Sun and Sand Travelers

Canyonlands Outpost

We’ve just arrived back in civilization after spending the last 3 days up in the backcountry of the Needles section of Canyonlands National Park.  We left Moab early in the morning with intentions of getting into Squaw Flats campground, which is the first come, first served campground run by the NPS.   Although we arrived by 930am, alas it was not early enough, people were circling the campground in desperation looking for vacating campers.  Apparently in the high season,  if you’re not there by 7 am staking your claim, you’re out of luck. Fortunately there is a private campground called Canyonlands Outpost that is just outside NP boundary and  is still in the very remote backcountry and we were able to get a spot there.     Staying in the backcountry and off the grid seems to be a particular favorite of Europeans as we were often the only Americans at the Outpost.   There are lots and lots of Germans, Scandinavians, Dutch, etc. renting small Class C motorhomes,  campervans or just rental cars and tents.  They love the Southwest and arrive armed with maps, a lot of research and the desire to see as much as possible.

Glorious sunsets

The temps soared into the 90’s while we were there, but it is amazing how much more tolerable it is without the humidity.  We didn’t use the air conditioner, took naps in our chairs in the shade of the awning and enjoyed beautiful sunsets.  It would cool off into the 50’s at night, such a huge temperature range.

Cave Spring Cowboy Camp

We took several small hikes in Canyonlands NP,  finding some small Anasazi ruins, nice pictographs and the Cave Spring Cowboy Camp.   This was a camp that was used by cowboys from the late 1800’s to the 1960’s before the land became a National Park.

Handprint pictographs in Needles section of Canyonland National Park

It was situated underneath a long rock alcove and still contained all their daily living implements as well as a corral for their horses and cows.

This region of Southeast Utah is rich with the remnants of earlier civilizations, primarily the Anasazi, Fremont and later the Ute people.   With a lot of prior research one can travel into the back canyons and discover ruins, petroglyphs and pictographs that few people have seen.  When we decided to make this trip out to Utah, I began to research this region,  intrigued by the photos but the lack of information on how to get to these places.    People are very secretive about their exact location due to fear that they will be overrun with tourists and ruined.    There is even talk that this region of Utah known as Grand Mesa and currently BLM land will one day become a National Park and be given the protection that it needs.   Currently however, it is possible with a lot of hard work, prior research and local insider info if available, to find the ruins in their natural state.  That is what we’re setting out to do.  I think I was an archeologist in my prior life.

Five Faces Pictograph in Davis Canyon

I don’t remember how I stumbled upon 5 Faces Pictograph but when I realized it would be near where we were staying I knew I wanted to find it.  I could find very little data on it, no GPS coordinates but knew it was in Davis Canyon.  Armed with a great book I have and information given to us from a knowledgeable local, we set off in the Jeep.   Wow, the road was rough… it made ‘Pucker Pass’ look like a beginners road.   We made a wrong turn and ended up at a dead-end, went down another wrong road and then decided to start over at the beginning and try to figure out where we went wrong.  We were in 4 wheel low, had to let air out of the tires and we went an extra 10 miles out of our way (at 5 miles an hour), but we found it!!  There was the hiking trailhead to Davis Canyon.  Now we had to find the actual pictographs.   We wandered the appropriate side of the canyon, found footprints in the sand and felt like Indian trackers.  Eventually we found a small trail and then the pictographs, which are of a style that is only found in the Canyonlands area of Utah.   They are from the Anasazi people and are 700 -1000 years old but seem like they were done yesterday because no direct sunlight hits them.    We were both thrilled to see them and with our sense of accomplishment in finding them.    More ruin seeking will follow.

Laia sporting her new hiking shoes and seeking shade whenever she can

We saw this beautiful blue collared lizard along the way

Morning Glory Natural Bridge

The cactus were just starting to come into bloom

Well my legs have recovered enough that we decided to go for yet another hike, this time into a canyon and along a perennial stream to the back of a canyon.   The trail crossed the stream six times, which was great for Laia allowing her little feet to cool off and there were rocks strategically placed for human feet.   It was about 2 miles to the back of the canyon where it dead ends at Morning Glory Natural Bridge, which is the 6th largest natural bridge in the United States.

Looking toward the entrance of the canyon

It was lovely and cool back there,  with water seeping out of a crack in the rock to form a pool of water for the various dogs to drink.  While we where there having a snack, a large heavy backpack thrown from above suddenly landed very near a woman who was also enjoying her snack.   Then a rope fell over the side of the bridge above us and rappellers started coming down.    Damn, there are people dropping out of the sky everywhere around here.

