big easy

 I can't really believe it but it has been multiple years since we've been MTBing at Park City.  We got out of the habit when gas prices got so high.  It's not like they've gone down all that much but I really, really wanted to go.  Both H and I had Wednesday off and that seemed like the perfect time to go to Round Valley: even though we had to wait until noon for it to warm up (it had been in the 30s F when we woke up), it was still far less busy than it ever is on the weekends.

A crummy screenshot of my new favorite trail

We parked at Quinn's Trailhead and headed out on the doubletrack as we always used to do.  The trails were dry but in good shape and it was clear that a lot of trail maintenance had taken place since our last visit.  We dropped down the renamed Badger, which had been rerouted and de-rocked nicely, picking up Cove (what I used to call "My Nemesis") and Cammy's.  Then we connected over to do the P-Dog loop: climbing Porc-U-Climb and descending Downward Dog back to Matt's Flat.  Then it was back up to the Porc-U-Climb/Rambler intersection and down Rambler (our "Sagebrush Switchbacks") to Round Valley Express.  Here we saw that they had extended Big Easy: last time we'd ridden at Round Valley, it was a short, flowy new trail on the eastern edge of the park.  Now it has been extended as a long (5.83 mile), flowy new trail that circles most of Round Valley.  We did the new part counterclockwise, surprising some MTBers who were very much enjoying the downhill ride - it is NOT a one-way trail, however.  It was a great climb, steady but never too steep, not at all rocky, and an excellent alternative to the Rademan Ridge route which I dislike immensely.  From the top of that climb, it was a fun descent back to the Practice Loop and out.

Dusty

We rode about thirteen miles and I felt pretty good about it.  We can't wait another couple years to go back, though, as now I want to do the whole Big Easy loop and give that great climb a try in the opposite direction.

spring break part 2

Milton and I did a big hike on Monday, a gorgeous, sunshiny day: from the house, along Pipe Dream to Hidden Valley, up and across and over the pass to the Moab Rim trail, down through the wash and down to the river.  M also got to do a little swimming, cooling off and drinking his fill from the potholes still full from recent rains.  I texted H before our final descent and he met us at the Moab Rim parking lot after his 25 mile road ride.  

Hidden Valley

It took us about four hours to do that hike: I actually kept Milton leashed for the second half of Hidden Valley until we got out of the wash to keep him from overexerting himself - he was going pretty hard after lizards and ground squirrels (but fortunately didn't see the quail and rabbits).  For parking lot entertainment, we watched a group of old Broncos successfully making their way down the Z-corner and the Devil's Crack - it is still amazing to me what good off-roaders can do.  We went home, cleaned up and headed out on our town bikes for errands (bank, post office) and beer at Josie Wyatt's.  It was tacos for dinner at home and then some firepit time.

Claret cup cactus

Despite Milton's big day on Monday, he still went with H for a 3.5 miles trail run on Pipe Dream Tuesday morning.  After that, H and I saddled up the MTBs and did a ten mile (I was v e r y  s l o w) ride at Moab Brand Trails.  The sun was strong but the temperatures were only in the high 60s F so it was extrement pleasant.  

The pass between Hidden Valley and Moab Rim

We had our lunch at the picnic area overlooking the Colorado River just a few miles down Route 128 on the way back into town.  Late afternoon found us back at Josie Wyatt's for cheap beer and interesting conversation.

Little desert lupin

enjoying the last of the quiet season

 The Moab off season is getting shorter and shorter.  It's really just December, January and the first part of February now; we were there for the long President's Day weekend and have already noticed a slight uptick in tourists.  It didn't hurt that the weather was really nice: chilly in the mornings but reaching into the 50s with good sunshine.  It was still cool in the shade and the wind was cold when it picked up, but generally very pleasant.  We did have a small system move through Saturday night, leaving Sunday a little more overcast to start, but no complaints from us.

