2017 Utah Road Trip

March 28, 2017: Three Forks Trailhead to Four Corners, Blanding UT.

Spent the day at Natural Bridges National Monument, on Hike #16, Sipapu Bridge to Kachina Bridge (“bridges” are created and span rivers, “arches” are over land).  Two great bridges, plus a nice bunch of petroglyphs of hands.  Drove to the third bridge, then decided, because it was really getting cold and windy, to stay once more at a motel.  Am I getting to old for this outdoor life?  Still, lying in bed, watching the PBS News Hour with all the news about Trump and the Republicans in disarray has its advantages.

March 29, 2017: Four Corners Inn, Blanding UT to Hiway 261, UT.

• Clear skies, and somebody at breakfast told me it will be ok tomorrow.  But decided to hang in my nice room until late, typing up these notes, organizing my photos, taking it easy.  Not sure where I’ll go today.  The hikes in this neck of the woods don’t seem very interesting, but haven’t really done the research yet.

• So how is the road trip coming along?  I’m pretty organized by now: shorts, small backpack, iPhone and Panasonic Lumix for photos, MacBook Pro for organizing, walking sticks, hat, Marmot windbreaker, my normal self-darkening bifocals, my fancy new hearing aids (so nice with their bluetooth capability!), Merrill Moab hiking shoes.  Tried both my large and my normal ultralight tent, but am considering taking my even smaller tent for the CDT: much less volume and weight, and anyway, a tent is not needed so much for New Mexico.  I may take the first set of paper maps with me, but right now I’m thinking I may go electronic.  With my iPhone in airplane mode, it uses practically no juice, and gives me my GPS info whenever I want it with practically no delay.

• Saw a really cool camper in the parking lot: a “Four Wheel Popup Camper” made in Jackson, Wyoming, on a Ford F-150.  This may be the way to go - much cheaper, smaller, more maneuverable than the Mercedes Sprinter conversions.

• Took a slow morning, finally out of the room by 10.  Spoke to the owner of the cool camper, who said it was made in California, and to check out the Wander the West (?) website for more info and possible sales of used campers.

• Then a visit to the very fine Cedars State Park Museum for some beautiful photos of the early inhabitants dwellings, as well as a fully reconstructed kiva you can descend into by ladder.  

• Then backtracked to the trailhead of #13: Kane Gulch Ranger Station to the Junction.  Eight hours, up and back, with a brief view of Grand Gulch, as well as some well-preserved dwellings high up on a cliff - how did they ever manage to get up there?  Drove a bit more down Hiway 261 pulled off the road, had a can of raviolis, some M&Ms, and half an instant chocolate pudding mix (I’ll have the rest for breakfast).  It’s still clear, so I’ll sleep cowboy style beside the car.