Norm's rocky road in the desert

Written by Norm....

Off-roading is a major activity in and around Moab.  Besides the obvious mountain biking trails, there are hundreds of miles of trails specifically for ATV’s and high clearance heavy duty suspension Jeeps.  This has piqued my interest for a long time so no better place to give it a try.  I checked out a number of rental companies and went with one that allowed us to pick up the vehicle the night before with no added charge.  This was beneficial because all of the rental companies were almost 20 miles away but the trails were only a couple of miles from our campground.  The owner of the company was very helpful in outlining a suggested full day route; he was also very insistent that many trails were NOT to be taken.  Evidently his vehicles are not as indestructible as the competition, but that didn’t concern me much because I had never done this before anyway.  By picking it up in the evening, we could get a fresh start first thing in the morning. 

 

Alison does not do well sitting as a passenger for several hours.  Add to this the fact that the journey involved severe rock climbing with the resultant bouncing, twisting and jarring of your body.  Also, the windshield of this Jeep was very narrow and surrounding visibility was limited.  So it came as no big surprise that she opted to not go with me. 

 I headed out alone on to Gemini Bridges Trail wondering how I was going to cope with following detailed driving directions and taking pictures of the big adventure all while maneuvering up and over rock mounds, boulders and tight turns.  Oh well, you gotta deal with it! 

 

Above is a little movie Norm took during his crazy 4x4'ing day.

 After about a ¼ mile on a gravel road all of a sudden I was faced with nothing but seemingly insurmountable rock slabs going sharply up a hill.  Well, here we go!  I threw it into 4-wheel drive and eased on the gas.  Not much happened.  OK – I need more power (aka – more gas).  All 4 wheels engaged and the fun was on!  I did everything I could to hold onto the steering wheel as I was tossed around inside.

This rugged portion settled down after about ½ mile.  Seemed like an eternity.  Then it became a rough road with pot holes big enough to swallow a Volkswagen, kind of like driving in Boston in the spring. 

I was deep in a valley and had solid rock walls on either side of me that went up a couple of thousand feet.  Wowwww.  Gradually I was ascending to the top of those cliffs but with all of the twisting and turning, there did not seem to be much severe climbing.  There were a few scenic stops along the way and I did the mandatory “ check it out” and take a few pictures.  Every once in a while I would hit a patch of solid rock and climb 20 or 30 feet but nothing too strenuous.  It actually began to get a little boring and next thing you know, I was at the top and was turning onto a paved road. 

Side hike to Gemini bridges

I had to go into Canyonlands National Park and obtain a permit to embark on the next section of the adventure – the dreaded Schafer Trail.  When we were at Deadhorse Point State Park the day before, I had marveled at the vehicles on the canyon floor and wondered how they got down there.  Well, this was the way down. 

 I had been instructed to throw it into 4-wheel drive and then shift it into low gear because the descent is very steep.  Understatement!  This was a single lane rutted dirt road that hugged a cliff edge and wound around blind corners.  Although it was single lane, it was NOT single direction!  Thankfully I encountered very few oncoming vehicles but when I did, I made sure I was the one to pull into the hillside and stop and let them deal with passing me on the cliff side! 

Looking down at these narrow roads, I had a glimpse what was coming next..

 
Then came the white knuckle descent.  VERY tight hairpin turns.  I could see across the canyons to where the road was taking me, and it got scarier and scarier as I went down and around more and more blind corners!  It was several miles of steep downhill driving before I finally arrived at what I thought was the bottom. 

Finally I got a view of the Colorado River

The arrow shows where we were the day before looking down at the roads on the canyon floor.

It leveled off for many more miles and then I caught glimpses of the Colorado River, but it was several hundred feet below me.  I still had more descent ahead of me.  Several more patches of navigating rock slabs, crossing through a river bed and finally I was on the banks of the mighty Colorado.

