Exploring Buckskin Gulch and The Paria River

Buckskin Gulch is a slot canyon that is located on the Arizona and Utah border between Page Arizona and Kanab Utah it is located south of Highway 89A. This canyon is considered to be one of the longest continual slot canyon in the world at a length of close to 14 miles. And in that fourteen miles there is really only one exit. Exploring the interior of the canyon is an amazing adventure but but it does not stop there because the surrounding area up on the canyons rim is also worth seeing.
Buckskin Gulch runs from west to east and is a tributary of the Paria River. There are three entrances to the canyon. You can enter from the west end at Wire Pass Trail Head, or you can enter from the east end by coming down the Paria River from the Whitehouse Trailhead, or you can access the canyon in the middle from the Middle Trail.
This slot canyon in some locations has cliffs as high as 500 feet high and and in places the walls are only around 10 feet apart.
Because you are in a tight narrow crack that drains a large are a flash flood could cause water to rise rapidly in just a few minutes it is very important to check weather reports before entering this canyon. There are some obstacles in the lower half of the canyon that may require a rope and some limited rock climbing ability. Sometimes there are pools of water you must swim or wade through to travel down this canyon so packing your gear in water proof bags is a good idea. Since flash floods can change the obstacles in the canyon you should check with the BLM for conditions before doing any hiking in this canyon.
I have entered this canyon from the Wire Pass trailhead, the Middle Trail, and from the Paria River, but have never traveled the entire length. To travel the entire length from Wire Pass to The Whitehouse trailhead is around 21 miles total and would require a car shuttle. Pretty much an overnighter for sure. From Wire Pass trailhead to the Buckskin Gulch is around 1.75 miles. From Wire Pass trailhead down Buckskin Gulch to the Middle Trail is around 8 miles. From Whitehouse trailhead to the Paria River and Buckskin Gulch confluence is around 7 miles.
There are three day hike possibilities as I see it. First is hiking from Whithouse trailhead down The Paria River canyon to the confluence of Buckskin Gulch and the Paria River. The second one is a day hike in through the tight slot of Wire Pass to Buckskin Gulch and down Buckskin Gulch a ways and then back. And the third day hike is rim walking and exploring at the Middle Trail with a trip to Cobra Arch and then going into Buckskin Gulch from the middle Trail and explore up or down a ways.
A day hike from Whitehouse down the Paria River Canyon to the confluence and back is an easy but long 14 mile hike on a flat and sandy wash bottom with a little splashing through ankle deep water that is sometimes required. It starts off in a sandy wash just west of the parking area.
As you travel downstream sandstone rocks start appearing on both sides of the wash. Some are pretty interesting beehive or tee pee shaped formations.

Soon the rocks get larger and larger and then start slowly closing in closer and closer. Eventually the cliffs reach epic heights of around 500 feet and the canyon is less that 20 feet across in some places. This alone would be well worth the visit with these red smooth massive cliffs but seeing Buckskin Gulch at the confluence with the same tall cliffs with walls even closer together is really impressive. If you can do the whole 14 mile round trip it is well worth it.
To do the of the second day hikes from the Wire Pass trailhead, you walk east from the parking lot, across the road, and follow the "trail" to the register. You then continue east, following the wash. After a short distance there is a sign directing hikers to the right toward the "Wave" another great destination, but ignore this and stay in the wash At around 1.3 miles, sandstone cliffs will rise up on both sides of the wash and enclose around it forming a narrow section.This Wire Pass slot is not very long but is very tight and deep. This is what the entrance looks like. The narrows will then open up again as you travel farther down to Buckskin Gulch. I have climbed up out of the wash at this location and there is some beautiful sandstone formations, but not near as nice as the Coyote Buttes and wave area. Here is what the begining of the Wire Pass slot looks like from up on the rim just as you enter the first narrow section. As you are heading down the wash the canyon walls soon close in again this time creating a very tight and dark narrow section. Here you can barely slip through with a pack to get through. After this the walls open up a little once again slightly and by now the cliffs on both sides are very tall and impressive and stay that way until you get to the intersection with Buckskin Gulch. When you reach this confluence with Buckskin Gulch (1.75 miles)look for the Wire Pass petroglyphs at the base of the large cliff on the right.Then head down Buckskin Gulch to explore the slot canyon.
The third day hike in the area is the Middle Trail area. To hike to the Cobra Arch from the Middle Trail is around 3.5 miles. Many people hike east along the rim from where you park and then descend down to the arch. I have just hiked down the trail to the Middle Trail entrance to Buckskin Gulch but instead just traveled east picking my way through all the amazing sandstone formations. And eventually I reached the arch (there appears to some paths this way as well). The surrounding area is full of tee pee or beehive shaped rocks and all sorts of fantastic sandstone shapes. And even without the arch it would be fun to expolre this area.


