Jackson Trail

Moab, UT
June 12, 2013

To get to Jackson Trail turn right off  Hwy 191 south (or Main Street) at the McDonalds onto Kane Creek Road. The trailhead is at the first parking lot where the pavement ends and the gravel 4X4 road begins.

 This trail is not in our guide book...it is a mountain bike trail, but we thought if bikes can do it, we sure can too!

The trail makes a steep descent towards Kane Creek.

The bright green tree tops caught my eye... just maybe we would enjoy some shade on this hike.



 Not so lucky...once we crossed the creek, we made a quick climb up.

This is a single lane, well used trail. We did see bike tracks.



 As we followed the winding trail, it lead us to a very narrow slickrock shelf right above the creek.

        

 The water in this stream was murky and dark, yet it offered a nice reflection of rock walls, trees and the sky.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

And then Joe disappeared!
  We found ourselves in the middle of a thicket of trees...

...tangled up in clumps of webs. But, I can report, no mosquito bites!

Just at the point we thought we might turn around and go back, the creek joined the Colorado River.

 This is a view looking back at the Colorado...just a beautiful sight!






From here, it was a long, narrow walk...mostly up








with minimal switchbacks.

The arch from the side...

 I am always on the lookout for something interesting to photograph. We did spot an arch in the making...

and a view from the front...thought the glow was neat.

                                                          

Hopi Blanketflower

and a few wildflowers I haven't photographed yet.

Desert Trumpet

This gas line followed most of the trail. It made a pretty backdrop for the grasses.





Speaking of grasses...at Dr. Gostlin's vet office we read about the dangers with a couple of grasses and dogs. Cheatgrass was one of them. It has small barbs on it and they often get caught in puppy ears and paws causing a lot of discomfort and issues.

We will be even more cautious with our pups on trails now. We saw a lot of Cheatgrass on this hike.






After we had turned around to head back, Joe spotted this bird. We think it is a hawk and were privileged to see it swoop down and reappear with breakfast. It is hard to see in the photo below, but he does have talons full of something that looks rather large...we are not sure what.


He is headed for that ledge to enjoy the catch of the day. Those pictures were way to blurry to post.

We could only imagine what kind of wildlife calls these spots home. Very interesting formations in the rock walls along the creek.

 We were walking on the edge to say the least.






We both agreed this was an interesting hike. It was right at 4 miles from start to finish.
                                                            

 We hope everyone has a great week-end. Happy Father's Day to all the dads out there.

 

Thanks for visiting and as always, we look forward to your comments.

Y'all come back!

The Great Pyramid Loop and OOPS!

Moab, UT
June 9,2013


Sunday morning we were up and out the door by 7:45am. When the temps are predicted to get into triple digits, an early start is a must! Our destination for the day was Dead Horse Point SP and a hike on the Great Pyramid Loop. Our trusted guide book rated this 3.7 mile loop as easy to moderate.





When we arrived and paid our fee, we did find out this is a shared trail with mountain bikes...not a problem. As we headed out, the trail was a little rocky to say the least...like walking on marbles.

 In fact, we both thought this might turn out to be a boring hike. But after several turns, we were standing in front of spectacular views of the canyon.
 
 
 

The first "WOW!" was at the Colorado River Overlook. It is a huge slickrock area with no rails. Notice I kept my distance from the edge!

 

 The inclines on this trail have gradual changes in elevation making them fairly easy to hike.

 

The second overlook was a view of the Great Pyramid.



We just can't get enough of these views. Some might think if you have seen one view of a canyon, you have seen them all. Yet, when there in person,  each view is so different, rendering a completely fresh perspective and visual impact.  I have run out of adjectives...maybe I haven't said breathtaking so that will do!

 Once past the second overlook, the trail heads away from the rim with another slow climb 






with a few larger rocky shelves.


                                                               

We entered a basin and enjoyed the shade from the pinyon pines.  Perfect for a water and apple break!


Did you know pinyon pines do not produce pine nuts every year?

A tree produces edible nuts just every three to seven years. The irregular cycle prevents animals from adapting to an abundance of pine nuts and guarantees that at least some nuts will become new pine trees instead of a quick meal for a squirrel.

 This partial cone was crushed on the trail so Joe picked it up for a closer look.

 Shortly after our break, we came to a fork in the trail.  Although I usually take pictures of the signs, the one for this junction had about a dozen bikers in front of it. Their bikes were scattered about and looked to us like a huge wreck. Well, this is where the OOPS! part in the title comes in.

Without looking at the direction sign, I said "turn right" so we did.  After we had hiked one for over an hour, we came to a trail marker with a map and "you are here" designation .  We were now a third of the way into the Big Chief Loop, which is a 9,2 mile hike that includes the Great Pyramid Loop.  In looking at the map we calculated that our 3.7 mile hike should just about have been completed and we were left with a decision.... turn around, or finish out the 9.2 mile loop.  We did not have enough water or time to complete the extra miles so we back tracked.

                                                                                                       

My mistake cost us about 2 hours and boy was it getting hotter by the second! What a relief it was to see this sign. We still had 1.5 miles to go, but at least it was in the right direction!



 From here we climbed another hill. Why does it seem like the red sandy parts of the trail all go uphill? Not hard packed red sand, but soft,  red sand that your feet get buried in. Good for the legs but tough to walk in!

 Once at the top of the mesa, it was an easy walk through a meadow to the visitor center.






Dark pink

Pale pink

or Yellow

The meadow was full of prickly pear cactus. And this little guy was sure enjoying brunch!

 

Pretty Buckwheat

Mystery flower of the day...I could not find it. Does anyone know what it is?

Sure wish this cairn had been at the fork in the road and not in the meadow!

 Whew! What a sight...Don't mind telling you we were tired and hot by the time we returned to the Visitor Center. What should have been a 3.7 mile hike in the early morning, turned out to be about 5.7 miles.

We didn't budge on Monday except to take Sally to the vet for her annual shots and exam. Dr. Jim Gostlin and his wife Lou were great with Sally.  During her exam, Dr. Jim showed us the heavy tar build up on her back teeth.  He suggested we should have them cleaned when we were in a location and had time.  With yet another week here in Moab, we asked if he could do it for us.  He could, so she returned Tuesday for the procedure.  If you are in Moab, UT and find yourself in need of veterinarian we highly recommend Dr. Gostlin and his staff.

"But daddy, I'm people, not a dog!"

 

Thanks for stopping by.

Y'all come back!