Trip Journal: The Great Bluff Meet-up, II, plus Mesa Verde and Moab
Tuesday, October 4 through Friday, October 14, 2016
Part I: The Return to Bluff for our Seventh UTAH Meet-up Tuesday, October 4, through Sunday, October 9, 2016 |
Introduction. Returning to Bluff, Utah, for our seventh Trip Advisor Herd meet-up was quite appropriate for a number a reasons, some planned and some just sort of through karma. That first meeting back in 2010 was really just a couple days, so we had just scratched the surface of things to see and do if the area. Also, the Herd has grown significantly over the years, so many of the gang did not get to experience Bluff that first time around. Lots of folks where looking forward to exploring the ruin sites that Rick knows so well. Plus there were options for rafting and canyoneering as well as for touring Monument Valley or Natural Bridges. Those were the points that made us select Bluff and plan the return trip.
But Bluff was also very appropriate for a completely unplanned, if not completely unforeseen event. While The Herd has generally grown over the years, there have been a few departures as folks have come to a meet-up or two but decided to roam away from the Herd for whatever reason. But even those folks are still on the roster as Herd members and are welcome to join in at any time. This year unfortunately marked our first true loss, as one of the founding members and probably a key reason we all got together in the first place, passed away. Hans, the road trip expert known as Tet14 on the Trip Advisor forums and a man we all loved and respected, started his next journey. Bluff was the place that many of the original Herd members had met Hans, so it was a fitting place for us all to say farewell…and safe travels.
The Plan. Once we had Bluff set as the meet-up location, Lynn and I looked at options for the post-meet-up activities. We decided to add some time to explore Mesa Verde and have some chill time in Moab. By the end of January our plans were basically set for our now annual gathering then over the course of the spring and summer Mother Hen Max pulled together a great set of activities for the meet-up. Here’s the going in plan:
Tuesday, October 4 – Travel day. Rather than rushing on Wednesday, we decided to take advantage of a favorable flight itinerary and fly into Grand Junction, Colorado, on Tuesday evening (4:30 PM departure from CLE, arriving GJT at 7:45). We’ll stay in Junction tonight and maybe grab dinner at a local brew pub (Kannah Creek looks promising).
Wednesday, October 5 – On to Bluff. Most likely we’ll make an early morning drive through Colorado National Monument. Afterward, we’ll stock up on supplies in Grand Junction before heading to Bluff. I selected a hotel near the liquor store and a grocery store so that should work out well. I would like to be checked into our hotel in Bluff by 4:00 (earlier is better) so that we can get some rest if needed before the meet-up starts. Since we’ll have 3.5 hours of driving from Grand Junction, we need to be on the road for Bluff no later than noon. But that still gives us all morning to explore The Monument and buy supplies. The first official event of the meet-up is happy hour at the Bluff Cemetery just like we did for our opening event back in 2010, followed by dinner at the Hen House, the rental property where Max and some of the other Herd members were staying.
Thursday, October 6 and Friday, October 7 - Exploring around Bluff. Some of the Herd will be canyoneering one day and rafting the other but we’ll most likely be hiking…somewhere. Rick, Noel and Pixie will be leading hikes each day. The hike to The Citadel is high on the list so hopefully that will be one day. The other day, well…to be determined. For dinner, the Herd will converge on Dukes on Friday and Comb Ridge Bistro on Saturday.
Saturday, October 8 – Tour of Monument Valley and Mystery Valley with the Herd. This should be a nice tour and a great way to spend time with the gang. We'll be just across the state line in Arizona so we will touch three of the "four corners states" on this trip. Our final dinner with the Herd is planned for Twin Rocks Cake.
Sunday, October 9 – Moving on to Mesa Verde. Most the Herd tend to head home on the Sunday of the meet-up, although we generally wait until Monday. This year we will head out on Sunday as well, heading from Bluff to Mesa Verde. Odds are there will be a farewell breakfast, so we’ll hang around for that. We may even stay for a short activity with the herd. Just depends on what is planned. One option is a visit to Natural Bridges National Monument. Also, between Bluff and Mesa Verde there are Hovenweep and Yucca House National Monuments that we could check out. We’ll see how the timing works out. We’ll stop in Cortez to stock up on supplies. We will try to be in Mesa Verde in time to purchase tickets for tours. We’ll have three nights at Far View Lodge in the park.
Monday, October 10, and Tuesday, October 11 – Exploring Mesa Verde. We’ll use one day to explore Chapin Mesa and the other for Wetherill Mesa. The availability of tour tickets will determine the order of the areas we explore. Looks like Cliff Palace will be closed for restoration work when we are there. Also the road to Wetherill Mesa could be closed (according to the park map on NPS.gov) although the tour schedule indicates that there will be tours while we are there. I reckon we’ll see how the weather plays into that.
Wednesday, October 12 – Mesa Verde to Moab. We’ll finish up in Mesa Verde in the morning then get on the road to Moab (just over 2.5 hours of driving). Maybe we’ll check out Yucca House National Monument as a short detour. The afternoon in Moab is open. Maybe we’ll just chill, perhaps a short hike for sunset in Arches or a lap around town to let Lynn do some shopping. Great options for dinner with Desert Bistro, Miguel’s and Sunset Grill at the top of the list.
Thursday, October 13 - Hiking and chillin' in Moab. We’ll do something in Moab, but we’ll chill out some as well. Not sure what we’ll do today. A hike of some sort certainly. Maybe Fisher Towers since we have not done that. Lynn liked Tower Arch so maybe we’ll return there. I’ve also got the coordinates for Covert Arch in Arches, a remote location in the park that we might consider if we really want an adventure. We’ll just see what we are in the mood for.
Friday, October 14 – Homeward Bound. No rush this morning as our return flight out of Grand Junction is not until 1:10 PM. We’ll have time to pack and get some breakfast in the morning before we get rolling. There is a possibility that we could cruise back through The Monument one the way to the airport, but we both think that we’ll be done by this time so that is not likely. Our flight lands in CLE at 8:40 so we should be home by 10:00 PM and we’ll have the weekend to rest, which works out nicely.
But Bluff was also very appropriate for a completely unplanned, if not completely unforeseen event. While The Herd has generally grown over the years, there have been a few departures as folks have come to a meet-up or two but decided to roam away from the Herd for whatever reason. But even those folks are still on the roster as Herd members and are welcome to join in at any time. This year unfortunately marked our first true loss, as one of the founding members and probably a key reason we all got together in the first place, passed away. Hans, the road trip expert known as Tet14 on the Trip Advisor forums and a man we all loved and respected, started his next journey. Bluff was the place that many of the original Herd members had met Hans, so it was a fitting place for us all to say farewell…and safe travels.
The Plan. Once we had Bluff set as the meet-up location, Lynn and I looked at options for the post-meet-up activities. We decided to add some time to explore Mesa Verde and have some chill time in Moab. By the end of January our plans were basically set for our now annual gathering then over the course of the spring and summer Mother Hen Max pulled together a great set of activities for the meet-up. Here’s the going in plan:
Tuesday, October 4 – Travel day. Rather than rushing on Wednesday, we decided to take advantage of a favorable flight itinerary and fly into Grand Junction, Colorado, on Tuesday evening (4:30 PM departure from CLE, arriving GJT at 7:45). We’ll stay in Junction tonight and maybe grab dinner at a local brew pub (Kannah Creek looks promising).
Wednesday, October 5 – On to Bluff. Most likely we’ll make an early morning drive through Colorado National Monument. Afterward, we’ll stock up on supplies in Grand Junction before heading to Bluff. I selected a hotel near the liquor store and a grocery store so that should work out well. I would like to be checked into our hotel in Bluff by 4:00 (earlier is better) so that we can get some rest if needed before the meet-up starts. Since we’ll have 3.5 hours of driving from Grand Junction, we need to be on the road for Bluff no later than noon. But that still gives us all morning to explore The Monument and buy supplies. The first official event of the meet-up is happy hour at the Bluff Cemetery just like we did for our opening event back in 2010, followed by dinner at the Hen House, the rental property where Max and some of the other Herd members were staying.
Thursday, October 6 and Friday, October 7 - Exploring around Bluff. Some of the Herd will be canyoneering one day and rafting the other but we’ll most likely be hiking…somewhere. Rick, Noel and Pixie will be leading hikes each day. The hike to The Citadel is high on the list so hopefully that will be one day. The other day, well…to be determined. For dinner, the Herd will converge on Dukes on Friday and Comb Ridge Bistro on Saturday.
Saturday, October 8 – Tour of Monument Valley and Mystery Valley with the Herd. This should be a nice tour and a great way to spend time with the gang. We'll be just across the state line in Arizona so we will touch three of the "four corners states" on this trip. Our final dinner with the Herd is planned for Twin Rocks Cake.
Sunday, October 9 – Moving on to Mesa Verde. Most the Herd tend to head home on the Sunday of the meet-up, although we generally wait until Monday. This year we will head out on Sunday as well, heading from Bluff to Mesa Verde. Odds are there will be a farewell breakfast, so we’ll hang around for that. We may even stay for a short activity with the herd. Just depends on what is planned. One option is a visit to Natural Bridges National Monument. Also, between Bluff and Mesa Verde there are Hovenweep and Yucca House National Monuments that we could check out. We’ll see how the timing works out. We’ll stop in Cortez to stock up on supplies. We will try to be in Mesa Verde in time to purchase tickets for tours. We’ll have three nights at Far View Lodge in the park.
Monday, October 10, and Tuesday, October 11 – Exploring Mesa Verde. We’ll use one day to explore Chapin Mesa and the other for Wetherill Mesa. The availability of tour tickets will determine the order of the areas we explore. Looks like Cliff Palace will be closed for restoration work when we are there. Also the road to Wetherill Mesa could be closed (according to the park map on NPS.gov) although the tour schedule indicates that there will be tours while we are there. I reckon we’ll see how the weather plays into that.
Wednesday, October 12 – Mesa Verde to Moab. We’ll finish up in Mesa Verde in the morning then get on the road to Moab (just over 2.5 hours of driving). Maybe we’ll check out Yucca House National Monument as a short detour. The afternoon in Moab is open. Maybe we’ll just chill, perhaps a short hike for sunset in Arches or a lap around town to let Lynn do some shopping. Great options for dinner with Desert Bistro, Miguel’s and Sunset Grill at the top of the list.
Thursday, October 13 - Hiking and chillin' in Moab. We’ll do something in Moab, but we’ll chill out some as well. Not sure what we’ll do today. A hike of some sort certainly. Maybe Fisher Towers since we have not done that. Lynn liked Tower Arch so maybe we’ll return there. I’ve also got the coordinates for Covert Arch in Arches, a remote location in the park that we might consider if we really want an adventure. We’ll just see what we are in the mood for.
Friday, October 14 – Homeward Bound. No rush this morning as our return flight out of Grand Junction is not until 1:10 PM. We’ll have time to pack and get some breakfast in the morning before we get rolling. There is a possibility that we could cruise back through The Monument one the way to the airport, but we both think that we’ll be done by this time so that is not likely. Our flight lands in CLE at 8:40 so we should be home by 10:00 PM and we’ll have the weekend to rest, which works out nicely.
So that’s the plan. It was built with a lot of flexibility and room for options, but it gives us a very good starting framework. The next 80-plus pages will detail how close we actually followed the plan.
7:19 PM, Monday, 3 October - Final Details. Well we're pretty much ready to go. Just the final packing that will take place tomorrow morning along with the final chores like garbage. We now have time to enjoy dinner and a beer without having to rush around on our last evening before the trip. This packing on the weekend ahead of the trip has again proven to be the way to go. Plus with the lovely weather the past two weekends we knocked out a lot of items on the honey-do and fall maintenance lists, which just means that we'll not be in a frantic rush to do a lot of stuff when we get back from Utah. Bonus!
It seems like the plans are all pretty much in place for the meet-up as well. Max has done a stellar job of creating a great set of activities for the herd. Danny called last night to talk about the one loose end that still exists, the location for the tribute to Hans. We'll certainly start on Wednesday evening during the happy hour, as this was the event six years ago where many of us met Hans for the first time. But we were also thinking of tying in to one of his favorite spots with a drive up the Moki Dugway to Muley Point. Danny is offering an alternative of Goosenecks as this also seemed to be an oft mentioned location plus it is a lot closer to Bluff and eliminates the drive on the Dugway for folks who don't appreciate those kind of roads (like Lynn). We'll work that out on Wednesday once the Herd has assembled. But for now, the chatter on the meet-up website and TA has died down as some folks are already on the road and the rest of us are in the starting blocks just waiting for the starter's pistol to fire. But the chatter will pick up on Wednesday, but this time it will be in person.
Day 1 - Tuesday, October 4 - Hitting the road. Today is the day we’ve been waiting for, the start to our return to Utah for the Great Bluff Meet-up, part II. However we are putting in almost a full day at work first before catching our westward flight. So this morning we finished up the packing and I loaded the bags in the Edge. Nice morning; a little crispness as fall was taking hold here in northern Ohio. It was a little foggy as well, which produced some interesting sunlight through the low clouds and trees. I enjoyed the symmetry of the suitcases and backpacks in the back of the car; matching and color-coordinated. We are such geeks.
7:19 PM, Monday, 3 October - Final Details. Well we're pretty much ready to go. Just the final packing that will take place tomorrow morning along with the final chores like garbage. We now have time to enjoy dinner and a beer without having to rush around on our last evening before the trip. This packing on the weekend ahead of the trip has again proven to be the way to go. Plus with the lovely weather the past two weekends we knocked out a lot of items on the honey-do and fall maintenance lists, which just means that we'll not be in a frantic rush to do a lot of stuff when we get back from Utah. Bonus!
It seems like the plans are all pretty much in place for the meet-up as well. Max has done a stellar job of creating a great set of activities for the herd. Danny called last night to talk about the one loose end that still exists, the location for the tribute to Hans. We'll certainly start on Wednesday evening during the happy hour, as this was the event six years ago where many of us met Hans for the first time. But we were also thinking of tying in to one of his favorite spots with a drive up the Moki Dugway to Muley Point. Danny is offering an alternative of Goosenecks as this also seemed to be an oft mentioned location plus it is a lot closer to Bluff and eliminates the drive on the Dugway for folks who don't appreciate those kind of roads (like Lynn). We'll work that out on Wednesday once the Herd has assembled. But for now, the chatter on the meet-up website and TA has died down as some folks are already on the road and the rest of us are in the starting blocks just waiting for the starter's pistol to fire. But the chatter will pick up on Wednesday, but this time it will be in person.
Day 1 - Tuesday, October 4 - Hitting the road. Today is the day we’ve been waiting for, the start to our return to Utah for the Great Bluff Meet-up, part II. However we are putting in almost a full day at work first before catching our westward flight. So this morning we finished up the packing and I loaded the bags in the Edge. Nice morning; a little crispness as fall was taking hold here in northern Ohio. It was a little foggy as well, which produced some interesting sunlight through the low clouds and trees. I enjoyed the symmetry of the suitcases and backpacks in the back of the car; matching and color-coordinated. We are such geeks.
It was a pretty benign day at work so it was easy to slip in to vacation mode. Lynn called at 2:00 ready to go but I needed a few more minutes to tie up the last loose ends. I was walking out of the office at 2:15 heading to the parking lot then zipped across the base and grabbed Lynn then it was over to Hopkins where we found parking in the back corner of the orange lot. Check-in for our United flights was quick and we breezed through security. We were walking into the bookstore beyond the Concourse B security station at 2:45 so only 30 minutes from the time I clocked out which is pretty darn quick. Would have been quicker if the TSA agent manning the bag x-ray machine been more expedient, but who am I to tell him how to do his job. The odd thing was that for the second time in as many trips we spotted folks trying to get through security with unallowable items. Nothing bad, I think just big bottles of shampoo or something but items clearly not on allowed in a carry-on bag. I wonder if folks think that going through the pre-check line lets them skirt the rules. Here’s a clue for you: it does not!
It took Lynn a while to find a book. I’ve got a cross sums puzzle book plus I plan to work on the Oregon-California trip notes on the flight so I’m not in the market for reading material but I did browse a bit. Hey, there’s Dan Brown’s book Inferno which is coming out as a movie soon. Did I read that? Lynn says we have a copy at home so maybe I’ll look at it after the trip. Once Lynn completed her shopping, the priority became finding dinner and the first beer of the trip. Since our gate was at the far end of Concourse C, we opted to head that direction in search of food and drink. Our choices really came down to Panini's or Great Lakes. We studied the menu posted at Panini’s but nothing really spoke to us until I spotted the taps at the bar. “They have White Rajah,” I said to Lynn knowing this was her personal favorite. "We'll eat here," was her reply. I sort of figured. So two tall flagship IPAs from the Brew Kettle to kick-off our trip. A very nice way to start. Lynn order the Reuben and I had the corned beef panini. Hey, I'm at Panini's, so I'm having a panini! Sort of messy but an excellent sandwich.
We took our time at over our late lunch but were still at the gate about 3:40 so just a short wait for boarding. The boarding process went fairly quickly and we were taxiing toward the runway right on schedule. Once airborne, the Captain said the flight would be a little longer than planned as we were rerouted along a more northerly flight path due to weather over the central US. The ride was a little bumpy in spots but nothing severe; overall pretty smooth. Not very crowded on the flight. No one in the middle seat next to me and Lynn had her side of the row all to herself. Even though we bought the cheap seats, I was pleasantly surprised with the leg room in row 24. I was able to cross my legs without my knees being jammed into the back of seat 23C.
I worked a couple cross sums, grabbed a few zzzz's and spent some time drafting the OR-CA trip journal, working on the description of our hike up Mount Lassen which was an outstanding hike and one of many highlights from that trip!