Oh hey it's this photo of Arches NP from

MOAB Braind Trails that I've certainly

never taken before /s/

We had driven down Thursday afternoon and so were ready to go Friday morning.  As soon as it warmed up.  But the sun was out so that didn't take too long and we three went out to the Moab Brand trails so H could MTB and Milton and I could hike.  There were a handful of vehicles in the parking lot but the trails themselves were pretty empty.  While H did his Rusty Spur/Arches overlook/Bar M/Lazy-EZ loop, the dog and I walked out Bar M (from the parking lot cutoff) to Circle O.  We encountered four MTBers out there and that was it.  The potholes were quite full from the recent storms - Milton even got to go "swimming" in the biggest one.  H rode out a little ways from the northern trailhead and as soon as Milton saw him (from about a quarter mile away), he took off like a rocket, running back to the truck with H and leaving me to finish the walk by myself.

The color of that sky!

Saturday was again clear and gorgeous, but with a light and cold wind.  H wanted to do a longer trail run so this time we went to Amasa Back.  Since it was the weekend, there were a fair number of vehicles in this parking lot and while we did see more folks out on the trail - five side-by-sides and a number of MTBers - it was still peaceful for most of our time out there.  H and Milton did the loop clockwise (out on the MTB trail and back on the jeep trail) while I did it reversed (out on the jeep trail and back on the MTB trail), with the thought that we would probably cross paths near the Cliffhanger junction/river overlook.  That was exactly what happened and Milton sprinted up to say hi to me before continuing down with H.  Since I now had the longer portion to do, H ended up waiting about a half hour for me back at the truck; he brought a camp chair and his book, and he and Milton were making friends with all the other dogs in the parking lot by the time I rolled in.

They found me

Sunday was slightly more overcast so we just did the quick Slickrock practice loop (H and M running; me walking) to get our exercise in.  By the time we finished, the clouds were breaking up and the afternoon was lovely.  And then Monday we just did an hour and a half town walk: along the bike path, out to and up 500 West, back down Main Street to make a loop.  Things are definitely picking up in town: restaurants and shops are starting to reopen and there were lots more folks walking around.  Local businesses will be thrilled for an increase in tourists - we'll just have to pick our trails more carefully if we want to find quiet.

while i was out

 Last week I flew to Maine (and boy were my arms tired hardehar) and drove my folks to Florida so they could snowbird for a few weeks.  While I was doing that, H and Milton hied down to Moab - directly after dropping me at the airport - and stayed there for the week.  I asked H to take photos throughout the week and send them to me so I could follow along.

Nice alpen glow

Somebody decided he was allowed on the couch

Trail days

More couch time

Calm Colorado River

In-town Mill Creek

They kept the mural when they repainted the building

I have spared you the photos of the prodigious amount of upchuck Milton deposited on our brand new rug.  (Why do dogs always throw up on the rugs?)

all good things

 Sunday was our last full day.  As I mentioned earlier, we'd talked about going up to Dead Horse Point State Park to MTB since it's been forever since we've been up there.  We talked ourselves out of it, however, given that it's a 45 minute drive each way (with gas prices the way they are), plus we don't have a Utah state parks pass this year.  We still wanted to MTB, though, so we just went to the MOAB Brand Trails which is only a 10-15 minute drive and free.

Not a cloud to be seen

It was a great ride with the same terrific weather we'd been having all week.  We went across the cow pasture (no cows yet) to Rusty Spur, then turned right at the kiosk on the bike path to the 4x4 road, out along the Bar M loop to Bar B, out the road to the Arches National Park boundary (love that climb on the slickrock ramp), back to Bar M with a cut across to pick up the upper half of Lazy EZ, then around the lower half of Lazy EZ, then back across that cut to Bar M again, to the parking lot cutoff.  I haven't MTBed all summer but that ride felt really good.  And even though the parking lot was as busy as we've seen it in a while, we encountered very few people on the trails.  Just the way we like it.

Since it was our last day, after we got cleaned up we walked with Milton over to Josie Wyatt's.  Their patio is dog-friendly (have one person wait at the back gate with the dog while the other person goes to ask the bartender to be let in) - the whole hotel is, actually.  Milton enjoyed himself a lot, from making lots of new friends to having two separate servers bring him bacon.  He didn't want to leave.  (We didn't either and were sad Monday morning when we had to drive back to SLC.)

solo

On Thursday, Milton was a little better but in no shape for hiking.  I wanted to do a longer hike, however, so while H did a MTB ride at Moab Brand Trails (16.27 miles, average speed 10.5, top speed 23.6, 1:32 hours), I got my gear together and hit the trail.  We've done this almost-loop a couple times before but it would be the first time I did it solo and would be the longest solo hike I've done.

