We have been in the Moab area for 10 days and love it here. Today we will be going into Dead Horse Point State Park. The state park sits in the middle of Canyonlands National Park because it was here before Canyonlands was declared a National Park in 1964.
Last night we had a terrific windstorm that rocked the MH most of the night. The wind in this area is almost a constant but last night was the worst. We could hear thunder rumbling in the distance and woke to 40 degree temperatures, quite a change from the 70’s and 80’s we have been experiencing.
Dead Horse Point State Park towers 2000 feet above the Colorado River and provides some of the best views of the canyon country of southeastern Utah and Canyonlands National Park.
The legend of Dead Horse Point stated that in the 1800’s, cowboys used Dead Horse Point to catch wild horses. With sheer cliffs on all sides and an access only 30 yards wide, the point made a perfect horse trap. Cowboys herded horses onto the point and built a fence across the narrow neck to create a natural corral. According to legend a band of horses left corralled on the waterless point died of thirst within view of the Colorado River 2,000 feet below.
The bright blue pools in the background in the canyon are where they harvest Potash a sodium/potassium substance used for fertilizer. We can’t believe they have that in the middle of this spectacular scenery. I guess because Dead Horse is a state park they don’t have to follow the rules that apply to national park land.
There are wild flowers every where growing along the toad and out of the rocks.
We spent approximately two hours at Dead Horse. We saturated the area and headed back to the CG to get ready for our move tomorrow. Will continue heading West and see what we run into before getting to Kelly’s.
Back at the CG I spent some time cleaning the red sand and dust out of the inside of the Jeep. Ron rearranged the compartments under the MH and started a great last night camp fire for us.
While I was cooking dinner Ron took Jewel for a walk. During that walk she disappeared causing Ron’s heart to sink. Of course she wasn’t leased (breaking the rules again – Ron!) She had been hunting a critter under the rocks and he coaxed her away but when he stopped to tie his shoe she went back. He retraced his steps and found her. Now we have a red-headed dog.
We spent a relaxing evening planning our exit from the area. Tomorrow we are back on the road again.
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