Day 2

Legacy Inn and RV Park Price, Utah

Today was a day for exploring.  Our first stop was downtown Price.  We walked around the Coal Miners Memorial.  Coal mining was and is a dangerous business.  Many men were lost in a series of incidents over the years.    In 1924 many men were killed in the Rains Explosion and then that same year other lives were lost in the Castle Gate Explosion.  There was another explosion at Standardville in 1930, rescuers were also lost during a recovery operation. The Peerless Explosion occurred that same year.  In 1945 there was the Sunnyside Utah Fuel Explosion and the Kennilworth Explosion.  There was an explosion at Spring Canyon in 1958.  In 2000 there was the Willow Creek Explosion and the Winter Quarters Explosion.  There were lots of other smaller accidents as well.  The names of all of the men who were killed in the coal mining business in Carbon County were listed.

Price is Right for…

The Veteran’s Memorial.

The Prehistoric Museum of Utah State University  is an impressive place. 

We visited the Hall of Paleontology first. 

The Utahraptor.

This display was interesting.  It is meant to show us the relativity of time from a geological, paleontological perspective.  “Geology gave us the immensity of time and taught us how little of it our species has occupied.”  -Stephen Gould

Most of the fossils in the museum were collected near the museum.  This is a trilobite.

Nearby there is the Jurassic National Monument.  There you can actually see the dinosaur bones imbedded in the earth.  I had hoped to go there but they are currently only open on weekends.  There is the largest concentration of Allsaurus bones in this quarry than anywhere else.  There are other species as well.  Scientists have lots of hypotheses but are really not sure why so many dinosaur bones exist in this area.  The exhibit shows a plot picture of where the more than 12,000 bones were found. 

A stegosaurus.

Allosuarus.

Duckbill dinosaur.

Lots of dinosaur tracks have been found in coal mines.

View from the balcony.

The second portion of the museum is the Hall of Archeology.  Here the history of man and prehistoric animals is depicted.

Many artifacts have been gathered from ancient Native American sites.

Construction tools.

And how did it all fall apart…what caused the extinction of the mammoths and the saber tooths…

I very much enjoyed the museum.  It was yet another reminder that we are so very small and here for such a very short time.

We drove to the town of Helper about 5 miles north. 

We found a small café called the Balanced Rock Pub and Eatery for our brunch.  The omelets were delicious!

Helper was also a mining town.  We visited the outdoor portion of the coal mining museum to see the equipment that was used.

The Balanced Rock of Helper.

I spent a large portion of my afternoon doing laundry and cleaning the RV. 

It has been so very dusty…it was nice to really scrub things while we were at a full-service RV park.  Tomorrow, we will take the Jeep for service.

Mileage: 68,217

Legacy Inn and RV Resort Price, Utah

Last night we had very gusty winds and thunder and lightning. It was extremely dark. There was no moon, there were no stars, the sky was blanketed by clouds, and this ranch lives off the grid. They had no lights on in the big house or anywhere in the campground.

This morning the sky was thick with fast moving clouds

It rained this morning too. This rainbow was over the town of Wellington.

We stopped to get fuel and there was a sign about Nine Mile Canyon. It is over 40 miles long and apparently has a large collection of ancient artwork spanning 8,000 years. We didn’t even know that yesterday when we were staying there.

We drove a little more than 30 miles to the town of Price. The campground is nothing special but we have been very spoiled! We spent the afternoon doing ordinary things. Reading, cooking dinner in the crockpot, and watching NASCAR. Tomorrow we hope to explore a little.

