As we were leaving Canyonlands Island in the Sky we witnessed a motorhome starting along the Shafer Trail. The Shafer Trail is a 4-wheel & ATV trail that starts on the top of the park and descends to the White Rock Rim trail about 1300 feet below the plateau and eventually goes on down and traverses the floor of the canyon 2000 feet below. It was built as a mining road. My assumption/hope is that after reading the many warnings posted a hundred yards down the road/trail a prompt retreat was executed. But, Hey its a rental!

Milts, the very definition of a greasy spoon. Great burgers, fries and onion rings and a killer sweet Reeses shake.
We picked up a couple bottles of local wine. I will update when we pop the cork (or twist top as the case may be).

Imagine a mesa, 2000 feet above the Colorado and Green Rivers, linked to ”mainland” by one narrow 40ft span of earth. Every direction you look reveals deep canyons with sheer wall drop-offs. That is the Island in the sky country of Canyonlands National Park.
It is amazing how these two rivers have carved a nearly unearthly terrain that is foreboding and enticing both at the same time. Just beautiful.

The entry into Arches National Park is amazing. The only entrance into the park is through a perfectly laid out series of switchbacks that climb the red sandstone cliffs. It is a fitting introduction to the grand work of nature. Everywhere we turned we saw dramatic and fun rock formations. I couldn’t always see the shape that others claimed to have seen. Fortunately, nothing says that I couldn’t make up my own interpretation.

Hard to believe it is fall again already. On to Arches National Park tomorrow.

We are along the green river and there are lots of irrigated grain and hay fields. Must be about perfect for their staging area. We watched and heard a lot of them head out early this morning.

That is the name of geological formation here in Utah that contains the dinosaurs. Lots of them. The best description for this formation is like melted neapolitan ice cream. It has colored stripes and they sort of run together because of erosion. The big attraction here at Dinosaur Nat’l Monument is the fossil wall with over 1500 dinosaur bones still in place as found. BUT, it is closed because of major repairs (actually rebuilding) of the exhibit hall. So, another time. We did get to walk along another section of the formation and see and touch dino bones still in the rock wall. Pretty cool.