Denis Julien Inscription 1836

Gopher Flats
Moab, UT
May 23, 2018

About the time we returned home from the gym we got a call from Scott inviting us and Dee to tag along with him and his wife Chris on an exploring adventure.  We quickly said yes, packed a cooler full of waters and a couple of almond butter and grape jelly sandwiches and apples.  I love exploring !  Just as we were headed out the door, Dee stopped by and asked if we wanted to ride with her...even better!  

Our drive for the day was out Mineral Bottom Rd which is about 18 miles total from Hwy 313 to the Green River.  Its a beautiful easy drive through the desert...

 until you reach the section that drops into the canyon.  From here it's a steep, curvy shelf road with sheer drop offs...

  exhilarating views...

and dramatic cliff walls.

Once on the canyon floor, our first stop was for lunch.  We enjoyed the shade from some magnificent cottonwood trees.

Somehow, I failed to get pictures of the humans.  But who could resist this beautiful face?  Zooni belongs to Scott and Chris and is such a sweet, loving, and  well-mannered pup.




With tummies full and after lots of laughs, we headed east on the trail.  We did pass an old mine...it's barely visible in the picture below.  See where the talus rocks change color under the cliff rocks?  The mine is the white spot just above the lighter rocks.

 It wasn't long before we were hugging the Green River.  Here the trail became a little more rutted and narrow.  

Our goal was to see the Denis Julien 1836 Inscription which is listed in the U.S. Register of Historical Places.  The facts known about Julien's life and trading and trapping career are few.  There are eight recorded Julien inscriptions in Utah dated 1831 - 1841.  The 1836 carving is the most well known.  It is located at the mouth of Hell Roaring Canyon and includes his name, the day and month, the year, a crude picture of a boat with a mast, and another mysterious  symbol "that has been variously interpreted to be a flying sun or a bird in flight".  The following excerpt and photo were from an article Scott sent us about Julien.

 Today, this is what the site looks like...

 There were also other notable carvings.

There was a notebook on the site we found interesting.  It gave some information about Julien and this inscription.  

It was such a fun day.  For those who are not afraid of heights it's a great trail and well worth the few hours to explore.  

Instead of taking the highway back to Moab, we decided it would be more fun to take Long Canyon Trail.  

Until next time, happy days and...

HAPPY TRAILS !

Sally is feeling much better !  Stitches are out and the incision only has one little scab left to heal.  

And, we wish everyone a safe and happy Memorial Day!

A Hike to Jeep Arch

Gopher Flats
Moab, UT
May 18, 2018

Joe and I first hiked to Jeep Arch in April 2016.  We loved it the first time and were not surprised that we were just as awed last Friday when we ventured into Culvert Canyon to retrace our steps.  It is a 4 mile in and out hike that requires a lot of "paying attention" to find your way.  

The trailhead began once we passed  through a huge culvert (that always makes for a cool picture) under the railroad tracks.  

Culvert Canyon

We emerged into a cool...as in the temperature...sandy wash.  A sign pointed left and off we went, but not before I smelled and took a few pictures of the moonflowers that lined both sides of the wash.  

Once on our way, it was a steep climb up a narrow and overgrown trail.  The Colorado River quickly came into view just above the railroad tracks we had walked under.

The views of the canyon below...

The trail is not always easy to follow.  

Pay close attention to the cairns that show the way...they are not always visible.  And, plan on allowing more time than indicated by the mileage.  

The scenery and trying to stay on trail slowed us down. 






Blooming Prickly Pear cacti was the flower of the day ! There were soooo many.

Also, along the way we passed Utah Daisys and Perky Sues... 

Sego Lilies...

Utah state flower

 and a flower I couldn't identify.

 The Cliff Rose blooms are almost gone.  The mature seed has a long-tailed hair that attaches to it.  These hairs act like a "tiny parachute" and aid the wind in dispersing the seeds.  The fascinating part is that the hairs help "drill"  the seeds into the ground.  Once the seeds land in soil, the wind blows the curved hair rotating it to push the seed into the soil...amazing !

The trail traverses over slick rock, 
red sand,

 and boulders.

The toughest part of the trail was a trek up a steep slick rock section...it is steep !  I tackled it on all fours up and down !

Once we made that climb, jeep arch was just around the corner.

Joe didn't make the last climb to the arch.  He did get a "zoom" picture of me under it.

So far, we have hit the jackpot for hikes that offer quiet and solitude.  We did meet one group of four hikers beginning the hike as we were heading out...just the way we like it !  There is not much shade on this hike so we recommend an early start this time of year.  It gets hot on the rocks !

Do you see the rose ?

 Until next time, happy days and ...

 

                                                                    HAPPY TRAILS !

Oops, I almost forgot, Jack has a new baby Lamby.  

Up next...exploring, a little history, and Hellroaring Canyon