Friday, April 9, 2010

Trip to Moab, UT

Easter Sunday we departed Ash Meadows NWR and the Amargosa Valley heading for two weeks in Moab, UT. We have reservations at a campground beginning the 7th so we have three days to make the trip and to explore on our way. Vic drove the truck and pulled the RV while I followed with the Jeep.
As we had mail to go out, I went ahead to the post office only to be surprised by this calf behind the bush. Poor thing was as surprised as I was. We arrived in midafternoon at Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park, dropped the truck and RV and headed out to explore the area. These tunnels were nearly everywhere around the Kanab, UT vicinity. The mice do their traveling underground in winter.
Mule deer
Navajo sandstone that has been ground by the wind over and over again is carried through the Mocassin Gap at an accelerated speed. The wind loses speed on this side of the notch and the fine grains are dropped forming the dunes. The dune field is seven miles in length.
I've managed to blow away all the pictures taken at the dunes except the one above - argh!
The following morning we went in search of Red Canyon narrows in Angel Canyon where we came upon this shallow slot canyon with water raciing through.
The dark hole at bottom left is the opening into an underground lake. We thought it was just a cave until closer inspection.
Angel Canyon is home to Best Friends Animal Sanctuary. I had to stop and check out the cemetery. The sanctuary covers over 3,000 acres and has 450 employees.
There are easily a hundred wind chimes.
Finally Red Canyon slots. There are two slot canyons, each not more than a few hundred feet in length.
I liked this small opening - not large enough for my hand.
We were able to drive right to the opening but without the Jeep it would have been a 2-1/2+ mile hike each way.
The wind picked up and the sky clouded over. Sand blew through this canyon making it difficult to be outside but.......we had been told of dinosaur tracks.
We walked and looked and were rewarded.
We found three of which this is one.
By the time we returned to the sand dunes and our campsite the wind was howling and Mocassin Gap was often obscured. Then it rained and, by the time we went to bed, it was snowing.
The morning dawned on a lovely day and we set out once again.
We made a stop at Glen Canyon Dam at Page, AZ. We've been here before but it's been a number of years.
Remember the movie?
We were here just two years ago so we didn't stop this time although it was tempting. It was one of those magical places. I had to remind myself that there are new experiences waiting.
Valley of the Gods from our campsite at Goosenecks State Park. Four campsites and all are free. It doesn't get any better than this for any price.
No pictures of Moki Dugway as there just was no place that shooting could encompass more than a short piece of roadway. Suffice it to say that the gravel road is 3 miles of switchbacks cut into the mountainside in the 1950s for use of the local uranium mines. The views from along the entire length were awesome.
A road near the top went to Muley Point viewpoints. Here is just one view of the Goosenecks of the San Juan far below.
This one is taken from our campground.
More from Muley Point
Nearly sunset from our campsite
And one more
Morning brought another clear magnificent day and a driving tour of the Valley of the Gods. Many formations have names - above is the battleship.
Woman in a bathtub
Then Vic found a Jeep road to explore. It was nearly 19 miles before we hit a point where we decided to turn around. There were many more wonderful views of the Goosenecks.
And we spotted this petroglyph right next to the road on our way out. Later at a museum we learned that the many heads may mean a person with many responsibilities or a very wise person. In reality we will never really know for sure.
Desert Paintbrush
The last stop enroute to Moab was at the Edge of the Cedars State Park Museum where they have a fabulous collection of artifacts collected on the Colorado Plateau. This is only a small part of the pottery collection.
They also have a wonderful restoration of a pueblo found at the museum's site. The ladder descends into a 1,000 year old kiva.

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