Baystate Jeepers

Up near La Sal looks cool. We never went up that way.

And no, the red dust never goes away.

So wish I was there again.

I wish everyone could have been here. I'm treating this as more of an exploration of the area than an obstacle conquering quest. Not sure where we are going tomorrow yet. There is a chance of some weather tonight or tomorrow.

No wheeling today. Today is raining pretty hard off and on. Not going out alone with chances of flash floods, trail washouts, etc. Our campground neighbors headed home to New Mexico today, so the safety of numbers went away with them.

Had one whopper of a T-storm last night. Lightning and Thunder was so cool especially the way it echoed in the valley that Moab sits in.

Going to do laundry and a little shopping (food and souvenirs) once that is done.

Tonight, if the weather clears we're supposed to do dinner and an evening Jetboat ride on the Colorado.

Late post. What was planned as a day in the dirt didn't end up that way. With the potential for road closures we checked at the Information Center in Moab to see if the Shaffer Trail was closed or open. They called the Park Service and we were told the road was open. We made our way out to the trailhead only to find an Emergency Road Closure sign up. We made our way around to the main park entrance, a journey of over an hour from where we were to find that the closure sign was from yesterday and they hadn't sent anyone out to take it down yet. The trail is mostly run in one direction by Jeeps, mountain bikers go the other way usually. We explored the Canyonlands' Islands in the Sky portion of the park instead.

I'm taking an early trip across that trail tomorrow morning, without Beth.

The dinner and jetboat ride got postponed to tonight, it was pretty good.

Safe journey home Dave. Sounds like you've had a great trip thus far!!!

Thanks Doug. The Jeep is, unfortunately, back on the trailer after some light, but muddy, wheeling this morning.

Final pictures before hitting the road in the AM.

Friday:
Erosion at work courtesy of Mother Nature:

Slideshow:
http://s771.photobucket.com/albums/xx35 ... =slideshow

Cool Steyr on Saturday morning:


Part of the Shaffer Switchbacks I climbed on Sunday



Slideshow:
http://s771.photobucket.com/albums/xx35 ... =slideshow


Sunday:
Colorado River running red with silt from runoff:


Beauty shot (Came out pretty good I think):


A look back before I started climbing the switchbacks. I have to admit, I didn't do a lot of looking around while climbing. Too
much chance of a mountain biker or another vehicle coming down.

Slideshow:
http://s771.photobucket.com/albums/xx35 ... =slideshow

"beauty shot" looks straight out of a Jeep ad

asauer17 wrote:"beauty shot" looks straight out of a Jeep ad

Thanks Amanda, the unreduced for web viewing high res version looks even better. Its now my desktop picture on my laptop.

Halfway home in Le Claire, IA at a Holiday Inn Express overlooking the Mississippi tonight.

Home safely. The last 20 miles took 1.5 hours due to the traffic on 495.

I believe most of our Jeeps were born here:


One blade of a windmill:


A short slideshow of the journey home.
http://s771.photobucket.com/albums/xx35 ... =slideshow

Home safe...

Thanks Doug.

Coming back from MOAB in 09.

Cool pic Curtis.