Utah, here we come!

 

The hike to the cliff dwellings was more work than it should have been. We completely missed the actual trail and set off across-country on foot. The cliff dwellings were located in a small tributary to Butler Wash along Comb Ridge. They were amazing and provided an opportunity to give my son a lesson on prehistoric cultures. We spent about an hour exploring two sets of cliff dwellings in the same canyon. One set appeared to be relatively large and contained many rooms, some too small to enter and others that included windows. 

 

The newly eroded ground revealed more and more artifacts. One group member found the handle to a bowl, and my son found a massive chunk of pottery. We placed them both on the wall for others to see.  Around the corner was a second set of dwellings, but there wasn’t much there. A few walls remained with more broken pottery on the ground. Nevertheless, it was an extraordinary experience for all of us. 

 

We discovered a foot trail and followed a recognizable path back to our vehicles. Although there are about ten cliff dwellings in the area, we only had time to visit the two. We must hit the road to stay on schedule. 

 

 

We navigated a smooth 2 track along Comb Ridge towards Blanding, Utah. Eventually, we penetrated the LaSal National Forest, where we connected with Gooseberry Road to find our campsite. The Texas folks set their sights on an incredible campsite, just a short jaunt to the north. The mysterious campsite caught the attention of the crew commander and must have reminded him of home. 

The campsite was situated at the top of Texas Canyon. The bottom of the canyon was imperceptible, with sheer walls on both sides. The two iconic peaks tower over the canyon resembling a set of bears’ ears. The crisp, clean air was blowing unyielding through the trees, overwhelmed my senses to the point of contentment. The spot was tight, covered in tall trees, and right on the edge of the canyon. We couldn’t have asked for a better campsite, but unfortunately, someone had already beat us to the punch. Darn!

 

Since the day was young, we decided to continue down the trail for a couple more hours. Kyle, the crew commander, set his crosshairs on another campsite along Elk Ridge a short distance from Bears Ears. Our route proceeded for another twenty or so miles, drilling deeper into the LaSal National Forest. We passed The Notch and stopped to take a look at the huge gap splitting the mountain in half. It was a neat sight and warranted a future return.

 

Our campsite was beautiful. A wonderful lake in the middle of a bright green meadow surrounded by tall Burch Trees that bare carvings of mutual love. It was a tender place unscathed from human consumption or interference. The air was calm, the water was still, and the higher elevation kept the temperature low.

 

My son and I wandered around the lake for about an hour before setting up camp. Around that time, a disgruntled Forest Ranger decided to pay a visit. He didn’t like that we were camped on the grass at Duck Lake, but we weren’t breaking any rules. We were camped within the approved distance from the road, and when we left, you couldn’t even tell we were there.

 

Day two and three – Bluff to Moab

We slept in the next morning from lack of sleep the following night. I woke to one of our crew members knocking on the window. “Breakfast is ready,” I gave a thumbs up, indicating my understanding. Our breakfast was quick, and the camp was packed up in no time. We continued down the trail past the town of Gooseberry. We navigated Elk Ridge and continued past the Mormon Pasture Mountains. We were quickly approaching the highest point of our trip. The Causeway led us into the Abajo Mountains and eventually over North Creek Pass at 10,312 feet above sea level. A natural arch sits to the south of the road while Cliff Dwellers Pasture and Duckett Cabin sits to the north. Passing these areas up disappoints me, but it’s just another excuse to come back.

 

Eventually, we arrived at Montecillo, Utah, just in time for lunch. We grabbed a quick bite to eat at The Granary Bar and Grill. The building appeared to be a repurposed grain mill, and the food was decent. After stuffing our face, we hit the tarmac all the way into Moab, Utah. In the meantime, thunderstorms moved into town from the east.

Our pre-planned campsite was located just west of Moab in Arths Pasture. We wiggled our way into Little Canyon and settled in just below an awesome natural arch. We were in the desert of Utah, and the night got warm. We woke to a sweaty, wet pillow with the sun blaring and the birds chirping. Day three is here already. This is a big day, and by the end of the night, we will be esteeming our adventurous ways.

Canyon Lands National Park

We set sail for Canyonlands National Park and put our sights on the White Rim Trail. The route took us down the well-known set of six switchbacks called The Neck. It was an incredible experience navigating to the bottom of South Fork Shafer Canyon. We were in awe the whole way down.

The New Mexico line

The route continued south, meandering through tall Burch trees until we finally arrived in Delores, Colorado. From this point, the Colorado Backcountry Discovery Route guided us across Navajo Nation and into the four corners region. I soon arrived at the New Mexico state line, and it was about time to find a campsite for our sixth and final night on the road. We found ourselves a nice campsite at the beginning of the connecter route for the New Mexico Backcountry Discovery Route, right in the middle of the Navajo Nation. 

Day seven – Navajo Nation to home

We were on day seven and starting to run low on resources. Despite the Kung Flu, we had traveled over 2000 miles across four states and haven’t strapped on a single mussel, haven’t quarantined for the required 14 days before entering New Mexico, and we’re crossing our fingers that roads in and out of Gallop were re-opened. According to Google, the roads were free and clear, and we were due to arrive in Springerville mid-afternoon.