Canyonland & Arches National Park

The premise of this blog and the last two days is either “Discretion is the better part of valor” or, “I am a scaredy-cat” – your call.

Sunday, April 14th I left Monument Valley and headed north approximately 160 miles to Moab, Utah.  Moab was my destination as it is the home to both Arches and Canyonland National Parks.

As I considered my motorcycle route, I had choices.  The more direct route (163 East to 191 North – shown) or the indirect route (163 East to 261 North to 95 East to 191 North).  Always looking for adventure and adding challenging roads to my drive, I selected the indirect route.

As I left 163 and entered 261, I began to see warnings such as “primitive road” ahead.  “Trucks and autos pulling trailers prohibited”.  I then saw this monster Mesa looming up out of the desert and I wondered how this road circumvented this Mesa.

I entered the Mesa and found that the road was not going to circumvent the Mesa but was going to go directly over it.  And, 261 was going to go over it with sharp hairpin turns, extremely steep uphill climbs, no guardrails and as I soon found out an unpaved gravel and dirt road.  I started up the Mesa and at the first hairpin turn, I said: “not for me”.

So, I turned around and went the direct, simpler way.  Of course, needing the means to rationalize this decision, I told my trusty Indian Motorcycle that I actually did it for him.  All that dirt and gravel would not be good for my fine-tuned machine.  “Yeah, that’s the ticket, not me, my Indian, I did it for my Indian”.  “Discretion is the better part of valor” or, “I am a scaredy-cat” – your call.

Turning loss into fortune and under the heading of you never know what you may see, because I took 191 the entire way, I had the opportunity to view this rock formation that looks like a beehive.

I arrived in Moab late Sunday afternoon and immediately prepared for a busy two days.

Day one, Monday, was a day-long rafting trip on the Colorado and day two was planned as a Canyonlands and Arches exploring day.  So, that did not go so smoothly.

On Monday, I arrived at the shore of the Colorado River all suited up with my water shoes, motorcycle rain gear and everything else you can think of to protect yourself from getting wet.

The morning was wonderful.  Warm weather, sun, great sites, and relatively easy rapids.

Click on the visual below for a taste of the “rapids” we faced.  No challenging, but fun.

As is common in the Southwest, the weather changed drastically for the afternoon.  The wind picked up to a “breezy” 25 Kts to 30 Kts right on the bow.  It clouded up and the temperature dropped.  To get home against the wind, we would “all” need to row constantly and hard.  The Israeli Father, Bob and I were left with Doug to get us home within a reasonable time frame.  Hours late, we pulled in sore and tired.  Have I sold you on a Colorado Rafting Trip yet?

After the Colorado Rafting trip ordeal on Monday, I decided to explore the National Parks the way the locals do it, in a Jeep.

I started the day at Canyonlands and took the Schaefer Trail to explore deep into the canyons.  As this was a “primitive road” and only 4-Wheel Drive Vehicles were allowed, it greatly reduced the crowd size,

The Shaefer Trail is only 18.2 miles long.  But, the trail makes a 1,500-foot descent on a series of switchbacks in just over its first mile.  The descent road was single lane, again with no guardrail and a drop off of hundreds and hundreds of feet.

Once on the canyon floor, I found that I was just down one flight and that there were many more canyons to view.

Click on the video below to see my lunch stop.

And, to top it all off, the trail went right through the location of “Thelma and Louise” famous over the cliff scene.  Click on the video below as I attempt to recreate the iconic scene.

Notice I did not get too near the edge as those who know me, know I am afraid of heights.  And, talking of heights, the trail also brought me to Musselman’s Arch.  A stone bridge suspended, again, hundreds and hundreds of feet above the canyon.

“Discretion is the better part of valor” or, “I am a scaredy-cat” – your call.

Canyonlands is a wonderful place that lived up to its name with many levels of canyons to see and dramatic views of the Colorado River.

After, exploring Canyonlands, I really only had time to run through Arches to see the Iconic “Delicate Arc” which is depicted on Utah License Plates.  But I was also treated to fantastic views of the snow-covered La Sal Mountain Range.

It was a very busy and tiring two days in Moab.  Moab is a vibrant and alive city that attracts tourists of all kinds.  Motorcycle riders, bicyclists, mountain climbers, river rafters, kayakers and people who come to experience the grandeur of two wonderful National Parks, Canyonland and Arches.

Tomorrow my adventure continues as I am off to Bryce National Park, looking for wonder.

Keep Wheeling!