Moab Again!
A couple of hours of driving in from Goblin Valley State Park brought us to Moab, just a year after our previous (and first) visit. And we were excited!
First up, on the way into town was a revisit of the mountain biking at Moab Brand Trails. The great thing was that Karen and Brian both accompanied Tom on the slickrock "Circle O" trail. Pretty technical (for us mediocre riders), and a bit jarring, but fun!
After checking into our hotel, Tom and Karen were settling in to rest their weary bones, when Brian pipes in "Hey, it seems like the day is only half over. Let's do more!" So, we quickly gathered our energy to go hike at Fisher Towers. The drive out the Colorado River was totally stunning (must be one of the most scenic drives in the world)! And the towers didn't disappoint, either. Once again, crazy climbers going up Corkscrew Summit! Don't believe that it's a bit crazy? Watch this! No sirree, not for me! But, with the late afternoon sun baking us, we hiked beneath the massive cliffs to the trails end. Absolutely fantastic! And multiple photo-op stops were necessary on the way back to town, as the magic light struck Castle Valley!
The next morning, we rallied for an early departure to snag one of the 12 sites at Willow Flats Campground in Canyonlands NP. Arrived at 9 am (Friday) and had our choice of multiple spots. But by 10:30 or so, it was full up. Spent the rest of the morning hiking at Upheaval Dome. Nice views. Then, after lunch, Brian was pushing us again to do a "real" hike. So Karen opted for a book and a nap, while Tom and Brian hiked out to Lathrop Canyon. And what a hike! The first 2 miles were on flat, somewhat uninteresting desert, but then the trail weaved down through little drainages and various shelves to the mesa rim ... and killer views out to the Colorado River and beyond! And, just to be sure we did it all, we hiked out to Grand View Point after dinner for sunset. Very nice.
A very windy night left us a bit tired in the morning, but we packed up, did a quick little hike to Mesa Arch, and headed to Dead Horse State Park for some more mountain bike riding. Most of the route we took was fairly easy, but certainly had a number of tricky sections. And beautiful views out towards the Colorado River were abundant. As we were starting to head back, Brian said "let's do more!" ... and so he and Tom extended the ride a bit, and blasted down some nice flowy trails. A few tricky bits, but totally fun.
After checking into our hotel and having a quick early dinner, we headed into Arches NP for some evening light. There is some serious road construction going on in Arches this year, and the park closes at 7pm except for Friday and Saturday nights. So, we had to take advantage. A short stop at Sand Dune Arch (where Brian and Karen went off on an impromptu adventure) and then a bit longer hike to Delicate Arch. Totally beautiful. And crowded (as always). With a little more time before sunset, we stopped at Windows Arch to finish off the day.
For Mother's Day, Karen didn't want to have to plan anything. So, she and Brian figured out a great hike in new territory ... the Needles District of Canyonlands. It's a bit of a drive (1.5 hours), but definitely worth it. Every once in a while, a hike totally surprises you ... and blows you away. That's what happened on the Peek-a-Boo Trail. It starts off across the scrub, but after about a mile climbs up some slick rock, then spends the next 4 miles or so weaving up, down, around and through canyons and slick rock, constantly turning corners into new drainages, each with another whole set of interesting rock features to delight the eyes. Highly recommended!
Finally, the trip had to end. As we departed Moab, we squeezed in one last bike ride at Klondike Trails. Then we settled in for a long, relatively smooth trip home. But, as we drove over the 2000' pass north of Yakima, and the temperature was 37F, Brian was "What's this crap!! It's supposed to be summer!" Well, it got worse ... snowing and 33F at Snoqualmie Pass! Sorry dude ... it's the Great NW!
All in all, a great trip, though a bit on the short side. As usual, we saw and did lots of great stuff, both old and new. And, plenty of things left undone to occupy us next time!
First up, on the way into town was a revisit of the mountain biking at Moab Brand Trails. The great thing was that Karen and Brian both accompanied Tom on the slickrock "Circle O" trail. Pretty technical (for us mediocre riders), and a bit jarring, but fun!
