Moab

 

Moab, UT
June 22, 2013

Colorado River

Moab is nestled in a valley surrounded by the Colorado River and the LaSal Mountain range. When you visit Moab, you step into a world rich with natural beauty.




Negro Bill Canyon

Native American tribes...including the Pueblo, Utes and Navajo, roamed the Moab area for thousands of years before the Spanish arrived in 1776.

Moab Arts Festival

A group of Spanish explorers carved a trade route across the desert to California. One of these routes linked Sante Fe with Los Angeles and ran past Arches NP.




Eventually, The Old Spanish Trail was used by fur traders and prospectors. Early explorers followed rivers, crossed expansive plains, and scaled mountains.

 

Their isolated lives in the wilderness were full of daring adventures, savage warfare, and extreme temperatures.



Eggplant parmesan...best we have ever had!

By 1855, The Mormon Church set out to establish a trading post at the Colorado River crossing in Moab. Conflicts with the Utes forced the Mormon to abandon.




Moab Arts Festival

In 1878, a group of prospectors, ranchers, and farmers established a permanent settlement.






Moab Arts Festival

It wasn't long until the discovery of precious metals and the development of coal mines lured new settlers.







Moab Arts Festival

There is an interesting story about how Moab got its name and the efforts to change it. If you are interested...check out Wikipedia.  

 


Fast forward to the 1970s...Moab became home to Arches NP and today tourism flourishes.

Moab City Park

Hikers, photographers, rock climbers, mountain bikers, four-wheelers, and the increasingly popular base jumpers flock to the area every year. 



 

We arrived in Moab on May 18th for a 2 week stay. Well, after just a few days here, we quickly realized that was not going to be enough.







Fire in sky...view from our MH

What was to be a 2 week stay turned into a 5 week stay and we both feel we have only scratched the surface of the adventures Moab has to offer! 

Almost dark...

Hiking has become an important part of our lives. Thanks, one more time, to Steve and Joan for showing us such a fun way to explore. Also a thank you to John and Pam...your posts sure sparked our interest. 

Hidden Valley and Avocado Salad

Moab, UT
June 14, 2013

Well, you might have thought about Ranch dressing when you read the title, but that's not exactly what this Hidden Valley is. Hidden Valley is exactly that...a hidden valley!

The trailhead for the hike to this beautiful valley is 3 miles south from Moab on Hwy 191. Turn right on Angel Rock Rd, then right again on Rimrock Rd.
The trailhead parking area is an improved dirt road section along Rimrock.

This hike is 4 miles round trip and rated moderate to difficult. We followed the trail to the base of the Moab Rim...that was easy!



 From there the trail ascends 680 feet. We found ourselves climbing very steep switchbacks over a rocky terrain...that was difficult! 

This section of the trail is nicknamed Barney Rubble.

This is a picture of Pearl...that tiny dot in the parking lot. We were not quite at the top of the switchbacks when I took the picture.

At the top of the switchbacks, the trail enters Hidden Valley...a broad shelf between the top of the Moab Rim and Spanish Valley.




The trail leads to a low rise that separates the two halves of Hidden Valley. The shade from junipers and pinyon pines were a welcome relief! 
 
 

The trail continues through the valley...







and meanders between the rock formations.



Ahead is the pass...the two mile marker. We had been told there were petroglyphs just beyond the pass so we wandered on.






WOW!









We stopped for an apple and crackers and a water break.

We enjoyed a beautiful view of the valley below.



This hike is not a loop, but the view was so different on the return. The LaSal Mountains showed up in a few pictures.




I almost forgot...Joe and I love avocados! I found a great avocado salad and its so easy and perfect for warm (hot) summer days. You will need :

2 ripe avocados, peeled and sliced
2 large tomatoes, cut into wedges
1/2 sweet onion, cut into wedges
1 cup Italian salad dressing (I used Olive Garden dressing)
lettuce leaves, optional

In a bowl, combine all the ingredients; add the dressing and stir to coat. Chill for 20-30 minutes. Serve over lettuce leaves if desired. Enjoy!

This was our last "new" hike. We have done several hikes twice. Our favorite was the Corona Arch...soooo pretty!

We sure feel better now than we did when we got here. Nothing like the great outdoors to help you loose a few pounds and inches!

We will be packing up to leave Moab on Saturday. We plan to stay in Park City,UT for a week before heading on to Flathead Lake in Montana. Sure hope the hiking is good there too!

Thanks for stopping by...

and happy trails.

Y'all come back!