Friday, November 3, 2017

Moab Highlights...our last few weeks

Gopher Flats
Moab. UT
Sept. 21 - Oct. 30

Our last few weeks in Moab were fun and busy.  Just the way we like it ! 

Sept. 21 - Joe and I joined Dee to help transport Graham and Kelsey, scientists with the BLM, and all their equipment out to an area off Kane Creek Trail.  Shirley, our good friend and a BLM employee, also rode with Dee.  Because of the drop-off spot, we drove the trail backwards.   
Dee leads the way with passengers Graham, Kelsey, and Shirley

Graham and Kelsey  

And they are off to do some water quality testing...

 Sept. 26 - We had the great pleasure of spending two days with Jodee and Bill.  This was their first visit to Moab and what a treat to experience it with them.  Our first day, we decided on Potash Road, and Shafer Trail switchbacks. 



Potash Road (Hwy 279) winds along as it follows the Colorado River.  We stopped to check out the petroglyphs along the south-facing cliffs in the canyon walls.





















Shafer Trail, an old cattle trail constructed by John Shafer in 1917, is home to iconic last scene in Thelma and Louise when they plunged their 1966 Thunderbird right off the cliff. 















Eventually Shafer Trail meets the White Rim area (a part of Canyonlands NP) where we made a right hand turn.  This is where the trail gets exciting with a steep climb and cliffs on the side of the road. 

Amazing...


 Sept. 28 - We headed out towards Hurrah Pass with Jodee and Bill hoping to reach the wind caves, but partly cloudy skies turned dark so we had to shorten our day.  


A beautiful drive takes you through easy parts of Kane Creek Canyon.  We stopped along the way to check out Birthing Rock.






 Next, we drove out onto one of the cliff points...


And our last stop was Hurrah Pass...a 4780 ft mountain pass which overlooks the Colorado River.

Exporing at the pass...



It wasn't long after Hurrah Pass we decided to turn around.  We didn't quite make it to the wind caves...next time !  Dark clouds were moving in...

 It was great seeing Jodee and Bill...I'm sure our paths will cross again !

Oct. 13 through 29 - Libby and Corky came to Moab and the best part is that they rented the home right next door !  Libby loves to cook and served up some mighty tasty food while she was here.  Both Libby and Corky are from Louisiana (but they now reside in Hot Springs Village, AK) and one night we had gumbo served with white rice and potato salad...a first for me !  It was yummy and yes, like other folks from Louisiana, I dumped a spoonful of the potato salad right on top of the gumbo.  We got a lot of riding in with them and Dee while they were here. Hell's Revenge, Cliffhanger, Behind the Rocks, and  Rusty Nail.  

Dropping down the entrance to Hell's Gate...
 Cliffhanger...

Corky climbing High Dive...
 ...and following Dee up the Chute on Behind the Rocks.












 And last, Golden Spike with the Golden Crack... 
and Rusty Nail with No Left Turn...
and lots of flex !






















One last trail was a leaf peek on Kane Creek Trail.  



We enjoyed one "WOW" after another.

























We pulled out of Moab on Oct. 30 headed south to Texas Hill Country.  We are now all settled in at Medina Highpoint Resort for November.  More on that later.


Big hugs to Dee...

















Cleo and Jules...
and our sweet buddy Sam !
 Until next time...



HAPPY TRAILS !

10 comments:

  1. I'm sure it was very difficult to leave Moab and Dee behind. This seems to be where your heart belongs. You certainly had one fun adventure after another checking out all those amazing rock covered trails. Enjoy Texas!!

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    1. We do love Moab. Planning on being back there in mid March...sure hope we see you and John there too!

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  2. What a cute picture of you and Joe in Wiley! That photo of Bill and Jodee is a surprise...it looks awful close to a drop off for Jodee!

    Looks like you had a wonderful Moab season...can't wait to see what you get up to in the Hill Country!

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    1. Thanks Lisa! We hope to go exploring Monday...the last few days have been spent restocking the pantry ( it’s been over 7 months since we went to a Wal-Mart ) and playing and relaxing with the pups. And of course, it’s been years since we had any humidity to deal with!

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  3. So much fun there and sad to leave. travel safe.

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  4. Winter is around the corner. It definitely is time to leave places that you now are going to get really cold. However, there are more adventures in your future I am sure.

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  5. We are still talking about what a great time we had with our wonderful guides in Moab!! Lisa's right, that pic of us does seem awfully close to the edge! Those rock climbing pics are amazing - your pics really capture the adventure. It's wonderful you were able to spend so much time there this year. Looking forward to seeing you down the road.

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