I connected with another scenic paved road that followed alongside the Colorado and was treated to a pull-off that featured several clusters of native American rock art about 20-30 feet up from the ground.  Why did they have to draw so high and how did they get up there??

I  hurried back to the RV and picked up Alison to accompany me back into Moab, where we had left our car.  The entire journey lasted about 6 hours and it was a very memorable experience.  Would I do it again?  You bet!



 

The area of Coeur D'Alene, Idaho

Leaving St. Regis a day early, we headed to Stoneridge Motor Coach Resort. This lovely resort nestled in a valley goal is to become an owner-based RV resort.  Huge sites are sold that one can erect a very small building which most people seem to house their guest bath and laundryroom and kitchenette. Some landscapes were right out of home and garden sporting elaborate gourmet kitchens, fireplaces, audio video equipment and designer furniture!  All done with your personal dollar and approval of a board, of course ). We received a coupon at an RV show to come stay here for 7 nights FREE if we agreed to take a tour of the property. 

We NEVER normally accept the many (I mean many) offers sent by mail or over the phone for various timeshares. But hey – we would be right there, and the savings are great, so why not?

This site, right next to us, was so cleverly designed!  Inside is below.



Unfortunately I took this picture before they moved in all their beautiful furniture.  Wine cooler, gourmet kitchen, fireplace, large screen TV, fire place as well as a fire pit. Decorative propane heaters hang, and custom made screens make it cozy in the cool weather.



 



Our site at Stoneridge Motor Coach Resort with a personalized welcome sign. This is a lot with no improvements.



 

Downtown Coeur D'Alene stolen from the internet

 As we drove through Coeur D’Alene which was our actual destination city, we learned there was a hidden cost of our being at Stoneridge Motor Coach Resort – the drive back was 45 minutes each way!  We hate doing all that driving, especially after a dinner out.  That was certainly going to limit how often we go there, or what we will see or do.  Blackwell Island RV Park was right on the water, in the heart of Coeur D’Alene but we canceled our reservations there to stay at the free resort (which also had a golf course with a fraction of the green fees.)  Since we are on “vacation” for 6 months, when we can save many hundreds of dollars, we take advantage of it! But in this case, I may have preferred to split the time between the two.  Perhaps if we had started making trip plans a year ahead, we would have had time to get down into the nitty gritty.

Over the next few days we had the tour of the beautiful motor coach resort and took advantage of being finally allowed to clean our coach, and do a few maintenance chores. We played around making time-lapse videos of our chores which I may post later (once I figure out how to, and have the internet sources to do it). Of course, as luck would have it, it rained the next day, but the rig still looked so much better. Another day we drove into Coeur d’Alene, got more provisions, and had a lovely dinner at the big hotel there.

We had a lovely meal at Beverly's in the Coeur d'Alene Resort

 

We played a round of golf on Stoneridge’s beautifully maintained course, but really didn’t venture too far, or do terribly much because of weather.   

After 5 nights in peaceful bliss, it was time to move onto Canada!    

 

 

 

Creaters of the Moon!

Friday, May 26th 2017

I had never heard of the National Monument called Craters of the Moon, but Norm had and wanted to check it out.  With a name like that it certainly sounded unique, that’s for sure!

With a name like this we just HAD to check it out! We love the snow capped mountains, which were melting rapidly.

 Craters of the Moon National Monument is located in southeast Idaho, in the small ( around 1000 people ) town of Arco.  The eerily bleak landscape was formed by eight major volcanic eruptions 15,000 and 2000 years ago. During this time lava erupted from a series of deep cracks that stretched 52 miles, creating a lava field that covered 618 square miles between mountain ranges.

It was a pretty long and boring ride from Salt Lake City to Craters of the Moon National Monument.

Norm and I drove past the smallest of towns, one of which is Atomic City, home to a mere 29 people. Now that is small!

