Our last full day in Moab

October 6, 2018

Our last full day in Moab and it was raining... but we still had a great day and really didn’t miss out on anything.  We started the day at the laundry and once that was done we did some shopping at Gearheads, the best camping/hiking store I’ve ever been to.  Whatever you need for camping, they ever it in every size!

We went out for a delicious lunch of burgers, wraps, & smoothies in downtown Moab at the Peace Garden (perfect name for the aging hippies!)  

After lunch we decided to return to Arches National Park.  We checked out the movie and gift shop at the Visitors’ Center, and then took a slow driving tour of park, retracing the roads we covered yesterday and some that we didn’t.  You can never get enough of such beauty.

These pix are all from yesterday's hike.

Our 10 mile drive back into Kane's Creek Canyon was a little more nerve racking than usual as the dirt/gravel road was a lot sloppier due to the day long rain.  Our vehicles were covered in the red Moab mud that will takes month to wash away.  Our first stop when we leave tomorrow will be a car wash.

Amazingly the rained stopped when we got back to our campsite around 6:30 PM, so Alex made a fire and we enjoyed left over pizza for dinner.  Anticipating more rain, we packed up all our gear and turned in for the night around 9 pm just as the rain returned!  

Lower Calf Creek Falls

October 2, 2018

We woke up to a light drizzle, which has become a steady rain.  We have no cell service at the bottom of this canyon, so we have so we have no idea what’s in store for us today in terms of the weather.  I think our planned hike is cancelled, but I’ll have to consult with my rest of my family, both of whom are still sleeping as I write at 8:15 AM.  

Well, the rain came and went throughout the day, but Alex badgered us into hiking and by 11:30 AM we were on our way to Lower Calf Creek Falls, a 6 mile round-trip.   For Alex it was a “walk in the park”, but for Joni and me it was a lot more challenging, but it was worth it.  

The trail followed the Fremont River, which is really just a narrow creek, through multiple canyons that towered overhead.  The foliage along the trail was incredible.  Although I could name only few of the plants, we probably saw 50 different varieties, most of which are unique to the high deserts of the West.  As we got closer to the falls, we saw lots of small trout darting around.

The falls were breathtaking, 150 feet tall and only visible once you’re within 50 yards due to the thick plant and tree growth that are stimulated by the water.  We probably spent 30 minutes staring at the falls, trying to decipher a pattern in how the water sprayed down the rocks.  

We returned to our campsite around 4:30 pm, exhausted but exhilarated.  We dined earlier than usual on hamburgers and potato chips, and closed the evening with a campfire.