My Journey

chet6.7 · Apr 3, 2024

''For whatever reason, people were in a hurry here (actually probably everywhere really). I had a guy in a Sprinter van pass me on the double solid line on a blind curve.....a few minutes later I saw the same Sprinter van stopped at an overlook taking pictures.....''

I go to a place that used to be kind of unknown for wildflower viewing, that is until the press latched on to the super bloom headline. Now we get a bunch of folks that drive like they are in Baja and trample the flowers to take a selfie. I don't doubt speed was involved with the cow, but a black cow can be very hard to see if you don't get a reflection from the eyes. I have had cows and deer swap ends and run right in front of me. I would of cut the back strap off of the cow. Looking forward to some winter pictures from the cabin.

YukonMontanaTannerTrapper · Apr 4, 2024

Groverland.....your description is about perfect. It's frustrating to only be allowed on the road (dogs). I've never actually seen the park.....

Ace.....yep.....

Riversdad.....I should be more careful as I've personally seen the pain that a dog goes through, and then there's the financial costs that I'll have to go through.....

chet6.7.....you made some really excellent points which got me to go back and edit my last post. I pride myself on not being judgemental.....I missed it this time. That being said, I just get so frustrated by people's actions these days. So many people I see.....all they want is a picture or a video of the places that they pass through.....they seem to miss the experience.....

We spent a couple of days wandering around the streets of Moab, Utah.....

Sometimes the dogs would wait patiently in the truck camper while I visited the shops.....but believe me, we spent way more time on the streets than I did in any of the shops.....

Tumbleweed was by far my favorite shop.....I spent way too much time in that shop talking with both the owner and her one employee.....

The good news for them.....and for me as well.....is that I purchased artwork from Tumbleweed which is going to look amazing hanging in the cabin.....

If you want Moab gear / clothing.....go to Anasazi.....the best shop in town for that kind of stuff.....

I don't recall the name of this sporting goods store.....but their selection for climbing gear was absolutely outstanding.....

The colorful displays reminded me of street vendors at the local markets of third world countries.....something you might see on tacototheworld's thread (the best thread on XP).....

And on this visit to Moab, Utah, we finally found the dog park where we found this little Trapper look alike. Sad story.....his new owner got him from a breeder for free because he needed an expensive surgery to live, the breeder couldn't sell him, nor was he willing to pay for the little pups' surgery.....the new owner did.....

Ace Brown · Apr 4, 2024

The sporting goods store you found is called Gear Heads. I never pass through Moab without stopping there. Its amazing how that shop has grown since my first stop there, maybe 20+ years ago.

Cute little pup and great new owner.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

ghostdancer · Apr 5, 2024

YukonMontanaTannerTrapper said:
Groverland.....your description is about perfect. It's frustrating to only be allowed on the road (dogs). I've never actually seen the park.....

Ace.....yep.....

Riversdad.....I should be more careful as I've personally seen the pain that a dog goes through, and then there's the financial costs that I'll have to go through.....

chet6.7.....you made some really excellent points which got me to go back and edit my last post. I pride myself on not being judgemental.....I missed it this time. That being said, I just get so frustrated by people's actions these days. So many people I see.....all they want is a picture or a video of the places that they pass through.....they seem to miss the experience.....

View attachment 827778

We spent a couple of days wandering around the streets of Moab, Utah.....

View attachment 827779

View attachment 827780

Sometimes the dogs would wait patiently in the truck camper while I visited the shops.....but believe me, we spent way more time on the streets than I did in any of the shops.....

View attachment 827781

Tumbleweed was by far my favorite shop.....I spent way too much time in that shop talking with both the owner and her one employee.....

View attachment 827782

The good news for them.....and for me as well.....is that I purchased artwork from Tumbleweed which is going to look amazing hanging in the cabin.....

View attachment 827783

If you want Moab gear / clothing.....go to Anasazi.....the best shop in town for that kind of stuff.....

View attachment 827786

I don't recall the name of this sporting goods store.....but their selection for climbing gear was absolutely outstanding.....

View attachment 827787

The colorful displays reminded me of street vendors at the local markets of third world countries.....something you might see on tacototheworld's thread (the best thread on XP).....

View attachment 827788

And on this visit to Moab, Utah, we finally found the dog park where we found this little Trapper look alike. Sad story.....his new owner got him from a breeder for free because he needed an expensive surgery to live, the breeder couldn't sell him, nor was he willing to pay for the little pups' surgery.....the new owner did.....

View attachment 827789

Yours and tacotheworld are about the only threads I follow.

YukonMontanaTannerTrapper · Apr 7, 2024

Ace.....that pup was great.....I fell in love with him instantly.....

ghostdancer.....I'm with you.....I like reading stuff, and I like pictures (lots of pictures).....and those two threads (yes, mine being one) are the type of threads that attract me.....

