Hittle Bottom, Moab

For our final camping trip of this maiden year, we went to Moab.  This is our favorite biking spot.  I just love the feel of the redrock country and the great geologic features.  Combine that with the blue skies and the winding Colorado River, it is gorgeous.  We were like old pros this trip.  Most of the campgrounds in this area are on BLM land, which is on a first-come basis.  We had to drive through a few campgrounds before we found a spot at Hittle Bottom Campground right along the Colorado River off of Highway 128.  Seems like this is what most people do, as a number of cars circled camp that night looking for a spot.  We were glad to have our and to be set up before dark. 

On our first day, we road about on a portion of the Kokopelli Trail.  It was a pretty easy ride along a dirt road.  We had the road to ourselves.  It is amazing how desolate some of the back roads can be, even on a busy weekend in town. 

The next day we did the famous Onion Creek ride just a few miles down the river from the Kokopelli Trail.  Onion Creek is so named because of a malodorous sulfur smell halfway through the ride.  It also has 23 river crossings through chain and gear eating water.  My crank actually seized up one time after doing this ride.  Definitely clean your bike after this one.

Mary and Darwin on one of the 23 river crossings.

Well, it was another great weekend in sun.  And a great maiden year for the T@b.  We'll have to winterize her when we get home, but we have plenty of fun memories to get us through winter.  I can't wait to get out for another season.  Let's hope winter goes by quickly.   

Goblin Valley

Fall is upon us and winter is knocking on our door.  But, we are not ready to give up on the camping season just yet.  In order to stretch the season, we headed south to Goblin Valley last weekend with a couple of friends.  It was actually unseasonably hot with temperatures in the mid 90s.  Maybe next year we will put this on the calendar for October rather than September. Despite the heat, we had a great time exploring the hoodoos and hiking through the surreal landscape. 

The campground was pretty nice.  No water or electrical hookups, but each site had its own shaded gazebo with a picnic table and fire pit.  The shaded gazebo came in handy for the hot afternoons.  We stayed in site #14 which was located right up against the eroding cliffs.  I don't think there is a bad site in this campground.  

On Saturday we hiked from the campground to the Valley of the Goblins.  It was about a mile hike through some pretty odd landscape.  It felt like we were in an ancient obsolete drainage.  It was worth the hike in the heat to see the view of the Goblins.  This is a shot from the view area.

On Sunday we tried to hike the famous Little Wild Horse slot canyon trail.  We thought our dogs were pretty adventurous, but even they have their limits.  After hauling Darwin up and over 7-foot ledges and squeezing Riley through slots too narrow for your shoe, we decided to turn around.   

We will definitely have to come back sometime soon (without the dogs) and finish this amazing hike.  Although, I do think Riley had a pretty good time.  This is a great shot of her slung over Mary's shoulder.

Green River State Park

On our way to Goblin Valley, we stayed the night at the Green River State Park Campground in Green River, Utah.  Luckily, we had made reservations for the night.  When we arrived, the usually sleepy town was hopping.  Turns out it was Melon Days in Green River.  They had a fair set up in the main park and a parade planned for Saturday morning.  It was fun to see the town come alive.

We usually drive straight past Green River on Interstate 70 on our way to Moab.  Green River is one of those little towns that used to be on the main drag before the Interstate was built.  It is a bit of a ghost town now.  Driving the business loop through town is like a step back to the 50s or 60s with great antique neon diner and motel signs rusting in the wind...memories of days gone by.  We will look upon Green River a little more fondly now that we have had time to stay and smell the melons.

We missed the parade, but managed to head out of town just in time for the traffic it stirred up.  I love this shot of one of the participating floats.  Looks like we missed a good one.