Nearing the top of the climb up to Hidden Valley

Starting from our place, I walked to Jackson Street and hopped on the Pipedream Trail heading south.  It was another gorgeous morning, still cool although it would end up being slightly warmer than the last couple of days, completely clear and with very little wind.  I met five hikers, three dogs and one MTBer on this leg, most of them as I was descending into the Hidden Valley trailhead parking lot.  From there, I did the quick climb up and then cruised the length of Hidden Valley.  I saw five hikers and one dog in this stretch.  The tumbleweeds are unfortunately making invasive inroads into the valley but I did see some signs of weed mitigation, so hopefully they won't completely take over.

Looking over the pass

From the pass, I dropped over onto the trail and then 4x4 road leading to the Moab Rim.  There was literally no one out there at all and other than a plane or two, it was super quiet.  I stumbled down Sand Hill and made my way through the dry wash (it is slightly shorter going this way as opposed to over the sandstone domes).  Then, my least favorite part, on the 4x4 trail up to the Moab valley overlook: this section is all up, although not steeply, and isn't particuarly pretty because the 4x4s have chewed it up.  

From whence I came

Before I started my descent, I texted H: the plan had been for him to meet me at the Moab Rim parking lot so I wouldn't have to do the road walk home - but there's no cell reception in the lot itself so I had to remember to text before heading down.  I met two hikers, 1 tenacious MTBer and three Jeeps going up as I went down the Rim trail.  My guys were waiting for me in the parking lot: H had beer, Gatorade and salty snacks for me; Milton had improved enough to gingerly put a little weight on his right foot but mostly just wanted to snooze in the sun.

The Colorado River

My legs were a little fatigued that afternoon (10 miles; 3:50 overall time) but I managed to rally enough for us to ride our town bikes to beers (another 2.5 miles to add to the count).

stay hydrated

Like everywhere else on the planet these days, Utah is stupid hot.  The last time we were down in Moab, it topped out at 108F and didn't really cool off at night.  We went from air-conditioned car to air-conditioned house to air-conditioned bar ... you get the idea.  That sort of heat is dangerous to be out in: you need to take precautions to protect yourself from the sun and make sure you stay hydrated.  And if you want to be out on the trail, you gotta go early to capture the coolest part of the day.

Sunny at the start (and the finish,

since this is an out-and-back)

It was a state-holiday long weekend (Pioneer Day or, if you aren't Mormon, Pie-and-Beer Day) but even so, with the heat Moab was not that busy.  H reassured me of this as we drove out to a Castle Valley-adjacent hike Saturday morning: he had gone for a road ride first and I was fretting that the trailhead parking lot would be too full by the time we got there.  He was right.  There were only two other cars in the lot when we got there.  No need to fret this time.

Heading into the canyon

Our starting time was around 8 a.m., which normally would be kind of a late start in this heat.  But we were hiking in a narrow canyon, with our feet in the creek the whole way, so it never actually got hot until the last half hour or so.  We each had two liters of water in our hydration packs, plus I was carrying an extra liter or so - not for Milton, who had the lovely creek to drink from, but in case we ran into any ill-prepared hikers.  It happens.

Nice and shady

We met one guy on our way in: first we met his dog, who looked confused, and then fifteen minutes later we met the guy who was heading back down the canyon, muttering, "I don't know how we got separated when there's only one way in and out."  He had a point.  (When we finished the hike, he wasn't still there so we assume he found his lost dog and left.)

Goal attained

There was not as much water in the creek as there has been on previous hikes but there was still a healthy flow.  I was slow, picking my way over the rocks and utilizing my hiking poles, while H and Milton were ahead of me, pausing now and then to make sure I was still coming.  Milton loved running and splashing in the water, and seemed to enjoy jumping the whole thing when he thought it looked deep.  (It was only ever knee-deep at most.)  He did not enjoy the waterfall itself - too loud and splashy.

