October 5, 2004—Moab Revisited

We left Goblin Valley and one of my all time favorite boondocking spots behind to join our friends Don & Ellen from Santa Cruz, CA in Moab. Don and Ellen both work in the high tech industry and try and make the getaway in their motorhome when time and vacations allow. (See our Eagleville story). It’s always been high on the priority list for him and Marc to ride the Moab trails together. 

After a quick couple of nights in Portal RV Park, the guys reconnoitered a perfect boondock spot west on Hwy. 279, better known as the Potash Rd, due to the potash/salt plant at pavement’s end. About a half mile of rocky, rough dirt road and we leveled off high above the Colorado River on a shelf all to ourselves. In the third picture you can see the potash plant in the back right corner and those trees line the riverbank below us.

Our first evening’s dinner was just one of those magical occasions when the weather was cooperative, the grilled steaks were done to perfection, the wine flowed and the friendship sublime. Old abandoned pieces of cement slab provided the centerpiece of our dining experience high above the Colorado as we got started on margaritas with the warm sun still in our faces.

The guys did foray after foray into the back country on their Hondas as Ellen and I occupied ourselves with walks and camp activities. To see more of the motorcycle rides, including some wonderful scenery of some of these trails, click over to Motorcycle Mania. Don and Ellen also hit some of the high points of touring the area in their pickup and the guys managed to snag some great photos of a jeep tackling the infamous Lion’s Back climb.

As our time wound down, we decided to do a hike in Arches National Park that Marc & I had missed last year. It was the Sandstone Arch/Broken Arch/campground loop hike, totaling about 3 miles and taking us through some very scenic fin areas. And once again, there is just no prettier and intriguing campground anywhere that I have seen than Devil’s Garden Campground.