MIGHTY FIVE No. 5 - 10/22/14 . . .

Our base camp move today was an easy one. With just a 45 minute drive we were in Moab, Utah! Just sixty minutes in and tuh-duh ... our new base camp was set-up and ready to go. 

              COLORADO RIVER 

Currently we are at Portal RV Resort in Moab. The decision to stay at a commercial campground was an easy one. Due to the dump station at Dead Horse Point SP being closed for construction and there is no dump station at Arches ... plus we are not sure if a site would even be available. It's an eighteen mile one-way drive to the campground of small sites once you enter Arches just to find out. 

So . . . YES . . . this is MIGHTY FIVE No. 5 for us!!! We have now conquered all five! It was a tight squeeze for time but we did it. Arches National Park is the last of the five. 

This amazing park has over 2,000 arches. These arches are created when water slowly dissolves the cement that binds grains of sandstone together, starting small cavities that eventually erode through stone fins to become arches. Today Tim and I did a few hikes and were able to see just five of them. 

First we started at the Visitors Center of course. The expertise of the Rangers will help you to get the most out of the time you have for your visit. After passing some great view points on our way in we stopped at The Windows Section. Here we took two hikes. One hike to see Turret Arch, the North Window and the South Window. Then our next hike was over to check out Double Arch. Amazing!

In one of the parking lots today we came across the MAN RV. This one was made by Global Expedition Vehicles. With just a quick internet search It's approximate cost is $670,00 and only $800 to fill it at the pump. I just love the quote on the back - 'The most dangerous worldview is the worldview of those who have not viewed the world.' Alexander von Humboldt 

On our return out of the park we stopped at Balanced Rock and the Park Avenue Trailhead. 

Time flies and we have to use it well. If you want to play hard, you have to work hard. This has been an extremely fun and  super amazing trip but we worked hard to make it happen to to be able to keep it rolling while in the process. We are exhausted and will need to come home just to rest!

On our trip into town we found a full size grocery, many Jeep rental places and outfitter stores galore. We made a stop at the Moab Brewery where I had to try the Dead Horse Ale. Then we found the only liquor store within a hundred miles and it's state run.  

Tomorrow we will go deeper into Arches National Park to explore more of these magnificent arches. It should be another great day to capture some more spectacular photographs of this stunning landscape.  

ELEVATION: 3,953'

TEMPERATURE: 70*

MILES DRIVEN: 33

MIGHTY FIVE No. 4 - 10/21/14 . . .

We had so much ground to cover today. The day began with a short hike right from camp to the canyon edge. The view was magnificent. 

As soon as we returned to our base camp here at Dead Horse Point SP we loaded up our hiking gear in the truck and then took off for Canyonlands National Park . . . picking up our fresh yummy sandwiches on the way. 

Canyonlands National Park is number four on our list of the Mighty Five National Parks in Utah. This NP is just down the road from Dead Horse Point and is divided into four different districts by the Green and Colorado Rivers. Island in the Sky, The Maze, The Needles and the rivers themselves. A side note for this park - THE BEST EVER CLEANEST REFRESHED VAULT TOILETS THAT EXIST! I give them a 10 out of 10 on that note. Good job Canyonlands!!!

Tim and I stuck to the Island in the Sky district. There we started at the Visitors Center to get a map and more information from a Ranger. Once headed in the right direction we began with the Grand View Point Overlook. Here we took the easy two mile roundtrip hike out to the point. It has just stunning views along the canyon edge. At this point you have the Colorado River on one side and the Green River on the other. 

Then we drove to the other end of the park to hike one of the more popular trails here . . . Upheaval Dome! This area is still a mystery. At two miles across its a spectacular view. Was it caused by a meteorite? Or was it a salt dome bubble eruption? This is still under debate by geologists. 

On our way back to Dead Horse Point we made two more quick stops. One at the Green River Overlook. The second stop was a short one mile hike out to the Mesa Arch. This is a cliff-edge arch that has stunning views towards the La Sal Mountains. 

The other districts here are not directly connected by any roads in this section of the park. Down below out of our view both the Colorado and Green Rivers merge together. There are also some 4-wheel drive off road trails below. We would have loved to go on them however at 100 miles in length and a necessary 2-3 days to complete we just didn't have the time. 

Tomorrow morning will bring us another day that we will need to move our base camp. Looks like we might just be able to make all 5 of the MIGHTY FIVE!!!

WOO-HOO AND A YIIIPPPEEE KI-YAY!!! - 10/20/14 . . .

