I have made it through the first year of my grief journey. My trips to the Porkies, Pictured Rocks, and Grand Staircase-Escalante are in my rear-view mirror and I feel very good about all I have accomplished. Many have asked me if I plan

That night, we had a leisurely dinner in our camp on the banks of a nearly dry Mamie Creek bed. Everyone was very relaxed as we talked about the day’s hike and the plan for our final trek to Escalante the next day.

After a leisurely breakfast, our plan was to hike about a mile and a half up Death Hollow Creek before beginning our ascent out of Death Hollow. We donned our water shoes and set off on our morning expedition.

We departed the Boulder Mail trailhead shortly before 10:30 AM. The trail is an old mail route between Boulder and Escalante. The trail was carved out of the wilderness by mules who would make the daily trip.

My trip to Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument (GSENM) has come and gone. I have returned safely (more on that later) and I had a fantastic experience. Losing Amy was unimaginable to me two short years ago.

October has always been a special month for Amy and me. Our long-distance relationship grew quickly after my initial September visit, and I returned the following month. We took a hike in the Southern Kettle Moraine State Forest