Jeep Week is Over!

And that means it was time to move to Moab.  We really are creatures of habit, as once we find a spot to camp at we like, it is hard to change.  We stayed at Ken’s Lake which is a BLM site.  I won’t say there isn’t any boondocking near Moab, but none that fit our needs.  Some were too adventurous of a drive considering our habit of not being able to sit still, some were already packed full, and some were just not us.
Ken’s Lake is on the south side of Moab and only about 5 minutes from town.  A perfect location for exploring Arches National Park and surrounding areas, as well as evening wifi entertainment at McDonalds and a few stops at the Moab Brewery.
I guess I just summarized our stay here, but let me tell you about the hikes…
On a drive along the Colorado River one day we happened upon a road that said Fisher Towers, and a campground sign.  That was enough intrigue to lead us down the road.  While the campground was not for us, the road too bad and the sites too small, the trail called us.   It was absolutely phenomenal!  There is nothing like seeing these rocks and towers, and although I’m sure there are thousands of hikers who have viewed them, nothing is visible form the roads.  Wandering through the gentle red rocks, trailing around tower formations, climbing up crevice ladders, and ending at the perfect picnic site is beyond words.
The mightiest tower, the Titan, is a midway point.  This is a popular spot for climbers, and we observed some hearty souls that reached the summit and posed for photos.  On our way back to the trailhead Don spotted a couple whom he had taken some photos of.  He called out to them to show the photos and between their broken English and our total lack of German, we exchanged emails, and later sent the photos to them.  They were so grateful and excited, as they explained never did they expect to have a couples photo taken while climbing!
Although marked as moderate, this trail was pretty challenging for us, especially me.  Don may admit he is not the most comfortable with heights, but I am not the most comfortable with heights, climbing, walking on ledges and edges and sweating!  LOL  So it feels especially good to challenge ourselves and finish the hike.

Our last hike of this holiday was the Negro Bill Trail northeast of Moab.  This is a popular trail in the heat, as it winds along a creek bed and has fabulous tree coverage for shade.  It is rated moderate but is an easy moderate.  The gift at the end is the Moring Glory Natural Bridge.   The bridge has a 75 foot span, and provides a cool covered area to rest, or have lunch.  Natural bridges are so awe inspiring and this one a bit ore than orhers.  Hopefully the photos help you “get” that!

The rest of our time in Moab was spent driving exploring and laundry.  Yup that still needs to be done.
We are moving north to Salt Lake City today, and I will try to catch up before we leave for home.

Moving Onward

Sometimes upward, sometimes downward, but always onward!
We decided to return to Sand Island Recreation Campground.  It’s on the San Juan River by Blanding Utah.  This is a dry camping area, but they have potable water.  It’s such a great location for discovering all the areas around, the only downfall is there is no close place to get wifi that is dependable or consistent.  Oh well.
We stayed here for 5 nights.  As seems normal in this area at this time, the days are hot and the nights are cool.  Which is the perfect conditions for boondocking.
We entertained ourselves by sightseeing and hiking.  For some reason when we are here we tend to take a day drive to Cortez Colorado.  Probably because it has a Super Walmart.  lol
We also took the opportunity to find a new hike.
There are many Mule Canyon hikes if you google them.  As we hiked on and on it became apparent we were not on the short House on Fire ruins walk.  We took the path less followed and travelled the South Fork Mule Canyon Hike.  It was a 9.2 mile hike with the final gift a breathtaking view of the Last Ruins.  Along the way were many other clusters of ruins, all accessible to visit and take some close ups of.  I really enjoyed this hike because the ruins were in a totally natural state.  Because no restoration had been attempted you could truly appreciate the craftsmanship and design.  Standing there it was easy to transport back in time and have a small feel for where the ancient people lived.  The canyon started with walls of about 80 feet, then grew taller the deeper you travelled.  It was one of best hikes this year.

Two years ago while staying here we hiked all the Natural Bridges in the Natural Bridges National Monuments Park.  It was one of our greatest accomplishments!  While we weren’t going to do them again, we still wanted to have a look from the top of the bridges, so we spent a day driving though and playing normal tourist – stopping at the bridges and taking the easy viewing paths to each one.

Again Bluff and Blanding served us well, and another place we will be back to.  There must be at least 4 more Mule Canyon hikes to visit!

Old Friends

Simon and Garfunkel have this great song.  This part of the lyrics are applicable to our visit today:

Time it was and what a time it was…
A time of innocence a time of confidences
Long ago it must be, I have a photograph preserve your memories

On Monday night after returning from our Devil’s Bridge hike I was browsing Facebook.  One of my friends had posted photos of her hike on the Devil’s Bridge trail that very same day.

I’m sure you have heard me talk about something similar in the past where I have been reunited with an old girlfriend, someone who was connected to me through who we dated in our early years?  After all I was pretty young when Don and I started dating and since we’ve been together ever since it shouldn’t be surprising that many of my girl friends from school dated a guy in our group or one of Don’s friends.

Anyhow, this time it was Robbie Westgard!  Robbie dated Don’s cousin back in the day, as well as we were one year apart in high school.  We have not had a face to face visit since before Don and I were married, so prior to 1980.  Other than that we are not exactly sure.  So after a few messages back and forth we decided to meet in Phoenix for lunch and a visit!