Mileage: 68,179

Nine Mile Ranch RV Park Wellington, Utah

We had offered to take Linda and Dominik out of town with us. They were headed to Goblin State Park and then the other 3 national parks in the area. In order for them to get there, they either had to backtrack many many miles, or travel across Interstate 70. Since we were leaving on the same day, we met them at the Maverick Station and packed their gear in the Jeep and the bikes in the RV and we set out. There were many places along 191 where there was no shoulder or the shoulder was composed of a rumble strip. Once we were on 70, there was no other bicycle traffic and it is a very busy highway with a speed limit of 80 mph. I did check and we were 1,757 miles from home on 70…amazing really that we could just get on 70 and go straight home! We took Linda and Dominik to Route 24 where we left them on the side of the road. A quieter country road with less traffic. They were grateful for the lift. We once again parted ways, but it is possible we will catch up with them again in one of the parks. For now, we are headed north toward Price. We have to get the Jeep serviced and that was the nearest Jeep dealer.

The view was fairly unremarkable. Once we left Moab, we left the red rock behind. The view was rather grey and plain with stubby desert bushes.

As we traveled north, we found ourselves in a small town called Wellington. A Google search recommended a stay at the Nine Mile Ranch in Nine Mile Canyon. We called and they could accommodate us. As soon as we turned onto Nine Mile Canyon Road, the view got much prettier. We were on a Backcountry Byway.

Signs of autumn.

Open range.

Back at the ranch.

We stayed inside most of the afternoon. It was very windy. As I was cooking dinner, Tim thought he could hear cattle. Nine Mile Ranch is actually a working cattle ranch. The cattle had wandered into the campground and were mooing rather loudly!

We decided to go for a sunset ride through the canyon.

Goodnight ladies!

Day 4

Ken’s Lake Campground Moab, Utah

Today was our last day in Moab.  We wanted to go to Arches National Park.  We had noticed that there have been really long lines of cars waiting to get in.  A gentleman the other day told us to go very early in the morning.  Yesterday, Dominik and Linda went early in the morning.  They said that seeing the moon and the sunrise were amazing.  So, we set our alarm for 5:30.  We stopped for coffee and headed to the park.  There was no line to get in, but at 6:15 there was a steady stream of traffic headed up the hill.  The stars and the Milky Way were incredible.

As we drove down the park road, we could see forms, shapes, and shadows.  There was the tiniest sliver of moon.  Then, the light began to change.

This is North Window and South Window.

There was an off-road trail.  From here we could see Delicate Arch, the park icon.

We hiked to Sand Dune Arch.

And then, to Broken Arch.

Desert life.

We drove to the end of the park road.  In addition to the arches there are spires, pinnacles, balanced rocks, fins, and monoliths.

We hiked to Tunnel Arch.

And then, to Pine Tree Arch.

Arches National Park has a higher concentration of arches than anywhere else in the world.  The more than 2,000 arches were formed over the course of 100 million years of erosion by a combination of gravity, wind, water, ice, extreme temperatures, and the movement of salt deep in the ground.  300 million years ago, this area was a sea.  The water evaporated over time, leaving behind salt deposits.  In places, this bed of salt is thousands of feet thick.  This salt isn’t dense enough to support the heavy rock on top.  It liquifies and moves, causing arches to form.  In this area, it is not common to have earthquakes.  For this reason, the arches have been geologically sound for about 50,000 years.  In time, these arches will revert to the sand that shaped them, even as new arches are continuously forming. 

Native American peoples lived here for thousands of years and for them and for their ancestors these are sacred grounds.  Tim and I certainly felt like Arches is a really special place and seeing it by the brightness of the scant moon, in the early morning light gave us an entirely new perspective.

As we left the park, the was a line of 130 cars, (I counted), waiting to get in!

We took naps and enjoyed a quiet, relaxing afternoon.  Actually, I had what I call a two-boy day!!  That’s when I hear from both David and Kyle on the same day…it always makes my heart happy!

This evening we headed to town for dinner.  We had Chinese food at the Moab Food Truck Court.

Day 3

Ken’s Lake Campground Moab, Utah

Today we decided to take a break from being in the car and driving so much…we don’t want our driver to get too burnt out!

But first, a short ride on the gravel road behind the campground.

The lake and campground.

