TownDiver
Mark
Moab Adventures March 2015
Well I finally got around to writing about the trip we took mid-March; this was during the spring break up here, and we desperately needed to get to warmer climates! My two other friends, Jazzy and Sara, decided to take the trek down to Moab with me, while I decided I would teach them some basic rock climbing skills. We ended up deciding on my truck Jenny; she's a 1982 C10 with a 1984 350, short-bed with shell. The trip would start on Sunday the 15th of March and last until the 21st.
ON OUR WAY: Day 1
Starting out late Sunday evening as we were all antsy to get out of Rock Springs, I had to be there for the weekend so brought the two with me, we set out at approximately 1300 with both tanks full or fuel. We opted for the route heading south along the 191 down to HW 40, hitting HW 64, HW 139 into Fruita, CO easing onto I-70, and finally hitting the other side of HW 191. The drive was absolutely wonderful, stunning mountain passes, roads torn asunder by the recent winter, and a beautiful sunset to finish the night at the end of HW 139. Once the sun set we managed to find our way through the snaking detour of construction, which finally led us onto I-70, stopping for nothing since we'd snaked all day and didn't feel like dinner was a necessity due to the late start. Now, for some reason I had remembered the last time I was in Moab there was a lot of free camping if you knew how to look and where to look; this is no longer the case, or perhaps I had been betrayed my memories, highly possible. We ended up searching for a good hour before settling on the payment option along HW 313 just outside of Dead Horse Point state park. Being that we had driven the entire way the night before, I had opted we take the first day and do some hiking along Dead Horse Point; this was well received.
THINGS HEAT UP: Day 2
Conquering the entire loop in pasty white Wyoming fashion, we proceeded to get the tans (in some cases burns) we would need for proof of the true desert climbing experience! Dead Horse Point is always a wonderful experience to get through with a new group the first day; providing easy hiking along the rim, wonderful history, and magnificent views. One day I really do hope to take the drive into the bottom since I noticed roads with Wranglers and 4runners, nothing else! Getting our full fill of the views, we set up lunch in the parking lot with some afternoon ciders and sandwiches; not much beats after hike celebratory food and Jimmy Buffet. Finally with the sun high in the sky we set out to find our next campsite and scout out the sport climbing crags in the area. This search found us traveling along HW 279, following the Colorado River and Potash Road. If you're not familiar with the area, Potash Road provides an excellent learning environment for new climbers as it is close in proximity and has very easy routes; that being said, it also provides a haven for guides and spring breakers (that would be us). Driving down Potash Road you notice the climbing area right away due to the large amount of people belaying right off of the shoulder, go slow! While at first seeming congested, this really does provide a beautiful view of nature and people. The interactions with complete strangers as everyone jostles for a turn on the red rocks shows the wonderful community and sharing spirit nature can nurture. We ended the day by camping with some other Wyomingites we found, mostly since all spaces were occupied!
TEACHING AND LEARNING
So as I've stated earlier, the main purpose of the trip was to do some climbing, well that and test out my truck on a long trip. So early the next morning we set out of camp to beat the crowds to the rock; in reality ‘early' was more of a relative term as the coffee had not made the trip with us and I was a bit cranky. So getting to the rock at a decent time I picked out some routes I thought would be in the league of the girls with me; both were new to the sport and I wanted to provide as safe and fun of a time as possible. My goals for the trip were solely on teaching leading and safe practices as I was recovering from a minor hernia and had to be careful. We started off with a juggy 5.9 named after the road, which provided a fun warmup for me, and a challenge for the girls. After we all did or attempted the route I set the girls loose on some slopey face climbs around the 5.7 grade; this let me watch their belaying and relax a bit. Finally at the end of the day Jazzy decided to lead the first route we did. This proved to be a great challenge as she is a smaller climber, but finally was able to get through the problem and her confidence levels shot through! Wonderful day.
EXPLORING AREAS
After a couple days on Potash road we decided to see some other sites, this led us down into the canyons, specifically Kane Creek Canyon. Kane Creek was absolutely stunning. Here we noticed high traffic of jeeps, atvs, side-by-sides, and everything else; not a huge surprise as Kane Creek takes you down into the belly and provides plenty of hiking, climbing, and riding. We found our site labeled the “Ice Cream Parlor” and proceeded to climb all day, Jazzy leading many routes and Sara really learning to love the rock. We spent the better part of the day here and finally went back to camp on 279. Back at camp we noticed that a few new Suburbans had rolled in from our hometown of Laramie! The Laramie folks happened to be there on a school trip through the university.