We noticed a sign for National Engineering Laboratory, but didn’t realize then that it actually encompasses 900 square miles, and that more than 50 reactors had been built on this site!  This area was used for nuclear reactor experimentation and development; probably because of its few residents, and that the volcanic landscape already appears struck by a nuclear holocaust! Perhaps no one would even notice should there be a nuclear accident!

There is a self-guided tour at the Experimental Breeder Reactor -1 Visitor Center on US Hwy 26/20 in Arco, and might be worth the detour. Not knowing this, we drove right past.

 

We are not really antisocial, but having a lot of elbow room is really great! Mountain View RV Park is one of the nicer laid-out parks.

 Norm and I arrived at Mountain View RV Park in Arco, Idaho a little crippled from the 240 mile drive.  This campground was quite unusual in that the “office” was actually a small restaurant.  Norman immediately spotted that they had beer on tap, and I picked up the menu to see what a tiny restaurant in the middle of absolutely nowhere could offer. Shocked to see 3 pages of menu items, the liver and onions caught my eye.  Suddenly the prospect of cooking at home in the rain was not such a pleasant idea with a menu like this, and draft beer for Norm!  When the owner heard my interest in several of the entrees, he said “ Oh heavens no! We don’t have ANYTHING on the menu, it’s too early in the season!  I am, however, cooking ribs for a special birthday dinner for someone in town.  Too bad, there is not enough for you! " ( He didn’t think ).

No problem, we did have a lot of groceries we just purchased in Salt Lake City, so it was better for us anyway. 

The extra bonus for us here was that other than one other rig, we were the only ones there!  No squawking kids, no yapping dogs, no Harley Davison riders leaving for work at 5AM! 

We wondered why the lack of business ( other than the temperature still in the 30’s at night ) because this is a really lovely campground!  Impeccably kept grounds with huge, flat sites - plus a restaurant for your convenience ( in season ), It's relative closeness to the park is a huge bonus.  There was a KOA Campground nearby, but I can't imagine it nicer that this!

After setting up the rig, Norm and I yet again set out for the local Visitor’s Center.  It was about a half hour drive in a cold, dismal rain that made the otherworldly setting look even more gloomy and remote.

The newly built Visitors Center at Crators of the Moon had state of the art audio visual equipment, and a fabulous educational film by PBS about this unique area.

 We were interested in exploring the caves here a Craters of the Moon and one is required to get a permit to do it – after favorably answering all the questions regarding other caves we may have been in due to the White Nose Syndrome epidemic among cave dwelling bats that is decimating this environmentally significant species.

You can really see how the lava flowed here 15,000 to 2000 years ago during eight different eruptions.

 

This visitor’s center looked very new, and the beautifully produced movie by PBS was shown on state-of-the-art equipment.  Informational boards and a fascinating exhibit hall informed visitors of area flora and fauna, plus identified local taxidermized animals and birds.  We learned what the different formations were called and how they were formed thousands of years ago.  It makes visiting an area so much more interesting if you know more about what you are looking at! Unfortunately, Ranger led programs had not yet begun for the season.

Saturday, May 27^th 2017

The view from the top of the mound below shows the vastness of this lava flow

The hikes around the park were interesting.  I could really visualize what the molten lava must have looked like as it oozed through the valley.  Amazing!

We were able to check out some of the caves. The caves were small and the entrance and exit pretty tight!

This "hill" at Craters of the Moon actually consists of volcanic ash.










 

We headed out with lunches packed to explore the park in one day. Heading down the 7 mile scenic road we stopped at different turn outs, taking short hikes then took a longer one promising interesting cave self-exploration. 

 Norm and I were pretty surprised at the volume of people that came to visit here, and felt sorry for the large busloads of people that just drove through, never stopping to see the sights. 

 We spent most of the beautiful day absorbing this geologically fascinating area, and were glad that we came, albeit the landscape was somewhat depressing.

 

 

 

 

 

Being kids again in Moab, Utah!