Looks like the Cap made up some time as he announced an early arrival when he started the initial descent into Denver. Touched down at 5:19 local time, so well ahead of schedule (5:43 was the scheduled arrival). Nice job, Cap! We wandered around the terminal for a while just to pass the time and get a stretch before the short hop to Junction (hey, I think that is what the natives call it, might as well try to blend in). On time departure out of Denver. The sun had disappeared behind the Rockies as we were taxiing out for takeoff and we had a beautiful sunset as we continued west. Reminded me of the old westerns when the hero rides off into the sunset except our horse has wings and jet engines.
We took our time at over our late lunch but were still at the gate about 3:40 so just a short wait for boarding. The boarding process went fairly quickly and we were taxiing toward the runway right on schedule. Once airborne, the Captain said the flight would be a little longer than planned as we were rerouted along a more northerly flight path due to weather over the central US. The ride was a little bumpy in spots but nothing severe; overall pretty smooth. Not very crowded on the flight. No one in the middle seat next to me and Lynn had her side of the row all to herself. Even though we bought the cheap seats, I was pleasantly surprised with the leg room in row 24. I was able to cross my legs without my knees being jammed into the back of seat 23C.
I worked a couple cross sums, grabbed a few zzzz's and spent some time drafting the OR-CA trip journal, working on the description of our hike up Mount Lassen which was an outstanding hike and one of many highlights from that trip!
Looks like the Cap made up some time as he announced an early arrival when he started the initial descent into Denver. Touched down at 5:19 local time, so well ahead of schedule (5:43 was the scheduled arrival). Nice job, Cap! We wandered around the terminal for a while just to pass the time and get a stretch before the short hop to Junction (hey, I think that is what the natives call it, might as well try to blend in). On time departure out of Denver. The sun had disappeared behind the Rockies as we were taxiing out for takeoff and we had a beautiful sunset as we continued west. Reminded me of the old westerns when the hero rides off into the sunset except our horse has wings and jet engines.
We were also a little ahead of schedule arriving in Grand Junction. I really like these smaller, regional airports as they are easy to navigate and everything is conveniently located onsite. I secured the rental car while Lynn watched for the bags. I was back from the rental car counter before the luggage carousel even started rolling. We had a short wait for luggage but that gave me some time to leaf through Grand Junction visitor guide I found in a nearby kiosk. Looks like there are a couple of pretty golf courses in the area. Maybe something to consider for a future trip. The book also stated that Grand Junction was a city of 60,000 people, so the largest berg between Denver and Salt Lake City. Well, that is an interesting data point. Once the bags arrived we just strolled outside to the rental car lot which was right next to the terminal. Did I mention the convenience of these small regional airports? We found our Rav4 right where it was advertised to be. It is a pretty shade of blue, sort of bright, so it will be easy to find, so we have that going for us. I’ve never driven one of these, but I think it will work out well for just the two of use. We did have to drop the back seat to get the bags in the cargo area. We discussed dinner options on the drive to the hotel, but it neither of us were that hungry. We were checked in at the Holiday Inn Express just after 830, grabbed a cookie and headed to our room where we just called it a night. We watched NCIS then it was lights out. The local brewpubs will have to wait for the next trip.
Day 2, Wednesday, October 5 - The Monument then on to Bluff. As expected I was awake early, still on east coast time even with getting to bed a little later than normal for my internal clock. I rolled out of the sack about 0420 but let Lynn sleep in. This gave me some time to catch up on notes from yesterday. I’m trying something different this trip for my journal. While I brought a notebook, my plan is to use OneNote on the phone to keep track of our activities. If this works then I’ll save time later by not having to type all of my hand-written notes. I even brought my Bluetooth keyboard to hopefully make the data entry a little easier. We’ll see how that plays out.
Once Lynn woke up, we made our plan for the day. It was going on 0600 by now, so she suggested that we head on down for breakfast, then take our drive through Colorado National Monument (well, as soon as it was light anyway). Then we could come back, buy our supplies, get cleaned up, checked-out and on the road. That should work out perfectly. I had already mapped the round trip from the hotel through the Monument along the Rim Rock Drive at 90 minutes (the NPS.gov web site states that the 23-mile long park road takes about an hour to drive without stops, so this all jives), so add in time for a few photos ops and this should make for a 2-hour tour.
So after our bagel and yogurt from the breakfast bar, we grabbed our cameras and a water bottle and loaded into the Rav4. We were on the road at 6:50. It was brisk this morning in Grand Junction, 44 degrees F I think was the reading on the dashboard outside air temperature. But it was a good looking morning, with clear skies over head but some clouds around the edges to make the sunrise a bit more appealing. I know it was a short drive to the south entrance of the Monument, but I let the mapping app on my phone do the work. But after what seemed like too long a time to reach the entrance we realized that Baby (that’s what we call the phone when using it for driving directions) had decided to take us to the north entrance. OK, she’s got a mind of her own. That just meant that our drive back to town would be shorter after we left the park. But the bonus was that we spotted six mule deer as we drove through the residential area outside the park. The other plus to this longer route was getting to see the area. We liked the looks of the houses in the area; nice size and not right on top of each other. I shared the data point that I had collected last night on the size of Grand Junction with Lynn. Hmmm, maybe the Junction should be on our list of retirement location options.
We arrived at the entrance about 7:10, too early for anyone to man the entrance station, but we have an annual pass so no worries about fees anyway. Lynn got our “passport stamp” photo of the park sign while I turned on Ramblr to track the drive through the Monument. And what a drive it was. I was a little concerned that Lynn would be uncomfortable on this road and while there were a few exposed areas, it is generally wide and very well maintained so I think she was fine the entire drive. Here's the map of the park; we started at the north entrance ans exit via the south, with several stops in between.
This is a lovely drive and we had a great introduction to the Monument. We were very interested in seeing this park as Rick and Max post about it on Facebook (Rick has posted simply gorgeous images of the wildlife and landscapes). Plus Hans had mentioned that this was his favorite unit of the US Park Service, which is saying something for someone as well traveled as he. So it was high time that we made our first visit to this pretty National Monument.
Day 2, Wednesday, October 5 - The Monument then on to Bluff. As expected I was awake early, still on east coast time even with getting to bed a little later than normal for my internal clock. I rolled out of the sack about 0420 but let Lynn sleep in. This gave me some time to catch up on notes from yesterday. I’m trying something different this trip for my journal. While I brought a notebook, my plan is to use OneNote on the phone to keep track of our activities. If this works then I’ll save time later by not having to type all of my hand-written notes. I even brought my Bluetooth keyboard to hopefully make the data entry a little easier. We’ll see how that plays out.
Once Lynn woke up, we made our plan for the day. It was going on 0600 by now, so she suggested that we head on down for breakfast, then take our drive through Colorado National Monument (well, as soon as it was light anyway). Then we could come back, buy our supplies, get cleaned up, checked-out and on the road. That should work out perfectly. I had already mapped the round trip from the hotel through the Monument along the Rim Rock Drive at 90 minutes (the NPS.gov web site states that the 23-mile long park road takes about an hour to drive without stops, so this all jives), so add in time for a few photos ops and this should make for a 2-hour tour.
So after our bagel and yogurt from the breakfast bar, we grabbed our cameras and a water bottle and loaded into the Rav4. We were on the road at 6:50. It was brisk this morning in Grand Junction, 44 degrees F I think was the reading on the dashboard outside air temperature. But it was a good looking morning, with clear skies over head but some clouds around the edges to make the sunrise a bit more appealing. I know it was a short drive to the south entrance of the Monument, but I let the mapping app on my phone do the work. But after what seemed like too long a time to reach the entrance we realized that Baby (that’s what we call the phone when using it for driving directions) had decided to take us to the north entrance. OK, she’s got a mind of her own. That just meant that our drive back to town would be shorter after we left the park. But the bonus was that we spotted six mule deer as we drove through the residential area outside the park. The other plus to this longer route was getting to see the area. We liked the looks of the houses in the area; nice size and not right on top of each other. I shared the data point that I had collected last night on the size of Grand Junction with Lynn. Hmmm, maybe the Junction should be on our list of retirement location options.
We arrived at the entrance about 7:10, too early for anyone to man the entrance station, but we have an annual pass so no worries about fees anyway. Lynn got our “passport stamp” photo of the park sign while I turned on Ramblr to track the drive through the Monument. And what a drive it was. I was a little concerned that Lynn would be uncomfortable on this road and while there were a few exposed areas, it is generally wide and very well maintained so I think she was fine the entire drive. Here's the map of the park; we started at the north entrance ans exit via the south, with several stops in between.
This is a lovely drive and we had a great introduction to the Monument. We were very interested in seeing this park as Rick and Max post about it on Facebook (Rick has posted simply gorgeous images of the wildlife and landscapes). Plus Hans had mentioned that this was his favorite unit of the US Park Service, which is saying something for someone as well traveled as he. So it was high time that we made our first visit to this pretty National Monument.
We made a handful of stops at the viewpoints to take in the sunrise and the amazing sandstone landscapes. It was pretty darn peaceful along the drive, especially early. I think we saw one other car along the road for the first hour or so. Since the traffic was basically nonexistent, I did not feel too bad about stopping in the road when we passed a small herd of desert bighorn sheep having breakfast right on the berm. There was at least one big ram in the group and a couple youngsters. They did not seem overly concerned about us but just went about their business and slowly grazed their way over the hill.
The character of the view depended on the direction in which we were facing and the direction and thus the view changed with each curve of the winding road. The first place we pulled over as we started our climb up the Rim Rock Road was on the outside of an eastward facing curve so we had a wonderful view of the sun as it illuminated the line of clouds that were hanging low over the horizon. But our next overlook had us facing more toward the west and looking into and across some of the sandstone formations. These rocks were catching the morning sun and seemed to glow a bright orange at times. We continued this back and forth between these types of views as we made our way through the twists and turns of the road across the Monument.
The character of the view depended on the direction in which we were facing and the direction and thus the view changed with each curve of the winding road. The first place we pulled over as we started our climb up the Rim Rock Road was on the outside of an eastward facing curve so we had a wonderful view of the sun as it illuminated the line of clouds that were hanging low over the horizon. But our next overlook had us facing more toward the west and looking into and across some of the sandstone formations. These rocks were catching the morning sun and seemed to glow a bright orange at times. We continued this back and forth between these types of views as we made our way through the twists and turns of the road across the Monument.
After reviewing the park map, I figured out exactly which viewpoints we took in as we made our way from west to east (more or less) across the park: Distant View, Independence Monument, Grand View, Upper Ute Canyon Overlook and Ute Canyon View. We spotted the sheep right around Artist Point. The rest of the viewpoints we just took in as we drove by. One interesting point was when we got to the Coke Ovens Overlook. I had seen this marked on the map when I was researching the park prior to the trip and thought that perhaps this might have been actual coke ovens left over from some long abandoned industrial operation. I guess I was in this mindset from the mining ruins we had seen earlier in the year when we visited Death Valley. But as we drove by I could see the large domed rock formations down in the canyon and realized that Mother Nature had formed these and man only applied the name due to their resemblance to coke ovens.
No hiking this morning, just the driving tour. A couple of the viewpoints did require a short walk to get the vista but nothing significant. But these gave us an opportunity to enjoy the crisp morning air and spot a few other critters. The temperature was noticeably colder here along the Rim Rock Drive; it dipped down as low as 35 F at one point that I noticed. Clouds had also moved in over the Monument, at times looking a bit threatening but really only serving to add some color and texture paired with the orange of the sandstone and splashes of green of the junipers. We also did pretty well with our animal sightings as we drove along. In addition to the mule deer and bighorn sheep, we saw several desert cottontails, a jackrabbit, a few chippers scurrying across the road, ravens, a Steller’s Jay, a few swallows of some sort and several “gone” birds. A pretty good start for our first morning.
This was indeed a scenic drive and a wonderful introduction to the park. We certainly only scratched the surface and will have to return sometime to do a little hiking. I’m sure that Rick will show us some of his favorite spots. No doubt we’ll be back this way as Grand Junction just works out so well for us as an entry point to the region.
I tracked the route we drove through the Monument using the Ramblr app on Baby. Here’s the link to the photos from our morning excursion.
We were back in town just before 9:00 and we headed straight to the City Market to get supplies for the next few days. Trail snacks, simple stuff for breakfast and a couple deli sandwiches for a picnic lunch today. We also checked out the beer and wine offerings. Glad that I knew about the liquor stores otherwise I would have been crushed by the lack of beer at the grocery store. But there was plenty to choose from at Fisher's Liquor Barn. We picked out a nice selection of IPAs and a bottle of wine, but Lynn nixed the Coors for the toast to Hans. We talked to one of the staff guys at Fisher’s and he gave us a few recommendations for local IPAs. We were back in the room by about 9:40, getting the beer and groceries on ice and getting ready to roll into Utah. Well ahead of schedule…I love it when a plan comes together.
We were loaded and ready to roll at 10:50, so plenty of time to get to Bluff and still have a leisurely trip. Once on the Interstate we ramped up our velocity as we went west. 65 MPH when we entered the expressway, then 70, then 75 when we cleared the last of civilization around Grand Junction and finally 80 once we crossed the Utah state line. The Rav4 took it all in stride. Not much in the way of traffic today so we just cruised along looking for critters. I modified my standard “watch for bison” request from our Wyoming trips to pronghorn, but alas we saw none today (two years ago along this route we spotted a couple large herds of these speedy antelope). But we did see a hawk perched in a tree as we were leaving Grand Junction and a huge dark bird that was most likely a Golden Eagle.
We opted for a shorter drive time over scenery today, so we skipped the Danish Flats exit and route 128 and just took route 191 south from I-70 to Moab. I was thinking that we might find a picnic area somewhere south of Moab, but Lynn suggested that we just stop at Arches as she thought there were tables there at the Visitor Center. OK, as long as the line at the entrance station is not too long. Turns out there were really no cars queued up to get into the park as we arrived at 12:15. We received a very friendly greeting from the Ranger at the entrance station and got an updated park map then pulled into the Visitor Center parking lot, which was also a lot less packed than I expected.
No hiking this morning, just the driving tour. A couple of the viewpoints did require a short walk to get the vista but nothing significant. But these gave us an opportunity to enjoy the crisp morning air and spot a few other critters. The temperature was noticeably colder here along the Rim Rock Drive; it dipped down as low as 35 F at one point that I noticed. Clouds had also moved in over the Monument, at times looking a bit threatening but really only serving to add some color and texture paired with the orange of the sandstone and splashes of green of the junipers. We also did pretty well with our animal sightings as we drove along. In addition to the mule deer and bighorn sheep, we saw several desert cottontails, a jackrabbit, a few chippers scurrying across the road, ravens, a Steller’s Jay, a few swallows of some sort and several “gone” birds. A pretty good start for our first morning.
This was indeed a scenic drive and a wonderful introduction to the park. We certainly only scratched the surface and will have to return sometime to do a little hiking. I’m sure that Rick will show us some of his favorite spots. No doubt we’ll be back this way as Grand Junction just works out so well for us as an entry point to the region.
I tracked the route we drove through the Monument using the Ramblr app on Baby. Here’s the link to the photos from our morning excursion.
We were back in town just before 9:00 and we headed straight to the City Market to get supplies for the next few days. Trail snacks, simple stuff for breakfast and a couple deli sandwiches for a picnic lunch today. We also checked out the beer and wine offerings. Glad that I knew about the liquor stores otherwise I would have been crushed by the lack of beer at the grocery store. But there was plenty to choose from at Fisher's Liquor Barn. We picked out a nice selection of IPAs and a bottle of wine, but Lynn nixed the Coors for the toast to Hans. We talked to one of the staff guys at Fisher’s and he gave us a few recommendations for local IPAs. We were back in the room by about 9:40, getting the beer and groceries on ice and getting ready to roll into Utah. Well ahead of schedule…I love it when a plan comes together.
We were loaded and ready to roll at 10:50, so plenty of time to get to Bluff and still have a leisurely trip. Once on the Interstate we ramped up our velocity as we went west. 65 MPH when we entered the expressway, then 70, then 75 when we cleared the last of civilization around Grand Junction and finally 80 once we crossed the Utah state line. The Rav4 took it all in stride. Not much in the way of traffic today so we just cruised along looking for critters. I modified my standard “watch for bison” request from our Wyoming trips to pronghorn, but alas we saw none today (two years ago along this route we spotted a couple large herds of these speedy antelope). But we did see a hawk perched in a tree as we were leaving Grand Junction and a huge dark bird that was most likely a Golden Eagle.
We opted for a shorter drive time over scenery today, so we skipped the Danish Flats exit and route 128 and just took route 191 south from I-70 to Moab. I was thinking that we might find a picnic area somewhere south of Moab, but Lynn suggested that we just stop at Arches as she thought there were tables there at the Visitor Center. OK, as long as the line at the entrance station is not too long. Turns out there were really no cars queued up to get into the park as we arrived at 12:15. We received a very friendly greeting from the Ranger at the entrance station and got an updated park map then pulled into the Visitor Center parking lot, which was also a lot less packed than I expected.
We pulled our sandwiches and a couple Colorado beers from the cooler. We decided to just split a sandwich as neither of us were that hungry and we knew that dinner was going to be a huge feed. We also decided just to eat in the Rav4 since it was comfortable sitting here and that would leave the picnic table open for a larger group and sure enough a group of folks did show up in just a few minutes so that worked out well. It was very pleasant here, about 65 F under bright blue skies and not a cloud in sight. We used the time to discuss options for Arches at the end of the trip while we enjoyed the lovely day and the red rock views adjacent to the Visitor Center. The wrap that we bought at the City Market deli was quite tasty; we’ll have to remember that for next trip. The Crank Yanker IPA from Eddyline Brewing (ABV 7.0%, IBU 70) was also very good. Lynn had one of the Passion Fruit Pinners from Oscar Blues; not bad but the Crank Yanker was better (OK, a bit of an unfair comparison since the Pinner is a session ale). The bonus was that the Crank Yanker came in pint cans so a little extra enjoyment. If all the beers that we bought at Fisher’s are this good then we are in great shape for the trip (well at for least the first few days until we run out!).
