Moab 2022
THE SHORT STORY
Wednesday, September 30 - An Old Favorite! The plan for each day in Moab had the same general layout: out in the morning for a hike before the trails got too crowded and the temperature too high, then back to the flat to chill for the afternoon followed by dinner at one of our favorite restaurants (and we’ll probably be able to walk to dinner most every night). Today we started the execution of this plan with an early drive to Arches National Park to hike one of our all-time favorite trails, the Devils Garden. If I have counted correctly, this is our sixth visit to Moab and we have hiked the Devils Garden during four of those trips. We hike the entire loop and usually add on most if not all of the side trails. Today was no different as went clockwise around the loop, so starting off with Landscape Arch, then the spur trails to Partition Arch and Navajo Arch, along the back of the fin out to Double O Arch, then the detour to the Dark Angel then returning through the labyrinth of fins along the primitive trail including the side trail to Private Arch. The only side trail we did not take this time we out to Lone Pine Arch. That hike covered nearly eight miles and took us until just after noon to complete, so by the time we got back to the flat, we were ready to relax on the back patio.
Following an afternoon of relaxing on the back patio with a couple of beer we walked to Main Street for dinner at Miguel’s Baja Grill.
Thursday, October 1 - Local Knowledge: Hidden Valley. Based on the recommendations from Ellyn, we scrapped our plan to hike the Grandstaff Trail and instead hiked Hidden Valley. She said that Hidden Valley was her favorite hike in the area, really a hidden gem and that we would likely have the trail to ourselves. She suggested hiking at least to the petroglyph panel and using that as our turn-around for a five-mile, out-and-back hike. And that’s exactly what we did. The local knowledge was correct as this was a very nice hike and we only saw seven other folks.
Lynn and I strolled around the city park trail before dinner. Pleasant little trail that provided a quiet space that was really just a couple blocks from the hustle and bustle of Main Street Moab.
We had our big splurge dinner of the trip at Desert Bistro. This is one of my favorite restaurants within the Grand Circle.
Friday, October 2 - The Big Hike: Chesler Park. Ellyn also recommended that we tweak the hiking plan for our day in the Needles section of Canyons. I had Druid Arch as our destination and Ellyn said that is a great hike, but the BEST hike is the Chesler Park loop. Well, she was right about Hidden Valley, so we’ll go with her advice again. Glad we did!
It took nearly two hours to drive from Moab to the Elephant Hill trailhead, including quick stops at Newspaper Rock and the Canyonlands visitor center, so we were not on the trail until almost 10:00. But then we were off on a grand hike. Ellyn was right, Chesler Park was beautiful and had a lot of variety. But it was a taxing trail due to the length and just the rugged nature of the trail. Sure, there were stretches that were flat, open and easy, but there were some rocky climbs that gave us a workout. It took us all day to cover the 12 miles. But the views were worth it.
Since we hiked all day, we did not get our relaxed afternoon on the back patio, so we improvised and combined patio time and dinner with carry-out pizza from Zax.
Saturday, October 3 - Finally, Fisher Towers. Following our big hike on Friday, we took our time getting out on Saturday, but eventually decided that we should check out Fisher Towers. This hike has been on our list for some time, and we finally fit it into the itinerary. We weren’t on the trail until 10:30 so there were a lot of folks out here, but there were room for everyone. Very hazy this morning so the distance views were muted, but right along the trail was gorgeous. There were several climbers out this morning scaling the towers. Not my idea of fun! But the hike was great and provided various perspectives of the tall sandstone structures. I’m glad we finally completed this hike.
For dinner we tried Spitfire BBQ, a new restaurant that is just around the corner from Westside Flats and had just opened this week. Not bad but I think they still have some kinks to work out.
THE DETAILS
Wednesday, September 30 – Devils Garden, Arches National Park.
We were up with the alarm at 0500. I’m feeling rested this morning, following a relatively east, mostly driving day. Glad we did get in the short hike at Harpers Corners and a little walking around Moab last evening to counter all the time in the Explorer.
Bagels for breakfast. I knocked out a few emails then got ready for hiking. Likewise the girls were also pretty much on the ball this morning as we were on the road at 7:15, which is not too bad against the planned 0700 departure time. No traffic to speak of this morning. I guess even with the increased number of tourists, and early start still gets you out in front of the vast majority. That said, there were more cars out at this time of day than we remembered seeing in the past. It will be interesting to see how crowded Arches is.
We were driving through the entrance gate at Arches at 7:25, so a quick trip. The road construction along 191 back toward Moab was not fired up for the day, so no delay there. Looks like the National Parks Service has made some upgrades to the entrance area to help with the influx of visitors, the most notable change was the addition of a traffic circle along the access road just prior to reaching the entrance gate.
We drove straight through the park to the Devils Garden trailhead, arriving thee at 7:55 so a solid half hour from entering the park. We probably could have gotten here a few minutes faster if not for the really slow guy in the black Tahoe. I’m sure they were simply enjoying the views from the road, since we were as well, but he was driving well below the posted speed limit. Not that I am advocating speeding through a National Park, far from it. This is one of the best times to drive the park road to enjoy the rad sandstone formations under the morning lighting. However, the NPS already has very conservative speed limits so no need to slow down further. But if you do want to take more time getting through the park, take advantage of the pull outs and wide spots to stop and enjoy the beauty and also allow the other cars to continue on their way. But this highlighted the crowded conditions facing the park as there was a line of 20 cars piled up behind slow poke Rodriguez. Fortunately he turned at road leading to Delicate Arch, along with four or five cars behind us.
Another data point on the increased number of tourists in the park was the observation that the parking lot, while greatly expanded in recent years, was still over half full by the time we arrived. Remembers that was just a few minutes before 8 AM, so fairly early. Based on the number of cars, I reckon we’ll see a lot of folks on the trail.
We got our gear together and added an extra layer of clothing as the dashboard temperature reading was 43 degrees F when we arrived at the trailhead. Just a touch on the brisky side.
The Devils Garden trail is one of our favorites. It is in my Top Ten list of trails in the National Parks. Shoot for that matter, this is one of my top ten, even top five hikes anywhere. I just think it is a very scenic trail, with many interesting landscape features, and it offers up a little bit of a challenge particularly along the primitive trail portion of the loop. We’ve now visited Moab six times, including this year (assuming I’ve counted correctly), and I think that today will make the fourth time we have hiked the Devils Garden Trail.
While the temperature is on the chilly side to start the hike, the conditions otherwise are ideal. Lovely azure sky with not a cloud to be seen and but there was a bit of a breeze that emphasized the cool temperature. With the high temperature only expected to reach the low 70s F, I think we will have a fine day on the trail.
The only downside to the Devils Garden, and Arches in general for that matter, is the lack of wildlife sightings. I know that the critters are here in the park, but they tend to make themselves scarce, at least in the more heavily trafficked areas. We typically spot lizards along the trails and an occasional rabbit, but not much else and certainly no big critters. Today would prove to be just the reverse of that trend. But I’m getting a little ahead of myself.
Now that we have made our final trips to the kibo and have our packs, hats and cameras situated, it is time to hit the trail. I started our track at 8:01AM. The parking lot had gotten even more full in the short time that we have been here. Almost everyone we are seeing at present are hikers. They have the right gear and the correct clothing for hiking in the desert. And many of them are younger, the 20- and 30-somethings. Plus a few family groups with mom, dad and the tweens. That’s great to see as well. Here’s a list of other observations from the Devil’s Garden this morning:
We were exiting the park around 1:00. We noted that the new roundabout was blocked off, not allowing incoming traffic. Holy sandstone, Batman, the park is closed! Well, it was packed. Good on the NPS for trying to control the chaos. Interestingly, while Devils Garden was jammed, there was plenty of room at other locations like balanced rock and Park Avenue. Well, maybe some sort of timed and or ticketed would be useful for controlling the entry into the park, at least during the current pandemic situation.
Back in Moab, after making our way through the construction zone (not too congested where in the middle of the day) we made a quick stop at state store. The girls went in for wine but I stayed in the car to minimize the number of bodies in the store. It took them a while to run this little errand, plus Lynn forgot the bottle she had purchased and had to run back in to claim it. Once back in the car, Lynn reported that there did not seem to be a great beer selection, but it was crowded in the store so she really could not do a proper reconnaissance.
We returned to Westside Flats to begin or relaxed afternoon, starting with a little lunch. WE had to toss the carrot that we bought last night as they were very mushy. Carrots should be crunchy! Well, that’s unfortunate. Yeah, perhaps we should check out another grocery store option in Moab. But we have plenty of other things to snack on. We just made a plate of cheese and cracker to nibble on out in the patio. Plus beer and wine, of course. I started with a Sip of Sunshine followed by Session IPA #4, so sort of a Lawson’s Finest Liquids afternoon. I’m down to four beers! Well, I guess I’ll get to see first-hand the state of the beer selection at the liquor store as four beers will not be enough to last through the rest of the trip.
We went out for dinner a little before 5 PM, which was perfect timing as we arrived at Miquel’s just as it opened. There were only a couple groups ahead of us, so very minimal wait and we were soon situated at our table on the open veranda area. They’ve had to remove a couple tables due to COVID so it is not nearly as crowded. That’s a plus in terms of a more relaxed dining atmosphere, but I’m sure it hits their bottom-line. Our server was quickly on the spot with drink orders. Lynn and Lisa both had margaritas. As usual, no beer worth drinking so I made due with aqua. But even with the poor selection of cerveza, I’ve always liked this place, ever since I had my first M.O.A.B., that is the “Mother Of All Burritos.” I tried to eat a little healthier this afternoon and there are some options that are a little lower in calories, but next time I’m getting the big burrito, darn it! But the scallop ranchero that I had was tasty and pretty filling. Lisa had a veggie quesadilla. Lynn on the other hand went at least semi-big, with the M.O.A.B. Lite, the half-sized little brother of the M.O.A.B. And she polished it off!
After dinner, the plan was to check out some of the shops. However, Lisa had leftover quesadilla, so I offered to take that back to the flat while the girls went shopping. There’s really no need for me to tag along on a shopping trip in Moab and besides, this gave be a little quiet time on the back patio. Once the girls had returned, we made a quick trip to restock on breakfast food and trail snacks, this time opting for the City Market to get our supplies. Bigger place with more variety of options, plus a little easier to get in and out of. Now we have options for groceries.
We spent the rest of the evening out on the back patio, but called it an early night at around 8:30. Lisa went back to her flat and since there was nothing on TV, Lynn and I watched Journey 2 on my phone for a while before crashing.
Thursday, October 1 – Hidden Valley Trail
The alarm went off at 0500, but no rush, so I catnapped a bit before flipping on the light at 0540. I reviewed a couple websites for details on Hidden Valley. It does sound like a nice hike, but the first half mile or so will be a steep, uphill slog. Basically just what Ellyn has told us.
Standard morning just getting ready for the day and we were ready to roll at 8:05. Except Lynn is up a tree in her book, the last pages of the final chapter, so that will take a few extra minutes. No big deal, she’s a fast reader. She finished the book and we were still at the trailhead before 8:30 (in fact, I started the Ramblr track at 8:29). That’s the nice thing about picking a hike that is very close to the basecamp and this one was only about a 10 minute drive heading south along route 191.
Baby led us right to the trailhead. We spotted a desert cottontail along the side streets as we approached the parking area, so our first critter for the day. There were maybe a half dozen cars at the trailhead lot, but there are both hiking and biking trails departing from here, so there is probably a mix in terms of where these folks are exploring today. Looks like we’ll have another nice day for hiking with plenty of sun and the sky was clear of clouds although there was a haze hanging off on the horizon. The dashboard readout stated 52 F for our starting temperature. That’s pretty close to perfect. Good thing that is was on the cool side for the start of the hike, because as we looked up from the trailhead it was obvious that we have our work cut out for us. As Ellyn warned us, it is a long, steep route to the point where the trail reaches the top of ridge, supposedly at the entrance to the valley.
The uphill hike began as soon as we left the parking area. Gradual at first, but that was short lived. Then we hit the steep and fairly rocky section that included a series of switchbacks to climb roughly 500 feet over about a half mile. Sort of tough going, but we kept after it. The nice thing about a trail like this is the ever changing perspective of the view; the higher we went the better it got and the more we saw. Today “better” was still correct, but the views off to the east and south were affected by the hazy conditions. We could see the rock formations and the mountains but the vista was not crisp.
Once the trail leveled out, we still as a short stretch that wound through a few big boulders and some scraggly little trees. But then the trail opened up into a wide valley flanked by red rock walls. I reckon this would be Hidden Valley. Well, it is certainly hidden from view coming from the trail we just traversed, so well named. The trail cuts through the center of the valley and seems to be well traveled as it has cut a groove into the valley floor at some points. However today we had the trail to ourselves. Not another hiker to be seen. In fact, the only other people we saw as we walked the length of the valley (well over a mile) were two young lady trail runners coming from the other direction as we were exiting the far end of the valley. Not sure if they were returning from and out-and-back run or doing a point-to-point, but we did not see them again on the trail. That’s good news since running down that steep, rocky section would seem to be a prime spot to break a leg. But, everyone has different ways of enjoying the outdoors. I like a little slower pace that allows more time to study the details and reflect on the big picture.
The trail through the valley is slightly uphill but has more of a gentle rolling. We’re walking through grassy meadow with a few splashes of color from the wildflowers. I bet this could be a colorful scene in the spring with the wildflowers in full bloom. We’ll have to check that out if we visit here at the right time. Today the red rock formations that towner over the trail are the highlights. To our right (east) are lower, mounded hills mostly covered in grass and shrubs. But to the left was a tall wall of sandstone capped with some interesting knobs and spires, reaching a couple hundred feet above us. While tall, the rocks were well away from the trail, so this was unlike other trails that worked through narrow canyons where you felt confined by the walls. Here the valley was wide and open and the rock wall was more like the fence running along the edge of the backyard; it provided definition but did not feel restrictive.
At the far end of the valley there was a slight uphill and the valley narrowed a bit. This high point provided a nice vantage point in both directions. As we continued we entered another valley area that opened up with even better vistas looking north and west. We were looking downhill onto mounded, lumpy formations of tan rock, so a different layer than the red rock wall that marker the boundary of the valley we had just walked through. Plus now we could see what is probably our destination for this hike, a sandstone formation to our right where we should find the rock art panels. We found a path that led in that direction and off we went.
This side trail wound its way uphill through a series of rocky twists and turns, but it was an obvious route so easy to follow. We spotted a few birds as we hiked along, a Scrub Jay that was willing to pose for a photo and another bird that was more on the shy side. I got a photo but it always had it a back to me so I never got a great look at it. Just a grey bird of some sort. The trail lead us up to the base of the red sandstone rock face where we encountered the only other hikers that we saw on the trail, a group of three or four folks who were taking a break on the rocks. We waved and said “hello” then continued on.
The trail continued right up to the base of the formation. We found the BLM sign that I had read about in one of the hiking articles describing the trail <<link>>, so we knew we were on the right track. We thought it odd that the sign was positioned as it was, sort of high up a big boulder and not really that obvious. I probably would have missed it completely as I was admiring the view, but Lynn or Lisa did spot it. The sign carries an important message, the short version of which is DO NOT TOUCH THE ROCK ART! The petroglyphs are irreplaceable and should be treated with respect. I borrowed the following from the linked article (with a couple minor tweaks for grammar), as the message is clear and very much worth repeating:
“Remember to treat all the rock art you discover with respect so that it may be enjoyed by future generations. Rock art is extremely fragile and easily damaged. Never touch rock panels as the oil on your fingers can speed the erosion of the rock art. Do not vandalize the panels by making rubbings or adding modern (embellishments). If you come across artifacts such as pottery shards, leave them where you find them.”