Thursday, May 16^th, 2017

We had to wait a little while for the snow and ice to melt off equipment before we packed up, but the sun was warm, and soon we were heading off to the exciting destination of Moab, Utah – one of the world’s top mountain bike destinations!

Since off road biking is my biggest passion, I am dying to give my new bike a real test.  Norm was more interested in the nearby Canyonlands National Park, and to re-visit Arches National Park just outside our campground.

Norm drove his car in some snow last winter while working in Boston, but I have not in about 10 years!  It was pretty nerve wracking driving a 32,000 lb motorhome in this unexpected storm!

As we left Durango we headed up the mountain without a care in the world.  When we hit the very same spot where it was weird to be snowing the day before, it sure enough was snowing again!  Norm and I assumed it was unique to that mile stretch of road.

A few more miles under our belt, and the snow got heavier and heavier!  Now I am not really a “worrier” – I prefer to call myself a “planner”.  My mind works out emergency plans before it happens. That’s a good thing, I think.  Even though the snow was not sticking to the road (thank goodness) I was concerned that as we went into the mountains, and then down into valleys, that might change.  Signs stating “Bridge freezes before road” warned us frequently of the danger.

Snow was sticking to the glass and was clogging the windshield wiper motor.  I wished for a place we could pull over to clear it off, but was not safe to do so for miles.

Barely seeing 50 feet in front of us, the windshield wipers brushed aside this terrifying white stuff. I wanted to pull off at any of the RV resorts we were passing by, but Norm was afraid we would get snowed in for days if we did.  So? Better than getting sliding off a mountain in my book. Norm was behind the wheel, so guess who won. 
 

After an hour or so the snow stopped and the beauty of it began!

After about an hour ( or was it a week? ) the snow subsided, leaving a winter wonderland. I have really missed New England’s snow, so I was enjoying its beauty, now that I felt safe.  I was very thankful that the route Norm chose was avoiding the big mountains, because we later learned that Interstate 70 was closed, and somewhere got about 40 inches of snow! 

Moab ( pronounced Mo-ab)!  A place for the young -at- heart and somewhat crazy!

As we drove through the tiny town of Moab, people were dressed in hiking/biking clothes highly accessorized with splashes of mud. My excitement mounted as we saw most cars with mountain bikes adorning their back.  ATV’s ( all-terrain vehicles) and trucks souped-up with monstrous tires and shocks were even more abundant!  Wow, this is going to be awesome! (Not the mud-part.)

Our campground Archview RV Resort and Campground was about 20 minutes out of town, but more convenient to the National Parks. Our campsite was once again one of the best there, with a fabulous view of the snow-capped LaSal mountain range in the distance, and a desert mesa in between.  The majority of the people staying here had at least one off-road vehicle and some had several! It appears Moab has also become the place to off road the hundreds of miles of red dirt trails and slick rock.  

 

Most all RV campsites had ATV's

Norm and I headed back into town to wash our positively filthy car, check out the Visitor’s Center and get a few groceries.  Needing to learn which trails we could bike on without the danger of those souped-up, motorized vehicles, we stopped at Poison Spider Bike shop and met the most helpful older (our age) employee who knew all there was to know about the local bike trails!

Right in front of us I watched kids of all ages and sizes enjoy the countryside.

 

We purchased a couple of maps on which he outlined which trails were best for our ability, and off we went with visions of red dirt and slick rock dancing in my head.

Friday, May 19^th 2017

The next morning we were finally going to ride!  Norm for some reason wasn’t moving too fast this morning, so I bustled about getting the gear, lunches and bikes ready. It was close to noon when we finally drove the few miles to the trailhead.  I was bouncing and pacing like an obnoxious puppy dying to get out there and ride, convincing Norm we could eat on the trail and to take the lunches with us. 