The arch is a strange shaped arch that is around 35 feet long and is around 30 feet tall. To enter Buckskin Gulch at the Middle Trail you have to scramble down some steep ledges and then climb down a steep section along a crack in the rock.

Here is what that exit point looks like from down in the canyon. The next photo is what the canyon looks like from. the rim at the Middle Trail. A little wider than in other locations but still impressive just the same.
This entry and exit can be a little much if you have a fear of heights. The cliff walls are only 100 feet or so at this location but get taller as you go in either direction.

Then once in the slot you can explore up or down the canyon.
I have heard that there are some pictographs or petroglyphs in this area of the canyon both up stream and downstream from the entrance but I have never seen them. Buckskin Gulch and the Paria Canyon is a popular, and potentially hazardous part of the Paria Canyon - Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness area and to hike in and around Buckskin Gulch requires a permit and there are some rules regarding access and travel, so here is some permit information. A fee is required for all visits (see https://www.blm.gov/) for details. Advance permits are required for overnight use. There is a limit on overnight use in the canyon to 20 persons per day. Paria Canyon day use permits are available via self-serve envelopes at each trailhead. There are no visitor use limits for day use for the Paria Canyon. Day use is $5, camping overnight is $10 (last time I checked).
Trailhead directions:
Middle Trail: Take Highway 89 4.3 miles east of House Rock Valley Road. Where just prior to crossing the Paria River you will see the Outpost Restaurant on the right side of the highway. Turn right at this dirt road soon you will see sign tha labels this road Kane County Road 6020 (BLM Road 750) which is the more heavily traveled dirt road you began on. There are some intersections, but ignore them. The main road runs up Long Canyon, to the southeast for a couple of miles and then climbs just south of it. The road will top out on a plateau and arrive at a fork 4.2 miles from Highway 89. Stay left, keeping on the main road, doing the same (stay left)at the next intersection at 4.4 miles. A third fork is at 4.6 miles and once again continue left on the main road. At 5.1 miles two roads appear, one to the right and one to the left, but continue straight. The path becomes sandy with small ups and downs. It passes one deep wash at 6.4 miles. At 7.8 miles the road passes a barbed wire fence and just past this is a large juniper tree and a pull-out where you will see a register box. I advise having a high clearance 4 wheel drive for this road, for the sand and washes and if wet weather the clay.
Whitehouse trailhead from Highway 89 1/2 mile east of where the highway crosses the Paria river, turn south, heading toward the BLM Paria River Contact Station. Follow this dirt road 2.25 miles to the Whitehouse Campground and parking area.
WirePass Trailhead take Highway 89 about 4 miles west of where the highway crosses the Paria River, to milepost 26 looking for the House Rock Valley Road turnoff. It is on the left at the end of a long guard rail. Turn south onto this dirt road and drive 8.5 miles to the Wire Pass Trailhead parking area.

For more information about the Coyote Buttes and the wave that are near Buckskin Gulch go to this post http://arizjones.blogspot.com/2010/07/coyote-buttes-north-section.html

For mor information and photos of The Paria River Canyon and it's tributary Buckskin Gulch go to this post http://arizjones.blogspot.com/2010/11/paria-river-canyon.html

Canyon Country Home Inspection

http://canyoncountryhomeinspection.weebly.com/

Huh?

My blog is not a political blog but I could not help myself. So I hope you don't mind the detour.
President Barack Obama's aunt, Zeituni Onyango, says she's done nothing wrong by illegally living in the United States for years and is therefore deserving of amnesty. "If I come as an immigrant, you have the obligation to make me a citizen," Onyango, 58, told Boston's WBZ news.
In her first interview since Obama was elected president, Onyango described how she came to America in 2000 from her native Kenya, fell ill and was hospitalized. Upon her release, Onyango told WBZ, she was out of money. So rather than return to her homeland, she continued to live in the country in violation of immigration laws.
After stints in a Boston homeless shelter, Onyango was eventually put in public housing and began receiving disability payments. In 2004, an immigration judge ordered her to leave the country, but Onyango remained. However, she noted that her story was less about intentionally flouting federal immigration policy and more about its ineffectiveness. "I didn't take advantage of the system," Onyango said. "The system took advantage of me." Onyango says that she received no help from Obama as her case was reviewed by Judge Leonard Shapiro, who ruled in May that Onyango could remain in the United States.
Anyone but me see anything wrong with these statements? "If I come as an immigrant, you have the obligation to make me a citizen," and "I didn't take advantage of the system," "The system took advantage of me." From some one who was here illegally receiving medical care and disability payments and the kindness of public housing and from a homeless shelter. I guess she has a different definition of being taken advantage of than I do.
At the same time this week Barack Obama spoke at the UN on Human Rights and called the State of Arizona abusers of Human Rights because of the 1070 law. While he asked countries with much tougher and strict immigration laws (who have actually violated Human Rights)to sit on the United Nations panel for Human Rights and to judge us for our so called crimes to humanity of just trying to enforce the same federal law that the federal government refuses to enforce. What about the rights of the people who are legally here? Why do I have to give an increasing amount of my hard earned money so others can come here and take advantage of our kindness and then insult us by saying we took advantage of them? While my state goes bankrupt under the pressure of federally mandated services that we must provide to illegal immigrants, while my state can no longer provide services to the citizens that are here legally? Ask the teachers and state employees who have been laid off in my state how they feel. Ask the people with land along the border in my state that have had their property damaged and stolen by the parade of immigrants crossing their land how they feel. Ask all the people who have had a car accident with an uninsured illegal and are just plain out of luck. Ask the children of the police officers who have been killed by illegal immigrants in our state (80 percent of police officers killed or wounded in our state are by illegal immigrants)how they feel about being called human rights abusers by our own President who refuses to protect us.

