Distance = 25 Miles; People Met = 23
We spent 5 days in the Moab area. Two were rest days while we hiked only half days the other days. There were four major objectives to accomplish in Moab: 1) Catching up with web work; 2) Tour the National Parks in the area; 3) Find a route to Grand Junction; 4) Give a talk to the local Lions Club.
In 2007 the Grand County Library of Moab was voted the best small town library in the country. It was a great place to catch up with my posts, contact sponsors and other folks and recharge batteries. We probably spent more time in the library than any other place around Moab.
We toured Canyonlands and Arches National Park. My family had been to Arches before, but I still found that to be the more enjoyable of the two parks. It didn’t help Canyonlands cause that the weather was still sweltering at that point; it finally rained and cooled a bit when we visited Arches. Also we asked at the CNP visitor center where the best place to watch the sunset and they recommended a place that was actually on state land but failed to tell us we would have to pay $10 dollars to get to that spot. I enjoyed the landscape more at Arches but, beyond that, we got to witness a remarkable sunset. There will be photo albums on the Facebook Fan Page.
Sunset over Arches Photo Album
Finding a route to Grand Junction proved to be difficult, so difficult that we took an additional unplanned rest day because I was still struggling to piece it together. The ADT route lacked water and access for Ky’s vehicle. Another suggested route would have brought us to Whitewater, beyond Grand Junction where our next talk is. After an 11th hour talk with Miles at the BLM office I believe we will be taking a route between those two through what is know as the Dolores Triangle. This is a dry area, perhaps as dry as the Kokopelli Trail we are passing up, but there is better access though less trafficked. Unfortunately, I tried to get a picture of Miles quickly while he was laughing.
Miles from BLM, Blurred but Affable and Accommodating
The potluck supper and presentation at the Grand Center for the Moab Lions Club went well. I finally got to perform music and no potluck leftovers were thrown at me. Jeff, the reporter there from the Moab Times Independent, seemed particularly moved by the talk and mentioned throwing a little web traffic our way via his Facebook site. And what more can I say about our hosts, Lions Dave and Marilyn Stolfa? They were going the extra mile for us the whole time, even volunteering to cache water for us between here and Grand Junction.
Moab Lions
The Stolfas were not alone in being accommodating. Besides Miles at the BLM office, Bill our BLM host at the campground where we set up base camp for several nights allowed us a discount, though mentioning that he thought I was a senior citizen and that the discount was in order anyways. Cindy thought I should run with that, impressing folks with what this old senior citizen can do. Bill, a retire anesthesiologist, also considered making a cache for us, contingent on vehicle difficulties he was having.
Then there was Gearheads, a local outdoor shop in town. I went there to get some maps and work out a route to Grand Junction. Steve Kennedy, the youngest of three brothers and junior partner in running the store, was most patient and helpful as I poured through different maps in a frustrating struggle to find a way. When we left he gave us some Clif Bars and energy gels to take with us, but that’s not all. I later received an email that his brothers, the senior owners, would like for us to have and test some lights they designed as the product Technical Lighting Solutions. They are snazzy, multifunctional lights that we will have fun with.
Owned by the Kennedy Brothers
Of course, there were the people we met while hiking on bikeways and roads into and out of the Moab area for our half days, as well as a few people we met in Arches. There was Paul Gilbert, National Park Service employee who was about to transfer from Mesa Verde to Arches. He came for Peekskill New York and identified with us fellow easterners.
Paul
We met Jeff and Sandy Freethey, two trail volunteers, just as they were tacking up a new sign for the bike path we were on. They happen to be neighbors of the Stolfas and were wondering about that strange trailer in the neighborhood when we camped at the Stolfas the first night in town.
Jeff and Sandy
We met Bryce and Blake while getting water at a spring. They came from Kentucky to mountain bike in the area. We filled them in on Don Del Monte, the person who was horse packing from Kentucky to Los Angeles for suicide prevention. Unfortunately, I did not get a picture or recall the name of the trail angel who gave us a ride back to our campground and donated $20 to our cause. She lived in Arizona, was going to do business in Landers, Wyoming, and was taking a day to visit Arches. She passed us as we were hitching and turned around to pick us up. A blonde and a “senior citizen” together have little trouble with hitching.
Blake and Bryce
While in Arches we met two people from West Hartford, Les (Italian name) and his son Bryce. Les is the type of person with an infectious smile and he was quite excited about our endeavor. A New Jersey transplant, he gave the name of his wife and asked if we knew her. Um, I know Connecticut is small in size but ….
