Drumheller Roaming Retirees; The Great Fishing Trip

Difficulty:
A variety of hiking trails, from easy to difficult. Mountain biking trails from beginner to expert.

Moab ... the name conjures up images of red rock canyons, sandstone arches and towering rock spires. It has become a mountain biking Mecca, and had been on our wish-list for years.

In mid-April, we packed our travel trailer for three weeks on the road. We packed the car with our mountain bikes, hiking boots, cameras, books and maps to take the road South to Moab, Utah.

It was a three day drive, travelling through prairie and mountains scenery across Montana, Idaho and Utah as we discovered new areas for future trips. We arrived in Moab as the sun was shining on the red cliffs. For a brief moment the whole area seemed on fire. We were quite please with that greeting, and took it as a good omen for our sojourn in the area.

We found a pleasant and quiet campground just South of Moab to park our travel trailer, then stopped at the information center to find out more about trails and places to visit in the area.

Our first outing was to visit Arches National Park. We had seen photos and wanted to see some of the arches that the park is renowned for. As good tourists we began with the “Park Avenue trail.” We spent almost two hours to cover the 1.6 km trail, stopping every 10 steps to view the scenery or take photographs as we descended in the spectacular canyon. We marvelled at the great sandstone slabs on each side of the trail, the high stone pillars pointing towards the blue sky, and at the balanced rocks. It was awe-inspiring to realize that this was the result of the uplifting of the sea bottom and erosion over millions of years.

In the afternoon, we had a close look to our first arches, the North Window and South Window. They really looked like windows through which we can see the mountains and sandstone spires in the back. At the end of the day, we went back to our campsite with our eyes and minds full of new scenes and with the intent of visiting the area again.

During the following days, we alternated mountain biking and hiking. Our first mountain biking experience in the area was one to become familiar with riding on sandy terrain, rocky slope, slick rock and cactus. We enjoyed the feeling of riding on slick rock with our tires gripping the sandstone slabs.

As the days passed by, we felt more and more confident with that kind of terrain and could venture on more difficult trails. And each time we took the opportunity to become immersed in the scenery, from riding down a canyon, to exploring natural bridges and searching for amazing geological structures.

Hiking in the Arches and Canyonlands National Parks led us to many wonderful experiences and discoveries about nature and ourselves. Some trails brought us on narrow fins which offered nice scenery ... to those who could move their eyes up from their toes to the dry valley and the La Sal Mountains in the background.

A journey into the “Fiery Furnace” was challenging as we had to travel in a mazelike labyrinth of narrow sandstone canyons. We had to go belly flat on red rocks, walk side way to make our way between tight walls, scramble cautiously on narrow ledges, jump over cracks and follow our guide diligently as we could not have backtracked our way to the parking lot alone, even with a GPS.

Along all these trails, we marvelled at the flora and fauna, at the power of their survival instinct in a desert environment. The rattling sound of a frightened rattle snake, small lizards running away for a couple of meters before stopping and checking if they were safe enough on their rock. The latest were perfect candidates for good photos! We were also amazed by the giant dinosaur’s footsteps on the slickrock as well as the tiny tracks of little creatures in the soft and warm sand.

We were in the Moab area just at the beginning of the flower season. Seeing a cactus in bloom with their bright colours standing out in the desert-like environment always brought a feeling of wonder at how that prickly and hard plant that produce such a delicate flower!

At the end of each day, we came back to our camp site thinking that we had seen the best of what Moab as to offer. As we were packing up our gear to go back home we promised ourselves to put Moab back on our calendar of activities in a near future. For awe-inspiring scenery, colourful flowers, and wildlife, Moab is a great destination!

From Salt Lake City, Utah, take HWY 6 South, turn East on HWY 70. At HWY 191 turn South again. A few blocks into Moab, you will find an information center.

There are many maps available for mountain biking and hiking in the Moab area. The best source is the Information Center and choose the ones that suit your needs. They have everything from general area maps to detailed guide books with trail maps and descriptions.

As a starter to plan your trip, we suggest the Arches & Canyonlands National Parks from the Moon collection. It will give an idea of what you can do in Moab area.

Best time to go is April to mid-May or September, when school is still in. The weather is often too hot during July and August for cycling! Weekdays are best as the roads have less traffic.

Unless you want to be part of the Easter Jeep Safari with 2000 four-wheel drive vehicles, avoid visiting Moab area during the week preceding Easter.

There are a lot of bike shops in Moab for major repairs, but make sure you have a tool kit, spare tire, and pump when on the trails.

And stay away from cactus ... unless you’d like a natural acupuncture treatment!

Just south of Moab is a quiet, clean KOA campground that gets you away from the noisier sites in town.

Exploring Moab ... a land of Canyons and Arches