This section of our trip has turned out to be one of the most interesting sections. I'm dividing it up to be able to describe some of the sights with a good representation in a picture. First off: the highway that we're following is Route 89, which happens to be the path that a 25 year old Spaniard led a small party of traders from New Mexico to what is now Los Angeles, California. They used pack mules to carry woolen goods to California and returned the following year with livestock and more pack mules to sell at premium prices to the people in New Mexico. It became lucrative enough to encourage others to follow the same route through the Grand Escalante (Staircase). The Grand Escalante is named from the formations of the sandstone mountains in the area.