We Bought a Truck

Well, we thought we could pull the T@belot with the Subaru, and we probably could have...but, I have always wanted a truck and we just couldn't resist this fantastic little red Ford Ranger.  Ford has been making the Ranger since the early 1980's and they haven't really changed much in its design over the last 30 years. That is actually what we like about the Ranger.  It is retro in a stylish way and the last of the "little trucks."  If you haven't noticed, trucks keep getting bigger and bigger.  The Ranger is pretty tiny compared to the new comparable "small" trucks such as the Toyota Tacoma or Nissan Frontier.  But it does come with a standard 6' bed, a 4.0 liter V6 engine. and 16" wheels. 

This truck looks brand new.  You can't tell from the pictures, but it is actually a 2004!  The previous owner traded it in for a bigger F-150 at our local Ford dealer and we happened to be cruising the lot at the right time.  The truck hadn't even been detailed or invoiced.  It only has 25,000 miles on it.  That is only 4,000 miles a year if you do the math.  We are pretty excited to have a truck.  I have already taken a load of stuff from the garage to the thrift store and another load of tree limbs from our neighbor's yard to the dump.  It is great to be able to load up the back and haul stuff away.  We can't wait to try out the new truck with the T@belot.  Can you believe how great it is going to look with the red accented T@b?

Payson Lakes Campground

We went camping with the Hula Hoops over the Labor Day holiday weekend to Payson Lakes Campground in the Uintas.  This campground is off of the Mt. Nebo scenic loop road.  We stayed at Group Site C near Box Lake.  It was a nice site at the end of road.  The area wasn't too crowded for a holiday weekend (other than the family reunion with about 100 people right next to us in Group Site B).  

Early Morning Shot of Box Lake with
Loafer Mountain in the Background

The Hula Hoops really know how to camp.  We were treated to crushed ice strawberry daiquiris and pina coladas during the day and lobster with herbed mashed potatoes for dinner.  It was fabulous.  I should also mention the arugula salad with goat cheese and beets - fresh from the garden.  We certainly ate better on this trip than we do at home.  For this group, camping does not include compromise. 

Mary and I did a couple of hikes over the weekend.  On Saturday, we hiked part of the Loafer Mountain trail.  It was steep, dusty and hot.  We both agreed that this was not a trial we need to do again.  Sunday we did the Shram Creek trail, which was great.  We accessed this trail off of a dirt road.  It was a north facing trail with a lot more tree cover and great views.  We only saw two other people in the four hours we were out.  The trailhead access would also make a great camping site for next time we come out. 

  

This area isn't as pretty as the upper Uintas off of Mirror Lake Highway, but it is really close to home and a little warmer due to the lower elevation.  This would be a good place to come back in the early spring or late fall.  Now that the Labor Day holiday is behind us, I can feel our first camping season slowing coming to a close.  We are still hoping to get out a couple more times, but fall is upon us.   

Time for a Generator

Last time we went camping, we lost battery power about halfway through the weekend.  Luckily, we were done with Saturday night dinner and the evening was warm enough that we didn't need the heater to kick on.  We were able to limp along and stay through Sunday by turning everything off and just using the stove to heat our hot water for coffee in the morning.  No one should have to do without coffee while camping.  After talking to some other campers at the campsite and doing more research when I got home, it seemed that a generator was the best way to go.  It turns out you can only let a 12V battery get down to about 10.5V before it is nearly useless.  I had no idea.  I thought you got to use up all 12 volts before you had to recharge. 

So, we are now the proud owners of a Honda EU1000i super quiet generator with an eco-throttle mode.  This thing is beautiful.  It runs at about 53-59 dB, which is pretty darn quiet for a generator.  These super quiet generators are not cheap, but I decided it is worth having and being able to use without disturbing other campers.  I hate the sound of a generator in the great outdoors, but if you have to use one, this one is pretty nice.  We should only have to run it a couple hours a day to keep the battery sufficiently charged.  We are really excited to try it out on our upcoming holiday weekend adventure.  I am hoping this will make the weekend worry-free as far as battery consumption goes.  Check them out at the Honda Website.

Tour of Utah

Highway closure for the Tour of Utah

On our way back from our last camping trip, we passed a number of cars and people waiting along the side of the road.  We finally figured out that it was the Tour of Utah bike race coming straight for us.  We are big cycling fans and had hoped to see some of the week-long race this year, but decided to go camping instead.  I guess you can have your cake and eat it too, sometimes.

About halfway up Highway 40 outside of Park City, droves of police vehicles came screaming down the road with their sirens and lights flashing and directed us to the side of the highway.  Just like that, the freeway was closed and we had front row seats to the race.  About five minutes later two packs of racers sped past us at full speed.  They must have been going 50 mph or more.  They were going so fast, we couldn't recognize any of the riders, but somewhere in the pack were big name riders like Levi Leipheimer, George Hincapie and Francisco Mancebo.  The pack and its entourage sped past, and as fast as they swarmed upon us, they were gone.  We got back in the car with our hearts pounding.  What a great way to end the weekend.  Here is a little video clip of the peleton rushing past us.

Uintas, Cobblerest Campground

We spent another great weekend exploring the upper Uinta Mountains.  This time we camped at Cobblerest Campground located at about 8,000' elevation.  We stayed in Site #7 which was right next to the river.  The ambient sound of the river from our open window was quite calming.  We liked our spot by the river, but next time we would like to try the more secluded Site #17.  No electrical or water at this campsite, so we really had to "rough" it.

Wall Lake looking at the "Notch"

On Saturday we took the dogs on great hike that started at the Crystal Lake trailhead. We did a bit of a circle from the trailhead to Wall Lake and up to the Notch (which is part of the Notch Mountain trail) and then back down past Trial Lake.  In all, we were out for about 3 hours and figure we covered about 6 miles.  It was a beautiful day.

Lisa at Hope Lake

On Sunday we did a hike on the otherside of Bald Mountain known as the Highline trail.  This trail is really popular with backpackers.  In looking at the map, you can take this trail deep into the protected wilderness area of the Uintas and stay for days, if not weeks, in the backcountry. 

Mary with Darwin and Riley

We made it to Packard Lake which is about an 8 mile hike.  Near the lake is an amazing view of the Duchesne River gorge.  The precipice was so daunting I made Mary leash up the dogs.  The trip out and back took us about 5 hours.  It was another gorgeous day.

Darwin surveying the land

Packard Lake

Uintas, Lower Provo River Campground

We went camping in the Uintas this weekend.  It was another great adventure with the T@belot.  I really think we are getting the hang of this camping thing.  This was our fourth trip with the trailer and it seems to be getting easier and the set up procedures are becoming routine. 

This weekend we explored the Uintas, one of our favorite mountain escapes located just an hour east of Salt Lake City.  I have been told that the Uintas are the only major mountain range in the US with an east/west orientation.  The Uintas are also the highest mountain range in Utah.  The highest peak is Kings Peak which tops out at 13,528 feet.  Most of the hiking we do is around the 10,000' elevation range.  We stayed at the Lower Provo River Campground, Site #1.  

Karla and her dog Max joined us for the overnight adventure.  It was great to spend some quality time talking around the campfire.  Since Mary and I have not mastered (or even tried) the art of making a fire, it was great to have a fire-starter extraordinaire in our company.  The secret, Karla admitted, was dryer lint as kindling.  Who knew?  Maybe next time Mary and I can give it a try.  Karla's dark chocolate s'mores were also amazing.  Thanks for the great weekend.   

Everywhere, America

If you have ever driven on the interstate for an extended roadtrip, you will experience what a friend of ours refers to as "Everywhere, America."  Everywhere, America is that phenomenon you experience when you exit the freeway at any major development and find that it is exactly the same as the last exit you stopped at 12 hours ago, or 36 hours ago, or 72 hours ago.  It can be a little haunting and is certainly disorienting.  Home Depot on the right, McDonalds on the left, Walmart up the block, and Starbucks tucked into the strip mall next to the Radio Shack.  Deja vu and vertigo can set in simultaneously.  Those particularly adverse to consumerism may feel nausea. 