We need our flower identifier to help us

Along the trail

Wolfe Ranch cabin in Arches NP

We decided to spend time exploring some of the petroglyphs in the Moab area.   While we were in Arches National Park we went to Wolfe Ranch, a homestead site from the late 1800’s.  This new improved cabin was built

Ute Petroglyphs from the mid 1600’s-1800’s

in the early 1900’s but only used for 4 years, before being abandoned due to the harsh conditions.   Near the cabin are petroglyphs dating from the Ute period,  the mid 1600’s to 1800’s,  that depict cowboys on horseback.

We then traveled the roads on either side of the Colorado River, where some areas of the canyon walls are literally covered with 1000’s of petroglyphs.  All of them date from AD 1 to AD 1275 and are from the Anasazi and Fremont styles, 2 distinct cultures that inhabited this region.  It was a lot of fun trying to figure out where they were, for they are small and difficult to find and some of them are very high up on the canyon walls.

Headress and ear-bobs

Famous ‘birthing scene’ with feet first presentation of the baby.

When looking for the last site of the day and seeking a particular parking lot as a reference point, we turned up a dirt road.   Our instructions were poor, but we were encouraged by another vehicle following behind us, also looking for the elusive petroglyphs as well as a hidden arch.    Up this dirt road we headed, thinking “This is a strange place for a parking lot”, but we were not to be deterred.    As Leonard shifted the jeep into 4 wheel drive low and started climbing, the road occasionally narrowed to less than one lane with switchback turns and sheer dropoffs (no guard rails of course).  Pam, Rob would have loved this, you… maybe not.   We let the pick-up behind us pass and then we were all alone, still looking for our parking lot.  Eventually a Jeep came down  the hill , we stopped to talk to him and he told us we were on “Pucker Pass” (click here to see a short video).  Well, how appropriately named!  He informed us that if we continued up it we would go underneath a rock and then eventually come out at Dead Horse Point.  Now that was a place I was familiar with from my research, just not this route up to it!  So up we continued, Laia bouncing around on my lap (she is such a trooper),  a 1000 ft climb in total, and when we arrived at the top it was spectacular.  You could see the Colorado River below us and other Jeep trails leading up to the top.   We never did find our elusive petroglyphs but this was much better.

The rock tunnel on ‘Pucker Pass’

The large boulder to the right was covered on all sides with petroglyphs

The view from Dead Horse Point

Man or alien?

These shapes are fascinating

‘Moab Man’

Morning solitude

We’ve just returned back into Moab after spending 3 days dry camping at Devils Garden Campground in Arches National Park.  The campground is situated at the very end of the 18 mile long road into the park, with a 1200 ft

Devils Garden Campground in the distance

elevation gain from the entrance.  There are flush toilets and water faucets available to fill water bottles but other than that, no facilities whatsoever.

Crabbing a large fissure

We spent our time hiking and exploring all the beautiful arches and rock formations in the park.   Approximately 5 months ago,  when I was making the reservations, I  signed us up for a Ranger guided tour of the Fiery Furnace (so named because of the way it glows when the afternoon sun hits it).   This is a region of the park that is off-limits to the general population, unless you get a backcountry pass and watch a video, or go with a ranger.  There are no trails to speak off, just scrambling up

A narrow ledge led to Surprise Arch

Barely room for the Camelback

and down slickrock, walking on narrow ledges, jumping across cracks, butt scooting down rocks and squeezing through narrow slots, etc.  One

hour into it and I was tired;  2 hours into it and

my legs were like noodles.  The pace was fast, much faster than I would have liked and

at 3 hours the tour was done and so was I.  I could barely walk out of there!  It was beautiful but the toughest thing I’ve ever done.

One of the slots

Up into the maze

The Three Wise Men

Spectacular desert storm

North Window Arch

A storm system came in (thankfully not while we were in the Fiery Furnace) which made for some really dramatic lighting.  After a day of recuperation, I regained my ability to walk and continued our explorations.   Even though we had 3 days, we still didn’t get a chance to see it all and may head back in there from Moab if we have the time.

North and South Window Arches

Double Arch (Look closely – there are people there)

Crossing into Colorado via back roads

We arrived in Moab two days ago, having had a blessedly eventfree journey across the country.  We were really fortunate with the weather, it sounds like we dodged a bunch of storms moving across the country.  We had some

Our final destination

chilly weather at night, but that just made for better sleeping.

