Arches Nat'l Park and Travel to Montana - April 2015

Monday - we left Panquitch continuing up Hwy 89 to I-70.  This is a scenic drive highway along the edge of the Fishlake National Forest.  #89 joins I-70 at Monroe and then heads north at Salina, when the interstate continues east.  Driving from Salina to the turnoff for Moab was continual downhill grades - Gary said we will not ever be driving the motorhome west on that section. From mile marker 91 to 149 we went down numerous 6% grades, there were six rest area stop options to pull in to to give the motorhome brakes and engine a rest.  The desert scenery with the red cliffs was beautiful, but there were no exits with gas or food availability.  After driving through several amazing mountain cuts made for the interstate in the area of mile marker 109, we pulled off for the rest area/scenic view. From the overlook, below us was an amazing multi-colored valley for miles and miles called the San Raphael Swell. The Swell, approximately 75 by 40 miles, consists of a giant dome-shaped anticline of sandstone, shale and limestone.  Interstate 70 divides the Swell into northern and southern sections and provides the only paved road access to the region.  The Swell attracts hikers, backpackers, horseback riders and all-terrain vehicle enthusiasts.  We can't imagine hiking it, it looked sandy, hot and full of rattlesnakes.  But it was beautiful and when we left the rest stop, the scenery continuing on the interstate was breathtaking!  We drove on and arrived in Moab mid-afternoon.  We got the last spot at the Moab Rim RV campground, good thing we had called while we were on the road that day. At the park, we saw many people come back with their ATV's, we learned that more people at the park were going out to the BLM public lands to explore the area in their ATV's.  We watched them pack their coolers full of beverages and lunches each morning, load up the family and head out to ride all day.  After we were set up, we drove around Moab to see the town.  We stopped at the Moab Brewery and Gelato Pub for an early supper.  Afterward, we walked through a few stores along the main street.

San Raphael Swell

Miles and miles of Utah desert

Cliff view from San Raphael Swell scenic stop

I-70 views

Going downhill on I-70  Look at these cuts for the road!

Heading down toward Moab

Tuesday - we prepared our hiking gear and headed to Arches National Park. There were a lot of people in the Moab area for the summer season, but we did not have to wait in line to drive into the park.  We decided to drive all the way in and see the side drives on the way back out. Driving in past the visitor's center, the road takes you up to the top of the canyon and then you begin to see amazing rock formations as you continue. We stopped at a couple of viewpoint to take pictures and continued on to the end, to Devil's Garden Campground Loop and trailhead parking lot. We decided to do the 4.2 mile Double O Arch trail.  It was a nice sunny morning and we headed up the trail with our Camelbak water packs, hiking sticks and snacks. We saw the amazing Landscape Arch, at 290.1 feet, the longest natural arch in the world. The prediction is that it will break in the coming years because since 1991 three slabs have fallen from the thinnest section of the arch which is now only nine feet wide. We continued on the trail, which had us climbing up the smooth face of rocks and then walking along the tops of the huge boulders to follow the trail. Those people afraid of heights may not like that part. We stopped to look at the Black Arch Overlook and another hiker took a picture of us there.  We went on and reached the Double O Arch, an amazing natural wonder. We had to climb up the side of the bottom O, and then slide down it on the way back down. The view and picture opportunities were definitely better from the back side.  We stopped and had some of our snacks there and decided since we were having so much fun, we would go back on the primitive trail instead of going back the way we had come up.  The trail was flatter for a while, but then we were back to climbing rocks to follow the trail, some were huge boulders we had to scramble up or actually slide down to continue.  We did see the Private Arch, which most people do not see, we stopped to sit in the shade there and had another snack. Further down the trail, we had to quickly climb across the bottom of a boulder without falling in the small pond below it.  That was a trick!  By now the sun had warmed up and we knew we were hiking in the desert.  The only tree shade was the cedar trees, we stopped a few times and rested under them. Turns out that was a mistake, the cedar trees had their little blue berries and I ended up suffering later that day and evening from Cedar Fever again - I apparently am allergic to the pollen from the cedar tree. It turned out the primitive trail loop added three miles to our hike, not what we had planned for! I ended up running out of water and kleenex before we were back to the car.  The last mile and a half were a real trial for me.  Otherwise we really had fun on the hike and enjoyed seeing that part of the park.  Back at the car, we took on a lot of water and cooled down.  We did not stop to see the Delicate Arch or drive the other side roads on the way out of the park.  We stopped at the visitor's center and looked around at the exhibits and then drove home. Unfortunately by then, my nose was running like a faucet and I had a terrific headache.  I took my allergy pills, put a cold rag on my eyes and went to bed. 

Views on entering Arches Nat'l Park

Landscape Arch

Only 9' wide at this narrow part

Heading up the Double O Arch trail

The trail continues on top of the boulders

Black Arch Overlook stop

What a view!

Hiking on top

Double O Arch - see the little O below?

