IN to UT, AZ, CO in a stock JK Unlimited

[scarysharkface]

Day 4 Part 2554.7

Approaching is a large blue thing, so we stop at the top of a bulging slickrock feature that may or may not require some finesse to pass without dragging the receiver hitch and to chat with the folks in the oncoming vehicle..

Bruce and I both pull to the sides in case blue-vehicle-guy wants to come on through, and because we both apparently have a thing about stopping in the middle of the traffic lane..

They're from The Netherlands and have been doing some travelling in a sweet Land Cruiser setup for an Africa trip they took. We chat about the obstacle, the trail (they're running it backwards, South to North) and just some minor, general stuff..

We move it along..

Bruce brings it down while I shoot pics of the fabulous Toyota setup..

John

 

[scarysharkface]

Day 4 Part 5150

Ah, yes, I did say I took pics of the LC...

John

 

[Willman]

^^^^

Nice ride!:drool:

Love the family trip report!

Keep it coming!

 

[mangus7175]

I'm tagging along on this great report

 

[scarysharkface]

Day 4 Part 6000

We decide to skip the trip to Tower Arch and instead take the turn South for Four Wheel Drive Road through the park..

Lots of sand waits...

These pics aren't necessarily in any kind of order. Two cameras and not paying close enough attention to what order they were saved will do that..

John

 

[Moody]

Nice shots from that area. It was closed due to a washout last time I was there. Once again, nice selection of areas you visited. You were able to see a lot.

 

[IllianaXJ]

Great trip report. My dad and I were there towards the end of May and saw a lot of the same things.

Judging from your license plate (84-Vigo) and dealer sticker, I'm guessing you are from the Terre Haute area. We're just a couple counties south in Vincennes, feel free to look us up if you're down this way.

 

[scarysharkface]

Thanks. We did see a lot (and it's going to take a year to post it all, at this rate) and had a great time. I can imagine this stuff washes-out regularly, and I do feel lucky that everything we wanted to see was open..

This is all rather new to me, since the last *real* Jeep I drove was Dad's CJ back in high school, so I'll be gleaning as much wisdom from the rest of the folks here as my squishy little brain can handle.. I'd love to get together sometime either in Vincennes or over at Redbird (I'd like to take the bike there as well)..

John

 

[scarysharkface]

Day 4 Part 5152

We're getting near the end of the Four Wheel Drive Road through Arches, and stop for the Eye of the Whale Arch..

Visit for a bit with Bruce and his passengers..

Then hit the road again..

And we're suddenly back in civilization again..

John

 

[scarysharkface]

Day 4 Part 25 or 6 to 4

We get back on the pavement, and the golden light photo frenzy begins in earnest..

John

 

[JIMBO]

:wings: Those are truly wonderful pics

This is crazy, but every time I see pics like this, I think of John Wayne in "The Searchers"

Thanx John

:Wow1::Wow1::safari-rig::safari-rig: JIMBO

 

[scarysharkface]

Day 4 Part 6510

As a closer for the day, Colin had been begging to visit some sand dunes or go ANYWHERE where he could play in the sand. Just North of Moab and across the highway from Arches is a pullout and sandy hill the locals appear to frequent to get their sand fix without really leaving town. We stop there, and Colin gets his fix...

His thing, definitely not mine..

After watching this for awhile, he comes back to the Jeep and we head into town for some very tasty Paradox Pizza. Colin and I split a half-sausage/half-mushroom while Tracy and Sarah split an Extra-Vegan-Za. Wonderfully prepared and served, and heartily recommended...

Thus ends Day 4...

John

 

[scarysharkface]

Day 5 Part 1

So today we're heading off to Canyonlands and The White Rim!

First stop (after petrol, City Market and coffee from the shed on the North side of town), the overlook with the toilet for some pics...

Monitor and Merrimac, if memory serves?

"Hmmm. This isn't what I was really thinking. Go pee then we'll talk.." she says...

Warning signs of all kinds are everywhere. I hope this isn't foreshadowing how our day will play out..

If you're thinking the sun's in the wrong place, and the scenery is incorrect, good eye! We turned around to hit the Needles part of Canyonlands, as recommended by the guy in the coffee shed in town..

More red, red, red sand...

John

 

[scarysharkface]

Day 5 Part 2

We stop at Newspaper Rock, which, while being smallish and in many ways underwhelming (how jaded I have become) is spellbinding for the way it makes you feel, well, just a very very small part of humanity existing in just another transient era soon to be passed and forgotten...

Tracy looks over the trinkets and jewelry for sale, but doesn't bite..

The sky sure looks like things could get interesting today..

John

 

[scarysharkface]

We get back on the road and before too long the topography changes again, drastically, and those clouds starting doing what they do. I take advantage of several of the abundant pulloffs to snap a brazillion pics through a barely-open window..

Family time...

John