This blog is to document my "gap" year. Interest, ability and opportunity combined in a conspiracy to allow this journey to happen. The idea started on a trail run in a local park in Missouri. Running though the park was a good way to see the sights and get some exercise. So why not travel around the country in my RV and do the same thing? I'll be looking for places to pull off and go exploring with my Five Fingers shoes. It's not the reason for the journey but a direction.
SPOT GPS
Here is the link to my SPOT GPS shared page. It only shows information that I've sent in the last 7 days. So if it's empty it just means I haven't used it lately but I'm still OK.
This morning I woke up with one plan for the day.But being open to what the universe may haow in store plans change. I went to the campground office for coffee and breakfast. As I was talking to the owners and he gave me a brochure on a nearby place to hike. So instead of heading towards Moab (on a holiday weekend) an hour later (in the other direction) I was at the trail head. As I've been driving through the Utah scenery it's been on a grand scale and far away. This seemed like a good way to make it small and up close. As it happened this turned out to be one of my top three hikes! 8 mile loop up one canyon, across the desert and back down another. 3 1/2 hours. It's not a National Park or even a State park. It's just out on BLM land. The pictures tell the story.
Goblin Valley on the approach.
Time to "cook" again! Trailhead parking lot.
Heading up the wash. Hard to think there's a canyon?
Around the corner and entrance into the canyon.
The first slot!
Having fun for sure!
Looking up out of the darkness.
Yes that's the trail. Sweet!
Exit out of the top of the canyon.
Along the desert.
Just unbelievable scenery.
More...
Desert Walker. (Doing my Survivorman/ Les Stroud filming imitation)
Looking out to the real desert.
A little blockage.
Heading down Bell Canyon.
Some 20 fingers smearing!
Sunset over Moab.
Music on the drive in: "Roll with the Changes" REO Speedwagon (where's the rock organ anymore?)
Today on my way through Utah the RV rolled over 100,000 miles! It may not seem like a lot these days but it's a lot for a 1986. I don't think most people drive their's very far. For me on this trip so far its 21,760 since May 21, 2012.
It just happened that as it happened there was a rest area along the road so I pulled offer the let NiNa rest.
And just like in the John Denver song, "On The Road"
Back in 1958 we drove an old V8 and when itd gone a hundred thou we got out and pushed it a mile We didnt know who we were, we didnt know what we did We were just on the road Headin down from Canada on a gravel road a mile from Montana Then my Daddy read a sign and took us in the wrong direction I asked my Daddy where are we goin, he said well just follow Our nose, so I looked out the window and dreamed I was a cowboy We didnt know who we were, we didnt know what we did We were just on the road I met a girl in a truck cafe, fell in love almost right away Then the Mercury was ready to go and I had to leave her Shoo-be-doo-be-doo-Sh-doo Shoo-be-doo-be-doo-Sh-doo-Sh-doo Go home said the man in the moon go home Go home said the man in the moon go home Because its gettinsorta late and Ill soon turn out my light Go home said the man in the moon Go home We didnt know who we were, we didnt know what we did We were just on the road We didnt know who we were, we didnt know what we did We were just a ridin on We were just a ridin on the road
(except at 12,000 lbs plus 3,000 lbs of trailer I didn't get very far. It was the thought that counts.
There are not to many interstates that are as dramatic as the section of I-70 between Selina and Green River, Utah. 110 miles of endless views and nothing else.
With some extra time in Utah I decided to head out to Little Sahara Recreation Area. 124 square miles of moving sand and sagebrush. It's managed by the BLM and is from the remnants of Lake Bonneville 15,000 years ago. It's now a gathering place ATV, motorcycle and dune buggy riders.
700 ft mountain of sand.
Sunset on top of the hill above the camp ground (I walked).
Dunes.
Base of Sand Mountain. With a little practice I got better at traversing the dunes.
Trail riding through the desert sagebrush.
Just like the old west, circling the wagons.
Sand mountain Camp "Ground". Everyone just picks a spot and sets up camp. There are a couple other camping areas with actual spaces. When I check in the staff said they expect 30,000 people this weekend because of the holiday, schools out, spring break and nice weather. I'm leaving Friday morning.
More dunes on the other side of Sand Mountain. Looking south towards the Honeycombs. I wasn't able to make it to the top on the mountain but found a lower route to the other side.
Part of this trip out west started in Key Largo on the live rock farm. Some of the rock used is a special type f volcanic rock which come from Utah. Since I had no particular place to be and I had he time why not take I drive. When I started last year I didn't have a big push to make it to the southwest. I'd seen parts of it before on other trips. But I was inspired with the challenge of rock hunting in the desert. Some intel was gathered on the internet with a place to start: The BLM (Bureau of Land Management) office in Fillmore, Utah the county where large deposits of the "aquarium rock" is found. The Natural Resource Specialist gave me info on where I would be able to go with the RV in an area called the "Honeycombs:. I also got maps and directions. With new front tires I was ready to roll.
