A Sunset

Gopher Flats
August 2019
Moab, UT

Living at Gopher Flats is perfect when you love red rocks, visiting with friends, nice sunsets, cool evenings and just being lazy.  The down side...it is hot in the summer !  We returned from our vacation to hotter temps than we had before we left.  In all the years we have been here, I can't remember an August being so sweltering as this past August was.  The great news is that those triple digits are all behind us and September and October promise to be gorgeous !

We were excited to get back to Moab.  Not just because it is Moab and we were happy to see Dee, but also because we had friends visiting from Saskatchewan.  This has become one of the highlights for us for the past 3 years...just an awesome group of people full of fun and excitement and boy do they love wheeling !  Their two weeks here flew by way too fast and we are already looking forward to 2020.  

Marc and Janelle (we all call her Nellie),

Marc's jeep returned to Moab this year with 40" tires.  He is an awesome wheeler.

This was the first year Nellie brought HER jeep.  We saw lots of smiles as she made her way (sometimes with Marc's help) on some pretty hard trails!

Luc,

Luc built this Cherokee and it's a very capable machine.  He always makes obstacles look so easy.  

Phil,

Phil takes his truck on all the trails...except Pritchett.  It is also very capable.

Kelsey and Scot

Kelsey never shies away from a challenge...always taking the hardest line. 

We read the best book The Longevity Paradox...How to Die Young at a Ripe Old Age  by Dr. Gundry.  My blood work last March was not the best with high "everything" and I was told I was pre-diebetic.  That was a shocker...I thought I was pretty healthy !  Anyhow, in March we started making changes to our diet by eliminating sugar, enriched flour, and pasta. We didn't eat rice so that was easy.   Now we have stepped it up with less animal protein and adding more greens, beets, and olive and avocado oil.   Fasting is also an important part of his plan...basically, 14 hours between your last meal of the day and your first meal of the next day.  Joe and I do want to be healthy at a ripe old age.  We have been thrown some curve balls with Joe's diagnosis of cancer in 2014 and both of our parents died with Alzheimers.  To date, I have lost 16 pounds and shrunk 2 sizes in my waist and hips.  Joe has also slimmed up.  We have settled into a nice routine of going to the gym four days a week and hope to dust off the hiking boots very soon !  I promise I will not be "preaching" about diets anymore...we are just so jacked to be feeling better (and my high blood pressure is not high anymore) and to have more energy.


BUT wait...what is this ? A very weak moment after a long week of sweltering temps and mostly staying inside.  Date night in Moab is always tasty and beautiful. 

A gorgeous drive through Arches at sunset has a way of restoring my soul !  

We hiked up the short trail at the Windows section to sit and watch...so beautiful and peaceful !

Until next time,


















HAPPY TRAILS !

Klondike Bluffs Auto Hike

Gopher Flats
Moab, UT
June 9, 2019

The morning of June 9th dawned with windy conditions and much cooler temps.  Our plan was to hike Tower Arch, but those plans quickly changed the moment we stepped outside.  The skies were bright blue and clear so we decided an auto hike would be more comfortable.  



Since we were headed to Arches NP anyway, we decided to do a drive through on our way to Salt Valley.  

Balanced Rock doesn't look so impressive int he photo, but it stands 128 feet tall.

We made a quick stop at the Windows Section, also known as the Spectacles, but didn't linger.  The chilly wind and poor morning lighting was a deterrent.  I'm thinking for the best pictures a sunset visit would be better. 

First attempt to photo the Spectacles...now it is a challenge !

 Salt Valley is a gorgeous section of Arches.  Tower Arch is a secluded arch in the northwest corner of the valley near the park border.  There is little traffic on the gravel/dirt road that meanders the valley...it is well maintained and as long as it is dry, most vehicles will not have any trouble.   

The road is gravel...

...which changes to soft red dirt...

...then hard packed dirt after you exit the park.

The wildflowers are definitely fading away. The Mule's Ears are one of my favorite! 

We did spot a pair of Pronghorns just outside the park.  These animals have a long history and are quite unique.  Did you know that their closet living relatives are giraffes and okapi ?  

Pronghorns are the only animals in the world that have branched horns.

 Did you know they have the longest land migration and they are the fastest land animal in North America ?  And did you know Pronghorns are one of only a few living links to the Ice Age ?    