What a great visit it was!  Of course we only made it through a few memories and a couple of years of catching up, but the real thing about this sort of meet up is the flooding of memories of who you were and who you have become.  Yes people change of course we “grow up”, but the truly lovely personalities you remember are usually still there.  The smile, the laugh, and the joy in being who you are is what is shared again.

For me meeting these people from our past touches my soul, and takes me back to A time of innocence a time of confidence.  Just like listening to an old song.

Till next time Robbie and Ken…

Sedona You Own Me!

Honestly – I love this place.  Although the town itself is a bit crazy busy for our liking, the areas surrounding are amazing, our boondocking spot is one of our favorites (thanks Ivan), and the hiking is whatever you want.

We are so fabulous at boondocking, and we do enjoy it.  When you find a place like we are at, everything combines for perfection.  First the weather in Sedona is just so fair.  Although the days are hot, the evenings are cool and breezy, no need for air conditioning, heat, or anything in between.  Although there are several units here this year, boondockers are quiet and respectful people.

We finally had the opportunity to take in some “real” hikes.  This means boots, packs filled with water, and some sore feet.  The perfect combination.

Our first hike was the Cathedral Rock.  It was a nice trek until the end, where the expectation was to climb quite vertically up a crack in the mountain, to the top.  Don went as far as he could, I stopped at that point.  Besides a fear of coming down more than going up, I have a torn tendon in my shoulder that I am still being careful with.  A climb like that requires lots of draw on your arms and shoulders, and I didn’t want to risk it.  Nonetheless it was a great hike!

One day on a drive we came upon a sign for Tuzigoot National Monument.  Although we have been to Sedona many times, neither of us recalled checking it out, so we turned it.  Although it was a casual walk around, the monument itself is worth the stop.  I’ll let the pictures tell the story!

This visit our camp area had some colorful visitors, more than one early morning.  I will now never forget the sounds of a hot air balloon landing immediately adjacent to ur trailer.  The roaring bang of the propane heater at 6:45 am is quite the noise!  And the orange glow cast inside the trailer form the balloon being RIGHT beside us was a bit spooky.  I assume the pilot knew he was almost landing on us??  Apparently we are in the area that they land in a lot, based on three consecutive days of landing.  I will admit the last time was a bit tedious.  I have had a lot of Board meetings while away this year.  Two mornings in a row this stay, so the balloons only woke me once.

We were busy enough here that I will break the visit into two posts!

You won’t believe who is featured in the next one.

Devil's Bridge Trail

Well I really just wanted a simpler hike, and the attraction of a new natural
bridge was too strong to avoid.  Cited as easy in the trail guide I was reading,
which is no longer one I will use, it was an easy choice where to hike on
Monday.

The notes mentioned you needed a four wheel vehicle to get to the trail
head.  I think the folks who write these references should all have to start
with a class on some idea of consistency in descriptions.  We have been on ATV
trails that were supposed to be un-navigational for trucks, and now this “truck”
trail that ATV’s were sometimes struggling with.  The reason behind my whining
is that it added a LOT of distance to the hike.  But oh well right?  This was
after all an easy trail so final distance wasn’t a concern.  Apparently I was
born yesterday!  I always wondered.

Back to the trail.  It was an absolutely beautiful hike through trees and
rocks, and the ultimate prize – viewing the natural bridge – was more than worth
it.  So was the sense of accomplishment that always comes from finishing one of
our hikes.

Somewhere along the trail there was an old friend of ours.  We never
encountered her on the trail, but later the same day saw on Facebook they were
there.  That just teases you into the next post so stay tuned.

Meanwhile more amazing photos from my driver…

 

Spring Break in Lake Havasu

That is Connor and Mason’s spring break.  LOL  But the title may have drawn other readers in!
Lindsay and the boys joined us in Lake Havasu for a week.  When we were planning this part of the trip, we were excited to stay at Lake Havasu State Park. Camping right on the beach would be a daily adventure for the boys.  Get up, have breakfast and head to the sand.  It did kind of go that way, but it was sooooo HOT.  By about 10:00 am the sun had us as warm as we wanted to be.
We had quite a few adventures this week.  We took the boys to see the burros at historic Oatman.  Did you know the story about the burros?  They were used in mining times, and when the mines shut down they were just released to roam.  I’m sure they are in many places in those hills, but a group of them live on the streets of Oatman.  I tried to explain this corny little community to Lindsay but I’m sure she would agree that seeing was believing.  Mason’s eyes got so big when he saw them and actually realized they were right there on the streets and you could walk up to pet them and feed them!  It seemed Connor was a bit more hesitant.  But “donkeys on the street?” was heard a few times.
We slipped in a day of shopping in Bullhead City as well.  The boys were promised a Lego figure at Target, and we were hoping for a truck nap for them.  Success at all levels!  Lindsay and I love Target, so sad isn’t it?
On another day we took the boat across the river to the Havasu Landing Casino and Restaurant in California.  I know it seems like an odd trip for two little boys, but the boat ride was an exciting trip, and lunch out was also a hit!  At $2 a ride it was an nice excursion.
The rest of our days were spent playing lego, trucks in the sand and gravel depending on the sun, and a visit to a flea market.
It was so great to have them visit us.  Maybe a taste of how it could go if we stayed away from home in the future for longer times?

The day that we took them back to the Las Vegas airport, Ken and Brenda joined us in Vegas for the day.  We walked, ate and shopped our way through the day.  They had not been to Vegas so it was a quick intro to Freemont Street and the Strip!

And that concludes our time in Lake Havasu!  Wonderful as always.