Ice Ceam in Kanab, Utah

We begin our trip to the general vicinity of Canyon deChelly, Arizona for our 6 day backpack trip with the Sierra Club which begins on Sunday.
So we got a room here in Kanab and since we were early to check in, we cruised the town and found this really great place for ice cream:
The Three Bears Creamery Cottage
210 South 100 East
Kanab, Utah, 84741
435 644 3300

OK, this is THE place for ice cream just take a look at the pictures of the sundaes that Chuck and I ordered. It was one of the few times that we had dessert for lunch!





But even better they make their own bread daily and concoct really great sandwiches. I wish I was staying here longer so we could have another meal there before we go!

Finally...Bryce Canyon...and Zion too!

This is like no other place in the world! Yes, it is in the high desert and you will have to deal with some cacti and crawly creepy things, but it is all worth the effort. And remember, no matter what anyone tells you, the creepy crawly things are more afraid of you than you are of them!

Ok, let's get this out of the way now.
Here is the rattlesnake that I KNEW I would find in the area somewhere, he was harmless and posed very nicely for me!

This is one of the many arches at Bryce Canyon
This is the Amphitheater, the most spectacular view in Bryce (IMHO)
Here I am taking the shot looking down on the Navajo Loop trail...yes it DOES go down for some distance...we linked in to another trail which was a lot easier up than coming back this way!
Another view on the Navajo Loop trail








We came upon these turkeys on our way to the Emerald Pools located just across from the Lodge at Zion
And...a trail companion we found along the way
A waterfall into on of the Emerald Pools
Along the trail up to the third pool, I came across this conglomeration of cairns prepared by prior hikers. It was a quiet celebration for the rest of us!

Eagles Landing Motel, Beaver, Utah

We traveled from Moab on toward Bryce Canyon and hoped to get a place to stay the night somewhere near Bryce, that was affordable and clean.

After checking many hotels around Bryce, I ended up with this place located in Beaver, Utah. It was very affordable (compared to others in the area) We got a beautiful room with a King bed, 32 Inch Plasma TV nicely carpeted and appointed room for a whopping $ 46.68 which included tax!

Eagles Landing Motel
646 W 1400 N
Beaver, Utah
435 438 7800
Just off exit 112 of Interstate 70

But there was one thing that really caught my attention: gee...am I allowed to say it on the internet??
Ok, I will and take my chances.

It was the toilet. Well, not the toilet so much as the ability to choose which type of flush you would like to use (given the circumstances).

See...they have these two buttons one that is half white and half black; this is for what I call a half flush. Good for liquid type matter.

Then there is the full black button...this is a full volume and action flush for the 'other' kind of flushes!

Like I told Chuck, if I ever build another house, I need to have this in my house!

Laundry in Moab, Utah

Don't think for a minute that everything on this extended trip is all peaches and cream! After 9 days on the river laundry becomes a vital issue in our ability to continue..
So we stumbled on this place that is located right behind Gearhead Sports Equipment on the main drag.

I have had the opportunity to visit quite a few laundro-mats n my life and I have to say, without a doubt, this one is the absolute best.

Laundry Express LLC
417 South Main Street
Moab, Utah

Located behind Gearheads and just south of City Market (which is a great place to get any grocery needs you have)

Not only is it CLEAN, all the machines are new and all functioning. There are three sizes to pick from and that says something when you end up with several different sized loads to do. They also have plenty of wheeled carts for getting your stuff from the washer to the dryer and then on to larges clean and smooth folding tables.
But wait we are not done!

This place has free wireless Internet and many comfortable chairs for you while you wait for the clothes to be cleaned.

Still there is more! It is air conditioned and the floors are ceramic tile with color coordinated wall paint decor.

Yes, believe it or not STILL MORE...

I opted not to photo it (but now I wish I had) They have an absolutely clean and very nicely styled restroom!

Gee, makes you want to stay longer than you need to! Here are some shots I did take:

Green River, Utah - 9 Day Canoe Trip

Here we are starting out from Crystal Geyser, our put in point. I took this one by just holding the camera up facing us and hoping for the best. The weather was partly cloudy, which helped to keep the temperatures more agreeable than it might have been otherwise. Lots of sunscreen and body lotion is needed for a trip like this...there is virtually no humidity, so your skin dries very quickly. To see anything better, just double click the picture to get a much larger view.
Here is the front end of our canoe a some point during the trip. Everyone takes 5 to 10 gallons of water and some of the food supplies. We were lucky..we got breakfast and snack bins. We were never wanting for anything to eat on this trip.