After being in mostly isolated areas on our trip across, Moab is a beehive of activity.    May is the busiest month here and every outdoor enthusiast in the world seems to be here.  There are Jeep rallys, Bronco rallys, Toyota rallys, ATV’s,  redrock bicyclists,  dirt bikers, cliff rappellers, freeclimbers, RV’s and tenters everywhere.  Everyone is covered in red dust with big smiles on their faces.   What fun!

Leonard and Laia on the slickrock

We decided to set out on a hike yesterday afternoon.  One that we thought would be relatively easy and allow us to test out our legs,  camelbacks and was dog friendly – Corona Arch.   Wow, it was a bit more than we expected for our first hike.   Only 3 miles total, but it involved hiking up slickrock, holding onto cables, climbing moki steps (steps that have been carved into the slickrock) and climbing a ladder.

Her Indian name is now “Red Paws”

We saw many dogs on the trail but they were all big dogs, none the size of Laia.  She was amazing, scrabbling up the rocks.  The only thing she couldn’t do was climb the moki steps, so Leonard had to carry her up.   They didn’t climb the ladder either but went a longer way around,  over the slickrock.   Since we’re in Indian territory we decided Laia’s Indian name should be “Red Paws”.

Wedding ceremony at Bow Tie Arch

At one point we were sitting in the shade taking a break and a very large, happy group of people came past us.  There was a woman wearing a white sundress?,  someone had a ukulele in their backpack and someone else was carrying flowers.  It was a wedding party!   They headed up to Bow Tie Arch, which was adjacent to Corona Arch.  It had amazing acoustics with echos that reverberated across the canyon.  A woman sang, they had the ceremony and then we heard champagne corks and firecrackers.    How lucky we were to witness that.

Corona Arch

Amazingly, while all that was going on at nearby Corona Arch, there were guys  jumping off the Arch.  We don’t really know what to call what they were doing, it wasn’t a bungee cord, but a rope and they would jump off the top and swing through the Arch.    We have video that we hope to have a link to eventually.    It was a great day.  We made it down intact with Leonard’s running shoes being the only thing that suffered from the hike.  Not bad.

My first moki steps

Today we have reservations at Arches National Park for 3 days and I don’t know if we will have cell reception.   More adventures to follow.

Desert beauty

My supervisor

The predicted cold front came through and when we woke up this morning it was 32 F (0 C) in Santa Fe.  The good thing is that there is so little humidity that we were able to take Laia for a walk (albeit with our jackets on) and not feel cold.  The dryness has created havoc with our noses though.  I’ve taken to putting vaseline on a q-tip and inserting it in my nose to prevent further nose bleeds (a lovely sight, I know).   I don’t know if my medical friends would approve but desperate times call for desperate measures.

Navajo Lake State Park

Navajo Lake – NW New Mexico

We had changed our minds about heading further up into the mountains to see Taos because of the uncertainty with the weather and instead headed to the northwest corner of New Mexico – Navajo Lake State Park.

It seemed very remote with not even a ranger to check us in.   We just had to pick a site and leave the money in an envelope.    When we actually got down to where the campground was there

were many other campers there, but we were able to get a site overlooking the lake.

It was a chilly 28 F (-2 C) for sunrise.

Tomorrow me head on to Moab, the starting point of our adventures in Utah.

Made it to New Mexico

After Palo Dura we headed for I-40 and into New Mexico where we again encountered strong cross winds and head winds.   Dust devils, tumbleweeds and occassional roadkill were the only things we saw.  Boy, there is nothing out there, not even the huge ranches that we saw in Texas.

Santa Fe architecture

We’re now in Santa Fe, a wonderful town that we’ve both heard so much about.   After 6 days of driving it was definately time to head into town and try out one of the great restaurants that Santa Fe is known for.   Our research led us to the La Plazuela restaurant at the historic La Fonda Hotel, where we had the most amazing southwestern cuisine, guacamole made at the tableside and margaritas.   It was outstanding and definately worth the wait.

After dinner we talked with the concierge about the upcoming weather situation and decided to scrap our plans to go to Taos tomorrow.  We are at 7200 ft elevation here and the weather forecast is for a low of 30 F down here.  Taos is much higher and will probably get snow, so we have decided to stay another night and sightsee here in Santa Fe.

This morning we headed back into town for a walking tour of the historic area with a wonderful guide named Kay Lewis, whom we heard about from the concierge at the La Fonda Hotel.  She’s an extremely knowledgeable history buff and we had a condensed version of the 400 years of Santa Fe history.    After lunch we toured the Georgia O’Keefe Museum before heading back to our campground.

