Between a Rock and a Hard Place...

Dead Horse Point - overlooking Canyonlands National Park

Hello all - trying to catch up on the blog which I know I am a bit behind on.  We are in Denver at the moment spending some quiet time visiting family - but not before we spent a few fun filled/action packed days in Moab, Ut. - home of the off road enthusiasts.  Moab is situated right near not one but two National Parks - Arches National Park and Canyonlands National Park.  It is within 30 miles of one of the most captured photos on the planet at Dead Horse Point - overlooking Canyonlands National Park.  Just below this point is where they took the last shot of Thelma and Louise - so it has some history to it.



Local scenery around Moab



The first night we got into Moab I don't think we really understood what was available to do in the area.  We had originally come here because of the proximity of the National Parks to Moab.  Our campgrounds were north of town - so we never got all the way into Moab to understand it's potential.  We did get a clue from the campground though - as probably 70% of the campers in the campgrounds had ATV's with them.  When morning came - the noise started up and we thought we might be in the middle of the Indy500.  That got us up and about fairly early.  On our way out of the campground - KMK wanted to stop at the office and pick up some brochures on what was available in the area - and then it hit us - we needed to stay longer that originally planned as there were way too many cool things to do to miss out on all of them (my thoughts - not necessarily Karen's).   So we decided to go through town - look up a few more campgrounds and see if any of them were better suited to our situation (less ATV’s and cable TV) and then find out about the different tours/opportunities and what we could book/complete in 1 day.  By 1pm – we had sorted ourselves out for the following day – we decided to rent a Rhino (2 man ATV) and tour the back country in the morning and then reserve a spot on a hummer tour across the Hell’s Revenge trail at sunset. Our only difficulty is that we are without any other transportation other than our trusty Tallulah – so we were discussing the fact that we would be finished with our ATV tour at 12:30 and wouldn’t be due back till 5pm for our Hummer tour – so we would need to take the motor home back to the campsite – set it up and then either break it down and come back into town or find alternative transportation.  Karen’s idea was to leave the motor home in the tour site parking lot and take a cab back to the campground – but I had to burst her bubble with the fact that if we did that – we wouldn’t have anything to sit on at the campsite – our motor home being left in town...she agreed that perhaps that hadn’t been her best plan – so we came up with plan B.  We would break camp in the morning – take the motor home into town to do the ATV tour – go back to camp – set it back up and call a cab to bring us into town for the Hummer tour...that way after a gruelling 2 ½ hours on the Hell’s Revenge trail – we wouldn’t have to set up camp again in the dark.  With this done – we took the rest of the afternoon and set out to explore Arches National Park. 

Double Arches - Arches National Park



Arches National Park with LaSal Mountains in background

 Millions of years ago – this area was a sea – in fact it has been a sea 29 times over the past 100 millennium or so and each time it dries up – it leaves salt deposits that accumulate and then are buried in sediment which due to pressure force it to become bulges under the sandstone and eventually cause cracks in the sandstone.  Over time, water has seeped into the cracks – washing away the salt – causing the arches.  This area has the largest accumulation of arches in the world – and because of the softness of the rock in the area – is constantly changing.  It is really quite amazing to see some of the formations in the area.  As Karen expressed – the further we go on this trip – the more we think we have seen it all – or the best – something new comes up and we get that much more to think about.  As you stand looking over the Window’s arches – the snow covered white peaks of the LaSal Mountains in the background – it just becomes impossible to explain or convey the beauty.  You try to capture it in pictures – but to be perfectly honest – it doesn’t work...



The next morning we got up and got into town in time to catch our ATV experience.  They normally won’t take a tour out without at minimum of 2 ATV’s (unless you pay extra for a private guide) and Karen was willing to go as a passenger but really didn’t want to drive.   Fortunately, they had a family of 4 from Kansas City going out that morning in 2 Rhino’s – so we joined their tour and saved the private guide fee.  The time on the trail was dusty – very dusty – but it absolutely was a great time.  Karen thought that I got a bit dangerous every now and then – but overall – brilliant.  We have included a video of some of our time on the trail – forgive the noise of the video – no way to avoid it.  After that it was home and plenty of water – to try and wash some of the dirt out of my mouth...you can’t imagine where dust can get to – when you are travelling at 20 to 30 miles/hour through it. 

After a rest in the afternoon - we called the only taxi company in town – and arranged for him to pick us up around 4:30 to get back in for our Hummer tour.  He arrives on time – but to our surprise – has his two sons with him – as I guess he was the babysitter until his wife gets home from work.  One son had already called shotgun (bummer) – so that left Karen and I in the back seat along with the other son – trying to squeeze in behind a seat that is pulled all the way back with the seatback also pushed back.  Can’t tell you how much fun that was – then on the way out – our taxi driver didn’t notice a large (very large) rock just off to the side of the road protecting a sewer connection pipe.  He ran right up onto it – and we weren’t going anywhere.  It is at this moment when I think a 4 wheel drive would really come in handy...The only way out of the predicament was to jack the car up off the stone – then drive it off the jack and hope we could get the wheel up and on the rock – and then drive off it.  Dangerous, stupid, but ultimately successful.  The low point was when the owner of the campsite came out – yelled at us for getting stuck on the rock in the first place – banned the taxi driver from ever returning to his site – and drove off without offering to help in anyway.  All I could think was ‘well – this is great – the only taxi in town – and our park owner has just banned our ride home...’ but decided not to let it bother me till later.  I knew we would figure it out.



Karen and I in the Hummer

 The Hummer tour over Hell’s Revenge was absolutely brilliant.  I can’t explain how these vehicles manage to go up a rock face that is a 40 to 50 degree incline.  We have videos of the tour – which I have included – but to be honest – you can’t really capture what it is like when you are inside the vehicle.  If you want to see it – just go to www.youtube.com or Google and search Hell’s Revenge Moab – and it will give you a choice of hundreds of videos to look at – some really capture just how nail biting it is.

That’s it – the next day – we left via the River Road (Colorado River that is) from Moab to I 70 – then across Colorado until we arrived in Golden – a small village the west of Denver – and a few days visiting family.  I have cousins (mom’s side) living here and am taking a rest from doing anything other than enjoying having home cooked meals – with someone else cooking them.  Today – Lori and I are planning on making a traditional polish dish (pieorgi’s) which our mothers always made.  I managed to find mom’s sauerkraut recipe – and Jim and I had done some last Jan – so I am looking forward to the eating.  Karen is planning on some skiing at Breckenridge tomorrow – so if that comes off – we shall be adding some pictures from there – and we shall be leaving Denver on Wednesday.  I don’t expect to have a great deal to blog about until we get to our next destination – not that my cousins are boring – just that we intended this time here to be relaxing – and that is just what it is. 

Lori, me and Marge - going over some old family photo's I had found...