The illegal alien population in Arizona makes up half of the state’s total foreign-born population
(945,226), and 8% of the state’s total population.
• Half of all illegal border crossings into the U.S. occur along the Arizona border with Mexico.
• From 1999 to 2008, an average of 1,375 illegal aliens a day were apprehended in the
Arizona border sector. DHS does not know how many illegal aliens successfully entered
Arizona each day during that period.
• Between 1996 and 2009, the illegal alien population in Arizona increased 300%.
Illegal aliens make up 10% of the workforce in Arizona. Many are working under the table for wages that are below minimum wage. Undercutting the ability of a citizen who would have to be paid minimum wage. Unemployment in Arizona in March 2010 was 9.6%.
• Over 10% of children enrolled in public schools (K-12) have parents who are in the U.S. illegally.
• Illegal aliens and their children are 37% of the uninsured population in Arizona, and the cost of uncompensated care for illegal aliens in Arizona is approximately $510 million annually.
• The total education, medical, and incarceration costs in Arizona due to illegal immigration are over $2 billion a year. We as a state have a deficit of more than $3 billion. In 2007, Arizona found that 11% of its prison population was Mexican nationals and 10.5% had ICE detainers. Causing an increased economic burden and overflow to the already struggling judicial system.
• 22% of illegal aliens sentenced in Maricopa County in 2007 were convicted of felonies.
10.6% of those sentenced for either murder or manslaughter were illegal aliens, and illegal aliens were found to be responsible for 16.5% of violent crime in the county, while they are only 8% of the population•
The Government Accountability Office in a 2005 investigation into the criminal records of over 55,000 illegal aliens nationwide revealed:
• An average of 8 arrests and 13 offenses each per individual.
• 45% were arrested for drug or immigration offenses; 15% for property-related
offenses such as burglary, larceny-theft, motor vehicle theft, or property damage;
12% were for murder, robbery, assault, and sex-related crimes. The rest of the total
included “such other offenses as traffic violations, including driving under the
influence; fraud — including forgery and counterfeiting; weapons violations; and
obstruction of justice.” Phoenix has the second highest kidnapping rate in the world behind Mexico City. People who are willing to break one law (illegal entry of my country)are more likely to be willing to break other laws.
• In 2008, there were 368 kidnapping and 337 home invasions in Arizona, a 61% increase just since 2005. The city of Phoenix formed a police taskforce in 2009 to combat the rising levels of violence, and still recorded over 300 kidnapping that year. The city of Tucson formed a similar taskforce in 2008 as a response to 150 home invasions.
• A Phoenix police spokesman estimated that the number of reported kidnappings
represented only up to a third of the actual cases. Because kidnapping victims are often tortured and threatened with death, many victims are hesitant to go to the police because they are illegal.
• The Border Patrol has found that criminal gangs, such as MS-13, are drawn to Arizona because of the predominance of drug trafficking and human smuggling there.

Hey what about my human rights? They just raised my taxes to deal with this in the middle of tough economic times. Is the government responsible to protect and serve it's people before the people of another country? This is not a race issue. This is not a human rights issue. This is a economic and public safety issue. And is about the rights of the citizens that should not be compromised at the expense of the rights of people who are breaking the law by being here. Who by the way we did not force to come here they do have a choice. If we are such abusers why do they continue to cross the border to take the abuse?
Oh and by the way I have nothing against people who come here legally and live by our laws as I do. I have many friends who are legal immigrants, and they are proud to be citizens or legally working immigrants and most are happy to prove it if asked to and do not feel it is a human rights violation but instead a service that protects their safety, freedoms, and rights.

