Tuba City, AZ
April 2, 2019
Well, we all know the saying "the best laid plans...often go awry". When we checked into the RV park in Tuba City, we were counting on a one night stop. We pulled Belle as far up in the site as we could so we would not have to unhook Pearl. Joe plugged in the electricity, we had dinner, watched a little TV and called it a day. Saturday morning we were up early and excited about the days adventure to Moab. But, uh-oh... some kind of valve on the air tank for the passenger side airbag did not work so that bag would not inflate. Joe worked for an hour and a half hoping for a quick fix to get us to Moab, but didn't have any luck. Joe called Freightliner in Flagstaff and the part was available from Phoenix so they ordered it. Being a Saturday morning, the part would not be at their shop until Tuesday am. We were stuck right where we were. The water and sewer hookups would not reach...our very first boondocking experience. Thank goodness we had visited Sue and Dave at Catalina. A tub was placed in the sink to collect dishwater, hand/face washing water, and toothbrush spit. We found a Bashas' Grocery in Tuba City...thank goodness for bottled water and throw away plates !
According to Trip Advisor, the top two things to do in Tuba City are, 1) visit the Tuba Trading Post and Museum, and 2) explore Coal Mine Canyon. That was a no-brainer for sure !
Information on Coal Mine Canyon stated, "It is a long way from any famous attraction and is not signposted in any way, yet it has become quite well known because of its amazingly colorful formations that line the upper end of the ravine."
This colorful canyon is about 15 miles from Tuba City right on Hwy 264 and borders between the Hopi and Navajo Indian Resevations. Instructions said to look for a narrow and bumpy dirt road (fine for all vehicles) on the left side of the road. Look for a windmill and water tank and bear right.
Parking is easy at an abandoned picnic area. The flat land falls away quickly and abruptly several hundred feet to the floor of the narrow canyon about 4 miles long.
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| Do you see me ? |
The view is a jaw dropper...colorful, magnificent and intricately eroded spires and hoodoos.
There is a hiking trail that goes down into the canyon. We really wanted to go, but Joe had stitches in his left arm and right leg that were less than a week old, so we couldn't.
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| Can you see the trail? Access is steep, but there is a rope to hold on to. |
Tuesday,Joe drove to Flagstaff (about 75 miles south) to pick up our part. Three hours of travel, a $22 part,
and 20 minutes of repair and we were good to go.
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| Our puppies supervise everything! |
Finally, Wednesday dawned and as you can imagine, we were up early and excited. It's not a long drive from Tuba City to Moab (about 250 miles), and it is such a beautiful ride, the time usually passes by quickly.
I haven't taken road shots in along time, but the clouds and scenery were so pretty Wednesday morning. We experienced sunny skies, cloudy skies, rain and a few snow flakes. It was quite chilly going through Blanding !
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| Finally! |
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| Church Rock and the La Sal Mountains...wahoo! |
Until next time...
HAPPY TRAILS !