Let's just call this a two for one kinda day. After a few miles and just over three hours of driving Tim and I landed at a park where we can base camp out of and be able to explore two different parks near Moab, Utah. 

As we approached our destination there was that sign again - Campground Full. Tim and I decided to continue anyway hoping for availability. If anything we could at least do a quick drive through. 

 

At Dead Horse Point State Park we inquired about available sites. There are only 21 sites in this campground. What do you know ... two sites left! There is not enough manpower this time of year to deal with the signage they say. 

In my honest opinion we got the best site  here in the Kayenta Campground at Dead Horse Point State Park! The campground sits on top of a mesa and our site is on the highest side. We have a little view of the canyon over all the other camp sites. Each site has it's own covered pavilion and picnic table and we have an electric hook-up. It's a really cool place!

From this location we can explore this park AND Canyonlands National Park ... 2-for-1!!! Bonus ...what a deal!!! If we had chosen to stay at Canyonlands NP we probably could not have gotten in. At this point in our adventure we don't know where we will be when and for how long and therefore can't make reservations. If we had decided to stay in Moab we would have landed farther away and would have had to stay in a noisy, tightly packed commercial campground. 

Things just work out. They always do.  If anything at least I know at the end of the day where we will sleep ... in the Airstream. I may not know where it will be parked but I know I will sleep in it. 

Here at Dead Horse Point State Park we had the afternoon to explore this park. Just breathtaking! The park towers 2,000 feet above the Colorado River. It provides a breathtaking panorama of Canyonlands' sculptured pinnacles and buttes. A diamond in the rough for us! We learned how this spectacular place got it's name. It's kinda sad and almost, ok ... worse than the Madison Buffalo Jump. 

Cowboys would corral wild mustangs here on the mesa. They would be herded to the narrow neck of land and out onto the point. Then fenced off with brush and branches. Cowboys would then chose the best horses leaving the remainder still corralled on the waterless point 2,000 feet above the Colorado River. Here the horses died of thirst within view of the river below. Sniff. Sniff. 

Onto other happier thoughts we found a vendor here during check-in at the Visitors Center that sells coffee, drinks and sandwiches. When we checked in, we purchased a few sandwiches for lunch and took them to our campsite to eat. Delicious. Then after our park tour of Dead Horse Point we went back for a smoothie and an ice cream cone and watched a small rain shower in the distance form a rainbow. We haven't been to a full size grocery since Page, AZ and are short on a few items now. Our plan is to purchase a few more sandwiches in the morning for tomorrow's adventure. During the next few days we are hoping to be able to visit a grocery store in Moab. 

Since there are no campfires allowed here, and that's one of our favorite things to do in the evening while camping, we did some star gazing. Both of us bundled up with coats, gloves and a blanket. Tim was able to spot the Andromeda Galaxy (M31) again with both the binoculars and the spot scope. We think this was one of our best viewing nights for star gazing. Looking to the south we were able to see both stars and the Milky Way all the way down to the horizon. Other items of interest we could view with the naked eye were numerous satellites, falling stars, planets and constellations. With our expansive open sky, the view here on top of the mesa was unimpeded from horizon to horizon. 

 

MILES DRIVE: 167

TOW MILES DRIVEN: 3,488

TEMPERATURE: 70*

ELEVATION: 5,968'

HICKMAN BRIDGE - 10/19/14 . . .

We have been lucky so far with the weather on this trip ... gorgeous. Today was no exception it began with not a cloud in the sky.  

                     CAPITAL DOME

Just by chance we stopped at an outfitters store on our drive into Capital Reef this morning. They were having an end of the season sale. Most places here close for the winter. I was able to snag a CamelBak back pack and Tim got lucky finding a larger bladder for his CamelBak. So far on this trip I've been lugging bottles upon bottles with me on every hike. After today ... no more bottles. I love my new CamelBak!!!

Tim immediately began rigging my new pack and had it ready for our first hike. We began with Hickman Bridge. It's a short two mile roundtrip hike with just a 400 foot elevation change and great canyon views. Hickman Bridge itself is a 133-foot natural bridge. 

After we finished there, we drove a short distance to the Petroglyph Panel. Where we had lunch ... PBJs, fresh apples from the orchard and cheese and crackers. Look closely in the picture below for a few petroglyphs!

Next came another driving tour. The Grand Wash! It's an off road drive that ends at a trail head. This one is in a narrow deep section of the canyon. We only did the driving portion. 

On our return to base camp we did laundry, enjoyed a spectacular sunset and warmed our left over pizza on the grill.