Pictures I Did Not Take

 ...but I wish that I had taken or could take

The first one is Determination Towers taken from Tusher Tunnel. We were in both places, but I did know that had I descended into the canyon I would have seen this. Next time.

This is Secret Spire taken in the late afternoon with storm clouds in the background. We have been there in prior years but did not make it this trip. Next Time

This is what I call the Trifecta. It can be seen on 128 just south of Dewey Bridge. It shows Fisher Towers, the La Sals and the Colorado River. I have photographed it several times, always with some haze. This guy got shot without haze in the summer, as the snow is gone from the mountains. 

Wheeling In Moab

Dear Diary, This is one long convoluted blog, but I have given up on making sense of it.

 Klondike Bluffs From A Distance

  Klondike Bluffs Zoomed to the Tower Arch

 Who Are These Guys?

Thursday, April 12 - WooHoo, the winds came, the dust blew. After lunch, it was gusting over 30 and it was white out city at times. We had all the windows are closed and one vent on exhaust to keep a negative pressure inside. The dust came in anyway.

Friday the 13th - Dorothy writes: I told everyone that it was Friday the 13th, but no one backed out of going on a trail.  The plan was to go to the Poison Spider Trail.  We have done it twice before, but the third time, the waterfall seemed bigger and steeper and we wimped out.  Brett and Keith are very experienced so going with them would be a good thing.  We did that trail just fine, but did not turn around when we could have.  We then did the Golden Spike and Gold Bar.  At the end of the trails, we should have been given a gold bar for completing these trails without breaking the Jeep or ourselves

We wanted to try run the Poison Spider trail again. The last time we tried to run it we were intimidated by a waterfall that had become a real obstacle. I wanted to see another Jeep do it to give me confidence. Team Wyers fit the bill. I would have preferred to run it in perfect weather for photography and mid-week when there are few on the trail. But, the clock was ticking for the "kids" on vacation, so I went with them to get some confidence. The intimating waterfall was even more so, but we got up it with no problems.

When we got to where Poison Spider makes a scenic loop, the others wanted to continue on the Gold Spike Trail, which my guidebook said is one mean bitch. Keith said it was not really bad. [After running it this year he retracted that. It has changed] The first 3.5 miles were delightful steep up's and down's on the smooth slick rock. Then came the obstacles named the Golden Crack, Golden Stairs, and the Body Snatcher. We crossed the crack by putting spare tires in the crack so the wheels would not sink down as much. Once started one wheel is in the air. The  Body Snatcher referred to the Jeep body, not your own. You slide to the right into a rock unless you maintain throttle. To cap it off the next 8 miles were the worst trail I have ever been on. It was no place for a stock clearance Jeep. Brent had to tow us up steps three times. It's hard to move uphill when your skid plates are scraping the rocks.

Then it got worse. The long, long trail got longer time wise when the ground wire on Keith's Jeep came loose again. The "kids" got on the ground and fixed it, but that burned up an hour of daylight. At dark, we found an intimating waterfall that looked to me like the Wall of Jericho that we had to scale to continue out. Brent winched up. He then tried to pull us up, but it was not working. Plan B, Brent got us positioned just right and Rubi came up under her own power. I was amazed. I turned just as they told me and never backed off the gas. If we had two more inches of clearance we would have had no problems on the trail.

We got back to camp at 11pm, after 13 hours on a 15.4-mile trail.

Saturday, April 14 - Sunday, April 15 - Spent being lazy and cleaning the vehicles.

Monday, April 16 - The forecast is for two days of high winds. The wind started mid-afternoon while we were town doing laundry. We had dinner at the Moab Diner a 50's style place and the food was good. The wind rocked the rig during the night, but we it did not disturb our sleep.

Tuesday, April 17 - The wind is still blowing, but skies turned blue by 7am. By noon, the light was perfect. The bright white clouds looked like a white kitten's paws just over the orange rocks. We wolfed down a sandwich and made tracks for the bluffs. Although the bluffs can be seen from our camp, it takes two hours to get there as there is no direct road and the Jeep trail is iffy in most places. You know this not going to end well already, don't you? Right! About an hour into the drive those cute clouds grew to enormous dimensions all around the compass. We could see water vapor trying to reach the ground from the bottom of the clouds. Where the water comes from escapes us. By the time we got to the bluffs, the sun was obscured by a solid cloud. And so it goes. We crawled over the trail into Arches and took the longer, but paved road home.