We decided to see if the Rangers were not too busy with other visitors so that we could get some intel on hiking options when we come back through next week. I had Covert Arch on the list but it is in a remote part of the park and to reach the trailhead could require a high-clearance vehicle, at least from the information I had found on a couple hiking sites. As it happened, there was only one couple at the information desk when we walked up so essentially no wait at all. The young lady Ranger that we talked with was very helpful. She said that she has been to Covert Arch and it is a great excursion, but unfortunately they do not keep track of the road conditions as the access is outside the park. She did run through several alternative hikes inside the park, including Devils Garden and Tower Arch, which we had hiked before (Devils Garden is a trail we have hiked several times, but it is such a fun trial that I had it on the list as an option anyway). Then she mentioned The Eye of the Whale Arch. OK, we’ve not been there. She said it is really a pretty easy hike starting from the picnic area across from Balanced Rock along the dirt road that goes across Willow Flats then up the 4WD road to a stand of sandstone rocks called Herdina Park. I little over six miles round trip. Nice hike to a large arch and most likely there will be no one else on the trail. Sounds perfect. I asked her which hike, Covert or Eye of the Whale, she would pick. “Tough choice,” was here reply, but she would give the nod to Covert Arch. Good data point, but now we have two interesting options.
We were back on the road at 1:30. We fueled up on the south side of Moab and continued cruising south on 191. Lovely day for a drive and the scenery was as beautiful as ever. The skies continued to be clear and blue. I was watching the temperature gage fluctuate between the mid-50s and mid-60s. Not much in the way of animals out during the afternoon, just a glimpse of a prairie dog or some similar rodent along the roadside.
We rolled into Bluff at 3:30 so perfect timing. I honked as we cruised past the Hen House, there were a number of cars parked around the house so preparations for dinner must be in full swing. The Desert Rose is at the west end of town (not that there is a lot of distance between the eastern and western “welcome to Bluff” signs!). We were quickly checked in and unloaded. We were enjoying a beer on the porch of cabin 3 by 3:45. We decided to just relax for a while and wait for the happy hour at 5:00 rather than wonder down to the Hen House. The only snag was that as we were unpacking our groceries, Lynn noticed that one of the 6-packs we purchased in Junction was a Porter. Bummer. I mean I like a good Porter, but I was looking forward to trying the IPA. Funny thing was, this was the beer that we selected at Fisher’s based on the employee’s suggestion and he was standing right there when we picked it up. I guess none of us was paying attention. I also saw the note from Rob stating that he had to scratch from the trip due to work. Bummer-squared. One less cat for the Herd this week.
A few minutes before 5:00 we left for the short drive up the hill to the Bluff Cemetery for the official opening of the meet-up. This was the same way we opened the very first meet-up back on the fall of 2010. There were only ten of us in the cemetery that night (although a few more cats wondered in later in the evening to give us 15 for that initial meet-up). This is where Lynn and I first met Alex and Frankie, Noel, Pixie and of course Hans and Antoinette. Tonight there would be 24 folks on the little rise over looking Bluff, it just took them a while to show up. When we pulled in, Gurjinder was already there. He had just pulled in, in fact he had just rolled into Bluff and came straight to the happy hour. I offered him a beer (and got rid of one of the Porters). We had a nice chat, catching up on our adventures since the last meeting, while we waited for the herd….and waited and waited. I had just enough signal to check the website. Yep, 5:00 was the start time for the happy hour. Well, this is typical for this Herd. Nothing to do for it except enjoy the evening and have another beer. Funny occurrence while we were waiting. Gurjinder had left his car door open and the keys in the ignition, so there was a warning bell sounding relentlessly. After about 10 minutes of this my Zen meter was dropping so I walked over, pulled the keys and closed the door. Ahhh…peace.
Finally another car came rolling into the parking area just before 5:30. It was Oscar and Donna. Then the rest of the crew starting cruise in. I offered Oscar a beer, he selected a Crank Yanker, and asked about the delay. “Well, Max said that happy hour started at 5:30,” was the reply. Well, that explains that, just a minor communications glitch. But the Herd has assembled here on the beautiful evening, albeit just a bit on the cool side with the temperature in the low 60s but still a blue sky dotted with a smattering of puffy, white clouds. Lots of hugs and handshakes as the Herd mingled about. One new face in the crowd, or cat in the herd; John (JFRCalifornia, the destination expert for Lake Powell) has been officially adopted into our eclectic little group. After a while Danny provided a short welcome to the crew and then we wrangled the cats into a tight enough mob to capture the first group photo of the event. There were 24 cats in the portrait tonight...and two dogs.
We decided to see if the Rangers were not too busy with other visitors so that we could get some intel on hiking options when we come back through next week. I had Covert Arch on the list but it is in a remote part of the park and to reach the trailhead could require a high-clearance vehicle, at least from the information I had found on a couple hiking sites. As it happened, there was only one couple at the information desk when we walked up so essentially no wait at all. The young lady Ranger that we talked with was very helpful. She said that she has been to Covert Arch and it is a great excursion, but unfortunately they do not keep track of the road conditions as the access is outside the park. She did run through several alternative hikes inside the park, including Devils Garden and Tower Arch, which we had hiked before (Devils Garden is a trail we have hiked several times, but it is such a fun trial that I had it on the list as an option anyway). Then she mentioned The Eye of the Whale Arch. OK, we’ve not been there. She said it is really a pretty easy hike starting from the picnic area across from Balanced Rock along the dirt road that goes across Willow Flats then up the 4WD road to a stand of sandstone rocks called Herdina Park. I little over six miles round trip. Nice hike to a large arch and most likely there will be no one else on the trail. Sounds perfect. I asked her which hike, Covert or Eye of the Whale, she would pick. “Tough choice,” was here reply, but she would give the nod to Covert Arch. Good data point, but now we have two interesting options.
We were back on the road at 1:30. We fueled up on the south side of Moab and continued cruising south on 191. Lovely day for a drive and the scenery was as beautiful as ever. The skies continued to be clear and blue. I was watching the temperature gage fluctuate between the mid-50s and mid-60s. Not much in the way of animals out during the afternoon, just a glimpse of a prairie dog or some similar rodent along the roadside.
We rolled into Bluff at 3:30 so perfect timing. I honked as we cruised past the Hen House, there were a number of cars parked around the house so preparations for dinner must be in full swing. The Desert Rose is at the west end of town (not that there is a lot of distance between the eastern and western “welcome to Bluff” signs!). We were quickly checked in and unloaded. We were enjoying a beer on the porch of cabin 3 by 3:45. We decided to just relax for a while and wait for the happy hour at 5:00 rather than wonder down to the Hen House. The only snag was that as we were unpacking our groceries, Lynn noticed that one of the 6-packs we purchased in Junction was a Porter. Bummer. I mean I like a good Porter, but I was looking forward to trying the IPA. Funny thing was, this was the beer that we selected at Fisher’s based on the employee’s suggestion and he was standing right there when we picked it up. I guess none of us was paying attention. I also saw the note from Rob stating that he had to scratch from the trip due to work. Bummer-squared. One less cat for the Herd this week.
A few minutes before 5:00 we left for the short drive up the hill to the Bluff Cemetery for the official opening of the meet-up. This was the same way we opened the very first meet-up back on the fall of 2010. There were only ten of us in the cemetery that night (although a few more cats wondered in later in the evening to give us 15 for that initial meet-up). This is where Lynn and I first met Alex and Frankie, Noel, Pixie and of course Hans and Antoinette. Tonight there would be 24 folks on the little rise over looking Bluff, it just took them a while to show up. When we pulled in, Gurjinder was already there. He had just pulled in, in fact he had just rolled into Bluff and came straight to the happy hour. I offered him a beer (and got rid of one of the Porters). We had a nice chat, catching up on our adventures since the last meeting, while we waited for the herd….and waited and waited. I had just enough signal to check the website. Yep, 5:00 was the start time for the happy hour. Well, this is typical for this Herd. Nothing to do for it except enjoy the evening and have another beer. Funny occurrence while we were waiting. Gurjinder had left his car door open and the keys in the ignition, so there was a warning bell sounding relentlessly. After about 10 minutes of this my Zen meter was dropping so I walked over, pulled the keys and closed the door. Ahhh…peace.
Finally another car came rolling into the parking area just before 5:30. It was Oscar and Donna. Then the rest of the crew starting cruise in. I offered Oscar a beer, he selected a Crank Yanker, and asked about the delay. “Well, Max said that happy hour started at 5:30,” was the reply. Well, that explains that, just a minor communications glitch. But the Herd has assembled here on the beautiful evening, albeit just a bit on the cool side with the temperature in the low 60s but still a blue sky dotted with a smattering of puffy, white clouds. Lots of hugs and handshakes as the Herd mingled about. One new face in the crowd, or cat in the herd; John (JFRCalifornia, the destination expert for Lake Powell) has been officially adopted into our eclectic little group. After a while Danny provided a short welcome to the crew and then we wrangled the cats into a tight enough mob to capture the first group photo of the event. There were 24 cats in the portrait tonight...and two dogs.
At 6:15 the party moved from the cemetery to the Hen House. We picked up a few more folks as the evening went by, giving us 28 total for today, with a couple more expected later in the week. Quite the turn-out. The Hen House was a just a flurry of activity as the final touches were being put on the various dishes folks had prepared for dinner. I don’t even know what all there was but everything looked and smelled wonderful. I made a pass through the house just to say “hi” to the kitchen crew then escaped to the backyard to chat with the rest of the Herd.
The evening was sort of a blur, but the food was wonderful and the company even better. There was enough to feed an army, but fortunately we eat like an army, but there were still plenty of leftovers for lunches for the next few days. At some point early in the festivities we managed to get everyone into the backyard for the welcoming remarks and the plan for the week. This was a serious act of cat herding as it was next to impossible to get the cooks out of the kitchen. Oddly enough the other hold up in getting the group together was that a few of the cats were trying to figure out how to open a bottle of tequila. Don’t ask me, I’m a beer drinker so I know how to get into my libations. Eventually Mother Hen and the rest of the crew were assembled and our master-of-ceremonies Alex took center stage. Acknowledgements to everyone who had pitched in on the planning and/or execution of the meet-up, discussion on the plans for Thursday and the rest of the week, distribution of the chachkies from Trip Advisor and finally a big thank you to Max, our Mother Hen, who put in a lot of effort and legwork in organizing the dinners and activities throughout the week. Poor thing has been sick for the better part of a week and nearly had to cancel her trip, but she made it to Bluff and will be hanging out with the Herd even if she doesn’t do any of the outdoor stuff this trip. Max had already been given a walking stick by the Herd for her efforts in organizing a previous meet-up (Green River, I think), so this time we upped the ante and got her a set of glasses etched with the Herd logo and “Bluff, Utah – 2016” as a token of our appreciation. As for the Trip Advisor freebies (they always seem to send us a box of TA trinkets for each meet-up), this year the feature item was TA gloves with special pads on some of the fingers so that you can type on a phone without removing the gloves. Sweet!
As for the plan for Thursday there was a small contingent going canyoneering plus three hiking groups: Pixie with easy hikes up Butler wash, Noel will take a group to The Citadel, and Rick will lead a more aggressive hike somewhere. Basically everyone will meet back at the Hen House tomorrow at 0800 and we will work out the final details then. We will all then meet at Muley Point at 3:00 for our tribute to Hans. OK, the cats will be split into four groups, going in four different directions with the plan to converge on an obscure point at a specific time. This sounds like the battle plan for so many engagements during the Civil War and the vast majority of those turned into a disaster. But who knows, maybe Stonewall Jackson will be watching over the herd.
Alex, Noel and I were sitting around one of the tables in the backyard when Danny came over and joined us, saying as he sat down that this looked like the Executive Committee meeting. Well, I’m not sure about that but let’s go with it. We discussed options for meet-up locations for the next few years. Seems like Page has the buzz for next year. This works out nicely now that John is part of the Herd, since he knows Lake Powell and the Page area so well. So maybe Page next year and Torrey the year after. We’ll pulse the rest of the cats during the course of the week and see what other ideas come up.
Lynn and I said our goodnights at about 9:00. I reckon we were about the first to leave the party, but it had been a long day and we were quickly running out of steam. Time to recharge so that we’re ready for another full day of adventures tomorrow.
Day 3 - Thursday, October 6 - The Citadel and Muley Point. We slept in until 0500. Simple breakfast in the room. The microwave has us stumped. There is no combination of buttons that will get a reaction from the contraption. Lynn's comment was that she can run a rocket test facility but cannot figure out how to operate the microwave. Fortunately for her she had better luck with the coffee maker! Otherwise it was a quiet morning as we took our time getting ready for today's adventures. Brisk start this morning with the temperature about 36 F but heading into the mid-60s by early afternoon. There was a message on the wrapper of my lemon Luna bar, "This day leads to awesome." We'll take that as a good sign.
We arrived at the Hen House just before 0800. We were the first on the scene. But eventually the Herd assembled and the got our plans in order for the day. Lynn and I were part of a group of ten, including our leader, Noel, who would be hiking to The Citadel this morning. Afterward, we would rendezvous with the other four columns at Muley Point for our afternoon tribute to Hans. So we saddled up and headed west out of Bluff looking for an adventure. Tommy and Beth piled into the back of the Rav4 and we were off.
Now the one downside to this plan is that we would have to either travel up and down the Moki Dugway or add a couple hours of driving time to the day. Lynn is not a fan of the Moki Dugway. She just does not like these types of roads ever since we went on a tour that included the Schafer Trail in Canyonlands and the tour guide/driver was holding his coffee cup in one hand and pointing out the window with the other while the Jeep teetered on the brink of death and destruction. I drove us up and down the Dugway prior to the first Bluff Meet-up; she was ready to divorce me. Howie gave her a little pep talk and described that fact that the berms along the edge were built up quite a bit due to the grading which should reduce the feeling of being on the edge of the road. Maybe that helped as Lynn took one for the team so that we could take the shorter route. And she did great! She only chastised me once that I needed to keep both hands on the wheel. Now you might be wondering what’s the big deal about this Moki Dugway? Well, it is a relatively short stretch of road, but it is sort of on the extreme side, basically straight up the side of the mesa. Here’s the description that I cobbled together based on input taken from a couple websites:
The Moki Dugway is a staggering, graded dirt switchback road carved into the face of the cliff edge of Cedar Mesa. It was constructed in the 1950’s to provide a way to haul ore from the Happy Jack Mine on Cedar Mesa to the mill in Halchita, near Mexican Hat. The dugway consists of three miles of steep, unpaved, but well-graded switchbacks (11% grade), which wind 1,200 feet from Cedar Mesa to the valley floor near Valley of the Gods. The term moki is derived from the Spanish word, moqui, a general term used by explorers in this region to describe Pueblo Indians they encountered as well as the vanished Ancestral Puebloan culture. Dugway is a term used to describe a roadway carved from a hillside.
While it is a winding and fairly steep road, it is very well maintained and plenty wide along most of its length; there was only one stretch near the top of the drive that was single-lane. But the drive is well worth it for the views which are spectacular and get better with each successive hairpin turn…even for the driver who has sworn to keep his eyes on the road or risk a severe beating from his loving wife.
The evening was sort of a blur, but the food was wonderful and the company even better. There was enough to feed an army, but fortunately we eat like an army, but there were still plenty of leftovers for lunches for the next few days. At some point early in the festivities we managed to get everyone into the backyard for the welcoming remarks and the plan for the week. This was a serious act of cat herding as it was next to impossible to get the cooks out of the kitchen. Oddly enough the other hold up in getting the group together was that a few of the cats were trying to figure out how to open a bottle of tequila. Don’t ask me, I’m a beer drinker so I know how to get into my libations. Eventually Mother Hen and the rest of the crew were assembled and our master-of-ceremonies Alex took center stage. Acknowledgements to everyone who had pitched in on the planning and/or execution of the meet-up, discussion on the plans for Thursday and the rest of the week, distribution of the chachkies from Trip Advisor and finally a big thank you to Max, our Mother Hen, who put in a lot of effort and legwork in organizing the dinners and activities throughout the week. Poor thing has been sick for the better part of a week and nearly had to cancel her trip, but she made it to Bluff and will be hanging out with the Herd even if she doesn’t do any of the outdoor stuff this trip. Max had already been given a walking stick by the Herd for her efforts in organizing a previous meet-up (Green River, I think), so this time we upped the ante and got her a set of glasses etched with the Herd logo and “Bluff, Utah – 2016” as a token of our appreciation. As for the Trip Advisor freebies (they always seem to send us a box of TA trinkets for each meet-up), this year the feature item was TA gloves with special pads on some of the fingers so that you can type on a phone without removing the gloves. Sweet!
As for the plan for Thursday there was a small contingent going canyoneering plus three hiking groups: Pixie with easy hikes up Butler wash, Noel will take a group to The Citadel, and Rick will lead a more aggressive hike somewhere. Basically everyone will meet back at the Hen House tomorrow at 0800 and we will work out the final details then. We will all then meet at Muley Point at 3:00 for our tribute to Hans. OK, the cats will be split into four groups, going in four different directions with the plan to converge on an obscure point at a specific time. This sounds like the battle plan for so many engagements during the Civil War and the vast majority of those turned into a disaster. But who knows, maybe Stonewall Jackson will be watching over the herd.
