Spent Saturday on Top of the World!

Portal RV Resort
Moab, UT
September 5, 2015

At the club meeting for Moab Friends for Wheelin, members can add a trail on the calendar that they would like to lead and members who want to go are invited and welcomed to come along. One of my favorite trails was added to the calendar and led by Larry Long this past Saturday. 

The Colorado River heading east on scenic hwy 128 towards the Dewey Bridge.

The first time we did Top of the World, I was so wowed by the view from Waring Mesa (7,000 feet above sea level).


I am happy to report my third viewing was just as breath taking as my first.






Of course getting to and from the lunch view is rugged fun traversing broken layered rock.

Our team for the day...Larry and Sharon who led the way, followed by Dale and Rolande, then us...

and Dee and Rosie bringing up the rear.

The first part of the trail follows the base of a cliff. Sharon pointed out "Kissing Rock", the rock formation on the right.

The Entrada Sandstone is beautiful wherever it is exposed.

As the trail climbs, the view expands beyond the Colorado all the way to the Book Cliffs and in places we could even see the Delores River.

 And then there is the Top of the World...

Looking left is the end of Onion Creek trail with Taylor Farm and the meadow where we always turn left towards Thompson Canyon.

Looking straight ahead is the LaSal Mountains. The tiny speck of trail in the center of the photo is also Onion Creek.

Looking right is Fischer Towers and Castle Valley. 

What a view for lunch !

We witnessed a rain squall just in front of us.

I ate my first pine nuts.

Heading home...

Until next time, let the good times roll.

HAPPY TRAILS!

Crystal Geyser, Ray's Tavern and Melon Mania!

Portal RV Resort
Moab, UT
September 2, 2015

 Last week we headed north on Hwy 191 and then west on I 70 towards Green River, UT to a POI we had heard about this past spring.  

As many times as we travel these highways and byways, I never tire of the views we see along the way...

Crystal Geyser was our first destination. 

East bank of the Green River

This geyser is on the east bank of the Green River and according to google, it is a "rare example of a cold water carbon dioxide driven geyser" and geothermal activity does not play a role in the activity. There is no schedule for when the geyser erupts. I read that it could be 8 to 22 hours between eruptions. 

The first written record of Crystal Geyser comes from a report of the Powell Geographic Expedition of 1869, July 13, 1869: " We stop to examine some interesting rocks deposited by mineral springs that at one time must have existed here but are no longer flowing."

The current form of the geyser was created by an exploration well drill in 1935 in an attempt to find oil. 

We did see a bubbling event...the pool surrounding the geyser fills with water resulting in a beautiful flow to the river. 

As you probably guessed, the geyser did not erupt while we were there. But it was still a great time exploring. And we did work up an appetite!





We were told that a trip to Green River is not complete without a stop at Ray's Tavern for lunch.

 Ray's opened in 1943 and has since become a classic for chilled beer, burgers and fries. The grill is behind the bar where burgers are made and flame broiled to order. We chose a booth, but you can sit at the bar.


Ray's claim to fame happened over the years as river expeditions, bikers, and hikers made their way into town. The walls are decorated with framed T-shirts from all over, folded so the advertisement/company shows...pretty cool to read them!

Another bit of trivia about Green River, UT...it just so happens to be the melon growing capital of Utah! Much to my delight, we were there during the picking season. They have a perfect climate protected by the Book Cliffs and good sandy soil that allows for rapid growth and long production periods. 

The melon fields had just been picked.
The three families of farmers who grow here admit they are farmers and that marketing is not their thing. Thus, word of mouth is their biggest advertisement. The town was filled with roadside melon markets as we drove down Main Street...the only street in town! 

The melons in the center bin are Israeli melons...a very delicate soft meat with a delicious sweet taste. The yellow Canari melons against the back wall are crispy and more tart. 

These melons were huge...way too much for us. We did buy a "personal" watermelon with seeds. We were told a pound of seeds to grow the small seedless variety cost about $1400 compared to $20/pound for small watermelons with seeds.

Ribbons from state fairs and farmers markets filled the walls.

It was a great day!

The bridge over Green River on Main Street

Until next time, let the good times roll!

The road to Crystal Geyser...

HAPPY TRAILS!