We took the bikes into town. The first order of business was to sit somewhere long enough to post the blog from the last 3 days…then we could ride. There is a nice paved path from the edge of town to the Colorado River.

This pedestrian bridge “celebrates connections, beauty, people and place on shared trails through time.”

We rode back into town and got some lunch at Zax.

I was able to get an appointment at a hair salon this afternoon. It felt good to get a good haircut!

The sky looked a little threatening when we returned…but it never did rain.

I love cool clouds, especially with cool rocks!

And then…this…the rainbow was brilliant!!!

And then this rain curtain glowing as the sun sets on the other side of the mountain, the angry grey bank of storm clouds…kind of an awesome picture.

Day 2

Ken’s Lake Campground Moab, Utah

Happy Birthday Dana!!!

Today we took the White Rim Trail from Canyonlands National Park.  To drive on this trail, you must have a 4×4 and you must have a permit.  The entire trail is 110 miles long.  In a Jeep, it takes 2 days to complete.  It was our intention to travel the whole distance but all of the tent sites along the way were taken.  Tim had seen the trail from the scenic overlooks yesterday and he really wanted to drive “down there.”  We decided to do part of it as a day trip.  See the road down there…

The White Rim Trail begins with a portion of the Shafer Trail that we did yesterday.  So, we went back down the steep and narrow ledge, with tight switchbacks and gorgeous views.  This road took us down 1,400 feet to the roadbed below.  This is the equivalent of descending 140 stories.

The White Rim Road is named for the white rim sandstone that encircles most of the canyon, around the river gorge.

This road was originally built in the 1950’s by miners hauling uranium out of these cliffs.  There are several places in Moab where uranium was harvested.  There is a huge project called the UMTRA project that has been undertaken by the US Department of Energy.  The goal is to remove 16 million tons of  contaminated uranium tailings from a location along the Colorado River. 

This is the Colorado River Overlook.  We are standing on the roadbed above the river gorge.  Our view is of sheer canyon walls, majestic cliffs, and the river flowing far below.  Tim called this a “holy crap” edge…we didn’t venture too close.

We stopped to see Musselman Arch.

Even in this dry desert environment we see reminders of life.  This prickly pear cactus is bearing fruit.

Something enjoyed a meal, leaving the hull empty after devouring the fleshy insides.

We saw lots of ground squirrels today.  There are all kinds of burrows beneath rocks and in cliffsides.   Bighorn sheep thrive in this area.  I spent a lot of the day scanning for sheep, tarantulas, and scorpions. The spiders are nocturnal.  At this time of year though, the male tarantulas walk together in lines looking for mates.

These rock formations were interesting.

Pillars…so impressive here in person…

Airport Tower.

We took a spur to Lathrop Canyon for lunch.  This was my favorite part of the drive.  The landscape was otherworldly as we descended I to the river gorge into the jumble of giant boulders below.

As we headed back, I started to wonder where all of the material that was swept out of the canyon by erosion and water ended up…somewhere south of here…the river flows south…

We climbed back up to the mesa.  This was an amazing day!  Again, we were able to see something that most people never see…

The sunrises and sunsets here are usually fairly unremarkable. The sun slides down behind the mountain and then sneaks up over the peaks the next morning. The air is so dry and there are few clouds. Tonight there were a few wispy clouds and so the colors were pretty!

Mileage:  68,018

Ken’s Lake Campground Moab, Utah

Happy Birthday Mom!!!

We moved the RV and packed our cooler.  Linda and Dominik wanted to come with us today to Canyonlands.  We put their bikes on the back of the Jeep and packed all of their bags.  They were hoping to stay in the campground at the park. 

We stopped at the Canyonlands Visitor Center so that they could fill their water bottles.  We walked across to the overlook…and WOW!  This portion of the National Park is called Island in the Sky.  The accessible area is on the top of a very large mesa.  The mesa is surrounded by the meandering Colorado River and fabulous canyons. 

