A Hike Through Hunter Canyon

Gopher Flats
Moab, Ut
May 10, 2018

Hunter Canyon is one of those special places Joe and I love this time of year.  This amazing 3 mile out and back trail offers a bit of everything...a twisting canyon, towering sandstone cliffs, burbling water, gnarly cottonwood trees, and lots of wildflowers in May.  It is mostly flat with lots of creek crossings and a little rock scrambling over fallen boulders.  Cottonwood trees and towering canyon walls provide lots of shade. 


This day we were on trail at 8:00am just as the sun was filtering into the canyon.  

Hunter Canyon Arch is barely visible... 

 ...look for it about 1/2 mile into the canyon.

Water in the desert is a real treat making this one of our favorite hikes.  

Springtime in the desert offers an abundance of colors.

Fairy Trumpet Flowers

Prickly Pear Cactus

Yellow Salsify 

Desert Mallow 

Tamarisk

Aster

And we saw our first Sego Lily for the year.  It is Utah's state flower.

I hope if you are ever in Moab, you add Hunter Canyon to your list of things to do. 

Female Cottonwood trees produce tiny red blooms that are followed by masses of seeds with a cottony covering. 

A lot of the Cottonwood trees in the canyon are very old, knotty, and gnarly.  Do you see the lizard ?

Some of the cliff walls had seeping water and gardens.  The trail hugged the walls for awhile. 

 Well, until next time, take care and...

HAPPY TRAILS !

The Pinch and Ledge Crawling Acrobats !

Gopher Flats
May 5 & 6, 2018
Moab, UT

Last weekend was action packed !  Saturday, Nick (from Salt Lake City) planned to wheel Kane Creek.  Like most folks who come to town, he posted his plans on the Moab Friends For Wheeling facebook page and said anyone who wanted to join in were welcomed.  We took the bait along with Dee, Melissa, and Doug and Tonga.  Kane Creek is a fun and scenic trail with a few challenges thrown in.  Its divided into three sections...the desert, creek crossings, and a narrow shelf road that climbs out of the canyon.  Well, guess who drove Wile E through the desert and some of the creek crossings.  

ME !  It was our plan for me to "do the driving" until lunch as I knew I didn't want any part of the shelf road.  




The Pinch as it is called (although I still refer to it as Roy's Rock) was the big obstacle of the day for me.  Thanks to spotting from Melissa, Wile E just crawled up and over.  Thank you for the picture Dee.

Nick watches as Melissa (who you can't see) spots my over Roy's Rock.  WAHOO !

Dee, driving Elliott, was behind us at this point.  Melissa watches as Elliott aces Roy's Rock.  

After a stop for lunch,  Joe took over.  













The shelf road and Hamburger Hill...

Nick gets stuck on Hamburger Hill.

Wile E couldn't get enough traction so Elliott and his Hemi came to the rescue...

What a fun day with old friends and new ones.


















Sunday's plan was Rusty Nail.  This 1.9 mile "shortcut" is actually a spur off Gold Bar Trail to the most difficult obstacles on Golden Spike Trail.  Slickrock, steep ledges, huge boulders, and off camber sections make this trail a "hard core" challenge.  Jeff led our group of trail warriors with "nerves of steel", followed by Warren, us, Chris, Dee, Keith and Larry.  Names like Riff-Raff, The Wall, No Left Turn,  and Skid Mark have no bypasses.  Other obstacles like Butt Scratcher and Double Whammy have choices from very difficult to a little easier.  

Photos of some ledge crawling acrobats...

Warren climbs an unnamed ledge...

Jeff climbs the notch instead of the typical "hard" way just to the left of where he is.

Chris is all smiles after climbing Riff Raff

Dee tiptoes down Skid Mark as Jeff watches. This is the obstacle we dread the most on this trail...

Keith's Samuri (which Jeff built !) is quite flexy as he steps off No Left Turn. 

Larry gets a good stretch as he climbs a boulder on No Left Turn.

Wile E on No Left Turn...

Yep, thats the edge of the cliff on the right side...

It's so cool how the passenger side tires "hug" the cliff wall.

And yes, Wile E is flexy too!

 Just a few more random photos from the day...

 We did help a woman in distress who was sitting on the side of Gemini Bridges Road.  She wasn't alone, but her companions rode on once we stopped to help.  We loaded her bike on Warren's jeep and she rode out with Dee.  They transported her and her bike back to her campground on Hwy 191.

 So, until next time have fun and...

HAPPY TRAILS ! 

Up next...a twisting canyon, towering sandstone cliffs,  burbling water, gnarly cottonwood trees, and oh yes, lots of wildflowers...all on the same hike !