See No Evil and Hear No Evil

Would you put bleach or poison in your food? How about putting acid in your shampoo or skin lotion? Why not?
We take precautions and are careful with what we put in or on our physical bodies. This seems so obvious to us. So what about our soul and spirit, should we be careful to protect them as well?

No matter how careful we are our physical body will eventually perish, but our spirit is eternal and will last forever. Should you risk damage to your spirit?

Where do you think our spirit resides? Ezekiel 36:26. Says, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you. So our spirit resides in our heart.

Satan wants to get to our hearts and poison our spirit. So how do you think he gains access to your heart? Let’s look at the first sin of man for a clue.

In Genesis 3 Satan lied to Eve and said about eating the fruit “You will not surely die”. Then Eve saw that the fruit was pleasant to the eyes. So Satan gets to us through our ears with words or music and our eyes with the written word and images.

A few weeks back I posted something called “Even The Strongest Can Fall”. In it we found that Samson chose women by how they looked and not by their character. We see in Judges 16:16-19. That Delilah pestered him daily with her words until he finally broke down and told her the secret that lead to God’s spirit leaving him and his defeat. So Samson did not protect his eyes and his ears.
In that story Samson became comfortable with sin and made compromises in his life and he rationalized away the danger.

What in your life are you making compromise with and becoming comfortable with when it comes to guarding your eyes and ears?
What kind of TV shows or movies do you watch? What type of music do you listen to? What web sites do you visit or magazines do you read? Do you hang out with people that plant the wrong thoughts in your ears? All of the things you let in will affect you in one way or another. Scary movies can plant a spirit of fear in you, pornagraphy a spirit of lust, and some things will introduce a spirit of anger. These things with time can the affect your spirit.

Your heart is to be a temple to the Holy Spirit!
1Corinthians 3:16, Do you know you are the temple of God and the spirit of God dwells in you? Ephesians 3:17,that Christ may dwell in your heart.
So is your heart a place where Jesus would feel at home? Or do you need to do some house cleaning?

Would you listen to the same music with Jesus in the room? Would you choose the same movies or TV shows if he was going to watch them with you? Would you visit the same web sites if he was looking over your shoulder?

The Holy Spirit won’t be comfotable in a house that is not pure. That’s why Jesus said in Matthew 5:8 “Blessed are the pure of heart for they shall see God.” If we want the Holy Spirit to be with us, we need to give him a good place to stay and dwell.

Why should we want the Holy Spirit to dwell in us? 1 Corinthians 12:7-11 says that the Holy Spirit gives us gifts of knowledge, wisdom, faith, prophecy, discernment of spirits, healing gifts, and more.

So how do we protect our hearts and make it a place God feels at home?

Step one, is we need to pray because this protects our heart. Philippians 4:6, 7, Let your requests be made known to God and the peace of God . . . . . . . will guard your hearts and minds.

Step two, we need to be reading the Bible because this grows your heart. Psalm 119:32, I will run the course of Your commandments, for You shall enlarge my heart. This is like home improvement for the Holy Spirit!

Step three, we must guard our eyes and ears from impure things.
Proverbs 27:20, Hell and destruction are never full, so the eyes of a man are never satisfied.
Proverbs 4:23, Keep your heart with all diligence for of it springs the lessons of life. Put away from you a deceitful mouth and put perverse lips far from you. Let your eyes look straight ahead. The straight path is God’s righteous one.

Don’t let things in to your eyes and ears that will poison your heart (affect your spirit) and make it a place where the Holy Spirit won’t feel at home.
There is this old Japanese proverb involving the three monkeys.
The three wise monkeys are a pictorial maxim. Together they embody the proverbial principle to "see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil". The three monkeys are Mizaru, covering his eyes, who sees no evil; Kikazaru, covering his ears, who hears no evil; and Iwazaru, covering his mouth, who speaks no evil. Sometimes there is a fourth monkey depicted with the three others; the last one, Shizaru, symbolizes the principle of "do no evil". For me if you guard what goes in (don't let evil in)then you are less likely to have evil speach and action come out of you.
SEE NO EVIL HEAR NO EVIL.

