Moab
With much anticipation, we headed out on the last stretch of road to Moab ... the hub of outdoor fun in Utah.
Moab is situated along the Colorado River, a short distance from Arches and Canyonlands National Parks, and so serves as a jumping-off point for exploring them. But it also is a focal point for mountain bikers, climbers, and 4-wheel-drive enthusiasts. The geology of this high-desert area is complicated (and again, we failed to do our homework), but the landscape is dominated by numerous layers of different types and colors of sandstone, combined with cliffs and canyons.
Our plan was to mix hiking, mountain biking, and sightseeing over the course of about 6 days. We had camping reservations for 3 nights in Arches (about which our whole trip was planned). So, during those days, we focused on the various hikes in the park, while mixing in some mountain biking outside the park. Then we spent a few more nights in a motel in Moab, checking out Canyonlands and other assorted areas ... and (of course) getting in some more biking.
Our first ride, in fact, occurred before we even reached town. We were anxious to stretch our legs and get a taste of the famed super-sticky "slickrock". We stopped by a trail system (Moab Brands) that allows you to work your way up in difficulty, which we did. But, after a little warm-up on a dirt trail, we learned pretty quickly that even the easy slickrock requires a decent level of skills, plus the ability for your body to absorb a pounding (even on a full-suspension bike). Karen bailed on the slickrock pretty quickly, but Tom had fun completing the loop, but also being humbled by his lack of technical skills and the lack of give in his aging body. He also found himself wondering if the painted stripe on the rock (i.e., the trail) would lead him back to his intended destination before his body wore out. In fact, it did, and he even maintained his desired wheel-side-down position throughout. As we continued on some additional dirt trails, Karen's chain broke (probably due to the raw power of her pedal stroke), reminding us that the lack of appropriate tools can lead to a long walk.
We also visited a couple of more areas with easy-to-intermediate trails (Klondike and Dead Horse Point State Park). Both were very fun, and had terrain that tested our capability. Dead Horse, which is on the way to Canyonlands, had some huge canyon views requiring many rest stops. And some good winding riding. Unfortunately, the more famous routes in the Moab area will have to wait until our skills improve and/or we reverse the aging process!
Arches is a pretty amazing place. Immediately after entering the park, the road ascends a series of big switch-backs, and enters a world where huge sandstone monoliths, cliff walls, and fins dominate the surrounding desert. And then there are the arches. Several thousand of them, in fact! They don't really dominate the skyline, but are never far away. We visited many ... probably a couple dozen ... during our several days of hiking. Most of the "hikes" were short strolls from the parking lots, but we did manage to do a few in the 4-8 mile range. Most tended to be somewhat crowded with people (making scenic photography difficult), but still amazing none-the-less. We also quickly adopted an early-dinner strategy, allowing us to explore during the warm evening light, with the additional benefit of somewhat reduced crowds. Delicate Arch, just before sunset, was particularly incredible ... despite there being quite a gathering of like-minded photographers. Tower Arch, which requires a multi-mile hike after several miles of travel on the dirt Salt Valley Rd, was also a nice reprieve from the crowds ... and we had probably a half hour by ourselves hanging out at the arch and checking it out from all angles!
Canyonlands is a huge park, with 3 distinct areas defined, to a large extent, by the intersection of the Colorado and Green Rivers. We only visited the piece closest to Moab - Island in the Sky ... the others require significant drives. As the name suggests, Island in the Sky sits way above the rivers, with commanding views down on massive canyons. It's unclear (at least to those who don't do their geology homework) whether the canyons were created strictly by erosion from the rivers, or whether plate tectonics and other processes contributed. In any case, it's totally beautiful. And very remote. There's a 100 mile dirt/gravel road that circles through the park, which takes 2 days by Jeep ... or 4 by mountain bike. Bring your own water! Our excursions were limited to relatively short walks at viewpoints, though we had one that was a mile each way the canyon rim (Grand View Point). We reached the park in the middle of the day, so the light was a bit harsh. But, by the time we got ourselves pointed back towards Moab, the lighting was outstanding! It was so great, in fact, that we had to revisit the views from Dead Horse on our way back.
