09/23/02:
Drove in from Grand Junction this morning. I was early enough to spend the day at Arches National Park. Took in the sights one more time, did the Delicate Arch Trail and several shorter trails.
09/24/02:
Camped at my old spot at mile 142. Hiked the Devil's Garden Trail and visited the several arches along the way.
09/25/02:
Tried the south Courthouse Wash Trail. Bushwacked through a mile of brush and finally fell into some quicksand. None of that Ramar of the Jungle quicksand where the guy or the jeep slowly sink out of sight. I stepped on it and went straight down, fast. Fortunately it only went down 2 feet before I found a foundation.
Drove over to UT-279 and found the Portal Overlook Trail. 5 miles round trip with a rise of close to 1000 feet. Nice views of the Colorado River showing the water level is way down and many new islands spot the river.
09/26/02:
Went looking for Pritchard Canyon at the end of Kane Creek Road and found the Amasa Back Trail instead. 10 miles round trip, close to 1000 feet total elevation. Ends overlooking the Colorado River and great, red sandstone formations beyond. Great view of crappy looking salt mine too. Many other great views along the trail too.
10/03/02:
High winds and dust drove me out of Moab. Went over to Durango, CO to visit friends. Went up to Grand Junction, CO and then down US-50/US-550, a gorgeous drive from Ouray to Durango. Got snowed on up at 10000 feet. Aspens were in peak fall colors and got some good pictures despite the snow and clouds. My friends barely escaped one of the many forest fires in the southwest. Scorched and burnt trees right at their doorsteps. Now they have to contend with mud slides. That mostly involves a lot of praying.
Got back to Moab last night but drove up to Price, UT and got a doctor's appointment to get some prescriptions re-writtten.
10/04/02 Hiking Shafer Trail (1st 4-5 miles):
I'm camped on Potash Road again. With nothing special to do I thought I'd explore towards the end of Potash Road. Here it turns to dirt and gets kinda bumpy. But the scenery is spectacular. 5-7 miles brought me through the Salt company's land and salt ponds to BLM land (I think). A sign said the road was washed out ahead so I decided to park and continue on foot.
This road is known as the Shafer Trail and is a favorite with bikers, ATVers and for driving. It started out as a cattle trail and was improved in the 50's for/by uranium miners. Now its just for recreational use and leads to the Island In The Sky area of Canyonlands National Park.
60's at 9:30am and 4300 feet with bright sunshine. Three tour vans headed down the road right before I started. Several other cars passed me during the morning. So much for the road being closed. The trail/road passes through Shafer Basin for several miles. One hour or so into the hike/walk I was back at the Colorado River canyon rim. Wow! What views. Rust colored walls rising up several hundred feet from the river and from above where I was standing. This would be a great multi-day paddle, assuming it leads to somewhere accessible.
I poked around the many points that jut out into the river for an hour or two and then headed back. Clouds moved in and it got cooler but no rains.
10/05/02 Hiking Shafer Trail (2nd 4-5 miles):
60's and bright sunshine again at 4500 feet at 9:30am. Drove up Shafer Trail past the point I had hiked to yesterday and continued hike. Passed a couple of overlooks from the Colorado River rim before the trail/road moved away.
More wonderful scenery with huge red sandstone walls rising up everywhere. Every bit as good as the National Parks. Reminded me most of north end of Lake Powell or Capitol Reef.
1.5 miles and Shafer Trail changed to White Rim Road as it entered the Island In The Sky section of Canyonlands National Park. Farther on I came upon the closed road. Another road continued off to the left and leads to the Goosenecks and Mussleman Arch. I continued another mile or so past the closed road. Kinda curious where the road leads because it appears to be a dead end canyon. Couldn't really see much from where I was so turned back.
10/06/02 Hiking Shafer Trail (3rd 4-5 miles):
Another nice day and a great hike but that's the end of the Shafer Trail/White Rim Road for me. It goes on for more than 50 miles yet but not for me. Drove to the closed road but the last hill was too much for my little 4 cylinder/2wd. It was huffing and puffing, moaning and groaning and making strange noises. It stalled right at the last hump I had to go over and didn't want to start for a minute or so. I thought I'd burnt the computer out again. I'll admit to saying a dirty word then. That's enough for me. Too much other stuff to do without risking my truck.
More great scenery though and some overlooks of the Colorado River, many hundreds of feet below. 1 mile or so brought me to the Goosenecks, a twisty section of the Colorado. A couple miles farther is another overlook and right beyond that is Mussleman Arch. Looks like a section of bedrock at the top of a canyon split away from the main part but didn't collapse. Wind and rain and ice then eroded a nice arch into the split section. It lays at your feet as you approach the rim and look down at it. It's 4-5 feet thick and 25-30 feet wide. Dunno how high.
10/07/02 Hiking Corona Arch Trail (3 miles roundtrip):
Did the short hike to Corona Arch and Bowtie Arch. Cables and ladders to help the feeble. I took full advantage of them. Relaxed the rest of the day.
10/08/02 Hiking Hidden Valley Trail (8 miles round trip):
Steep hike up rocky switchbacks took 20 minutes or so to rise 650 feet to the top. Once things leveled off I passed a sign proclaiming Behind the Rocks Wilderness Study Area. Trail passed through a long, narrow valley. To the right, rocky hills rising 20-30 feet. To the left, rusty colored cliffs rising 400 feet or so.
1 hour brought me to a hump and I passed over it into another valley filled with rounded domes bunched together. Another .3 miles brought me to a jeep trail. I followed this for another mile or so. All I could see were some hills and valleys so I turned back.
On the way back I spotted a pair of coyotes and got a couple of good shots, one with both of them in it. Then I saw a covey of grouse, at least they didn't have the little top knots I associate with quail.
10/10/02 Driving La Sal Mountain Loop (50 miles):
The La Sal Mountain Loop is quite a change of pace from the desert cliffs, buttes, mesas and such. I picked it up about 10 miles up UT-128, along the Colorado River. About 50 miles long, it winds its way upwards a few thousand feet. Scrub oaks, aspens and bushes all wearing their fall colors backed by snow capped mountains made for some pretty pictures.
10/13/02 Hiking Hunters Canyon (6 miles round trip):
Was up in the Island In The Sky section of Canyonlands Natiional Park yesterday (see next trip report). Came down this morning and hiked Hunters Canyon on Kanes Creek Road today. Narrow canyon 100-150 feet wide for the most part with rusty beige walls rising up several hundred feet. It was pretty much that way the entire distance.
A stream flowed through the canyon most of the way with pools here and there. After two miles I came to a side canyon. Tried to continue up Hunters Canyon but trees and brush became to thick. Tried going up the side canyon but too much scrambling over large and small boulders so turned back.
Left lights on and had dead battery for the second time this week. Time for a new battery. Finally found Pritchett Canyon. Right before Kanes Creek Road turns to dirt is a gate which is the entrance to Kanes Creek Campground and Pritchett Canyon. They want $1 for bikers and hikers and $2 for cars.