We continued around a bend in the trail and found the first panel. A collection of various images pecked into the rock. Scattered critters, sheep for the most part. One looked like a cat. These are generally small images, quite different than the panels and images we had seen around Vernal and Dinosaur National Monument. However, there were some figures of the shield bearers like we saw at McConkie Ranch. But for the most part these images were rougher and not as intricate. There were a few images that seemed unique, different from the rest on the panel. It was simple and looked like an outline of the topography, hills and valley. A map perhaps. Not sure. Overall quite the collection of odds-and-ends.
http://www.hikingwalking.com/index.php/destinations/ut/ut_se/moab/hidden_valley/hidden_valley_details
The trail continued beyond the first panel, so we figured we would walk on out and see if there were more ancient etchings. If nothing else, it would be worth the walk to see the views. As we were starting down the trail, a couple more hikers appeared from the other direction, two guys, one in his 40s and one closer to 60, I’m guessing. Then were just chatting away, but not about hiking, petroglyphs or the beautiful vista. Nope, they were deeply engrossed in an animated discussion about the suspension requirements for off-road vehicles. OK, that’s a legitimate topic for Moab. But they stopped right in the middle of the trail, at a point where we could not get past. Lisa was one the trail next to the two guys while Lynn and I were making our way down from the panel. Lisa finally asked if she could get by. The older guy who had been dominating the conversation, looked up and seemed very surprised to see Lisa. He was very apologetic for blocking the trail. He explained that he thought we were part of his group and was not really paying attention. I guess the folks we saw lounging back up the trail were the rest of their party. We did asked if there were more petroglyphs out along the trail to which they confirmed that there were and some interesting ones. Cool.
As we made our way along the red wall, the vista out across the valley and beyond came more and more into view. Quite an impressive sight from the foreground of the trail running through the open valley, the fins and knobs defining the far side of the valley and extending off toward the Colorado River (not that we could see the river, but it was off in that direction) then the shear red-pink cliffs on the horizon. The view was outstanding. This was really worth the hike. The collection of fins across the valley are quite intriguing and reminded me a bit of the Devils Garden, although they do not see to be a tightly packed as in Arches. Still, I wonder if there are any trails that work through that area. That could be a fun place to explore.
The next rock art panel was similar to the first, but perhaps it had more images. Sheep, deer, human figures, shield bearers, so a lot of the same stuff in the same style as the first panel. We paused here for a team photo with the big vista as a background before continuing along the wall in search of more ancient images. There were a few more including one that looked like a set of paper dolls, a set of little humanoid figures holding hands in a long row. Twenty of them. Not sure I’ve seen one like that before.
At this point is seemed that we had exhausted the options for rock art, so we reversed course and worked our way back along the panels for a second look and to begin the hike back to the trailhead.
The nice thing about an out-and-back route is that you get to see the views from the opposite direction and under different lighting conditions on the return trip. I took advantage of that on our hike back through Hidden Valley. Granted, the lighting washed out La Sal Mountains more or less, but each time I took a photo of the vista in front of us, I turned around to capture what we behind us as well. Better lighting and color to the rear.
We chatted about the hike as what to do this afternoon as we made or way back through Hidden Valley. The latter discussion was easy, we’ll start with a drink on the patio then figure it out from there. As for the hike, we all agreed that Ellyn had provided an excellent suggestion. It is hard to beat the local knowledge. Lynn and I recounted the critters sightings thus far. There was the rabbit on the way drive to the trailhead, and a chipper earlier in the hike, plus a few birds. Ravens and Scrub Jays were the only ones we could identify, so the rest will go down as “gone birds.” And a bunch of lizards, particularly along the initial, uphill section of the trail. There were so many that we lost count. That more than made up for the dearth of reptiles on yesterday along in Devils Garden. In fact, we had more lizard sightings once we started back down the steep section of the trail. One is quite interesting. A little red guy, just sitting on a flat, red rock that was at about bar height so easy to see as we went by. He did not seem too interested in us as he was watching a potential meal. There was a little moth flitting about in the area but seemingly out of reach of the lizard. But the lizard sat patiently and waited. And the moth continued to fly around. Well, the moth can just fly on away, so the lizard is probably out of luck. But we stood and watched for a minute. As did the lizard. Apparently the moth was obliviously. It just flitted and fluttered closer to the rock and to the lizard. The lizard just watched. Then the moth made the critical error and floated into the lizard’s range. It was over in a heartbeat. Breakfast for one. So goes nature. Who knows, the lizard could be next if one of those Ravens or a wandering hawk should spy him sunny on this rock. He left the little guy to enjoy his meal.
We made it. Another great Grand Circle hike in the books. Even though that was a brutal downhill stretch at the end, the final flattish section leading back to the trailhead allowed us to work out a few of the kinks and soreness. Downhill is as tough as uphill but for different reasons. Less huffing and puffing when losing elevation but more wear and tear on the knees.
Ellyn was right, this was a very nice hike. Thanks to her for sharing her local knowledge. I’m not as infatuated with Hidden Valley as she is but I would certainly return. It won’t break into my top five hikes for the Moab area, but it could be close to the top ten, not that my ranking matters. It certainly was a very good trail, gave us a quite the workout and was very peaceful due to the lack of other hikers (we passed a total of nine folks on the trail, including the two trail runners). From that perspective, I can see why Ellyn enjoys this trail so much.
Hey, there’s an interesting 4WD parked in the trailhead lot. Those neon colors are popular these days. It appear to be built to go anywhere, but it seems rather clean for an off-road vehicle. But I guess you have to wash the red dirt off of these vehicles occasionally. Certainly good for safety and being spotted on the trail. The lot was still mostly full and a few of the vehicles come in since we hit the trail. Since we did not see anyone on the trial during our return hike, these folks must be on the other trails. Bikers, I reckon. We threw our packs in the back, loaded into the Explorer and headed back toward town. We were at the flat right about noon. The temperature was a balmy 81 F by now and a completely gorgeous day. I was on the back patio, beer in hand, before 12:30. Life is good!
It was very pleasant here in the shade on this lovely fall afternoon. The White-crowned sparrows are bouncing around in the back yard, providing us with a little entertainment. But more importantly, the Nugmo IPA is cold and refreshing. Ahhh, a little Zen moment there. While we were chillin’ on the patio, I jotted a few notes and uploaded the hiking track. Ramblr was acting up this morning (perhaps just poor signal), so I ended up having to make multiple tracks that I’ll piece together once we get home. But I reckon we got in around five miles this morning, so a good hike, particularly with the steep section. I was also thinking about the area across the valley from the rock art, where that forest of red fins and yellow-tan knobs were located. Looking at the topo map of our track, I wonder if it is possible to explore in area. There were no marked trails on the map, but if this is slickrock, I but that it would be easy to access from the northwest end. It might be sort of a Devils Garden area. Something to think about for the next time. Perhaps Ellyn and Mike will have some insight on that.
After relaxing on the back patio for the better part of the afternoon, we decided to take a lap around Moab and do a little shopping. Well, the girls decided to do a little shopping. I guess I just went along for the ride, or walk in this case. But it was good to get up and stretch. We were only out for short while; we left about 3:00 and were back before 4:00. We were mostly browsing it seems as there was not a lot of purchasing going on this afternoon. Lisa found a blanket with a very pretty southwest design that appealed to her, but did not take the plunge. I got a Moab hat (like I need another hat, but then you can never have too many hats) and Lynn scored a turquoise pendent. No luck on that hoodie that she is looking for.
During the early evening, we spent some time up on the upper deck common area. We don’t sit up here that often. It is not a great view but there are some red rocks to catch the evening light. Sort of a shocking experience getting to and from the deck area. No, really, shocking; for whatever reason there is a static electricity build-up and if you happen to touch the hand rail on the spiral stairs leading to the upper deck you will get zapped and I mean a good shock!
The problem with having late dinner reservations (aside from falling asleep in one’s salad) is that we now have time to kill. Lynn and I took a walk, but Lisa opted out (I think she took a nap). We walked over past Desert Bistro and on toward the creek. We’ve walked past here before, but never across the pedestrian bridge. OK, that’s where the Gonzo Inn is; I keep hearing about this place but never spotted it. Looks nice. And now we know the short way to get to the state store. That could come in handy. On the way back toward the flat, we took the long way along the nature trail that runs along the creek. It was a bit sandy in places but shaded along the part we walked. We spotted a few deer including on youngster that was bouncing around under the watchful eye of mother. We took our time here as to not further excite the little one so that it would not bolt into the road. And of course there was a little songbird posing on branch adjacent to the trail. How did it know that I was not carrying a camera? The trail continued past a skateboard park or some such thing then connected back to the road right by the hospital. OK, we know exactly where we are now, and not far from the flat. We completed our meander and relaxed on the patio until dinner time, which now was not that far in the future. Good thing, as I am getting hungry.
The walk to Desert Bistro from Westside Flats is less than five minutes. We arrived right in time for our 8:45 reservation and just had to wait a minute or two to be seated. We got a table out on the screened-in back porch which is what we were hoping for. Our server, Kasandra, was with us in short order and took our drink orders. The bad news is that there is no beer worth drinking here. That can be an issue in Moab as some places try to support the locals. Unfortunately, I’m not a huge fan of Moab Brewing. I guess Moab will not be a retirement option for Lynn and me. But even with the lack of an adequate accompanying hoppy libations, this still a great restaurant and we always try to fit in at least one meal here when we are in town.
Due to the pandemic-mandated precautions, the restaurant was at about half-capacity. That’s part of the reason that it was so hard to get a reservation; it is a popular place and now half of the tables are out of commission. But on the plus side, that made it nice as there was more space and a lot less noise so overall a more enjoyable dining experience. I think there were only two or three other small parties (couples) on the porch with us, plus one bigger group, a wedding party of eight or ten folks. They were making the best of their big day during these strange times and it appeared that a good time was had by all.
The servers at Desert Bistro are phenomenal. It amazes me that they never read the special menu and never write anything down. And it’s not like specials are things like “a bacon cheese burger with fries.” Nope, there are several specials and each has a paragraph for a description. She just rattled off the list and then answered all of our questions. When she returned with bread and a variety of spreads, she also took our order and never wrote anything down. And the orders were just and complex as the menu. But everything came out just as requested. Nicely done, Kasandra!
It’s no wonder that we enjoy this place. Aside from the lack of quality beer (and granted I am a beer snob), the setting, the service and the food are all top-notch. So we started our feast with the bison empanadas and the crab muffins. Yum! The girls both at the beef tenderloin while I went with one of the special dishes, the sea bass. Double yum! It is all excellent and these are decent size portions. By the time we got through the main course we were stuffed. No dessert tonight. The only black mark on the evening was that once we had finished our meal and decided against dessert, it took a long time for the check to arrive. That’s just a pet peeve of mine. But we were not in a rush, so it was not a huge deal; I just wanted to go home and crash.
And crash we did once we were back at Westside Flats. I was in bed at 10:30. That’s later than usual for this trip due to the late dinner, but it is what it is. We’ll see how we feel in the morning since we want to get an early start due to the hour-plus drive into the Needles section of Canyonlands.
Friday, October 2 – Chesler Park, Canyonlands National Park. Up with the alarm at 0500. Feeling pretty good this morning and ready for a big hike. The plus was that we had a pretty relaxed morning as we were not in a huge rush even though we were shooting for an early departure. We were basically ready to roll at 0730 and backing out of our parking slot at 0735. I’ll call that a win for the cat herder. Let the adventure begin!
It is an easy drive from Moab to the Needles section of Canyonlands, just straight south on route 191 for about an hour, then turn right on the park access road. We made no stops along 191, and just enjoyed the scenery as we drove south. We did point out a couple of highlights to Lisa, like Wilson’s Arch right there along the road and the tourist trap of Hole in the Rock. Lynn and I stopped there a few years ago on a bad weather day. Sure it was moderately interesting, but I would not go out of my way to stop here and I certainly would not give up a day on the trail for a visit. One point that I always remember about that place is the guy who built it was also a horrible taxidermist.
Our first stop of the day since leaving Moab was a Newspaper Rock. Partly because it is a cool petroglyph site and we wanted to let Lisa see it, and partly because there was an outhouse here and Lynn needed a rest stop. Drive time was right at an hour from Moab to Newspaper Rock, and we still have a ways to go to get into the park. I think I underestimated the drive time. Oh well.
Anyway, back to Newspaper Rock. Here’s the description of the site from the interpretive signage:
Newspaper Rock Archaeological Site. Newspaper Rock is a petroglyph panel etched in sandstone that records approximately 2,000 years of early human activity. Prehistoric people, probably from the Archaic, Basketmaker, Freemont and Pueblo cultures, etched on the rock from B.C. time to A.D. 1300. In historic times, Ute and Navajo people, as well as European Americans made their contributions.
In interpreting the figures on the rock, scholars are undecided as to their meaning or have yet to decipher then. In Navajo, the rock is called “Tse’ Hans’” (Rock that tells a story).
Unfortunately, we do not know if the figures represent storytelling, doodling, hunting magic, clan symbols ancient graffiti or something else. Without a true understanding of the petroglyphs, mc hos left for individual interpretation.
We made this as quick of a stop as possible, then kept rolling toward Canyonlands. It is a lovely drive as the road winds through a valley surrounded by pink, red and yellow mesas and cliffs. Once in the park (and it took a while to get there), we made another quick pit stop at the visitor center, since we were unsure of status facilities at the trailhead (restrooms are indicated on the map, but who knows if they are open due to the pandemic). Better safe than sorry. Then it was on to the Elephant Hill trailhead. The last couple miles were along a dirt road (once past the campgrounds). The road was in great shape, so no issues there. Sure, it was still rough, and slow going but there was no place that we were going to get stuck. But it was narrow in places so we were on the watch for oncoming traffic, but we had the road to ourselves for the drive out this morning.
We were finally pulling into the trailhead parking lot at 0930, so a solid two hours of travel time from Moab, including our two short stops. That was a little more time than I was figuring (I thought it was more like a 90-minite drive). But we are still here in plenty of time to complete the hike before the sun goes down. But that just means I’ll have a longer drive back to Moab after the hike.
Now that we are here, the first trick is to find a parking spot, and there were not many of those left, at least in the main lot (there is an overflow lot a couple hundred yards back down the access road and it was basically empty, but at the end of the day following a 12 mile hike those extra steps could be kind of tough!). Actually, there were a few slots remaining in the main lot by the trailhead so we snagged one there, but shortly after we arrived a two or three other vehicles pulled in and pretty much filled the area. There were a lot of folks out for a hike today and this seems like starting point of choice as there are a lot of options from the Elephant Hill trailhead. Chesler Park and Druid Arch are probably the primary goals for most hikers, but there are a several trails that allow for various looping alternative routes. The folks parked next to us looked like a multi-generational group ranging in age from toddler to probably into the 60s, and they were gearing up for a multi-day camping excursion with big packs. They certainly look like they know what they are getting into; definitely not their first rodeo. I just wondered about taking a little kid out on an overnight adventure, but I reckon it’s good to give the youngster an appreciation for the outdoors and they have a big group, so plenty of support. Hey, family bonding in the desert wilderness is a good thing.
By 9:40 AM we had made our final visits to the facilities (they were open and clean), had our packs in order and were walking toward the start of the trail. I had started our track at 9:37. That’s pretty much on schedule, adjusting for the longer than planned drive. Even at our typical 2 MPH hiking speed, we should be back no later than around 4:00, so still plenty of daylight available to make the hike.
One thing for sure, we had another outstanding day for a hike. Beautiful blue sky but today with some swirly cirrus clouds) to add a little interest (and several contrails so there folks traveling. The temperature when we hit the trail was 63 degrees F and the predicted high was in the low 80s, so not bad at all. We knew this was going to be a long day on an exposed trail, so we were fully prepared (well, as prepared as we could be anyway), with hats, sunglasses, sturdy boots, full water bladders and a liberal coating of SPF 6000 sunblock. Plus we had spare batteries for the cameras and an assortment of trail snacks. Yep, we’re as ready as we’ll ever be.
Our route today is a lollipop with a bent stick. We’ll be heading generally southwest from the Elephant Hill trailhead along and through Elephant Canyon (for about 3 miles) then making a big loop around the area known as Chesler Park (nearly 5 miles) and back to the trailhead. This route includes the section known as The Joint Trail, which is a slot canyon of sorts (more on that in a bit) and should provide an additional element of variety.