"No thank you"

The way out was uneventful as we simply retraced our steps.  We did notice a stretch of canyon wall decorated with muddy handprints; this is the kind of art-in-nature that I can appreciate, as it will simply wash away without a trace after the next flash flood.

Art

We met fewer than ten hikers on their way in, and a couple of dogs.  Milton was too tired to do more than say a cursory hello, however, and after we downed our Gatorades and beers, we got out of there.  It was nearly 11 a.m. and things were starting to heat up in earnest.  Hike stats: 8.24 miles; moving 2:44 time/3.0 m.p.h. speed; overall 2:56/2.8; 570' elevation.

Post-swim

Monday, Milton and I were on our own for another water-friendly hike, while H did a longer road ride.  We went back to Millcreek and did our loop: out along the rim, while the sun came up over the mountains, down into the canyon and up the creek to a much easier crossing, back down canyon on the shady side past the cowboy jacuzzis and out.  It was moderately busy for how early it was, mostly with dog-walkers, looking to avoid the heat.

Water levels dropping

The five creek crossings were much, much easier than last time.  The creeks have come down a lot and were barely more than ankle-deep at the crossings.  Last time, it was knee-deep and moving quickly enough that Milton got concerned about the current.  Not so much now but still plenty of water to keep cool and hydrated, an oasis in the desert.

P.S.  On Sunday, we got back on our MTBs and did a great morning ride at Moab Brand Trails (without the dog).  We road nearly thirteen miles and were out for about an hour and twenty minutes.  There were hardly any people there but, strangely, quite a few very annoying gnats.  We haven't been MTBing that much this summer (see above re: hot) and it felt good to get back on the bikes.

on repeat

 The next two days just got better and better, warmer, lots of sunshine, slight breezes.  We wanted to take advantage of that.  There's been so much snow in northern Utah that H's early season cycling has been non-existent.  He's been itching to get on a bike outside so both days we went up to Moab Brand Trails where he could MTB and Milton and I could hike.  

Swimming!

As mentioned before, we've turned the corner into high season, which was evident by the number of vehicles in the parking lot both days.  High season is also heralded by the reappearance of the trail ambassadors at their little green tables, handing out water, dog cookies and information about the area with aplomb.  We were gratified to see lots of tourists checking in with them - hopefully this will help preserve the trails from poor usage.

First paintbrush of the season

Both days we did our respective usual routes - a couple locations along the singletrack were muddy from the recent rains but quickly drying out; Milton had multiple swimming holes from which to choose - and both days we were surprised at the lack of people out on the trails.  We were sure that the trails would be crowded with so many vehicles in the parking lot but no, for whatever reason, we just didn't have to contend with that many people.  Milton would have like to have met more, actually, but he made up for it by introducing himself to the people parked next to us after our hike/ride.

Full potholes

All too soon the weekend ended and we returned north to the land of snow.  Surely spring will reach SLC at some point?

no, seriously, it's really nice to see the sun

Saturday was even nicer.  Once it warmed up, we put H's MTB in the Subaru (sure would be easier if I would just get a hitch put on there so we could use the bike rack) and drove out to Moab Brand Trails, Milton unhappily sitting on my lap.  It was busy - well over forty vehicles - and the Moab Trail Ambassadors had their table set up, ready to educate the masses about Leave No Trace and trail etiquette.  We were pleased to see that there were folks talking with them, taking advantage of their local knowledge.

Milton's swimming pool was open

While H did his MTB route, Milt and I headed out onto our usual loop: up and over the cutoff from the parking lot to Bar M, right on Bar M to Circle O, left on Circle O back to Bar M, left on Bar M back to the parking lot cut off.  I don't know where all the people from all those vehicles were: we saw one trail runner with dog and one MTBer on Bar M, and while we heard voices when we were out on the rock, we had Circle O all to ourselves.  