We went to the campground and there was not one available site.  There was one woman from Oregon parked by herself on a large space.  Linda and Dominik asked her if they might set up their tent on her site.  She explained that she had to get there at 6 in the morning and wait for someone to leave in order to get a site.  Monday evening, she shared with 6 other people who needed a space.  She allowed them to stay. 

After they unloaded all of their gear, the young couple toured the rest of the park with us. 

They shared our picnic lunch and then Tim and the two of them walked to Upheaval Dome, the site of what was probably a meteor impact. 

After we completed the scenic drive, we took Dominik and Linda back to there home for the night. 

We took the Shafer Trail back to Moab.  This gravel road took us to the bottom of the canyon where we followed the course of the Colorado River.  It was gorgeous!

Moab Salt Mining Company.

WE stopped at the store on our way back to the RV. We grilled salmon and enjoyed our dinner outside by a campfire. Another excellent day!

Day 2

Spanish Trail RV Park Moab, Utah

This day was about riding around Moab looking for a place to camp for the next several days.  We began at the Moab Field Office of the BLM.  The man there gave Tim a good map of camping options and some suggestions about where we might stay.

The first stop was along 279.  There were 4 campgrounds but only 2 that could accommodate our RV.  One was along the river. 

We decided to keep looking.  We arrived at Sand Flats.  This is a destination for 4×4 drivers.  There were tons of available sites.  We went for a ride on a 4WD trail while we were there.  We rode on the Fins and Things trail.  The route was slickrock and soft sand.  Slickrock is polished sandstone and it is…well… slick!  The geology was pretty interesting and different than anything else we had seen so far.

A really, really steep decline…the video doesn’t really show just how steep it was!

After finishing most of the trail, we knew we had seen enough of the park. 

The last stop was Ken’s Lake.  There were a couple of really pretty sites with beautiful views.  We would move here on Tuesday.

Earlier in the day, we had received a text for Linda and Dominik.  They wanted to let us know that they were coming to Moab.  They wanted to know where we were staying.  We were waiting to turn at this stop sign and Tim spotted them biking toward us…such a weird coincidence. 

We invited them to stay with us.  The two cycled to the RV after driving an extra 6 miles so that they could bring us beer and Lindt (Swiss) chocolate. 

We made salad and fruit and ordered pizza from Dominos.  They delivered the hot pizza right to our RV.  We had a pleasant evening visiting and telling stories.   

Mileage:  68,008

Spanish Trail RV Park Moab, Utah

Today we dove just a short distance to Moab. 

Wilson Arch.  I watched the guy in the white shirt hike down the hill with this cello strapped to his back…not sure what he was doing with it way up there!

We had hoped to make some plans and reservations on the road, but we had very limited WiFi for the past three days.  We tried the Koa just south of town.  They were full and they wished us luck.  It is finally lower than 100 degrees here and it is their very busy season.  We were also waiting for it to be cooler before we came so we get it.  We did find a site at Spanish Trail RV Park but only for one night, tomorrow we can stay here if we move to another site and then only for one night.  At least this gives us a chance to scope out the area, see what we want to do, and find another place to stay.  The campground is not lovely, but it has everything we need.  I spent the afternoon catching up on the blog and doing laundry.  Tim was able to watch the Ravens game and rest today.  We did go get groceries and the store was mobbed.  We are not accustomed to being around so many people! 

We rode along the Colorado River.  There are several BLM campgrounds right by the water.  They are first come, first serve.  I don’t know if we will get to stay there or if we will find something else.

I love these imposing burnished coppery cliffs.

Later this evening we went to Fiesta Mexicana for dinner.  The food was good and the margaritas even better!