Alex, Noel and I were sitting around one of the tables in the backyard when Danny came over and joined us, saying as he sat down that this looked like the Executive Committee meeting. Well, I’m not sure about that but let’s go with it. We discussed options for meet-up locations for the next few years. Seems like Page has the buzz for next year. This works out nicely now that John is part of the Herd, since he knows Lake Powell and the Page area so well. So maybe Page next year and Torrey the year after. We’ll pulse the rest of the cats during the course of the week and see what other ideas come up.
Lynn and I said our goodnights at about 9:00. I reckon we were about the first to leave the party, but it had been a long day and we were quickly running out of steam. Time to recharge so that we’re ready for another full day of adventures tomorrow.
Day 3 - Thursday, October 6 - The Citadel and Muley Point. We slept in until 0500. Simple breakfast in the room. The microwave has us stumped. There is no combination of buttons that will get a reaction from the contraption. Lynn's comment was that she can run a rocket test facility but cannot figure out how to operate the microwave. Fortunately for her she had better luck with the coffee maker! Otherwise it was a quiet morning as we took our time getting ready for today's adventures. Brisk start this morning with the temperature about 36 F but heading into the mid-60s by early afternoon. There was a message on the wrapper of my lemon Luna bar, "This day leads to awesome." We'll take that as a good sign.
We arrived at the Hen House just before 0800. We were the first on the scene. But eventually the Herd assembled and the got our plans in order for the day. Lynn and I were part of a group of ten, including our leader, Noel, who would be hiking to The Citadel this morning. Afterward, we would rendezvous with the other four columns at Muley Point for our afternoon tribute to Hans. So we saddled up and headed west out of Bluff looking for an adventure. Tommy and Beth piled into the back of the Rav4 and we were off.
Now the one downside to this plan is that we would have to either travel up and down the Moki Dugway or add a couple hours of driving time to the day. Lynn is not a fan of the Moki Dugway. She just does not like these types of roads ever since we went on a tour that included the Schafer Trail in Canyonlands and the tour guide/driver was holding his coffee cup in one hand and pointing out the window with the other while the Jeep teetered on the brink of death and destruction. I drove us up and down the Dugway prior to the first Bluff Meet-up; she was ready to divorce me. Howie gave her a little pep talk and described that fact that the berms along the edge were built up quite a bit due to the grading which should reduce the feeling of being on the edge of the road. Maybe that helped as Lynn took one for the team so that we could take the shorter route. And she did great! She only chastised me once that I needed to keep both hands on the wheel. Now you might be wondering what’s the big deal about this Moki Dugway? Well, it is a relatively short stretch of road, but it is sort of on the extreme side, basically straight up the side of the mesa. Here’s the description that I cobbled together based on input taken from a couple websites:
The Moki Dugway is a staggering, graded dirt switchback road carved into the face of the cliff edge of Cedar Mesa. It was constructed in the 1950’s to provide a way to haul ore from the Happy Jack Mine on Cedar Mesa to the mill in Halchita, near Mexican Hat. The dugway consists of three miles of steep, unpaved, but well-graded switchbacks (11% grade), which wind 1,200 feet from Cedar Mesa to the valley floor near Valley of the Gods. The term moki is derived from the Spanish word, moqui, a general term used by explorers in this region to describe Pueblo Indians they encountered as well as the vanished Ancestral Puebloan culture. Dugway is a term used to describe a roadway carved from a hillside.
While it is a winding and fairly steep road, it is very well maintained and plenty wide along most of its length; there was only one stretch near the top of the drive that was single-lane. But the drive is well worth it for the views which are spectacular and get better with each successive hairpin turn…even for the driver who has sworn to keep his eyes on the road or risk a severe beating from his loving wife.
We were the caboose of our three-car caravan heading up the Moki Dugway, with Alex leading and Noel in the middle of the pack. We pulled over at the top of the dugway to take in the views which were simply magnificent. Visibility was nearly unlimited in the brisk morning air. Monument Valley beckoned off in the distance. We’ll be there in a couple days. It was a nice break after the drive up the somewhat harrowing switchbacks, but we were quickly back in the vehicles and on our way, with Noel now in the lead since he knew where we were going. Once on top of Cedar Mesa we could let the ponies run a bit compared to the relative crawl up the side of the cliff along the dugway. Before we knew it we were taking a rather abrupt right turn on to Cigarette Springs Road. We had a few miles to ride along the increasingly degrading dirt road to get to the trailhead. Cigarette Springs Road started out as a fairly well maintained and graded backcountry road, but slowly but surely got rougher as we went. Noel had no problem in his Jeep and the Rav4 had just enough clearance and nimbleness to keep up, but after a while Alex’s lower slung Lincoln MKX was getting in over its head. About a mile from the trailhead we ditched the MKX and divvied-up Alex’s crew between the Jeep and the Rav4 (Alex, Frankie and Mike piled in with Noel and Donna while Susan joined the cool kids in the Rav4). The road was very rough from this point but I was focused on the back end of Noel’s Jeep just mimicking it’s the track in order to keep our little blue SUV out of trouble. The Rav4 made it with no issues and we were soon at the parking area for the trailhead. But it took us about an hour of drive time from the top of the Moki Dugway to the trailhead with more than our share of bouncing along the rough track.
Once at the trailhead we piled out of the vehicles and got our gear in order. So there were actually twelve of us getting ready to hit the trail as Alex and Frankie would be taking the M&Ms. The sight of them with the little muttlies in their hiking harnesses was simultaneously adorable and hilarious. But the little furry guys did not seem to mind at all. They were part of the herd and that was good enough for them.
What a beautiful day for a hike! Blue sky with hardly any clouds, just a few wisps overhead and some scattered fluffy, white cumulus clouds hanging over the distant mountains. We could see for miles. The La Sal and the Henry Mountains where in view as was a ridge called the Bears Ears although most of us really struggled with that name despite Susan’s best efforts to provide an explanation. She did mention that there was a possibility of creating a National Monument around the Bears Ears as it is sacred land to the Native American Tribes in the area. I'm thinking they need to work on the name. We'll keep working on it, maybe from a different angle but I think a bear has rounder ears that that. But regardless of what the mesas in the distance resemble, right here we have a great group of folks and an outstanding day ahead of us. Susan declared that this must be the center of the universe, I understand why she said that, but we all know that the center of the universe is, or at least was, the front steps of Joe's Market back in Mullens, WV.
Once at the trailhead we piled out of the vehicles and got our gear in order. So there were actually twelve of us getting ready to hit the trail as Alex and Frankie would be taking the M&Ms. The sight of them with the little muttlies in their hiking harnesses was simultaneously adorable and hilarious. But the little furry guys did not seem to mind at all. They were part of the herd and that was good enough for them.
What a beautiful day for a hike! Blue sky with hardly any clouds, just a few wisps overhead and some scattered fluffy, white cumulus clouds hanging over the distant mountains. We could see for miles. The La Sal and the Henry Mountains where in view as was a ridge called the Bears Ears although most of us really struggled with that name despite Susan’s best efforts to provide an explanation. She did mention that there was a possibility of creating a National Monument around the Bears Ears as it is sacred land to the Native American Tribes in the area. I'm thinking they need to work on the name. We'll keep working on it, maybe from a different angle but I think a bear has rounder ears that that. But regardless of what the mesas in the distance resemble, right here we have a great group of folks and an outstanding day ahead of us. Susan declared that this must be the center of the universe, I understand why she said that, but we all know that the center of the universe is, or at least was, the front steps of Joe's Market back in Mullens, WV.
There was a nice variety along the trail to the Citadel, at least four or five distinct sections that we got to hike through or work along. The hike started along the rim of a canyon with the trail paralleling the edge and working through a scrubby forest of junipers. Through this section there was a lot of the cryptobiotic soil, the living dirt (for some reason I want to call it zombie dirt now) that holds the desert in place. The views all along the canyon edge were excellent and gave us an opportunity to look for other ruins in the many alcoves along the far wall. Noel indicated that there were several ruin sites in the area, but we did not have any luck spotting any on the outward trek. We were just shy of 6000 feet above sea level along this section of the trail (the trail runs gradually downhill to the Citadel) and the at time had grand vistas across and into the Road Canyon with the canyon floor about 600-plus feet below us. We spotted the trail running along the bottom of the canyon and even a couple of tiny hikers exploring far below us. There were a couple of interesting rock formations down in the canyon as well, including one large, lone hoodoo. Perhaps it was a landmark used by the Anasazi all those years ago.
The trail then opened up over a slickrock area before dropping down through the rocks and over the slickrock to the bridge leading to the fortress. It was here that Frankie called it quits and she, Donna and the pups found a shady spot to wait for our return. This was also where we got the first really good look at our final destination, and the long arching ridge of sandstone that would carry us to The Citadel. This ridge was well below our current position so we knew we had to drop in elevation somehow. And once down to that level we would have to work our way along the narrow looking ridge to the little knob at the end which houses the ruin site. From this vantage point I get the idea of why it got its moniker, as it does look like a very secure and defendable position.
Once we had Frankie and Donna situated, we went back to the trail to figure out the route down the ledge to the next level of rocks. Noel had only been out here once before, so it took in a minute to find the correct route down and through the rocks. There was a bit of scrambling involved but there were plenty of helping hands available to get the troop down the slope. Now we were on a steeply slanted section of slickrock that worked around to the left to get to the ridge line. This was a great spot to study the variations in the strata. The layers changed directions and merged at crazy angles and because of the slope it was all right there at eye level. Cool. Noel and I did a little reconnoitering to locate a relatively easy track forward. There were a few cairns scattered about but they really did not seem to lead anywhere. There were a couple options so some of the group took the high road and some the low road but we all got to the same spot eventually. Susan and Mike decided that they were not going to go, much further so we took the opportunity to get a group photo with the ridge in the background.
The trail then opened up over a slickrock area before dropping down through the rocks and over the slickrock to the bridge leading to the fortress. It was here that Frankie called it quits and she, Donna and the pups found a shady spot to wait for our return. This was also where we got the first really good look at our final destination, and the long arching ridge of sandstone that would carry us to The Citadel. This ridge was well below our current position so we knew we had to drop in elevation somehow. And once down to that level we would have to work our way along the narrow looking ridge to the little knob at the end which houses the ruin site. From this vantage point I get the idea of why it got its moniker, as it does look like a very secure and defendable position.
Once we had Frankie and Donna situated, we went back to the trail to figure out the route down the ledge to the next level of rocks. Noel had only been out here once before, so it took in a minute to find the correct route down and through the rocks. There was a bit of scrambling involved but there were plenty of helping hands available to get the troop down the slope. Now we were on a steeply slanted section of slickrock that worked around to the left to get to the ridge line. This was a great spot to study the variations in the strata. The layers changed directions and merged at crazy angles and because of the slope it was all right there at eye level. Cool. Noel and I did a little reconnoitering to locate a relatively easy track forward. There were a few cairns scattered about but they really did not seem to lead anywhere. There were a couple options so some of the group took the high road and some the low road but we all got to the same spot eventually. Susan and Mike decided that they were not going to go, much further so we took the opportunity to get a group photo with the ridge in the background.
So now our little band is down to six hikers as we started out along the “narrow” ridge that leads to the ruins. While it is significantly more narrow than where we started this hike it really is not that narrow and certainly not a death defying walk along the edge (no, I would not like that). At the narrowest point, which is basically at the start of the ridge, it is about 40 feet wide and it gets progressively wider as we went across to about 80 or more feet wide by the time we got to the sandstone knob at the end of the ridge. So not a worrisome walk at all and there were some interesting views down in the canyons on each side as we went. As I recall, there was only really one spot right at the beginning of the crossing that required a very minor climb up a couple of rocks but the rest of the walk across was flat and easy. That changed a little when we got to the knob at the end of the ridge. This was a short but steep climb up to the ruins with a couple places where we had to stop and study the climb just to figure out the best places to place feet and grab with hands. Well, everyone except Grizzly Adams that is. The long-legged Australian basically just stepped up and over the obstacles, but that worked out well for the group since he was able to help the rest of the troop up to the top level.
We hadn’t seen any other folks along the trail but we did notice other hikers on the knob and around the ruins as we were approaching along the ridge. There were 15 or so folks scattered around the ruin site, most of them seemed to be part of a guided group. But there was plenty of room to add our little band into the mix and the bigger group was getting ready to depart about the time we arrived anyway.
We spent a little over half an hour looking around the ruins and enjoying the views in all directions from the sandstone knob. No wonder this place has been dubbed the Citadel as it is quite the fortress. Now I have no idea if this is what the Ancients had in mind when they built here, but let’s give them the benefit of the doubt. The location provides great visibility in all directions so they could see anyone approaching and there was really just one way to get to in, that being along the relatively narrow ridge which could probably be easily defended. Unless the attack was from a group of long-legged Australians, but that was unlikely. The structures were also nicely protected from the elements as well as they were tucked up under the sandstone overhands on the knob. As we walked around the knob we could see Susan and Mike waiting at the far end of the ridge. We even spotted Frankie and Donna sitting in the shade with the pups, of course I had to use the extended zoom of my SX50 to find them.
We hadn’t seen any other folks along the trail but we did notice other hikers on the knob and around the ruins as we were approaching along the ridge. There were 15 or so folks scattered around the ruin site, most of them seemed to be part of a guided group. But there was plenty of room to add our little band into the mix and the bigger group was getting ready to depart about the time we arrived anyway.
We spent a little over half an hour looking around the ruins and enjoying the views in all directions from the sandstone knob. No wonder this place has been dubbed the Citadel as it is quite the fortress. Now I have no idea if this is what the Ancients had in mind when they built here, but let’s give them the benefit of the doubt. The location provides great visibility in all directions so they could see anyone approaching and there was really just one way to get to in, that being along the relatively narrow ridge which could probably be easily defended. Unless the attack was from a group of long-legged Australians, but that was unlikely. The structures were also nicely protected from the elements as well as they were tucked up under the sandstone overhands on the knob. As we walked around the knob we could see Susan and Mike waiting at the far end of the ridge. We even spotted Frankie and Donna sitting in the shade with the pups, of course I had to use the extended zoom of my SX50 to find them.
But we’ve got another stop yet today so we had to get moving. Noel had already conceded that we would not make it to Muley Point by 3:00, but we’ll do the best we can. We snapped a few more photos of the ruins and started our climb down the knob. Lynn and Beth figured out the best way to get down along a steeply sloping section of smooth slickrock…slide down on your backside! I stayed upright and took advantage of the excellent grip provided by my Patagonia hiking shoes and saved a little bit of my dignity. We retraced our steps and collected the rest of our little herd on the hike out. Even though we were running behind time we still enjoyed the hike out, pausing at the puddles in the depressions in the open slickrock to look for the tiny shrimp that often live in these waterholes. We found scores of them swimming about. We also spotted one other Anasazi ruin tucked into an alcove in the far canyon wall.
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But we’ve got another stop yet today so we had to get moving. Noel had already conceded that we would not make it to Muley Point by 3:00, but we’ll do the best we can. We snapped a few more photos of the ruins and started our climb down the knob. Lynn and Beth figured out the best way to get down along a steeply sloping section of smooth slickrock…slide down on your backside! I stayed upright and took advantage of the excellent grip provided by my Patagonia hiking shoes and saved a little bit of my dignity. We retraced our steps and collected the rest of our little herd on the hike out. Even though we were running behind time we still enjoyed the hike out, pausing at the puddles in the depressions in the open slickrock to look for the tiny shrimp that often live in these waterholes. We found scores of them swimming about. We also spotted one other Anasazi ruin tucked into an alcove in the far canyon wall.
Here are the links to the Ramblr track to The Citadel as well as the photos from the hike.
It was 2:30 by the time we reached the trail head. Yeah, we’re going to be late as we have probably close to an hour drive time to get to Muley Point. We were still having a snack with Noel and Alex decided that they were getting started. Alex asked if I knew the way back; as long as it is just a straight drive back out the road with not turn offs, then yes, as I was not watching the route on the drive in, only the obstacles in the road. Yep, straight shot back was the reassuring answer. OK, we’ll meet you at Muley Point. Then they were off. We finished up, loaded up and headed up a few minutes later. It did not take long for us to reach a quandary, a fork in the road. Shoot, the guide is gone and I don’t have a map. Flip a coin. The road to the left look much better, the consensus was that the turn to the right was probably just a pull out. OK, left it is. Hey, this road is better than I remember. OK, like the man said, we may be lost but we’re making good time! After about two miles we finally got the definitive answer when we passed an old corral. Nope, none of us remembered seeing that on the way here, so we must be going the wrong way. Nuts. Nice thing about a little vehicle is that it was easy to find a wide enough spot in the road to reverse course. That little side trip cost us about 15 minutes but we got to see more of southern Utah!
We were making as good a time as we could on the rough road when we spotted a guy in a very bright orange shirt. Hey, that’s Alex! He was walking back to see if we got stuck, but was just a short distance from his car. He climbed back in and we followed him back to route 261 then on to Muley Point pushing the cars as much as we dared given the road conditions. We were almost to our destination when my phone rang. Hey, it’s T! She was just trying to find us. “We're almost there!” OK, I guess we were the lost brigade in the Civil War Battle, arriving 45 minutes after the planned assembly time of 3:00, but we did finally converge with the rest of the Herd at one of the classic viewpoints in the desert southwest. But our gathering here was not really about the views.
Here are the links to the Ramblr track to The Citadel as well as the photos from the hike.
