A Desert Wander...

[mph]

We had a week to play...Where to go? I looked at the maps and books. Nothing really popped into my mind. So, we packed and watched the weather. Our travels took us down Highway 6 from Price towards Green River. Ahhhh...we decided to head east and down through Moab to the Needles area of Canyonlands. Moab was going off because of Jeep Week. We quickly stopped and rallied south. 15 miles or so south of Moab, the traffic wained and the desert became much quieter. Ahhhh...Utah!

Our Land Cruiser took us down to the Indian Creek Area. A very pleasant evening!



The next day dawn bright and blue. We enjoyed the warmth of our surroundings. Our mission today was find signs of the past--ruins and rock art!



Louise finding the goods! It was a gorgeous ruin site. 5-8 structures. But the 2-story was the highlight.





With camp packed, we headed further south. Further into canyon country. If you travel the deserts of Utah, you see the 4-legged animals everywhere.



It was Easter and there was a rumor that a GOLDEN EGG was somewhere...Lilly searched everywhere...



She finally found the egg and a note the Easter Bunny left. She had to follow a map to find her Easter basket.



Our dog, Ginger, even needed to cool off after our hike. She loved taking a quick paddle...



We spotted more ruins...The Anasazi were here.



The day ended with the Land Cruiser parked in Beef Basin.



A good wander thus far. More to come...

 

[AZJim]

As always fantastic stories and photos.

Jim

 

[mph]

We spent a few days exploring by vehicle and foot the Beef Basin area. It's vast...We saw two law enforcement officers and that was it. I talked with one for a while...He informed me that this is his patrol area! Wow...Neat but lonely...

The ruins of Beef Basin are all over...One of my favorites!



Louise made a nice breakfast. Topped off with pineapple. One of our traditions! Sweet and tasty...



The desert was starting to bloom!



Louise enjoying the vastness of Beef Basin.



Lilly too...



Lilly enjoying her Easter basket. The Easter Bunny gave her some bubbles...The slight breeze out of the south created perfect ones.



More ruins...they never get old. Even though they are 800-900 years old!



Stopping for lunch right on the road. The joys of the backcountry. The views were crazy awesome. Beef Basin, Needles, LaSals, etc.



Our drive took us up and over Elk Ridge and the Mantis...Our winter was so weak. We were up around 9,000 feet and could only see a few patches of snow. Scary!



If you have been to Utah...You have probably encountered some wind. The day we traveled down to Cedar Mesa, the wind picked up! What to do? Fly a kite...Olaf up high!



The Mesa...More to come...

 

[mph]

Thanks Jim! Glad you enjoy them...

As always fantastic stories and photos.

Jim

 

[trackhead]

Crazy the lack of snow.

Your youngster gets out a lot. Love it.

 

[roverrocks]

Very nice.

 

[SmoothLC]

That's a great Easter egg hunt idea!

Thanks for sharing your trip and looking forward to the rest.

 

[mph]

Very nice.

That's a great Easter egg hunt idea!

Thanks for sharing your trip and looking forward to the rest.

Thanks guys for the kinds words...Yeah...every year we are down south for Easter...the bunny has found us on Powell, Cedar Mesa, the Maze, the Needles, and Beef Basin. Crazy bunny

 

[mph]

Cedar Mesa is a very special place in my opinion. It holds all the natural beauty of Utah...Canyons, Slickrock, Springs, and Gorgeous Camping! It also has a very unique trait. Cedar Mesa holds the greatest concentration of Anasazi artifacts in the world! We have been lucky enough to have spent some 50-60 days in the past down there. It never gets old! The land cruiser led us into the goods...



Ruins were everywhere. A lovely day!



Louise finds the ancient grinding stone. What a view!



This was quite a unique discovery. Baby Feet pictographs! They were only 3-4 inches tall. The ranger we saw said there is only one other place on the Mesa that has these types of pictographs. Truly wild!



We did see our first mountain lion. Unfortunately, it was a young dead one. We did feel lucky to see it though...



Lilly in her element!



Not all ruins are easy to get to...This one got Louise's attention. A no fall zone!



We caught this ruin just as the sun was shining in...It was a cool sight.



As luck would have it; we found a gorgeous camp site for the night. What to do when you are camped next to water? Water gun fight of course! The dollar store in Blanding is a must stop



Our home for the night was spectacular! The weather was splendid...



The Mesa keeps on giving...More to come...

 

[mph]

Cedar Mesa is really a place to explore. A place to find a "buried treasure". To make a discovery...All the backcountry routes cut through the Pinyon and Juniper. There is not one Cedar tree on the Mesa. The first pioneers mistaken all the trees for Cedar. Today, if you get off the road and wander a bit. You will discover the goods

Louise looking...



Lilly finding...A massive 2-story ruin. In great shape for 800+ years!



Their craftsmanship was awesome!



Louise just hanging out on the Comb! Louise gets all of Utah's ridges mixed up. So it's an inside joke...Is this the Comb, San Rafael Reef, the Waterpocket Fold, or the Cockscomb???



Ruins with the the doors intact are special and rare!



Found an awesome place to camp...slickrock!



Louise pondering...Wow!



There are just so many places in Utah to really explore...by vehicle and foot. See any in the distance? So many...



Saw a few cows...one rancher...just wandering...



What to do after a day of overlanding and hiking? Beer? No! Nap? No! Yep, you guessed it--jump roping! Lilly getting it done...



More to come...

 

[mph]

Our jaunt to the desert was quickly coming to an end. We had great weather...besides a little wind! We saw some incredible stuff. Ruins, rock art, vistas, canyons, etc. The goods in Utah are outstanding. If you get the chance...Take your own desert jaunt!


The girls woke up afar a long night of chess. The game ended in a draw after an hour plus of playing...It was fun to watch!



The last day started out clear and pleasant. We just took our time packing up camp and enjoying our surroundings..



One of Louise's favorite pastimes is trying to spot cows, talk to cows, take pictures of cows...well, you get the idea. We were on the lookout for desert wildlife!



We wandered into the San Rafael Desert. So stark but so pretty...



Rock craziness everywhere...





Lilly was amped...she ran and explored the desert on her own accord.





The Utah deserts never get old in my opinion. A little time, a little patience and you will find the goods! Until next time!

 

[trackhead]

Utah never gets old. So many variable landscapes within 4 hours drive from SLC.

 

[DVD]

Great to view this, MPH. And nice coincidence seeing meeting you in the middle of nowhere during the Cedar Mesa portion of your wander. I'm already planning the next trip.

 

[mph]

Great meeting you out in the wilds of Utah! Yeah, once you get the bug of the Mesa...it won't go away! Have fun!

Great to view this, MPH. And nice coincidence seeing meeting you in the middle of nowhere during the Cedar Mesa portion of your wander. I'm already planning the next trip.

 

[Foy]

As always,........

.......it's a genuine pleasure to see y'all "airing out" the young'un. Thanks for sharing.

Foy