Dave and Jan decided to return to the Deer Hollow area where they have previously “dry camped” in the forest adjoining a large grassy meadow. The challenge with dry camping this time around was that rain was in the weather forecast. But because rains in Utah are often short lived, followed by sunny skies, the weather was not particularly concerning. They found a nice camping spot at the south end of the meadow and got established before there seemed to be any likelihood of rain.

It did rain for a while after they were set up, but it was time for Dave’s nap and some dinner so the rain didn’t create any problem, and there was time after dinner, when the rain had stopped, for a walk up one of the many rocky forest roads in the area which Dave and Jan had walked before.

Dave was greeted the next morning by a colorful sunrise and a pleasant walk up the main dirt road through the area to a trailhead which he wanted to explore later in the day.

During breakfast it started to rain – in earnest. As the rain persisted for several hours, taking the intended hike seemed unlikely, and it seemed like it might be a good idea to relocate to another place somewhere in the area – perhaps at a lower elevation than the 10,000 foot elevation where they had settled for the night. But it was eventually evident that this was not the normal rain pattern Dave and Jan had gotten used to in southwest Utah, so the decision was made to pack up and head for home. The rain had worsened the condition of the dirt road they had taken in and they hadn’t driven very far before they got stuck trying to bypass a muddy patch in the road. When pounding boards in front of the tires, and collecting sticks to place before and behind the tires didn’t help, it was time to pray!

Within minutes some men who were scouting the area for elk to hunt pulled up in their Dodge Ram 4×4 and provided the needed answer to prayer.The trip back to Cedar City was uneventful, and Dave and Jan were very grateful for the help they received!

Several days later Dave returned to the area on another typical sunny day to pursue the hike he missed because of rain. He hadn’t hiked very far before he passed a flock of sheep taking advantage of grassy summer fields. The shepherds said there were 2000 sheep in the flock they were tending, with the help of their all-terrain vehicles and three sheep dogs.

The Marathon Trail diverged from the main road, climbing fairly steeply in many places to the top of the ridge for several miles.

The top of the ridge looked across a broad forested valley to mountainous terrain in the distance to the south.

The Marathon Trail came to an end in a forested area with some very interesting remnants of trees from the past.

With many miles of trails yet to be discovered, Dave and Jan are happy for the opportunity to enjoy the Lord’s handiwork!