It was 2:30 by the time we reached the trail head. Yeah, we’re going to be late as we have probably close to an hour drive time to get to Muley Point. We were still having a snack with Noel and Alex decided that they were getting started. Alex asked if I knew the way back; as long as it is just a straight drive back out the road with not turn offs, then yes, as I was not watching the route on the drive in, only the obstacles in the road. Yep, straight shot back was the reassuring answer. OK, we’ll meet you at Muley Point. Then they were off. We finished up, loaded up and headed up a few minutes later. It did not take long for us to reach a quandary, a fork in the road. Shoot, the guide is gone and I don’t have a map. Flip a coin. The road to the left look much better, the consensus was that the turn to the right was probably just a pull out. OK, left it is. Hey, this road is better than I remember. OK, like the man said, we may be lost but we’re making good time! After about two miles we finally got the definitive answer when we passed an old corral. Nope, none of us remembered seeing that on the way here, so we must be going the wrong way. Nuts. Nice thing about a little vehicle is that it was easy to find a wide enough spot in the road to reverse course. That little side trip cost us about 15 minutes but we got to see more of southern Utah!
We were making as good a time as we could on the rough road when we spotted a guy in a very bright orange shirt. Hey, that’s Alex! He was walking back to see if we got stuck, but was just a short distance from his car. He climbed back in and we followed him back to route 261 then on to Muley Point pushing the cars as much as we dared given the road conditions. We were almost to our destination when my phone rang. Hey, it’s T! She was just trying to find us. “We're almost there!” OK, I guess we were the lost brigade in the Civil War Battle, arriving 45 minutes after the planned assembly time of 3:00, but we did finally converge with the rest of the Herd at one of the classic viewpoints in the desert southwest. But our gathering here was not really about the views.
This afternoon the Herd traveled to this rather remote vantage point as a remembrance of our dear friend and road trip guru, Hans. He had passed away earlier in the year and is sorely missed by us all. Most of the Herd was here for our little memorial. Our late arrival meant that we missed one very fitting tribute. We picked this location as it was one of Hans’ favorite spots. He often talked about driving the Moki Dugway and of taking in the views here at Muley Point. It was something that he regularly recommended to travelers on Trip Advisor. So as a special tribute, Gurjinder had a stone disc etched as a remembrance to “the King of the Road” and he and Rick found a suitable spot to place the marker, out near the edge of the point. Even though we missed the dedication of the plaque, we got to see it through the photos.
When we arrived the Herd was just milling about, enjoying the views, taking photos, having a beer. Alex had brought some Coors for a final toast, as this was the beer of choice for Hans. We joined in and mingled about for a while, then I asked Alex if he had anything in mind now that the group was together. He was already choked up and needed a minute before we called the Herd together. So we waited a few minutes then huddled up for a group photo. A few of us drank a Coors in honor of Hans.
When we arrived the Herd was just milling about, enjoying the views, taking photos, having a beer. Alex had brought some Coors for a final toast, as this was the beer of choice for Hans. We joined in and mingled about for a while, then I asked Alex if he had anything in mind now that the group was together. He was already choked up and needed a minute before we called the Herd together. So we waited a few minutes then huddled up for a group photo. A few of us drank a Coors in honor of Hans.
Alex then said a few words about our dear friend and asked others to share their thoughts and memories as well. There were several who did…
Here are a few more photos from our memorial at Muley Point. I think that we all agreed that it was a privilege to have met Hans and to have chatted with him at these meet-up as well as through TA. We shared a few more thoughts then dispersed, rolling back down the Moki Dugway and cruising back to Bluff. No stops along the return trip, just enjoying the scenery and looking for critters as we drove through the desert. We dropped Beth and Tommy back at the Hen House and were back on the front porch of our little cabin with a Melvin IPA at 5:35. Just enough time to unwind a bit before dinner.
We wandered over to Dukes a little after 6:00 PM after we saw Danny drive in. Alex and Frankie pulled in about the same time as well. Somehow we missed Rick and Max arriving as they were already seated out on the patio. Their table was full, so we started the next on. Alex and Frankie joined us, then Howie and Deb, so our table was filled. However we later squeezed in Tommy and Beth as late arrivals. I think we ended up with 4 tables and most of the Herd attending. The setting out on the patio was quite pleasant but it was nice to have the space heaters. The food was tasty and service was good and the company was outstanding. No beer or wine with dinner tonight but that was a small price to pay. This was a great way to cap off an outstanding day. We discussed the adventures from today as well as the plans for tomorrow. A large part of the group will be floating on the San Juan River and Rick will have some hiking options but no firm plans yet. Tommy and Beth mentioned Natural Bridges which was also on our list so that could make for a nice excursion. I reckon we’ll figure it out in the morning. After dinner, most of the Herd returned to the Hen House for dessert but Lynn and I called it a night. We walked back toward the cabin with John who was just two doors down in cabin 5.
Day 4 - Friday, October 7 - What to do today? Lynn and I discussed options for today. Many of the Herd are floating down the San Juan River but we opted out of the raft trip this year. Rick has a series of short hikes but they require scaling the Dugway again plus 10 miles of dirt road; probably not the best idea as I don’t want to push my luck with the Rav4 on marginal roads or with Lynn on the Dugway for that matter. Natural Bridges sounds better for us. Beth and Tommy also expressed interest so maybe that is the way to go. We will meet at 0800 at the Hen House to see what other options there might be and finalize the plan.
We arrived at the Hen House just after 8:00. The rafters were already on the road to the outfitters. The rest of the herd was trickling in. Esty was arguing with her computer. The computer seemed to be winning. Rick went over the options for hiking to local ruins (Noel, Donna, Danny and Pixie were in this group). A different set of hikes was now on tap from the plan laid out last night. After listening to the current plan, it seemed to be too much of an off road adventure, probably more than I wanted to subject the rental car to, so Lynn, Tommy, Beth and I stuck with our idea of visiting Natural Bridges National Monument. We left about 8:20, stopped for gas at the Sinclair in Bluff (don't see many of these stations back east) then continued north on 191 then across on 95. Another beautiful day for exploring in southeast Utah, almost a carbon copy of yesterday. We had a lovely drive through the Comb Ridge. I was trying to point out the areas that we had hiked the last time we visited Bluff and Fish Creek from Moab. I was probably close but not that exact; I’ll need a map if I ever want to repeat those hikes. We were also on the lookout for wildlife…and free range cattle. Tommy noted that there are lots of signs for cows but had yet to see one.
OK, this is all “main road” driving so there was no need for Baby or GPS directions this morning, right? I mean there are road signs point the way to National Parks, Monuments and other points of interest all over southern Utah, so this should be a piece of cake. Not so much. Sure enough, we missed the sign for Natural Bridges and overshot by 12 miles or so (OK, in fairness, Lynn did say that she thought she saw the sign but if was almost a footnote and overshadowed by the big sign pointing the way to the wilderness area) but we toured some territory in Utah that we would not have seen otherwise. In fact, we basically toured along the edge of Natural Bridges so we basically got an additional, big-picture tour of the monument. I’m going with this as a bonus tour! Plus we got some additional views of the Bears Ears. Nope, they still don’t look like bears ears.
- Donna and Oscar talked about the Kanab meet-up and how their planned road trip following the meet-up had to be rerouted due to the government shutdown. They had pulled out an atlas to look at options with Hans. Hans asked if it was OK if he wrote on the maps, which was perfectly fine with Oscar, then preceded to layout a driving route for them. He did not need the map, he had it all in is head, he was just jotting down the notes on the map so that Oscar and Donna could remember it all later. Hans knew the byways in the United States better than any of us. There were several of us gathered around the kitchen table in our cabin that evening just amazed at the detailed information that Hans was sharing. His directions included details like “turn left at mile marker 18 toward the old windmill.” He was truly the expert when it came road trips.
- I don’t remember if it was here at Muley Point or later in the meet-up that Gurjinder mentioned that he never had the opportunity to meet Hans in person but that they had developed a very nice relationship on-line, primarily through email and private messages on Trip Advisor. Like he had done for so many of us, Hans had taken a personal interest in helping Gurjinder with his planned travels.
- Danny went through the genesis of the first meet-up and the integral role that Hans planned in that first event. In fact, the timing of that first meet-up was set specifically so that Hans could attend. Danny’s thinking was that since Hans had helped so many people on Trip Advisor and so many of the regulars on the Utah and Arizona forums “knew” Hans through our on-line discussions that there would be a lot of interest in meeting “the King of Road Trips.” Danny was correct, of course. While that first meet-up was a huge success, the annual event has grown. The events when Hans and Antoinette could attend were also a bit more special.
Here are a few more photos from our memorial at Muley Point. I think that we all agreed that it was a privilege to have met Hans and to have chatted with him at these meet-up as well as through TA. We shared a few more thoughts then dispersed, rolling back down the Moki Dugway and cruising back to Bluff. No stops along the return trip, just enjoying the scenery and looking for critters as we drove through the desert. We dropped Beth and Tommy back at the Hen House and were back on the front porch of our little cabin with a Melvin IPA at 5:35. Just enough time to unwind a bit before dinner.
We wandered over to Dukes a little after 6:00 PM after we saw Danny drive in. Alex and Frankie pulled in about the same time as well. Somehow we missed Rick and Max arriving as they were already seated out on the patio. Their table was full, so we started the next on. Alex and Frankie joined us, then Howie and Deb, so our table was filled. However we later squeezed in Tommy and Beth as late arrivals. I think we ended up with 4 tables and most of the Herd attending. The setting out on the patio was quite pleasant but it was nice to have the space heaters. The food was tasty and service was good and the company was outstanding. No beer or wine with dinner tonight but that was a small price to pay. This was a great way to cap off an outstanding day. We discussed the adventures from today as well as the plans for tomorrow. A large part of the group will be floating on the San Juan River and Rick will have some hiking options but no firm plans yet. Tommy and Beth mentioned Natural Bridges which was also on our list so that could make for a nice excursion. I reckon we’ll figure it out in the morning. After dinner, most of the Herd returned to the Hen House for dessert but Lynn and I called it a night. We walked back toward the cabin with John who was just two doors down in cabin 5.
Day 4 - Friday, October 7 - What to do today? Lynn and I discussed options for today. Many of the Herd are floating down the San Juan River but we opted out of the raft trip this year. Rick has a series of short hikes but they require scaling the Dugway again plus 10 miles of dirt road; probably not the best idea as I don’t want to push my luck with the Rav4 on marginal roads or with Lynn on the Dugway for that matter. Natural Bridges sounds better for us. Beth and Tommy also expressed interest so maybe that is the way to go. We will meet at 0800 at the Hen House to see what other options there might be and finalize the plan.
We arrived at the Hen House just after 8:00. The rafters were already on the road to the outfitters. The rest of the herd was trickling in. Esty was arguing with her computer. The computer seemed to be winning. Rick went over the options for hiking to local ruins (Noel, Donna, Danny and Pixie were in this group). A different set of hikes was now on tap from the plan laid out last night. After listening to the current plan, it seemed to be too much of an off road adventure, probably more than I wanted to subject the rental car to, so Lynn, Tommy, Beth and I stuck with our idea of visiting Natural Bridges National Monument. We left about 8:20, stopped for gas at the Sinclair in Bluff (don't see many of these stations back east) then continued north on 191 then across on 95. Another beautiful day for exploring in southeast Utah, almost a carbon copy of yesterday. We had a lovely drive through the Comb Ridge. I was trying to point out the areas that we had hiked the last time we visited Bluff and Fish Creek from Moab. I was probably close but not that exact; I’ll need a map if I ever want to repeat those hikes. We were also on the lookout for wildlife…and free range cattle. Tommy noted that there are lots of signs for cows but had yet to see one.
OK, this is all “main road” driving so there was no need for Baby or GPS directions this morning, right? I mean there are road signs point the way to National Parks, Monuments and other points of interest all over southern Utah, so this should be a piece of cake. Not so much. Sure enough, we missed the sign for Natural Bridges and overshot by 12 miles or so (OK, in fairness, Lynn did say that she thought she saw the sign but if was almost a footnote and overshadowed by the big sign pointing the way to the wilderness area) but we toured some territory in Utah that we would not have seen otherwise. In fact, we basically toured along the edge of Natural Bridges so we basically got an additional, big-picture tour of the monument. I’m going with this as a bonus tour! Plus we got some additional views of the Bears Ears. Nope, they still don’t look like bears ears.
We finally arrived at Natural Bridges about 10:30, only a 20 minute delay, give or take, due to the bonus tour. When we turned into the access road we spied a few free range cows crossing the road. There you go Tommy, you can check that off your list. We made the obligatory stop at the entrance sign for the required passport photo then cruised to the Visitor Center to show our park pass and grab a park map. This is an easy little park to tour, there is only one road and it is one-way so you just start driving then stop and the points-of-interest that you find interesting. For us that was all of them! The signage through the park is excellent with all the main pull outs and trailheads clearly marked. The park was well maintained and everything seemed to be great shape. The trails we walked were well taken care of and the road through the park had recently been paved (they were still restriping the road and the parking areas, it was that recent). And again we had ideal weather for making this tour. It was brisk when we left Bluff, about 40 F, but had warmed into the mid-50s by the time we reached the park and went up into the low 60s. The sky was a brilliant blue with a few wispy clouds and not many of those.
Our first stop was at what we thought was the Sipapu Bridge View overlook, but this was before we knew about the great signage. But it was a pullout and there was a view, so we hopped out of the car and walked down to the canyon edge for closer inspection. We could not really see the bridge from here but the geology was interesting nonetheless. Plus there were a couple gnarly, twisted trees that Tommy likes to shoot. We wandered about on the slickrock for a bit taking in the vista then headed off for the next stop. OK, there’s the signage and a short, paved walkway to the view point. Ahh, there’s the bridge. Quite cool. It actually took a minute to find as the contours and colors of the rock strata provide a bit of a natural camouflage.
It was here at this overlook that we noted a very interesting sign describing the geology of the region, the various layers of rock and where they were exposed. This was a very cool image as it tied together so many places we had visited, and would be revisiting during this trip. Hundreds of millions of years’ worth of geologic history depicted on the sign and playing out in the vista in front of us. How cool is that?!?
Our first stop was at what we thought was the Sipapu Bridge View overlook, but this was before we knew about the great signage. But it was a pullout and there was a view, so we hopped out of the car and walked down to the canyon edge for closer inspection. We could not really see the bridge from here but the geology was interesting nonetheless. Plus there were a couple gnarly, twisted trees that Tommy likes to shoot. We wandered about on the slickrock for a bit taking in the vista then headed off for the next stop. OK, there’s the signage and a short, paved walkway to the view point. Ahh, there’s the bridge. Quite cool. It actually took a minute to find as the contours and colors of the rock strata provide a bit of a natural camouflage.
It was here at this overlook that we noted a very interesting sign describing the geology of the region, the various layers of rock and where they were exposed. This was a very cool image as it tied together so many places we had visited, and would be revisiting during this trip. Hundreds of millions of years’ worth of geologic history depicted on the sign and playing out in the vista in front of us. How cool is that?!?
On around the loop road, just a short distance to the trailhead leading down to Sipapu Bridge. Beth was feeling poorly and opted out of hiking down for a closer look but insisted that that rest of us go ahead. So we did, at least down to the view point above the bridge. This was a bit of a workout with a couple steep sections, plus a set of stairs and a ladder to traverse, but it ended in a nice vantage point directly overlooking Sipapu Bridge. The trail is right along the face of the canyon wall, nestled into a little bench and tree-lined in spots. The combination of the desert varnish on the sheer wall and the colors thrown in from the oaks and few clumps of wildflowers made for a nice show. There was also a small ruin on the sandstone ledge near the vantage point, tucked up under the overhang which would have protected it nicely from the elements. The views all along the trail into the canyon were wonderful and here at the overlook we had the full view of Sipapu Bridge. We could see the trail leading on down to the bridge. The folks who made the trek down there provided nice perspective on the size of the bridge. Sipapu is the largest of the three bridges with a span of 268 feet and height of 220 feet. The stone bridge is 31 feet wide and 53 feet thick; that’s a big chuck of sandstone. It is the middle sister in terms of age (older than Kachina but younger than Owachomo). As was the case with most of the trail, the overlook area was in the shade at this time of day while the bridge and the canyon were bathed in sunlight, so we stayed relatively comfortable but still got a nice view.
Not wanting Beth to be lonely, we did not tarry long at the overlook. The climb up got us all breathing a little hard (it is a fairly constant climb but not overly steep). The park does sit at about 6000 feet above sea level, so maybe the elevation does have a little impact on breathing since we were coming from the low lands of the Midwest.
Out next stop on the tour was the Horse Collar Ruin Overlook. No one was at this pullout when we arrived and we had the trail to ourselves. It is just a short walk, a little over half a mile roundtrip over slightly rolling slickrock, to get to the viewpoint. There were a few chippers scurrying about along the trail. The viewpoint provides wonderful views down in the canyon and of the ruins in the opposite wall of the canyon a couple hundred feet below us. These ruins are named for the shape of the windows in one of the structures, as they do resemble a horse collar. We spotted a lone hiker down along the bottom of the canyon trying to negotiate his way up the slickrock to reach the ruins. From our vantage point it looked like there was an easier way up if he went passed the ruins and doubled back, but there was no way for us to relay that message to him. We joked that perhaps we could tie a note to a rock and toss it down or maybe make a paper airplane but both of those plans were scrapped as being either unsafe or impractical. Besides, we did not have any paper with us. But perseverance paid off for our friend and he eventually found a way up the steep slope for a closer inspection of the ruins.
Out next stop on the tour was the Horse Collar Ruin Overlook. No one was at this pullout when we arrived and we had the trail to ourselves. It is just a short walk, a little over half a mile roundtrip over slightly rolling slickrock, to get to the viewpoint. There were a few chippers scurrying about along the trail. The viewpoint provides wonderful views down in the canyon and of the ruins in the opposite wall of the canyon a couple hundred feet below us. These ruins are named for the shape of the windows in one of the structures, as they do resemble a horse collar. We spotted a lone hiker down along the bottom of the canyon trying to negotiate his way up the slickrock to reach the ruins. From our vantage point it looked like there was an easier way up if he went passed the ruins and doubled back, but there was no way for us to relay that message to him. We joked that perhaps we could tie a note to a rock and toss it down or maybe make a paper airplane but both of those plans were scrapped as being either unsafe or impractical. Besides, we did not have any paper with us. But perseverance paid off for our friend and he eventually found a way up the steep slope for a closer inspection of the ruins.