We must have only gone ¼ mile on our bikes when we realized we had missed the trailhead.  While merely turning his bike around Norm heard a “snap” in his shoulder, and felt incredible pain!  Hearing him cry out, I stopped and looked over at Norm holding his arm and grimacing.  Oh No!  He had been undergoing physical therapy for his rotator cuff before we left, but it had not been bothering him. 

Mountain biking takes a lot of upper body strength.  Maneuvering through and over rocks and obstacles certainly takes both arms, to say the least, so I strongly suggested we go back so he doesn’t break his neck as well.  I am sure he refused for my sake knowing this was the highlight of my trip. 

As we continued for about a half mile, I realized that this trail was a little more than Norm might be comfortable riding under the best of his conditions, and that there was no way he should be even trying this hurt. Norm readily agreed to turn around. Norm has a tremendous tolerance for pain, so I knew he was really hurting.

I was not only worried, but I have to admit horribly disappointed.  Norm insisted I go with a tour group, but finding a group that was not too aggressive, or worse – full of beginners, would not be too much fun. If I were to get hurt as well we would be in real trouble!  I would have to think about it.

When I couldn't go biking because of Norm's injury, I decided to get my frustrations out by washing the motorhome.

We went back to the RV and Norm started icing his shoulder.  Coupled with ibuprofen and a long nap his shoulder felt a little better.  When I get depressed, I work, so I decided to tackle washing our huge 41 foot rig that was also covered in mud and crud from the snow we drove in the day before.  It was so gross I couldn’t stand it!

After a couple of hours, one side looked fabulous, but MY shoulder was complaining so I decided to be smart and finish it the next day. 

 

Saturday, May 20^th, 2017

This unnatural blue "lake" is actually part of the potash mining operation here near Moab. They add blue coloring to these ponds to decrease the time it takes to crystalize the potassium.  I thought it was quite beautiful, but Norm really thought it scared the landscape.

Norm woke up with his shoulder feeling quite a bit better.  He had maybe 50% range of motion, but the quick, stabbing pain seemed to be pretty much gone. How could it be so acute one day, and so much better the next?  Thank goodness we are here for 5 more days so he can heal before trying to drive.  God knows, I’m not driving that behemoth rolling condo 1000’s of miles home!

It was a gorgeous day, so we decided to take the 40 minute (or so) drive to Dead Horse Point State Park, which is reported to be beautiful. The drive was lovely as we passed grazing cattle on the edge of the road, and wound up and down the mountainside and across mesas, finally arriving where millions of years of geologic activity created the spectacular views of canyons, mesas and buttes. Those that are brave enough could walk to the edge of the precipice to peek over the edge and see the Colorado River wind through the canyon thousands of feet below. 

This is a mind-blowing view with dirt roads down below calling to us.

 

You really have to peek over the edge to comprehend just how magnificent this canyon is. (and deadly should you slip and fall)

We spent a couple of hours walking along the edge gaining many vantage points taking a zillion pictures.  Here is another one of those places that call to me.  The quiet, rugged beauty, birds soaring below and the gentle breezes were like a soothing balm for my soul. I hated to leave!



Alison feeling a little "zen"



We ate our picnic lunch and headed back.  We had our naps, then Norm researched the possibility of renting a 4x4 jeep so we could explore some of the great looking canyon roads we saw, while I finished cleaning the rig.  Norm found a company that allowed us to pick it up that evening and keep until 6pm the next day, so we hurried off to town to pick it up.

We stopped at Moab Brewery so Norm could sample the local brew.

 

Sunday, May 21^st 2017

I hardly slept at all last night, and woke up feeling exhausted. The thought of riding 100 miles in that jeep which I discovered had really no visibility in the passenger seat, nearly impossible for a small person to get in and out of, and relatively uncomfortable, made me want to cry.  Plus, Norm and I have very different ideas on how to drive a car on narrow, twisting mountain roads so I dreaded that as well.  Quite frankly, six weeks into this trip I needed a little “me” time as well. 