Standing in the little O

Other hikers in the lower O

From the Double O, the Dark Angel pillar in the background

           

           Wild flowers in the desert     

Queen of the mountain!

Trail markers, good to see on the bare rock part of the trail

On the primitive trail through the desert and cedar trees

Wednesday - we got up early and had breakfast, I felt much better.  We took the car into Moab and looked at two sport consignment stores for a bigger Camelbak hiking water carrier. No success. Back home, we got ready and headed out of town. Leaving Moab, I drove the car following Gary and the motorhome up out of the canyon area.  We hooked up the car before getting on I-70 to head east.  A short travel day, we drove to Grand Junction, CO and found the Elks Lodge for our stop that night. The Elks Lodge is located on the edge of the downtown area of Grand Junction, and the camping area is in the parking lot behind their historic building.  Our Google Map directions took us through the downtown to get there, but we found an easier way for maneuvering the motorhome out of the area when we left the next day. We went in to the Lodge when it opened at 3:00 to pay our camping fee and had a nice visit with the members there. They gave us a tourism packet for the town, a very good idea for visitors.  We ran our errands to Sam's Club and picked up my prescription at a Walgreens. That night we walked a few blocks around the downtown area and had supper at the Rockslide Brewery.

Thursday - heading north again. I-70 to Rifle, then north on Hwy 13.  It was an uphill grade with many curves toward Meeker, we unhooked the car and I followed until we stopped and had lunch in Craig.  We followed Hwy 13 to the Wyoming border, when it became Hwy 789 at Baggs, WY.  Fifty miles later we reached I-80 and found the RV World Campground in Rawlins to stay that night. What a nice park! We drove in to town and had supper at Buck's Sports Grill.  Quite a menu and good food and the decor was fun to look at as well.

Down to Rawlins

Friday - we left Rawlins heading north on Hwy 287.  Past Independence Rock and Devil's Gate, between mile markers 81-86 there were two 6% grades (we are keeping track on our atlas of the major ups and downs now) and then on to Casper.  There we turned north on I-25.  We stopped for lunch in Kaycee and then drove to Sheridan, our destination for the next two nights. If you have ever driven through Wyoming, you know that you spend the miles watching all the Pronghorn antelope in the pastures along the roads.  This year, when we saw all the antelope in Utah and Wyoming, we also saw how they were trying to keep them off the roads.  First of all, antelope are built for running, not jumping, so they crawl under fences.  That explains why you rarely see an antelope on the road.  These states have used hog wire on the bottom of their fences to stop them from crawling under.  And, if they do get out in the road ways, they have a solution for getting them back in to the pastures.  They have built a dirt ramp gateway on the ditch side of the fences - the antelope walk along the fence line until they go up the ramp and then jump down in to the pasture again.  Pretty innovative! Once in Sheridan, we unhooked the car at the Walmart and I went in to get the groceries we needed. Gary took the motorhome and went and checked in at the RV Park, Peter D's. I joined him there after shopping.  We stayed home that night and relaxed.

Pronghorn ramps from the interstate ditches back to the pastures

Independence Rock, Wyoming

Rest area between Buffalo and Sheridan

Lunch stop at the rest area

Peter D's Campground in Sheridan

Saturday - we woke up to a windy, cloudy, rainy day.  We tried to go to the museum, but they were not opening until May 1.  We drove through town and stopped at a consignment store and the Salvation Army store.  Gary found a work coat and I found some brown shoes, check that off my list! We walked through the King's Saddlery and Western Store.  Don King is famous for his saddlemaking and they have a museum attached to the store with over 500 saddles and other Sheridan western history.  We finished with a stop at the Black Tooth Brewery and visited with the folks there. Back home, we had a call back from our park job in Montana telling us we could come on up on Sunday and stay with them.

King's Saddlery, Sheridan

My giraffe friend at King's Saddlery/Museum

Sunday AM - we went to Mass at Holy Name Parish, then packed up and drove to a gas station in Sheridan to find propane to fill up the motorhome.  Because it was Sunday, none of the places selling it were open.  On the road again, just one hour north of Sheridan, was our turn off for Garryowen, MT, exit 514 on I-90. Sandy, our boss, had told us they would be gone until about 1:00 and we were early, so we unhooked the car and drove on up to Hardin and filled up with propane at the Flying J truck stop.  Back to Garryowen in the rain, we picked up the car and I followed the motorhome south for three miles to the 7th Ranch RV Camp.   Once there, we were greeted by Chip, the owner and we parked the motorhome and the car in the parking lot.  Chip took us in his car to their house, where we met Sandy and the other workampers and had an orientation meeting for our park jobs.  Afterward, Chip led us to our campsite and setup. We do not plan to move the motorhome again until September when we leave.  That night, Chip and Sandy took us and two of the other workamper couples out to supper at the Trading Post restaurant near the Little Bighorn Battlefield entrance.  A nice evening getting to know each other.  Here we go, our new workamper job in a new place!