The Momster Takes Over

August 10

Friday was my last full day with Mom and Colin, so I decided to take things easy with a big day of being abandoned ahead ( I kid).  So easy in fact, that Mom, AKA Dr. Amy McCandless has written this particular blog episode.  She is the author of "the Past in the Present" as well as innumerable scholarly articles.  Currently the dean of the Graduate School at the College of Charleston, Amy has two grown sons who both try to drive her crazy, one of them by wandering through the mountains and desert alone.  I hope you enjoy her take on the day's events:

Colin and my last day hiking with Alastair was Friday, August 10th.  We went 
from Green River 18 miles south on old County Highway 24 until it joined the 
current Rt. 24 about 44 miles north of Hanksville.  After we left the outskirts 
of Green River, a sign said that the road was no longer maintained by the state 
-- one really didn't need the sign to come to that conclusion.  For most of our 
18 miles, we were on a gravel path with nothing but a few cow patties to 
indicate the area was home to any living creatures.  As Colin remarked earlier, 
one runs out of synonyms for desolate.  As we neared the junction of Rt. 24, the 
hills became more pronounced and the road wound between various colored rock 
formations.
Alastair decided that the junction was a good place to stop for the day because 
it would give us a quiet place to drop him off Saturday morning where he could 
put together his jogging stroller and back up his five gallons of water for the 
long stretches of road ahead.  We drove back to Green River where Alastair went 
to the hotel to get his gear ready for his solo days ahead.
Colin and I decided to squeeze in one last National Park so we drove to Island 
in the Sky, one of the Canyonlands Parks.  To say the views were stunning is an 
understatement.  The name comes from the canyons carved by the Green and 
Colorado rivers. The Island in the Sky is a broad mesa between the rivers and 
provides splendid views of the white rim, a sandstone bench 1,200 feet below the 
Island and of the rivers, 2,200 feet below. We took a short hike to the Mesa 
Arch and enjoyed the views from the Green River Overlook and the Grand View 
Point Overlooks.  It was hard to stop taking photos.

Green River Overlook, Canyonlands National Park

Alastair's response: as usual she gave Colin credit for something I originally said. In her 

defense, she may not have known he stole the idea from me, the thieving rapscallion.  

18 miles/3080 total miles