The short story is that this was a very tough hike. The trail was quite challenging even thought there were not huge elevation changes along the route but a couple of short, steep, rocky sections there were a bit of a workout. Between those tougher sections, the deep sand, a bit of scrambling, and just the overall length of the trail, we knew this was going to be a strenuous hike and a full day on the trail. And it was! But this was a very worthwhile effort! The scenery along every step of the hike was magnificent. The Needles Section of Canyonlands is amazing with the beautifully colored sandstone and the fascinating formations. Plus add in the joints that we traversed (yeah, yeah, more on these features are coming). This was geology overload and I loved it! There was just so much variety in terms of topography and geology. And all of this with lovely weather for hiking. The entire hike was a highlight reel, but here are the details from our trek:
<< link to park map brochure page, plus include the map on a separate page in the journal >>
We had a quiet ride home, as the girls were wore out and napping part of the way. I was happy enjoying the quiet drive and the scenery, but I did have to stay on my toes as there were some crazy drivers out on route 191. Just some speed demons who wanted to take advantage of the straight stretches of the highway. The good news was that there was still plenty of daylight remaining for the drive back to Moab, so I could see those few crazy folks as well as any wildlife along the road.
We rolled back into Westside Flats right at 6:00. Immediate beer required! We certainly earned our post-hike beverages today! That was pretty much an all-day excursion between the drive time and the long hike. We’re beat but there is also that sense of accomplishment since we completed a wonderful hike on a pretty strenuous trail. That is certainly a trail that I would do again. I think that next time we will try the hike to Druid Arch as that is also highly rated. So many options. As we sit here on the patio enjoying a beer or glass of wine, we were in accord that this was a great day out on an excellent trail.
Well, we are hungry but not really feeling like going out. There’s always carry out. We thought about the new BBQ place just around the corner. Maybe tomorrow. This just feels like a pizza night. I confirmed that Zax does carry-out orders, so we’re good to go. The only downside to carry-out is that I know who will be going to get the pizza. And with the crowded conditions in Moab these days, there is no sense in driving. Besides, it is less than half a mile from the flat to Zax, so why waste the fuel. I’ll just get a few more steps in for the day.
I pulled up Zax menu on my phone so that we could figure out the order. We decided on a Ramone (tomato sauce, pepperoni, sausage, green peppers, onion, and mozzarella) and a build your own veggie, plus a side of jalapenos for me. We got two 14-inch pies, so we’ll have enough for tonight and leftovers for lunch tomorrow. I placed the ordered at 7:15, and it would only take about 15 minutes. Yikes, that fasted than I was figuring and I want to remove the trail dirt before going out. OK, a very quick shower. Quick, yes, but it still felt so good! I’m feeling a bit reinvigorated and headed out to get dinner. I strolled into Zax just a little after 7:30, so not too bad on the timing.
One thing for sure, Moab is a hopping place. There were people everyone and even the backstreet had some traffic, including a flight of rather noisy and quite overt off-road vehicles of some kind. The main street was packed with cars and the pedestrians. But just about everyone had on some sort of face covering as per the guidance here in Moab. Social distancing was a little tougher at times due to the crowds but the businesses were doing all that they could to comply and keep folks safe. Even with the restrictions, the restaurants were packed, as there were good-sized crowds and folks waiting to be seated at Spitfire BBQ, Desert Bistro and Zax. I think we chose wisely with carry out.
Back on the patio, we all dug into dinner. Zax makes a very good pizza. We did a fair amount of damage to those two pies but there was still plenty remaining for lunch tomorrow. Now it is time just to relax for a while on the back patio. We reflected on the hike today, which we all agreed was tough but wonderful. Sort of reminded me of the hike into Sperry Chalet in Glacier National Park, one of our first really big hiking excursions. Our short description was that the hike was 14 miles, took us ten hours and nearly killed us; it was GREAT! Lisa and I compared our step count for today. I had 31,661. No wonder my feet hurt. But the walk to Zax was a good thing as it let me stretch out my old bones a bit.
We also worked out a plan for tomorrow, which was to have no plan. We’ll wing it. Sleep in. Maybe go out for breakfast. Leftovers for lunch. We'll figure it out based on how we fell in the morning. The girls have half a bottle of wine left and I’m drinking the last beer. We will see if we need to hit the state store or not (I’m thinking that “not” is not an option).
Lisa called it a night and Lynn went in to get cleaned-up. I just enjoyed a little peace on the patio. Lynn came back out after her shower. All is well, we had a little quiet time and chatted about the day but called it quits at 9:15 once I finished off my Hopzilla. By 9:20 we had hit the sack, lights off and we were out.
Saturday, October 3 – Fisher Towers. It was nice sleeping in this morning. No alarm is a good thing. Still, we were both awake about 0630 and up to face the day. We just puttered around the flat this morning, and scrapped together breakfast out of whatever was remaining of our supplies just to use them up. I finished off the last of the yogurt and one of the granola bars. I also checked one of the birding sights and confirmed that we had seen a Juniper Titmouse yesterday at Chesler Park.
We discussed the plan for the day. Granted, we had a big day on the trail yesterday, so taking a day off sounds like a good idea, but I hate to waste a potential day on the trails in this area, particularly when it is the last opportunity for this trip. Fisher Towers still seems like a good option. We could make that hike this morning, then chill the rest of the day. Well, along with some packing and travel prep. Lynn concurs that this is a good plan. We just did not set a frim time to start said plan. We will see when we actually mobilize.
We did hit the road later than most mornings, as it was almost 9:30 when we were pulling away from Westside Flats. The Explorer told me that is was 52 degrees F outside, so a comfortable start to our adventure. However, as we got out of town and along route 128, we could see that it was hazy and smoky this morning. First issues with those conditions that we have encountered in Moab. But it was still a lovely day for a drive along scenic route 128 as we rolled parallel to the Colorado River. We were keeping an eye out for folks out on the water, but did seen any one on the drive east. Perhaps it is a bit chilly yet this morning to be out on the river. While the river was not yet crowded, the trailhead parking at Grandstaff was jammed.
The higher than normal traffic conditions continued this morning as there were plenty of cars out on 128 already. Sure, we’re not out as early as we typically are but this still seems like higher volume than normal. And there were still impatient people passing but at least today they were making their moves along safer stretches of the road. Besides, the traffic was moving along pretty well, at the speed limit or higher, so really no need to pass. We were pulling onto the Fisher Towers Road right at 10:00 AM.
Just a short drive up the dirt access road to the trailhead parking. It is an uphill drive so the views were getting better, but we also saw that the haze was still pretty significant such that the more distant vistas were rather muted. But the tall features of Fisher Towers were very much in plain sight, so our hike should not be impacted.
But the big vistas were not the only interesting sight this morning along the dirt road. There was a little cluster of cars parked along the edge of the road at a point overlooking a little gully with a dozen or so folks gathered around. There were four big blue birds in the mix, each perched on the arms of handler. I think they were Blue and Yellow Macaws. Well, I guess this is an animal jam of sorts. There were a couple people down in the little depression below the road, maybe 100 feet or so away from the road and a little below road level. Looks like they are out here to let the birds do some flying. Since there was already a bit of a crowd, I just slowed to a crawl for safety’s sake, and continued to the trailhead.
Up at the trailhead parking area was just like what we saw at Grandstaff, the place was jammed. Lynn and I have driven up here a couple of times during previous trips just to take in the views but the timing was never right for the hike. During those stops there was always plenty of parking available. Not today. Every available square foot of dirt in the lot was covered by some sort of vehicle. And they were fairly well packed in so no wasted space. It took a minute to get extricate the Explorer from this mess, and I had to back out of the parking area and into the driveway to the campground in order to reverse course. Fortunately, the road leading into the parking lot is very wide, so I was able to find a place for the Explorer without blocking any part of the road. I hardly had her in park before another car followed suit and pulled in along the road just in front of me. Well, there are no signs saying that parking here in not allowed, and we are not blocking the road, so I’m going to say that we are good to go.
The temperature here at the trailhead was 61 F, so quickly increasing since we left Moab this morning. But still very comfortable for hiking. We donned our packs, adjusted our hats and I started our track on ramblr at 10:14 AM. We were not the only ones heading the start of the trail. And based on the number of vehicles in the parking area there will be a lot of traffic on the trail, as expected.
This is an easy trail to follow as most of the route runs along the base of the formations, so there is really no place else to go. To paraphrase Arlo Guthrie, “on one side of the trail there were the towering sandstone formations, and on the other side, there was nothin', there was just a cliff in the air.” Only the section from the trailhead parking area out along the first little ridge and trough a little gully needed any signage and cairns to keep us on track. And I think there should have been one more cairn at the start of that ridge as I missed a turn. But I got a nice view out on the end of the little fin before realizing I was at a dead end and getting back on track.
There were a lot of people out on this trail, ranging from folks out for a short walk to those heading off into the wilderness. We are somewhere squarely in the middle of that distribution. Since we got a later start today, there was already a lot of people returning to the trailhead. I spotted one young lady wearing a gray tee-shirt with the familiar, bright blue of the NASA meatball emblazoned on the front. This was the only NASA apparel I saw for the trip, which is sort of unusual, so I had to chat with her for a minute. Turns out that she does not work for NASA but would certainly like to. Sadly, she was not an engineer so the recruitment discussion ended quickly but I encouraged her to check the NASA website for internship and other opportunities.
The trail wraps right along the base of the main formations, so you are looking straight up to see the tallest spires and the climbers working their way to the top of the formations. Every time we drive past Fisher Towers, I always think of that one commerical, I think for a credit card, which shows a young lady standing on top of the one spiral shaped spire (I believe that one is called the Corkscrew). Now we’re seeing that formation from a closer vantage point and it is covered with colorful little ants climbing up and down its sides. More guys up in the rocks but there are a few gals as well. Good for them. I’m sticking to the trail!
The formations are a dark red and have a completely different look from sandstone in Arches. Turns out that Delicate Arch is only about 11 miles from Fisher Towers, as the crow flies, and the Devils Garden is 17, but the differences in the geology are striking. The sandstone in Arches tends more toward orange, yellow and tan and has a generally smooth look and feel, while the rocks that form the Fisher Towers are darker red, call it maroon, tending to dark brown, and have a rough appearance, like they have been covered in a deep red stucco. A much more jagged appearance, overall. But that is part of the appeal of the Grand Circle since in any small part of desert southwest there is just so much to experience and just such an amazing variety of things to see.
The trail afforded us with beautiful views which changed as we continued around each of the huge, eroded fins that support the tall towering formations. Each loop in the trail provides a unique perspective of both the towers directly overhead as well as the mesas and buttes in the distance. Granted these far-off formations were muted due to the hazy conditions today; I guess that might be a reason to try this trail again. In fact, I bet hiking this trail at different times of the day would be interesting due to the changes in lighting.
The stars of the trail are the giant sandstone structures towering over the trail. They are impressive. No wonder there are so many folks out on this trail as the formations are beautiful and it is fairly easy to access. The only formation that was named on the Ramblr map was The Titan. Well, I reckon it is the big guy here, so that makes sense but I was curious as to the names of the other formations. After the trip I did a little searching on the web and pieced together the following information from a couple of sources (Wikipedia and Utah.com, to cite two):
Fisher Towers are composed of three major fins of rock that run from the northeast starting at the mesa from wish they fins emerge out to the southwest and into a desert valley. The fins are between 1,000 and 2,000 feet long and separated from each other by about 1,000 feet. Each fin contains multiple towers. The easternmost section of the northernmost fin is dominated by a tower known as the King Fisher. The ridge line of the fin drops considerable before reaching the western formation called Ancient Arts. Ancient Arts is composed of four separate summits the most striking of which is the cork screw summit. The Middle fin is split into two very distinct towers known as Echo Tower in the east and Cottontail in the west. The southernmost fin is best known for containing the formation with the greatest elevation and prominence, The Titan. The eastern portion of the southern fin is the less well known Oracle which physically connects back to the mesa.
From the trailhead, the trail works uphill pretty steadily, with a few little dips and wiggles. There were a couple of ladders bolted to the sandstone walls to provide access where the trail dips through a couple of steep gullies. Not difficult at all, at least for those of us out for a simple day hike. But there were several folks with kids in backpacks or dogs who had to negotiate these obstacles. There was also at least on person on the trail who had sore knees from hiking around Chesler Park. After a couple mile, Lynn decided to stop where there was a shady spot and a nice view and just sit for a while. She said it was fine if Lisa and I wanted to continue, which we did. We did not think it was that much further to the end of the trail, but it turned out that we had more to go than we thought since the trail has some longer loops as it follows the contours of the big fins that support the Towers.
After we left Lynn, the crowds started to thin out. It seems that a lot of folks just hike out so far, watch the climbers for a while, get a photo or two and then head back. I guess after a certain point the more serious hikers take over. But we still were passing groups with kids and dogs, all the way to the end of the trail. And one trail runner; that would certainly make for a nice workout, but with the crowds it would be a bit difficult to negotiate the first part of the trail, but out here beyond the crowds she seemed to have pretty clear sailing. And there was plenty of trail still to traverse, as each time we came around the end of a fin, there was another deep loop in the trail. Yes, further than I figured. I finally looked at my phone to check the map to get a clue on our locations. OK, now that I see where we are on the map and I can see the ridge that the trail runs out to. Got it, the end it near…or at least nearer. The funny thing was that Lisa asked almost everyone we passed how far it was to the end of the trail, even after I pointed out where we were on the map and the final destination once it was in view. But that’s just Lisa.
We continued to gain elevation as we hiked along, which gave us increasingly better views of both the formations along the trail and the big view across the wide plane. We were also getting better light on both the near and far rocks, granted the distant views were still rather hazed-over. In this light, the Towers have a bit more variety in their red hues, but still tend to strains of cerise. In the distance the exposed faces of the rock were of similar color as the Towers, so likely all the rock layers in view are from the same geologic origin. That’s just speculation on my part; Dammit, Jim, I’m a hiker, not a geologist! I’m just out here enjoying the beauty of these sandstone creations.
By the time we were nearing the end of the trail, we were nearly alone on the trail. We probably only saw a half-dozen or so other folks scattered along the last half-mile of the trail. Trail-runner Chick was already on her way back, but was traveling at a walk on the return. One long-lens photographer with a huge smile on his face; he was obviously really enjoying the views. We met a climber at the junction with a backcountry trail. He was really loaded down with ropes and other gear. We chatted briefly, after Lisa started the conversation with “how far to the end of the trail.” Lisa, sweetie, the end of the trail is about 500 yards to the starboard; we’re almost there. Once we were almost to the end, we met one last hiker, Superdad. Really nice guy who we talked with briefly about the lovely day and the beautiful scenery (and I’m sure about the distance to the end of the trail). Younger fellow, with a baby in a backpack and two very energetic dogs. One of the pups had a stick that he was very proud of, as he brought it over to Lisa and me to inspect.
Hey, Lisa, in case you were wondering, we’re at the end of the trail, or at least close enough for government work. We paused for the vistas and a few photos. Great vantage point but just too hazy for a great shot of the mesas in the distance (and certainly not the best time of day for lighting anyway). But it was still a gorgeous sight. We took a brief break to enjoy the view, the reversed course back along the trail.
Not much in terms of wildlife along the trail today, just a few lizards, a couple chippers and the ever present ravens soaring overhead. But what we did not see in wild animals we made up for in domesticated ones. Lots of dogs on the trail, and more were coming as we were hiking out. In fact, there was increasing traffic on the trail in general as we made our way back to the trailhead. But a friendly bunch of folks whether they were out on their own or a big family on an outing. I reckon people are just happy to be outside and away from home after a summer of staying home and for many in lockdown due to the pandemic.
We leap-frogged SuperDad once or twice. We stood by at the first ladder in case he needed help getting up with the kid and the dogs, but he managed it by himself. Just took him a couple trips to get his little herd up to the next level of the trail. There was probably some reluctance in asking for and offering help due to COVID as no one wanted to inadvertently spread the disease to anyone else. But we and others were ready in case a helping hand was needed.
