JEEPING AROUND IN CANYONLANDS NATIONAL PARK & WE EVEN GOT THE JEEP INTO SOME SNOW:))

CANYONLANDS NATIONAL PARK UTAH

Well, it was a decision making morning so we started off checking comments & emails from readers as well as looking up & finding reviews for garages in Moab.  Kelly had also posted a few questions in various forums & we checked those responses as well.  Couple emails from Chinle about questionable garages in Moab steered us in the direction of Grand Junction Colorado.  Checked out a few places on-line & found Bear Auto had good reviews & specialized in Workhorse 8.1 Chevy engines so we have an appointment with them for first thing Thursday morning.  We will head for Grand Junction Wednesday afternoon & overnight in a gravel parking lot near the their garage.

HEADED NORTH OUT OF MONTICELLO…FEW MEDIUM GRADES & THE RIG RAN FINE

 

FOUND US AN EASY BOONDOCKING SITE FROM WHICH WE CAN DO A FEW DAY TRIPS

In the Escapee ‘Day’s End’ book Kelly found a boondocking site north of Monticello just off highway 191 & that is where we are currently at.  Nice clean long views all around & a good Verizon signal.  A bit of traffic noise on 191 to our west is not a problem.  A big Jeep event coming up in Moab this coming week-end so our timing worked out in our favor in that we will be well clear of Moab by the week-end.  We certainly do not want to get caught up in Moab’s manic madness, Jeeps or no Jeeps.

HEADED UP A ROAD LOOKING FOR FOY LAKE & NO THOSE ARE NOT SKI RUNS

Not wanting to let our coach problems get us down we piled into the Jeep & headed back down highway 191 to highway 211 heading west towards CANYONLANDS NATIONAL PARK.  We had intentionally looked for a boondocking spot in this area so we could check out Canyonlands & a few other nearby spots.  Rolling west on scenic 211 we saw a sign for a road to Foy’s Lake so decided to go have us a look at what this Foy’s lake was all about.  These kinds of day trips are always scouting missions for future boondocking spots as well.

WASN’T LONG & WE HAD US INTO SOME SNOW

 

JUST WANTED TO SEE HOW THE 4 WHEEL DRIVE WORKED IN SNOW:))

In the direction we were heading we could see a small mountain with snow still on the top & the road we were on took us right up that way.  Foy’s lake was 9 miles in & after a couple 8% grades we rolled into Foy’s snowy campground.  Not open for the season yet but we had the place to ourselves & sure enough there was a small lake which back in Ontario we would call a pond.  Looked like spring water with the lake being crystal clear.  Many Aspen trees & oh how nice this must be especially in the Fall.  A short walk by the pond/lake then we purposely drove the Jeep through a few small snow banks just because we had a Jeep & knew we could.

FOY LAKE

 

CAREFUL PHEEBS CAUSE I KNOW YOU DON’T WANT TO GET ANY WATER ON YOUR PAWS

THERE’S THAT ACE BLACKBERRY PHOTOGRAPHER AGAIN SNAPPING UP SOME FACEBOOK PICS

 

WE DID DRIVE THE JEEP DOWN THAT ROAD TO THE RIGHT BUT HAD TO BACK ALL THE WAY OUT AGAIN BECAUSE OF SOFT MUD

Nine miles back to highway 211 & we once again headed west to see what we could see.  Had heard of a place called NEWSPAPER ROCK so we weren’t long in finding that so stopped to look at the Petroglyphs.  Probably the greatest concentration of Petroglyphs so close together we’ve seen in one single spot. 

 

 

 

The highway 211 drive in from highway 191 is truly scenic as shown on the map & the farther you go towards Canyonlands National Park the more spectacular the scenery becomes.  No wonder Utah has always been my favorite State & I was reminded of that with each mile traveled again today.  Utah’s amazing scenery just never stops & especially here in the eastern & southern side of the State.  We’ve been to Zion, Bryce, & the Arches & today it was Canyonlands.  Not one Park better than the other for each one has it’s own unique stunning beauty.

