The weather forecast for today was cloudy and windy with a chance of rain in the late afternoon.
On Tuesday we moved from Monticello to Moab. We were setup at the OK RV park in Moab by noon.
After that we went to the Moab Diner for lunch with Lillie, Tom, Joy and Robert. After lunch we went to the City Market to do some shopping.
Around 5:00 we got a call from Cheryl. She said that the rest of the group was going to meet at the local Pizza Hut for dinner. We have never eaten at a Pizza Hut so it sounded like a thing to do. We had a good time getting together with everyone.
The food wasn’t as bad as we expected so now we have another place to eat.
This morning we all gathered at the motel where the bulk of the people in the group were staying to go on a jeep ride.
When we got there, Dennis M asked If I would lead the group on a ride to Hey Joe Canyon. Patti and I had attempted to go there once before but I couldn’t remember exactly where it was. Since we have the trail guide book we felt confident that we could lead the group there.
We headed north out of Moab on 191.
All 13 jeeps in a line that stretched out behind us for a what looked like a mile. We followed 191 for 14 miles to the turn off to Highway 313 where we turned west toward Canyonlands NP.
About 8.5 miles up the highway we turned north on Dubinky Well Road where we stopped to air down.
We followed this road for about 6.3 miles where we turned west in Spring Canyon Bottom Road. We followed this road for another 9.5 miles where we came an open gate. As soon as I saw the gate I remembered this trail as it has some of the best switchbacks in the area.
We got into low range and began the descent into the beautiful Spring Bottom Canyon.
When we got into the bottom the trail forks. We took the right fork that leads to Hey Joe Canyon.
After a short comfort break,
we headed out the trail.
At first the trail was a fairly flat dusty track that soon came to the Green River and followed the river down stream.
The trail is bordered by brush and is very narrow. After a mile or less we started coming to intermittent challenges.
After about 3 miles we drove through a Tamarisk tunnel.
Past the tunnel the trail became even more challenging with several large boulders to negotiate in the very narrow confines of the trail.
A few of the jeeps were pretty stock and some of the drivers were some what inexperienced so they were having some trouble getting over the rocks.
The weather was looking more threatening and the trail was getting rougher so we found a large flat area to turn around and headed back out of the canyon.
We followed the trail back.
Along the way we spotted these canoe with two guys in it towing a raft up the river.
We drove back up the switchbacks
and stopped for lunch at a large flat area on top.
After lunch we drove back to Hwy 313 and turned west. We followed the hwy to the turnoff to Dead Horse Point and followed this to the road that goes down Long Canyon where we turned left.
Long Canyon is another road that has some great switchbacks,
narrow gaps
and a huge rock that you drive under.
The views are also spectacular.
We drove down Long Canyon to Potash Road where we turned east to Moab.
As I am writing this a mouse ran out from between the end of the couch and the sink cabinet. As soon as I looked at it it ran back under the cabinet.
We will have to get some mouse traps tomorrow I can’t imagine how the little bugger got in here. I’ll have to see if I can find a hole some where.
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