Lisa and I just plodded along, enjoying the views and saying hello to our fellow hikers. Out-and-back trails like this are nice as you get to see the scenery from a different direction and under different conditions on the return trip. Sometimes details along the trail just are really only readily visible from one direction, like the embedded rocks I spotted in the dark red sandstone as we made the turns at the end of one of the big fins. Not that these were particularly pretty rocks but they were just so different than the surrounding red sandstone that they just jumped out. These rocks were grey for the most part and just contrasted with the dark red. These little rocks were obviously harder and more resilient to the erosive forces that are carving the sandstone. The grey rocks made a neat little row in the strata when they were laid down in the mud that transformed into this rock layer probably millions of years ago. It just struck me that Mother Nature must have been using her “bedazzler” to add a little flare to the scene. Well, at some point, hundreds of not thousands of years from now, the red sandstone will erode away and release these little bland rhinestones which will drop down to the floor of the canyon.
At some point, I think when we went past the bedazzled rock wall, Lynn spotted us returning. She then started on her way back toward the trailhead, giving herself a head start since she is moving slower than usual. Lisa and I did catch up with her before she reached the end of the trail.
We were back at the trailhead right at 1:00 PM. Lisa and I chatted with the backpacker/climber we had passed at the far end of the trail. He said that the climbing here was actually pretty easy but very popular so there is always a wait to get up and down the spires. That’s why he hikes out away from the crowds and climbs in the much less populated areas. Well there were a lot of folks up on the rocks today as we saw a steady stream of folks working up those tall, skinny formations. That’s part of the draw for the area, I think. Folks come out to enjoy the beauty of the Fisher Towers but also to watch the daredevils climbing. Hey, I’m just here for the hiking and the scenery.
Turns out that Superdad was parked in the RV right behind us. The door was open as we saw the dogs sacked out after the hike and Dad changing the baby. He is definitely Superdad. There were cars parked well down the road ahead of us and more coming up toward the trailhead, so we did not hang out so that someone else could have our spot. Yep, this is a popular trail, but not so crowded to be a distraction. The scenery was worth it. For sure a very good hike.
As we cruised back to town along the very scenic route 128, we noted that there was a lot more activity on the river as well as along the trails. Rafters and paddleboarders out on the river, all the parking lots were pretty well full and there were a fair number of bikes out as we got closer to town. A busy day in the wilds of Moab.
While the temperature had risen to 72 F when we came off the trail, it was even warmer here in Moab, by a full 10 degrees according to the Explorer when we parked at Westside flats. No worries, the back patio is in full shade. The only problem was that we are out of beer. That is a serious tragedy! Lynn and I walked to state store while Lisa got cleaned up. Yep, Lynn was right there is not a great selection, much less than our previous visit, but there are a few interesting beers available. The nice thing is that you are allowed to bust up a six-pack and just buy a single or two…OK, three. That should cover this final evening in Moab.
We got cleaned up so that we can really relax and enjoy a quiet afternoon on the patio. We finished off the pizza for lunch then just chilled for the rest of the day. We got in a nice hike each day, and the girls had completed their shopping, so a little Zen time is in order. Lynn and Lisa were finishing off the remainder of the wine while I was working through the three tall cans that I found. Glad that I have the rest of the afternoon and all evening to drink these as I ended up picking three double IPAs each with an ABV above 8%. No worries, I’m a professional.
Started with FMU DIPA from Moab Brewing, figuring that it would be the weak chicken of the flight. While it was my least favorite of the three, it was pretty good. I gave it a 3.75 on untapped. Probably the best beer of have tried from Moab Brewing.
Then the Junior Astronaut Juice from Illuminated Brew Works. Interesting that both this one and the FMU had astronauts on the label. Not sure if that means anything, but there is at least a connection back to the professional side of the equation (although Lynn is the rocket scientist, I just run wind tunnels). I saved the last beer for after dinner. The last DIPA for our time in Moab, Ninja vs. Unicorn by Pipeworks Brewing Company. I didn’t realize that I had tried this one previously (I guess I should have referred to Untappd while at the state store), but that’s OK, it is still a good beer. Best of the three for this evening. It’s nice to finish on a high note.
For dinner we again opted for carry out and decided to try the new BBQ place, Spitfire Smokehouse. Same deal as last night, we called in the order and I walked over to get our grub. This place is truly just a stone’s throw away, well, direct line. But it is just around the corner, so pretty darn close. They just opened this week, so I’ll give them a break if they don’t quite have their act together. And they didn’t, but not bad. Sort of a convoluted arrangement in the restaurant. But the staff was really friendly and they seemed to all be working really hard to keep up with the demand (there were a lot of folks waited to be seated and for pick-up orders). The place had that industrial, urban vibe and décor that many restaurants and bars are going for these days. The bar area was really hopping. I thought about a beer while I was waiting, but the selection on tap was not that great. Again, they’re just getting starting so I’ll wait and see if they improve by the time we are back on town. Probably just as well, as my order was ready in short order.
Back on the patio, we divvied up the food. Lynn got the brisket tacos, Lisa had a BBQ bowl and I went with the shrimp po-boy. My sandwich was good, but not great. I guess I should have went with their strength since they are a smokehouse. The girls liked their meals, but still they were not giving out the highest accolades; not great but certainly no horrible. Hey, they just opened so we’ll give them another shot next time we are in town. I mean the convenience factor when staying at Westside Flats cannot be beat.
We went in once we had finished dinner and the last of the drinks. Lynn turned on “I Can See Your Voice.” I think this was probably the only TV I watched the entire trip. I wish I had skipped it. Not my cup of tea, but then very little on the telly is. I gave up shortly thereafter, and crawled into bed at 9:15.
THE SHORT STORY
Wednesday, September 30 - An Old Favorite! The plan for each day in Moab had the same general layout: out in the morning for a hike before the trails got too crowded and the temperature too high, then back to the flat to chill for the afternoon followed by dinner at one of our favorite restaurants (and we’ll probably be able to walk to dinner most every night). Today we started the execution of this plan with an early drive to Arches National Park to hike one of our all-time favorite trails, the Devils Garden. If I have counted correctly, this is our sixth visit to Moab and we have hiked the Devils Garden during four of those trips. We hike the entire loop and usually add on most if not all of the side trails. Today was no different as went clockwise around the loop, so starting off with Landscape Arch, then the spur trails to Partition Arch and Navajo Arch, along the back of the fin out to Double O Arch, then the detour to the Dark Angel then returning through the labyrinth of fins along the primitive trail including the side trail to Private Arch. The only side trail we did not take this time we out to Lone Pine Arch. That hike covered nearly eight miles and took us until just after noon to complete, so by the time we got back to the flat, we were ready to relax on the back patio.
Following an afternoon of relaxing on the back patio with a couple of beer we walked to Main Street for dinner at Miguel’s Baja Grill.
Thursday, October 1 - Local Knowledge: Hidden Valley. Based on the recommendations from Ellyn, we scrapped our plan to hike the Grandstaff Trail and instead hiked Hidden Valley. She said that Hidden Valley was her favorite hike in the area, really a hidden gem and that we would likely have the trail to ourselves. She suggested hiking at least to the petroglyph panel and using that as our turn-around for a five-mile, out-and-back hike. And that’s exactly what we did. The local knowledge was correct as this was a very nice hike and we only saw seven other folks.
Lynn and I strolled around the city park trail before dinner. Pleasant little trail that provided a quiet space that was really just a couple blocks from the hustle and bustle of Main Street Moab.
We had our big splurge dinner of the trip at Desert Bistro. This is one of my favorite restaurants within the Grand Circle.
Friday, October 2 - The Big Hike: Chesler Park. Ellyn also recommended that we tweak the hiking plan for our day in the Needles section of Canyons. I had Druid Arch as our destination and Ellyn said that is a great hike, but the BEST hike is the Chesler Park loop. Well, she was right about Hidden Valley, so we’ll go with her advice again. Glad we did!
It took nearly two hours to drive from Moab to the Elephant Hill trailhead, including quick stops at Newspaper Rock and the Canyonlands visitor center, so we were not on the trail until almost 10:00. But then we were off on a grand hike. Ellyn was right, Chesler Park was beautiful and had a lot of variety. But it was a taxing trail due to the length and just the rugged nature of the trail. Sure, there were stretches that were flat, open and easy, but there were some rocky climbs that gave us a workout. It took us all day to cover the 12 miles. But the views were worth it.
Since we hiked all day, we did not get our relaxed afternoon on the back patio, so we improvised and combined patio time and dinner with carry-out pizza from Zax.
Saturday, October 3 - Finally, Fisher Towers. Following our big hike on Friday, we took our time getting out on Saturday, but eventually decided that we should check out Fisher Towers. This hike has been on our list for some time, and we finally fit it into the itinerary. We weren’t on the trail until 10:30 so there were a lot of folks out here, but there were room for everyone. Very hazy this morning so the distance views were muted, but right along the trail was gorgeous. There were several climbers out this morning scaling the towers. Not my idea of fun! But the hike was great and provided various perspectives of the tall sandstone structures. I’m glad we finally completed this hike.
For dinner we tried Spitfire BBQ, a new restaurant that is just around the corner from Westside Flats and had just opened this week. Not bad but I think they still have some kinks to work out.
THE DETAILS
Wednesday, September 30 – Devils Garden, Arches National Park.
We were up with the alarm at 0500. I’m feeling rested this morning, following a relatively east, mostly driving day. Glad we did get in the short hike at Harpers Corners and a little walking around Moab last evening to counter all the time in the Explorer.
Bagels for breakfast. I knocked out a few emails then got ready for hiking. Likewise the girls were also pretty much on the ball this morning as we were on the road at 7:15, which is not too bad against the planned 0700 departure time. No traffic to speak of this morning. I guess even with the increased number of tourists, and early start still gets you out in front of the vast majority. That said, there were more cars out at this time of day than we remembered seeing in the past. It will be interesting to see how crowded Arches is.
We were driving through the entrance gate at Arches at 7:25, so a quick trip. The road construction along 191 back toward Moab was not fired up for the day, so no delay there. Looks like the National Parks Service has made some upgrades to the entrance area to help with the influx of visitors, the most notable change was the addition of a traffic circle along the access road just prior to reaching the entrance gate.
We drove straight through the park to the Devils Garden trailhead, arriving thee at 7:55 so a solid half hour from entering the park. We probably could have gotten here a few minutes faster if not for the really slow guy in the black Tahoe. I’m sure they were simply enjoying the views from the road, since we were as well, but he was driving well below the posted speed limit. Not that I am advocating speeding through a National Park, far from it. This is one of the best times to drive the park road to enjoy the rad sandstone formations under the morning lighting. However, the NPS already has very conservative speed limits so no need to slow down further. But if you do want to take more time getting through the park, take advantage of the pull outs and wide spots to stop and enjoy the beauty and also allow the other cars to continue on their way. But this highlighted the crowded conditions facing the park as there was a line of 20 cars piled up behind slow poke Rodriguez. Fortunately he turned at road leading to Delicate Arch, along with four or five cars behind us.
Another data point on the increased number of tourists in the park was the observation that the parking lot, while greatly expanded in recent years, was still over half full by the time we arrived. Remembers that was just a few minutes before 8 AM, so fairly early. Based on the number of cars, I reckon we’ll see a lot of folks on the trail.
We got our gear together and added an extra layer of clothing as the dashboard temperature reading was 43 degrees F when we arrived at the trailhead. Just a touch on the brisky side.
The Devils Garden trail is one of our favorites. It is in my Top Ten list of trails in the National Parks. Shoot for that matter, this is one of my top ten, even top five hikes anywhere. I just think it is a very scenic trail, with many interesting landscape features, and it offers up a little bit of a challenge particularly along the primitive trail portion of the loop. We’ve now visited Moab six times, including this year (assuming I’ve counted correctly), and I think that today will make the fourth time we have hiked the Devils Garden Trail.
While the temperature is on the chilly side to start the hike, the conditions otherwise are ideal. Lovely azure sky with not a cloud to be seen and but there was a bit of a breeze that emphasized the cool temperature. With the high temperature only expected to reach the low 70s F, I think we will have a fine day on the trail.
The only downside to the Devils Garden, and Arches in general for that matter, is the lack of wildlife sightings. I know that the critters are here in the park, but they tend to make themselves scarce, at least in the more heavily trafficked areas. We typically spot lizards along the trails and an occasional rabbit, but not much else and certainly no big critters. Today would prove to be just the reverse of that trend. But I’m getting a little ahead of myself.
Now that we have made our final trips to the kibo and have our packs, hats and cameras situated, it is time to hit the trail. I started our track at 8:01AM. The parking lot had gotten even more full in the short time that we have been here. Almost everyone we are seeing at present are hikers. They have the right gear and the correct clothing for hiking in the desert. And many of them are younger, the 20- and 30-somethings. Plus a few family groups with mom, dad and the tweens. That’s great to see as well. Here’s a list of other observations from the Devil’s Garden this morning:
- I always forget how sandy the initial part of the trail is. Sort of a slog most of the way to Landscape Arch. Deep sand is the hardest part of any hike.
- We spotted a mule deer along the initial section of the trail. She was browsing right along the edge of the trail. We stopped and watched as she crossed the trail and walked a little ways up the slope. Believe it or not, that is our first mega-fauna sighting in Arches National Park.
- I asked Lynn if she wanted to take the spur trail out to Lone Pine Arch. She said we’ll do it on the return hike. I bet we don’t.
- The first of several big arches that we will see today is Landscape Arch. This is truly an amazing natural structure, but still so frail and ephemeral, at least in a geological sense. There were a good number of folks out this morning admiring this most amazing wonder. I think a lot of people come this far then turn around. Hey, that’s OK’ at least they are out and enjoying the park.
- Steep stretch past the ruins of Wall Arch. We saw that stout looking arch on our first trip to Moab back in 2007, just a little over a year before it collapsed. That was surprising to me given the sturdy looking nature of the arch, but that is the ultimate fate of all these sandstone sculptures.
- We took the side trails going to Partition Arch and Navajo Arch. Even these side trails had considerably more traffic than usual. We did have time to get a team photo at Partition Arch between the groups of folks funneling through.
- We also noticed that the Park Service has cleaned out “Buddha Beach” along this section of the trail. This is the sandstone wall along the trail that has all the little niches and shelves eroded into its face and the place where the many tourists passing through have felt the need to build little rock sculptures, basically tiny cairns. The last couple of times we had been through all of the natural niches were full of these little rock piles, but today there were none. And not only were the little rock markers removed but it seems that the stones themselves were relocated away from the area so that there is limited material available to rebuild.
- I’ve always given this trail a high “friendliness rating,” which is my attempt to rate the attitude of the hikers on the trail (hey, the hikers on some trails are not that friendly and on the Mist Trail in Yosemite there were many that were just plain rude). Today was no exception in the Devils Garden, even with the increased traffic, as just about everyone was enjoying the day, had a smile on their face (we’re outside and socially distant, so no need for masks), and were quick with a greeting. Plus there were a few folks that we saw multiple times as we leap-frogged each other around the loop, so we developed a quick trail relationship. There was “Jim Mullins,” named for a friend at work; they both shared the same semi-sarcastic wit as we made a few passing friendly comments along the trail. The “Adventurous Young Couple” were uber hikers that we met along the big fin leading to Double O Arch. Nice 20-somethings who we chatted with a bit about hiking trails here and in other areas of Utah. Turns out that this was their first morning in Moab, so they are certainly starting with a great trail. I got a kick out of “Umbrella Guy” who we passed a couple time along the primitive trail. As just moniker implies, he was carrying an umbrella so that he always had some shade. I guess that he is using his umbrella as a parasol today, but the device he was carrying was a small, black umbrella. My comment about the third time we saw him was that at least it was not a pink umbrella!
