Wheelin' and Exporin'

Portal RV Resort
Moab, UT
April 22, 25, 26, 2016

One of the nice things about being apart of the Moab Friends For Wheeling club is that when people who want to go wheeling visit here, often they will contact the club via Facebook for help.  Such was the case a couple of weeks ago when Mike, Tara, and their year old son Hunter arrived from Vancouver.  Dee volunteered to lead them on Hell's Revenge and we were invited to come along.  We readily accepted...just can't get enough Hell's Revenge !

 The following Monday, the six of us headed out to Jackson Hole.  It was an absolutely gorgeous day for some rock hounding and cliff climbing !  Pearl was getting new tires so we rode along with Dee.

On the way to Jackson Butte, we made a stop to hunt for fossils.   

I only found one seashell fossil this time. 









Jackson Butte is on the left...Cliffhanger is the ridge that wraps around from behind the butte to the right.

 I love this angle of the butte...

Rock climbing on the back side of Jackson Butte under the Cliffhanger 4X4 trail was a hoot although Joe and I didn't go as far as Dee and Jeremy.  Quite a challenge to figure out the best route and not cause a rock slide. 

L-R Tara, Dee, Mike and Hunter and Joe

 It's so beautiful here...

 Our stopping point, looking down at Tara and Hunter...




and up at Dee and Jeremy.

Our last stop was in the riverbed where the Colorado River once flowed.  One of my favorite rock hounding spots.

I found a new cactus.  This is a Whipple's Fishhook.  It is named after Amiel Wicks Whipple (1818-1863) who was an engineer for surveys of the US/New Mexico boundary from 1853-1856.  Nature is so amazing...the pores open up at night to allow carbon dioxide to enter. It is stored and during the day is used in photosynthesis. 


These are tiny cactus (2" to 1.2' tall) with showy light purple or pinkish flowers.

Our last day with the Johansens was spent on Poison Spider.  It was an overcast day and we mostly had the trail to ourselves. 



Looking back on the waterfall we had just climbed and the fresh tire marks we had made.






 Mike drove the waterfall and V-Notch like a pro...

...and did a dang good job on Wedgy too! 

No matter what the weather, High-Speed Mesa is always a blast and gorgeous.

 No trip on Poison Spider is complete without a picture of mama pig and her piglets...

...a picture of the dead ( I prefer sleeping) buffalo...

...or a hike to Little Arch.  (Just on the other side of the river, you can make out Moab Rim parking lot.)


Hunter had a ball...maybe an up and coming rock climber?

The stunning overlook is a must see.







And of course the sandy play hill brings out lots of laughs and wahoos!  We made freshies!   

Poison Spider Mesa is marked as one of Charles Wells' (author of Moab, UT Backroads & 4-Wheel-Drive Trails) favorite trails and it's no wonder.  

It was great meeting such nice young people and we sure hope our paths cross again.

Until next time, happy days, and...

 HAPPY TRAILS !

Jackson Hole

Portal RV Resort
Moab, UT
April 10, 2016

Sunday dawned with excitement as Joe and I got ready for our first 4X4 trail of the year.  Moab Friends For Wheelin' had Jackson Hole (a new to us trail) on the calendar.  MFFW is an awesome group of people and we are so fortunate to be apart of this club.  

There were 12 rigs total...a nice group of Samurais, jeeps and a Toyota Buggy. 

 It was so much fun seeing everyone and when we stopped we all jumped out of our rig and picked up the conversation right where it left off from the stop before.

Jackson Hole has a moderate trail rating due to some small ledges and rough spots.  It heads north and west of Hurrah Pass and loops around Jackson Butte.

It's always a beautiful sight to stop and take in the view at Hurrah pass.  

We could barely see Jackson Hole trail from Hurrah Pass...it is in the lower right side quadrant of the photo.  

  It was a gorgeous day with warm sunshine, blue skies and white fluffy clouds. Round trip was about 50 miles which includes the 12 miles for the Jackson Hole loop. 

The picture below shows Jackson Butte in the center.  Jackson Butte stands in the middle of Jackson Hole...an abandoned meander of the Colorado river.  The trail loops around the butte.  The high rocky cliff that curves around behind Jackson Butte is the Cliffhanger 4X4 trail and biking/hiking trails. 

  

Our lunch stop was a great area to explore.  There are a lot of river rocks and petrified wood covered in manganese... so shiny and black.    
 The hill behind the rigs was covered in these beautiful tiny pale lavender flowers and. 

This is the fourth year Joe and I have spent several months in Moab.  There is a definite draw for us to visit this scenic paradise.  Whether it's hiking or wheeling,  there is a wow around every turn. 





 Until next time, happy days and...

    happy trails!