About 20 miles north along the Colorado River from Moab is a climbers haven ... Fisher Towers. The drive out along the Colorado is worth it just by itself ... huge red sandstone cliffs following the meanders of the river! A little spur road leads to the towers, and they are quite inspiring. Truthfully, we were getting pretty numb from all the rocks we'd seen ... but these towers re-energized us! Huge sandstone cliffs and outcroppings. And we watched some climbers (aka "crazy mofo's") in action. A pointy rock balanced precariously on top of a huge blade (i.e., cliff). And a few minutes later, there's some dude standing on top of it! Absolutely worth a visit.
Moab is situated along the Colorado River, a short distance from Arches and Canyonlands National Parks, and so serves as a jumping-off point for exploring them. But it also is a focal point for mountain bikers, climbers, and 4-wheel-drive enthusiasts. The geology of this high-desert area is complicated (and again, we failed to do our homework), but the landscape is dominated by numerous layers of different types and colors of sandstone, combined with cliffs and canyons.
Our plan was to mix hiking, mountain biking, and sightseeing over the course of about 6 days. We had camping reservations for 3 nights in Arches (about which our whole trip was planned). So, during those days, we focused on the various hikes in the park, while mixing in some mountain biking outside the park. Then we spent a few more nights in a motel in Moab, checking out Canyonlands and other assorted areas ... and (of course) getting in some more biking.
Mountain Biking
Our first ride, in fact, occurred before we even reached town. We were anxious to stretch our legs and get a taste of the famed super-sticky "slickrock". We stopped by a trail system (Moab Brands) that allows you to work your way up in difficulty, which we did. But, after a little warm-up on a dirt trail, we learned pretty quickly that even the easy slickrock requires a decent level of skills, plus the ability for your body to absorb a pounding (even on a full-suspension bike). Karen bailed on the slickrock pretty quickly, but Tom had fun completing the loop, but also being humbled by his lack of technical skills and the lack of give in his aging body. He also found himself wondering if the painted stripe on the rock (i.e., the trail) would lead him back to his intended destination before his body wore out. In fact, it did, and he even maintained his desired wheel-side-down position throughout. As we continued on some additional dirt trails, Karen's chain broke (probably due to the raw power of her pedal stroke), reminding us that the lack of appropriate tools can lead to a long walk.
We also visited a couple of more areas with easy-to-intermediate trails (Klondike and Dead Horse Point State Park). Both were very fun, and had terrain that tested our capability. Dead Horse, which is on the way to Canyonlands, had some huge canyon views requiring many rest stops. And some good winding riding. Unfortunately, the more famous routes in the Moab area will have to wait until our skills improve and/or we reverse the aging process!
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| Overlook at Moab Brands trails |
Arches National Park
Arches is a pretty amazing place. Immediately after entering the park, the road ascends a series of big switch-backs, and enters a world where huge sandstone monoliths, cliff walls, and fins dominate the surrounding desert. And then there are the arches. Several thousand of them, in fact! They don't really dominate the skyline, but are never far away. We visited many ... probably a couple dozen ... during our several days of hiking. Most of the "hikes" were short strolls from the parking lots, but we did manage to do a few in the 4-8 mile range. Most tended to be somewhat crowded with people (making scenic photography difficult), but still amazing none-the-less. We also quickly adopted an early-dinner strategy, allowing us to explore during the warm evening light, with the additional benefit of somewhat reduced crowds. Delicate Arch, just before sunset, was particularly incredible ... despite there being quite a gathering of like-minded photographers. Tower Arch, which requires a multi-mile hike after several miles of travel on the dirt Salt Valley Rd, was also a nice reprieve from the crowds ... and we had probably a half hour by ourselves hanging out at the arch and checking it out from all angles!