Shake it off

We've done it enough that Milton knows the route. He loves it out there, especially on Circle O, where he ran and ran and ran (and swam) and covered a lot of ground.  I think I did around five miles (give or take) and he easily doubled my distance.  H caught back up with us as we were heading back to the parking lot cutoff; the dog promptly abandoned me to run back with the bike.  Back at the car, he was pretty tired - but not so tired as to be unable to introduce himself to the kids parked next to us as they unloaded their MTBs.

All kinds of Jeeps in town for Safari

Sunday was even nicer, one of those unicorn days in southern Utah where it's warm in the sun but not at all hot.  I was strangely feeling the need to pull some weeds so while I did that, H and Milton went back to Moab Brand Trails with H's MTB.  Milt gave it his best shot but he had clearly overdone it the day before: he managed to trot along with the bike for seven miles but with two miles to go, he'd just had it.  They were on the downhill portion of Lazy-EZ and H said that they were getting passed by little girls on pink bikes and little tiny dogs.  How embarrassing!  

range riding

Pretty much any long holiday weekend we try to escape to Moab, and the recent MLK Jr. holiday was no exception.  As is often the case in January, the weather was mixed: a couple of good days and a couple of wet ones, including the drive home on Monday (it was fine, just not my favorite).  But let's focus on the good weather when we were able to get out and on the trails! 

Trail dog

Friday was actually warm enough (partly sunny, high 30s/low 40s) that H wanted to go for a ride at the Moab Brand trails.  That's still too cold for me to bike - I need it to be in the 50s or my hands and feet get too cold - so Milton and I hiked our Bar M/Circle O loop while H did his usual fourteen mile route (ride stats: 14.36 miles; 1:28; avg 9.8 m.p.h.; top 21.3 m.p.h.).  When we drove into the parking lot there was only one other car there - we couldn't remember when it had been that sparsely attended.  By the time we finished up, there were a handful of other vehicles there, although probably no more than ten.  And neither of us really saw anyone out on the trails, so I'm not sure where those folks were.

Circle O

The potholes out on Circle O's slickrock were all full of water, enough for Milton to drink and even to go swimming!  Like, literally swimming: he walked into one end of a big pothole and when it got deep, he kept going and swam across.  The trails were still in good condition, though, even with the moisture: H found only one muddy spot on his route, in a low corner of Rusty Spur.  There had been some damage done to the trails but it was from range cows, not errant riders.  Milton and I didn't see any cows ourselves but H had to ride through a whole herd of them at the northern end of Bar M.

And then we found ourselves at the

southern end of the bar at Woody's

divide and conquer

On our last day, we decided to divide and conquer Moab Brand Trails: MTBing for H to MTB and hiking for me and Milton.  If it had been just a little cooler, we probably could have both MTBed and had Milt run alongside; it's still warm enough that we didn't think that was the best idea for him.  It was another absolutely gorgeous day.  We got going around 9 a.m. and while the parking lot was quite busy, the trails weren't too bad.

Swimming/wading

Milton and I saw absolutely no one out on Circle O; H only met a couple of riders on his MTB loop.  Milton ran a lot, chasing critters, so much so that I ended up putting him back on the leash for about fifteen minutes until he stopped panting so hard.  There was plenty of water for him, though, with clean to drink in the shallow potholes and muddy to swim in the deeper ones.

Shake it off

H met us at the northern end of Circle O and Milt ran back to the truck with him.  He was very tired and had torn a claw enough that it was bleeding a little, but he didn't flinch or whimper when I poked at it so we don't think it was hurting him much.  In fact, after eating some of his breakfast, he felt good enough to cruise the vehicles parked on either side of us, looking to make new friends.  Milton is always up for new friends.

Art shot

regrouping

 After the Murphy Hogback hike, we took a rest day.  Sort of: while H MTBed back out at Moab Brand Trails, Milton and I did the northern section of Pipe Dream (from Jackson Street to the northern terminus).  Then, we packed a cooler, grabbed our books and drove out to the new picnic spot along the Colorado River.  We hung out there for a couple of hours, reading and people-watching.