CAN YOU IMAGINE THE BEAUTY WHEN ALL THESE TREES ARE LEAFED OUT NEXT MONTH

  

Stopped at the Visitor’s Center & picked up a map of the Park then headed off on a driving tour.  Dogs not allowed on trails so we didn’t get ourselves out for any trail hikes.  Checked out a couple campgrounds which of course were full.  Seems to be a lot of tenters.  The couple stops we did make were so awe inspiring we just wanted to stay forever.  This whole southwest just has that affect on so many of we RV folks.

 

One of the small problems I have with myself here in the southwest is allowing myself to become so overwhelmed with photo taking.  By the end of each traveling day it is not unusual for me to end up with a hundred plus photos & oh what a time I have of it each night deciding what photos to put into the blog.  Always too many I know & I’m sure there are folks out there who cannot open my posts because of so many photos just as I am unable to open several of my fellow Blogger’s posts for the very same reason.  At least until we get home where we have no limits on our internet.   In the meantime, so much beauty, so many photos & so little time & space to share them all with everyone.

KELLY’S GETTING TO BE QUITE A PHOTO WHIZ WITH HER BLACKBERRY

 

While on the topic of photos I have noticed for the past couple months something is amiss somewhere with my Picasa photo editing program.  The finished editing & corrections I a make on my photos with Picasa are not the same edits appearing in my published posts many times.  And yes I do remember to ‘Save’ my edits after doing them.  Colors & density are often off not resulting in what I consider to be satisfactory results in my final blog posts.  I saw one of my Grand Canyon photos from 3 days ago totally screwed up & that is not the way I edited & published it.  Sometimes I have to add a lot of density (darken) to some photos just to have them look right on the blog otherwise they come across looking overexposed. (too light)  Anyway if your seeing some strange unnatural colors etc it just means I still have not figured out what is going wrong where yet.  Going back & re-doing photos over & over is beginning to try my patience………..

  

KELLY & PHEEBS ARE IN THIS PHOTO

 

We have some big Borrego type winds going on here at the moment south of Moab Utah so we are doing a bit of rocking & rolling here in the coach tonight.  But that’s Okay, at least we’re not shoveling snow……………………….

Had to cut our Canyonlands wandering a bit short when I realized we were running low on gas.  Had been enjoying ourselves so much I failed to notice our gas gauge slowing edging closer to empty.  We were at the farthest end possible in Canyonlands National Park when I noticed the gauge at only a quarter full.  Jeeps are notorious for poor fuel consumption & it was about 30 miles back through hills & grades to highway 191 then another 15 miles to Monticello so without further ado we headed for a gas station in Monticello making it there with about an eighth of a tank left.  We finally made it back to the rig about 3 this afternoon & what a great day-trip day for the Bayfield Bunch.

Sunny skies with big white puffy clouds stayed with us all the way & temperatures were warm & not hot.  For us that all adds up to a perfect weather day:))

  

GROANER’S CORNER:((  A grade school teacher was grading a science test on the human body, The first question was, "Name one of the major functions of your skin."  One child had written: "To keep people who look at you from throwing up."

GOOSE NECK STATE PARK TO MONTICELLO UTAH & MORE PROBLEMS

HEADED OUT OF GOOSENECK STATE PARK THIS MORNING

I have never seen the night sky as clear & wonderful as I saw it early Sunday morning from here at Gooseneck State Park in southeastern Utah.  It stretched from Cassiopeia in the northeast right down through Sagittarius to the southwest with the greatest glowing concentration of stars running through the Teapot’s spout.  Sagittarius is shaped like a slightly tipped teapot.  And for the first time I saw how the Milky Way even fanned out touching the Scorpions (Scorpios) tail.  Truly a marvelous site & it wasn’t even cold out at 6 a.m. Utah time.

SUNRISE AT GOOSENECK

  

Rolled out of Gooseneck just after sunrise & headed a short distance over to the west entrance at Valley Of The Gods. 

MOKI DUGWAY STRAIGHT AHEAD

ALWAYS HAVE TO WATCH FOR A FEW ROAD HAZARDS OUT HERE IN THE WILD WOOLY WEST

We remembered a large parking area there so pulled in & un-hooked the Jeep. 

