Sunrise on the Cedar Breaks the day before on the way to Brian Head.
2 JULY 2022 W7U/IR-002
| Route: | Jeep track and coss-country |
| Hike Distance: | .3 miles round trip |
| Elevation Gain: | 250′ |
| Navigation: | Easy |
| Steepness: | Moderate |
| Vehicle: | Passenger car |
| Road: | One mile good dirt road |
| Cell Coverage: | Unknown – forgot my cell! |
Perhaps one of the most engaging aspects of SOTA for me is the unexpected twists and turns on the road to adventure that the goal-setting of the program fosters. The impetus may be the abstract concept of adding a few points to the tally, but once out in the real world, all kinds of other, unexpected things happen.
This one started out pleasantly enough. I had spent the day in the tidy town of Cedar City after activating Brian Head the day before. I left in the dawn twilight and motored up Highway 14 to the lovely Highway 148. This route has some spectacular views of Zion Canyon to the south and goes through the beautiful Cedar Breaks. Wildflowers were blooming in profusion in the late spring of upper elevations.
When I got to the trailhead, I could not find my phone.
I was certain I had it when I left the motel. This did not bode well. I tore my truck apart to no avail. So… no photos. No tracking. No map. No flying Chester (the drone’s controller requires my iPhone). No spotting via SOTA Goat. Hmmm… what to do? what to do?
Well, fortunately I could spot with my Garmin InReach Mini, but the bigger issue: where was my phone? I vaguely remembered putting it on the edge of the bed of the truck – never a good idea. I thought maybe it might be beside the road where it could’ve fallen off the edge on the way out.
When I got back to the motel room I called up Find My on my laptop and it showed my iPhone about two blocks away — but in the opposite direction of where I pulled out that morning. I walked down the street and at the marked location was a Verizon Store. I walked in and inquired if they might’ve found a phone. No joy there. When I looked closely at the Find My location, the pin wasn’t exactly in the store but just by the front door.
There behind the security gate was my phone.
I imagine some early morning walker had spotted my phone in the street, picked it up and walked a few blocks to place it inside the security gate of the not-yet-open Verizon Store! How cool was that? Nice people in Cedar City Utah.
KG6MZS 