- All that said, the virus situation did have one impact on the opportunities to be friendly on the trail, more specifically to offer a helping hand. A specific example occurred on the on the section of trail that runs on top of a long, wide fin on the way to Double O Arch. The Adventurous Young Couple had caught up with us (hey, almost everyone catches and passes us on the trail). As mentioned, this was their first time on this trail, so they figured they needed to cross the fin and continue along the other side. Before we could explain that the trail runs along the back of the fin, the young fellow was already working his way over and down. He was a tall kid and able to scramble across the rocks with ease. Well, he’ll be hard pressed to get back up here but it also seems from the footprints that he is not the first to take that route. Now to get his companion over. She was also very fit and athletic, but lacked his height and reach. In a normal, non-COVID world, I would have simply extended my hand and helped the youngster lower herself off the fin and down to the ground, but given social distancing and not wanting to risk any virus sharing in either direction, I decided that I should not. Instead, I just slowed my pace while she climbed down with the aid of her beau below, that way I was close enough in case she really needed some help. She made it, so no worries. I’ll be glad when we get past this pandemic.
- On along the big fin (I don’t know what else to call it), the views into the maze of fins just gets better. There are other arches, arches to be and arches that once were as well as other groovy formations to see along this section of the trail. It is one of my favorite parts of the hike. But this also showed the increased traffic, as the last time we made this hike I got a nice panoramic that included Lynn and Lisa basically alone on the fin. Today they had plenty of company.
- I climbed through Double O Arch as I wanted to see the view from the backside of the arch with the current lighting conditions. Lynn decided to wait. Lisa thought about it but opted out as well, but she wanted a photo of her playing on the scramble through the smaller O. Once she was done goofing around, I climbed up to the best perch that provides a nice view back through the arch to the fins beyond. This was the one place that there were not any other hikers, at least for a few minutes. Finally a young lady hiker came through then yelled back to her companions not to bother as there was no view. I called down to her that she needs to come up here to get the best vantage point.
- Since we’re here, we went out to Dark Angel. This trail is usually deserted, but again there were a number of folks out here today. I had to laugh as we started out the spur trail leading to the sandstone obelisk when I heard one lady say that she’ll skip the walk since she can see the rock from here.
- Not far into the primitive trail, we spotted four more mule deer. Nothing for years here in Arches, and today multiple big critter sightings. To balance that out, we did not see a single lizard along the trail today, and we usually spot several here in the Devils Garden.
- There were a few bird sightings as well, as we typically don’t see that many birds along the trail: Juniper Titmouse, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Rock Wren and a few Turkey Vultures circling overhead. Plus a couple cheeky chippers hoping for a handout over at Private Arch. I think probably Hopi chipmunks.
- I really enjoy the primitive trail section of the loop. Fun but still generally easy scrambling and hiking along and over the sandstone fins. Plus the successive line of sandstone fins remind me of an old railroad yard with the streamlined steam locomotives lined up and ready to roll out for an excursion. They are sitting silently now but they seem ready to roar back to life. There is another set of fins that have an even more rounded shape that put me in mind of the submarines in The Hunt of Red October.
- The common theme of lots of folks on the trail continued as the primitive trail was more crowded than we have ever seen. Shoot, in the past, we have had that part of the loop to ourselves, but not this year. The great news was that the vast majority for the folks were hikers and were ready for this trail. No flip flops, everyone had water and other appropriate gear. Well done, y’all.
- It is fall and the baseball playoffs are underway so there were many folks showing their team pride with hats and tee-shirts. Yankees, Braves and Indians were all spotted on the trail. However, by the end of the day, we were all wearing red socks!
- The water hole that obstructed our path last trip was dry as a bone. We could see where the water has worn this section over the years, but today it did not slow us down at all.
- I had a quick snack on the trail was we were weaving through the fins on along the primitive trail. The words of wisdom on my Luna bar wrapper were “Stay humble, work hard, be kind.”
- Oh, yeah, more deep sand here at the north end of the primitive trail once we were out of the maze of fins. Tough going but a great workout.
- OK, I win the bet. When we were nearing the intersection for the Lone Pine Arch side trail, I asked Lynn if she wanted to check it out. Not today. I figured she would be out of steam by the time we got around the loop. No worries, we saw a lot of other great things along the trail.
- What a lovely day we had for our hike through the Devils Garden. While it was a little cool and breezy this morning, we did have blue skies all day. Back at the trailhead, the temperature gage is reading 72 degrees F. That slight breeze was very welcome by the time we got to the end of the primitive trail.
We were exiting the park around 1:00. We noted that the new roundabout was blocked off, not allowing incoming traffic. Holy sandstone, Batman, the park is closed! Well, it was packed. Good on the NPS for trying to control the chaos. Interestingly, while Devils Garden was jammed, there was plenty of room at other locations like balanced rock and Park Avenue. Well, maybe some sort of timed and or ticketed would be useful for controlling the entry into the park, at least during the current pandemic situation.
Back in Moab, after making our way through the construction zone (not too congested where in the middle of the day) we made a quick stop at state store. The girls went in for wine but I stayed in the car to minimize the number of bodies in the store. It took them a while to run this little errand, plus Lynn forgot the bottle she had purchased and had to run back in to claim it. Once back in the car, Lynn reported that there did not seem to be a great beer selection, but it was crowded in the store so she really could not do a proper reconnaissance.
We returned to Westside Flats to begin or relaxed afternoon, starting with a little lunch. WE had to toss the carrot that we bought last night as they were very mushy. Carrots should be crunchy! Well, that’s unfortunate. Yeah, perhaps we should check out another grocery store option in Moab. But we have plenty of other things to snack on. We just made a plate of cheese and cracker to nibble on out in the patio. Plus beer and wine, of course. I started with a Sip of Sunshine followed by Session IPA #4, so sort of a Lawson’s Finest Liquids afternoon. I’m down to four beers! Well, I guess I’ll get to see first-hand the state of the beer selection at the liquor store as four beers will not be enough to last through the rest of the trip.
We went out for dinner a little before 5 PM, which was perfect timing as we arrived at Miquel’s just as it opened. There were only a couple groups ahead of us, so very minimal wait and we were soon situated at our table on the open veranda area. They’ve had to remove a couple tables due to COVID so it is not nearly as crowded. That’s a plus in terms of a more relaxed dining atmosphere, but I’m sure it hits their bottom-line. Our server was quickly on the spot with drink orders. Lynn and Lisa both had margaritas. As usual, no beer worth drinking so I made due with aqua. But even with the poor selection of cerveza, I’ve always liked this place, ever since I had my first M.O.A.B., that is the “Mother Of All Burritos.” I tried to eat a little healthier this afternoon and there are some options that are a little lower in calories, but next time I’m getting the big burrito, darn it! But the scallop ranchero that I had was tasty and pretty filling. Lisa had a veggie quesadilla. Lynn on the other hand went at least semi-big, with the M.O.A.B. Lite, the half-sized little brother of the M.O.A.B. And she polished it off!
After dinner, the plan was to check out some of the shops. However, Lisa had leftover quesadilla, so I offered to take that back to the flat while the girls went shopping. There’s really no need for me to tag along on a shopping trip in Moab and besides, this gave be a little quiet time on the back patio. Once the girls had returned, we made a quick trip to restock on breakfast food and trail snacks, this time opting for the City Market to get our supplies. Bigger place with more variety of options, plus a little easier to get in and out of. Now we have options for groceries.
We spent the rest of the evening out on the back patio, but called it an early night at around 8:30. Lisa went back to her flat and since there was nothing on TV, Lynn and I watched Journey 2 on my phone for a while before crashing.
Thursday, October 1 – Hidden Valley Trail
The alarm went off at 0500, but no rush, so I catnapped a bit before flipping on the light at 0540. I reviewed a couple websites for details on Hidden Valley. It does sound like a nice hike, but the first half mile or so will be a steep, uphill slog. Basically just what Ellyn has told us.
Standard morning just getting ready for the day and we were ready to roll at 8:05. Except Lynn is up a tree in her book, the last pages of the final chapter, so that will take a few extra minutes. No big deal, she’s a fast reader. She finished the book and we were still at the trailhead before 8:30 (in fact, I started the Ramblr track at 8:29). That’s the nice thing about picking a hike that is very close to the basecamp and this one was only about a 10 minute drive heading south along route 191.
Baby led us right to the trailhead. We spotted a desert cottontail along the side streets as we approached the parking area, so our first critter for the day. There were maybe a half dozen cars at the trailhead lot, but there are both hiking and biking trails departing from here, so there is probably a mix in terms of where these folks are exploring today. Looks like we’ll have another nice day for hiking with plenty of sun and the sky was clear of clouds although there was a haze hanging off on the horizon. The dashboard readout stated 52 F for our starting temperature. That’s pretty close to perfect. Good thing that is was on the cool side for the start of the hike, because as we looked up from the trailhead it was obvious that we have our work cut out for us. As Ellyn warned us, it is a long, steep route to the point where the trail reaches the top of ridge, supposedly at the entrance to the valley.
The uphill hike began as soon as we left the parking area. Gradual at first, but that was short lived. Then we hit the steep and fairly rocky section that included a series of switchbacks to climb roughly 500 feet over about a half mile. Sort of tough going, but we kept after it. The nice thing about a trail like this is the ever changing perspective of the view; the higher we went the better it got and the more we saw. Today “better” was still correct, but the views off to the east and south were affected by the hazy conditions. We could see the rock formations and the mountains but the vista was not crisp.
Once the trail leveled out, we still as a short stretch that wound through a few big boulders and some scraggly little trees. But then the trail opened up into a wide valley flanked by red rock walls. I reckon this would be Hidden Valley. Well, it is certainly hidden from view coming from the trail we just traversed, so well named. The trail cuts through the center of the valley and seems to be well traveled as it has cut a groove into the valley floor at some points. However today we had the trail to ourselves. Not another hiker to be seen. In fact, the only other people we saw as we walked the length of the valley (well over a mile) were two young lady trail runners coming from the other direction as we were exiting the far end of the valley. Not sure if they were returning from and out-and-back run or doing a point-to-point, but we did not see them again on the trail. That’s good news since running down that steep, rocky section would seem to be a prime spot to break a leg. But, everyone has different ways of enjoying the outdoors. I like a little slower pace that allows more time to study the details and reflect on the big picture.
The trail through the valley is slightly uphill but has more of a gentle rolling. We’re walking through grassy meadow with a few splashes of color from the wildflowers. I bet this could be a colorful scene in the spring with the wildflowers in full bloom. We’ll have to check that out if we visit here at the right time. Today the red rock formations that towner over the trail are the highlights. To our right (east) are lower, mounded hills mostly covered in grass and shrubs. But to the left was a tall wall of sandstone capped with some interesting knobs and spires, reaching a couple hundred feet above us. While tall, the rocks were well away from the trail, so this was unlike other trails that worked through narrow canyons where you felt confined by the walls. Here the valley was wide and open and the rock wall was more like the fence running along the edge of the backyard; it provided definition but did not feel restrictive.
At the far end of the valley there was a slight uphill and the valley narrowed a bit. This high point provided a nice vantage point in both directions. As we continued we entered another valley area that opened up with even better vistas looking north and west. We were looking downhill onto mounded, lumpy formations of tan rock, so a different layer than the red rock wall that marker the boundary of the valley we had just walked through. Plus now we could see what is probably our destination for this hike, a sandstone formation to our right where we should find the rock art panels. We found a path that led in that direction and off we went.
This side trail wound its way uphill through a series of rocky twists and turns, but it was an obvious route so easy to follow. We spotted a few birds as we hiked along, a Scrub Jay that was willing to pose for a photo and another bird that was more on the shy side. I got a photo but it always had it a back to me so I never got a great look at it. Just a grey bird of some sort. The trail lead us up to the base of the red sandstone rock face where we encountered the only other hikers that we saw on the trail, a group of three or four folks who were taking a break on the rocks. We waved and said “hello” then continued on.
The trail continued right up to the base of the formation. We found the BLM sign that I had read about in one of the hiking articles describing the trail <<link>>, so we knew we were on the right track. We thought it odd that the sign was positioned as it was, sort of high up a big boulder and not really that obvious. I probably would have missed it completely as I was admiring the view, but Lynn or Lisa did spot it. The sign carries an important message, the short version of which is DO NOT TOUCH THE ROCK ART! The petroglyphs are irreplaceable and should be treated with respect. I borrowed the following from the linked article (with a couple minor tweaks for grammar), as the message is clear and very much worth repeating:
“Remember to treat all the rock art you discover with respect so that it may be enjoyed by future generations. Rock art is extremely fragile and easily damaged. Never touch rock panels as the oil on your fingers can speed the erosion of the rock art. Do not vandalize the panels by making rubbings or adding modern (embellishments). If you come across artifacts such as pottery shards, leave them where you find them.”
We continued around a bend in the trail and found the first panel. A collection of various images pecked into the rock. Scattered critters, sheep for the most part. One looked like a cat. These are generally small images, quite different than the panels and images we had seen around Vernal and Dinosaur National Monument. However, there were some figures of the shield bearers like we saw at McConkie Ranch. But for the most part these images were rougher and not as intricate. There were a few images that seemed unique, different from the rest on the panel. It was simple and looked like an outline of the topography, hills and valley. A map perhaps. Not sure. Overall quite the collection of odds-and-ends.
http://www.hikingwalking.com/index.php/destinations/ut/ut_se/moab/hidden_valley/hidden_valley_details
The trail continued beyond the first panel, so we figured we would walk on out and see if there were more ancient etchings. If nothing else, it would be worth the walk to see the views. As we were starting down the trail, a couple more hikers appeared from the other direction, two guys, one in his 40s and one closer to 60, I’m guessing. Then were just chatting away, but not about hiking, petroglyphs or the beautiful vista. Nope, they were deeply engrossed in an animated discussion about the suspension requirements for off-road vehicles. OK, that’s a legitimate topic for Moab. But they stopped right in the middle of the trail, at a point where we could not get past. Lisa was one the trail next to the two guys while Lynn and I were making our way down from the panel. Lisa finally asked if she could get by. The older guy who had been dominating the conversation, looked up and seemed very surprised to see Lisa. He was very apologetic for blocking the trail. He explained that he thought we were part of his group and was not really paying attention. I guess the folks we saw lounging back up the trail were the rest of their party. We did asked if there were more petroglyphs out along the trail to which they confirmed that there were and some interesting ones. Cool.
As we made our way along the red wall, the vista out across the valley and beyond came more and more into view. Quite an impressive sight from the foreground of the trail running through the open valley, the fins and knobs defining the far side of the valley and extending off toward the Colorado River (not that we could see the river, but it was off in that direction) then the shear red-pink cliffs on the horizon. The view was outstanding. This was really worth the hike. The collection of fins across the valley are quite intriguing and reminded me a bit of the Devils Garden, although they do not see to be a tightly packed as in Arches. Still, I wonder if there are any trails that work through that area. That could be a fun place to explore.
The next rock art panel was similar to the first, but perhaps it had more images. Sheep, deer, human figures, shield bearers, so a lot of the same stuff in the same style as the first panel. We paused here for a team photo with the big vista as a background before continuing along the wall in search of more ancient images. There were a few more including one that looked like a set of paper dolls, a set of little humanoid figures holding hands in a long row. Twenty of them. Not sure I’ve seen one like that before.
At this point is seemed that we had exhausted the options for rock art, so we reversed course and worked our way back along the panels for a second look and to begin the hike back to the trailhead.
The nice thing about an out-and-back route is that you get to see the views from the opposite direction and under different lighting conditions on the return trip. I took advantage of that on our hike back through Hidden Valley. Granted, the lighting washed out La Sal Mountains more or less, but each time I took a photo of the vista in front of us, I turned around to capture what we behind us as well. Better lighting and color to the rear.