The next day, we headed to Pritchett Canyon.  We'd seen some videos showing that the canyon had been hit hard by one of the August floods.  As we were driving out there, we realized that this was the first day of the Moab 240 as there were lots of runners coming down off of the Moab Rim and running out along Kane Creek Road.  We had intended to park in the OHV-trailer lot, right next to Pritchett Canyon, but that lot had been taken over as a base camp for the race so we parked at the Amasa Back  lot instead, which meant we got to see three BASE jumpers launching off the cliffs.  We checked out the base camp as we walked past - breakfast (including multiple vegan options), gear exchange, medical tent, portopotties, water - and cheered with the other fans as the runners headed out on Jackson's.

Ravaged by the floods

Pritchett got hit pretty hard.  The cute canvas tents at the mouth of the canyon had been swept away - although one set of bunkbeds was still standing - and the trees and vegetation in the wash had been scoured clean.  We also immediately noticed that the floods had drastically changed the 4x4 obstacles, completely changing the lines.  This canyon was already one of the most difficult 4x4 routes in the area; now everyone is going to have learn the new routes.

Much, much, much more precarious in real life

We had only planned to be out for a couple of hours, but when we met three Michigan jeeps, we stopped to watch them winch themselves down into the wash before Chewy Hill.  Usually this is "driveable" but the flood had taken all the sand and dirt out of the wash bottom, leaving behind massive boulders to navigate.  We turned around here but we could only imagine what the rest of the trail looked like.

After getting cleaned up, we walked over to Josie Wyatt's to see Crystal before her shift ended.  This place is considerably more upscale than our usual haunts, given that it is the bar at the Hoodoo, but the best kept secret in town is that they have draft PBR pints for $2.00 and extremely reasonable sandwiches on the lunch menu.  Shhhhhh - don't tell anybody.

Hike stats: 5.98 miles; 1:58 hr/3.0 m.p.h walking; 2:19/2.6 m.p.h. overall; 680' elevation

in which we actually get on our mtbs

We did get out MTBing a couple of times - a rare occasion this season, I must admit - but since we didn't go anywhere we haven't gone many, many times before, we didn't take any photos.  So I'm just going to lump these two excusions together in this one post, for posterity.

It was another gorgeous day at Moab Brand Trails: clear, sunny, scarcely a breeze, cool but comfortable.  We noticed that some of the dirt trails had taken a little damage from the recent storms: some runoff channels, some looser rocks, lines slightly different, but nothing too bad.  I was not riding particularly well, with no confidence and shakier-than-usual bike handling skills.  I did manage to catch up with a dude riding an e-MTB on the back half of the Bar M loop, though, so I felt pretty good about that.

We also got back up to Dead Horse Point State Park.  It was very busy, because we were later than we often are, having waiting for it to warm up (as opposed to the summer months, when we try to get on the trails just as the sun comes up so it isn't too hot), plus it was a Saturday.  And although it was busier than we've experienced it for a while, it truly wasn't that bad out on the trails as we were able to leapfrog several groups at opportune times.  I rode much better this time, even managing this one tricky uphill/corner/tree/rock combination that usually gives me trouble.  It was a good ride and great weather.  It's no wonder that October is one of the busiest months in Moab with days like that being common.

thirteen years

 Happy moveiversary to us!  We moved from Maine to SLC on October 3, 2009, and yet I can't believe another year has gone by so quickly.  Because of that, we count our year as running from October to September.  This is our third thin year in a row: we had big plans for lots of summer hiking that just didn't materialize (so frickin' hot), and we haven't yet MTBed in Park City in 2022 (so frickin' hot PLUS stupid high gas prices).  We did go to Moab a lot but this summer saw us sticking with hikes we do on a regular basis (so frickin' hot and need water for Milton); hopefully our new year will have cooler temperatures soon so we can try some new stuff further afield.  In any event, here's a quick recap of our year.

October - Hiking in Moab (Hidden Valley and Amasa Back); early stoke for skiing; getting back into baking; our week's vacation in Moab.

November - Hiking and MTBing (and searching for our favorite bartender) in Moab; revisiting the hike up Mt. Olympus; turkey trot; Thanksgiving in Moab.

December - Ski season begins (and I get back on the slopes after 21 months away); Moab weekends are getting colder so when H MTBs, A and M hike; Christmas in Moab.