Calexico 7-16-10

Calexico realy is a great band, but they are cool too in that they give out some free shows, and of course they are from Arizona. Here is a show that the band posted to promote their tour. So if you like this go to the shows and by their stuff! http://www.casadecalexico.com/

Calexico
Nuremberg Germany
7-16-10
Soundboard

01. Roka
02. Bend To The Road
03. Inspiration
04. Crystal Frontier
05. Two Silver Trees
06. Red Blooms
07. Victor Jara's Hands
08. Man Made Lake
09. Fractured Air
10. All Systems Red

John Convertino: drums
Joey Burns: acoustic and electric guitar, vocals
Paul Niehaus: pedal steel, electric guitar, backing vocals
Jacob Valenzuela: trumpet, keys, vibes, percussion, vocals
Volker Zander: upright and electric bass, backing vocals
Martin Wenk: trumpet, guitar, keys, vibes, accordion,
backing vocals
Jairo Zavala: electric guitar, bouzouki, vocals

Here is the link I used to download the show
http://calexico.cashmusic.org/

Derek Trucks Band 10-05-01

This is another great sounding recording of the Derek Trucks Band from 2001. It has Susan Tedeschi singing on the last few songs. There is also a bonus of five songs from another show to fill out CD two.
Derek Trucks Band
Magnolia Street Pub, Spartanburg, SC
October 5, 2001
Source: SBD

Drums > Afro Blue
Everything is Everything
BurBop, Clown #2
Driftin', Kam-Ma-Lay > Drums
Band Intros, Lookout 31
For My Brother
Maki Madni > Rastaman Chant
Ain't That Lovin' You
Joyful Noise

Notes: Last 2 songs with Susan Tedeschi, Rico's Birthday.
Count M'Butu on Congas for the whole show

Tag on: Towson, MD, 10-12-01
Oriental Folk, Watch Yourself
Pleasant Garden, Like Anyone Else
B2 Boogaloo

Mp3/320k
Download Links
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=63H0XJ8C DTB 10-05-01 one.rar
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=MOVA4KJ0 DTB 10-05-01 two.rar

Canyon De Chelly National Monument, Arizona

Most people that come to Arizona go to the Grand Canyon and Sedona, and perhaps Lake Powell as the pass through or maybe even Monument Valley but up in the remote northeast corner of the state in an out of the way location is a gem of a spot called Canyon De Chelly National Monument. Canyon De Chelly is on the Navajo reservation and Navajos call themselves Diné (sometimes spelled in English as Dineh) which means "The People" in the Navajo language. In this canyon there are people living in traditional hogans with no running water and farming the land just as their ancestors did. And minding their sheep and crops as the tourist take pictures. The Diné are also not shy about trying to make a buck off the tourist by selling jewlery, rugs and tours.The canyon is very beautiful with smooth sandstone wall as high as 1000 feet in some places. And along with seeing the Diné people living in this beautiful place there are also some very well preserved cliff dwellings of the long past Anasazi culture. Canyon De Chelly National Monument is really made up of two twin canyons, Canyon Del Muerto and Canyon De Chelly, that come together at a junction. The canyons can be explored in three main ways. By looking down into the canyon from the rim from the many senic overlooks (this you do by driving your own car), by walking down into the canyon by trail to the White House Ruin (the only trail into the canyon open to the public), or buy truck with a Diné guide or escort to see the rest of the interior of the canyon and it's numerous ruins.There is a small stream or wash that runs through the bottom of the canyon called Chinle Wash. The stream forms from many tributaries flowing down out of the Chuska Mountains, passing through the twin canyons. Chinle Wash can be just a muddy trickle of water or a wide flowing river depending on the season (and if they are releasing water upstream at a dam). And the jeep or truck tours just drive right up the wash. When it is dry this is no big deal but when in flood stage the large army troop transport trucks can even have problems, as was the case on my trip there. When we were taking the tour we spent as much time watching them try to pull trucks out of the river as we did taking the tour. We also found a ruin that was off the beaten path from the main canyon called Three Turkey Ruin. This was seen from a overlook of a side canyon and was not in the main National Monument. There are actually many canyons here but the two main ones (and most accessible)are Canyon del Muerto and Canyon de Chelly. These many canyons and ravines branch out eastwards from Chinle into the Defiance Plateau.

Most of it may be reached only at rim level via rough, unpaved jeep tracks. Only the northernmost and southernmost edges are accessible from paved roads. The North Rim Drive (Indian Reservation 64) links Chinle with the north-south route IR 12 and passes several overlooks. The short hike down to the White House Ruin is well worth the effort. The trail is very well maintained and is only a few miles long. There is some effort due to you have to climb several hundred feet of elevation on the way back up and out of the canyon. The White House Ruin is very well preserved and in a spectacular location in an alcove at the base of a beautiful and dramatic cliff. Even if the ruin were not there the hike would be worth it to see the canyon bottom with it's trees and small stream and to look up at the majestic sandstone cliffs with desert varnish streaks.