Bryce and Les
We also met Marcus and Annette from Munich … several times. In Arches there are many small trails leading to different arches and it we were always heading to the same arches at the same time. I finally announced we were not really stalking them and engaged in conversation from there. Annette was not totally satisfied with the picture I took of them. My apologies, Annette, but …
Marcus and Annette
Hey, Kirk amd Cindy,
It’s been 2 months or so since you camped in our back yard here in Sacramento. Incredibly, “Max” (neighbors’ dog, over our back fence) is still barking us awake every morning around 5 AM. Hopefully your mornings are typically a bit more peaceful. I have to admit I have neglected reading your daily postings for a while, but did some catching up today. I have to say, your expedition is truly epic – I get goosebumps just reading it. I find it of interest that your point of view in most cases remains by-and-large “Eastern” (whatever that may mean), in some odd contrast to my own -I will always think of myself as a Norfolker (watch out how you pronounce that!), but it becomes ever more obvious to me that 41 years living “away” have taken their toll – for better or worse I must admit I now see the world from the point of view of a Westerner / Californian. I have “covered” much of the territory you have traversed, mostly by road but including (on occasion) numerous topical day-hikes, many times over the past 4 decades. I am extremely impressed by the in-depth impressions you have been able to garner by your on-foot approach, especially, your frequent and regular interaction with people you have met along the way. My own experience in that realm is unfortunately much more limited; I am duly inspired to modify that.
Hiking that short stretch with you along Folsom Lake inspired me to get off my duff at least a little and get back to some serious (? – not really!) hiking, myself: since I saw you I got up to the (a) top of the highest point in Point Reyes NP, (b) top of Yosemite Falls (unlike other unfortunate recent visitors I did not try to swim over the precipice) and (c) top of Clingman’s Dome, Tennessee (2nd highest peak in the East). Many thanks for your most valuable and welcome inspiration!
Our very best to you and your family. Although you did not elaborate very much on that, it seems clear you have some serious concerns. I know you’ll stay on top of that, and hope it all works out.
I promise to stay tuned from now on, and I’m quite sure it will continue to be most rewarding. Carry on, and, EXCELSIOR!
My very best – ROGER * (and Barbara Anne too)
Greetings Roger and Barbara,
As you can see our postings to this site goes is understandably periodic, there will be another wave soon. What nice things you had to say, and we thank you deeply for that. I remember your comment that you were going to come back East for the finish of our hike — I’m holding you to that! Many thanks for all you did of us. Oh, I got a note that my newsletter bounces when sent to your address, if you haven’t been getting them perhaps check your spam filter. Glad to hear you’re hiking some more. Keep it up!
Kirk
Hi K & C,
I’m somewhat confused about your comment that your newsletter is “bouncing” when sent to my email address. As I underestand my spam filter, it sorts incoming stuff into 3 categories: 1-anything from addresses in my own address book (which I get automatically); 2- “suspect” messages from addresses NOT currently in my “book”, but which it appears are PROBABLY not “spam” (I get a list, and I can “select” the ones I want); and 3- those the “system” is quite sure are “spam” (which I don’t get to see at all). So I’m wondering if the newsletter address-source has somehow got categorized (in MY system) as part of the “3” set (??). If so, the way to fix that is for me to manually enter it (the specific newsletter source address) into my address book. So, when it’s convenient, please do this: send me a message off your personal email address (which I’m sure to get, since you’re “in my book”), and include in the body of it the newsletter source address (I’m assuming it’s a distinct and different one – yes? – no?), so I can put it, too, into my “book”. Thanks… …R*
Greetings Roger,
I won’t be able to do that until the next edition comes out. When that happens I’ll forward it and that should do it. Quick question: have you received a newsletter even though it reported as bounced on my end?
Kirk
Anxious to know how you’re faring on your route to GJ and how you survived the heat AND the rainstorm. Hope all is well.
Marilyn & Dave
Greetings Marilyn!
Passing through Redlands at the moment and mainly doing some quick stuff on the web. I’ll get to more depth in Grand Junction. The “rainstorm” was a dust storm where we were, our first one of the trip.
After a failed attempt at water caches in the Dolores Triangle we ended up north of I-70, but I’ll provide more detail of that on the blog.
Thanks so much for everything!
Kirk