Moab - STR-2021-21

Tuesday, 20 July

After golf at Green River Golf Course, we headed for Dead Horse Point State Park near Moab, UT. Four years ago, we visited Moab, Canyonlands National Park (Island in the Sky section) and Arches National Park as we camped Sprinty back to Georgia. We decided to check out some of the other Moab features.

Dead Horse Point State Park is located near Canyonlands NP, and has some of the same views and feel. We started with a visit to the visitor center to confirm what we wanted to do in the park. We enjoyed our lunch on the visitor center covered porch overlooking the canyon to the east.

From the park brochure: "The Legend of Dead Horse Point. According to one legend, the point was once used as a corral for wild mustangs roaming the Mesa. Cowboys rounded up these horses and herded them across the narrow neck of land onto the point. The neck, which is only 30 yards wide, was then fenced off with branches and brush, creating a natural corral surrounded by precipitous cliffs. The cowboys then chose the horses they wanted and, for reasons unknown, left the other horses corralled on the waterless point, where they died of thirst within view of the Colorado River 2,000 feet below."

We then hiked the Nature Trail, a.k.a. Visitor Center Loop, a paved 0.25 mile loop. Then hiked the Colorado River Overlook Trail, a 1.2 mile out-and-back trail.

By now, the temperature was in the 90s and without the overcast skies of yesterday, the sun was fierce. We drove to Dead Horse Point Overlook. The overlook provided a good view of the Colorado River winding along the canyon floor.

Darrell hiked the short (1 mile) loop trail which followed along the east and west rim. With the warm temperatures, neither of us were up for the 5-mile rim trail. As we were leaving the overlook parking lot, the Three Stooges (Electronic Stability Program (ESP), Anti-lock Brake System, and Collision Avoidance System dash lights) paid us a visit. This is the second time they have appeared after parking on a hot day and doing about a one mile hike.

We considered getting the eBikes out as Dead Horse Point SP has a number of mountain bike trails that are considered well suited to beginners not ready to tackle the more challenging Moab area trails. However, a check of ebike regulations/ordinances for the Moab area was pretty depressing. For Dead Horse Point SP, only Class 1 eBikes are allowed on park bike trails. As it was hot and Kris did not want to ride single track trails anyway, we retreated to our campsite for the night in the Dead Horse Point State Park Campground.

Wednesday, 21 July

With two hikes planned and another hot, hot day, we were up before the sun. We left Dead Horse Point SP just after sunrise to drive to the Corona Arch trailhead. As the crow flies, it was only 8 miles away, and Google Maps tried to do us a favor by routing us the back way - knarly, steep, switch-back gravel roads better suited for UTVs. We overrode Google Maps to stay on paved roads - just as well as the back way was chained off as we passed the turnoff.

Corona Arch and nearby Bowtie Arch are spectacular, photogenic arches located just west of Moab. And they are not in Arches National Park. The route to these arches makes one of the best short hikes in the Moab area. The hikes cross open slickrock and then a ladder bolted to the rock allows visitors to climb a short cliff. In another spot, steps cut into the rock and a cable aid hikers as then ascend a steep slickrock ridge. It is rated as "moderate" on AllTrails.

This excellent hike above the Colorado River Canyon leads to three arches, including Corona Arch, one of the largest arches in the Moab area. Superb hike for those who want to enjoy arches far from the crowds in Arches National Park.

The reviews in AllTrails said that an early start meant most of the hike would be in the shade, highly desirable on a day with high temperatures forecast over 100 degrees.

Kris elected to keep Sprinty company at the trailhead - the idea of ladders and cable aids did not sound appealing to her.

The trail started uphill right away, and crossed a train track.

Most of the trail was on slick rock, which made for nice, solid footing.

The first cable assist was along a sloping rock section. The cable was not needed - maybe it was there for when the rock is wet?

The second cable section was more daunting. The rock had small toeholds carved in it, and the cable was a welcome assist.

Shortly after the the second cable section, Corona Arch came into view.

The ladder was easy going up.

Bowtie Arch was on the left before getting to Corona Arch. Bowtie is a pothole-type arch located high on the cliff above the trail.

