Antelope Springs

"One of the most desolate places in the west,"  is how one could describe Antelope Springs.  Once a CCC camp, now a place for collecting Trilobites, this camping site doesn't even have a spring anymore.

We were not discouraged though, as we had brought our own water, food, and other necessities, such as a biffy.  Mike is such a good Dad to provide for his three girls.  He bought this particular one on sale, and it was a good replacement for the homemade one he took with us last year to Topaz Mountain.

Before we left our comfortable homes, we made sure that everything we needed was packed into our vehicles.  The kids were really excited, as they had been anticipating this adventure for quite a while.

I was glad to see everyone dressed in denims instead of cutoffs, because traipsing through wilderness fauna can be quite devastating on bear legs.  

Erin was my truck partner for the entire 4 hour trip to Antelope Springs.
I was glad she was so attentive to my stories, especially the one about Bishop Koyle and the dream mine.  I really like to tell this story because the mine can be seen from I-15 just east of Payson.  The shoreline of ancient Lake Bonneville can also be seen from I-15, and it is fun to imagine just how big this lake really was, as you drive along.

About noon we arrived in Delta.  We had planned to eat lunch in this little farming town, and the kids were delighted to see the golden arches of McDonald's, so guess where we stopped to eat!

Soon we were on the road again, heading due west on highway 50.  About 28 miles later, near the Sevier Dry Lake, we turned off the pavement, and headed north another 20 miles on a dirt road.  We finally reached our destination and begin to set up our camp.

Everyone was so cooperative and willing to help, and this made the job a lot easier for me and Mike.  The old saying, "Many hands make light work," really is true.

Matthew immediately begin to work on building a fire pit, and soon we all joined in.  Soon we all decided that using a preexisting pit would be the best idea, because we would be using rocks that someone else carried.

By this time, the afternoon was well underway, and we were getting tired and hungry, so as soon as we could we set up an awning to cover our kitchen area.  This turned out to be quite a chore, as a strong, shifting wind was beginning to blow, but we were persistent and accomplished the job.

Grandpa Zucc's tent

Mike's tent

After dinner and cleanup, we wanted to go trilobite hunting, so we put the kids into the back of the pickup truck, which thrilled them to the core.  This is something you can't do in the city, and I guess there is something exciting about doing something forbidden.  The area that I wanted to hunt in was close to camp, but it had a no trespassing sign posted.

I can't blame the owner for posting the area, as he had a backhoe sitting on the property.  We respected his right, and instead decided to go sightseeing.  We drove up to the Swasey overlook. The kids in the bed of the pickup were laughing, singing, and having the time of their lives.  Ha ha.  

More postings of this trip will be forthcoming!