REST DAY
As we had been climbing pretty hard for the better part of four days, we decided it would be best to rest our muscles and take a day to go through Arches and enjoy a nice hike up to the delicate arch. We managed to have a nice late start, head to town and had some tasty breakfast and explore Moab central before heading into the park. Unfortunately, the food was tasty, but for two of us the choice ended badly. I don't want to say we had food poisoning, but luckily we didn't make it too deep into the park when we decided it was time to get some Pepto. Time slows down when the fear of road bumps takes place in a Chevy with boat like suspension. Fearing for my seats I drove as swiftly and cautiously as I could, luckily the visitor's center wasn't too busy that point in the day. Soon after we recovered, we made it back into the park. As we shared shots of Pepto and Pedialyte between each other, we decided to risk the hike up the Delicate Arch. We like to live life on the edge. The hikes proved fruitful and no incidents occurred; well we managed to scare one family of six on the trail as we discussed issues with body decomposition and the best method for removal of key pieces of identity during crimes of passion (it's kinda what we study).
FINAL DAYS
As we progressed towards the end we deiced to head out to the Fisher Towers via HW 128; set up camp, and head back into Moab for one final someone-cooking-the-food-besides-us dinner with a friend who I just happened to run into after 4 years of not seeing each other. Due to a race being scheduled for the following day the local pub, Moab Brewery, was absolutely packed, but the staff was wonderful and the homemade root beer and Jack Daniels Bacon Burger, incredible. Due to the level of tired and sore I was at, beer did not seem appealing, but the high fructose corn syrup was just what my body needed; someone else will have to comment on the beers. After we made our way back through the canyon the stars provided a perfect backdrop and silhouette for the cliffs and desert where the Fisher Towers stood.
The following morning we made one final breakfast together and headed on home. The entire trip proved that three inside my Chevy (whose names is now Jenny) isn't so bad. In the end the bed needs to be fitted with some compartments, but the truck without any better equipment, but loaded down averaged 16mpg and was able to maintain highway and dirt roads with ease. The girls are now fully capable of climbing together without a third party, my hernia is fully healed, and Jenny is happy as ever.
Well I finally got around to writing about the trip we took mid-March; this was during the spring break up here, and we desperately needed to get to warmer climates! My two other friends, Jazzy and Sara, decided to take the trek down to Moab with me, while I decided I would teach them some basic rock climbing skills. We ended up deciding on my truck Jenny; she's a 1982 C10 with a 1984 350, short-bed with shell. The trip would start on Sunday the 15th of March and last until the 21st.
ON OUR WAY: Day 1
Starting out late Sunday evening as we were all antsy to get out of Rock Springs, I had to be there for the weekend so brought the two with me, we set out at approximately 1300 with both tanks full or fuel. We opted for the route heading south along the 191 down to HW 40, hitting HW 64, HW 139 into Fruita, CO easing onto I-70, and finally hitting the other side of HW 191. The drive was absolutely wonderful, stunning mountain passes, roads torn asunder by the recent winter, and a beautiful sunset to finish the night at the end of HW 139. Once the sun set we managed to find our way through the snaking detour of construction, which finally led us onto I-70, stopping for nothing since we'd snaked all day and didn't feel like dinner was a necessity due to the late start. Now, for some reason I had remembered the last time I was in Moab there was a lot of free camping if you knew how to look and where to look; this is no longer the case, or perhaps I had been betrayed my memories, highly possible. We ended up searching for a good hour before settling on the payment option along HW 313 just outside of Dead Horse Point state park. Being that we had driven the entire way the night before, I had opted we take the first day and do some hiking along Dead Horse Point; this was well received.
THINGS HEAT UP: Day 2
Conquering the entire loop in pasty white Wyoming fashion, we proceeded to get the tans (in some cases burns) we would need for proof of the true desert climbing experience! Dead Horse Point is always a wonderful experience to get through with a new group the first day; providing easy hiking along the rim, wonderful history, and magnificent views. One day I really do hope to take the drive into the bottom since I noticed roads with Wranglers and 4runners, nothing else! Getting our full fill of the views, we set up lunch in the parking lot with some afternoon ciders and sandwiches; not much beats after hike celebratory food and Jimmy Buffet. Finally with the sun high in the sky we set out to find our next campsite and scout out the sport climbing crags in the area. This search found us traveling along HW 279, following the Colorado River and Potash Road. If you're not familiar with the area, Potash Road provides an excellent learning environment for new climbers as it is close in proximity and has very easy routes; that being said, it also provides a haven for guides and spring breakers (that would be us). Driving down Potash Road you notice the climbing area right away due to the large amount of people belaying right off of the shoulder, go slow! While at first seeming congested, this really does provide a beautiful view of nature and people. The interactions with complete strangers as everyone jostles for a turn on the red rocks shows the wonderful community and sharing spirit nature can nurture. We ended the day by camping with some other Wyomingites we found, mostly since all spaces were occupied!
