June 14

Hwy 70 here we come, a day’s drive through the great state of Colorado to our next stop.

We were able to reserve a spot at the James M. Robb State Park Island Acres Section with full hook ups for one night as we make our way to Moab Utah.  This place had a great view and was located right next to the Colorado river.  Speaking of the Colorado river, did you know that the Colorado river runs through Utah and the Arkansas river runs through Kansas and Colorado.

Welcome to Utah

Moab, the land of the Arches and Canyonland Nation Parks.  We planned on three full days here so we could do some hiking as well as taking the incredible landscapes.  The first day we had passes to get into Aches with an 8am entry time so we could hike to the most famous arch, the Delicate Arch (the one on the Utah license plate) before the temperatures reached 100, yes 100.  This was a three-mile hike which normally would not be strenuous for us, but we did not realize it was rated difficult with an elevation grade of 480 ft (with many ascents and descents before you got to the arch), exposure to heights and no shade.  As you can see from the pictures it was so worth the challenge.  Special note, us peeps that live at sea level had an extreme workout because we were already at an elevation of 6800 ft before we even took one step to the arch.

As we were in recovery mode the next day, we went to Canyonland only 50 miles from Arches with a totally different landscapes, amazing.  This park you have no choice but to drive a bit more, not as much hiking/walking options except for one, Whale Rock but more about that later.  There is one well-known arch in Canyonland, Mesa Arch Island in the Sky.  The photos speak for themselves.

And more photos of Canyonland.

Whale Rock, the long sandstone dome looks like a giant whale, the trail walks you alongside, then you climb from its “tail” up to its “blowhole” this trail and climb was rated moderate, it took about an hour up and down but what a view from the top.

The Shafer Trail in Canyonland National Park is a challenging unpaved backcountry road known for its dramatic switchbacks and stunning views.  It descends 1500 ft from the Island in the Sky district, offering access to the canyon floor and connects to Potash Road and Moab.  This road is a 3-4 hour trip that requires high clearance 4WD vehicle, a popular route for those seeking adventure and a scenic drive.  Wellllllll, that is what this trip is all about adventure, with a twinkle in Walters eyes (and his 4WD truck) we were on the road the dirt and rock road with no option to turn back or change our minds.  Nothing like having your tires inches from a 500 ft cliff on a loose gravel road.  Walter used all the options on the truck, auto descend that could keep the truck at a steady 3-8 miles an hour and cameras to let you know how many inches you were from the large rock wall.  Once down at the bottom we checked each other for any internal bleeding or ruptures. With a view from the bottom looking up you could barely see the road as it blended in with the cliffs.  Very exciting!

We secured another entry time into Arches National Park, again at 8am to beat the heat so we could hike to some more of the 2000 arches in the park. To name a few Balance Rock, North and South Windows, Double Arch, Sand Dune and Turret Arch.  We were able to call it a day before the midday heat set in.  President Herbert Hoover sure got this one right when he protected Arches and made it a National Park.