We chatted about the hike as what to do this afternoon as we made or way back through Hidden Valley. The latter discussion was easy, we’ll start with a drink on the patio then figure it out from there. As for the hike, we all agreed that Ellyn had provided an excellent suggestion. It is hard to beat the local knowledge. Lynn and I recounted the critters sightings thus far. There was the rabbit on the way drive to the trailhead, and a chipper earlier in the hike, plus a few birds. Ravens and Scrub Jays were the only ones we could identify, so the rest will go down as “gone birds.” And a bunch of lizards, particularly along the initial, uphill section of the trail. There were so many that we lost count. That more than made up for the dearth of reptiles on yesterday along in Devils Garden. In fact, we had more lizard sightings once we started back down the steep section of the trail. One is quite interesting. A little red guy, just sitting on a flat, red rock that was at about bar height so easy to see as we went by. He did not seem too interested in us as he was watching a potential meal. There was a little moth flitting about in the area but seemingly out of reach of the lizard. But the lizard sat patiently and waited. And the moth continued to fly around. Well, the moth can just fly on away, so the lizard is probably out of luck. But we stood and watched for a minute. As did the lizard. Apparently the moth was obliviously. It just flitted and fluttered closer to the rock and to the lizard. The lizard just watched. Then the moth made the critical error and floated into the lizard’s range. It was over in a heartbeat. Breakfast for one. So goes nature. Who knows, the lizard could be next if one of those Ravens or a wandering hawk should spy him sunny on this rock. He left the little guy to enjoy his meal.
We made it. Another great Grand Circle hike in the books. Even though that was a brutal downhill stretch at the end, the final flattish section leading back to the trailhead allowed us to work out a few of the kinks and soreness. Downhill is as tough as uphill but for different reasons. Less huffing and puffing when losing elevation but more wear and tear on the knees.
Ellyn was right, this was a very nice hike. Thanks to her for sharing her local knowledge. I’m not as infatuated with Hidden Valley as she is but I would certainly return. It won’t break into my top five hikes for the Moab area, but it could be close to the top ten, not that my ranking matters. It certainly was a very good trail, gave us a quite the workout and was very peaceful due to the lack of other hikers (we passed a total of nine folks on the trail, including the two trail runners). From that perspective, I can see why Ellyn enjoys this trail so much.
Hey, there’s an interesting 4WD parked in the trailhead lot. Those neon colors are popular these days. It appear to be built to go anywhere, but it seems rather clean for an off-road vehicle. But I guess you have to wash the red dirt off of these vehicles occasionally. Certainly good for safety and being spotted on the trail. The lot was still mostly full and a few of the vehicles come in since we hit the trail. Since we did not see anyone on the trial during our return hike, these folks must be on the other trails. Bikers, I reckon. We threw our packs in the back, loaded into the Explorer and headed back toward town. We were at the flat right about noon. The temperature was a balmy 81 F by now and a completely gorgeous day. I was on the back patio, beer in hand, before 12:30. Life is good!
It was very pleasant here in the shade on this lovely fall afternoon. The White-crowned sparrows are bouncing around in the back yard, providing us with a little entertainment. But more importantly, the Nugmo IPA is cold and refreshing. Ahhh, a little Zen moment there. While we were chillin’ on the patio, I jotted a few notes and uploaded the hiking track. Ramblr was acting up this morning (perhaps just poor signal), so I ended up having to make multiple tracks that I’ll piece together once we get home. But I reckon we got in around five miles this morning, so a good hike, particularly with the steep section. I was also thinking about the area across the valley from the rock art, where that forest of red fins and yellow-tan knobs were located. Looking at the topo map of our track, I wonder if it is possible to explore in area. There were no marked trails on the map, but if this is slickrock, I but that it would be easy to access from the northwest end. It might be sort of a Devils Garden area. Something to think about for the next time. Perhaps Ellyn and Mike will have some insight on that.
After relaxing on the back patio for the better part of the afternoon, we decided to take a lap around Moab and do a little shopping. Well, the girls decided to do a little shopping. I guess I just went along for the ride, or walk in this case. But it was good to get up and stretch. We were only out for short while; we left about 3:00 and were back before 4:00. We were mostly browsing it seems as there was not a lot of purchasing going on this afternoon. Lisa found a blanket with a very pretty southwest design that appealed to her, but did not take the plunge. I got a Moab hat (like I need another hat, but then you can never have too many hats) and Lynn scored a turquoise pendent. No luck on that hoodie that she is looking for.
During the early evening, we spent some time up on the upper deck common area. We don’t sit up here that often. It is not a great view but there are some red rocks to catch the evening light. Sort of a shocking experience getting to and from the deck area. No, really, shocking; for whatever reason there is a static electricity build-up and if you happen to touch the hand rail on the spiral stairs leading to the upper deck you will get zapped and I mean a good shock!
The problem with having late dinner reservations (aside from falling asleep in one’s salad) is that we now have time to kill. Lynn and I took a walk, but Lisa opted out (I think she took a nap). We walked over past Desert Bistro and on toward the creek. We’ve walked past here before, but never across the pedestrian bridge. OK, that’s where the Gonzo Inn is; I keep hearing about this place but never spotted it. Looks nice. And now we know the short way to get to the state store. That could come in handy. On the way back toward the flat, we took the long way along the nature trail that runs along the creek. It was a bit sandy in places but shaded along the part we walked. We spotted a few deer including on youngster that was bouncing around under the watchful eye of mother. We took our time here as to not further excite the little one so that it would not bolt into the road. And of course there was a little songbird posing on branch adjacent to the trail. How did it know that I was not carrying a camera? The trail continued past a skateboard park or some such thing then connected back to the road right by the hospital. OK, we know exactly where we are now, and not far from the flat. We completed our meander and relaxed on the patio until dinner time, which now was not that far in the future. Good thing, as I am getting hungry.
The walk to Desert Bistro from Westside Flats is less than five minutes. We arrived right in time for our 8:45 reservation and just had to wait a minute or two to be seated. We got a table out on the screened-in back porch which is what we were hoping for. Our server, Kasandra, was with us in short order and took our drink orders. The bad news is that there is no beer worth drinking here. That can be an issue in Moab as some places try to support the locals. Unfortunately, I’m not a huge fan of Moab Brewing. I guess Moab will not be a retirement option for Lynn and me. But even with the lack of an adequate accompanying hoppy libations, this still a great restaurant and we always try to fit in at least one meal here when we are in town.
Due to the pandemic-mandated precautions, the restaurant was at about half-capacity. That’s part of the reason that it was so hard to get a reservation; it is a popular place and now half of the tables are out of commission. But on the plus side, that made it nice as there was more space and a lot less noise so overall a more enjoyable dining experience. I think there were only two or three other small parties (couples) on the porch with us, plus one bigger group, a wedding party of eight or ten folks. They were making the best of their big day during these strange times and it appeared that a good time was had by all.
The servers at Desert Bistro are phenomenal. It amazes me that they never read the special menu and never write anything down. And it’s not like specials are things like “a bacon cheese burger with fries.” Nope, there are several specials and each has a paragraph for a description. She just rattled off the list and then answered all of our questions. When she returned with bread and a variety of spreads, she also took our order and never wrote anything down. And the orders were just and complex as the menu. But everything came out just as requested. Nicely done, Kasandra!
It’s no wonder that we enjoy this place. Aside from the lack of quality beer (and granted I am a beer snob), the setting, the service and the food are all top-notch. So we started our feast with the bison empanadas and the crab muffins. Yum! The girls both at the beef tenderloin while I went with one of the special dishes, the sea bass. Double yum! It is all excellent and these are decent size portions. By the time we got through the main course we were stuffed. No dessert tonight. The only black mark on the evening was that once we had finished our meal and decided against dessert, it took a long time for the check to arrive. That’s just a pet peeve of mine. But we were not in a rush, so it was not a huge deal; I just wanted to go home and crash.
And crash we did once we were back at Westside Flats. I was in bed at 10:30. That’s later than usual for this trip due to the late dinner, but it is what it is. We’ll see how we feel in the morning since we want to get an early start due to the hour-plus drive into the Needles section of Canyonlands.
Friday, October 2 – Chesler Park, Canyonlands National Park. Up with the alarm at 0500. Feeling pretty good this morning and ready for a big hike. The plus was that we had a pretty relaxed morning as we were not in a huge rush even though we were shooting for an early departure. We were basically ready to roll at 0730 and backing out of our parking slot at 0735. I’ll call that a win for the cat herder. Let the adventure begin!
It is an easy drive from Moab to the Needles section of Canyonlands, just straight south on route 191 for about an hour, then turn right on the park access road. We made no stops along 191, and just enjoyed the scenery as we drove south. We did point out a couple of highlights to Lisa, like Wilson’s Arch right there along the road and the tourist trap of Hole in the Rock. Lynn and I stopped there a few years ago on a bad weather day. Sure it was moderately interesting, but I would not go out of my way to stop here and I certainly would not give up a day on the trail for a visit. One point that I always remember about that place is the guy who built it was also a horrible taxidermist.
Our first stop of the day since leaving Moab was a Newspaper Rock. Partly because it is a cool petroglyph site and we wanted to let Lisa see it, and partly because there was an outhouse here and Lynn needed a rest stop. Drive time was right at an hour from Moab to Newspaper Rock, and we still have a ways to go to get into the park. I think I underestimated the drive time. Oh well.
Anyway, back to Newspaper Rock. Here’s the description of the site from the interpretive signage:
Newspaper Rock Archaeological Site. Newspaper Rock is a petroglyph panel etched in sandstone that records approximately 2,000 years of early human activity. Prehistoric people, probably from the Archaic, Basketmaker, Freemont and Pueblo cultures, etched on the rock from B.C. time to A.D. 1300. In historic times, Ute and Navajo people, as well as European Americans made their contributions.
In interpreting the figures on the rock, scholars are undecided as to their meaning or have yet to decipher then. In Navajo, the rock is called “Tse’ Hans’” (Rock that tells a story).
Unfortunately, we do not know if the figures represent storytelling, doodling, hunting magic, clan symbols ancient graffiti or something else. Without a true understanding of the petroglyphs, mc hos left for individual interpretation.
We made this as quick of a stop as possible, then kept rolling toward Canyonlands. It is a lovely drive as the road winds through a valley surrounded by pink, red and yellow mesas and cliffs. Once in the park (and it took a while to get there), we made another quick pit stop at the visitor center, since we were unsure of status facilities at the trailhead (restrooms are indicated on the map, but who knows if they are open due to the pandemic). Better safe than sorry. Then it was on to the Elephant Hill trailhead. The last couple miles were along a dirt road (once past the campgrounds). The road was in great shape, so no issues there. Sure, it was still rough, and slow going but there was no place that we were going to get stuck. But it was narrow in places so we were on the watch for oncoming traffic, but we had the road to ourselves for the drive out this morning.
We were finally pulling into the trailhead parking lot at 0930, so a solid two hours of travel time from Moab, including our two short stops. That was a little more time than I was figuring (I thought it was more like a 90-minite drive). But we are still here in plenty of time to complete the hike before the sun goes down. But that just means I’ll have a longer drive back to Moab after the hike.
Now that we are here, the first trick is to find a parking spot, and there were not many of those left, at least in the main lot (there is an overflow lot a couple hundred yards back down the access road and it was basically empty, but at the end of the day following a 12 mile hike those extra steps could be kind of tough!). Actually, there were a few slots remaining in the main lot by the trailhead so we snagged one there, but shortly after we arrived a two or three other vehicles pulled in and pretty much filled the area. There were a lot of folks out for a hike today and this seems like starting point of choice as there are a lot of options from the Elephant Hill trailhead. Chesler Park and Druid Arch are probably the primary goals for most hikers, but there are a several trails that allow for various looping alternative routes. The folks parked next to us looked like a multi-generational group ranging in age from toddler to probably into the 60s, and they were gearing up for a multi-day camping excursion with big packs. They certainly look like they know what they are getting into; definitely not their first rodeo. I just wondered about taking a little kid out on an overnight adventure, but I reckon it’s good to give the youngster an appreciation for the outdoors and they have a big group, so plenty of support. Hey, family bonding in the desert wilderness is a good thing.
By 9:40 AM we had made our final visits to the facilities (they were open and clean), had our packs in order and were walking toward the start of the trail. I had started our track at 9:37. That’s pretty much on schedule, adjusting for the longer than planned drive. Even at our typical 2 MPH hiking speed, we should be back no later than around 4:00, so still plenty of daylight available to make the hike.
One thing for sure, we had another outstanding day for a hike. Beautiful blue sky but today with some swirly cirrus clouds) to add a little interest (and several contrails so there folks traveling. The temperature when we hit the trail was 63 degrees F and the predicted high was in the low 80s, so not bad at all. We knew this was going to be a long day on an exposed trail, so we were fully prepared (well, as prepared as we could be anyway), with hats, sunglasses, sturdy boots, full water bladders and a liberal coating of SPF 6000 sunblock. Plus we had spare batteries for the cameras and an assortment of trail snacks. Yep, we’re as ready as we’ll ever be.
Our route today is a lollipop with a bent stick. We’ll be heading generally southwest from the Elephant Hill trailhead along and through Elephant Canyon (for about 3 miles) then making a big loop around the area known as Chesler Park (nearly 5 miles) and back to the trailhead. This route includes the section known as The Joint Trail, which is a slot canyon of sorts (more on that in a bit) and should provide an additional element of variety.
The short story is that this was a very tough hike. The trail was quite challenging even thought there were not huge elevation changes along the route but a couple of short, steep, rocky sections there were a bit of a workout. Between those tougher sections, the deep sand, a bit of scrambling, and just the overall length of the trail, we knew this was going to be a strenuous hike and a full day on the trail. And it was! But this was a very worthwhile effort! The scenery along every step of the hike was magnificent. The Needles Section of Canyonlands is amazing with the beautifully colored sandstone and the fascinating formations. Plus add in the joints that we traversed (yeah, yeah, more on these features are coming). This was geology overload and I loved it! There was just so much variety in terms of topography and geology. And all of this with lovely weather for hiking. The entire hike was a highlight reel, but here are the details from our trek:
- Once we had our laces tightened and pack adjusted, we walked to the upper end of the parking area to access the start of the trail. After a short uphill section that included a set of steps that took us through a narrow, straight gap in the rock, the trail opened up and ran over slickrock. The open slickrock section was pretty easy going. Great views of the red sandstone fins and ridges off to our right (west), which would be Elephant Canyon. There were a couple places that looked like they could have been arches at one time but if that were the case those features have long since collapsed.
- Surprisingly, there was not a lot of traffic along the trail. Based on the number of cars in the lot, folks gearing up when we arrived and at least one van-load of college-aged kids that pulled in as we were getting ready, I figured there were be more hikers out here with us. We are certainly not going to outpace the pack. But there are other trails to hike from the trailhead so perhaps most of these folks are heading elsewhere.
- One hiker who passed us early in the hike was a young lady Park Ranger. She was very cheerful and definitely an uber-hiker as she zoomed past us. But she chatted with us a bit as we went along. Seems she’s out on a trail check but will be camping for the night as well. While she was power hiker, she was slightly built and not that tall; I think her backpack weighed more than she did! She was quickly out of sight down the trail, her long, brunette ponytail waving to us as she went.
- A common theme all along our route was the beauty of the desert landscape. The sand stone formations lined the trail but varied in color and shape as we hiked along. Along this initial portion of the hike, there were some shear, red walls crowned with a tan layer of sandstone as we walked over the yellow and tan slickrock.
- As we continued, the slickrock gave way to more varied terrain as the trail worked through some little gullies and canyons, some sandy stretches alternating with slickrock, but all the while providing wonderful views of the sandstone formations. We were crossing through Elephant Canyon. Sort of a short, steep drop into the canyon, then a longer, uphill climb through then out the other side. The trail is well marked as it works through a few washes and gullies in the canyon. This is probably the most strenuous part of the trail due to elevation change as we gained about 400 feet over about a mile (closer to 0.8 miles). Not a huge gain, but fairly steep and rocky and a bit uneven. Plus we’ll get to cover this on the return hike but going down into the canyon, so less huffing and puffing but more strain on the knees.
- The trail emerges from Elephant Canyon via a set of short switchbacks. The higher we went the better the view. At the top was like walking through an open door as the sandstone formation as passed through framed our first view out over Chesler Park. In fact, from this point we had wonderful views looking out in front as well as behind us.
- There was a big rock just off the trail and a couple folks had climbed up there for the view. Hey, we’re here, let’s check it out. So we looped around little sandstone formation and found the way up. This did make a nice perch for the view as well as a convenient picnic spot so we had a snack. The chippers were please with that decision as a couple came out to beg. Sorry guys, we don’t feed the wildlife, no matter how cute you are.
