thanksgiving long weekend, part 2

 The southern Utah skies cleared up after Thursday, giving us bright sunshine and blue for days.  It stayed on the chilly side, however, so on Friday and Saturday, when H wanted to go MTBing, I opted to hike with Milton instead.  My threshold for biking is about 50 F; any lower than that and my fingers and toes just get too cold.

Coming down the home stretch at MOAB Brand Trails

On Saturday, mid-morning, letting the sun warm things up to the low 40s, we went to MOAB Brand Trails (along with lots and lots of other people).  While H was putting his front wheel back on his MTB (we don't yet have a hitch on the Subaru for the bike rack, so we had to put his bike in the back, while Milton rode in the front seat with me), the dog and I took off for the North 40.  When we got to the main intersection with the Bar M trail, we turned left and walked that back to the cut-off, and thence back to the parking lot.  Milton took off twice after rabbits so when H rode past us on Bar M, I leashed Milton - so he wouldn't chase after H - and kept him on leash until we were almost done.  That dog would run until he dropped so we humans need to rein him in from time to time.

Dog in the desert

Sunday, we drove up to the Sand Flats Recreation Area.  We had to wait in line for a few minutes to get in - apparently everyone else was waiting for it to warm a little too - and then drove out to the radio antenna.  Milton and I took off on foot to Fins N' Things, where we walked to the Grandstaff Canyon overlook, and then ventured down into the canyon for a while before going back the way we came.  H, again on his MTB, just headed out the Sand Flats Road, riding uphill all the way to the Porcupine Rim trailhead, and then continuing on until he came to a sustained and steep climb.  That was far enough to get the mileage he wanted, so he turned around and flew back down the road, getting chilled along the way.  Milton and I were just getting back to the car when he rode by, waving to us, so we hopped in and drove down to the packed Slickrock Trailhead to pick him up there.

View from the Sand Flats Road

On Sunday, we packed up in the morning, unsure of what the traffic might be like for the drive back.  We found time for a stroll along the Colorado River first, however, parking at the Lions Park and walking the length of the paved bike path (said to be 2.5 one way, but it seems shorter than that).  It was quite cold in the shade but very pleasant once we got out into the sun.  There were some folks camped in the BLM campgrounds along the river but only a handful of people on the path with us.  On the way back, we stopped to watch three BASE jumpers fling themselves off the sandstone cliffs above us, pop their chutes and float down to presumably safe landings.  Those guys are nuts - I could never do that - but we certainly like watching them do their thing.