Snowy Passes & Quail Creek State Park UT

The storm we saw last evening has brought rain to Green River State Park. A late winter-style storm is moving in with snow predicted for the upper elevations.  We will need to drive over three passes along our way - the first at 7886', the next at 7923', and the last at 7076' just before I-15. Peter again reassures me that we won't have any trouble making it through as the van is stable in bad weather - Germans built it.

Rainy day headed west on I-70

Is that snow mixed with rain?

Yup - it's snaining (snow mixed with rain)

Whiteout

almost to the first summit

the side roads are getting covered

Whew - over one and two to go

By the time we start up the second summit, we see more vehicles going west. Most are semi-trucks that are good for plowing through any snow accumulating on the roadway.

Semis climbing the pass ahead of us

Ah - we're on our way down again

Buttes and canyons ahead

After making it over the second pass, we drive through interesting canyons, at least from what we can see through the snow flurries.

The last pass is just before we reach I-15 and it has the most accumulation of snow so far. In fact, the snow plows are out clearing access roads. Traffic is moving steadily on I-15 until we come to a construction zone. We're surprised to encounter a construction slow down on a snowy Mother's Day Sunday - especially in "family values" Utah.  Turns out - the slow down was due to a terrible accident in which a large semi-trucks was dumped on it's side into the median strip. EMTs are pulling people out of another small car close-by. Nasty looking accident.

Snow plows clears access road to I-15

Roadwork on Mothers' Day?

Semi on its side - what a mess!

We pull off to get fuel just outside of Cedar City. Teenagers buying snacks at the convenience store are wearing shorts and flip flops in the snowy weather. Odd - they must dress by the calendar (it's mid May) rather than what the weather actually is. We consider staying around Cedar City as the storm is clearing, but it's quite cold and we've both had enough of snow for the day, so we press on towards St. George - the "banana belt" of Utah. Before reaching St. George, we find Quail Creek State Park. It's warm and sunny, so we set up camp.

All's well that ends well.

Clearing by Cedar City

Ahhh - Quail Lake

Campsite with a view

Sunset at Quail Lake

Dead Horse Point State Park UT

From Arches and Moab, we travel north on Utah Hwy 191 and then turn west onto Hwy 313 towards Dead Horse State Park. We've got to admit this park's name doesn't entice visitors including ourselves, but we decide to go based on the recommendation made many years ago by Bill Cogen (who also recommend the Powell River Museum in Green River).  According to one story, the park got it's name from cowboys using the narrow peninsula 2000 feet above the Colorado River as a natural corral. Odd name or not, this park is not nearly as crowded as nearby Arches or the similar Grand Canyon.

Hwy 313 climbs steadily up onto a high plateau. Once inside the park, we drive to the Visitor Center and are immediately treated to a grand vista of canyons carved by the Colorado River.

Hwy 313 climbs to high plateau

Overlook by Visitor Center

View from Visitor Center Overlook

According to the park map the rangers gave us, trails branch out both east and west from the Visitor Center. These trails are loosely defined marked by rock cairns generally following along the lip of the canyon. We decide to try the west side first. The long drops and views are breath taking at each turn.

Goose neck turn in Colorado River

The trees are small and the tortured shapes show a struggle for existence on this high and dry plateau with thin soils. The spring wildflowers seem to have an easier time.
From the end of the west trail, we cut across the road to catch the east trail and scramble up an incline overlooking shockingly blue lakes. Upon closer inspection we decide they must be man made and part of some industry.  Later upon leaving the park, we ask the ranger about the lakes and he tells us it's a company making potash using an evaporation process.

Electric blue potash evaporation pools

Peter and Checkers wait at the lookout

Yup - those are definitely man made

By late afternoon, we all pile back into the van for some snacks and then head back to Green River.

Back over the plateau

by duel buttes

and down to Hwy 191 again.

Green River's just ahead and it looks like we're in for some stormy weather.

Arches National Park and Moab UT

The sky is overcast as we start out from Green River to Arches National Park. I would have preferred some blue sky, but when traveling we get what we get in terms of weather.

Cloudy day driving

Entrance to Arches

Being a Sunday there's a long line of cars waiting to get into the park. Once past the gate, we climb up a steep hill to a plateau with broad vistas of red rock formations.

Where are we going?

Ahhh - this is more like it

Pharaoh ?

La Sal Mountains Viewpoint

While at the viewpoint, we notice a guy dressed in a motorcycle suit. At first he seems to be muttering to himself, but then we realize he has a GoPro camera on top of his helmet and he's busy narrating what he's seeing as he walks around. We're beginning to see these cameras just about everywhere. I want a GoPro to do flyovers of hiking trails and landscapes.

GoPro Man

Looking south from viewpoint

Peter & Checkers

On our way farther into the park, we pass many interesting formations. The first are the Petrified Dunes according to the sign there:

• "This vast area was once covered by extensive sand dunes. Some 200 million years ago, winds from the northwest carried tons of fine-grained sand into this area, creating an immense desert. Over time, the sand drifts were covered by other layers of sediment, compressed, and cemented by quartz and calcite into Navajo Sandstone. Erosion has since washed away the overlying layers, exposing the 'petrified dunes.'"

Petrified Dunes

The Organ

Balanced Rock

Next we turn down toward the Windows Section, where we can see several of the natural arches. Although we see trails leading to different arches, no dogs are allowed, so we have to satisfy ourselves with  telescopic lens views. There's so many people on these trails, they look like ants swarming under the arches.

Windows arches

Trail to North Window arch

"Ants" under arch

The Double Arch is one I'd really like to see up close. Sigh - another time when we come back sans dogs and hopefully with sunnier weather.

Trail to Double Arch

These sandstone cliffs are pockmarked with crumbling caves marking possible new arches developing in the future. We stop at the Card of Eden overlook. There we see climbers working their way up via a crack in the rock. The trails in this area are supposed to be especially interesting.

Here's looking at you - new arches forming?

Climbers

Garden of Eden

The next turnoff takes us to Delicate Arch Viewpoint. On the way we pass the parking lot at Wolf Ranch which is overflowing with vehicles. Later we realize this area is the trail head to Delicate Arch and the trail to the viewpoint does NOT got directly to this Arch. Since I'm itching to take closer photos of the arches, Peter agrees to watch the dogs as I hike the Viewpoint trail.

Delicate Arch Viewpoint trail

Telephoto of Delicate Arch

Wildflowers along trail

With the clouds not showing any signs of burning off we make a quick stop at the Salt Valley Overlook and then turn around at the Fiery Furnace View.

Salt Valley Overlook

Fiery Furnace View

We drive back through the park and then into Moab for a late lunch. Moab caters to adventure tourists and is full of bikers, hikers, and river runners.

Down entrance road

Overlook towards Moab

Downtown Moab

Based on their Yelp review, we choose the Twisted Sistas Cafe. Both the food and service are good. Of course, I have to try the Polygamy Porter with lunch and then joke with the waitress they should also carry Five Wives Vodka.

After lunch we head back out of town and cross the bridge over the Colorado River, just has the clouds part and the colors come alive {sigh}.

Colorado River north of Moab