- After our short break we started off to the right, to work counter-clockwise around the loop as suggested by Ellyn and the trail descriptions I found online. The initial part of the Chesler Park loop was basically flat, just gently rolling, so a nice break after climbing out of Elephant Canyon. The main formations were off on our right and the trail worked closer to the rocks the farther we went. Pretty spires and fins of red sandstone with caps and stripes of the contrasting yellowish rock mixed in.
- The next challenging section, not that it was that difficult, led us down into another little canyon area. It was a little rougher going, with a little elevation change and working along some exposed drops. Nothing extreme; I don’t like exposed edges with steep drops, but this section of the trail did not worry me. In fact, I thought it was fun! It was easy to navigate as there were a few sign posts and plenty of cairns to show the way. It was only a short stretch of the trail but gave us a different perspective on the area and certainly added some variety to the flavor of the trail. The formations around this area where more knobby in shape, rather than pointy spires that you might envision in an area called the Needles. These were wider, red sandstone pedestals capped with the light tan and yellowish layer, and these caps were round or sometimes just flat, like big pancakes.
- On around the trail that circles Chesler Park, our next key marker was the intersection of the trail with a dirt road (sandy road is more like it). According to the map, this is the Devil’s Lane and provides access to the Joint Trailhead. And since that is where we were heading, we simply following the road, keeping and ear open for the rumble of any approaching vehicles. At present, it was silent, apparently it was just us three out in this part of the desert. In fact, we had not seen any other hikers along this part of the trail since we entered the Chesler Park loop (the couple we met at the start of the loop were on their way back to the trailhead; they had hiked out to that start of the loop but went no further).
- We were back to a generally flat section of the trail with the walk along the 4WD road, again just gently rolling terrain. Sandy conditions at times, so that made us work a bit. So there really are no breaks along this trail. But the scenery makes it all worthwhile as we had lovely views of the needles, fins and domes of Chesler Park. Most were just that, shapes and abstract forms, but there were a few that looked like rough sculptures of faces or animals. The one that caught my eye looked a bit like an eagle on a rocky perch, with the lighter coloring of the rock at the top of the formation lent itself to the likeness of a Bald Eagle. Instead, though, I dubbed this rock the Maltese Falcon due to its stylized appearance. Plus I just like that movie.
- On around the road, just enjoying the views, looking for shapes in the rocks, not finding much in the way of critters and just enjoying the day. We eventually reached the Joint Trail and a little rest area right along road (the walk along the road was not that far, a mile or so). There was one off-road vehicle parked there when we arrived, but no people around, so it was peaceful place to take a break. We opted to rest of a few minutes a picnic table that had a bit of shade. While we were there, we heard vehicles coming up the road and two fancy high-clearance, off-road trucks pulled in to the parking area. They seemed to be traveling together, but one vehicle had four or five folks while the other carried only the driver. I think the vehicle with the group was a guided tour, so the other vehicle might have just been the guide’s buddy just out riding along for the fun of it. Not that it matters. They all dismounted, grabbed their gear and hit the trail. Seems we are all headed to the Joint Trail.
- As mentioned, so far the trail has been very light in terms of other hikers. That was about to change. It was not long after starting down the Joint Trail that we started running into folks. And a lot of folks at times. So the crowd is increasing. I’m not sure exactly where they all came from, I guess they must have taken a different route to get there (there are several interconnecting trails in the area, so that would work). The nature of the trail also changed considerably. The initial part of the loop had generally been through fairly open desert, other than the one short section that into the little canyon area, and the trail was gradually downhill for the most part. Since hitting the road, we had been gaining a little elevation, but nothing significant but we were still out in the open. Now we are starting a bit of a climb and the trail is working info the fins and other formations, so a much tighter feel to the trail. As we went on along the trail, these trends also continued as we saw more folks along this rocky uphill section of ever tightening trail.
- After the climb, we reached the true objective of the Joint Trail, the slot canyon features. OK, this is pretty cool. Sort of like a slot canyon but not the slots like Horseshoe or Antelope that we have explored in the past. Those slot canyons are carved by water erosion and they have lots of twists and turns and fascinating colors and contours. The slot of the Joint Trail ran along a long, narrow seam in the rock that has opened up over time, a joint or fracture in the rock that was caused by forces within the rock, stretch and pulling, rather than erosive forces (OK, sure, erosion is always at play, but the primary force was the movement of the rocks rather than grinding away of the rock). In fact, we had passed through a couple similar joint sections earlier in the hike. The first example here along the Joint Trail was probably widened into a more circular and open route through the rock due to the aid of erosive forces (that’s just my guess). But above the wider passage was a narrow, straight slot that ran up through the rest of the rock allowing for light to get in. Just like a highway tunnel with lights down the center of the ceiling. This round tunnel dumped us into a large cavern that seemed to be the convergence of multiple fractures. We explored around the area for a bit, as we were also trying to figure out which way to go. Turns out we missed a cairn as we exited the first tunnel where we should have turned left. No worries as we quickly figured that out after referring to the route notes. But that worked out as it was interesting looking around the area.
- Once we were back on the right track, we were headed to the primary fracture that the trail runs along. Now this is truly a slot in the rock, a huge crack, a fracture in the rock that looks like it had been opened by a giant with a huge crowbar. The walls were straight and pretty smooth and the walls were quite high. We were walking right down the crack in the rock. What’s the old phrase? Oh yeah, the passage was “as straight as an arrow.” I reckon the slot was maybe six feet wide where we entered but decreased as we continued along. Lisa was able to touch the opposing walls using her available wingspan near the start of the section. There were a couple of minor scrambles to get through the slot and a couple of spots where rocks and branches had become lodged in the opening above our heads. We also spotted a couple of very narrow joints heading off perpendicular to the main fracture. All-in-all, the Joint Trail was a really cool change of pace and a completely different experience from the open, desert nature of the rest of the trail.
- To exit the main joint there was one last set of makeshift rock steps and then we were back out in the open desert at a trail intersection. The signage there at the exit from the long joint pointed the direction back to Elephant Hill, Druid Arch and other points in the area, including a viewpoint that was only 500 feet away. We were going to skip the view point, but misinterpreted the sign and ended up going that direction anyway. OK, no worries, just a minor detour. We’ve done worse on other hikes. I still think that perhaps the sign was rotating 90 degrees to what it should have been, but we eventually got it all sorted out once we got out to the viewpoint and chatted with one of the hiking guides there. In the end this worked out to our advantage as we probably would not have gone to the view point if not for misreading the signage. And the vista at the end of the spur trail was certainly worth seeing as it provided the big picture of the rad and tan striped spires known as “needles.” The view point was elevated above the floor of Chesler Park in a large alcove in the sandstone that provided theatre seating for enjoying this glorious panorama. And it was obviously a popular spot as there were a lot of folks out here. At least one group and maybe two were part of a guided excursions, but there was one group of eight or ten folks who just seemed to have hiked out on their own and are now just hanging out and enjoying the view, the day and at present lunch. However, this horde of twenty-somethings was a messy bunch as they had packs, poles, boots, water bottles and zip-lock food bags strewn all around the area. Kind of reminded me of the stereotypical teenager’s room. But I understand wanting to get the gear off and relax a bit during a long hike, and this was a nice place to do just that. As long as they clean up after themselves, then no harm, no foul. We were not going to pause here that long as we still had about five miles of trail to cover to get back to Elephant Hill, but we did take a few minutes to marvel at the scenery from this vantage point before retracing our steps back to the main trail.
- After enjoying the viewpoint, we backtracked to the main train and continued on around the loop. The trail around the east side of Chesler Park from the Joint Trail back to the start of the loop is flat and sandy. The sand makes for tough going at times but nothing extreme. Interestingly, once we were back on the main trail, we were again pretty much alone. I think we passed one pair of young lady hikers heading toward the Joint Trail. They were all smiles and gave us a cheerful greeting as we passed. That will boost the friendliness rating for this trail, although I think it will get pretty high marks in that regard anyway. Plus we still were treated to the lovely views every step of the way. We passed a few primitive campsites but they did not seem to be in use at present. The trail ran through another short break in the rock, another fracture like along the Joint Trail although this one was shorter and did not require any scrambling to navigate. Lynn pointed out that if we were to do this trail again and had the primary goal of reaching the Joint Trail, then we should just go out-and-back along this section and avoid the more rugged stretch around the other side of Chesler Park. Good idea, but I thought that section of the trail was kind of fun.
- We spotted two or three ravens floating over the desert, probably in search of an unaware lizard. Not sure they were having much luck as we certainly have not seen much in terms of critters today and what we did see were all little guys. There were a few lizards scattered along the route early in the hike and the occasional bird. I did spot a titmouse of some sort, I’m guessing a Juniper Titmouse. Oh and those little beggar chipmunks.
- The trail worked through a couple sections of the sandstone formations as it went around Chesler Park. That made for even more variety as at times we were getting the big picture showing the breadth of the formations, their overall length and the variations in the structure from end-to-end, then we were right in the jumble for rocks picking our way through another short joint or up and over the rounded boulders. As we exited the area to continue the grassy flat, The rocks again gave us the feeling of passing through a doorway as we looked across the plain to the next sandstone ridgeline.
- The loop around Chesler Park completed, we stood in the doorway leading back into Elephant Canyon. The view from here is grand and the sandstone frame adds sort of an artistic touch. But we did not take a lot of time to enjoy the view, just enough to take it in and snap a few photos. We are back to the hard part of the trail as we have to make our way down the steep rocky section into and across Elephant Canyon with about three miles back to the start of the trail. Time for the final, head-down push to the end.
- Lynn and Lisa are getting tired and I think Lynn’s knees are hurting a bit by now plus it has warmed up considerably since we started, so the mood in our little group is a bit tense as we traversed Elephant Canyon. Shoot, it has been a long day on the trail, and I was on the tired side as well. Ever the optimist, I tried to lighten the mood a bit as we were coming up out of the canyon with a comment that I had an idea for our next hike, which was going to be a walk to the state store to restock on beer. But I was cut-off by a severe version of “the look” from Lynn, only getting as far as “I have an idea for our next hike…” I never got to make that quip. OK, that was a bad idea. I guess I need to work on my delivery. Time to hang back and take a few photos and stay out of rock throwing range while the girls focus on the trail.
- The good news is that once we were back on the final slickrock section the hard part was behind us and it was basically all downhill back to the trailhead. We passed several hikers heading out on the trail as we made our way back. I think these were most folks out for a short walk as we were getting toward the end of the day and none of these folks seemed geared up for camping.
- We made it! We were back at the trailhead at 4:00 PM. All is well now that we can ditch our packs and loosen our boot laces. We were out for about 6.5 hours, so about what I figured for this hike. The Ramblr track had some spurious points as we went through the Join Trail that inflated our mileage, but I edited the track once we were home and figured that we covered about 11.7 miles for the day. We had a little snack and some more water before securing our gear for the drive back to Moab, but we did not tarry long. Still a gorgeous day, but much warmer here in the late afternoon. The Explorer read-out indicated 82 F as we were leaving the trailhead parking lot. The lot was still mostly full and the overflow lot had a fair number of cars as well. Yep, this is a popular area, and after completing that amazing but tough hike, I understand why.
<< link to park map brochure page, plus include the map on a separate page in the journal >>
We had a quiet ride home, as the girls were wore out and napping part of the way. I was happy enjoying the quiet drive and the scenery, but I did have to stay on my toes as there were some crazy drivers out on route 191. Just some speed demons who wanted to take advantage of the straight stretches of the highway. The good news was that there was still plenty of daylight remaining for the drive back to Moab, so I could see those few crazy folks as well as any wildlife along the road.
We rolled back into Westside Flats right at 6:00. Immediate beer required! We certainly earned our post-hike beverages today! That was pretty much an all-day excursion between the drive time and the long hike. We’re beat but there is also that sense of accomplishment since we completed a wonderful hike on a pretty strenuous trail. That is certainly a trail that I would do again. I think that next time we will try the hike to Druid Arch as that is also highly rated. So many options. As we sit here on the patio enjoying a beer or glass of wine, we were in accord that this was a great day out on an excellent trail.
Well, we are hungry but not really feeling like going out. There’s always carry out. We thought about the new BBQ place just around the corner. Maybe tomorrow. This just feels like a pizza night. I confirmed that Zax does carry-out orders, so we’re good to go. The only downside to carry-out is that I know who will be going to get the pizza. And with the crowded conditions in Moab these days, there is no sense in driving. Besides, it is less than half a mile from the flat to Zax, so why waste the fuel. I’ll just get a few more steps in for the day.
I pulled up Zax menu on my phone so that we could figure out the order. We decided on a Ramone (tomato sauce, pepperoni, sausage, green peppers, onion, and mozzarella) and a build your own veggie, plus a side of jalapenos for me. We got two 14-inch pies, so we’ll have enough for tonight and leftovers for lunch tomorrow. I placed the ordered at 7:15, and it would only take about 15 minutes. Yikes, that fasted than I was figuring and I want to remove the trail dirt before going out. OK, a very quick shower. Quick, yes, but it still felt so good! I’m feeling a bit reinvigorated and headed out to get dinner. I strolled into Zax just a little after 7:30, so not too bad on the timing.
One thing for sure, Moab is a hopping place. There were people everyone and even the backstreet had some traffic, including a flight of rather noisy and quite overt off-road vehicles of some kind. The main street was packed with cars and the pedestrians. But just about everyone had on some sort of face covering as per the guidance here in Moab. Social distancing was a little tougher at times due to the crowds but the businesses were doing all that they could to comply and keep folks safe. Even with the restrictions, the restaurants were packed, as there were good-sized crowds and folks waiting to be seated at Spitfire BBQ, Desert Bistro and Zax. I think we chose wisely with carry out.
Back on the patio, we all dug into dinner. Zax makes a very good pizza. We did a fair amount of damage to those two pies but there was still plenty remaining for lunch tomorrow. Now it is time just to relax for a while on the back patio. We reflected on the hike today, which we all agreed was tough but wonderful. Sort of reminded me of the hike into Sperry Chalet in Glacier National Park, one of our first really big hiking excursions. Our short description was that the hike was 14 miles, took us ten hours and nearly killed us; it was GREAT! Lisa and I compared our step count for today. I had 31,661. No wonder my feet hurt. But the walk to Zax was a good thing as it let me stretch out my old bones a bit.
We also worked out a plan for tomorrow, which was to have no plan. We’ll wing it. Sleep in. Maybe go out for breakfast. Leftovers for lunch. We'll figure it out based on how we fell in the morning. The girls have half a bottle of wine left and I’m drinking the last beer. We will see if we need to hit the state store or not (I’m thinking that “not” is not an option).
Lisa called it a night and Lynn went in to get cleaned-up. I just enjoyed a little peace on the patio. Lynn came back out after her shower. All is well, we had a little quiet time and chatted about the day but called it quits at 9:15 once I finished off my Hopzilla. By 9:20 we had hit the sack, lights off and we were out.
Saturday, October 3 – Fisher Towers. It was nice sleeping in this morning. No alarm is a good thing. Still, we were both awake about 0630 and up to face the day. We just puttered around the flat this morning, and scrapped together breakfast out of whatever was remaining of our supplies just to use them up. I finished off the last of the yogurt and one of the granola bars. I also checked one of the birding sights and confirmed that we had seen a Juniper Titmouse yesterday at Chesler Park.
We discussed the plan for the day. Granted, we had a big day on the trail yesterday, so taking a day off sounds like a good idea, but I hate to waste a potential day on the trails in this area, particularly when it is the last opportunity for this trip. Fisher Towers still seems like a good option. We could make that hike this morning, then chill the rest of the day. Well, along with some packing and travel prep. Lynn concurs that this is a good plan. We just did not set a frim time to start said plan. We will see when we actually mobilize.