 On The Poison Spyder Trail

 Pig Rock - Really - Look

 The Team - Dorothy, Linda, Norma, Rob, Brent, Sandy and Keith

 Keith Watching Brent Try to Cross The Golden Crack Unaided

 Rob Crossing The Golden Crack Using Two Spare Tires

One Of the Only Scenery Shots I Took on the 13 Hour Trail

Wednesday, April 18 - Good weather today, more wind for tomorrow and then, drum roll, good weather for at least 10 days.

Dorothy writes: The first ride of the day was the Rim Trail.  Don is doing such a good job on these difficult trails and I have confidence in his driving ability and also Rubi’s handling ability.  We got to Wipe Out Hill - Bret went down and then up and then Keith went down and then up. Sandy and Linda stayed at the top.  We didn’t do it.  Then Brett wanted to do the “Pickle”.  He made a few attempts.  One that will stand out in my memory is Brett trying to get up the rock ledge and Keith and Don with a strap in each hand trying to keep the jeep’s four tires on the ground!  All was good until I decided  I needed to get higher up to watch.  That’s when my ankle rolled and I fell down. I looked like a turtle on it’s back, but nothing was broken just embarrassed. 

We drove a particularly scenic area we had not been to before in the general area of the 7 Mile trail. We got to Wipeout Hill. I took one look and knew the Jeep could do it, but I would not try and Dorothy would not ride down with anyone. Keith and Brent went down and back up. After that Brent wanted to try The Pickle a high steep waterfall. He tried mightily but was not able to crest it.  I don't think it can be done except by a specialty climbing machine.

Thursday, April 19 - It was supposed to be windy, but instead there was dense haze that obscured even the La Sal's. No photography today. We went on the Top Of The World trail. It a 4.5 mile rough broken layered rock trail through a P&J forest that goes from the Colorado River at 4,000 feet to an overlook of Onion Creek Canyon at 7,000. There is nothing to see until you get to the top. And then, oh my, what a view. Even though the dense haze, it was breath-taking. Not likely we will do it again, but it was worth it one time.

I searched for some pictures to show the view, but all I found were countless ones like these. Not a single shot showing the multi-colored canyon. Scenery must not be high on most Jeepers list.

Onion Creek is 3,000 feet down. It always amazes me that how such a trivially small creek could cut such a canyon. It must have been larger in the last few million years.

Bret expertly spotted us through a few obstacles.

Good campfire.

Friday, April 20 - A Lazy day for us. We picked up our mail, dumped, and got groceries. The Weyers did Strike Ravine. It's was the last day for the working man.

Saturday, April 21 - Another lazy day for us. We did some chores in the morning and then we chatted until lunch. A large contingent of ATV's and cycles came in and we decided the trails would be a little busy for us.

Keith On Wipe Out Hill

On The Trail

Rocks And The La Sal's

The End Of Top Of The World Trail

                        Looking Over The Edge Of Top Of The World 

Some Like To Push It At Top Of The World 

The Very End Of Top Of The World 

Sunday, April 22 - We looked at the pictures Linda took with her iPad. I thought they were better than mine. Nothing that can be adjusted, taken in the bright sun without benefit of a viewfinder. Maybe I should toss the $800 camera?

With Keith and Sandy we found Hidden Canyon which we deemed to be one of the most interesting canyons in the area. The rocks were extremely swirly. Great weather. Good campfire, no wind.


Monday, April 23 -  Another mostly lazy day. We picked up some items shipped to us, shopped and were back at Dalton Springs for lunch, nap, chat and game of Golf. 

Hidden Canyon Overlook

                                               Hidden Canyon

Trails, so far

Klondike

7 Mile

Poison Spider

Golden Spike

Gold Rim

Tower Arch

3D

Top Of The World
Hidden Canyon

Mostly Moab

Monday, April 2 - We parked on one of our fav "rocks" overlooking the Goosenecks of the San Juan River. We planned to stay for two days and just veg. We did not check the weather. There was the usual wind out of the south with gusts over 25. In the afternoon we were rocking and rolling. It settled down after dark. Not being able to sit out, we decided to head to our next stop an hour north.

I think this is the fifth time we have been through Monument Valley while the wind was howling. Looks like we will croak before we get second chance to see it.