Local artwork

Native Americans selling their artwork

The weather has been beautiful these last two days, but everyone is talking about the pending cold front and as we were walking around with clear blue skies, we’re wondering if it is really going to happen.  But now as the evening progresses the wind has picked up and the temperature has dropped 20 degrees in the last few hours.   Brrrrr, I wonder what it will be like in the morning.

Palo Duro State Park

Perfect star gazing posts

There was some very pretty hiking around these rock formations

Beautiful flagstone cabins for rent inside the park

We spent last night near Amarillo in the “Grand Canyon of Texas”,  which is 120 miles long and 800 feet deep and is the second largest canyon in the United States.  There are many campgrounds inside the park  and all of them are at the bottom of the canyon, a pretty steep drop down into the park (and a good workout for Trixie getting back out this morning).   We chose a campground at the back of the canyon that was the most picturesque, surrounded by the rock formations of bright red claystone and white gypsum.

It was extremely hot, dry and windy on our trip NW to Amarillo and when we checked in at the ranger station at the top of the canyon it was 89 F.  By the time we got into the canyon it was 92 F and we were wondering if we had made a huge mistake and even though we had hook-ups, it was still really hot.  As the evening progressed, it started cooling off and the stars were awesome.  We were able to sleep with the windows open as the temps dropped into the 60’s and we heard the yips of coyotes far off in the distant canyon.

This was the day that we were dreading the most, having to circumnatigate the Dallas traffic.  We thought if we went on an alternate route about 40 miles north of the city on a Sunday that it would go smoothly.   It did go smoothly, but it was not the scenic country road that we thought it would be, but miles and miles of new constuction and stop lights.  The recession doesn’t appear to have hit here.

Lake Arrowhead State Park

Nice roomy campsite and almost nobody else here

We made out way to Lake Arrowhead State Park just outside of Wichita Falls.  The roadsides have been covered in Bluebonnets, which is the Texas State Flower.   I think we must be traveling at the best time of the year.  Most of the roads that we’ve been on have had wildflowers on them and the trees are just starting their spring growth.  It’s green right now in Texas but Lake Arrowhead, which is actually a reservoir is only at 40% and there are “Pray for Rain” signs on the roadsides.

The campground has lots of spring growth, tall grasses and tons of birds.  It reminds me of a place we were at on the edge of the Australian outback and it would be a great place to spend more time.

Scissor-tailed flycatcher

We saw some birds that we have never seen before (thanks for the loan of the field guide Clay) including flocks of scissor-tailed flycatchers.  It was amazing to see and hear them flying around.

There was also an active prairie dog town with youngsters and adults sounding the alarm that intruders were nearby.    Laia has never seen anything like that and was peering down the holes trying to figure out where they went to.

Texas Bluebonnet

Prairie dog town

A State Park with it’s very own oil well

Crossing the mighty Mississippi.

Day 3 of our trip had us crossing the Mississippi River into Louisiana.  My first ever viewing of the huge river.  I know it is at flood stage further north and I wondered what it would look like here at Vicksburg.  It was high but didn’t appear to be flooding.

We made it into Texas

We decided to push on through Louisiana and across the state line into Texas where  we found Caddo Lake State Park.

Caddo Lake State Park

Caddo Lake is the only natural lake in Texas and was created by a mass of trees and flood debris that obstructed the Red River over 100 years ago.      A dam maintains the water today, which is primarily a maze of bayous – thick with ancient bald cypress trees.   What a great place to paddle around and I wish we had brought our canoe.

Even the campsites are bigger in Texas!

Tomorrow we press on.   We’re pleased with our progress and everything is performing well, so that gives us a little leeway in our schedule.  After tomorrow I think we will be half way there.

Packed and ready to go!

It’s hard to believe, after all the planning the time has come and we have finally departed on our long awaited trip out to the Western USA.

Our first day was an easy one, with an overnight at Jerry and Linda’s.  Jerry is  a very good friend and former coworker of Leonard’s who has a lovely cabin in a fly-in community in north Florida.

We met the neighbors and enjoyed Happy Hour at Jack and Karen’s,  where Leonard played the banjo.   It was a full moon and we slept to the sounds of the whippoorwill.  Such a tranquil setting and we enjoyed it thoroughly.    Jerry and Linda sent us on our way after a hearty breakfast and we started counting down the miles as we headed west.

We made it through Alabama  to Biloxi, Mississippi, where we are tonight.  Tomorrow we press on and hopefully head for Shreveport, LA.