Bowtie Arch

Corona Arch is a spectacular span composed of Navajo sandstone. The arch opening measures 140 feet across by 105 feet high.

Corona Arch

Corona Arch

Here is a link to a short video pan of the area by the two arches

On the way back, Darrell took the side trail to Pinto Arch (https://www.gjhikes.com/2017/05/pinto-arch.html). No cable aids or ladders - but it did require a couple of short sections of rock scrambling.

The views of the Colorado River were outstanding.

Pinto Arch

With an early start and decent pace, Darrell finished the 3.5 mile hike around 9am. As it was still relatively cool, he decided to tackle another hike located further up the Colorado River, about 30 miles outside of Moab, the Fisher Towers hike. The hike got added to the list based on the following note:

"But the best hike in the area isn't in a park. About 40 miles north of town you'll find Fisher Towers. The moderate 4.4-mile round-trip provides easy access to mind-blowing views of the Colorado River and Castle Valley. It's not overrun like much of the national parks, and, unlike the parks, it's dog friendly, so you don't have to leave your pup behind."

The drive along the Colorado River canyon was very scenic - a little like driving in the bottom of a shallow version of the Grand Canyon. The last two miles were a washboarded gravel road. We missed the sign by the highway that said not vehicles over 22' allowed - and when we got to the trailhead parking lot, Sprinty did not fit well. Fortunately, there was a dispersed camping campground adjacent to the trailhead and Sprinty fit just fine in one of the campsites.

AllTrails rated the trail 4.4 mile trail as moderate and said there was 1,469 feet of elevation gain. The trail weaved around towering rocks.

The trail also involved a few narrow ledges adjacent to drop offs - which is why Kris stayed back to keep Sprinty company while Darrell did this adventure in his own.

And like the Corona Arch hike, this trail also had a ladder.

The end of the trail offered a beautiful vista.

Here is a link to a short video pan at the end of the hike.

The final elevation gain measured was about 1,000 feet - perhaps the ladder was installed to eliminate a steep climb on a previous route?

At the end of the hike, the temperatures were in the 90s and after about 8 miles of hiking, Darrell was pretty done for the day. We headed into Moab for groceries and so Kris could pay up for golf yesterday.

We then checked into our campground, the Portal RV Resort in Moab.

Thursday, 22 July

Today's adventure was a UTV ride with Moab Tour Company (moabtourcompany.com), one of dozens of Jeep and offroad adventure companies in Moab. Selected based on having a Level 1 (Easy to Moderate) ride, Hurrah Pass/Chicken Corners UTV Tour, along with a guide tour (the guide does all the driving while we sit back and enjoy the ride).

The tour description was "Chicken Corners/Hurrah Pass is all about the views. This tour has some of the most beautiful views anywhere in Moab, overlooking on the Colorado river, Dead Horse Point State Park (no dead horse in sight I promise) and Canyonlands National Park. Not a difficult trail but well worth your time. (Easy to Moderate trail)"

We initially called to do the shortest tour (2.5 hours to Hurrah Pass), but learned that it was only run at 2pm, the hottest part of the day. The lady shared that the Chicken Corners was worth the extra distance. And the tour was only $10/person more. And we really wanted to do the adventure before the heat of the day.

Our tour was schedule for 9am, with a 8:30 checkin time. We decided to leave Sprinty at the campground, which allowed us to keep the air conditioning running so we could return to a cool Sprinty after the adventure. We walked the 1.5 miles from the campground to the Moab Tour Company.

Our guide Tom was ready to go early, as were we.

The UTV was a four-seater Polaris, and today it was just four of us - Tom, Sue (83 years old from California) and us.

The beginning of the route was a paved and gravel road along the other side of the Colorado River from our Corona Arch adventure yesterday.

Our first stop was the Birthing Panel petroglyphs

For the first 8 miles or so, the road was no worse than ones Sprinty had tackled. Then it got rockier and steeper - not Sprinty approved.

That said, we did see several SUVs pretty far up the road. Many of the roads were originally mining roads back when uranium was being mined. As the demand for uranium fell, the mining was apparently not profitable.

We stopped at Hurrah Pass, which we could see from the overlooks at dead Horse Point SP two days ago.

