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!

October Fun...Part 2

Gopher Flats
Moab, UT
October 2016

Another very popular trail in Moab is Poison Spider.  As the story goes,  back in the 1870s a young girl named Mary was bitten by a poison spider and died on Poison Spider Mesa.  Anyway, large awkward ledges with tippy spots give this highly traveled 10 mile trail a difficult rating.  I like it because the of the varied terrain...a mesa with gorgeous scenery,  scary fun obstacles like The Wedgy, and amazing slick rock fins.  



The weather was perfect as we snaked our way along the trail with Dave and Lynn.






Aren't these machines just amazing? Check out the flex on Rokell as Dave climbs The Wedgy.






Another day, Dee joined us for a short version of Poison Spider.  










It was late in the day and as we were heading out and we enjoyed beautiful reflections on the Colorado River.

Another day, Joe and I joined Red Rock 4 Wheelers (the other local club) on Strike Ravine. 








Traversing through the ravine was quite colorful...

Strike Ravine is on the south side of town in a rugged area of craggy canyons and old mines. It's full of steep boulder fields and narrow shelf ledges. 

 No season is complete without a quick jaunt through Long Canyon.  Over the past few years, Long Canyon has washed out and isn't quite as easy as it was when we first drove it 4+ years ago.  But it is still a beauty ! 







We joined Dave and drove it from top to bottom enjoying every second as we squeezed through Pucker Pass...

...and hugged Giant Fallen Rock.

  

The Tan Clan girls say "Hello!"

Dover and Sally

I thought I would get caught up, but nope !  We have done a couple more trails including one we have never done before so look for part 3 soon. 

Until next time, take care and let the good times roll !

West Rim-East Rim Loop...Dead Horse Point SP

Portal RV Resort
Moab, UT
May 24, 2016

Almost three years ago Joe and I hiked the Great Pyramid Loop (part of the 16.7 mile Intrepid Bike Trail) in Dead Horse Point State Park.  I am not sure why we let so many years go by without visiting this beautiful state park again.  

This past week, we took care of that and ventured out to do the West Rim-East Rim Loop.  

This loop begins and ends at the Visitor Center.  It can be anywhere from 4 to 8 miles depending on how many spur trails you want to do. 


At the start of West Rim we were engulfed in greens, creamy yellows, piñon pines and junipers, and the most glorious fragrance from the Cliff Roses.

 We had read in a brochure that the park only receives about 10 inches of precipitation a year and how vegetation has adapted to live.  Plants have reduced the size of their leaves because smaller leaves loose less water through evaporation.  I had not paid attention to how tiny the leaves are on the Cliff Rose are until the other day.  


Some of these plants have already seeded.  A 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 to this is that the hairs help "drill" the seeds into the ground.  Once the seeds land in the soil, the wind blows the curved hair rotating it to push the seed into the soil...amazing!
















The birds were busy all around us and their chatter filled the quiet morning air.  Finding them was quite a challenge.  We were on trail by 8:15.  Of the two trials, West Rim is less used. It was just us and the birds.

 

According to DHPSP information, West Rim is the longest and most primitive hiking trail in the park.  Cairns mark the route over the sandstone and slick rock.

We eventually followed the cliffs that form the western boundary of the park.

 Dead Horse Point is the "main attraction" at this park.  The West Rim and East Rim join at the point with a paved walk and rock wall around the overlook.  There is a parking lot at the point.  A covered pavilion to enjoy the view,  covered picnic tables scattered among the trees, along with a vault toilet are provided.




It's easy to visualize the layers described in the sign in the picture below.  But not easy to comprehend 300 million years ago.

The last scene in the movie Thelma and Louise was filmed here. 

From the point, looking right...

...looking straight ahead and...

 ...and looking right.

A look back at the point as we continued on East Rim.

East Rim looked different from the West.  It was much more open with lots of blooming cacti and our view was focused on the snow-caped LaSals. 

Joe and I enjoyed this easy to moderate hike...a very pleasant morning.  Afterwards, we decided to take Long Canyon (top to bottom) 4-wheel drive trail back to Potash Road (Hwy 289).  Pucker Pass is always a thrill...

...passing under the huge boulder is fun...

 ...and it's just so dang beautiful!

 At the end of the trail just before we turned onto Potash Road, we saw Jug Handle Arch.

 Until next time, happy days and...

HAPPY TRAILS!