January - Home-cooking: fougasse, muffins, brownies, cookies, stews, soups, perfecting our Bloody Mary recipe; skiing (lots of bluebird days); new hikes: Determination Tower, Little Arch on the Poison Spider Mesa.

February - Spring skiing in the winter (no snow for a month); H worked with Milton on his MTBing; home-cooking: kardemummabullar, apricot galette, olive bread; new hike: Capt. Ahab; catching up with friends at Piper Down.

March - Some new snow and storm skiing (finally); home-cooking: cookies, bread, soup, chili, tofu schwarma; hikes at Monitor and Merrimac buttes, the Slickrock trail, Echo Canyon and the Abyss; MTBing; H gets recognition for having the best mustache at Alta.

April - Spring-ish skiing, plus ski season ends; hikes at Steelbender, Rodeo trail (Horsethief system), Moab Rim; Moab visit with A's brother, sister-in-law and niece.

May  - A week in Moab with MTBing and hiking (Sylvester trail, along Kane Creek); the flowers started popping in the desert; H started getting serious about road riding again. 

June - H's parents came to visit; H had to travel some for work and A went back to Maine to see family; exploring around Millcreek in the Steelbender area; screech owl and baby goats; Utah gas prices $5.19/gallon (or higher).

July - Our CSA boxes begin (sooooo much zucchini to come); wildflowers at Alta and Snowbird; H gets his RadWagon cargo bike and Milton refuses to ride in the cargo bucket; Moab hikes in Mary Jane Canyon, upper Grandstaff Canyon and foolishly following a BASE jumper trail above the Colorado River.

August - Massive floods in Moab; more CSA produce; visitors from back East; A gets new hiking boots; Millcreek Canyon (SLC) hikes at Grandeur Peak, Pipeline/Elbow Fork/Terraces and Big Water trail; return to hike Kane Creek (Moab) to find no water in it; frickin' HOT.

September - More visitors, this time H's aunt and uncle; hiking up at Alta; MTBing and hiking in Moab; more CSA produce (seriously, so much squash).

And now we start our new year!  There will be time spent in Moab (uh, no kidding) but I'm hoping we can get over to Park City to MTB at least a couple of times before the snow flies.  Oh, and I'm really hoping that a lot of snow flies this year!

visitors from back east

Towards the end of August, we had a couple of visitors - the first non-family houseguests in at least two and a half years.  G and B had supposed to have been in Europe with the other half of their family, but B's brother ended up needing knee surgery, the European trip got postponed and the guys pivoted to come out to Utah.  B is a big climber so we had encouraged them to go to Moab (late summer heat notwithstanding).  They stayed with us in SLC for a couple of nights first, however, so they could work on logistics.  Milton was thrilled to make new friends: he was sitting in B's lap before we left the airport the night we picked them up.

Friday afternoon, the four of us went up Little Cottonwood Canyon for a hike.  G and B ski in Maine and wanted to see Alta.  We parked at the Albion lot and made our way up to the Catherine's Pass trailhead through the Albion meadows, then kept working our way up to the pass.  It was cloudy and cool and we kept our eyes on the weather; we did get sprinkled on just a little bit on the way down but lightning wasn't an issue.  From the pass, we continued up and across Catherine's Area, and then descended via the road.  The wildflowers are past peak, of course, but the guys were impressed with the scenery nonetheless. 

G and B at Catherine's Pass

On Saturday, the guys ran some errands to the grocery store and REI and picked up the van they'd rented.  We got them loaded up - Milton was quite concerned about the van but climbed in anyway, wanting to tag along with his new buddies - and sent them on their way.  They texted us a couple of times from the road (delay due to landslide across Route 6 above Spanish Fork) and told us their plan was to camp at Big Bend Campground on the Colorado River.  

Taking in the views

Then, as news reports and videos of Main Street Moab being under three feet of water started rolling in, we didn't hear from them at all.  We were a little nervous for them but knew that they were probably out of cell range.  We left them a message or two and then tried them again on Sunday.  We finally heard from them Sunday afternoon: the storm and flood had been so localized that they didn't know it had happened until they came in town for more water.  They'd had a good night camping, then did some bouldering Sunday morning ... and when they got to town and saw the flood damage - and their phones blew up with all the received calls and messages - they were like, huh.