Day 2

Superbowl Campground BLM Indian Creek Recreation Area Monticello, Utah

Yesterday, we were able to obtain a permit for the Elephant Hill 4WD Trail.  Permits are limited to 25 vehicles each day.  This helps to protect the fragile environment and keep the trails safe.  The ranger asked us a bunch of questions so that he was sure that we were able to handle this level of driving.  He asked Tim if we had a self-rescue plan?  Tim was thinking… “I’m riding with a nurse…”  What the ranger wanted to know was whether or not we had a winch so that if we got hung up or stuck, we could pull ourselves out…YES, we have a winch!  Only modified Jeeps are suitable on this particular trail.  It is listed as one of the most challenging 4×4 trails in Utah.  The ranger also asked for an emergency contact.  As I gave him Kyle’s number, I wondered what we were getting ourselves into and I really hoped they would never have to call Kyle. 

The beginning of this trail was a serious test.  If you can’t get up and over the hill…you don’t belong here.  It is steep, there are stair steps, and there are lots of immovable, very large boulders in the path of the Jeep.  There is lots of rock crawling.  There are caves, cliffs, tight switchbacks, and narrow passageways.   There is lots of precariously balanced rock.  It was equal parts terrifying and thrilling.  In the beginning, tensions were a little high.  Though it was hard, it was not impassable and with a careful, slow, and steady approach, we made it just fine.

Here, we had to back down the steep switchback on a narrow ledge…I was down below spotting…a little nerve-wracking!

The payoff for all this tedious and difficult driving is amazing.  We had the rare privilege to be in this rugged and remote place.  We are not separated from it by distance on an overlook, observing from high above.  We are really immersed in the terrain and a part of it.  There are no tour buses, no tour guides…it’s just us seeing this in its most pure form…in the raw.  From the tops of the mesas and back down again into the canyons below, and then to climb back out again…it is exhilarating and beautiful. 

Our breakfast spot.

Through the grabens or vertical blocks of rock separated by a rift, usually on a fault line.

And on the other side…

Another Jeep behind us…a four door. Because our wheel base is so much shorter, we were able to drive down the steep slope. This Jeep had to back down.

Here is was easy to imagine how ancient people would have seen and experienced this harsh place.  The reality is that there has been little change in the vegetation and rock formations in this canyon for thousands of years. 

A short time later, we found evidence that people really lived here.  There was an archeological site with pictographs nearly 800 years old.  They had been defaced and vandalized.  I cannot imagine what inspires someone to write on something so precious…

Another narrow cleft to slip through.

We saw this snake sunning himself in the road…not sure what he is.

The Silver Stairs were a fun little diversion in the trail.

There was a portion of the trail that we had to travel again.  The advantage is that we kind of knew what to expect and where the trail turned.  The disadvantage is that the same rocks look completely different coming from the other direction!

This is biological soil.  It looks dark and lumpy.  This crust is composed of fungi, lichen, algae, and bacteria.  It serves important ecological purposes.  The soil absorbs water, provides nitrogen to the soil, and protects the area from erosion.  It is essential to preserve this fragile surface.  If you step on the soil, it crushes it and it can take 50 to 100 years to regrow.  For this reason, it is imperative that you stay on the designated trails in Canyonlands. 

We drove as far as we could toward the Confluence Overlook.  The Green River and the Colrado River merge here. We had to hike the last ½ mile.  It was well worth the effort it took to get there.  We were 1,000 feet above the confluence.

Tim really does not like for me to be too close to the edge.

We saw lots of these tiny little lizards. This one actually stayed in one place long enough for me to get his picture.

Our lunch spot.

The hardest part of the trail was here, going back over Elephant Hill.  Tim said “See that tree?  That was plan B our self-extraction plan!”  We made it up just fine. 

A raven posing for pictures.

We stopped for a short hike at Pothole Point.  Communities of shrimp and other minuscule creatures live in these potholes.  These diverse plants and animals lie dormant and when it rains and the small ponds fill and they are teeming with life.  When it is hot and dry, the organisms wait again for rain. 

The trails here are all marked with cairns.  Only rangers are allowed to erect cairns in this park.