The turn out to the desert.
I got an early start on a Sunday morning. Clear skies and no one else on the road. From Fillmore it was 50 miles to the turn off. From there it was 30 miles to the next turn. Then another 30 miles on a decent packed dirt road. There are a few isolated communities and wildlife preserve in the area so the county grades and maintains the road.
30 miles of paved road through mostly sage brush ( and saw maybe 6 other cars).
30 mile of not to bad dirt road and the Honeycombs are in site.
A little perspective. I had to drive an extra few miles down the road to find a place to turn around a 22' RV and 17' trailer on not get stuck in the sand. For those fans of "Breaking Bad" I felt like it was time to "cook".
I decided to not risk the RV on this part of the access trail. But the ATV had no problem.
Lots of interesting formation in the rock from the volcanic gases.
The main deposit. The rock is brittle and is naturally falling of the side. Although there was evidence of people braking the rock apart too. (Which is permitted)
So I started with the closest area to the road and just started walking around and picking up anything that would look interesting in someones fish tank.
Return of the buckets of rock! Luckily these already have lots of holes and don't need to be drilled.
More formations.
Collecting the rock. A view back to the RV out on the "main" road.
Looking back up to the buckets. It was clear blue sky day and only got up to 40. The coolness was nice for hiking up and down with the 40 pound buckets. The "pile" of rocks to the right are tailings at the entrance to an old mine.
Full buckets ready to move. I was able to gather 1000 lbs of rock in about 5 hours (24 5 gallon buckets). If I had had a truck or the access road was just a little better I could have driven the RV up to this point. Instead I made four round trips with six buckets each time.
Awesome rock but wouldn't fit in a bucket (or the trailer).
I'm glad the rock option came about and got me inspired to travel out this way. I've seen some amazing sights and hopefully have more to come on my way back east to drop off the rock.
In the words of Roseanne Roseanneadana, "It just goes to show, It's always something." While not as exciting as Zion but sure to get your attention is looking at your tires and seeing half of them gone. Back in January while in North Carolina I thought I should rotate the tires on the RV. I looked it up online and got different opinions on wether it was necessary or not. I took it to a local Camping World for service and they did the rotation. Also recommended was to have the alignment checked after the rotation and since there was a little pull in the steering I found a truck tire shop that could do the rotation on an RV. They supposedly did the alignment and after moving the front tires around got it done. Well only after 2500 miles this it what my tires looked like. Prior to this I had 15,000 mile on the tires with no issue.
I'm normally pretty consistent with checking the air pressure in the tires. I was planning to head out into the desert to go rock hunting and the night before I was checking the RV and for some reason looked at the tires. This didn't happen overnight and I'm not sure why I missed it before. A strange thing is back when I got towed in Oklahoma I noticed the tires on the tow truck. Their front tires looked bad and had metal showing and I thought I hope he doesn't have a blow out while he's got the RV on the back. We only had 5 miles on back streets so I didn't worry to much. But now my tires look just theres. I guess I'm lucky I didn't have a blowout and noticed it before being out in the desert or on the interstate. It's always something, including with an old RV.
Territorial State House of Utah.
The town I stopped in was Fillmore, Utah. It is the location on the original state house of Utah and is a small town of about 1500 people (and has a KOA). When I hit town I stopped at an ATV shop and bought my out of state ATV permit before I had noticed the RV tires. Later from the camp ground I found and advertisement for a local repair shop. The name was the same as the ATV dealer. The man was very helpful, found some new tires and I met him the next morning had had them installed. Turns out it's his uncle who owns the the shop. His dad and uncle, long time residents of the area, owned the car dealerships in town and now just run a towing and repair shop. I ended up talking with them while they fixed the tires. It's interesting that I've found in general people in small towns are much more friendly and willing to talk if you show some interest. I had a nice chat with the clerk at the post office too.
Sand pit near the KOA.
Out enjoying the afternoon and trying out my new helmut and goggles.
As a bonus right from the camp ground is access to an ATV trail system. It's part of an 800 mile loop in and around the towns and mountains. You are allowed to ride on the roads here so I went into town and filled up with gas and checked out some on the nearby trails. Lots of fun places to play.
Deer crossing on the trail. Look close there's one clearing the fence.
A view from the ATV trail.
So all in all despite the $500 tire "something" I had a nice time in Fillmore. I did find some rock but that's another blog. I'm off to Les Schwab in Salt Lake to get the alignment done again. I wasn't planning on going up there but that's the closest place that can do the RV and I want a large chain repair shop if I have more trouble with the tires again. I'll also get to have the trailer inspected at the local Trailers Plus for it's free check and restock at Costco and Trader Joe's. Making the best of it.
