fins and things

Weather began to move in on Sunday.  It was warmer at 5 a.m. than it was at 7, and warmer at 7 a.m. than it was at 9.  Realizing that we were getting diminishing returns, we left around 9:30, at 50 F under increasing clouds.  We drove up to the Sand Flats Recreation Area and parked at the Fins & Things lot.

Milton on the lookout for ambulances

I had picked out a trail from our Hiking in the Sand Flats Recreation Area book: since the book was published in 1995, it predates the official establishment of 4x4 trails in the SFRA, so the trailhead (and trail) descriptions are a little off.  As it turned out, the hike I wanted to do was actually along part of what is now the Fins & Things 4x4 trail.  There wasn't too much vehicle traffic out there - we are at the end of Moab's prime tourist season - just a couple each of jeeps, dirt bikes and OHVs.  As we were on foot, one of the dirt bikers actually asked if we were okay, as if he couldn't imagine someone actually wanted to walk on a trail.

Little Eagle Arch - we found it! 

We followed the book as best we could, sticking to slickrock ridges and obvious washes and amazingly, H spotted the Little Eagle Arch that we were hunting.  It's a tiny (about six feet high), weird rock formation, with just barely a gap making it an arch.  I was thrilled that we had found it.

The boys at the edge of the Drop Slot 

We spent the rest of our time out there exploring the fins (and things), checking out the unusual purple playa rock, gazing down into the Drop Slot and out into Millcreek's North Fork.  Milton was let off his leash when we were at a good distance from any cliffs.  He's getting pretty smart about what he can and can't climb, but sometimes he is really racing and we don't want him skidding over an edge.

Waves

We went back out the way we came in on the 4x4 road, then drove back to the Slickrock MTB parking lot.  This was a much better place to have beers and snacks: there were lots of MTBs milling about the parking lot and so Milton got to make a couple of friends.  And then after that, there was nothing left to do but pack up, clean up and drive back north.

Hike stats: 5.16 miles; moving: 1:57, 2.6 m.p.h.; overall: 2:30, 2.1 m.p.h.; 830 feet of elevation