Tuesday, April 3 - The loneliest road in Utah must be UT 95. There are almost no humans between Natural Bridges and I70. Our kind of road. We saw three other vehicles in 30 miles. We found a  parking place just a 100 yards off the highway. It has a great view of Jacob's Chair beyond a white rock canyon. Perhaps one of the best views we have ever had in Utah.

 Jacob's Chair Above KoKo

Along UT 95

We tried to drive Jacob's Chair trail, but about halfway up the mesa the trail was blocked by large rocks. Next, we tried Paiute Pass, but after a mile or so, we encountered a really off camber slope with deep loose dirt on the downhill side. I deemed it ripe for a rollover so we aborted that trial. Then we drove a few miles on Fortknocker trail and could have kept going until it reached the Dark Canyon. But that was a bridge too far in mid-afternoon. 

Wednesday, April 4 - We continued north on UT24 through some of the best red rock scenery in the state. Since there was no traffic, I was able to poke along at 40 and enjoy looking. It's like Island In The Sky, but better. Before you get to beautiful downtown Hanksville, the show is over, as you enter a desert scape. 

We parked at Temple Mountain as we have many times in the past. Finding the parking area almost empty was not surprising to us. When we took the Jeep to the dirt road we figured out why the parking area was empty, everyone in Utah was dispersed in the red dust- dozens of rigs. We had never seen so many people here. And they kept coming even after dark.

Moab

Thursday, April 5 - We got to Moab to find Keith's Jeep fuel pump had gone south and it was three miles down a trail. I pulled it out with no problem. The tach never got above 1,500 even going uphill in 4 wheel high. I think I could have pulled two Jeeps. Impressive machine. 

We are parked where we were last year, but instead of being alone there are dozens of RV's all around. We thought Utah spring break was over. We are told schools have different schedules.  

Had a good campfire with seven other couples last night.

Friday, April 6 - We pulled Keith's Jeep into town and a mechanic replaced the pump in little over an hour. We headed back, but it quit again after a mile or so, so we pulled back to the shop and left it overnight. Dorothy and Sandy chatted at the camp. 

Saturday, April 7 - The morning was cloudy, so we decided to do chores. Two laundromats in Moab have closed which is a surprise since there are so many dirty tourists here. We got that chore done and then went to our favorite grocery store, City Market. Even on Saturdays, employees are busy restocking the shelves that quickly empty. In the evening we went back into Moab and had prime rib dinner at Susie’s Branding Iron. Strange things happening here - it’s raining and I mean really raining.  Whoever heard of so much rain in Utah! Anyhow, we now have mud but it will dry out quickly.

Sunday, April 8 - This afternoon we had a goal to go to Klondike Bluffs.  I missed our trail and had a real Jeeping experience. We drove over a lot of slick rock and saw dinosaur prints. Although we missed the bluffs, it was good to get out and see some scenery.  We will get back to the bluffs another time.  The Weyer’s son, Brett and D-I-L, Linda, arrived along with their friends, Rob and Norma.

Spring break is over, the crowds left.

The Largest Expanse of Slick Rock We Have Seen

Monday, April 9 - We all went Jeeping today.  We climbed a lof rock on 7 Mile Rim, but I never got uncomfortable with it. We had others with us in case something went wrong. So we bounced along the road/trail for four hours. We went to Uranium Arch.  I find arches fascinating for some reason. 

Keith found a rock and snapped his lower control bar bracket. The clever guy wrapped a length of chain around it and around the axle. He went really fast on the way back and I wondered why. His axle could now move back allowing the tire to contact the wheel well when he braked. So he was not braking downhill.

We were very tired when we got back to camp. I fixed a quick dinner, we went over to Keith and Sandy and had a very good campfire - no smoke.  We were back in Koko at 8:20 and I was sound asleep by 8:30.  Don read for a while but I did not hear him when he got up at 3:00 to turn the cat heater on. We did not wake up until 6:30 which is very late for us. I slept ten hours without waking up once, which tells you how exhausted I was.

 Optional Step- We Opted Out

 Arches National Park and The La Sals

Uranium Arch

Tuesday, April 10 - Not doing much this morning. I’m fixing foods that I don’t have time to do when we go out on the trails. Planned to go out in the afternoon, but it turned full overcast, so no picture taking. After dinner, we went to the snowbirds campsite and had a big bonfire. They are all headed back home after spending the winter in the southwest. We all chatted about places we have been.

