the town. We speculated where the original post-office and grocery store were which were owned by Dave's great-grandmother.

We found Mater.

We also found this gold mining mill that was brought in from the nearby Henry mountains. It is called the Wolverton Mill. The guy who built it searched for gold and old Spanish mines for 12 years but I don't think he found anything. So....the gold is still out there.

We drove home through Capitol Reef and ate lunch in Fruita. Because of the rainstorms, there were waterfalls everywhere as we drove through the canyon.

It wasn't our typical trip to Goblin Valley frolicking in the hoodoos. But it wasn't a complete wash. I can't help thinking about those old pioneers out digging around in The Muddy in what they must have felt was a God-forsaken land. This isn't what you'd call great farming country... but pioneers came down here and built up little towns and planted trees and made the best of it. Dave's ancestors were a hearty bunch. I absolutely love the country. But I come to play...not to put a seed into the clay.