UNHOOKED JEEP HERE

We had heard about a scenic 3 mile section of highway known as the Moki Dugway & wanted to Jeep up to the top & back down again.  Highway 261 is paved except for the graveled Moki Dugway.   Dawns early light unfolded across Canyon of the Gods lighting Cedar Mesa’s steep cliff walls as we began our ascent.  The views immediately became stunning as we made the first of 3 photo stops on the way up.  What a great drive this is as long as your not afraid of heights.  Hair pin turns, blind curves, & steep grades make it a great drive.  Just a nice way to adventurously start another day.

  

  

  

Reaching the top we took a short drive on a road along the Mesa’s top, turned around a began our descent.  Although signs discourage large vehicles from driving the Moki-Dugway I could see where it was doable even in a large Motorhome if you have the power for the grades & simply took your time.  This was verified when we past a mid-size Class C coming up the grade & later super verified when we saw a big full sized tour bus heading up the Moki-Dugway.  I’m guessing the red car going slowly in front of the bus was acting as an out front safety vehicle on the blind curves.  Just guessing. 

THE MOKI DUGWAY ROAD

Anyway if anyone is in the area of Mexican Hat Utah there’s a truly scenic drive for you with great views out over the Garden Of The Gods far below.  I have included only a few of my Moki Dugway photos & maybe over the next few days I will post more of them.  Just too tired tonight to do much more of anything.

 

We did Jeep a short distance into Garden Of The Gods to see if we could find a suitable boondocking spot but it was not to be.  No Verizon out there anyway.  Hooked the Jeep back on, retraced our steps past the turn off to Gooseneck & at the first stop sign turned left back onto highway 191.  Less than 20 miles up the road we knew of a spot known as Sand Island so it was there we headed.  Nice spot but being Sunday all the available spots on the Colorado River were taken.  From there it was just another few miles to Bluff Utah where we pulled into the Twin Rocks Trading Post center to check for an internet signal.  Signal was there but very weak so we moved on.

TWIN ROCKS TRADING POST

OH-OH ANOTHER GOATSHEAD STICKER

Next town on route was Blanding & we found the Visitor Center there & pulled in for a break.  Strong internet signal so that is where I finished & published my Saturday post.  While there a Lazy Daze Class C pulled in & parked beside us.  A lady got out & came right to our door.  “Hey, you’re the Bayfield Bunch” she said.  Turns out this lady is a regular Bayfield Bunch reader.  Her name was Dorothy & her husband’s name was Don & they are from Alabama.  Had ourselves a wee chat & as it turns out they prefer the southwest for traveling & RV boondocking too.  Being an adventurous couple they have had their Class C Lazy Daze up & down the MokI-Dugway.  You can follow Dorothy & Don’s adventures here at Traveling Dorothy.

DOROTHY & DON FROM ALABAMA

We decided to head on to Monticello where we knew of a spot in the town we could overnight.   Same spot we stayed in on the way to Congress last October.  North of Blanding is a very long grade that just seems to go on forever & although we were going uphill our day began going downhill again when we experienced the same loss of power we experienced just a few days ago.  Engine light on again & we barely crawled into Monticello.  So we are back to the square root of one again.  I was sure hoping the problem was the fuel filter but obviously not.  There is no way we can ever get through the Colorado mountains so we have no choice but to seek out a garage.  We’re thinking maybe it is that manifold leak problem after all.  Looked up & found 3 truck centers in Moab so we’ll call in the morning & see when we can get in & have someone find the root cause of what is causing our power loss.  Maybe it’s a Chevy dealer we should go to.  At this point we are just grasping at straws as to what to do.  We have a feeling this whole thing is going to cost us a huge pile of money.  Well at least we had a couple good days of felling good…………………………..

NORTH OF BLANDING UTAH LOOKING WEST

No need for me to tell you how we are feeling right now but the word discouraged would be putting it mildly.  By the way our fridge is still working fine…………………..

GROANER’S CORNER:(( A 3-year-old was diligently pounding away on her father's word processor. She told him she was writing a story.  "What's it about?", he asked.  "I don't know.", she replied, "I can't read."