I'm going to play a bit of catchup on this build thread because things are quickly escalating with the build so expect a lot more posts.
Moab 2020
Hot off our trip to the San Juan Mountains in SW Colorado, we headed to Moab to drive the White Rim Trail (and see some of the other sites in this area). It's kinda crazy to me that this amazingly different spot of the world is only 400 miles away and I'm surprised I haven't explored the area before. We broke the drive out with a night in Glenwood Springs and took the scenic route on highway 128 that follows the Colorado River into Moab. It was the perfect appetizer for our many course desert southwest meal.
We found time to quickly check into the hotel and head out to Dead Horse State Park.
That night was election night. Given the tumultuous nature of the 2020 Election and its unsettled results, we were really curious what we were going to return to after 3 days on the wildernesslike White Rim Trail. We were pretty excited to escape the madness of civilization for the solitude of the desert. Long ago I gained an affinity for Edward Abbey and was so excited to explore Canyonlands, a national park that truly seems to embody his spirit and philosophies about public land. We were headed counterclockwise on the WRT so we took Mineral Canyon road down to the Mineral Bottom and entered Canyonlands. By late morning we were to our first campspot in Taylor Canyon at the site of Zeus and Moses. We walked for a while down the Alcove Springs trail and headed back to camp for dinner.
We got up early and hit the road. We backtracked down Taylor Canyon road to the typical White Rim Trail and made our way to Upheaval Bottom which is often where people have to turn around. It was uneventful for us in November. The drive over Hardscrabble was a fun one. After many stops to take in the beauty we camped up high at the top of Murphy's Hogback. The stars were spectacular that night. We walked toward the Island in the Sky via the Murphy Trail and then headed back for dinner and a good night's rest.
The third day was a rough one. I definitely made some mistakes on this trip and they really reared their head on the third day. First mistake was taking my pregnant wife on a 4x4 trip like this in the first place. Second mistake was not airing down out of fuel range anxiety (we finished with almost half a tank). These mistakes compounded into having a very unhappy trip partner but I guess we live and learn. At this point in the trip, we'd fully absorbed our palate for absolutely gorgeous views and we became rather complacent of the beauty. It'd be like "oh look, another amazingly beautiful canyon, ok cool, let's get going." With that said, our hike up much of Lathrop Canyon was the finest hiking we'd done all trip and was a much needed reprieve from the bumpy roads. We made our way up the Shafer trail to the top and headed on back to civilization to enjoy a warm shower and some asian fusion takeout.
After the White Rim Trail, the crowds of Arches ruin the experience. It just doesn't seem as special. All the same we hiked to Delicate Arch and Panorama Arch but wish we were in a wilder version of the desert. We enjoyed some of the awesome Quesadillas at Quesadilla Mobilla and browsing the awesome selection of books at Back of Beyond Books. From there we got one more night of sleep in and packed the truck up and made the long drive back to Wyoming.
As a new parent, I find myself testing the boundaries of what the new family situation is capable of and this trip was no exception. It's important to test those boundaries and also remind yourself that just because you've got small children, doesn't mean you can't go on adventures the way you used to. Of course, you might want to leave the 100 mile bucket list 4x4 trail for when your wife isn't pregnant.