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| The Organ |
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| Lower Courthouse Wash |
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| Delicate Arch |
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| Sunset Colors over the La Sal Mountains |
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| Cliffs Near Tapestry Arch |
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| Fins in Devil's Garden |
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| Skyline Arch |
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| Alpenglow on Fins Near Devil's Garden |
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| Evening Colors |
Canyonlands National Park
Canyonlands is a huge park, with 3 distinct areas defined, to a large extent, by the intersection of the Colorado and Green Rivers. We only visited the piece closest to Moab - Island in the Sky ... the others require significant drives. As the name suggests, Island in the Sky sits way above the rivers, with commanding views down on massive canyons. It's unclear (at least to those who don't do their geology homework) whether the canyons were created strictly by erosion from the rivers, or whether plate tectonics and other processes contributed. In any case, it's totally beautiful. And very remote. There's a 100 mile dirt/gravel road that circles through the park, which takes 2 days by Jeep ... or 4 by mountain bike. Bring your own water! Our excursions were limited to relatively short walks at viewpoints, though we had one that was a mile each way the canyon rim (Grand View Point). We reached the park in the middle of the day, so the light was a bit harsh. But, by the time we got ourselves pointed back towards Moab, the lighting was outstanding! It was so great, in fact, that we had to revisit the views from Dead Horse on our way back.
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| Colorado River |
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| Canyon Views |
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| White Rim and Green River |
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| Colorado River |
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| Evening Light at Canyonlands |
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| Evening Light at Canyonlands |
Fisher Towers
About 20 miles north along the Colorado River from Moab is a climbers haven ... Fisher Towers. The drive out along the Colorado is worth it just by itself ... huge red sandstone cliffs following the meanders of the river! A little spur road leads to the towers, and they are quite inspiring. Truthfully, we were getting pretty numb from all the rocks we'd seen ... but these towers re-energized us! Huge sandstone cliffs and outcroppings. And we watched some climbers (aka "crazy mofo's") in action. A pointy rock balanced precariously on top of a huge blade (i.e., cliff). And a few minutes later, there's some dude standing on top of it! Absolutely worth a visit.
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| Indian Paintbrush and Red Sandstone |
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| Are you kidding me? |
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| Fisher Tower Cliffs |
Activities
- Hiking:
- Tapestry and Broken Arches
- Devil's Garden (primitive trail loop)
- Delicate Arch
- Tower Arch
- Skyline Arch
- Fiery furnace
- Windows Arches
- Park Ave
- Fisher Towers (NE of Moab)
- Biking:
- Moab Brand Trails (Lazy, Bar M, Circle O)
- Klondike Trails (Jurrasic > W. Jasper > Midline > W. Agate > E. Agate > Midline > Baby Steps > Dynoflow > Inside Passage)
- Dead Horse Point State Park (Intrepid > Great Pyramid > Big Chief > Raven Roll)
- Sight Seeing:
- Arches National Park - main road (and many viewpoints), Salt Valley Rd
- Dead Horse Point State Park
- Canyonlands National Park - Island In The Sky (seemingly every viewpoint)
5-Star Moments
- The Colorado River and awesome Fisher Towers!
- Delicate Arch and environs at sunset.
- Biking along the canyons at Dead Horse State Park.
- Many, many others!
Tom's Daily Stress Points
- Who's going to be the winner ... my body or the slickrock trail?
- Is it safe to go up there on that rock? Just because I'm (getting more) afraid of heights doesn't mean I won't fall and die!
- Is Salt Valley Rd going to be passable to the trail head? And beyond to the highway (and mountain biking)? Are these big road graders going to hit me?
- The tough decisions ... like where to eat dinner, which hikes to go on, and whether to have a fire!
Sleeps
- Arches: Devil's Garden Campground (3 nights)
- Moab: Quality Suites (fine, 2 nights)
Eats
- Arches: Karen's fine camping cuisine!
- Moab: El Chorro Loco (OK mexi), Blue Pig (OK bbq)
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