Utah – Moab

Utah is such a beautiful state and I’m happy to say we aren’t done yet. Mark had been watching the weather for Bryce Canyon, our departure date was set for Sunday, 5/4, but the weather forecast was for cold, rain and a chance of snow. He really wanted to go to Dead Horse State Park near Moab, but he had been unsuccessful getting us a site. He checked the availability for Saturday night and lo and behold there was an opening, he was a very happy camper! We would have driven to Dead Horse from our next RV park, Spanish Trails in Moab, but this was a bonus to be able to stay there for the night. By leaving Bryce a day early, we ended up with perfect weather, 80 degrees, sunshine and low winds. Again, we are staying on top of a mountain at an elevation of 6,000’ and a great view from Dead Horse Point.

What a name for a state park, Dead Horse, which makes you think why? The legend goes, in the 19^th century, cowboys used the narrow mesa top as a natural corral for wild mustangs, using the surrounding cliffs to contain the animals. Some horses were left behind, unable to escape the cliffs and without access to water, leading to their demise. Another twist to the legend is the group of cowboys cornered a herd of wild horses on the point. The horses, in a frenzy of exhaustion and thirst, could see and smell the water of the Colorado River 2000 feet below and leapt to their deaths. Either way it is a sad tale but the reason for the name.

The first thing you notice when you get to Moab is the number of off-road vehicles and mountain bikes. This is definitely a hub for outdoor recreation. This is also a great location due to the proximity to Arches, Dead Horse and Canyonlands National Park. During this time of year, you need a timed entry ticket to get into Arches National Park. We had tickets for both Monday and Tuesday and with all there was to see I’m glad we did. They claim there are over 2,000 arches in the park. They have names for many of the rock structures, you definitely need to use your imagination to see how they came up with the names. There is the parade of elephants, courthouse towers and park avenue, just to name a few. It reminded me of looking at the clouds and everyone seeing something different.

We had fantastic weather in April, only 2 rain days. Wednesday, 5/7, was supposed to be the best weather day while we were in Moab, so we decided to go to Canyonlands National Park. We were pretty surprised to end up with rain, hail and sunshine but thankfully we weren't high enough for snow.

The visitor center at Dead Horse had a nice exhibit of a 

cowboy camp. They also had great articles about the cowgirls

of that era. The old westerns always depicted cowboys,

but there were plenty of cowgirls that worked right along

side their male counterparts.

View of the canyon and snow topped La Sal Mountains. 

Most of the days these mountains were in the clouds.

Mark learning about the solar evaporation ponds below.

Views from Dead Horse Point.

The Colorado River winding through the canyon.

We are 2000' above the road/trail in this picture. The 

dot is a 4x4 driving along the road. 4x4's, mostly Jeeps,

atv's and utv's are allowed to drive through the rugged canyon

below as long as they stay on the dirt roads/trails.

You can rent a yurt at Dead Horse State Park.

Hiking along the west rim near Dead Horse Point.

Everywhere you look there are some of the most

unique stone structures.

Here I am getting clarification from the ranger

that the Delicate Arch trail is doable for someone

afraid of heights. There is a short section that

is extremely steep and narrow, but "well worth it" he said!

The Delicate Arch trail is considered strenuous with

an elevation gain of 480' and is 3 miles roundtrip.

This is the mountain you have to climb, but once you 

make it to the top "it gets easier"...everyone coming down

said! So, Mark & I went for it!

Looking back down at where we came from.

You get the feeling you are on top of the world.

Definitely a narrow path with a cliff on the side.

I was a wall hugger and waited for the people

coming the other way before I made my way.

When you round the corner, you see the infamous arch, one of the 

symbols of the state of Utah. What a view and HOORAY I made it

 on my first strenuous hike with a cliff.

This is as close to the arch as I was going. I felt very

safe surrounded by the rocks.

Explaining the petroglyph panel.

It looks like the pictures were just drawn, not 

created some 400 years ago. Because there are pictures of

horses, it is estimated they were created after 1600.

Landscape Arch. Longer than a football field.

This was a moderate hike of 1.9 miles.

Balanced Rock

Turret Arch

North and South Windows

This was an easy trail to get to the windows, then

we took the primitive trail back to the truck which

was a little more difficult.

On our way to Double Arch, another easy hike

with a hard packed walking area. The rock structure

to the right looked like the entrance to a prominent building

with columns and a grand entrance.

The Sand Dune Arch

Another easy trail and the ground was all sand.

The Broken Arch

An easy hike across open grasslands, 1.3 miles.

Another view of the snow topped La Sal Mountains.

Grand View Point Overlook

Green River Overlook

Upheaval Dome

This crater is approx. 3 miles in diameter. There are 2 theories

as to how it was created. One is that it is a salt dome. The 

other is that it is a meteor impact crater.

Mesa Arch

After the rain and hail we had a beautiful afternoon.

Mill Creek Dinosaur Tracks

We didn't see any deer, big horn sheep or elk but we did see

this lizard running around.

Also, this snake was a showstopper as the hikers

stopped for the photo op.

 We caught this raven downing a grasshopper. 

The desert has to be beautiful when in full bloom.

Green Ephedra (Morman Tea)

A tea can be made by boiling the stems. The plant

is used medicinally by Native Americans and 

ancient Chinese.

My watercolor rendering of Zion National Park.