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| Riding the Slickrock, Moab Brand Trails |
After checking into our hotel, Tom and Karen were settling in to rest their weary bones, when Brian pipes in "Hey, it seems like the day is only half over. Let's do more!" So, we quickly gathered our energy to go hike at Fisher Towers. The drive out the Colorado River was totally stunning (must be one of the most scenic drives in the world)! And the towers didn't disappoint, either. Once again, crazy climbers going up Corkscrew Summit! Don't believe that it's a bit crazy? Watch this! No sirree, not for me! But, with the late afternoon sun baking us, we hiked beneath the massive cliffs to the trails end. Absolutely fantastic! And multiple photo-op stops were necessary on the way back to town, as the magic light struck Castle Valley!
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| Climber on Corkscrew Summit, Fisher Towers |
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| Brian and The Titan, Fisher Towers |
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| Cottontail Tower, Fisher Towers |
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| Evening Light, Castle Valley |
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| Evening Light, Castle Valley |
The next morning, we rallied for an early departure to snag one of the 12 sites at Willow Flats Campground in Canyonlands NP. Arrived at 9 am (Friday) and had our choice of multiple spots. But by 10:30 or so, it was full up. Spent the rest of the morning hiking at Upheaval Dome. Nice views. Then, after lunch, Brian was pushing us again to do a "real" hike. So Karen opted for a book and a nap, while Tom and Brian hiked out to Lathrop Canyon. And what a hike! The first 2 miles were on flat, somewhat uninteresting desert, but then the trail weaved down through little drainages and various shelves to the mesa rim ... and killer views out to the Colorado River and beyond! And, just to be sure we did it all, we hiked out to Grand View Point after dinner for sunset. Very nice.
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| Mesa Rim and Airport Tower, Lathrop Canyon Trail, Canyonlands NP |
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| Evening Light, Canyonlands NP |
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| Evening Light, Canyonlands NP |
A very windy night left us a bit tired in the morning, but we packed up, did a quick little hike to Mesa Arch, and headed to Dead Horse State Park for some more mountain bike riding. Most of the route we took was fairly easy, but certainly had a number of tricky sections. And beautiful views out towards the Colorado River were abundant. As we were starting to head back, Brian said "let's do more!" ... and so he and Tom extended the ride a bit, and blasted down some nice flowy trails. A few tricky bits, but totally fun.
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| Green River, Canyonlands NP |
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| Candlestick Tower, Canyonlands, NP |
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| Mesa Arch, Canyonlands NP |
After checking into our hotel and having a quick early dinner, we headed into Arches NP for some evening light. There is some serious road construction going on in Arches this year, and the park closes at 7pm except for Friday and Saturday nights. So, we had to take advantage. A short stop at Sand Dune Arch (where Brian and Karen went off on an impromptu adventure) and then a bit longer hike to Delicate Arch. Totally beautiful. And crowded (as always). With a little more time before sunset, we stopped at Windows Arch to finish off the day.
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| Fins, Arches NP |
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| Delicate Arch, Arches NP |
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| Sunset, Arches NP |
For Mother's Day, Karen didn't want to have to plan anything. So, she and Brian figured out a great hike in new territory ... the Needles District of Canyonlands. It's a bit of a drive (1.5 hours), but definitely worth it. Every once in a while, a hike totally surprises you ... and blows you away. That's what happened on the Peek-a-Boo Trail. It starts off across the scrub, but after about a mile climbs up some slick rock, then spends the next 4 miles or so weaving up, down, around and through canyons and slick rock, constantly turning corners into new drainages, each with another whole set of interesting rock features to delight the eyes. Highly recommended!
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| Slickrock Traverse, Peek-a-Boo Trail, Canyonlands NP |
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| Sandstone Sculpting, Peek-a-Boo Trail, Canyonlands NP |
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| Sandstone Window, Peek-a-Boo Trail, Canyonlands NP |
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| View Above Salt Creek, Peek-a-Boo Trail, Canyonlands NP |
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| Slickrock Traverse, Peek-a-Boo Trail, Canyonlands NP |
Finally, the trip had to end. As we departed Moab, we squeezed in one last bike ride at Klondike Trails. Then we settled in for a long, relatively smooth trip home. But, as we drove over the 2000' pass north of Yakima, and the temperature was 37F, Brian was "What's this crap!! It's supposed to be summer!" Well, it got worse ... snowing and 33F at Snoqualmie Pass! Sorry dude ... it's the Great NW!