The interpretive signs there along the edge of the view point talked about the Anasazi people who lived in these ruins between 1050 and 1300. The current thinking is that the people who lived here had a “horticulturally based way of life” and that the nearby mesa top provided suitable farmland. What is not known is if the site was occupied throughout the year. There are theories that the Anasazi may have lived on the mesa top while tending their crops then moved to structures like Horse Collar during the rest of the year. Or they could have used the ruin site during the growing season and moved to lower elevations during the winter. There seem to be way more questions than answers the biggest being why they left the area around 1300. The site is also interesting as it contains both round and square kivas, indicating influences from two different Anasazi cultures, the Mesa Verde (round kivas) and the Kayenta of northern Arizona (square kivas). The pottery found at the site also show connections to these two cultures probably due to trading with the neighboring people, with close ties to the Kayenta early and Mesa Verde later in the occupation of the site. Fascinating stuff!
We stood there for several minutes, just enjoying the vista and the quiet. Just the four of us. No one spoke for a while so the only sound we had was, well, silence. That provided me a moment to reflect on the scene; the lovely but lonely canyon with just a single hiker that we could see. What was it like when the ancient Puebloans lived here? Did they stand here and look down into the canyon at their home and family going about the daily chores? What did they think about? We lingered a bit longer then made the easy walk back to the car, enjoying the views of the twisting loops of sandstone down in White Canyon along the way.
On around the loop to the Kachina Bridge overlook. This viewpoint had a rather sizable parking area with a number of cars, including a few classics, probably the most vehicles and tourists we had seen since we left the Visitor Center. I’m wondering if in addition to the natural wonders if the outhouse had drawn in the tourists to this spot.
We decided that this might be a good spot for a short break and a snack so we grabbed our munchies and found a convenient flat rock along the trail with a nice view into canyon. Just sitting here we had a nice view of the bridge right at the point where White and Armstrong Canyons met. The canyons seemed a little wider and not as deep, certainly the walls were a lot less steep, at this point. There was also a little more in the way of trees, perhaps, along the creek in the bottom of the canyon, including a few splashes of yellow from the cottonwoods sporting their fall colors. The trees were not appreciated by all the tourists however, as one lady commented that the Park Service should cut down the trees near the bridge as they were blocking her view. We just shook our heads.
From the viewpoint we got a view nice vista into Armstrong Canyon as well as the point of intersection with White Canyon where the Kachina Bridge is located. Kachina is the middle bridge in terms of size at 210 feet high and spanning 204 feet; the sandstone bridge is 44 feet wide and an impressive 93 feet thick. Lynn also pointed out the Kickpoint Pour-off down in the floor of Armstrong Canyon. The pour-off is an impassable obstacle along the trail through the canyon that hikers have to detour around; basically a big sandstone sliding board carved by rushing flood waters over centuries. But we’re not worrying about that today.
We stood there for several minutes, just enjoying the vista and the quiet. Just the four of us. No one spoke for a while so the only sound we had was, well, silence. That provided me a moment to reflect on the scene; the lovely but lonely canyon with just a single hiker that we could see. What was it like when the ancient Puebloans lived here? Did they stand here and look down into the canyon at their home and family going about the daily chores? What did they think about? We lingered a bit longer then made the easy walk back to the car, enjoying the views of the twisting loops of sandstone down in White Canyon along the way.
On around the loop to the Kachina Bridge overlook. This viewpoint had a rather sizable parking area with a number of cars, including a few classics, probably the most vehicles and tourists we had seen since we left the Visitor Center. I’m wondering if in addition to the natural wonders if the outhouse had drawn in the tourists to this spot.
We decided that this might be a good spot for a short break and a snack so we grabbed our munchies and found a convenient flat rock along the trail with a nice view into canyon. Just sitting here we had a nice view of the bridge right at the point where White and Armstrong Canyons met. The canyons seemed a little wider and not as deep, certainly the walls were a lot less steep, at this point. There was also a little more in the way of trees, perhaps, along the creek in the bottom of the canyon, including a few splashes of yellow from the cottonwoods sporting their fall colors. The trees were not appreciated by all the tourists however, as one lady commented that the Park Service should cut down the trees near the bridge as they were blocking her view. We just shook our heads.
From the viewpoint we got a view nice vista into Armstrong Canyon as well as the point of intersection with White Canyon where the Kachina Bridge is located. Kachina is the middle bridge in terms of size at 210 feet high and spanning 204 feet; the sandstone bridge is 44 feet wide and an impressive 93 feet thick. Lynn also pointed out the Kickpoint Pour-off down in the floor of Armstrong Canyon. The pour-off is an impassable obstacle along the trail through the canyon that hikers have to detour around; basically a big sandstone sliding board carved by rushing flood waters over centuries. But we’re not worrying about that today.
Speaking of tourists, most of the folks we saw today were at or above retirement age. Shoot other than one 30-something young lady and a French bicyclist, we might have been the youngest visitors in the park. While the tourists was on the senior side, the two Rangers that we saw back at the visitor center were kids, but very professional and extremely helpful. That was a trend that we noticed during our time in parks from our Oregon-California trip earlier this year, lots of youth in the Ranger ranks. Glad to see that the National Parks Service is working on succession planning.
Before we left the parking lot, we had a chance to talk with the folks driving the classic cars. There were several spanning from the 1920s to the 1960s…the cars not the folks. They had driven here from Florida and were on a tour of the National Parks. That’s a lot of miles for these old machines, but they all seemed to be in great shape and had adequate support vehicles in their little convoy.
Our final stop in Natural Bridges was at Owachomo Bridge, the smallest of the three in the park, but still very impressive. Owachomo means "rock mound" in Hopi and is named after the rock formation on top of the east end of the bridge. As we learned during our tour from reading the signs and the information on the park map, the names of the bridges have changed over time. Of course the names given to these formations by the ancient inhabitants are lost to time. The Piute referred to all bridges as mah-vah-talk-tump, translated today as "under the horse's belly." The current names of the bridges were bestowed by William Douglas, the leader of a 1908 government survey team to the area. Sipapu is a Hopi term for the opening between worlds. Douglas thought that rock art and ruins in the area were related to the Hopi people of northern Arizona. His naming of Kachina bridge was based on his interpretation of rock art at the base of the bridge as representing Kachina dancers. Before Douglas’s naming convention was in place there were other names used. Sipapu was dubbed Augusta by Horace Long in 1904 after his wife and previous to that President by Cass Hite in 1883. Kachina Bridge was called Caroline by local cowboy Jim Scorup to honor his mother while Hite called it Senator. Owachoma was called Edwin and Little Bridge as well as Congressman (Hite had a theme going for his names).
Our final stop in Natural Bridges was at Owachomo Bridge, the smallest of the three in the park, but still very impressive. Owachomo means "rock mound" in Hopi and is named after the rock formation on top of the east end of the bridge. As we learned during our tour from reading the signs and the information on the park map, the names of the bridges have changed over time. Of course the names given to these formations by the ancient inhabitants are lost to time. The Piute referred to all bridges as mah-vah-talk-tump, translated today as "under the horse's belly." The current names of the bridges were bestowed by William Douglas, the leader of a 1908 government survey team to the area. Sipapu is a Hopi term for the opening between worlds. Douglas thought that rock art and ruins in the area were related to the Hopi people of northern Arizona. His naming of Kachina bridge was based on his interpretation of rock art at the base of the bridge as representing Kachina dancers. Before Douglas’s naming convention was in place there were other names used. Sipapu was dubbed Augusta by Horace Long in 1904 after his wife and previous to that President by Cass Hite in 1883. Kachina Bridge was called Caroline by local cowboy Jim Scorup to honor his mother while Hite called it Senator. Owachoma was called Edwin and Little Bridge as well as Congressman (Hite had a theme going for his names).
We started with the short walk to the viewpoint, but the trail down to the bridge was right there and it was less than a quarter mile to the bridge. Beth again opted out of the hike but Lynn, Tommy and I headed down the path. Lynn stopped at a point overlooking the bridge and found a seat on a large rock above the trail. Tommy and I continued on to the bridge with the hopes of getting better light on the other side of the bridge as the sun was behind the bridge as we were walking along the trail. Sure enough once we walked under the massive sandstone formation as had the sun at our back and nice light on the rocks. It actually would have been nice to have had a few clouds in that brilliant blue sky, but the scene was still quite lovely. There was one other fellow already in the area but he seemed to be taking photos of small scale subjects and not the bridge; never did figure out what he was doing. Tommy and I meandered about below the bridge for a while getting a few photos. There was not enough space to get the entire bridge in one frame so we’ll see how well the stitched panoramics turn out. There was water in the creek bed and a couple of deep pools but not much to be had in the way of reflection shots. The "baby sister" is relatively dainty when compared to the other bridges at 106 feet high and spanning 180 feet and the rock bridge only 27 feet wide and 9 feet thick. I think because of the relative narrowness of the actual bridge, Owachoma appears to be much longer than it actually is.
We collected Lynn as we trudged back up from the bridge. Beth was waiting for us at the overlook. She had been chatting with some of the other tourists while she waited for us. We finished the driving loop through the park with no further stops and were back on the road toward Bluff about 1:30, so right about three hours to tour Natural Bridges. While we did not do any serious hiking I think we covered the little park in good detail. Plus we got to spend some quality time with Tommy and Beth. A nice little excursion on all points. Here are the photos from our tour through Natural Bridges.
As we were driving out of the park we again had a nice view of our old nemesis, the Bears Ears. During the hike yesterday, Susan was trying to convince us that the rocks looked like folded over bear’s ears, but we are in agreement that they still don’t really call to mind anything dealing with a bear. Maybe I just don't have much of an imagination but a bear's ears are round. So we tried to come up with our own name for the pair of flat formations. The best we thought of was “tree stumps” or maybe “pigs ears” but neither of those are very enticing from a marketing perspective as the name of a potential National Monument. Oh, well, I guess we’ll not petition the Parks Service to a different name. Bears Ears it is.
As we were driving out of the park we again had a nice view of our old nemesis, the Bears Ears. During the hike yesterday, Susan was trying to convince us that the rocks looked like folded over bear’s ears, but we are in agreement that they still don’t really call to mind anything dealing with a bear. Maybe I just don't have much of an imagination but a bear's ears are round. So we tried to come up with our own name for the pair of flat formations. The best we thought of was “tree stumps” or maybe “pigs ears” but neither of those are very enticing from a marketing perspective as the name of a potential National Monument. Oh, well, I guess we’ll not petition the Parks Service to a different name. Bears Ears it is.
The only stop on the return trip was at White Mesa to feed the Rav4 as gas was twenty cents per gallon cheaper here than in Bluff, not that this would break the bank but why not save a little coinage. We dropped Tommy and Beth at the Hen House then headed back to our cabin for a little chill time before dinner. I was sitting on the porch with a Crank Yanker by 3:40. Life is good.
We relaxed on the front porch the rest of the afternoon, except for time to get cleaned up for dinner, right up until time to go for the team photo. We were taking the photo at the Bluff city limit sign on the west end of town which was literally at the far end of the Desert Rose parking lot; a very short walk for us. We did not get up to leave until 6:09 and Lynn still thought that was too early since the appointed meeting time was 6:15. However, we were just about the last to arrive. I was amazed that this herd of cats all made it in plenty of time and it looks like we captured almost the entire Herd; only Anna and Irma are missing from the photo. Still 28 of 30 cats attending the meet-up made it into the official portrait. I’ll call that a win for cat herding. We were done almost as soon as we got there. Nice job by Chief Photographer Noel in wrangling everyone in around the sign in short order and getting the shot. You know, for a group of folks who spend a lot of time rambling about in the desert southwest, we clean up purty darn good!
We relaxed on the front porch the rest of the afternoon, except for time to get cleaned up for dinner, right up until time to go for the team photo. We were taking the photo at the Bluff city limit sign on the west end of town which was literally at the far end of the Desert Rose parking lot; a very short walk for us. We did not get up to leave until 6:09 and Lynn still thought that was too early since the appointed meeting time was 6:15. However, we were just about the last to arrive. I was amazed that this herd of cats all made it in plenty of time and it looks like we captured almost the entire Herd; only Anna and Irma are missing from the photo. Still 28 of 30 cats attending the meet-up made it into the official portrait. I’ll call that a win for cat herding. We were done almost as soon as we got there. Nice job by Chief Photographer Noel in wrangling everyone in around the sign in short order and getting the shot. You know, for a group of folks who spend a lot of time rambling about in the desert southwest, we clean up purty darn good!
After the photo op, we headed just across the road to Comb Ridge Bistro for dinner. Max had worked her magic again and Comb Ridge treated this as a private event so we had the entire place just for the Herd. And we filled the whole joint!
Since the rest of the Herd had driven to the photo, they all beat us to the restaurant so we were at the tail end walking in. Most of the tables were already full so Lynn and I took the remaining two-person table which actually worked out well for two semi-introverted engineers. However, Donna would have none of that and invited us to squeeze in with her, Oscar, Danny and Norma. So we rearranged the furniture a bit and made it work.
This evening worked out really well….having the place to ourselves….the herd was grouped around four tables….easy to get up and visit between tables and no worries of disturbing any non-Herd patrons (and with this group, we probably would have disturbed someone!). The service staff was pretty small but they were hustling. This actually made for a nice relaxed evening as we could just sit back and enjoy some quiet time with the rest of the Herd without having to worry about cooking and cleaning. It was quite a fun evening. And the food was great. Everyone at our table had the meatloaf except for Oscar who had the bison chili (that was also high on my list; next time we’re in time, I reckon). Howie’s fish tacos are still the best meal of the trip (so far) but the meatloaf was a close second.
Of course we used the time to coordinate plans for tomorrow. The big event that about half the Herd would participating in was the tour of Monument and Mystery Valleys. Tommy offered to drive since they had ridden with us the past two days. I’m still not sure if he was trying to even things out or was really trying to avoid the longer driving tours that I had provided between the Citadel and Natural Bridges. The plan was for folks to be on the road by 6:45 AM in the morning as there was construction down around Monument Valley that could delay traffic, but even with taking that into account we would easily be able to make our 8:15 rendezvous with the tour guide.
The party finally started to break up at 8:30. We said our goodbyes to Donna and Oscar as they were heading out tomorrow; they’ll be meeting friends in Moab. T was also leaving in the morning as well, heading to a wedding in Las Vegas. Then it was back across the road to our cabin at the Desert Rose and time to crash for the day.
Day 5 – Saturday, October 8 - Monument Valley and Mystery Valley Tour. As usual, I was awake well before the sun came up and Lynn was awake just a short time later, as we have a bit of an early start today. I checked the weather on the phone. Brrrr, it is in the 30s right now! Hopefully it will warm up quickly, but we better plan on brisk start to our tour at least. We had our normal light breakfast, got our gear in order and waited for Tommy and Beth to pick us up on the way out of town. While we were waiting, I did a little reconnoitering on the phone for our route tomorrow. We’ll start at Hovenweap National Monument, then through Cortez where will stock up (I located the City Market and a couple of beer distributers so we should be good to go) then on to Mesa Verde National Park with the hopes of arriving in time to get tour tickets for the following two days. OK, that plan is in place, now it is all about execution.
Tommy and Beth rolled in at almost 0700, so a little behind the 0645 plan, but I think we will still have plenty of time to get to Monument Valley. The concern was that road construction might slow us down, but it is Saturday so there is a good chance that the crews are not working. Turns out that the road construction was not an issue; they were working, but they were just getting their coffee by the time we rolled through. The only delays that we had on the drive were Tommy’s "Kodak moments" but I was also happy to stop for these opportunities. The first was just west of Bluff as we could see the beautiful sunrise in the mirrors. It was more than Tommy could stand. But it was a lovely sky and worth the couple of minutes it took to snap off a couple of photos. Tommy showed great restraint after that and we did not stop again until we were almost to Monument Valley, right near mile marker 13 and the well-known view of the famous sandstone formations at the end of the long straight road. Nice light this morning so again the stop was well worth the time. We stopped at two places along this stretch, the first just north of the pull-out at mile marker 13 (we stopped short to avoid the cars and tourists already at that spot) and the second a couple miles closer to the famous formations. Anna was also there taking photos. She’s really serious as she’s carrying two big cameras. Actually, “nice light” just does not do the view that we had justice, not sure any words would. The sandstone formations of Monument Valley were glowing in the morning light, the faces of the monuments giving off a pinkish sheen at our first stop then turning a brilliant orange and red as we moved closer. Truly a beautiful sight this morning. We were not the only ones enjoying the views and the brisk desert morning there were two or three powered parachutes cruising around off to the east of the road. Sort of an interesting sight.
Since the rest of the Herd had driven to the photo, they all beat us to the restaurant so we were at the tail end walking in. Most of the tables were already full so Lynn and I took the remaining two-person table which actually worked out well for two semi-introverted engineers. However, Donna would have none of that and invited us to squeeze in with her, Oscar, Danny and Norma. So we rearranged the furniture a bit and made it work.
This evening worked out really well….having the place to ourselves….the herd was grouped around four tables….easy to get up and visit between tables and no worries of disturbing any non-Herd patrons (and with this group, we probably would have disturbed someone!). The service staff was pretty small but they were hustling. This actually made for a nice relaxed evening as we could just sit back and enjoy some quiet time with the rest of the Herd without having to worry about cooking and cleaning. It was quite a fun evening. And the food was great. Everyone at our table had the meatloaf except for Oscar who had the bison chili (that was also high on my list; next time we’re in time, I reckon). Howie’s fish tacos are still the best meal of the trip (so far) but the meatloaf was a close second.
