Moab, Part 1 - With Friends, Utah

Southern Utah - our favourite place on earth! How can we resist spending some time here, especially with friends Nancy and Dave, and new friends Dori and Ken. Two national parks are nearby - Arches and Canyonlands - as well as several other remarkable hikes and views. We spend only the first four days of our three week stay in Moab with our friends before they continue on their previously planned journey.

Corona Arch

The train "tunnel" at the beginning of the hike along Potash Road outside of Moab.

Dave (top), Nancy, Ken, Dori, me and Brad Here we all are posing at the one small ladder to climb along the hike to the arch which is behind us. On the left of the photo, you can see a pothole.

Corona Arch Four of us contemplating the sheer size of the arch. See the couple hugging on the right? He has just proposed to her and their dog is waiting so patiently while they are locked in this embrace for at least 5 minutes, maybe even 10. How romantic.

Spring Canyon Road

Overlooking Spring Canyon from the top of the steep road that leads down into the canyon and to the Green River.

Driving down Spring Canyon Road Most of the fun is driving these roads. They are narrow, only allowing 2 cars to pass in a few spots. They are rugged, built on the edges of the steep canyon walls. Like I said - fun!

Mineral Bottom Road to Moses & Zeus

Nancy, Dave, me and Ken hiking out to Moses and Zeus (Dori must be behind Brad the photographer). The two tall spires ahead of us are the aptly-named formations.

A view of Taylor Canyon looking towards the parking area from the base of Moses and Zeus. Ken, Dori and I are about to make our way across the narrow ridge near the bottom left.

Glass Buttes, Oregon and Driving to Moab, Utah

Our last stop in the Pacific Northwest is at Glass Buttes in Oregon, a BLM area that looks unremarkable from the highway. What we expect to be an overnight stop becomes a week and a half visit. Rain plays a big part in the decision to stay, thinking we can wait it out, but in the end Mother Nature wins and we move on. It rains for 4 or 5 days straight! Welcome to fall in Oregon!

Glass Buttes

Camping at Glass Buttes, OR We snag a beautiful campsite a little over 2 miles from the highway along Obsidian Road. That's Big Glass Butte in the background, and it's not on fire. That's just a fiery sunset. Grady loves it here and enjoys long walks in the pinyon pine forest.

Brad flint knapping Much of Oregon's and the PNW's geology is the result of volcanic activity. Glass Buttes is an area where outcroppings of obsidian (lava that has cooled quickly without forming bubbles, so it resembles glass) can be found. Here's Brad practicing a technique called "flint knapping" where you strike the outer, duller coating off the chunks to reveal the shiny, smooth interior.

Mahogany Obsidian collected at Glass Buttes Besides the typical black obsidian, we find a lot of mahogany obsidian (pictured here) thanks to a friendly local hunter who leads us to a large pit full of the attractive brown and black pieces. Other specimens include red, sheen (greenish-gray), rainbow and the ever elusive fire obsidian, the latter which is known to be found only in this location. It becomes iridescent when white light is shone through the polished pieces. A fellow camper and retired geologist shows us several pieces of fire obsidian which he previously collected here.

Driving through Oregon, Idaho and on to Moab, Utah

Rainbow over Idaho mountains A beautiful thing happens as we drive across Idaho to meet with friends in Moab, Utah. This rainbow appears. We get a few drops of rain from this cloud, but most of the moisture evaporates before hitting the ground. Unbelievably, the rainbow lasts for about 15 minutes. This photo is actually taken from inside the truck while I'm driving (Brad snapped the pic).

Verga, mountains on Idaho/Utah border The next morning (the drive from Burns, OR to Moab, UT is over 800 miles and takes 2 days), rain clouds still surround the mountains along the Idaho/Utah border. The moisture is called verga - rain that evaporates before hitting the ground. With the snow-capped mountains, it makes for a very dramatic photo.