Just look at those eyelashes...

After leaving the park we took a side road we hoped would take us over Klondike Bluffs.  It turned out to be a dead-end. 

Going up...


  

 The end of the road...about 1.4 miles in.

And back down...

 All in all, it turned into a pretty good adventure for a Sunday morning.  And the best part, we still have the Tower Arch hike to look forward to.  

On the home front, we haven't had very many colorful sunrises or sunsets lately, but I did get a photo the other night of an orange sunset...

Looking west towards Moab Rim...behind our MH

 and the orange glow on the rim in front of us.

Looking east towards the LaSal Mountains...in front four MH

Gopher Flats has been quite colorful this spring.  The Penstemons and Austrian Copper Roses have been replaced with Heather, Lavender, lots of Butterfly bushes, Smoke bushes and gorgeous trees.

 

 So until next time, take care and...

HAPPY TRAILS ! 

Arches National Park

Gopher Flats
May, 2019
Moab, UT

In 1929, when President Hoover signed the proclamation to establish Arches National Monument, the park only included the Windows and Devils Garden sections...4,520 acres.  

Since that time, the parks boundaries have expanded several times to a whopping 76,679 acres.  Although Arches has been under construction for millions of years Congress changed the status to a National Park in 1971.   


I will never forget our first drive through Arches back in May 2013...a jaw dropper for sure !  I still have the same excitement today. 





With Arches practically in our backyard and being here for the amount of time we are, visiting this red-rock wonderland is often on the list of things "to-do" from week to week.

Whether it's just a drive or enjoying a hike, it's a beautiful destination.  We have already spent several mornings taking in the colors, shapes, and forms that excite the "aesthetic" senses.      

With over 2,000 natural arches, soaring spires, and massive fins, Arches makes for a beautiful drive and fun hiking.  Did you know that Arches has "the world's largest concentration of natural arches in the world"? 

Double Arch is "close-set pair" of natural arches.  In fact, the arch in front has the tallest opening of any arch in the park...112 feet...and it's the second longest arch in the park. It is a short walk from the parking area to see Double Arch up close.

Delicate Arch is the most famous arch in the park (and maybe the world).  

It's a 3 mile round trip hike to see the arch...a hike Joe and I have enjoyed at least once (sometimes more) every year that we have been in Moab. Yep, we like it !  









I don't always walk down to the arch, but this day I felt very confident and brave.

The key to us enjoying our hike to Delicate Arch is getting an early start.  We are on trail by 7:00 am making this our all time favorite breakfast spot !

While Delicate Arch is the most famous arch, our favorite hiking in Arches is the Devils Garden section. 

The trail begins as an easy wide  gravel path with a side trail to Tunnel Arch and Pine Arch (which we have done several times, but not this day).  


At just under a mile, the path winds its way to Landscape Arch. Landscape Arch is the longest arch in the park...even the Western Hemisphere.  The Natural Arch and Bridge Society now considers it to be the fifth longest arch in the world having measured the span a 290.1 feet.

After admiring Landscape Arch, the fun begins !  The trail becomes difficult as it climbs steeply up and on the sandstone fins.

Shoes with good grip are a must as the footing is rocky with narrow ledges and steep drop-offs...a combination that really gets the heart pumping !  From this point to Double O Arch it is about 2.5 miles.

This time of year, the trail that winds its way to Double O Arch is very colorful.

 Double O Arch is the second largest arch in the NP.  The top arch has a span of 71 feet stacked on top of a smaller arch with a 21 foot span.  Both are part of the same sandstone fin. 

After our breakfast snack, we took two side trails as we made our way back to Landscape Arch.  First to Partition Arch.

Partition Arch is often overlooked as it is not as famous or big as other arches.   The views through this arch are spectacular and its low profile allows for an up close look.  

The second side trail we took was to Navajo Arch.  

Navajo Arch is one of our favorite little arches along the Devils Garden Trail.  It is more like a mini tunnel than an arch as the ground cuts right thru it.  


























The entrance to the arch... 













opens up to a nice little retreat with lots of shade and much cooler air. 

Both these side trails add about a mile to the overall distance.  If time or energy isn't an issue, the side trek to see both these arches is worthwhile.  

This catches us up on our adventures in Arches.  We LOVE our backyard !  So until next time...

HAPPY TRAILS!