Facetimed with Alecia. Bennett walked in and saw the landscape where we are parked. It's not scenic. He dismissed it a desert. It is but he has no clue of the wonders close around.

Wednesday, April 11 - The forecast for today and tomorrow means we will be doing sedentary activities like reading. The barometric pressure is dropping and the winds will be building - up to the mid-30's tomorrow. Batten the hatches. 

Team Weyers will be doing the Metal Masher today. A trail way over the capabilities of a stock Jeep.

Around Zion - Now Escalante Country

Seeing old places in new ways

Thursday, March 15 - Have I carped about DST too much? I don't care for it at home. But, it sucks more on Mountain Time. It's 7:30 am and the sun is still below the horizon. Grump!

There was a storm last night. It was supposed to be partly sunny today. It was totally overcast and showers started around noon. I think half of the 14 days we have been gone have been cold and wet. It's supposed to be partly sunny tomorrow then rain again Saturday, then be chilly for the next week. And so it goes. Last year we were hot everywhere we went. This year we might be chilly all year. We saw some Frogs down the road readying their climbing gear. Zion has had a had a dark cloud over it for the last 48 hours. We can wait out the weather. Those on vacation have to deal with the weather.

There are three campers permanently parked out here that look like this. They are rentals. The first we have seen of them. Would never have suspected that BLM would allow permanent campers. We met the owner. He got a permit. Remains to be seen if BLM will renew it. About $150 a night.

 Zion Out Our Rear Window 15 Miles Distant

Friday, March 16 - It snowed in the higher elevations last night. It was 32 where we are parked. The catalytic heater kept us toasty. Partly cloudy today. 

Keith and Sandy from Iowa joined us.

Saturday, March 17 - Mostly cloudy, breezy, chilly. More of the same in the forecast. Card games with Keith and Sandy filled the afternoon. Rain and snow overnight. The snow reached down to about 500 feet above us.

Sunday, March 18 - Sunlight! A glorious day. We drove up Hurricane Mesa looking for shots in the snow to photograph, then we made a run to Wally World and then a surprisingly good and huge meal at Costa Vida, a local chain. After being deprived of scenery we decided to go with the hordes to Zion. It is always stunning. The snow made for a little extra interest in the pictures.

Monday, March 19 - After an overnight low of 24, we have sun. We sat with Keith and Sandy sunning like lizards.  I went from a lined jacket and two other layers to a cotton T. Ed and Carol arrived. A nice surprise.

The schoolhouse and a home in the ghost town of Grafton

Tuesday, March 20 - Overcast in the morning, so we did laundry. The sky turned blue after lunch. Sandy found out about a waterfall so three Jeeps headed out over a rough road to witness water in southern Utah. Not a bad falls and some decent red rock scenery along the way.

We have seen clusters of new homes all over this area. A headline this morning notes that Washington county (St. George) is America’s fastest-growing metropolitan area.

Wednesday, March 21 - Weather wise a repeat of yesterday. We drove Smithsonian Butte in the afternoon. Lots of warning signs about needing high-clearance 4WD. That was true the last time we drove this trial. The uphill was exposed sharp rocks. Now they have covered them with dirt.

 Dorothy, Sandy, Ed, and Keith

Thursday, March 22 - Very light rain in the morning, but cloudy all day. We did errands, propane, Costco, library and looked at the 2018 Jeep.

We are having a great visit with our camping buddies, swapping stories and even having a campfire.  Life is good!

Friday, March 23 - Dear Diary, it seems every day there is a weather report. It's just not the usual Utah weather.

This was a beautiful Utah Day, just what we have come to expect in our travels. 

Not much going on in the morning, except that the “boys" sat outside chatting and looking at maps, making plans for our continued journey.  I started lunch and then went outside to join them.  Soon the “girls” were outside also and we all had a chat. After lunch and a quick nap, we headed to town to pick up the mail which had Don’s new CPAP and to get the rest of the groceries that I had forgotten the previous day.  Back at the campground, more chatting.  Before breaking up to have dinner, we agreed to meet at the campfire.  When three couples get together with mutual interest, there is a lot of chatting going on.  