Here is some of the group, from left to right: Mike, Lou, John, Greg, Sammy, and Chuck

We hiked up to the top of several buttes along the way. Here is a view looking down at the river and some of the glorious canyon and red rock formations.


Here we are at Registry Rock, a short but steep hike up the canyon. Look at the rocks in the background...many have left their marks. (we did not)
Another beautiful look at the river and a still morning. I just love the reflection of the canyon walls on the still river water on a beautiful day. It doesn't get better than this!

Our leader fixing breakfast...well into the trip.

Here is an old homestead ranch cabin that was built in the late 1800's. We hiked up to this and further on to a much higher butte before we continued our paddle.

Here is Lou...one of our group-mates having fun with a foot mud bath!


Chuck and Greg are hiking in different directions on Jasper Canyon. We found Anasazi Ruins in fantastic condition here. The hike was very short and well worth the effort!
Our tent at one of our campsites...

Here is the the ruin...


Here it is again with Chuck in the foreground
Alas...all good things come to an end. The boys were doing the Canoe Conga as we were packing it all up for our jet boat ride back to Moab, Utah. From left to right: Mike, Fred and Chuck.

Greg's two sons could find fun in just about anything. Here is the younger one, 'Gator "packing up" his brother Sam for the return to Moab. (just for the moment, Sam did NOT travel in the plastic crate!)

Once on board the Jet Boat, the beers were handed out. I never had Irish stout, but this went down real easy!

On the way up the river we passed groups of loaded rafts heading for Cataract Canyon and loads of white water rafting. Everyone seemed ready for a good time!

The take-out point was Potash, Utah boat ramp. We finished the return trip in a bus; they just drove the jet boat up on the truck ramp (fully loaded) and drove it back to the outfitters place.

Potash Road Drive

For our final bike outing for this month we rode 21 miles on Potash Road also known as State Route 279. It is known for its Dinosaur tracks, American Indian rock-art sites and an arch (Jug Handle. Watch for the signs. The scenery from the terraces and benches high above the Colorado River is outstanding. The road is relatively flat and if you leave early enough in the morning, you can have shade for a good portion of the ride...by 11:00 AM the road is pretty much all sun and warm...95 or so in August.
Here are some of the shots I got of the Jug Handle Arch and petroglyphs: (you may want to double click the photos to get a better view)


At the end of the maintained road was a potash mine facility, along side was a railroad track. Below is a picture of a regular pick-up truck, fitted so it can ride the rails. It is inspecting the track for anomalies.

Colorado River Rafting

We took a one day rafting trip down the Colorado with the Moab Adventure Center. We met at 8 and took a bus to the put in point which was just above Hittle Bottom. The river felt pretty cold when we started, but before too long ( maybe 1.5 hours) I tested it again and found it to be just right. so int o the water I went (with my personal floatation device) and proceeded to have a great time frolicking in the water and swimming around the raft. It turned out to be a perfect day, and the water never felt cold.

At one or so we stopped at Red Cliffs Adventure Lodge for a wonderful bar-b-que lunch buffet that was the best rafting lunch I have ever had. This alone would make me want to use this company again, since they were the only one to offer this kind of lunch.

We proceeded down the river after lunch and got a few small white water waves, but for me it was the swimming in the river that made it so perfect...I would highly recommend this outfitter and this particular tour, it is well worth it.

Biking Mishaps and more

Today we biked from the hotel to Arches National Park, which is about 7 miles distance, we continued on a little beyond the park entrance and then turned around to complete our outing for the day. I thought it a bit odd that for the return portion, which suddenly had the breeze in my face, I was having difficulty getting over 9 mph on a downhill stretch...then there was that incessant squeaking. All the signs added up to what I suspected; I had a flat. So Chuck went back to the hotel to get the van so he could pick me up.

I found a postage stamp sized piece of shade at the end of the Arches NP sign, so sat there and waited. Here's the pictorial story

Do you believe that the cause was just a little sticker barb?!

And look...I had company
We saw some really nice deadwood in Canyonlands too!
Here is one of the more dramatic overlooks at Canyonlands; those curvy lines are switchback red gravel roadbeds winding their way to the bottom