Day 649: Colorado NM and Black Canyon of the Gunnison NP

This morning we unhitched and drove east to Fruita.  While I was getting tourist information at the Colorado Welcome Center, Trish and the kids walked across the street to the local Vietnam War Memorial:

Day649_01

We next drove into Colorado National Monument.  We looked around the visitor center:

Day649_02

The views from just outside the visitor center:

Day649_03

Day649_04

The kids finished their Junior Ranger workbooks and received their badges:

Day649_05

Day649_06

We drove the Rim Drive through the monument and took in the views:

Day649_07

Day649_08

Day649_09

Day649_10

Here a portion of the canyon wall popped off and slid down into the canyon:

Day649_11

This is a hanging canyon, its floor is quite a bit higher than the Colorado River valley beyond:

Day649_12

Day649_13

One of B’s flower photos:

Day649_14

Once we exited the park, we drove via Montrose to Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park.  The canyon is one of the deepest in the US.  It was dizzying photographing over the edge, and unfortunately the photos below don’t capture the scope of the canyon as it drops over 2,000 feet from the rim to the river below:

Day649_15

The Gunnison River drops 49 feet per mile in the canyon, about 7 times the slope of the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon:

Day649_16

Day649_17

Day649_18

The Elk Range is visible in the distance:

Day649_19

Day649_20

Day649_21

Day649_22

Day649_23

Day649_24

Day649_25

Day649_26

B spotted this fellow:

Day649_27

The kids received their Junior Ranger badges:

Day649_28

Day649_29

The kids almost completed the Junior Ranger books for Curecanti NRA, which is adjacent to Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park.  The ranger gave us the badges to give to the kids when they finish their workbooks:
 Day649_30

From there, we resupplied at the Montrose Walmart and returned to the RV around sunset.  See the trip map for today’s drive and our current location.

Day 648: Farewell, Utah

Shabbos was a big weather day, with periods of sunshine, rain, and even hail.  The road turned to mud, and it was fun to watch trucks and OHVs slip and slide as they went by.

We packed up the RV and said goodbye to our dispersed camping spot near Moab for the last week:

Day648_01

We drove north and east to find a dispersed camping area in the Rabbit Valley area just across the Colorado border, a few miles from Fruita, Colorado:

Day648_02

Tomorrow we hope to visit Colorado National Monument and Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park.

See the trip map for today’s drive and our current location.

Day 646: Arches National Park

Today we visited Arches National Park.  We were last here on Day 17 of our 2011 Vacation, so this time we focused on areas we didn’t get to see last time.  Our first stop was the area called Wall Street:

Day646_01

Day646_02

Next we drove to the Delicate Arch trailhead and hiked the trail to the arch:

Day646_04

A portion of the hike follows a ledge above the canyon below:

Day646_05

We had a bit of company at the arch:

Day646_06

Day646_07

M watching from a distance:

Day646_08

Day646_09

Day646_10

Day646_11

Day646_12

Delicate Arch seen through Frame Arch:

Day646_13

Hiking back to the truck:

Day646_14

Near the parking lot, there’s a 16th century pictograph site:

Day646_15

We also found this bird feeding its young:

Day646_16

Day646_17

Day646_18

Cabins from 19th century homesteaders are also on display here:

Day646_19

Day646_03

Day646_20

We drove on to the Windows section of the park.  Our first hike was to Double Arch, the highest arch in the park:

Day646_21

Day646_23

Day646_24

Day646_25

Next we hiked to Turret Arch:

Day646_26

…And then on to North Window and South Window:

Day646_28

Day646_27

B photographed the view towards the Fiery Furnace:

Day646_29

Day646_30

South Window:

Day646_31

North Window:

Day646_32

Balanced Rock:

Day646_33

Looking South up Wall Street:

Day646_34

This structure is called The Cathedral, I think:

Day646_35

Arches is an amazing park, but both Trish and I agreed that after five weeks in Southern Utah, our appetite for red rock vistas has been sated, and we’re ready to move on.

Good Shabbos from Moab, Utah!

Day 644: Biking to Moab

We decided to ride the paved trail which starts a little over a mile from where we are parked and follows the highway into Moab.  The first order of business was to pump up and install our road wheels:

Day644_01

Day644_02

The trail descents into Moab.  After we reached the end, we rode a spur trail 2.5 miles paralleling the Colorado River until that trail ended.  On the way back, Trish and the kids continued towards home while I rode the climb into Arches National Park:

Day644_03

Unfortunately, B got a flat almost immediately, so Trish and the kids waited for me to come back down, as I had the patch kit:

Day644_04