The South Rim Drive is an out and back but offers more dramatic vistas then the north road, and ends at the most spectacular viewpoint, the overlook of Spider Rock. Spider rock is a free standing forked spire rising up 800 feet above the canyon floor. The rock is of special significance for the Diné and according to Diné legend, the Spider Woman lives on top and keeps the bones of her victims there.
If you plan on going I recommend you make reservations for the truck or jeep tour in advance. And if you want to stay in the lodge I'm sure it would be wise to plan in advance. To get there from I-40: Take exit 333 onto US 191 north. Follow US 191 north 60 miles to Chinle, then turn east (right) toward the Canyon de Chelly entrance. This drive takes about 1.5 hours.

Time Off

Well I'm going to take about ten days off from this blog. I will post a few more shows as a send off to tide people over. I guess this is a good time to go back and get the stuff you passed over the first time around. I'm sure you can all survive without me for the next ten days. Thanks to all who have been coming to visit, if you agree with me or not. I prefer people who speak their view, even if I disagree, over the ones who have no view at all. You need to stand for something in life or you will fall for anything. God bless

Oh yea one more thing. Please try to play nice together while I'm away. Or I might have to sick the "Federales" on ya.

The Promised Land In This Lifetime or Don’t Hit The Rock

Moses was a great man of God but he never got to enter the Promised Land.
Like him we may be following God and be saved but miss out on blessing God has for us in this lifetime. Let’s read Numbers 20:7-12 to see what kept Moses from entering the Promised Land. God told Moses “Take the rod; and your brother Aaron gather the congregation together. Speak to the rock before their eyes, and it will yield water.” Moses had before been told to strike the Rock and water flowed out of the rock, but this time the instructions were to speak to the rock and not strike it. However we see in Numbers 20:3-5 the people of the congregation are complaining again to Moses and Aaron. By now Moses has seen them complaining many times and it has had a big price (forty years in the wilderness). Moses was frustrated and angry with them for complaining again and lacking faith. So he went out and instead of speaking to the rock he said to the people “Hear now, you rebels! Must we bring water for you out of this rock?" Then he struck the rock twice with his rod. Because of this he was not allowed to enter the Promised Land.
At first this may seem like a stiff penalty for this. But if we investigate we may find more insight as why God took this seriously. To understand this we must know what the rock is. When a rock is spoken of in God’s word I have learned to look for Jesus. We are to build our life on the “rock” that is Jesus and He will offer us “living water” that if we drink we will never thirst again. When Moses wanted to see God’s glory he was placed in a cleft in the rock for protection. We cannot come close to God and see even a glimpse of God without the protection and covering of Jesus our cleft or damaged “rock”. In 1 Corinthians 10:4 we see Apostle Paul speaking of the people who followed Moses. He said “All drank the same spiritual drink. For they all drank of that spiritual rock that followed them. And that rock is Jesus.”
So when Moses hit the rock in a sense he was hitting Jesus. All parents are very protective of their children. If you hit my child with a stick I am going to protect her. When you hit God’s only Son He will want to protect Him. Every time we sin we are hitting Jesus again, and their may be a cost to us in this lifetime for this behavior.

Many of the things in the Old Testament speak of what was and is still to come in Jesus Christ. They are physical pictures of spiritual truths for us. This moment with the rock and the stick is like that. I believe God intended this moment of speaking to the rock to be prophetic about when Jesus came and offered us living water (The Holy Spirit). In John 7:38-39 Jesus said, “If any Man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believe on Me, as the scriptures have said, out of his heart shall flow rivers of living water”. Jesus said this to the people as the came together on the last day of the Feast of Tabenacles a Jewish celebration of the time in the desert when they were saved by the water flowing out of the rock. It was to be a picture of how to lead people to Jesus to get a drink of the spirit, but instead God used it as a lesson for how not to do it.
Moses misrepresented God and messed up the positive message. Moses hit the rock out of anger with the rod. He was told to speak to the rock with a rod in his hand. We see that rod earlier in Numbers 17:8 sprouted blossoms and almonds (fruit). This rod spoke of his authority to lead and speaks of being born again (it came back to life). The fruit speaks of the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22-23 “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self control,” We can only show others God’s glory if we are born again (changed and renewed) and we walk out our lives in the fruit of the Spirit (love, joy, patience, kindness, etc.). Moses came with impatience, hostility, anger, and a lack of self control, but none of the fruit. We can’t represent God this way and have good results. Moses polluted the picture God wanted others to see. James 1:20 says For the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God.
When we as Christians representing God are seen by others with anger, hostility, impatience, and speak unkind words we pollute the picture God wants others to see in us. We can’t bless others with anger and hostility in our hearts and God blesses those who bless others. With the wrong attitude we will not receive all the blessings God has for us in this lifetime (The Promised Land). When we hit the rock (Jesus) by continual sin in our lives there will be consequences for our sin in this lifetime.
Moses was to speak to the rock carrying the rod in his hand that had sprouted blossoms and almonds. We are to speak to Jesus carrying with us a born again life (true cahange) and the fruit of the spirit. In this way we can give people a drink of the “living water” or the Holy Spirit. Speaking to a rock would have appeared strange to many. When we pray to a God that others can’t see it must seem strange to them. But with the fruit of the spirit in hand and the changed life of being born again and prayers to Jesus we can show them how to get a drink of “living water” and lead them out of a spiritual wilderness into the Promised Land or a better spirit filled life.
God’s mercy and grace is beyond any knowledge we could have. Moses probably thought God was fed up with the complaining. But we do not know God’s limits. God still let the water flow out of the rock even when Moses was disobedient. Moses still went to heaven when he died. Moses even got to be in the Promised Land 1500 years later when he and Elijah met Jesus on the mountain and Jesus was transfigured.
Moses had a bad day and he was treated unjustly by the congregation who “gathered against Moses and Aaron” and “contended with Moses”. He reacted to this unjust behavior with anger and frustration. How did the rock (Jesus) react to being beaten unjustly? Jesus on His “bad day” shows us all how it should be done. Jesus did not show hostility or anger He did not even defend himself. He prayed for those who unjustly hurt Him. In Luke 23:34 He said “Father, forgive them for they do not know what they do.” He also kept his eye on heaven and doing God’s work. In Luke 23:43 He said “Assuredly I say to you, today you will be with Me in paradise.” Keeping you eye on heaven and God’s work helps keep a smile on our faces. The “rock” when beaten unjustly still let the water flow.

Just like Moses, we may see the blessings now or we may not. But through God’s grace and mercy we are saved and have eternal life. And just like Moses someday we will return and see the Promised Land with Jesus on a mountain top. It says in Zachariah 14 “His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives” and “The Mount of olives will be split in two” and “in that day it shall be that living waters shall flow from Jerusalem, and all the saints will be with Him".

We still have salvation if we believe in Christ even when we mess up. But we may miss out on some of the blessings God has in mind for us in our time on earth if we don’t represent God in the way he has in mind. Don’t hit the rock with the stick instead speak to it and carry the rod with blossoms and fruit. We need to speak to Jesus (pray) and walk showing others our born again lives and the fruit of the Spirit if we want to lead others who are spiritually thirsty to the living water and the Promised Land of a spirit filled life.

Radiators and Warren Haynes

These are some Radiators tracks with Warren Haynes of the Allman Brothers sitting in as a guest. They are from two different shows. The second of the shows is from Warren Haynes wedding reception where the Radiators were the entertainment and the groom and his friends (Gov't Mule) decided to play with the band.

Radiators with Warren Haynes
Radiators
Irving Plaza
New York, NY
4-12-97
Soundboard

Good Morning Miss Brown *
Down the Road I Go *
My Babe *
Jump Back *
Sympathy for the Devil *
Encore:
Crowd Noise
Junco Partner *
Brown-Eyed Girl *
w/Warren Haynes*

Radiators
Mayflower Hotel Grand Ballroom
Washington, DC
10-04-97
Soundboard

Blues Jam ***, Born Under A Bad Sign *** >
I've Been Workin' **** > Who Do You Love >
Born Under A Bad Sign *****
Talkin' To You On The Phone ******, Intro >
Never Let Your Fire Go Out *******
*** w/Gov't Mule and w/o Frank, Reggie, Dave
**** w/Gov't Mule and Mike Barnes on guitar
***** w/Gov't Mule and Jack Mascari on guitar
****** w/Gov't Mule and Chris Anderson on guitar
******* w/o Frank and w/unknown drummer
Mp3/320k
Download Link
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=P7T39QB4 Radiators with Warren Haynes.rar