All was well and they went on to fill their days in Moab quite nicely: a sunset side-by-side ride on Hell's Revenge and another night camping down by the river; climbing with a guide way down Kane Creek Road and a night camping at Oowah Lake; MTBing with a guide up at Dead Horse Point State Park, a quick evening tour of Arches NP and a final night camping at a campground in town as they were eager for showers by then.

Nope, nothing fun happening here

When they got back to our house in SLC on Wednesday night, they were full of stories to share (and belly rubs for Milton).  And then they were off again Thursday morning, back to Maine with their ears still ringing with our, "Please come back again soon!"  (And we made out quite well as the recipients of all sorts of groceries that they hadn't eaten and couldn't take on the plane with them - woohoo!)

the rest of it

 I'm going to lump the rest of our Pioneer Day long weekend in Moab into this one post: because we didn't take hardly any photos because we didn't cover any new ground.

Saturday: It didn't cool off much overnight due to the cloud cover so it was already 90F at 6:30 a.m. when we left to MTB at Moab Brand Trails.  However, also due to the cloud cover, that 90F seemed pretty temperate and pleasant since the sun wasn't beating down on us.  We got some sprinkles of rain as we were heading out, and there were multiple rainbows all around us.  We were the first people there and didn't see anyone else out on the trail for the first 1.5 hours.  It felt really good to be riding again - it had been since May(!?) - I felt strong but a little wobbly until I remembered how to do what I was doing.  We did our usual 12.6 mile loop and then H went out for a 20.8 mile road ride when we got done.

Moody Millcreek

Sunday:  Overcast and cooler for sure on Sunday (mid 70s F), with off and on sprinkles all morning.  H rode 38 road miles; Milton and I hiked Millcreek Canyon.  It was super humid (for the desert) and there were not many people at all.  The creek was lower but still flowing and Milton took full advantage for wading.

Monday:  We returned to Moab Brand Trails Monday mornng, not wanting to drive any further with gas prices still so high.  The light was not as gorgeous as it had been on Saturday but there were very few people in attendance, even with our later start.

the air was full of sound

One more MTB, back at Moab Brand trails.  It was actually cold in the morning so H delayed his road ride to 7 a.m., as opposed to 6.  We thus got to the trailhead around 10:30 and found it sunny, the clearest day we'd had, and not very windy.  There were around twenty cars in the lot but we only saw five folks out on the trail.  We did our usual loop and, once again, I managed to ride a rollover that had been plaguing me for quite a while.  The sego lilies were now out in force up on Lazy EZ and the Copper Ridge road area, despite not having been apparent a week ago.

Sandy, but we were on foot so that was okay

The next day, after H's road ride, we took Milton for a hike at the Moab Rim.  H did confess that he wasn't sure how long he'd be able to be out for, given all the miles he's put on his legs lately.  But we did the whole lollipop: up the Staircase, out counterclockwise up and over Tire Test Hill, down Sand Hill and out through the wash, and returning down the 4x4 road to the truck. 

Milt found himself a pothole

It was a gorgeous morning, clear with a slight breeze, and starting to warm up on the descent.  We saw only a handful of other hikers out there but as we paused for post-hike beers, there was a fair amount of entertainment: three side-by-sides successfully going up the Moab Rim trail and one side-by-side attempting to go up, but then thinking better of it.

Truth

We returned to Woody's one more time, via Schwinn cruiser and longboard, and then had a very pleasant firepit under the light of the full moon.  The next morning, before we had to head back north, H did his longest road ride to date.  And then we bid farewell to the desert.

Shadow-boarding

Ride stats: 12.83 miles; 1:25:00 hours; 9.0 m.p.h. average speed; 23.0 H's max speed

Hike stats: 5:47 miles; 2:02 hours/2.7 m.p.h. moving; 2:07/2.6 overall; 1,350' elevation

Additional ride stats:  26.22, 28.10 and 30.49 mile road rides.  Beast!