Of course we used the time to coordinate plans for tomorrow. The big event that about half the Herd would participating in was the tour of Monument and Mystery Valleys. Tommy offered to drive since they had ridden with us the past two days. I’m still not sure if he was trying to even things out or was really trying to avoid the longer driving tours that I had provided between the Citadel and Natural Bridges. The plan was for folks to be on the road by 6:45 AM in the morning as there was construction down around Monument Valley that could delay traffic, but even with taking that into account we would easily be able to make our 8:15 rendezvous with the tour guide.
The party finally started to break up at 8:30. We said our goodbyes to Donna and Oscar as they were heading out tomorrow; they’ll be meeting friends in Moab. T was also leaving in the morning as well, heading to a wedding in Las Vegas. Then it was back across the road to our cabin at the Desert Rose and time to crash for the day.
Day 5 – Saturday, October 8 - Monument Valley and Mystery Valley Tour. As usual, I was awake well before the sun came up and Lynn was awake just a short time later, as we have a bit of an early start today. I checked the weather on the phone. Brrrr, it is in the 30s right now! Hopefully it will warm up quickly, but we better plan on brisk start to our tour at least. We had our normal light breakfast, got our gear in order and waited for Tommy and Beth to pick us up on the way out of town. While we were waiting, I did a little reconnoitering on the phone for our route tomorrow. We’ll start at Hovenweap National Monument, then through Cortez where will stock up (I located the City Market and a couple of beer distributers so we should be good to go) then on to Mesa Verde National Park with the hopes of arriving in time to get tour tickets for the following two days. OK, that plan is in place, now it is all about execution.
Tommy and Beth rolled in at almost 0700, so a little behind the 0645 plan, but I think we will still have plenty of time to get to Monument Valley. The concern was that road construction might slow us down, but it is Saturday so there is a good chance that the crews are not working. Turns out that the road construction was not an issue; they were working, but they were just getting their coffee by the time we rolled through. The only delays that we had on the drive were Tommy’s "Kodak moments" but I was also happy to stop for these opportunities. The first was just west of Bluff as we could see the beautiful sunrise in the mirrors. It was more than Tommy could stand. But it was a lovely sky and worth the couple of minutes it took to snap off a couple of photos. Tommy showed great restraint after that and we did not stop again until we were almost to Monument Valley, right near mile marker 13 and the well-known view of the famous sandstone formations at the end of the long straight road. Nice light this morning so again the stop was well worth the time. We stopped at two places along this stretch, the first just north of the pull-out at mile marker 13 (we stopped short to avoid the cars and tourists already at that spot) and the second a couple miles closer to the famous formations. Anna was also there taking photos. She’s really serious as she’s carrying two big cameras. Actually, “nice light” just does not do the view that we had justice, not sure any words would. The sandstone formations of Monument Valley were glowing in the morning light, the faces of the monuments giving off a pinkish sheen at our first stop then turning a brilliant orange and red as we moved closer. Truly a beautiful sight this morning. We were not the only ones enjoying the views and the brisk desert morning there were two or three powered parachutes cruising around off to the east of the road. Sort of an interesting sight.
OK, time to get to the Tribal Park, so we loaded back in the car and headed to the entrance. As we neared the turn-off from route 163 I spotted several more, I think six or so, powered parachutes off to the west. Crazy that there are so many of these gizmos out tooling around. We were wondering if these were some sort of flying tour, maybe a new way for tourists to see the area. However they all seem to be single occupant vehicles. Fun to watch.
The other interesting observation was how much the area around the park had changed since we were last here in 2010. Several new buildings had sprung up. Many looked like community infrastructure, including a nice school complex. Definite improvements. Looks like the Navajo are putting those tourists dollars to good use.
The other interesting observation was how much the area around the park had changed since we were last here in 2010. Several new buildings had sprung up. Many looked like community infrastructure, including a nice school complex. Definite improvements. Looks like the Navajo are putting those tourists dollars to good use.
Even with the photo ops along the way, we were at Monument Valley right at 8:00 so perfect timing. Most of the rest of the Herd is here already, meandering about the parking lot or up toward the visitor center plus Alex and a couple others are talking to couple of the locals, probably our guides for the day. We dismounted and joined the Herd. Man, I’m glad we brought an extra layer as it is chilly this morning. Probably about 40 degrees F and overcast. The Trip Advisor gloves are going to come in handy this morning (wait a minute… ”gloves”… ”handy”… Hey, I made a funny! Where’s Foghorn Leghorn when you need him? Seriously, I didn’t catch that until I was proofreading the paragraph). Everyone is dressed for the artic! I think that Ziggy is wearing her entire wardrobe and Mark looks more like he’s going skiing instead of a tour in the desert. Lynn has her scarf wrapped snuggly around her neck so she’s good to go. That’s just one of the many positive traits about this bunch, they are like Boy Scouts when it comes to being prepared.
OK, it is now 8:15-ish, and we’ve all finished our coffee, hot chocolate and other breakfast treats, made our last trips to the restrooms and have converged on the tour trucks that we’ll be bouncing around in for most of the rest of the day. There are 14 of us on the tour so we’ll split between two open air trucks (we ended up eight in our truck and six in the other). Our guide was a young Navajo named Shawn. Very nice kid and an excellent guide. He did a marvelous job of relaying the history of the area as well as insights on the Native American culture throughout the day. Alex road in the cab with Shawn and the rest of our truckload piled in the back (Alison and Mark, Tommy and Beth, Pixie, and Lynn and me). In the other truck was Howie, Anna, Susan and Russ, Donna and Mike. Lynn and I were sharing one of the bench seats just behind the cab with Alison across the aisle from us. Alison said that she was hoping that sitting right behind the cab would act as a wind block; I think that was a good theory and was at least partially effective, at least as far as our legs were concerned.
Shawn laid out the plan for the day. We’ll have a three-hour back country tour of Monument Valley, then break for lunch here at The View for an hour at which time we’ll reconvene here at the trucks for a couple hours of touring through Mystery Valley so we should be back here and done for the day by 3:00 at the latest. Sounds like a plan. And with that we were chugging down the dirt road toward the red rock monuments of the Tribal Park.
We did not go very far before we made our first stop at, where else, the lot with all the Navajo jewelry vendors. No worries, everyone has to make a living. I just wondered over to the edge of the lot and took in the views while Lynn checked out the makeshift market. Due to the overcast, the lighting on the Mittens has not been great so far this morning, either from The View or at this stop. Maybe it will get better as the day goes along. The Herd was starting to congregate around the trucks so I headed back over that way and chatted with the crew. Lynn came back from the market without any loot. She said there were some pretty items but nothing that really spoke to her. OK, dodged that bullet. We loaded back on the trucks, hunkered down against the morning chill and headed deeper into the park.
OK, it is now 8:15-ish, and we’ve all finished our coffee, hot chocolate and other breakfast treats, made our last trips to the restrooms and have converged on the tour trucks that we’ll be bouncing around in for most of the rest of the day. There are 14 of us on the tour so we’ll split between two open air trucks (we ended up eight in our truck and six in the other). Our guide was a young Navajo named Shawn. Very nice kid and an excellent guide. He did a marvelous job of relaying the history of the area as well as insights on the Native American culture throughout the day. Alex road in the cab with Shawn and the rest of our truckload piled in the back (Alison and Mark, Tommy and Beth, Pixie, and Lynn and me). In the other truck was Howie, Anna, Susan and Russ, Donna and Mike. Lynn and I were sharing one of the bench seats just behind the cab with Alison across the aisle from us. Alison said that she was hoping that sitting right behind the cab would act as a wind block; I think that was a good theory and was at least partially effective, at least as far as our legs were concerned.
Shawn laid out the plan for the day. We’ll have a three-hour back country tour of Monument Valley, then break for lunch here at The View for an hour at which time we’ll reconvene here at the trucks for a couple hours of touring through Mystery Valley so we should be back here and done for the day by 3:00 at the latest. Sounds like a plan. And with that we were chugging down the dirt road toward the red rock monuments of the Tribal Park.
We did not go very far before we made our first stop at, where else, the lot with all the Navajo jewelry vendors. No worries, everyone has to make a living. I just wondered over to the edge of the lot and took in the views while Lynn checked out the makeshift market. Due to the overcast, the lighting on the Mittens has not been great so far this morning, either from The View or at this stop. Maybe it will get better as the day goes along. The Herd was starting to congregate around the trucks so I headed back over that way and chatted with the crew. Lynn came back from the market without any loot. She said there were some pretty items but nothing that really spoke to her. OK, dodged that bullet. We loaded back on the trucks, hunkered down against the morning chill and headed deeper into the park.
We rolled past Elephant Butte and Camel Butte; pretty formations and well named but no way to take a photo from the bouncing truck (I know, I tried!). But we stopped shortly at John Ford Point, where more vendors were set up, including a Navajo with a nice looking buckskin who would pose for photos out on the point. I guess for a fee the tourists could have their photo taken on the horse. I think we all skipped this second makeshift market place and headed out to the view point to take in the vista. Still very chilly and the sky was generally overcast but there were a few breaks in the clouds letting the blue show through. The powered parachutes also showed up at John Ford Point, three of them I think. They were buzzing around the periphery of the little shopping mall but a couple of them did make a pass right over the view point, one of the pilots even did a touch-and-go near where we had been standing. But then they buzzed back away from the tourists on the ground. Still I wonder if they are really allowed to be in the park.
The view here is lovely with many wonderful sandstone formations in sight. The three Sisters is nearby and is one of the more interesting with its three thin spires lined up at the end of a mesa. While we were waiting for the Herd to reassemble at the trucks, Shawn provided another interpretation of this formation. His story dealt with the birth of twins being a special event but that one twin was often kept hidden. The spires then were a family walking through the desert, the father in front, a child in the middle and the mother concealing the second child following behind. Shawn of course did a much better job of relaying the story with the proper cultural context.
The view here is lovely with many wonderful sandstone formations in sight. The three Sisters is nearby and is one of the more interesting with its three thin spires lined up at the end of a mesa. While we were waiting for the Herd to reassemble at the trucks, Shawn provided another interpretation of this formation. His story dealt with the birth of twins being a special event but that one twin was often kept hidden. The spires then were a family walking through the desert, the father in front, a child in the middle and the mother concealing the second child following behind. Shawn of course did a much better job of relaying the story with the proper cultural context.
Back on the trucks and further into the park. We stopped at a Navajo homestead. If I remember correctly this is where Susie Yazzie lived. Shawn and the other guide conferred for a moment with a couple of the fellows at the homestead, then the guides climbed back in the trucks and we continued with the tour. No idea what the stop was all about; maybe they were thinking about a rug making demonstration or something.
While the stop at the homestead was a bit of a mystery, our next stop was full of magic. We were at the Big Hogan, a huge alcove carved out of the sandstone with a hole in its roof. As we were climbing out of the truck, Shawn was telling us that this site was used in the filming of Raiders of the Lost Ark, specifically the scene where Indy and Sallah rappelled into the Well of the Souls, the ruin site full of snakes. Hmmm, I’ll have to check that next time we watch the movie. Lynn however was sure that this was incorrect since the hole in the ceiling of the Big Hogan is round while in the movie the opening was square. I did a little fact checking on a few movie sights and found no mention of Monument Valley being used for any of the Indian Jones movies. Oh well. Shawn wasn’t even born when the movie was made so he’s just passing along an old wives tale from the senior guides.
As we walked toward the alcove, Shawn and Harry, the older guide from our other truck, were pointing out the pictures in the ceiling made by the opening, the rock strata and the varnish running from the opening down the inside of the alcove. The first image that I made out was that of a head, sort of a stylized Indian with a long pony-tail. Maybe that one is a bit of a stretch but it did remind me a little of the Native American image used by the N&W railroad for the Powhaten Arrow. Walking a little closer, a horse’s head comes into view with the opening being the eye, the varnish the mane and forelock and the ridges in the rock forming the jaw line, nose and nostrils. Yeah, that one works much better. Harry suggested that we take a seat along the back wall of the alcove on a sandstone bench and lay back to better see the ceiling and he would show us a special image, that of an eagle. So we did; sort of a comical sight with all of us reclining like that out in the desert, I reckon. OK, I’m laying back and staring at the ceiling but I’m having a tough time making out a big raptor. Harry walks along the row of us with his cell phone to show us a photo of what we’re supposed to see. Everyone is getting that epiphany moment when they see the image in the camera. I still could not make it out on Harry’s phone, so I just took a photo of the ceiling and reviewed that on my camera. Oh! I get it now! It is an eagle. Even after figuring it out, it is still easier to see the image of the bird in the photo rather than directly looking at the ceiling. I guess just an odd trick of the light. But a cool image nonetheless.
While the stop at the homestead was a bit of a mystery, our next stop was full of magic. We were at the Big Hogan, a huge alcove carved out of the sandstone with a hole in its roof. As we were climbing out of the truck, Shawn was telling us that this site was used in the filming of Raiders of the Lost Ark, specifically the scene where Indy and Sallah rappelled into the Well of the Souls, the ruin site full of snakes. Hmmm, I’ll have to check that next time we watch the movie. Lynn however was sure that this was incorrect since the hole in the ceiling of the Big Hogan is round while in the movie the opening was square. I did a little fact checking on a few movie sights and found no mention of Monument Valley being used for any of the Indian Jones movies. Oh well. Shawn wasn’t even born when the movie was made so he’s just passing along an old wives tale from the senior guides.
As we walked toward the alcove, Shawn and Harry, the older guide from our other truck, were pointing out the pictures in the ceiling made by the opening, the rock strata and the varnish running from the opening down the inside of the alcove. The first image that I made out was that of a head, sort of a stylized Indian with a long pony-tail. Maybe that one is a bit of a stretch but it did remind me a little of the Native American image used by the N&W railroad for the Powhaten Arrow. Walking a little closer, a horse’s head comes into view with the opening being the eye, the varnish the mane and forelock and the ridges in the rock forming the jaw line, nose and nostrils. Yeah, that one works much better. Harry suggested that we take a seat along the back wall of the alcove on a sandstone bench and lay back to better see the ceiling and he would show us a special image, that of an eagle. So we did; sort of a comical sight with all of us reclining like that out in the desert, I reckon. OK, I’m laying back and staring at the ceiling but I’m having a tough time making out a big raptor. Harry walks along the row of us with his cell phone to show us a photo of what we’re supposed to see. Everyone is getting that epiphany moment when they see the image in the camera. I still could not make it out on Harry’s phone, so I just took a photo of the ceiling and reviewed that on my camera. Oh! I get it now! It is an eagle. Even after figuring it out, it is still easier to see the image of the bird in the photo rather than directly looking at the ceiling. I guess just an odd trick of the light. But a cool image nonetheless.
Shawn talked a bit about the tribal gatherings that take place each year and specifically of the types of music and dancing that the various Nations perform. There is a lot of pride in these competitions but at the same time they seem to be a means of sharing between the various cultures. These gatherings sound like wonderful events. Harry then told us to get ready with our cameras or phones to record the haunting sounds as Shawn prepared to serenade us with a Navajo flute, but not just a “standard” flute, this instrument had three wooden pipes connected to a single mouthpiece. And that is what we all did. We sat or stood around the alcove while Shawn played a lovely tune for us. It was beautiful and soothing. Truly one of those handful of special moments that we have each time that we visit the desert southwest.
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After the musical interlude we left the Big Hogan and headed on to the next stops on the tour. Next was the Eye of the Sun, another window in the sandstone sitting high above us. This is a very appropriately named feature as the opening certainly is shaped like an eye. There was a very nice rock art panel at the base of this formation, mostly of game animals. These were petroglyphs, the likenesses of the antelope and sheep were pecked into the desert varnish hundreds of years ago. Across the sandy flat were other formations, including submarine rock. We did not stay here long, but rather loaded up again and drove a short distance to another arch with an anatomical name, the Ear of the Wind. The lighting was better hear than at the last location. The sand and rock had a nice orange hue and the clouds and hints of blue sky were showing through the huge opening in the sandstone. Most of the Herd scattered about below the formation looking for the right spot for a good photo but I was more interested in an up close look. Mark had already started up the sandy incline to the arch so I followed him up the trail. This was a short climb but not pushover at all as the sand was sort of deep and very soft, but I was at the top in short order. Once I crested the top of the sandy ridge I realized that I would not be climbing through this window as there is a large, deep hollow at the base of the wall containing the arch. No easy way to scale the sandstone here so I just enjoyed the view that I had, then worked my way back down the slope to rejoin the Herd. Alison decided that she wanted a closer look once Mark and I came down. She opted for the barefoot approach to scaling the big dune. I commented that she must be cold based on blue tint of her toenails…oh, wait that’s her nail polish.
Eventually we reconvened at the trucks and moved on with the tour. At this point it was apparent that we would not be taking the same tour route that Lynn I had made during our first visit in 2010. We stopped along the road and took in a long distance view of the Totem Pole and the Yei Bi Chei; on our previous tour we drove a loop that took us much closer to these formations and included Artist’s Point. Sort of a bummer that we were skipping that vista point as it was my favorite from our last visit. I guess the size of the tour and the time that we were taking at the stops today required a bit of a reroute. But that’s just fine as it has been a great tour and we are learning a lot from Shawn and Harry. From this point we just rambled back to The View, arriving just a little after 11:00, so almost exactly a three-hour tour (and unlike Gilligan we made it back to port). Shawn gave us until 12:15 for lunch. Here are the photos from the Monument Valley tour.