We did hit the road later than most mornings, as it was almost 9:30 when we were pulling away from Westside Flats. The Explorer told me that is was 52 degrees F outside, so a comfortable start to our adventure. However, as we got out of town and along route 128, we could see that it was hazy and smoky this morning. First issues with those conditions that we have encountered in Moab. But it was still a lovely day for a drive along scenic route 128 as we rolled parallel to the Colorado River. We were keeping an eye out for folks out on the water, but did seen any one on the drive east. Perhaps it is a bit chilly yet this morning to be out on the river. While the river was not yet crowded, the trailhead parking at Grandstaff was jammed.
The higher than normal traffic conditions continued this morning as there were plenty of cars out on 128 already. Sure, we’re not out as early as we typically are but this still seems like higher volume than normal. And there were still impatient people passing but at least today they were making their moves along safer stretches of the road. Besides, the traffic was moving along pretty well, at the speed limit or higher, so really no need to pass. We were pulling onto the Fisher Towers Road right at 10:00 AM.
Just a short drive up the dirt access road to the trailhead parking. It is an uphill drive so the views were getting better, but we also saw that the haze was still pretty significant such that the more distant vistas were rather muted. But the tall features of Fisher Towers were very much in plain sight, so our hike should not be impacted.
But the big vistas were not the only interesting sight this morning along the dirt road. There was a little cluster of cars parked along the edge of the road at a point overlooking a little gully with a dozen or so folks gathered around. There were four big blue birds in the mix, each perched on the arms of handler. I think they were Blue and Yellow Macaws. Well, I guess this is an animal jam of sorts. There were a couple people down in the little depression below the road, maybe 100 feet or so away from the road and a little below road level. Looks like they are out here to let the birds do some flying. Since there was already a bit of a crowd, I just slowed to a crawl for safety’s sake, and continued to the trailhead.
Up at the trailhead parking area was just like what we saw at Grandstaff, the place was jammed. Lynn and I have driven up here a couple of times during previous trips just to take in the views but the timing was never right for the hike. During those stops there was always plenty of parking available. Not today. Every available square foot of dirt in the lot was covered by some sort of vehicle. And they were fairly well packed in so no wasted space. It took a minute to get extricate the Explorer from this mess, and I had to back out of the parking area and into the driveway to the campground in order to reverse course. Fortunately, the road leading into the parking lot is very wide, so I was able to find a place for the Explorer without blocking any part of the road. I hardly had her in park before another car followed suit and pulled in along the road just in front of me. Well, there are no signs saying that parking here in not allowed, and we are not blocking the road, so I’m going to say that we are good to go.
The temperature here at the trailhead was 61 F, so quickly increasing since we left Moab this morning. But still very comfortable for hiking. We donned our packs, adjusted our hats and I started our track on ramblr at 10:14 AM. We were not the only ones heading the start of the trail. And based on the number of vehicles in the parking area there will be a lot of traffic on the trail, as expected.
This is an easy trail to follow as most of the route runs along the base of the formations, so there is really no place else to go. To paraphrase Arlo Guthrie, “on one side of the trail there were the towering sandstone formations, and on the other side, there was nothin', there was just a cliff in the air.” Only the section from the trailhead parking area out along the first little ridge and trough a little gully needed any signage and cairns to keep us on track. And I think there should have been one more cairn at the start of that ridge as I missed a turn. But I got a nice view out on the end of the little fin before realizing I was at a dead end and getting back on track.
There were a lot of people out on this trail, ranging from folks out for a short walk to those heading off into the wilderness. We are somewhere squarely in the middle of that distribution. Since we got a later start today, there was already a lot of people returning to the trailhead. I spotted one young lady wearing a gray tee-shirt with the familiar, bright blue of the NASA meatball emblazoned on the front. This was the only NASA apparel I saw for the trip, which is sort of unusual, so I had to chat with her for a minute. Turns out that she does not work for NASA but would certainly like to. Sadly, she was not an engineer so the recruitment discussion ended quickly but I encouraged her to check the NASA website for internship and other opportunities.
The trail wraps right along the base of the main formations, so you are looking straight up to see the tallest spires and the climbers working their way to the top of the formations. Every time we drive past Fisher Towers, I always think of that one commerical, I think for a credit card, which shows a young lady standing on top of the one spiral shaped spire (I believe that one is called the Corkscrew). Now we’re seeing that formation from a closer vantage point and it is covered with colorful little ants climbing up and down its sides. More guys up in the rocks but there are a few gals as well. Good for them. I’m sticking to the trail!
The formations are a dark red and have a completely different look from sandstone in Arches. Turns out that Delicate Arch is only about 11 miles from Fisher Towers, as the crow flies, and the Devils Garden is 17, but the differences in the geology are striking. The sandstone in Arches tends more toward orange, yellow and tan and has a generally smooth look and feel, while the rocks that form the Fisher Towers are darker red, call it maroon, tending to dark brown, and have a rough appearance, like they have been covered in a deep red stucco. A much more jagged appearance, overall. But that is part of the appeal of the Grand Circle since in any small part of desert southwest there is just so much to experience and just such an amazing variety of things to see.
The trail afforded us with beautiful views which changed as we continued around each of the huge, eroded fins that support the tall towering formations. Each loop in the trail provides a unique perspective of both the towers directly overhead as well as the mesas and buttes in the distance. Granted these far-off formations were muted due to the hazy conditions today; I guess that might be a reason to try this trail again. In fact, I bet hiking this trail at different times of the day would be interesting due to the changes in lighting.
The stars of the trail are the giant sandstone structures towering over the trail. They are impressive. No wonder there are so many folks out on this trail as the formations are beautiful and it is fairly easy to access. The only formation that was named on the Ramblr map was The Titan. Well, I reckon it is the big guy here, so that makes sense but I was curious as to the names of the other formations. After the trip I did a little searching on the web and pieced together the following information from a couple of sources (Wikipedia and Utah.com, to cite two):
Fisher Towers are composed of three major fins of rock that run from the northeast starting at the mesa from wish they fins emerge out to the southwest and into a desert valley. The fins are between 1,000 and 2,000 feet long and separated from each other by about 1,000 feet. Each fin contains multiple towers. The easternmost section of the northernmost fin is dominated by a tower known as the King Fisher. The ridge line of the fin drops considerable before reaching the western formation called Ancient Arts. Ancient Arts is composed of four separate summits the most striking of which is the cork screw summit. The Middle fin is split into two very distinct towers known as Echo Tower in the east and Cottontail in the west. The southernmost fin is best known for containing the formation with the greatest elevation and prominence, The Titan. The eastern portion of the southern fin is the less well known Oracle which physically connects back to the mesa.
From the trailhead, the trail works uphill pretty steadily, with a few little dips and wiggles. There were a couple of ladders bolted to the sandstone walls to provide access where the trail dips through a couple of steep gullies. Not difficult at all, at least for those of us out for a simple day hike. But there were several folks with kids in backpacks or dogs who had to negotiate these obstacles. There was also at least on person on the trail who had sore knees from hiking around Chesler Park. After a couple mile, Lynn decided to stop where there was a shady spot and a nice view and just sit for a while. She said it was fine if Lisa and I wanted to continue, which we did. We did not think it was that much further to the end of the trail, but it turned out that we had more to go than we thought since the trail has some longer loops as it follows the contours of the big fins that support the Towers.
After we left Lynn, the crowds started to thin out. It seems that a lot of folks just hike out so far, watch the climbers for a while, get a photo or two and then head back. I guess after a certain point the more serious hikers take over. But we still were passing groups with kids and dogs, all the way to the end of the trail. And one trail runner; that would certainly make for a nice workout, but with the crowds it would be a bit difficult to negotiate the first part of the trail, but out here beyond the crowds she seemed to have pretty clear sailing. And there was plenty of trail still to traverse, as each time we came around the end of a fin, there was another deep loop in the trail. Yes, further than I figured. I finally looked at my phone to check the map to get a clue on our locations. OK, now that I see where we are on the map and I can see the ridge that the trail runs out to. Got it, the end it near…or at least nearer. The funny thing was that Lisa asked almost everyone we passed how far it was to the end of the trail, even after I pointed out where we were on the map and the final destination once it was in view. But that’s just Lisa.
We continued to gain elevation as we hiked along, which gave us increasingly better views of both the formations along the trail and the big view across the wide plane. We were also getting better light on both the near and far rocks, granted the distant views were still rather hazed-over. In this light, the Towers have a bit more variety in their red hues, but still tend to strains of cerise. In the distance the exposed faces of the rock were of similar color as the Towers, so likely all the rock layers in view are from the same geologic origin. That’s just speculation on my part; Dammit, Jim, I’m a hiker, not a geologist! I’m just out here enjoying the beauty of these sandstone creations.
By the time we were nearing the end of the trail, we were nearly alone on the trail. We probably only saw a half-dozen or so other folks scattered along the last half-mile of the trail. Trail-runner Chick was already on her way back, but was traveling at a walk on the return. One long-lens photographer with a huge smile on his face; he was obviously really enjoying the views. We met a climber at the junction with a backcountry trail. He was really loaded down with ropes and other gear. We chatted briefly, after Lisa started the conversation with “how far to the end of the trail.” Lisa, sweetie, the end of the trail is about 500 yards to the starboard; we’re almost there. Once we were almost to the end, we met one last hiker, Superdad. Really nice guy who we talked with briefly about the lovely day and the beautiful scenery (and I’m sure about the distance to the end of the trail). Younger fellow, with a baby in a backpack and two very energetic dogs. One of the pups had a stick that he was very proud of, as he brought it over to Lisa and me to inspect.
Hey, Lisa, in case you were wondering, we’re at the end of the trail, or at least close enough for government work. We paused for the vistas and a few photos. Great vantage point but just too hazy for a great shot of the mesas in the distance (and certainly not the best time of day for lighting anyway). But it was still a gorgeous sight. We took a brief break to enjoy the view, the reversed course back along the trail.
Not much in terms of wildlife along the trail today, just a few lizards, a couple chippers and the ever present ravens soaring overhead. But what we did not see in wild animals we made up for in domesticated ones. Lots of dogs on the trail, and more were coming as we were hiking out. In fact, there was increasing traffic on the trail in general as we made our way back to the trailhead. But a friendly bunch of folks whether they were out on their own or a big family on an outing. I reckon people are just happy to be outside and away from home after a summer of staying home and for many in lockdown due to the pandemic.
We leap-frogged SuperDad once or twice. We stood by at the first ladder in case he needed help getting up with the kid and the dogs, but he managed it by himself. Just took him a couple trips to get his little herd up to the next level of the trail. There was probably some reluctance in asking for and offering help due to COVID as no one wanted to inadvertently spread the disease to anyone else. But we and others were ready in case a helping hand was needed.
Lisa and I just plodded along, enjoying the views and saying hello to our fellow hikers. Out-and-back trails like this are nice as you get to see the scenery from a different direction and under different conditions on the return trip. Sometimes details along the trail just are really only readily visible from one direction, like the embedded rocks I spotted in the dark red sandstone as we made the turns at the end of one of the big fins. Not that these were particularly pretty rocks but they were just so different than the surrounding red sandstone that they just jumped out. These rocks were grey for the most part and just contrasted with the dark red. These little rocks were obviously harder and more resilient to the erosive forces that are carving the sandstone. The grey rocks made a neat little row in the strata when they were laid down in the mud that transformed into this rock layer probably millions of years ago. It just struck me that Mother Nature must have been using her “bedazzler” to add a little flare to the scene. Well, at some point, hundreds of not thousands of years from now, the red sandstone will erode away and release these little bland rhinestones which will drop down to the floor of the canyon.
At some point, I think when we went past the bedazzled rock wall, Lynn spotted us returning. She then started on her way back toward the trailhead, giving herself a head start since she is moving slower than usual. Lisa and I did catch up with her before she reached the end of the trail.
We were back at the trailhead right at 1:00 PM. Lisa and I chatted with the backpacker/climber we had passed at the far end of the trail. He said that the climbing here was actually pretty easy but very popular so there is always a wait to get up and down the spires. That’s why he hikes out away from the crowds and climbs in the much less populated areas. Well there were a lot of folks up on the rocks today as we saw a steady stream of folks working up those tall, skinny formations. That’s part of the draw for the area, I think. Folks come out to enjoy the beauty of the Fisher Towers but also to watch the daredevils climbing. Hey, I’m just here for the hiking and the scenery.
Turns out that Superdad was parked in the RV right behind us. The door was open as we saw the dogs sacked out after the hike and Dad changing the baby. He is definitely Superdad. There were cars parked well down the road ahead of us and more coming up toward the trailhead, so we did not hang out so that someone else could have our spot. Yep, this is a popular trail, but not so crowded to be a distraction. The scenery was worth it. For sure a very good hike.
As we cruised back to town along the very scenic route 128, we noted that there was a lot more activity on the river as well as along the trails. Rafters and paddleboarders out on the river, all the parking lots were pretty well full and there were a fair number of bikes out as we got closer to town. A busy day in the wilds of Moab.
While the temperature had risen to 72 F when we came off the trail, it was even warmer here in Moab, by a full 10 degrees according to the Explorer when we parked at Westside flats. No worries, the back patio is in full shade. The only problem was that we are out of beer. That is a serious tragedy! Lynn and I walked to state store while Lisa got cleaned up. Yep, Lynn was right there is not a great selection, much less than our previous visit, but there are a few interesting beers available. The nice thing is that you are allowed to bust up a six-pack and just buy a single or two…OK, three. That should cover this final evening in Moab.
We got cleaned up so that we can really relax and enjoy a quiet afternoon on the patio. We finished off the pizza for lunch then just chilled for the rest of the day. We got in a nice hike each day, and the girls had completed their shopping, so a little Zen time is in order. Lynn and Lisa were finishing off the remainder of the wine while I was working through the three tall cans that I found. Glad that I have the rest of the afternoon and all evening to drink these as I ended up picking three double IPAs each with an ABV above 8%. No worries, I’m a professional.
Started with FMU DIPA from Moab Brewing, figuring that it would be the weak chicken of the flight. While it was my least favorite of the three, it was pretty good. I gave it a 3.75 on untapped. Probably the best beer of have tried from Moab Brewing.
Then the Junior Astronaut Juice from Illuminated Brew Works. Interesting that both this one and the FMU had astronauts on the label. Not sure if that means anything, but there is at least a connection back to the professional side of the equation (although Lynn is the rocket scientist, I just run wind tunnels). I saved the last beer for after dinner. The last DIPA for our time in Moab, Ninja vs. Unicorn by Pipeworks Brewing Company. I didn’t realize that I had tried this one previously (I guess I should have referred to Untappd while at the state store), but that’s OK, it is still a good beer. Best of the three for this evening. It’s nice to finish on a high note.
For dinner we again opted for carry out and decided to try the new BBQ place, Spitfire Smokehouse. Same deal as last night, we called in the order and I walked over to get our grub. This place is truly just a stone’s throw away, well, direct line. But it is just around the corner, so pretty darn close. They just opened this week, so I’ll give them a break if they don’t quite have their act together. And they didn’t, but not bad. Sort of a convoluted arrangement in the restaurant. But the staff was really friendly and they seemed to all be working really hard to keep up with the demand (there were a lot of folks waited to be seated and for pick-up orders). The place had that industrial, urban vibe and décor that many restaurants and bars are going for these days. The bar area was really hopping. I thought about a beer while I was waiting, but the selection on tap was not that great. Again, they’re just getting starting so I’ll wait and see if they improve by the time we are back on town. Probably just as well, as my order was ready in short order.
Back on the patio, we divvied up the food. Lynn got the brisket tacos, Lisa had a BBQ bowl and I went with the shrimp po-boy. My sandwich was good, but not great. I guess I should have went with their strength since they are a smokehouse. The girls liked their meals, but still they were not giving out the highest accolades; not great but certainly no horrible. Hey, they just opened so we’ll give them another shot next time we are in town. I mean the convenience factor when staying at Westside Flats cannot be beat.
We went in once we had finished dinner and the last of the drinks. Lynn turned on “I Can See Your Voice.” I think this was probably the only TV I watched the entire trip. I wish I had skipped it. Not my cup of tea, but then very little on the telly is. I gave up shortly thereafter, and crawled into bed at 9:15.