desert interlude

Our first December Moab weekend was a quick one, scooting down Friday midday to avoid snowstorms (we did pass through a small squall while going over Soldiers Summit: visibility was terrible but it was short-lived) and returning Sunday (we had debated getting up early Monday and driving north then but work became pressing enough that wasn't feasible).  Short but sweet, with sunny skies, cold temperatures and a bit more snow in the LaSals.

It was cold, though.  Here's the issue with outdoor winter recreation: if you want a full day - of skiing, or hiking, or whatever - you have to get going early because the daylight doesn't last that long, and that means you have to dress for colder temperatures.  For instance, it was in the high teens on Saturday when we got up with the sun.  If you want to let things warm up - to the low 30s, for example - you have to delay your start until around 10:30 a.m., which means you just don't have much available daytime left for longer hikes.  We opted for warmer temperatures so that meant shorter hikes: more than six miles, fewer than seven.

Zephyr

We also opted for shorter drives, not wanting to waste the daylight in the car.  On Saturday, we drove to Moab Brand Trails, turning left and parking on the road rather than driving down to the main parking lot.  From there we jumped on the north portion of the North 40 trail, then connected to the Zephyr trail which, if followed to its conclusion, leads to the Klondike Bluffs trail system.  Zephyr goes out along the rim of the continuation of Sevenmile Canyon and I was hoping that we'd be able to find access to get down into the canyon. 

The trail is multi-use and easy walking.  Three MTBers passed us but we didn't see anyone else - we are finally in the off season in Moab.  We never found out if we could get down into the canyon, though, because we had to turn around at the Arches National Park boundary: you can go through (just close the gate behind you) but dogs aren't allowed on ANP trails.  It was unlikely that anyone would have caught us but we do try to be conscientious recreators.  We backtracked a little ways and then turned off onto other 4x4 roads that led us north before connecting with the Copper Ridge Road (also a 4x4 dirt road).  This jeep road runs from Moab Brand up to (at least) the Sovereign trail system, so we knew it would take us back to where we needed to be.  It did and we had hot cider (spiked with applejack, for those inclined to such things) waiting for us there.

Circle O

We had another slow start Sunday morning (H was determined to finish his new jigsaw puzzle and I was immersed in a library book) and then decided to just load up the car and do a quick hike on our way out of town.  So back to Moab Brand trails, where all three of us did the Bar M/Circle O route that Milton and I usually do when H cold-weather MTBs.  There were several vehicles in the parking lot and we saw a couple of MTBers on Bar M, but once we got out onto the Circle O slickrock, we didn't see anyone else.  Lovely.