The roads Norm was going to drive would have plenty of other drivers, so I wasn’t concerned to send him off with plenty of water and food.

My day flew by reading, napping, working on this blog and doing about 5 loads of laundry.  Norm’s accounting of his day will follow.

 

Monday, May 22^nd 2017

I had managed to find a hair salon that had very good reviews and most importantly, availability.  My hair was needing a trim and a bit of thinning.  I left about 7:45 to head back into Moab to get, what I must say, was the WORST haircut of my life!  Good Lord, it is WAY too short, and she thinned it so much it just lays flat on my head.  Well, maybe by the time I get home 5 months from now, I will no longer be horrified when I look in the mirror!  Haircuts are so difficult when you travel, but this bad a cut totally kills my self-esteem!  Nothing I can do about it, so I will have to say “It is what it is”. At least I won’t see anyone I know.

The good news of the day was that Norm felt his shoulder miraculously felt well enough to go biking.  He tried it out while I was getting “butchered” and was very confident he could handle the trails.

I was sooo happy!  We headed back up to Deadhorse Point State Park where the trails were very scenic.  We packed our lunches, and vowed to take it slow and try not to get hurt. Let’s just say off road biking can be a dangerous sport and that anything can happen in a flash.

Norm, with his shoulder feeling better, enjoyed the trails at Deadhorse Point State Park.

Alison loved the rocky challenges of the "slick rock".

 

A little video of Alison having some fun.  It's a lot steeper than it looks on this video.

 

 The trails were incredible!  We took a few videos and lots of pictures as we got a great workout over the next 3 hours.

There were beautiful trail signs along the way to keep us from getting lost!

We rewarded ourselves with ice cream before we headed further down the road to Canyonlands National Park about 3:30pm.  We were too tired to hike at that point, but we wanted to drive the scenic road to check it out while we were ¾ of the way there.

Canyonlands is a huge park (337,598 acres) in the center of Utah’s high desert that is divided into three districts; each with it’s own character.  Unfortunately, there are no roads in the park that link these areas together.  You would have to hike, bike or use high clearance off road vehicles to visit them. (Norm drove some of these the day before).We, like most people, visited “Island in the Sky” region, which is the closest to Moab. 



Norm and I once again tempting fate on ledge in Canyonlands. Norm drove the road below in the rented 4x4 jeep ( his story is separate )

We both agreed that Deadhorse Point was actually more beautiful, and wished we had visited Canyonlands first, before we were spoiled by the State Park’s more beautiful vistas.  We also preferred how we could venture dangerously close to the edge at Deadhorse, where at Canyonlands the public was not allowed to get very close at all to look down into the canyons. 

Norm showed me the crazy roads he drove the day before, and since it was a pretty long drive back we called it a day. 

A long, but fabulous day!  One of my favorite, for sure!

Tuesday, May 23^rd 2017

Arches National Park is much smaller than Canyonlands ( a mere 76,519 acres ) but it welcomes over a million visitors each year, astounding them with balancing rocks, towering fins, spires and the world’s highest concentration of sandstone arches.

 Arches National Park was actually the closest park to where we were staying. But since we had been there several years before and thoroughly explored it, coupled with major road construction and trail closures we thought we might not bother seeing it again.

Well, it’s so close, how can we not?

 Norm and I left the RV a little after 8am hoping to beat the huge line of cars and campers we have witnessed each day when we drive by the entrance.  The temperature was in the 40’s and very windy, but the day was beautifully sunny.  We drove through the park not really in the mood to fight for parking spaces at each lookout point.  I guess we have seen enough of red dirt and rock for the time being. Tired of looking at it, feeling it on your skin, on the floor, and when the wind kicks up you get the dirt in your eyes and teeth! Feeling pretty lazy we drove through the park and headed back to spend a quiet rest of the day before we head out in the morning. 

 

One evening we got to witness my very first double, complete rainbow! I couldn't get back far enough to capture the entire rainbow.