Moab, Utah Part 1

April 11th found us leaving Monument Valley, Arizona/Utah and traveling to Moab, Utah. One of the first towns we came upon was Mexican Hat. The town's namesake formation and colorful, zigzaggy hills nearby:




Grass! After miles and miles and weeks and weeks of desert . . . grass! Bill enjoying it in Monticello, Utah:


The Colorado River in Moab, Utah:


Arches National Park:




Petrified Sand Dunes (rock had worn down to piles of sand and then hardened back to stone):


The Windows:








Double Arch:










We climbed a trail to a point where Delicate Arch could be viewed across a canyon. The person in the lower left of the picture is standing on the edge of the canyon. People who climbed a trail on the other side of the canyon are standing under the arch itself:




Skyline Arch:


Landscape Arch and a neat tree on the path to it:

Moab, Utah Part 2

Once again, we lost several days of exploring - and lots of sleep! - to high winds that sandblasted everything in their path. By April 15th, we were able to venture outside again, but were still feeling gritty and tasting sand all day.

Moab is paradise for hikers, mountain bikers, off-roaders, and rock climbers. Bill spent the mornings riding various mountain bike trails, and we hiked in the afternoons and evenings.

On the Moab Rim Trail, a Bureau of Land Management trail for four-wheel-drive vehicles and hikers. It was hot!










The Colorado River from the trail:




Desert Paintbrush:








Where's Barkley?




A truck going up as we were coming down:


Our site, #11 on Doc Holliday Drive, OK RV Park:








Barkley (a little hung up on his rope) and Sissy:

Moab, Utah Part 3

On April 16th, we hiked the Corona Arch Trail, which is about 3 miles long, round trip. Since it is a Federal Bureau of Land Management (BLM) trail, Barkley was allowed to come with us. (Dogs are not allowed on National Park trails.) Hiking the last 1/4 mile or so to the arches requires climbing toe-holds cut into a nearly vertical rock wall and then climbing a ladder. We couldn't get Barkley up these obstacles, so Bill completed the trail and showed us the arch pictures when he got back to the base of the offending climbs.










Bow Tie Arch:


Corona Arch:




April 17th Negro Bill Canyon Trail, another BLM trail, follows a creek . . . water! The desert is beautiful, but being sandblasted and having no shade or water in sight gets tiresome. This trail was for us!




Pretty little lavender flowers we wish we could identify!


Some type of Prickly Pear Cactus:


Mahonia:


We had to cross the creek nine times altogether. Notice Barkley right behind Bill:


Barkley was scared at first, but he eventually crossed each time on his own: