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--- west:2026.03 [2026/03/28 00:01] – nebula
+++ west:2026.03 [2026/04/07 20:23] (current) – nebula
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 ====== March 2026 ======
+===== Tuesday, March 31, 2026 =====
+I had a good time around Flagstaff. Walnut Canyon and Sunset Crater Volcano were quite spectacular. Around the crater, blackness covered everything. I was able to walk within the lava flows and up to one of the craters. The views from above were lovely.
+I then proceeded to Utah, passing through Page and gawking a bit at Lake Powell. I had the privilege of exploring some of the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. I hiked the Toadstools trail, and it was fantastic. The scenery reminded me much of the Bisti Badlands in New Mexico, and like the Bisti, this visit was easily one of my favorite places I've ever been. Bone dry and colorful.
+I then filled out an overnight permit and headed into Cottonwood Canyon. This unpaved road is almost 50 miles long and has some more incredible scenery. Sadly the clouds rolled in right as I arrived, and I do not like overcast, grey skies while exploring new places...or literally ever. I hiked the Paria Box trail, but the creek crossing was too deep for me to want to go through it, so I didn't make it all the way to the end. I camped about half way through. And the next morning, I was DUMB and neglected to hike the narrows trail. I super regret that. I enjoyed this area so much that I plan to return down this route on my way home at the end of May, and I will definitely make a point of hiking the trail I missed. Hopefully it will be sunny at that time. I must conduct photosynthesis at all times.
+I continued to Cedar City to run a couple errands, and then proceeded into Nevada.
 ===== Friday, March 27, 2026 =====
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 ...and I am too. What a decision I have made, to completely upend my entire life and return to the road. Will this be the right choice for me? I feel like the likely answer is yes but I wonder where I will be in 5 years. Will I still be happy out here? Will I have gotten hurt? If this doesn't work out, what then? Only time will tell...
-==== Retrospect from Tuesday March 17, 2026 ====
+===== Retrospect from Tuesday March 17, 2026 =====
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 I began my trip barreling down I-40 for about 14 hours. I arrived at The Box rock climbing area not far from Socorro in New Mexico and immediately discovered that the potential campsite was SWARMING with little bugs, more than I had ever seen in my life. Just in the process of fetching my headlamp from the cargo, there were dozens of them in my car. Thankfully I know this region well and was able to follow this up with a different location nearby that did not have so many insects. I drove there with all my windows down to get the pests out of my car, and it worked. I arrived late at night and went to bed shortly after.
-I like New Mexico a lot but I planned to skip it and make Superior, AZ my first destination. On my drive there, I was feeling pretty nostalgic going back through the [[stand of the Cibola National Forest|https://helixnebula.space/CibolaDatil/]] I had spent many days at before, so I turned off the highway and returned to one of my old campsites. It had changed quite a lot since I last stayed 3 years ago, the tall(ish) grass was replaced by well worn dirt. Seems that others had discovered the spot and wore it down a lot...or maybe it was thoroughly grazed by wildlife. No idea, but this is a welcome improvement in my mind, I prefer camping on a dirt flat over long grass. The immediate surroundings of the site remained untrammeled.
+I like New Mexico a lot but I planned to skip it and make Superior, AZ my first destination. On my drive there, I was feeling pretty nostalgic going back through the [[https://helixnebula.space/CibolaDatil/|stand of the Cibola National Forest]] I had spent many days at before, so I turned off the highway and returned to one of my old campsites. It had changed quite a lot since I last stayed 3 years ago, the tall(ish) grass was replaced by well worn dirt. Seems that others had discovered the spot and wore it down a lot...or maybe it was thoroughly grazed by wildlife. No idea, but this is a welcome improvement in my mind, I prefer camping on a dirt flat over long grass. The immediate surroundings of the site remained untrammeled.
 I wished to remain there until the next day, but I thought it would be a good idea to get my hair cut before it got dirty enough to need a wash. Poor planning on my part lead to me departing home with hair that was much too thick and long to wash easily. So I scheduled a cut in Show Low, AZ, and I have returned to having a really short buzz cut. Super easy to maintain and wash, but goodness I HATE the way I look with such short hair. But it really doesn't matter much, I am always, always wearing some form of headwear. What's the point of having long and thick hair that's always squashed by hats?