We headed up to The View to check out the options for food. Some of The Herd had packed lunches from leftovers from our Wednesday dinner at the Hen House; they found a picnic table out on the veranda behind The View. Nice spot for lunch except that it was still plenty chilly. In fact it was just cold enough that Lynn and I opted for a hot meal just to get warm. The southwest bisque was quite tasty! No worries about this being a dry restaurant as I was too cold for a beer. Hot chocolate was the beverage of choice today.
After lunch and some browsing in the gift shop we returned to the gathering point for the tours. The rest of the Herd filtered in and we were soon ready for our afternoon excursion through Mystery Valley. While several of the group had visited Monument Valley, I think that the drive through Mystery Valley was a first for all of us. For whatever reason I was under the impression that Mystery Valley was on the west side of route 163, however, we had only gone a short distance beyond the park entrance gate when we turned left off the road onto a dirt track. Harry and Shawn climbed out of the trucks to move the tires that blocked this rather unimpressive dirt road. Well, this must be the entrance, let’s see where it takes us.
We drove for a long spell, deeper into the valley. The road paralleled the mesas off to our left. It seemed like this was going to be simply a drive-by tour. We were all starting to wonder if we would ever stop to see anything. After a while Mark started pointing out images in the desert varnish on the sandstone walls to the west. Some of these were more than a little abstract. Alison accused him of indulging in peyote. But we all joined in the fun, looking for shapes in the varnish, the clouds and the rocks. I pointed out Darth Vader and a couple other Star Wars inspired images as we trundled on through the desert. Food was another theme, as I saw a hamburger then Alison saw onion rings so Mark quipped that Alison was hanging out with me too much. But this kept us entertained as we drove on into the valley, seemingly with no intention of stopping. The good news was that it was finally getting warmer and the sky was brightening a bit. There was more blue peeking through the layer of high, thin clouds. We were all removing some of our outer layers of protection the continued along. I commented to Alison that compared to the start of the drive she was now practically naked even though she still had a hat, long sleeves and a pants, but at least her face was now showing.
It was nearly 1:00 before we made it to our first stop. We had been driving pretty much along a straight line along parallel but out away from the mesa, but now we turned in closer to the rocks and headed up a little canyon. We passed an arch or window high up on the sandstone formation, paused a moment but there was another tour group already parked there so we continued on into the canyon for a short way then finally came to a halt.
Where the tour through Monument Valley focused more on the natural formations with some discussion of the Navajo culture, our time in Mystery Valley was spent more on Anasazi ruins. However, the ancient people took advantage of the arches and alcoves for their protection from the elements so we also got to see more natural wonders. And while it took us a while to get to the first stop, the highlights came in fairly fast succession over the next 90 minutes or so.
This first stop was at a small rectangular ruin built along the base of the mesa. It was sort of an unassuming location at first glance with no significant rock overhang or other natural structure providing much in the way of shelter, although it was tucked up in a short, box canyon so a bit secluded I guess. But the long, flat wall made for a wonderful canvas that the Anasazi had covered with rock art. There were a few antelope and other game images pecked into the rock but most of the images were pictographs. It is amazing to me how these painted images have survived out in the elements for hundreds of years, but there they are, still telling the stories of an ancient people, even if we don’t exactly understand every word.
We drove for a long spell, deeper into the valley. The road paralleled the mesas off to our left. It seemed like this was going to be simply a drive-by tour. We were all starting to wonder if we would ever stop to see anything. After a while Mark started pointing out images in the desert varnish on the sandstone walls to the west. Some of these were more than a little abstract. Alison accused him of indulging in peyote. But we all joined in the fun, looking for shapes in the varnish, the clouds and the rocks. I pointed out Darth Vader and a couple other Star Wars inspired images as we trundled on through the desert. Food was another theme, as I saw a hamburger then Alison saw onion rings so Mark quipped that Alison was hanging out with me too much. But this kept us entertained as we drove on into the valley, seemingly with no intention of stopping. The good news was that it was finally getting warmer and the sky was brightening a bit. There was more blue peeking through the layer of high, thin clouds. We were all removing some of our outer layers of protection the continued along. I commented to Alison that compared to the start of the drive she was now practically naked even though she still had a hat, long sleeves and a pants, but at least her face was now showing.
It was nearly 1:00 before we made it to our first stop. We had been driving pretty much along a straight line along parallel but out away from the mesa, but now we turned in closer to the rocks and headed up a little canyon. We passed an arch or window high up on the sandstone formation, paused a moment but there was another tour group already parked there so we continued on into the canyon for a short way then finally came to a halt.
Where the tour through Monument Valley focused more on the natural formations with some discussion of the Navajo culture, our time in Mystery Valley was spent more on Anasazi ruins. However, the ancient people took advantage of the arches and alcoves for their protection from the elements so we also got to see more natural wonders. And while it took us a while to get to the first stop, the highlights came in fairly fast succession over the next 90 minutes or so.
This first stop was at a small rectangular ruin built along the base of the mesa. It was sort of an unassuming location at first glance with no significant rock overhang or other natural structure providing much in the way of shelter, although it was tucked up in a short, box canyon so a bit secluded I guess. But the long, flat wall made for a wonderful canvas that the Anasazi had covered with rock art. There were a few antelope and other game images pecked into the rock but most of the images were pictographs. It is amazing to me how these painted images have survived out in the elements for hundreds of years, but there they are, still telling the stories of an ancient people, even if we don’t exactly understand every word.
Most of the pictographs were of anthropomorphic figures, some with triangular bodies and others more rounded, and handprints. There were scores of handprints all along the wall. Most of the images were white, but there were a few in dark red and yellow. Shawn explained that the hands provided some insight to the people who lived here. The prints may indicate when people moved in and out of the dwelling and perhaps the direction they traveled when they departed for a new home. In additional to the rock art, there were hundreds of pottery sherds scattered around the site. Some of the more colorful pieces had been picked up and placed on flat rocks to easier viewing, making a very nice mosaic of colors, textures and shapes. Even though the pieces were small they still provided a sense of the craftsmanship that went into making the pottery.
We had not seen much in the way of wildlife so far to day, but there was a lizard to scampering about the site, dodging along the crags in the rocks. Good thing that they were keeping to cover as there was also a large hawk perched high above the site, sitting at the edge of a little alcove just surveying his domain. I’m sure that a plump lizard would have gotten his attention as an afternoon snack. I figured it was a Red-tailed Hawk, but Russ speculated that the big raptor was a Ferruginous Hawk. I’ll just have to go with that until I can study the long distance photos that I snapped. Once back home, I posted the photo on BirdForum.com and the folks on the forums all agreed that it was a Red-tailed Hawk.
We had not seen much in the way of wildlife so far to day, but there was a lizard to scampering about the site, dodging along the crags in the rocks. Good thing that they were keeping to cover as there was also a large hawk perched high above the site, sitting at the edge of a little alcove just surveying his domain. I’m sure that a plump lizard would have gotten his attention as an afternoon snack. I figured it was a Red-tailed Hawk, but Russ speculated that the big raptor was a Ferruginous Hawk. I’ll just have to go with that until I can study the long distance photos that I snapped. Once back home, I posted the photo on BirdForum.com and the folks on the forums all agreed that it was a Red-tailed Hawk.
Our next stop was just short drive way up the next little canyon as we worked along the edge of the rock formation. When we turned up the canyon we passed a large arch but drove on to a second arch where we stopped. The plan was that we would unload here and walk the trail back to the first arch where the trucks would meet us. Good deal, a little more time out of the trucks was a excellent idea. The Herd spread out over the area, moving out to enjoy the views and get photos from a variety of vantage points. Directly above us was Stout Arch, a sizable pothole type arch, positioned well above ground level. No obvious way to climb up into the arch so we just enjoyed the view from below. The crew meandered along the short trail leading back toward the head of this little canyon. There was a small rock art panel nearby with a couple interesting circular images. As usual I was at the back of the pack, taking a few photos along the way and just enjoying the peace of the setting. Howie and Alex were also taking their time along the trail so we chatted a bit as I was sizing up the gnarly, twisted trees and bright yellow rabbit brush for photogenic qualities. The qualities are there, I just probably don’t do a great job of capturing them.
The arch at the other end of the trail was equally impressive. Honeymoon Arch is also a pothole type opening again fairly high up the sandstone formation. As we approached the arch it looked like it was also be inaccessible but once we got around to the front side there was a slickrock incline that afforded easy access to climb up and explore. Plus the arch holds a surprise as there is a ruin site, a couple of small structures, tucked up under the sandstone cover. These were small structures, most likely granaries, although I’m thinking that there might have been other suspected uses based on the name of the arch. We were able to climb around under the arch to get a closer look at the ruins. Plus it made for a nice place to relax for a bit. |
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Shawn was doing the majority of the talking throughout the day, but the older gentleman would toss out a comment occasionally. There were a few times when I would see then conferring, with the older guide apparently providing coaching or pointing out some highlight in the area. I’m guessing he was the Jedi Master while Shawn was the Padawan leaner. But Shawn was a great guide, very outgoing and extremely knowledgeable of the area and of the culture and history of his people. Plus his mastery of the flute was superb. He played another lovey melody for us here in the natural amphitheater in Honeymoon Arch. The low battery indicator on my camera started flashing just about the time Shawn started playing; how’s that for bad timing. But I was able to get most of this second serenade of the day.
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After Shawn finished playing we continued exploring the area under the arch and made a closer inspection of the ruins. We finally climbed back down from the arch and headed to the trucks then off to our next stop, again just a short ride away.
We stopped in a little cut in the rocks then walked a bit further in towards a large alcove that protected yet another set of ruins. Shawn mentioned that there are hundreds of sites like this scattered throughout the park and that there are probably many others that have not yet been rediscovered in modern times. As we walked up to the ruin site it became obvious why this was called Square House as the structures tucked neatly under the sandstone overhang where neatly built seeming of all right angles. The blocks used in the structures appeared to be painstakingly formed into rectangular bricks then very precisely laid out. As we got closer to the site we could see that this description really only applied to part of the ruins. The very uniform and square part was to the front of the alcove while behind this was another connected building that had a completely different character with rounded corners and haphazard in the size and shape of the building blocks. So the square ruins were probably an addition to the original dwelling and built by people who had developed better masonry skills.
No way to get into the alcove for a closer look, but we still got a nice view from where we were standing down below the ruins. Plus there were other things to see up close and personal. Again there were plenty of pottery sherds scattered all about the area below the ruins, many colored and textured samples of the skill these ancient folks had in making the bowls, pots and jugs used in their everyday lives. There were also some rock art examples on the walls near the ruin (a big petroglyph of a goat or sheep), and a large panel around the corner from the alcove out near where we parked. This larger panel had a wide variety of images including game animals, hand prints, snakes, stick figures and geometric shapes all carved into the rock face. It was really sort of a jumble of signs and images.
We stopped in a little cut in the rocks then walked a bit further in towards a large alcove that protected yet another set of ruins. Shawn mentioned that there are hundreds of sites like this scattered throughout the park and that there are probably many others that have not yet been rediscovered in modern times. As we walked up to the ruin site it became obvious why this was called Square House as the structures tucked neatly under the sandstone overhang where neatly built seeming of all right angles. The blocks used in the structures appeared to be painstakingly formed into rectangular bricks then very precisely laid out. As we got closer to the site we could see that this description really only applied to part of the ruins. The very uniform and square part was to the front of the alcove while behind this was another connected building that had a completely different character with rounded corners and haphazard in the size and shape of the building blocks. So the square ruins were probably an addition to the original dwelling and built by people who had developed better masonry skills.
No way to get into the alcove for a closer look, but we still got a nice view from where we were standing down below the ruins. Plus there were other things to see up close and personal. Again there were plenty of pottery sherds scattered all about the area below the ruins, many colored and textured samples of the skill these ancient folks had in making the bowls, pots and jugs used in their everyday lives. There were also some rock art examples on the walls near the ruin (a big petroglyph of a goat or sheep), and a large panel around the corner from the alcove out near where we parked. This larger panel had a wide variety of images including game animals, hand prints, snakes, stick figures and geometric shapes all carved into the rock face. It was really sort of a jumble of signs and images.
Back to the trucks and one to our final stop. Along the way we passed by the base of a formation that we dubbed Turtle Rock. I think that it was along this section of the tour that we passed a small herd of sheep grazing on the sparse grass, along with a dog keeping watch. Another short drive, only 10 to 15 minutes from Square House to this next stop which turned out to be a nice view point looking north up the valley. While still generally overcast, the afternoon has warmed up nicely and most of the jackets and extra layers have been stored in backpacks with many of the Herd now down to t-shirts. Mark has gone from skier to beach attire and Alison is in shorts. We were now well away from the mesa area we hand bee touring for the past hour or so, sort of out in the open with a few small formations in the immediate vicinity and a nice view of the larger buttes off in the distance. We roamed around for a while just taking in the views, but shortly gathered our Herd on one of the rock outcroppings for a group photo. One last look at the vista and it was time to head back to The View.
From here we jumped back on route 163 and drove north a few miles to the park entrance. Even though the drive back to the park only covered about ten miles it took about 20 minutes as the tour trucks are geared for back country roads not the highway. We were back at the park entrance right abut 3:15, so on time for our three-hour tour, but there was a long line of tourists trying to enter the park here in the late afternoon which caused a back-up plus a minor kerfuffle at the entrance gate which delayed us a few minutes further in getting back inside (I think the Tribal Park folks and the tour guides need to work on their coordination to avoid these delays, but for the most part it was no big deal). Once back at the parking lot we get a few more photos of the formations now that the light was better, including one of Lynn comparing her new Trip Advisor gloves to the Mittens. This is the link for the rest of the Mystery Valley images.
Great tours of both Monument Valley and Mystery Valley. We saw a lot and learned a lot as well. Plus there was hardly any other folks out on these back country tours. We basically had Mystery Valley to ourselves; I think we saw two other tour trucks during the afternoon. Shawn and Harry were great guides and made the trip quite enjoyable as they shared the history of the area and of their culture.
Great tours of both Monument Valley and Mystery Valley. We saw a lot and learned a lot as well. Plus there was hardly any other folks out on these back country tours. We basically had Mystery Valley to ourselves; I think we saw two other tour trucks during the afternoon. Shawn and Harry were great guides and made the trip quite enjoyable as they shared the history of the area and of their culture.
We piled into Tommy’s sedan had an uneventful but pleasant drive back to Bluff. There were a few folks at mile marker 13 taking photos facing south of Monument Valley. The construction offered us no delay. We did spot some burros and horses off in the desert plus a couple of hawks perched on fence posts. Tommy and Beth dropped us back at the Desert Rose at about 5:00, so time for a beer on the porch before we got cleaned up for dinner. It seems that the powered parachutes must have followed us from Monument Valley as three of them came buzzing over coming from the southwest. I appeared that they were going to land across the road but just did a low pass and kept cruising. Curious. No idea where they were heading but they just buzzed along.
Our final group dinner was set for 6:30 at Twin Rocks so at the far end of town (which is still walking distance at much less than two miles, but we took the Rav4). Most of the Herd was already assembled when we walked in right at the appointed time. Alison and Mark had started a new table so we joined them then Danny and Norma filled the other two chairs. We talked about the tours, the Anasazi history, the baseball playoffs (Mark is a Red Sox fan; they were playing the Indians in the AL divisional series. The Tribe was up two games to none at this point and ended up sweeping the series) and a little about plans for next year. The service was pretty swift considering that the place was hopping. I enjoyed the southwest chicken sandwich and splurged a bit with the fries. Alison's Navajo Pizza looked tasty but was huge. Max said that there was still plenty of pie and cookies for desert back at the Hen House so we all rendezvoused there after dinner. I was not really looking for desert but there was one last, lonely sliver of apple pie just begging to be eaten, so I ate it. Not bad at all. More talk of the 2017 meet-up, looking at locations and dates. Seems that we are converging on Page for the location. Alison asked about moving the dates off the first week of October, which those of us in the conversation all agreed should be doable. So Page next year and maybe Torrey the year after. Maybe Springdale in three years. That sounds like a nice variety of locations.
Can’t say “thank you” enough to Max for all of her work in coordinating the return to Bluff for our seventh meet-up. I think the event came off without a hitch. She did an outstanding job of coordinating the major activities for each day and the dinner arrangements each night. I think all those efforts paid off big time. I’m not sure that the restaurants would have really been able to handle us without the advance notice. But the plan was executed to near perfection. Well done, Max!
Most of the Herd is leaving at some point on Sunday, us included. About 9:00 a few folks started the goodbyes so we also said our farewells. It was so packed in the Hen House that it was not possible to get around for hugs or handshakes and everyone, but we did the best that we could. I finally had to resort to one last hearty “See Y’all!” and then we headed out the door. For us, the Second Great Bluff Meet-up was now over. But we still had a few more days of exploring on our own as tomorrow we leave Bluff and continue on to Mesa Verde. I did not take a lot of photos around Bluff or during our evening activities but I did get a few (photos gallery). The rest of the story is in part II of this journal….
Can’t say “thank you” enough to Max for all of her work in coordinating the return to Bluff for our seventh meet-up. I think the event came off without a hitch. She did an outstanding job of coordinating the major activities for each day and the dinner arrangements each night. I think all those efforts paid off big time. I’m not sure that the restaurants would have really been able to handle us without the advance notice. But the plan was executed to near perfection. Well done, Max!
Most of the Herd is leaving at some point on Sunday, us included. About 9:00 a few folks started the goodbyes so we also said our farewells. It was so packed in the Hen House that it was not possible to get around for hugs or handshakes and everyone, but we did the best that we could. I finally had to resort to one last hearty “See Y’all!” and then we headed out the door. For us, the Second Great Bluff Meet-up was now over. But we still had a few more days of exploring on our own as tomorrow we leave Bluff and continue on to Mesa Verde. I did not take a lot of photos around Bluff or during our evening activities but I did get a few (photos gallery). The rest of the story is in part II of this journal….