I experienced Everywhere, America on our last roadtrip.  I realized in my state of disorientation that the only thing that really distinguishes a place anymore is the landscape.  The rocks, the rivers, the sand, the mountains, and the trees.  And in order to see the landscape, you have to take the road less traveled, past the silos and the cows, on the gravel and the dirt, towards the ocean near the tracks.  In honor of Mr. Frost, and all wanderlust souls out there, we'll be taking a few more rights into the unchartered territory of smallville.

Massacre Rock, Idaho

We spent Memorial Day Weekend at Massacre Rock State Park.  Massacre Rock is located about 40 miles southwest of Pocatello, Idaho.  The campsites are on a hill overlooking the beautiful and meandering Snake River.  The variety of birds along the river and in the trees was amazing.  We spent a lot of time just watching the huge yet graceful pelicans take off and land along the river.  An activity only camping can create. 

Massacre Rock is located along the historic old Oregon Trail used by thousands of emigrants heading to Oregon or California in the great westward migration of the late 1800's.  The area around Massacre Rock was notoriously dangerous for the emigrants due to the rocky landscape, the torrential river crossings and neighboring indians.  Massacre Rock got its name from an incident around 1862 when 10 emigrant were killed in a narrow rocky passage by the local indians.  The photo above on the left is a rock etching from Register Rock where passing emigrants would scroll their names marking their passage through this portion of the 2,000 mile journey.  The one on the right is me and Riley in front of Register Rock.

We were lucky enough to spend the weekend with a fantastic group of women who refer to themselves as some type of pastry (actual name reserved to protect the innocent), but who I have fondly re-named the "hoola hoops" due to their constant dose of insane hilarity that pulls you in and spits you out at a dizzying pace.  The spinning, swirling, gyration of a weekend with the hoola hoops has left us exhausted.  Although I have to say, I am anxious and eager to give it another spin once I catch my breath. 

I love this shot of Mary.  This one pretty much sums up the weekend.

Editor's note (and specifically, to my second grade teacher many moons ago who marked me down for misspelling a word that I had made up for literary effect):  I intentionally misspelled hula hoop.  The "hoola" spelling is far more representative of the hoola-ing that went on this weekend than the traditional and pedestrian spelling of hula.

Fremont Indian State Park

We took the T@belot out on our first group camping adventure.  The adventure was organized by our bookclub tour hosts Jenni and Holly.  We had a pretty darn big group but managed to keep the injuries to a minimum.  A constant trickle of good humor and downright hysterics left most of us complaining merely of a minor side ache.  In total, I think we had 16 adults, 7 kids and 10 dogs.  Sounds crazy, doesn't it?

The frivolity was convened at the Fremont Indian State Park located conveniently off of Interstate-70 in central Utah. The facilities and scenery at the park were amazing. This is really a top-rate place, but don't tell anyone. The area is filled with historic pictographs and artifacts from the Fremont Indians that inhabited the area from about 1100-1400 A.D. It is amazing to think that all of this history, geology and beauty is just a few hours from home. It was nice to not only get away for the weekend and relax with some great friends, but to also step back in time and capture a glimpse of what life might have been like as a hunter and gatherer in such a beautiful yet harsh landscape.

As I wrote in an earlier posting, we bought the T@belot with high hopes of enjoying the simple pleasures of the great outdoors. So far, I have to say that the whole trailer experience has far exceeded my expectations. The treasures of a weekend away are priceless.

 

I love the pace of the camping day...and how you never really know what time it is or even what day it is.  And I like how personal interactions seem more personal.  Perhaps because we have left the clutter and distractions of life at home.  It was great to spend some quality time with old friends and to get to know some new soon to be old friends. 

I was also surprised by the familiar scent of the campfire that seemed to bring back all my childhood memories of camping and made me feel like a kid again.  I'm looking forward to getting out on the road again and finding out more of what camping has to reveal.  Thanks to everyone for a wonderful time.