To give you an idea of one of the smoother sections, here is a short video clip:

We stopped at Chicken Corners, named because one of the rock peaks looks like a chicken. At least Tom thought it looked like a chicken.

Normally, this tour turns around here. Normally, our guide would also have up to five self-drive UTVs as part of a group. Normally, the tour would be slower (keeping the group together) and dustier. It rained last night, so very little dust. And with an early start, there were only two ATVs and four motorcycles in front of us - so no vehicles to stir up the dust. And today, it was just us, so Tom decided to go to the very end of Chicken Corners Road.

Tom shared that things are really slow. Normally in the heat of the summer is usually slow. But things are slower than usual. He said that when things opened up last summer, they had all 100 of their UTVs rented out every day. Today, maybe 10 or fewer.

We reached the end of the trail after 26 miles of driving. The Dead Horse Point State Park overlook is the high point between our heads.

On the way back, Tom stopped off to show us some caves created by fractures and erosion in the rock.

We also stopped on a narrow ledge for pictures

All in all, the trip was 4.5 hours long, and about 52 miles.

The UTV rode better than we expected, although our necks were tired from jostling about with the helmets on.

By now, it was close to 100 degrees, and after the walk back to the campground, we took the rest of the afternoon off from adventuring.

Patience and persistence paid off. Last night, we could not find a campsite anywhere near where we wanted to be for Saturday night. A likely reason, besides being a weekend, is that this weekend is Pioneer Day.

Pioneer Day is an official holiday celebrated on July 24 in Utah, with some celebrations taking place in regions of surrounding states originally settled by Mormon pioneers. It commemorates the entry of Brigham Young and the first group of Mormon pioneers into the Salt Lake Valley on July 24, 1847, where the Latter-day Saints settled after being forced from Nauvoo, Illinois, and other locations in the eastern United States. Parades, fireworks, rodeos, and other festivities help commemorate the event. Similar to July 4, many local and all state-run government offices and many businesses are closed on Pioneer Day.

In addition to being an official holiday in Utah, Pioneer Day is considered a special occasion by many members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). On Pioneer Day, some Latter-day Saints walk portions of the Mormon Trail or reenact entering the Salt Lake Valley by handcart. Latter-day Saints throughout the United States and around the world may celebrate July 24 in remembrance of the LDS Church's pioneer era, with songs, dances, potlucks, and pioneer related activities.

While the holiday has strong links to the LDS Church, it is officially a celebration for everyone, regardless of faith and nationality, who emigrated to the Salt Lake Valley during the pioneer era, which is generally considered to have ended with the 1869 arrival of the transcontinental railroad.

However, a recheck again this afternoon found a campsite in a state park for Saturday night where there had been none yesterday. It must have been a cancellation.

Being close to town, we did something different this evening. One of the reasons for taking the eBikes along, we keep telling ourselves, is to use them for errands into town so we don't have to break camp. Tonight, we ordered a pizza to go from Antica Forma, a Neapolitan style pizza restaurant in Moab. Adam and Kathryn of YouTube channel "Adventure of AplusK" raved about the pizza - so it was on our list of must-dos while in Moab. Rather than break camp to get the pizza (which meant turning off the air conditioning and disconnecting from power), Darrell volunteered to ride the 2 miles to pick up the pizza. While it worked okay, some refinements in carrying pizza on the bike rack are needed.

Friday, 23 July

An early start this morning. Another Moab treat recommended by Adam and Kathryn of YouTube channel "Adventure of AplusK" was the Doughbird donut shop located about half a block from the pizza place.

Adam and Kathryn recommended getting there early. As they opened at 7am, and our planned departure time was 7:30, we broke camp early to be at the Doughbird when they opened. We parked around the corner by a mural.

The mural portrays the four major activities in Moab: arches, off-roading, mountain biking, and rock climbing. It sure seems most of the businesses in Moab are focused on supporting those activities.

For our Doughbird treat, we both picked the salted carmel cronut. It was simply awesome. We are both glad we only got one, and are looking forward to another one next month when we are back in Moab.

After our breakfast treat, we bid Moab farewell as we headed west for golf and other adventures. When we called yesterday for a tee time for this morning at the only golf course in Moab, we could not get an early tee time. So we continued on to a different golf course. Deets in the next blog post.