Month: May 2017

May 14 – 20

Moab is another geologically rich and interesting area in Utah. I don’t think there is a bland are in this state. 

May 14 – we arrive at our overpriced campground, Moab Valley RV Campground, for the week. Such tight quarters we can almost touch our neighbors. But it does have a pool and hot tub and our front yard space has some thick grass Dexter will enjoy. 

May 15 – Matt met up with friends AJ and Carey to ride a trail called Captain Ahab. I took the dog and kiddo to Dead Horse State Park (yes, there is another one). Amazing views of canyons.

Dexter always likes to walk near the edge of a cliff!

May 16 – Arches National Park. Hiked up to the delicate arch while B napped, but he woke up just before the picture of us, it was quite windy out there. The trail was fun, hiking mostly on solid rock. If it wasn’t for the hundreds of people out there it would be difficult to stay on the trail. 

Also visited the double arch and Benat hiked this short trail himself. Even got excited about hiking under arches and decided to crawl under some rocks. 

Seriously funny kid!

Family photo! And we’re all smiling!

May 17 – tried to hike up the river trail across from the campground with AJ, Carey and the dogs. Was a little cold and rainy so we didn’t go far. And the rain on the slickrock made it slippery!

May 18 – Canyonlands National Park. We were able to visit the “Island in the Sky” park of the park (other entrances were hours away). We checked out the Upheval Dome and Mesa Arch. Amazing views at both spots. Amazing what the rivers have carved. Mesa Arch is at the edge of the cliff, connected to the side. It’s a wonder it’s even still there!!

The trail from the lower right (marked with the rocks) curves to the overhang at the top of the hill, then over the right side of it. 

May 19 – Matt and the rest of the bikers went on a big ride, part of the “whole enchilada” trail. When I dropped them off it was 35 degrees and snowing a little!

I hiked up the Mill Creek trail. It was a fantastic last hike for Moab. I had to cross the stream multiple times and a mile into the trail was a waterfall and swimming pool. I continued hiking past the waterfall up the cliff but only another 3/4 of a mile. The trail was getting more difficult and Benat wasn’t napping because the trail was so exciting. Dexter also enjoyed the watery hike. 

Can you find the trail here?? Answer: didn’t matter much as long as you went up!

May 8 – 14

May 8 – the campsite is pretty on a small lake. So many birds.  Had a couple rain storms roll through. Surrounded by mountains and 2 coal power plants. The county is Coal County and so many trucks towing coal on the road. Our site is nice and on the water. 

May 9 – provisioning day in town (Price). Needed a lot of groceries and excited that the prices were low!

May 10 – visited the Prehistoric Museum in Price. Had some dinosaur bones and skeletons with other nearby archeological information. 

May 11 – Drove to the San Rafael Swell to the Wedge Overlook. Amazing view of what they also call the “Little Grand Canyon. Hiked along the rim for a bit while the kiddo napped, but to hot to go too far for Dexter. The Swell is an amazing part of Utah. Wished we’d have more time to explore!!

May 12 – Visited the Cleveland-Lloyd Dinosaur Quarry in the Swell. Total disappointment. They have found a lot of bones from carnivorous dinosaurs but they have all been removed. They had one small building that housed replicas of the bones in and around the dirt. Glad we didn’t have to pay to get in (because of our interagency pass). 

May 13 – Back to the Swell but this time we drove down into a canyon via 332/Buckhornwash. Amazing drive, dispersed camping all along the road and most sites were full! At the bottom we visited the Buckhorn Draw Pictogram Panel (amazing drawings, more intricate than most we’ve seen) and a the swinging bridge built by the CCC in the 30s over the San Rafael River. 

Pic from google maps. Where we stood at the Wedge Overlook and the canyon we drove down to the petroglyphs and river (at Campground)

May 1 – 8

Staying at the Cow Hollow Equestrian Campground, National Forest Campground. Pleasant spot. Only 4 big sites, amounts the pine trees, very little wind (yeah!), no water but it’s free! 

May 2 – Matt made friends with some other folks in the campground and went for a bike ride from the site! I took Benat and Dexter and hiked Thunder Mountain trail, hiking towards where Matt would be coming out. The hike was nice, but only trees and I wanted to see hoodoos. So after a mile I decided to turn back and move to the trails behind the Red Rock Visitor Center. There were some great formations there. 

May 3rd – Bryce Canyon National Park!

Hiked the Sunset to Sunrise trail. It was beautiful and surreal. Hiking in and around the hoodoos. They are multi colored and so very tall. So many layers. I had planned on hiking “wall street” but unfortunately it was still closed due to icy conditions. We quickly drove the rest of the park, checked out an arch and filled the bucket full of snow (yes snow!!) to take back to the camper. The Bryce Amphitheater is the star of the park. 

May 4 – Matt went for a mountain bike ride that would end on the Loosie Trail in the Red Canyon so the rest of us hiked up it to meet him. Nice flat trail. Dexter enjoyed the small rivers still flowing. 

May 5 – hiked near the Kings Creek Campground next to the Tropic Reservoir. Pretty but windy. Small area with hoodoos. Back at the campsite Benat rode a horse and got a hair cut. The cut isn’t pretty but I got all the knots out. 

May 6 – Matt did a big bike ride, combining his 2 previous rides on Thunder mountain, Cassidy and Loosie while I hiked the Arches Trail at the Loosie Trailhead. Some of the best rock formations.  

May 7 – Back to Bryce NP to hike part of the Peek-A-Boo Trail. Started at the Sunset trailhead again (so many switchbacks going down) and hiked the east part of the loop up to Bryce Point. The hike up from peek-a-boo to Bryce Point was the best views of the amphitheater. So absolutely amazing. So many photos taken. 

April 23 – May 1

Stayed at the Quail Creek State Park. Great views, but another windy spot.

April 24 – checked out the town of St George and visited one of their splash pads. Benat enjoyed running in the water but didn’t go into the bigger sprinkler like features. 

April 25 – Kanaraville Falls hike. Up a slot canyon with many stream crossings. Some up to my knees. Dexter had a blast! I am officially in love with slot canyons. 

The trail – just up the river a little bit…

Drove through the top part of Zion National Park on the way home (Kolob Canyon). 

April 26 – Matt went for a bike ride and the rest of us hiked in the same area, near Hurricane, UT. Gooseberry Mesa. Great views, lots of flowers in bloom and slick rock. We saw a large lizard, possible chuckwalla, but stripes on back, not tail.

April 27 – Zion National Park! Benat was excited that the shuttle busses were a bus towing another bus. Started by taking the shuttle to the end and doing the Riverwalk (the narrows are closed because too much water still flowing). Then visited the Weeping Rock. Finally hiked the Emerald Pools trail while Benat napped. 

April 28 – Matt went on a bike ride we just hung around the camper. 

April 29 – Hiked the Red Reef Trail in the Red Cliffs National Conservation Area. Popular hike into a slot canyon with pools you could swim in though the water is very cold now. The rocks were red and smooth. Fun hike for all. 

Those holes in the cliffs are foot holes.
Also went to Thunder Mountain in town, great park with train and splash pad!

April 30 – Drove Rt 9 through Zion NP. Trip enclosed a mile long tunnel through the mountain. The tunnel is too narrow to accommodate both lanes of traffic now that our cars are bigger! Hiked the Canyon Overlook trail and saw a lot of big horned sheep! Beautiful views and fun trail.