TEACHING AND LEARNING
So as I've stated earlier, the main purpose of the trip was to do some climbing, well that and test out my truck on a long trip. So early the next morning we set out of camp to beat the crowds to the rock; in reality ‘early' was more of a relative term as the coffee had not made the trip with us and I was a bit cranky. So getting to the rock at a decent time I picked out some routes I thought would be in the league of the girls with me; both were new to the sport and I wanted to provide as safe and fun of a time as possible. My goals for the trip were solely on teaching leading and safe practices as I was recovering from a minor hernia and had to be careful. We started off with a juggy 5.9 named after the road, which provided a fun warmup for me, and a challenge for the girls. After we all did or attempted the route I set the girls loose on some slopey face climbs around the 5.7 grade; this let me watch their belaying and relax a bit. Finally at the end of the day Jazzy decided to lead the first route we did. This proved to be a great challenge as she is a smaller climber, but finally was able to get through the problem and her confidence levels shot through! Wonderful day.
EXPLORING AREAS
After a couple days on Potash road we decided to see some other sites, this led us down into the canyons, specifically Kane Creek Canyon. Kane Creek was absolutely stunning. Here we noticed high traffic of jeeps, atvs, side-by-sides, and everything else; not a huge surprise as Kane Creek takes you down into the belly and provides plenty of hiking, climbing, and riding. We found our site labeled the “Ice Cream Parlor” and proceeded to climb all day, Jazzy leading many routes and Sara really learning to love the rock. We spent the better part of the day here and finally went back to camp on 279. Back at camp we noticed that a few new Suburbans had rolled in from our hometown of Laramie! The Laramie folks happened to be there on a school trip through the university.
REST DAY
As we had been climbing pretty hard for the better part of four days, we decided it would be best to rest our muscles and take a day to go through Arches and enjoy a nice hike up to the delicate arch. We managed to have a nice late start, head to town and had some tasty breakfast and explore Moab central before heading into the park. Unfortunately, the food was tasty, but for two of us the choice ended badly. I don't want to say we had food poisoning, but luckily we didn't make it too deep into the park when we decided it was time to get some Pepto. Time slows down when the fear of road bumps takes place in a Chevy with boat like suspension. Fearing for my seats I drove as swiftly and cautiously as I could, luckily the visitor's center wasn't too busy that point in the day. Soon after we recovered, we made it back into the park. As we shared shots of Pepto and Pedialyte between each other, we decided to risk the hike up the Delicate Arch. We like to live life on the edge. The hikes proved fruitful and no incidents occurred; well we managed to scare one family of six on the trail as we discussed issues with body decomposition and the best method for removal of key pieces of identity during crimes of passion (it's kinda what we study).
FINAL DAYS
As we progressed towards the end we deiced to head out to the Fisher Towers via HW 128; set up camp, and head back into Moab for one final someone-cooking-the-food-besides-us dinner with a friend who I just happened to run into after 4 years of not seeing each other. Due to a race being scheduled for the following day the local pub, Moab Brewery, was absolutely packed, but the staff was wonderful and the homemade root beer and Jack Daniels Bacon Burger, incredible. Due to the level of tired and sore I was at, beer did not seem appealing, but the high fructose corn syrup was just what my body needed; someone else will have to comment on the beers. After we made our way back through the canyon the stars provided a perfect backdrop and silhouette for the cliffs and desert where the Fisher Towers stood.
The following morning we made one final breakfast together and headed on home. The entire trip proved that three inside my Chevy (whose names is now Jenny) isn't so bad. In the end the bed needs to be fitted with some compartments, but the truck without any better equipment, but loaded down averaged 16mpg and was able to maintain highway and dirt roads with ease. The girls are now fully capable of climbing together without a third party, my hernia is fully healed, and Jenny is happy as ever.
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