A relatively flat, paved & well maintained pathway, where all dogs are welcomed, begins just to the north of town.....there's a footbridge here which crosses the Colorado River, which parallels Highway 191, and which terminates a few miles to the north.....at the entrance to Arches National Park.....

We parked the rig here, on the south side of the slow moving river, and took the somewhat leisurely, unchallenging walk north.....

I remember that very day, so clearly, now, even weeks later.....temperatures were in the mid 60's, there was a slight breeze, and a warming sun above.....a beautiful sky dotted with white clouds.....a perfect day for the wanderer to be out wandering.....

As best as I can recall.....weighing heavy on my mind that day, was my decision to go home.....going home to the cold weather & the snow & the winter winds of Montana.....going home to the cabin.....and the thought of leaving behind all of these majical lands.....the breathtaking red rock cliffs.....and of course the beautiful Spring weather that filled the air.....

And even though I knew in my heart that we were going home, I continued to struggle with that decision.....during that entire walk. There was just no right decision.....and there was just no wrong decision.....

YukonMontanaTannerTrapper · Apr 7, 2024

One last walk through the red rocks completed.....

One last crossing of the footbridge over the Colorado River.....

One last look at the snow covered LA Sal Mountains to the southeast.....a reminder of what was soon to come....

And one last look at this sign posted on the footbridge crossing the Colorado River.....look ! it doesn't say "No Fishing From The Bridge" or "No Jumping From The Bridge".....only in Moab, Utah I think.....

I was 99 % certain that we were going home.....but I swear at the last minute I had second thoughts, so we drove down yet one more BLM road and put off the inevitable.....we stayed yet one more night.....

The following morning we were up early.....after coffee, breakfast, and a dog walk.....we were finally on the road. It'd been better than two months.....just wandering around with nowhere in particular to go.....

It felt good.....it felt right.....it was time.....

Massive storms were in the forecast further north in the Wasatch Mountains, so we needed to thread the needle.....so to speak.....

They were expecting better than a foot of snow that night in the mountains.....so I wanted to make that crossing early in the day.....

Which is exactly what we did.....

McCarthy · Apr 7, 2024

The one more night thing... I get that all too well!!

chet6.7 · Apr 7, 2024

Getting home when you want to be home is good, plopping my butt in my chair after a long drive, priceless. Starting out on a trip when you want to travel is priceless as well.
Homeward Bound!

ITTOG · Apr 8, 2024

chet6.7 said:
Getting home when you want to be home is good, plopping my butt in my chair after a long drive, priceless. Starting out on a trip when you want to travel is priceless as well.
Homeward Bound!

I always ensure I have work to do when I get home because the last thing I want to do is end a trip by sitting in a chair inside the house. I have to slowly ease myself into being inside again.

Sent from my Pixel 7 Pro using Tapatalk

YukonMontanaTannerTrapper · Apr 9, 2024

McCarthy.....it really is a tough decision.....the young man, he needs to get back to his family and his work, easy decision.....the old man, he needs to do whatever he feels like doing, therefore, it does indeed make it a tough decision.....

chet6.7.....that dog chair felt so good when I finally got home.....even after a short trip such as this, it was a welcomed sight.....

ITTOG.....there's always plenty to do, even when there's nothing to do. For me, I needed to dewinterize the cabin, get out the recently acquired snow blower and clear the drive, then clean up the rig, then tire rotation and oil change, then.....

Once the highway had passed over Soldier Summit (7,477'), the highest point along Highway 6, I knew that we had overcome the first major challenge of this return home trip.....

From that highpoint, we mostly sailed downhill, leaving the initial threat of traveling in a snowstorm behind.....we eventually connected with the high speed interstate, down in the valley, and then we headed due north, headed for home.....

We cruised along casually.....not in any particular hurry. We did have one more major storm to miss.....which was in the forecast for eastern Idaho, Wyoming and into Montana. But that storm wasn't due until later that evening, so we plodded along in the slow lane as we always do.....

Once we reached Idaho Falls, Idaho, I decided then to get off the interstate, chance it on the secondary roads (the risks being much greater on the secondary roads with the expected bad weather).....so we took Highway 20 through eastern Idaho and into Montana.....

That road can get down right risky at this time of year.....at least for me and my admittedly oversized rig.....

I definitely would have felt safer on one of those snowmobiles (these are like side by sides down south.....they are literally everywhere along this route).....

Eventually our good luck ran out.....

The clouds rolled in, the snow fell and the road became a sheet of ice.....

YukonMontanaTannerTrapper · Apr 9, 2024

I'm not so sure that I really needed that sign.....

.....as it was fairly obvious.....

We made a final stop in West Yellowstone, Montana....stretch the legs and take care of business.....

We hung a left at the stop light.....

.....took Highway 191 straight to home..... and as we descended to the lower elevations in the valley, we fortunately left the snowstorm & the dark clouds behind.....