Saturday, March 24 - The weather was not as nice today with cooler temps and cloudy.  In the afternoon, we headed to the Kolob Reservoir.  As we gained altitude, we saw snow on the roadside, then snow on the road.  The reservoir was frozen.  Back at our rigs, it turned very windy so we could not have our evening campfire.

We moved to Escalante Country

Sunday, March 25 -  It’s sunny, but cool and windy. We went see the Toad Stools under the cobalt blue skies. After walking for a while, I got tired and turned around. I’ve learned not to go too far because you always have to walk the same distance back. Note to our daughter: Our traveling buddies like rocks as much as we do.

Monday, March 26 - Sandy and Keith made the 33 mile nearly three hour run with us to White Pocket. I had wanted to tent camp there and photograph in the morning and afternoon light, but the weather was like it was it was two years back. Just too chilly and windy for two pampered old folks. I had to accept the flat light of mid-morning. It was a 7+ hour day in the Jeep. Dorothy took a pain pill when we got back and was asleep at 7:30.

 Streams of Color

 What Is It?

 Made in the same way as The Wave, just swirled in odd shapes

My fav Juniper Tree

Tuesday, March 27 - We took the ranger’s suggestion to go to the Paria Canyon overlook. It was an OK wide canyon, but not as spectacular as others we have seen. We did find a great place to put out our chairs and have lunch. When we exited we went to Big Water for gas priced at $3.07.

When we arrived back at the campground, we moved to a mesa. This is a great spot to overlook the red rocks and there is no noise. There is nothing like scenic views, quiet, and free. Thanks to Ed, who is finding us some great spots to camp.

Wednesday, March 28 - The goal was to visit the White Rocks. Keith put this at the top of his list. We had been to the north section a few years back and I expected to find it without any problem. We were thwarted. They have made it a wilderness study area. You are now required to hike 8-miles round turn to get to the hoodoos. Another case of making scenic attractions only for the able-bodied.

Since vehicle traffic is no longer permitted, they removed the limited signage. There is one road and we had to read the sign several times to understand that it was OK to use the road as long as you did not use it access the hoodoos.  We turned on one branch road which led to a dry wash. Keith, the tracker, noted that a truck had recently used the road both ways. That jived with the feed and water we saw left for cows. We followed the wash knowing that it would eventually lead to the highway. Along the way, we encountered a portion of the White Rocks and we stayed clear of the forbidden hoodoos.

 Dorothy expresses her fondness for Study Areas

 Just for our daughter

 What Is It? Seems to have a smile and a hat.

The Forbidden Hoodoos

Thursday, March 29 - We made a long distance move - almost 30 miles to Lone Rock on Lake Powell. A long time fav of ours. It's a little lower here, almost a thousand feet, so we put on shorts and stored the heater. We all got a little sunburned.

We decided to do laundry, had a decent pizza and salad in town and made a quick trip to Walmart. We spent the rest of the day chatting, enjoying the view and the warm weather.

Friday, March 30 - Another lazy day and warm day. We have enjoyed brilliant blue cobalt skies and rose-hued sunrises and sunsets. We took KoKo into town did grocery shopping. On Friday, Safeway has 8 pieces of chicken for $5. We cleaned some of the dirt and water spots off KoKo at the carwash.

The town of Page is bordered by a Navajo Res. So more than half the shoppers in town are Navajo and most of the rest are tourists, mostly Asian. It's expected that the Navajo resent whites and they do. The Asian's have no respect for anyone. They are on holiday in another country and rules don't apply to them. They drive here just as they do at home, anything goes.

Saturday, March 31 - It was a full moon last night and the space junk comes down tomorrow.

After lunch, we drove Smoky Mountain Road. So named for the coal seam fire that has been burning for half a century. We did not go that far, but we did go up Kelly Grade which takes you up nearly 2,000 feet to a plateau above Lake Powell. It's a long, long distance view and any haze renders a photo worthless. So I did not try. It was a great winding road with a narrow shelf section.

Back downhill, we headed east to Alstrom Point, which we had visited several years back. It overlooks Gunsight Bay on the north side of the lake. This is my fav photo to date on this trip. Golden Hour was canceled due to clouds in the west, but I got this one two hours before sunset.

 Gunsight Bay From Alstrom Point

 Reverse View - Gunsight Butte Taken From The Lake Last Year

Sunday, April 1 - Lazy, lazy day. We are splitting paths for a time. We will wind up together in Moab shortly.