Motorhoming to Colorado and Beyond 2011

 

 

 

 

 

 

The weather in the Moab area has been spectacular  with temps in the 70’s and bright sunshine. So bright that Ron and I  have sunburns. Very unusual for us. We have been wearing sunscreen and hats but being so high in elevation really makes a difference in the intensity of the heat from the sun.

Canyonlands if far more expansive and beautiful then we could have imagined. The topography is very different from Arches and stunning at every turn.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We decided to take a hike over the Upheaval Dome Trail. It has two parts – the lower trail and the upper trail. I planned on the lower trail but Ron wanted to do both.

The theory is that the Dome is either the result of an asteroid or ice that fell from the  sky  causing  the massive crater 6 billion years ago. The crater is huge and  very impressive.

Again Ron was not satisfied with just these views so it was up the mountain we went.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The walk down the mountain was a little easier and I’m glad we did make it to the top. The views were spectacular and breathtaking.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After we finished the two hour hike we stopped for a picnic lunch. Later we stopped at the  Mesa Arch Trail and were once again not disappointed in the views.

Words and pictures cannot describe or capture   how beautiful this was. The arch sits at the edge of a cliff that looks straight down into the canyon.

 

 

More Wild Flowers:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Back at the CG Jewel was being Jewel brought her squirrel outside. She always stands it on its legs then leaves it there. If you tell her to get her squirrel she looks at us like we’re nuts. (Maybe we are!!!)

 

Tomorrow we go back into Canyonlands for more hikes.

The last few days have been hectic and very busy for us so our postings are a little late.

We left Slick Rock CG around 10 am hoping to get a site at Horsethief CG a Bureau of Land Management CG just outside Canyonland National Park.

 

 

We were only traveling 20 miles but because the holiday w/e was upon us we wanted to make sure we got a space. All the private CG’s are fully booked for the weekend.

Upon arriving at Horsethief  we were pleasantly surprised to find a well developed CG overlooking a magnificent view of the mountains and plateaus.

 

The night views were equally magnificent and not easy to capture in a picture.

Tomorrow we head into Canyonland National Park and a whole new experience.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The weather was beautiful and sunny as promised. This is our last planned day here and I wasn’t sure if the 3.2 mile R/T hike to Delicate Arch was a go.

I felt fairly well so Ron and I headed back into Arches for the uphill challenge. Despite some leg discomfort I was able to make the 1.6 mile uphill trek to see the infamous arch.

The trail  to the arch took us by  Wolfe Ranch  and the homestead that the Wolf family lived it. Very tiny for such a large family.

 

 

The hike up the mountain was beautiful yet difficult. I had to stop frequently to stretch which worked out very well.

1.6 miles up is quite the challenge but we did it and the view of Delicate Arch was worth every step.

 

 

After spending time being awed by the arch and the view we headed back down the mountain. It was a whole lot easier going down then up. Many of the wildflowers are in bloom so we captured some great pictures of them.

 

 

A side trail led to some interesting and well preserved petroglyphs.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We finally made it back to the car 2.5 hours from start to finish. We stopped again for a picnic lunch and again were treated to another great picnic area with a view.

One last stop at Sand Dune Arch and we will have pretty much done Arches. We always leave something behind and that would be a  7 mile and 6 mile hike that we didn’t feel we were up to doing.

Sand Dune Arch sits in a little alcove with bright green trees. it is quite an enchanting venue and one of the spaces we like the best.

 

 

 

What a great end to another wonderful day. We have been in and out of Arches for the past four days and everyday we are amazed and awe-inspired by the beauty of it all. Both Ron and I agree that Arches is equally if not more beautiful then the Grand Canyon!!

Tomorrow we head on to Canyonlands National Park. There are not private campgrounds in that area so we hope to get into a Bureau of Land Management (BLM) CG. Memorial Day weekend is upon us and we understand that it gets really hectic around here.

We woke today to pouring rain and dark skies. Today is suppose to be the rainiest day of the week with breaks of sun later in the day.

Around noon we headed back to Arches and once again were amazed at how different everything looked framed by overcast skies. 

 

 

We hiked to  Turret Arch another uphill climb but worth the effort.

 

 

 

 

Then it was on to the Double Arch - the arch with a personality.

Ron decided he wanted to climb to the top. I got half-way up but turned back. My short legs work against me when trying to get from one level to the next.

Getting back to the car we had to walk up approx. 100 steps. We both did great and didn’t have to stop at all.

We then went to have a picnic lunch. Our three hour window of good weather came to an end with dark skies and the threat of rain once again. We decided rather then take a chance getting caught in another rain storm we would head back to the CG.

Unfortunately, I developed sciatica pain just before getting to the car. What???? I was fine, then WHAM – excruciating pain. I spent the rest of the afternoon with an ice pack.  Can’t let this stop me now.

Tomorrow , if all is well will return and finish the last of the hikes we want to do. The weather is predicted to be warm and sunny.