Lake Powell

I have touched on Lake Powell before but just a brief post about a trip to Rainbow Bridge. But Lake Powell is so much more than that. Lake Powell is a very large man made lake in a fantastic canyon called Glen Canyon. The lake was formed when Glen Canyon Dam was built in 1963 backing up the Colorado River into Glen Canyon. The dam is 710 feet tall and a tour of the dam is available to visitors. The area of Lake Powell is made up of Glen Canyon and fantastic system of side canyons creating a wonderland of slots and narrow channels. You can easily get confused on this lake without good navigational skills and maps.
And sticking up out above the lake are amazing sandstone cliffs, buttes, and monoliths of all shapes and sizes and that alone is worth the visit. Because most can only be seen from the water the best way to see Lake Powell is of course by boat. Lake Powell has over 2,000 miles of shoreline which is more than the combined states on the Pacific Coast of the United States. This makes finding a secluded camp location and having a cove all to yourself pretty easy. The lake is 400 feet deep in some places and is 186 miles long and has a water storage capacity of 27,000,000 acre feet of water. This makes for plenty of room to water ski in the most surreal environment you can imagine. There are only a few areas where the lake can be accessed by road so a boat is needed to see most parts of the lake. Once on the lake you can enjoy swimming, water skiing, jet skiing, fishing, camping, and hiking including trips to spectacular Rainbow Bridge. Lake Powell is in the middle of a vast high desert area with very little population. The lake straddles the Arizona-Utah border approximately a five hour drive from both Phoenix and Las Vegas. Flagstaff Arizona is about 130 miles south on US 89. The largest city near Lake Powell is Page Arizona with a population of about 10,000 residents located just a few miles from the Southwest end of the lake. Page is where most visitors access the lake and it has the biggest marina (Wahweep Marina)and offers a variety of boat and jet ski rentals, houseboat rentals, guided tours and much more. Even just taking a swim in the lake near Page can be enjoyable if you are limited for time. Page is where I have gone to rent a boat because it's the shortest drive to get to, and have often stopped while on my way to other destinations as well. The city of Page has all the supplies you will need and has a variety of hotels to stay in as well as the Lodge at the waters edge in Wahweep Marina. There is also some fun slickrock mountain bike riding to do in the Page area. And near Page are some great slot canyons Antalope, and Waterholes Canyons)as well as some other geat hiking destinations such as the Coyote Buttes. For me though I have found camping out on the lake to be the best way to see it because of the huge size of the lake. Because the lake is so big it takes a very long time to get out to the best parts of the lake. And if you camp overnight you get to be out on the lake for the spectacular sunrises and sunsets. And calling these sunsets and sunrises spectacular is quite an understatement to say the least!
This also will give you some time to get off the water and hike and see some of the impressive side canyons and channels. Also camping on the lake lets you take time to view the stars and the night time sky on this lake is fantastic due to the remote areas with no man made light sources and the incredibly dry air. It's quite a treat to set up camp in a remote cove and swim in the crystal clear water and have it all to yourself. At the very northeast end of the lake is Hite Marina it is very small, remote and very isolated. Hite is known for floating driftwood that can damage a boat and put and end to the adventure, and offers very little services. There is no lodge, and no RV park, only primitive camping. There is a marina store at Hite. Hite is approximately 90 miles from Blanding, Utah (take Highway 95 straight to the marina). From Hanksville, take Highway 95 straight to Hite Marina. Hite is 148 miles by boat from the other end of the lake. In the middle of the Lake is Bullfrog and Halls Crossing Marinas. Bullfrog Marina is the second largest marina on Lake Powell, Bullfrog is located approximately 70 land miles from Hanksville, Utah and 95 lake miles from Glen Canyon Dam. It is also located across the lake from Hall's Crossing Marina. Both marinas are connected via the John Atlantic Burr Ferry, an extension of Highway 276. You can take your car, trailer or RV on the ferry, the cost is more per foot for trailers and RV's. The ferry operates on a first-come, first-served basis, so it is recommended you arrive 30 minutes before schedule departure (your vehicle will wait in line). If you MUST get across using the ferry, or if you are taking the last scheduled service across, be there earlier. The trip takes 20 to 30 minutes. When visiting Bullfrog, I recommend staying at Ticaboo Lodge, just 12 miles from the marina or at Defiance House Lodge at the marina. This area is remote, the nearest town is Hanksville, Utah, which offers few services and amenities so you better pack all that you need. Make plans well in advance because it is not unusual for all accommodations at both Bullfrog and Hall's to be completely sold out months in advance. Bullfrog Marina operates on Utah time. To reach Bullfrog from Hanksville, go south on I-95 to highway 276. This highway will take you into Bullfrog Marina. The roads are well posted. Please note that on highway 12 and highway 24 to Hanksville, you are likely to encounter livestock, deer, rabbits, coyotes, etc. Go slow! Although there are a number of graded dirt roads that SEEM to be a shortcut, these are not recommended if you are towing a boat, driving an RV or if there have been recent rains. Stick to the main highway. Generally, these dirt roads are not shortcuts as your speed will be greatly reduced. Always carry plenty of water and supplies as there are few services between small towns.
Half way between Bullfrog Marina and Page is Dangling Rope Marina it is located approximately 40 lake miles from Glen Canyon Dam and 55 lake miles from Hall's and Bullfrog Marinas. It is a stop along the way to Rainbow Bridge. There is no land access to Dangling Rope and you cannot rent houseboats, powerboats, etc. from this marina. There is no launch ramp. The marina is basically a fuel stop for boaters on their way up lake or down lake. In additional to fuel, there is a small marina store offering the best soft serve ice cream around (it's the only around), in addition to basic supplies. When boating on Lake Powell, never pass this marina without topping off your fuel tanks