All in all, a great trip, though a bit on the short side. As usual, we saw and did lots of great stuff, both old and new. And, plenty of things left undone to occupy us next time!
Activities
- Moab
- Hiking: Fisher Towers
- Mountain Biking: Moab Brand Trails (Lazy > Bar M > Circle O > Bar M),
- Mountain Biking: Klondike Trails (Jurrasic > W. Jasper > Midline > Agate East > Mega Steps > Dynoflow > Inside Passage)
- Dead Horse Point State Park
- Mountain Biking: Intrepid > Great Pyramid > Big Chief > Crossroads > Prickly Pear > Pear > Intrepid
- Arches National Park
- Wandering: Sand Dune Arch, Windows Arches
- Hiking: Delicate Arch
- Canyonlands National Park - Island In The Sky District
- Hiking: Lathrop Canyon (to edge of mesa), Upheaval Dome (1st and 2nd overlooks)
- Wandering: Grand View Point, Mesa Arch
- Canyonlands National Park - Needles District
- Hiking: Peekaboo Trail to bench above Peekaboo Springs
5-Star Moments
- Driving along the Colorado River just NE of Moab! Wow!
- Hiking among the massive Fisher Towers!
- Flying through the single-track with Brian at Dead Horse Point State Park!
- Sitting on the mesa edge above Lathrop Canyon.
- The whole Peek-a-Boo Trail!
Random Scenes
- Just as the sun finally broke out on Delicate Arch, 3 foreign tourists spent about 15 minutes using the arch as their personal photo studio. When they asked if we'd take their picture, it was a blunt "No! Everyone is waiting for you to move so they can take pictures of the arch without people." Didn't seem to sink in ... but eventually they moved on.
Random Questions
- Why were the rear tires on the Outback down to threads on the outside edges when we got home (at 17K miles)? A trip to the dealer showed only minimal alignment issues. And, they were nice enough to give us new ones. They suggested either the tires were "bad" (seems unlikely) or that it might have been heavily loaded. Well, we were certainly packed in, but probably less so than we had done in our other Subaru ... and never got obscene tire wear. My suspicion is that it's a "feature" of the car suspension design ... loading it up (and using it like they advertise for outdoor-oriented road trips) causes tow-in of the rear tires. But, of course, it's easier and cheaper for the dealer to act like they're being the good guys and give you new tires than to admit that the design is essentially flawed and have to fix it. But, just a theory.
Tom's Daily Stress Points
- When do you call the search party? At Sand Dune Arch, Brian and Karen climbed up a little fin that Tom opted not to. And they kept going. Tom waited at the car for quite a while (30-45 minutes), realizing that they had no water, no gear, Karen only had on sandals, and sunset was coming in a couple of hours. All ended well. (stress level = medium)
- Will I make it across these exposed sections of slickrock (on the Peek-a-Boo Trail)? (stress level = medium)
Sleeps
- Moab
- Comfort Suites (extra big rooms, pretty nice)
- Canyonlands National Park - Island In The Sky District
- Willow Flats Campground (beautiful, windy!)
- Pendleton, OR
- Best Western (very comfy, good breakfast)
Noteable Eats
- Moab
- El Charro Loco (great enchiladas nortenas)
- Quesadilla Mobilla (yum!, but don't go too late!)
- Blu Pig (disappointing dinner ... wrong fries, beer tap broken, too-late gumbo, cinnamon and sugar on sweet potato)
- Ontario, OR
- Mackey's Steak House and Pub (subpar burgers)
Trip Stats
- 10 days
- Driving: 2836 miles (23.2 mpg)
- Hiking: ~50 miles
- Biking: ~40 miles
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